Angel in Absentia by A.K. Chandler

Light is reclaiming the world, and victory hangs in a tedious balance.

A year after Clea Hart returned to the city of Loda, humanity is securing powerful footholds against The Decline. Her now legendary voyage has made her a gem of hope in the crown of humanity’s royal lineage, but the victory is fragile. Whispers of the Insednian’s resurgence and rumors of the legendary Warlord of Shambelin’s return wrestle through the ancient forests, while Venennin tribes, ruthless and growing stronger, threaten to embroil the continent in chaos.
As Clea stands at the forefront of the fight for humanity’s survival, she has become more than just a symbol. She is a queen in waiting, with Loda’s renown Golden Army and the world’s most powerful Veilin at her side. Threats are abundant, but the world at last takes a breath, until a staggering discovery threatens to strangle it down.
Reeling, Clea is forced to confront the bond she forged with an ancient and terrifying force. The whispered pact, “I kill for you, you heal for me,” threads a careful balance where light and shadow dance on a razor’s edge. With the fate of an empire hanging in the balance, Clea must navigate a treacherous deal that could make her Loda’s most powerful queen, or the root of its downfall.