Some deals are sealed with blood. Others are forged in fire. Jaya Nideha has spent her entire life behind the stone walls of Inestar, under her grandfather's thumb, watching life be lived by others and quietly wishing for her turn. She doesn't complain because there are others who have it much worse, namely her mother and all the other slaves of Inestar. When her grandfather offers her a deal, her mother's freedom for a king's life, she is conflicted. Assassinating a powerful king on a distant planet with no way home seems like a suicide mission, but this could be her mother's- and maybe Jaya's- only chance at a real life. Things do not go as planned, and as Jaya finds herself faced with ancient evils and a mysterious foe who everyone is convinced is her partner from Inestar, she must take a chance at trusting Dewar's prince and renowned traveler, Quielle. Opening herself up to the prince is risky because he's not only fighting for her safety but her heart.