Dion Rhodea never let himself consider what he had to lose. As the budding prodigy of Helia's infamous Rogues Guild-and estranged heir to the Rhodea family seat-Dion had lived a life as full of privilege as it was hardship. His vacant moral compass earned him a long, tolerant leash from the guild. A warm home welcomed him after every triumphant-or battered-return. Contracts and money flowed freely, too, and allowed Dion to build the life he had only ever dreamed of. But when a merciless act of retribution rips away his only source of true peace, a course is chartered that leaves Dion forever changed. This is the story of how a broken man earned a brutal scar and lost his heart in the process. ---- The Cruelty of Day is a prequel novel in the Fires of Carinae series, intended to be read in between book one (The Mercy of Dawn) and two (title TBA). Set one hundred years before the events of the first book, this story explores the complex themes of loss and grief, and how both misguided influence and lifelong trauma can shape someone. It should go without saying that this is not a happy ending love story.