She survived the fire. Now the Empire wants her to burn for it. Sera Ashford has spent ten years hiding her secret—the fire that lives beneath her skin. In a world where magic is hunted, controlled, and weaponized by the Empire, discovery means only one fate: a collar… or death. But when a powerful Imperial Inquisitor arrives and calls her by name, everything changes. Cassian Vane is feared across the Empire—a hunter of rogue mages, bound by a magic he cannot escape. Yet instead of turning Sera in, he offers her something impossible: A chance to run. A chance to survive. A chance to uncover the truth about the fire that destroyed her family. Fleeing into a dangerous world of shadowed forests, hidden resistance networks, and ancient secrets, Sera must learn to control the power within her—or risk becoming the very weapon the Empire wants her to be. But as war looms and destinies collide, one truth becomes clear: Some flames are meant to burn kingdoms to the ground. And some vows are worth dying for.