The Serpent Saint’s Bride by Jess Rae

She was only supposed to steal a jewel.

Instead, Lenna Rose stole a secret that could break a kingdom.

Beneath the river of Velrath, an ancient guardian has been chained for three hundred years. The city calls him the Serpent Saint. The priests call him a monster. Every seven years, a bride is offered to keep him bound.

But the brides were never chosen.

They were stolen.

When Lenna is dragged beneath the river and marked by a vow she never asked for, she discovers the truth: the saint has been prisoner, protector, and scapegoat all along. To free him, she must steal a crown, expose a temple full of lies, and face a queen mother willing to poison an entire city to keep her power.

Nerion has lived centuries without freedom, without his heart, and without hope.