Depths

Orphaned far too young and the only child of the King and Queen Barclay, I was destined to take the throne upon my twenty-second birthday. But no woman has ever ruled my kingdom, especially one who is unwed.

Just when I decide to step back and let the crown be decided by the first-ever election, a man who has been like an uncle to me intervenes.

I give him my trust...and it's the greatest mistake of my life.

Before I know it, he sends me to my death in the Depths.

I survive the fall and meet Morco—the chief of the obsidians. He doesn’t trust me and I have to prove myself to earn his protection.

The only light in the dark chasm comes from a root system that shines through a large bud called the apricum. Instead of it being a source of life, it's a source of violence...because everyone fights to the death for it. And it changes throughout the Depths without a moment's notice, making all the inhabitants chase it and leave a bloodbath in their wake.

I quickly come to care for these people who fight to survive every single day in this dark hell. And even more quickly, I come to care for the man who leads them.

And he for me.

© 2026 by Penelope Barsetti. ℗ 2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.