Deep in the forest, Aerin collapsed from exhaustion. She awoke to find a stranger watching her—a tall man with silver eyes and a long, weathered cloak.
"My name is Kael," he said. "And that mark makes you the last heir to the Ember Crown."
Aerin laughed bitterly. "I'm just a village girl."
Kael shook his head. "You are the future of the realm."
