Nothing is free. Nothing is fair. Hunted by humans for nearly a century, Emmery's tireless search for the Iron Gate, leading to the safe haven of Karynthia, has been painfully unsuccessful. As a 'Damned One', she has been cursed to harbour vile powers, and to hold magic is irrefutably punishable by death. When she receives a mysterious note promising to lead her across the gate, Emmery puts her life in danger and visits a tavern at midnight, earning a deadly encounter with a King's guard. A man named Vesper comes to her rescue with the promise to take her to safety, but there's one condition—one that will throw her life into inescapable chaos. He wants to make a blood bargain. When Emmery is thrust into a tangle with the gods, prophecies, and her destiny to mend a broken world, her world begins to crumble, and only she can save herself. She must find a way to tame her magic, learn to trust again, accept love, and navigate loss to find peace.