Born into a kingdom where power is outlawed, Penny has little reason to love her magic. She barely remembers her mother, and even her father dies unaware of her abilities. Now, magic or not, Penny is powerless to escape the bitter tangle of competition her stepmother has created between her and her stepsisters. And a series of chance encounters with the crown prince only adds to her troubles. The last thing she needs is to attract the notice of the very royals who have turned her existence into a crime.

Prince Rian has never been sure about his parents' ban on magic, but he has no choice but to embrace it. The weight of a kingdom is on his shoulders, after all. With the departure of his younger brother to a neighboring kingdom, he's never had more pressure and less support. His parents are ready to choose Bansford's future queen, and the last thing he can afford is to get distracted by a servant girl . . . no matter how intriguing she might be.

But the king and queen aren't wrong to be afraid—the darkest kind of magic is coming for Bansford. It's time for Penny to decide where her loyalties truly lie, and Rian . . . he will have to decide just how much he's willing to sacrifice for the kingdom he's sworn to serve.