They sent her to die. Instead, she found a beast lonelier than she ever was. A bastard daughter cast out by the empire. A dragon king trapped in a curse. And one stubborn little fluffball who refuses to accept fate—stirring up trouble by day, playing matchmaker by night. She was supposed to be his sacrifice. She taught him how to grill fish, how to laugh, how to touch without hurting. He was supposed to be her cage. He became the first person in this world to ever protect her. But the empire won’t let her go. Neither will the serpents. She returns to the royal city hoping to save her people—only to find herself trapped between a throne that wants her dead and a love that believes she walked away. They wanted a war. They picked the wrong woman. This one will burn the sky to embers—for the beast who learned to love.
