The Serpent's Kiss & The Raven's Curse

In the opulent, serpent-worshipping empire of Xylos, power is a venomous dance, and secrets coil tighter than a constrictor's embrace. Empress Seraphina, whose beauty is as legendary as her ruthlessness, rules with an iron fist, her every whim enforced by the elite, fear-inducing Serpent Guard. Yet, her reign is shadowed by the ancient Raven's Curse, a prophecy foretelling the empire's downfall at the hands of a winged harbinger of chaos.

Vera, a street-smart orphan surviving in Xylos's forgotten underbelly, possesses a forbidden gift: the uncanny ability to communicate with ravens. When inexplicable, raven-related omens begin to plague the imperial city, Vera finds herself hunted, accused of being the cursed harbinger. As she evades the Serpent Guard's relentless pursuit, she stumbles upon a hidden rebellion, a secret society dedicated to overthrowing the Empress. But the line between prophecy and manipulation blurs, and Vera must uncover whether the Raven's Curse is a true destiny or a clever deception designed to serve a darker, more ancient power that has long pulled the strings from the shadows, using both the Empress and the rebellion as unwitting pawns.