Elara Ashford, 23, has been living a lie her entire life. She was brought up as Princess of Veridia, wearing silk and jewels, and she believes she has royal blood in her veins.  However, when a marriage alliance insists that she marry the dreaded Dragon King of the North in order to stop war, her adopted family reveals the terrible truth: she was born with the real princess.  She is merely the daughter of a commoner, a stand-in for the legitimate heir who was concealed for her "protection."

 Elara is now being sent to her death with a single, unachievable task: either make the monster fall in love with her or her real family, the commoners who abandoned her, will be put to death for treason.

 The Northern Kingdom is a real-life nightmare.  Towers of obsidian are circled by dragons.  In courtyards, Fae warriors hone their blades.  In dimly lit hallways, witches murmur.  And in charge of it all is Kael Draven, the ancient and deadly Dragon King, whose touch burns like dragonfire, whose amber eyes see through every lie, and whose court keeps a watchful eye on the frail human bride like wolves circling wounded prey.

 Elara anticipated a monster.  She discovers a king who is plagued by centuries-old curses, haunted by betrayal, and frantically searching for his fated mate, whom he believes will break the curse that is slowly killing his people.  He believes that *she* is a bond.

 She's not his mate, though.  Wearing a stolen crown, she is a fraud.

 Elara learns that people have been lying about the North for generations as she makes her way through assassination attempts, lethal court politics, and a developing fascination with the dragon who could burn her with a single breath.  Humans have betrayed the "monsters."  And centuries ago, a human princess betrayed Kael himself, bringing a curse upon his entire kingdom.

 Elara's world falls apart when the real Princess Seraphine is found—beautiful, gifted with magic, and Kael's *actual* fated mate.  Kael and Seraphine's mate bond is unquestionably ancient and ignites instantly.  Elara ought to move aside.  Let fate do its thing.

 However, Seraphine didn't have to spend months gaining the dragon warriors' trust.  didn't put her life in danger to lift old curses.  didn't fall in love with a monarch who taught her that monsters are created, not born.

 Elara is faced with an impossible decision after learning that Seraphine is a part of a plot to overthrow the Northern Kingdom from within and that the "true princess" is the real danger to the precarious peace:

 – Lose Kael to his true love and expose Seraphine.

– Keep quiet and watch the kingdom she has come to love burn.

– Fight for a love that wasn't supposed to be hers.

 Because bloodlines aren't always important to the heart.  Sometimes love is forged in dragonfire rather than in the stars.  Furthermore, the girl who wore a stolen crown, Elara Ashford, is set to demonstrate that fate isn't the most potent form of magic.

 It's a decision.

Kael's voice cut through the death realm like a sword.


"No?" Cassian laughed. "You don't get to say no. These are the rules. Someone has to anchor the curse or everyone stays trapped forever."


"Then change the rules." Kael's amber eyes blazed gold. "I'm the Dragon King. I've broken curses before. I'll break this one too."


"With what?" The cursed princess's weak voice mocked him. "You have no power here. No magic. Nothing."


She was right. I could feel it. Kael's dragon magic was almost gone, drained by the death realm. Soon he'd be as powerless as the trapped souls wandering around us.


My marked hand still glowed with tamer magic. Faint, but there. And I'd freed those souls earlier—dozens of them, following me because they chose to.


"Wait." I pulled away from Kael. "You said someone has to anchor the curse. Someone has to hold all these souls."


Chapter 14 - THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE