When the village draws her sister's name for sacrifice, Selene does what she's always done: she steps in to protect the people she loves.The ancient god in the mountain hasn't been seen in a century. The plague ravaging her village is punishment, the elders say, for forgetting to tithe. One woman must climb into the frozen peaks and offer herself to the serpent-a death sentence dressed in ritual.Selene expects to die alone in a ruined temple. Instead, she finds Vashaal.He is ancient. Monstrous. Devastating in ways she never anticipated. And he has no intention of killing her.Trapped together as winter howls outside, Selene discovers the plague has nothing to do with divine wrath and everything to do with a corruption spreading through the mountain's depths. To save her family, she'll need to descend into darkness alongside a god who watches her with hunger in his ancient eyes.But the danger below is nothing compared to what's kindling between them. And Vashaal has already decided: she will not leave.