Outcast. Healer. The girl they shunned may be the kingdom's best hope.

Kanastya Herbanya has always been an outcast. With her pointed ears and slight build, she stands out as different.

Orphaned young and raised by her grandmother on the edge of the swamp. Kanastya lives quietly on the fringes healing wounds, gathering herbs . . . and guarding a deadly secret. She knows dragon lore, and in the four kingdoms, secrets like hers could mean death.

For generations, the Sundered lands have known peace, but now war is brewing. Rogue dragons have returned and are attacking the four kingdoms with relentless fury. The kings of Vorden need dragons, but to raise them quickly requires blood and sacrifice.

Kanastya is chosen as one of those sacrifices.

Torn from her home and thrust into a brutal selection meant for nobles, she finds herself among strangers who see her as a threat or a tool.

As danger mounts and alliances shift, Kanastya must decide whether to remain the outcast they expect—or become something far more powerful than anyone is prepared for.