“I’ve seen monsters, Nizzara, and you are not one of them. A little beast maybe, but not a monster.”

Nizzara, reluctant heir to the Kingdom of Zarr, has always been able to perceive spirits better than the average caster. When she enters a deadly tournament to escape her betrothal, she's determined to win without succumbing to the addictive spirit magic she channels, or the unnerving darkness growing within her. But finding herself outmatched, Nizzara must face her fear of power and team up with Dagen—an enemy who is half-ghost and all charm—to survive the tournament.

Dagen, the last King of Zarr, was killed by Nizzara’s father ten years ago. Now a half-ghost—able to phase between his human and spirit form—he is stuck in another realm, hunting wretched souls for the god of death. When his keeper offers him a chance to reclaim his freedom in exchange for Nizzara’s soul, Dagen takes the deal.

There’s only one catch: she must give it to him freely by the tournament’s end, or his own soul is forfeit.