It has been two years, and Asha has become the most hunted woman in the Five Kingdoms. She has vanished from the courts of men, hiding among caravans while searching for others like herself-Lightbearers capable of bonding to dragons. Her fragile anonymity shatters when a second dragon takes flight for the first time in generations, bringing her closer than ever to finding another like her and exposing her to enemies who would claim her power for their own.Across the kingdoms, alliances are forged behind closed doors. Adriel has reclaimed his homeland, but victory has come at a cost. With enemies closing in and a crown he never wanted within reach, he is forced to choose between duty and the woman he cannot forget.As a shadow cult rises, loyalties fracture, and marriage becomes a weapon of war, Asha must decide whether love is a liability, or the very thing that could bring empires to their knees.Because this time, she will not be given away.She will choose her own fate.