Every generation, the kingdom sends a maiden up the mountain as an offering to the dragon—a ritual meant to keep the villages safe from fire and ruin. This year, that maiden is Elara: sharp-tongued, stubborn, and unwilling to go quietly to her fate. But when she finally faces the dragon, she learns the truth. He isn’t a mindless beast at all, but Kael—a prince cursed into scales and fire, trapped until the spell can be broken. And the key to his freedom may be the very thing Elara never meant to give: her heart.
