Heavy is the crown that was never meant to be mine… The one thing I should be thinking about is escape—but I’m not. Not yet. Pretending to be my twin sister Tabra—the Queen of Aryd—is what I was trained for my entire life. Only I was supposed to be a sacrificial pawn, not take her place. But nothing happened as planned. So here I am. A false queen stuck on a throne I never wanted, pretending to be wed to the man who has been hunting and killing royals of my line for centuries, and desperately trying to find a way to stop him. All while I pretend to be enthralled by him. I’ve done such a good job acting besotted, even King Eidolon believes I’ve come under the spell of the curse that binds us. A curse meant for Tabra, not me. Meanwhile, problems are piling up like sand blown against the palace walls in a storm. My sister is dying. My amulet has gone cold. Winter is crawling over the land, turning all to frost. I’m still not sure what that damned curse is supposed to make me do. And the Shadowraith I’ve given my heart to—a man shed from Eidolon’s own shadow—is coming for me. I need more time. If I can find out what Eidolon is after, maybe I can end this. The fate of every soul in the dominions rests on me, the hidden princess who was supposed to be disposable. I don’t know how long I can keep up all these lies.
