Princess of Death

She crossed an ocean for a cure—now, her heart is torn between love and duty.

Princess Caliana's people are dying, and the only cure lies in a distant, magical kingdom where deception is the only way to survive. Disguised as the kingdom's princess, Cali agrees to marry the infamous pirate prince, Bae—a man as dangerous as he is captivating—in the true princess's place.

The marriage is the only way she can secure access to the cure, but it also binds her to a life she never wanted.

Now, Cali must navigate the growing tension between duty and desire as her heart begins to betray her mission. Though she planned to escape after accessing the cure, sparks fly between her and the ruthless pirate, and she discovers there’s more to Bae than she ever expected.

With time running out and the fate of her people hanging in the balance, Cali must choose between the love she never anticipated and the responsibility she cannot forsake.

Can she outwit the forces that threaten both kingdoms or will she be forced to sacrifice everything for a man who was never supposed to be hers?

If you like the tension of Daughter of the Pirate King and the dark enchantment of Caraval, then you'll devour this heart-pounding, imaginative escape.

Buy PRINCESS OF DEATH, book one in USA Today bestselling author Cortney Pearson's Fantasy Romance Series, to enter this swaggering, vibrant world today!

Chapter One

The sea witch was the author of all ruined things. Undine Daray’s name was always cursed as a result of this belief. It didn’t matter what went wrong—a decimated crop; an ink blot on parchment; unrequited love.

Whether the sea witch was personally responsible for the mishaps or not, it was her name people swore.

They needed someone to blame.

Right now, Cali was just desperate enough to summon her for help.

She stood in the doorway of Darren’s chambers in the belly of her home, her heart twisting at the sight of him writhing beneath the sheet. He still wore the lightweight, russet-colored clothing of his trade, and a sheen of sweat hung near his hairline, matting the tawny locks to his forehead.

The sight of his condition tore a cry from her throat.

“Princess,” he said weakly. “What are you doing in here? You’ll catch your death.”

The air was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs, but as hard as the doctor had tried, those herbs had long since ceased to bring any relief. Spots speckled up Darren’s throat and jaw. They prowled down the skin of his forearms, though they hadn’t yet reached his wrists.

Cali knew it wouldn’t be long before they did.

He’d gotten so much worse since the last time she saw him. And she was done waiting for someone else to fix this.

“Darren,” Cali said, her voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging within her. She bunched the fabric of her skirt in her fists. “I found a way to save you.”

The journey she was about to take was dangerous, full of uncertainty. There was no guarantee that the sea witch’s minion would help, but members of the palace staff had spoken of a woman living on the outskirts of Zara.

A woman with magic.

She had to have a solution for this plague where medicines had failed.

“Don’t,” he said, slipping free of Cali’s grasp. He turned away from her. “It’s too dangerous.”

Didn’t she know it.

Approaching this witch woman could cost Cali’s life. It could cost her everything.

But there was no other choice.

Her people were dying, and the last hope for a cure lay with the sea witch—or rather, this woman who was associated with the sea witch. Even if that meant crossing the boundary and the treacherous seas to the fabled lands of magic, Cali would do whatever it took to save her people.

So many in the kingdom were suffering. So many had already died.

Seeing Darren fall ill hit her the hardest. Darren was her best friend. He wasn’t gone yet—he still had a number of days left. That meant there was time to help not only him, but thousands of others.

Cali defied his wishes to be left alone, pulled his blanket free, and secured it over him.

“You’re not going to die. I’m going to find help. I’ll find the cure, do you hear me? I will save you. Save all of us. Don’t you dare leave me.”

Darren’s lids fluttered, and he murmured, “Anything for you, Princess.”

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away, forcing herself to stay strong. She had no time for tears.

Rising to her feet, Cali turned to Vera, the laundress whose belly was swollen with the child she would bear any day now. Many of the other healers had already passed, and though tending the infirmary wasn’t part of her normal tasks, Vera was helping where she could.

Even if Vera lived long enough to bear her child, with how quickly this plague acted, how long would she and her child live?

“Keep him comfortable,” Cali commanded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Vera bit her lip and nodded.

With one last glance at Darren, Cali swept out of the room. She made her way through the darkened corridors of the palace, avoiding the eyes of the few remaining servants who hadn’t yet succumbed to the necrosis.

If her parents knew what she was about to do, they would try to stop her. Cali had already suggested they try using magic once to her father, and he’d been nothing short of scandalized.

“You would dare tempt evil?” he’d said. His escalated voice was still shrill in her memory. “There is no magic in Zara. Even if any who worship the sea witch and her darkness remained, that would only make things worse than they already are.”

People were dying. Cali wasn’t sure how things could get any worse.

The king and queen had dismissed her. Just like they were dismissing the need to act.