The Idol by E. Baileu

Elior Ransom has never been allowed to be just a boy. To the Covenant, he is the Vessel of Light—sacred, untouchable, born to suffer so the faithful may be redeemed. Every lash across his back, every sleepless vigil, every silent prayer is a reminder that his life does not belong to him. And when unholy longings creep into his heart—longings for touch, for warmth, for love—he punishes himself with prayer until the ache subsides… almost.

Jace Agbayani never expected his latest assignment to bring him here, deep inside the hidden compound of a cult obsessed with prophecy and purity. His mission is clear: infiltrate, observe, and gather enough evidence to bring down Malachi Ransom, the Covenant’s leader. But when he meets Malachi’s son—the so-called Vessel—Jace sees not a holy icon, but a lonely, fragile man who has never known life beyond worship and pain.

What begins as strategy soon becomes temptation. Elior craves Jace’s kindness like forbidden fruit, even as he chastises himself for the sin of wanting. And Jace finds himself risking more than his cover with every stolen glance, every whispered word, every touch he swore he’d never give.

But in a world where devotion is power and betrayal is death, desire is the most dangerous sin of all.