After her duel against Kosterion, Sartha finds herself at a social gathering for the powerful ruling class that holds sway over the Empire as Handler seeks to curry favour and expand her influence. Amid the strange environment and its horrors, Sartha finds herself struggling more than ever to reconcile her devotion and her heroism - and when Handler begins to use Sartha herself as a bargaining chip, the strain threatens to take her over the edge
This part is quite long, and takes WARHOUND and Sartha into some new territory. I hope that the answered questions about the world and the Empire are interesting and provocative, and I especially hope that the ending leaves you on the edges of your seats
Enjoy! And my profound thanks to my beta readers: Esme, Maggie, and Olivka