Ranka is tired of death. All she craves now is to rest, remain in Witchik's wild north with the coven that raised her, and hide from the horrors of her past. But when Ranka is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to a human prince, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Overthrow the throne and set her people free. Simple enough for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill. Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn't want to marry Ranka; he doesn't want to be king at all. And it is his sister--the wickedly smart, infuriatingly beautiful Princess Aramis--who seems to be the real threat. When witches start turning up dead, murdered by a mysterious, magical plague, and cultists began burning innocents in the streets, Aramis stuns Ranks with an offer: Set their mutual loathing aside and work together to find a cure. In return, she'll help Ranka tame her deadly magic. But Ranka's mission grows complicated when her hatred for Aramis blossoms into something far more treacherous. -- Provided by publisher.