The Shadows And The Spirit

Elissa Starwind is a princess of the South, born into a lineage of legendary witches. But in a world where magic is measured by the heat of one's flame, Elissa is a failure-the "Magicless Princess" who cannot light even a single candle. To her mother, Queen Rowen, she is nothing more than an expendable pawn in a losing war against a fading world.

When the ancient Concord of Ash is signed to save the kingdom from collapse, Elissa is sacrificed as a political anchor. She is traded to the frozen North-the realm of Nocturnis-to marry the most feared predator of the age: Prince Alistair D'Valtheron.

Alistair is a pure-blooded vampire, a "Cold God" with crystalline blue eyes and a reputation for ruthless elegance. While the South views Elissa as a broken thing, Alistair sees something they were too blind to notice. He didn't choose her for her fire; he chose her for the strength she found in the shadows.

As Elissa travels from the quartz spires of her home to the obsidian fortresses of the North, she discovers that her "failure" was never a lack of power. Instead, it was the first sign of an ancient, nameless magic that the High-Prophets have been waiting for-a power that could either save the world or turn it to ash.

In a court of immortal monsters and political daggers, the girl who belonged to no one must decide if she will remain a sacrifice or become the spark that ignites a revolution.