Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy's life has never been her own. As the Maiden, she's never to be touched, never to be looked upon, never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she'd rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods.

But when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor-bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

As a fallen kingdom rises once more—forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals—Poppy stands on the brink of losing not only her heart but also her life. Every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

Will she choose duty over longing, or risk everything for a taste of the forbidden?