The threat of war has arrived at Diem's doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by bargaining with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.
 
But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren't as black and white as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.
 
With her mother still missing, the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored--and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.