To escape a tyrant father and a political marriage, a young woman frees a dangerous prisoner-but when prophecy marks her and ancient powers begin to hunt her, she must choose between surrendering to the darkness rising within her or defying fate itself, even if the man she loves is willing to fall into darkness with her.
Emberlyn Penrose has spent her life under the rule of her ruthless father, the self-proclaimed King of the South. When he arranges a political marriage meant to secure his power, Ember sees only one path to freedom: she strikes a desperate bargain with a dangerous prisoner, freeing him in exchange for escape.
But fleeing the South draws Ember into a fractured world of rival realms, ancient magic, and prophecies older than the kingdoms themselves. As a forgotten power begins to awaken within her, Ember begins to understand that she is not just caught in the struggle for power-she is apart of it. And if she cannot control the darkness growing inside her, she may discover that her fate was never to wield power-but to be consumed by it.