“Only the strong survive.”

She’s a cursed princess bent on revenge.
He’s a masked assassin with a deadly secret.

Being born with a Mar means two things: extraordinary powers and a lifetime as an outcast.

Even as the Princess of Avaria, Zinnia’s options are grim—marry a cruel Knight or waste away in the palace’s west wing, hidden from society.

But Zinnia has plans of her own.

Haunted by her brother’s murder and determined to uncover the conspiracy behind his death, she hires a mysterious assassin called Jest to infiltrate the palace and unmask the truth.

However, when Zinnia accidentally kills the Knight she’s betrothed to, she and Jest are forced into the deadly Rites, a brutal series of trials where only the strongest survive.

If they want to make it out alive, they’ll have to work together to face iron-forged beasts, lethal challenges, and even darker secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

As forbidden feelings begin to blur the lines between enemy and ally, Zinnia realizes she must embrace the darkness within if she has any chance of survival. And Jest must decide how long he can protect her while hiding the one secret that could destroy her.

Can Zinnia learn to control her powers before they consume her?
And will Jest risk everything to protect her, even if it means betraying her trust?