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?
