Sixteen-year-old Linnet has been given a grave task. If she succeeds, it could end her life. If she fails, it could destroy her people. She must kill a prince. But first, she must marry him. Prince Rajak of the Badi, son of the tyrannical desert king, has given Linnet's Highland kingdom of Hilrigard an ultimatum: give him a princess for his bride, or be slaughtered. Linnet's older sister is his first choice, but when she begs not to be sent, Linnet volunteers, to save her people. Her mother, however, sees an opportunity. She secretly instructs Linnet to gain Rajak's trust and then assassinate him, before he discovers the legendary chamber that will resurrect the Badi's greatest king. However, the more Linnet learns of the prince, the more she realizes that his brooding exterior conceals a good heart. And the more she learns of the chamber, the more she suspects that the legend is not what it seems. But time runs short when Linnet's mother sets the coup in motion, and Linnet is faced with a heart-rending choice--for the one sent to kill the prince may now be the only one who can save him.