Newly freed from the brutal Rüddan, Sabine has traded one cage for another. Though she is a guest of the fae and mysterious Aethel, she is haunted by their suspicion. To them, she is not a hero who rescued their prince—she is a former slave, a human tainted by the enemy, and a potential traitor in their midst. Her only hope for true freedom lies in earning their trust, a task that seems impossible when she is being hunted by the second most powerful woman in the Rüddan empire.
The Rüddan Emissary, Naois, wants Sabine back, and she will tear down the very portals between worlds to get her. As Naois’ forces relentlessly assault the magical gateway that protects Sabine’s new allies, Prince Aodhan is convinced that Sabine holds the key to their salvation: a secret hidden in the stories her father told her long ago. But Sabine’s past is a dangerous labyrinth, and a dark Rüddan magic tied to her enslavement threatens to destroy her mind before she can uncover the truth.
Caught between an enemy who wants her dead and allies who question her every move, Sabine must navigate a treacherous new world of courtly intrigue and ancient secrets. To save the people who doubt her and the sister she left behind, she must confront the darkness within and prove where her loyalties truly lie. The lines between friend and foe are blurred, and the price of trust may be more than she is willing to pay.
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