They survived a coup together. Now saving a kingdom may pull them apart.

A month after her trial, Coiran's body is wasting away while her spirit remains in the afterlife. There, a god demands she fulfil a promise made when she thought Elam dead. But Coiran has only just won her freedom, and she has no intention of surrendering it again.

Elam Kelshall has problems of his own. A suspected conspirator has been murdered, another attempt made on his brother's life, and the Tamaran mercenaries guarding the palace have become a threat he can no longer ignore. But sending them home comes at a political price: the King's Council expects him to marry.

When Coiran finally wakes, she finds Elam questioning whether the feelings between them are love or something born of circumstance, but There is little time to find an answer before he must escort the Tamarans north.

As the threat beyond Mocene's borders grows, both will be forced to decide where their duty lies. And this time, standing together may not be possible.