In a tale of loyalty, love, and betrayal, survival is a choice.

After the gods shattered her world, Æri must hunt humans across the treacherous volcanic boglands to appease her queen's vampiric appetite-or face the ominous threat of her realm's destruction. Her mission, however, takes a disastrous turn when her aircraft crashes. Waylaid by Venator huntsmen, she is hauled off into enemy territory.

Now a prisoner in a brutal realm, she's forced to serve in gruesome gladiatorial games for the king's twisted amusement. Each fight chips away at her chances of ever returning home. Through all of this, Æri's heart is her greatest battleground. She wrestles with her burgeoning feelings for her captor, Rione, the king's lethal yet enigmatic right hand. Torn between freedom, love, and unraveling the mystery behind her queen's deadly cravings, Æri stands at a crossroads that will define the fate of all the realms.