In the World of Ardenia:

Nadia has always known she’s destined to be a ruler. The first born son of the King, and the only heir to the throne of Cidon, every step she takes and every decision she makes will matter in the grand scheme of something. Generations of expectations weigh on her, ready to collapse and crush her as soon as she makes a mistake… and trying to live as anyone but a King might just be one. Trapped between who the world sees her as and who Nadia knows herself to be, she turns to the only person she can truly trust. Jasper. He believes there is a way for Nadia to have both a stable Kingdom and her identity. If only she is willing to delve into a forbidden search for magic. When a traitorous plot threatens to end Nadia’s life, she has no choice but to flee into that darkness to avoid her future ending before she can become anything at all; King or Queen.

High in the mountains above Cidon, Nadia and her companions find a town frozen in time. With one in their trio dangerously injured, and the trust between all three of them cracking, the time has come to rest and recover. The ancient locals of Ridgeport take them in, revealing a dying world of magic and curses - and a spell they claim only Nadia can undo. Jasper is torn between his crumbling relationships and the burning flame that sits in his chest, threatening to consume him completely if he pushes too far. The one person he’d hold back for refuses to even look at him, so he turns to the locals. The people in the mountains who carry the history and expertise for a power living in his blood. Soon, Nadia and their new friends come to an agreement. An agreement that, if fulfilled correctly, can get everyone what they need. Nadia needs to become her true self. Jasper needs to learn how to control his power. … and these new allies need their help to lift a curse.

Nothing ever goes the way Nadia wishes it would. The curse over Cidon has been lifted at the cost of her friends, Ezekiel and Milan. A world she’s always known is unreliable now, with foreign magic loose within the swamps and forests of their home. War still rests in pause, delicately balanced, but tilting toward inevitable devastation if she can’t convince the council of Ashan to set aside their life of peace. All the knowledge in the world couldn't have changed what Jasper was able to do to keep his lover safe. With his last request of staying by Nadia’s side in mind, Jasper’s duty is the same as hers is. Diplomacy, politics, and a cruel measurement of what matters more between Ezekiel and all of Ardenia. The past has always mingled with the present, for Ezekiel. Held for interrogation and eventual execution, that is as true as it has ever been. If the past can truly help him, the way Milan says it might, they have a chance of surviving to see the future. Ezekiel has made it through worse, with less, and he’d much rather leave the past where it belongs. With the fate of a country in the balance, each must answer two questions. What do they fight for? And how far are they willing to go to get it?