The Empty Vessel - The Fifth Accord, #2

Heroes are not born, but forged in the crucible of desperate necessity. In the decaying world of Vaidolin, where divine power ebbs and ancient houses cling to fading glory, three lives become entangled in a desperate dance of survival and ambition: Taul, a consort with the rare gift to coax life from barren earth, watches helplessly as his millennia-old orchard rots, mirroring the decay of his people.
Torn between duty to his matron and the pull of his neglected power, he plunges into Vaidolin's criminal underbelly, seeking an heiress to save his house - and perhaps himself. Ren, a thief hardened by years of service to the High Matron's consort, grasps at a fleeting chance for redemption. In a world where every shadow hides a dagger, he must decide whether to embrace the light or be forever consumed by the darkness that has been his ally. Gishna, the ancient matron of Ilor'Hosmyr, orchestrates a desperate gambit to preserve her blighted bloodline, blind to the rot consuming her valley and her power.
Her actions threaten to shatter the fragile balance of the crater, plunging the Mornae into chaos. Set against a backdrop of crumbling orchards and whispered conspiracies, this dark fantasy explores the cost of power and the weight of legacy. As divine magic wanes and bitter rivalries resurface, Taul, Ren, and Gishna must navigate treacherous alliances and hidden agendas, their choices determining not just their own fates, but the future of their entire civilization. The Empty Vessel is the second book in the Fifth Accord series.
Each book focuses on one of the five Mornae high houses and builds to an inevitable conclusion... civil war.