In the fractured realm of Elarion, where kingdoms rise on elemental thrones, Princess Apollyon stands as a mystery even to herself-lion-blooded royalty with the power of both Lux and Umbra pulsing in her veins. Trained as a warrior, raised as a priestess, and destined for a crown, Apollyon's path should be clear. But war, prophecy, and forgotten gods have other plans. When an ancient beast stirs beneath the ice and the dead whisper truths long buried, Apollyon is forced to confront the powers she was told to suppress-and the secrets even her bloodline dared not reveal. Allies become strangers. Enemies wear familiar faces. And in the heart of a frozen cave, she makes a choice that may awaken a world better left asleep.