Review: Fire and Ice

This short story from the League series tells the story of Nykyrian's oldest son, Adron.  We heard him mentioned and got a glimpse of him in the Prologue of Born of Ice.  But now, the former League assassin is terrible shape. He was badly and irrevocably injured on a mission years ago, and now he lives in constant pain. He is angry at the world and wishes he would have died, rather than survive in his weakened condition.

He is drinking himself into oblivion at a bar when Livia comes in. She is a princess, determined to lose her virginity, in order to escape marriage to a man decades of years older than her.  She sets her sights on Adron and he is stricken by her innocence. He takes her up on her offer and is shocked to find she can ease his pain for short periods of time.  When her father finds out about their tryst, Adron steps up to marry her to keep her from punishment. But their relationship is constantly tested by his injuries and his reaction to them.

I loved, loved, loved this story. The sex was sooo good.  And Adron is transformed in front of us by Livia's love. The ending is great too.  5 stars.

*This short story can be found in the In Other Worlds anthology