Some lies burn forever. Some secrets turn to ash. Some loves refuse to die.

Twenty-one years ago, I chose death over betraying the man I loved. But I didn't die. I vanished—reborn as the Syndicate's most feared enforcer.

Wearing a mask, I climbed through dragon society's ranks, all to protect the ones they want erased. Including my daughter—half-dragon, half-witch, and completely forbidden. Now, new purification protocols threaten to expose everything. If they find Ember, they'll destroy her. I have to act fast. There's only one way: reach out to the man I left behind. The man who never knew she existed. The man who thought I died in flames.

The bond between us may have gone quiet, but the moment I reach for him, he answers. Ready to fight for the daughter he never met. Now he's here—twenty years of grief and betrayal between us. His touch brings back everything I tried to forget, even as enemies close in.

The purist faction will do anything to wipe out what they call "contamination." And Ember's magical powers make her their perfect target.

I've spent decades building a wall of lies. I've done terrible things to keep her safe. I've been a savior, and I've been a monster. Now I'm just a mother with nothing left to lose. Because after twenty-one years in the shadows, I'm not just fighting to protect her. I'm fighting for forever.

Contains mature themes.