Nevena Nightfall is a cursed woman, locked in a tower since childhood with only one purpose: to cremate the dead. On Ranking Eve, she finally makes an escape. And makes her first enemy—Edric Silvan, an alluring stranger who aids her until she reveals her name. Forgotten and unnoticed, Nevena manages to compete for a Rank—and freedom. But when Edric sabotages her result, the Council appoints Nevena as Protector to the most dangerous town in Veligrad. Midnight Gate. Along with Edric. When Midnight Gate is repeatedly attacked by the Cursed, Nevena undergoes a spell that connects her to Edric and their superior, the seemingly-charming Hartley, in exchange for a protective shield around the town. But as the spell unexpectedly draws Nevena to the man who hates her, she must fight desires lying beneath her hard exterior. And while the secrets of her bloodline spill out, Nevena is led to question who poses a greater threat—the Cursed, or the Council of Veligrad?