She’s not chosen. She’s trapped. And her only hope of survival hinges on a lie.

Arette Allen is a fraud. Her charmed life as a champion fencer and Ivy League medical student feels hollow and performative in the face of her boyfriend’s sudden death. She’s only just starting to come to terms with her new reality when she touches an ancient artifact that hurls her through the veil between worlds—to Díoltas.

It's a terrifying medieval realm where a curse has rendered its lands barren and relegated its noblewomen to magic-bearing vessels. She is welcomed by the puckish Prince Talan and his ragtag cohort. They offer refuge, believing she carries a sacred bloodline capable of breaking the curse, which will both restore their homeland and send her back to hers. One problem: She’s not who they think she is.

Determined to get home, Arette lies about her lineage to maintain Talan’s protection and gain an audience with his mentor, Sebastien, a man from New York who’s been in Díoltas for two decades. He’s a true heir to the sacred bloodline who can (actually) break the curse. But he’s intent on dismantling the realm’s oppressive traditions before he leaves, and he’s wrapped Talan up in his schemes.

Arette joins their cause, hopeful Sebastien will help her get home once the noblewomen are liberated, though it won’t be easy. She must navigate the realm’s oppressive politics and challenge longstanding doctrine, all while pretending she doesn’t notice Talan’s yearning. But every stolen glance pulls them closer—until her lie is exposed, the consequences of which threaten more than Talan’s trust. They threaten her freedom… and his life.