Born to a queen who ruled through tyranny, raised as an heir and a weapon, and scarred by cruelty-Ruby has never known freedom.
Living within the High Royal Castle of Latvia, she spent her life longing for freedom. Caring for abandoned children and dreaming of love, she imagines a better world-until everything she knows is ripped away from her. Dragged into the Dark Castle by Queen Amaris, Ruby is stripped of her power, her friends, and her life.
For ten years, she endures captivity. But in this darkness, there's Nox. Feared by all, the High General of the Dark Queen becomes her only constant-and even more.
When Ruby finally escapes, it comes at a brutal cost. Because of her, Nox is executed.
Haunted by the past-and dreams that feel too real to be illusions-she struggles to rebuild herself. But freedom comes with chains of its own: impossible expectations, a prophecy she never asked for, a love she can't escape, and enemies at every turn.
To survive what's coming and an upcoming confrontation with the Dark Queen, Ruby must embrace her power and destiny before everything she cherishes is destroyed.