Evil spirits. A cursed prince. Death itself in disarray. Iris just wants to go home, but fate has other plans for this young priestess and her odd companions. /// The land of Erinlin is dying, its ancient traditions choked out by the Kaerent church and its true priestesses, the Candlemaidens, increasingly regarded with fear and suspicion. All Iris wants is to tend her candles, win her shade battles, and chat with the spirits of her realm. But when she is torn away from her home by the Kaerent king, she learns that her country needs her to be far more than a typical Candlemaiden-- she must be as the legendary priestesses of old and walk through Death itself. *** Cover help from the awesome @ArdenBrooks. Special thanks to @rainersalt, @giveitameaning, and @piperjones033 !

Before Maurice, before Belle, before the intrusion of villagers, there was another girl. A beautiful maiden with a painted face and a love for beautiful dresses. Untouched by the curse placed upon the palace but doomed to remain there until the spell is broken. Dually tormented by her imprisonment as the prince. If the world was kinder, perhaps there would have been a happy ending for both.