Kaian and Evera stared at her, attempting to figure out who she might be talking to.

The voice replied with a gentle laugh. You are more Canmore than most who have come before you.

‘What do I need to do?’

Return home. Speak to your mother. Offer her one word: Vincatti. She will know what this means. You must go now.

Sapphire felt the presence slip away, and she charged forward, ignoring the anxious questions of her friends.

These were the last few moments she would know before war. The last few seconds of peace in the country that she had just betrayed.

The doors of the castle swung open, and she found her parents, relief washing over them as they took in the trio.

But the relief soon gave way to worry as they met Sapphire’s eyes, so Araxia rushed to pull her into a tight embrace. And Sapphire allowed it as she sobbed. She allowed herself a moment to be a child … broken.

Sapphire stepped away from them, taking Araxia’s hands into her own. Someone had once said that the Canmore women were a force to be reckoned with and their power was not of this world.

Sapphire was ready to prove them right.

‘Vincatti,’ she whispered, and Araxia’s grip tightened.

But the queen nodded. She looked to Kip and made the simplest of gestures. He went stiff, then bellowed for servants to ring the tower bells.

War had arrived. And Sapphire would not rest – not until those warning bells stopped ringing for a war of her own making.

Acknowledgements

So many people had a hand in bringing this book to life. So, while I’ll try to sum it up quickly, just be aware I will inevitably fail and spend the rest of my life trying to express said gratitude.

First and foremost, I want to thank every single person who decided to follow me on TikTok. Might be a weird place to start, but the truth is, without all of you, this book would not have landed in the hands that it did. I started posting in February 2022 without a plan but with a big dream, and so many of you invested in me while I stumbled through the process. You all offered me patience, and you did not have to. You came back and encouraged me every single day, even when I offered nothing in return. And you stuck around when I couldn’t give you answers that you deserved.

And because of you, I truly am living my wildest dream. Your belief, your encouragement and your love for the characters pushed this book across the finish line and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say thank you enough.