She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain
will they end a war . . . or ignite one? “With hauntingly poetic prose Molly X. Chang
spins a tale at the intersection of science fiction fantasy and the very real devastation
that colonialism brings down on colonized peoples.”—Xiran Jay Zhao #1 New York Times
bestselling author of Iron Widow Heroes die cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world
Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated
the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen. Blessed by
Death born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies Ruying shouldn’t have
to fear these foreign invaders but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and
her family safe. When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince he offers her an
impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose
deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from
further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this
bargain she must use the powers she has always feared powers that will shave years off her
own existence. Can Ruying trust this prince whose promises of a better world make her heart
ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the
service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she
loves the most?
