Eighteen-year-old Thorelea Winyard has lived her life imprisoned in a tower, forced to paint dead animals – until one comes back to life. Thrust into court life, she learns the king and queen’s centuries-long reign is sustained by the magic of the court painter – a magic that has awakened in Thorelea, binding her to the throne. There, she meets Prince Kelter, the court’s only other mortal. Desperate for immortality to join the kingdom’s war, he offers her a bargain: Paint his portrait, and he’ll help her escape. But as their secret meetings turn into something more, they must face the monstrous realities of Thorelea’s power – and the choice it demands between love and freedom.
