No one believes she deserves to be a rider. Except for him. But he may be her greatest threat of all. 

Zaydah has dreamed her whole life of becoming a rider of the creatures in the sky. In a kingdom always at war, there’s no greater honor than joining their ranks. She and her best friend, Brev, have trained every day for the last ten years to earn their place and follow in their fathers’ footsteps.

In the Black Mountains, where the military sprawls over its hilltop base, not everyone remembers their fathers as heroes. The king has forbidden their last names to be spoken aloud. Enemies won’t forget the wrongs of decades past.

Zaydah and Brev vow to watch each other’s backs and do whatever they can to succeed. They’ve always been an unstoppable team, and neither of them can trust anyone.

But secrets thrive in the Black Mountains. Nothing can prepare Zaydah for what she’ll uncover, and everything could tear her and Brev apart, most of all, the prince and his unusual interest in Zaydah.

After months in exile, Zaydah is back in Vulcanis. Though, as far as punishments go, uninterrupted time travelling with her best friends wasn’t so hard to bear. But returning to Vulcanis carries its own problems. Her association with Brev will easily brand her as a traitor. Her closeness with him is well known, as is his betrayal.

She’ll need to earn back her captain’s trust, but even more important will be the prince’s. Zaydah has no desire to be near Prince Aris, but she can’t deny the continual draw of him. The pull to become his Shield is strong but impossible, all at the same time. The tie between them would become irrevocable. She’ll do anything to maintain her freedom and not be bound to him for life. So why does it bother her that he’s as against the bond as she is?

Far more dangerous and threatening are the messages that arrive from Brev. She’s supposed to be on a straight and narrow path, never toeing the line of deceiving her captain, but she’s in a better position than anyone to discover what Brev is doing with the Tiberians.

Fate can’t be denied, but if Zaydah keeps too many secrets, she could lose everything.footsteps.

Augusta is the first princess in a hundred years to become a rider of the creatures in the sky. She’s led a pampered life, but she’ll throw all of that away to fly. Every sword fight in the mud and every night she sleeps on the hard ground will be worth it.

On the day of Choosing, when she’s about to step in front of the crowd, Rorius Secondus shoves into her from behind on a hillside slope, sending her sprawling into the mud. She won’t look weak and refuses to use her royal status as a crutch. So she does what any sane woman would do. She slaps him across the face, leaving a red mark for him to remember her by.

If anything, Rori grows more intrigued. Though they’ve joined different divisions, neither of them can ignore the other. When rumors spread of slavery in a neighboring island kingdom, Augusta and Rori are part of the mission assigned to investigate. 

Rori explored those seas growing up with his merchant father and will aid the experienced commanders with navigation. Augusta is less than pleased with her own role, a temptation of marriage to the prince to ensure their welcome into a hostile nation. 

But Augusta can’t ignore the rising tension with Rori that only grows on their journey, no matter the many lines that separate them.