Rising Vipers

In the burning south of Mouzares, the House of Afzalah rules from Viper’s Pit, honoring gods and ancestors through sacred tattoos and a belief in rebirth. But when King Naser Belam buries the notorious courtesan Aalia alive, her dying curse unleashes a plague across the kingdom. Rivers rot, wells sour, and the dead multiply as old feuds ignite and whispers of a woman returned from the grave spread. Lord Afzal Afzalah rides north seeking a cure, only to uncover a darkness far greater than plague. As Mouzares teeters toward ruin, Afzal must confront Aalia—and forces that should have remained buried.