A Throne of Blood & Betrayal
(2026)(The third book in the Windtorn Chronicles series)
A novel by Brenda Trim
I thought I knew who the enemy was. I was spectacularly wrong.
Three weeks after learning that Kael watched my mother die and said nothing, I'm done trusting people who claim to protect me. The military wants me locked up. My father wants me dead. And General Marcus Thorne''former royal guard turned revolutionary leader—wants to give me something I've never had.
The truth.
The Forsaken didn't kill my family. The military did.
House Vaelthorne wasn't destroyed by rogue riders rebelling against royal authority. We were assassinated by our own commanders who decided magical oversight threatened their power. My mother wasn't killed in battle—she was executed after being tortured for information about royal artifacts.
And Kael's lies go deeper than I ever imagined.
Now I'm a fugitive from the people I swore to serve.
Thorne's resistance offers sanctuary, training in abilities I didn't know I had, and the location of the Crown of Vaelthorne—the artifact that could legitimize my claim to a throne I never wanted. The artifact that could compel loyalty from every rider in the world.
But Thorne wants to restore me to power by force. He wants to use the crown's compulsive magic to unite the magical world under one authority—mine. He wants to turn me into exactly what our enemies claim I am: a tyrant who rules through fear instead of choice.
And I'm starting to understand why they destroyed my family in the first place.
Why does Thorne look at me like I'm a weapon he's been waiting to wield?
Why are Hollowmaw suddenly appearing wherever the crown's pieces are hidden, like something is using them as guardians?
Why does using my amplification ability leave marks on my skin that match the scars on my mother's corpse?
When my squadron is betrayed and my friends captured, I walk into Thorne's stronghold knowing it's a trap.
Because saving the family I chose matters more than protecting the bloodline I inherited.
But what I find there will force me to choose between the revolution that wants to crown me and the people who need me to stay human.
Some legacies are worth fighting for. Others are worth burning down. And some will cost you everything to escape.
Welcome to the resistance, where:
Three weeks after learning that Kael watched my mother die and said nothing, I'm done trusting people who claim to protect me. The military wants me locked up. My father wants me dead. And General Marcus Thorne''former royal guard turned revolutionary leader—wants to give me something I've never had.
The truth.
The Forsaken didn't kill my family. The military did.
House Vaelthorne wasn't destroyed by rogue riders rebelling against royal authority. We were assassinated by our own commanders who decided magical oversight threatened their power. My mother wasn't killed in battle—she was executed after being tortured for information about royal artifacts.
And Kael's lies go deeper than I ever imagined.
Now I'm a fugitive from the people I swore to serve.
Thorne's resistance offers sanctuary, training in abilities I didn't know I had, and the location of the Crown of Vaelthorne—the artifact that could legitimize my claim to a throne I never wanted. The artifact that could compel loyalty from every rider in the world.
But Thorne wants to restore me to power by force. He wants to use the crown's compulsive magic to unite the magical world under one authority—mine. He wants to turn me into exactly what our enemies claim I am: a tyrant who rules through fear instead of choice.
And I'm starting to understand why they destroyed my family in the first place.
Why does Thorne look at me like I'm a weapon he's been waiting to wield?
Why are Hollowmaw suddenly appearing wherever the crown's pieces are hidden, like something is using them as guardians?
Why does using my amplification ability leave marks on my skin that match the scars on my mother's corpse?
When my squadron is betrayed and my friends captured, I walk into Thorne's stronghold knowing it's a trap.
Because saving the family I chose matters more than protecting the bloodline I inherited.
But what I find there will force me to choose between the revolution that wants to crown me and the people who need me to stay human.
Some legacies are worth fighting for. Others are worth burning down. And some will cost you everything to escape.
Welcome to the resistance, where:
- Truth is more dangerous than lies
Former protectors become your greatest threats
Crowns come with compulsions you can't control
The revolution might be worse than the regime
Choosing your friends over your bloodline could doom them both
Perfect for readers who crave: Heroines who reject destiny • Betrayals that rewrite everything • Revolutions with terrible costs • Impossible choices between love and principle • Power that corrupts by design
Genre: Paranormal Romance