The Hunchback by Regine Abel

Her heart’s desire would be her downfall.

After spending her life in training, Esmerelda still can’t believe she’s been appointed to serve as the Vestal of Our Lady of Paris—the greatest temple on any planet in the Nine Circles. Her beauty and unrivaled ability to manipulate energy quickly catch the attention of Praetor Frollo, the grand magistrate of Paris, and High Seraph Phoebus, the greatest winged warrior in the solar system. But her dream of becoming the consort of one of those handsome, powerful males is forgotten the moment she lays eyes upon the hunchback secretly living in the temple.

Kwazeem feels Esmerelda’s power as soon as she lands in his city. She awakens the primal energy that has lain dormant within him—and a possessive hunger that demands he claim her. But he’s a Fallen, a monster that would be destroyed on sight if the citizens of Paris discovered his existence. Worse still, Esmerelda’s Divine Light inflicts agony upon his already tortured body if he basks in it for too long. And yet…he cannot stay away from her.

With Kwazeem’s mysterious condition and Esmeralda torn between her duties to the people and the sinful desires of her heart, is there any chance of them sharing a future?