For hundreds of years, Contermerria has suffered under oppressive ice and snow. A spell cast by the Vintar Court renders the mainland frozen and dangerous, strife with monsters. In the remote foothills of the north, the village of Dran is attacked by lethal predators. While her townsfolk hide within the caverns, safe from the rimy beasts lurking around their homes, Maren is trapped outside with a thief from the jail. All her life, she’s been taken for granted as the village’s underappreciated healer. For so long, she’s wished for nothing more than to leave, but with her sister infected by a horrid, mystical disease, travel is impossible. Now locked out of the caverns for months, she is faced with the idea of freedom and considers her companion’s proposition. Kane may be a criminal, but his offer of an alliance is her ticket out of Dran: help him find an item he’s lost while he takes her to a rare plant—the only known remedy for her sister’s ailment. Leaving her home is no easy feat. From the moment she strikes out, she must find her way through danger, lies, and riddles. She was sheltered in her village, but out in the open, she struggles with too many questions about the fae and encounters rivalry among the royals. Kane doesn’t abandon her, standing with her as they face perils and vindictive royals. But can she trust this man? Can she believe him when he suggests the impossible—that she, a common healer from the mountains, might not only be fae herself, but the one who can save all of the mainland?