A pirate with a deadly secret.
A princess desperate to save her dying kingdom.
Annie is the princess of Daera, desperate to find a solution. Using her knowledge of plants, she experiments in the hope of finding a hybrid that can survive Daera's harsh weather. But time is running out.
Ben is a pirate, captain of the ship Phoenix, who helps the people of Daera the only way he knows how-by stealing supplies from other ships and delivering them to the starving villagers-all while concealing a deadly secret.
With no other choice, Annie finds herself forced to abandon her work and accept a marriage proposal from Alara, the kingdom to the south, in exchange for much-needed aid. Plagued by witch-hunts and pirates alike, Alara is not the paradise it appears. Even so, Annie believes their southern neighbor is the only hope Daera has-until she meets Ben.