The Binding of Equals. Book one of the Serpent's Gate Trilogy - R.A. Alvarez

She was never meant to have power. Now the world wants her dead for it.

Kaelith has spent her life invisible-until forbidden fire answers her call.

Now she's marked as a threat, hunted by the very system meant to control magic... a power she doesn't understand, and can't fully control.

Sera has sworn loyalty to that system.

Enforcing the law. Hunting those like Kaelith.

She should be Kaelith's executioner.

Instead, she can't stay away.

Drawn together by something neither of them can explain, their connection becomes more dangerous than the magic itself.

Because if Sera follows her duty, Kaelith dies.

And if she doesn't... everything she's ever believed in will burn.

As ancient forces rise and the Serpent's Gate begins to awaken, the line between enemy and ally begins to blur-and the cost of choosing each other may be more than either of them can survive.

Power demands sacrifice.
Love demands everything.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Dark fantasy with emotional stakes
• Forbidden magic and deadly consequences
• Sapphic slow-burn romance
• Enemies-to-lovers tension
• High-stakes choices and moral conflict