A sacrifice born of love leads to a destiny she never imagined.

Rhianne Menyon would rather face the Dragon than marry the odious wool merchant her mother has chosen. When her secret talent for painting is discovered, threatening her family's livelihood, that flippant wish becomes a desperate reality.

For five centuries, the mysterious Dragon of Black's Keep has claimed a Bride from Lirinsholme every few years — a sacrifice that keeps the town safe but seals the chosen woman's fate. When Rhianne's dearest friend is selected, Rhianne makes an unprecedented choice: she offers to take her place.

At Black's Keep, she expects to find a monster. Instead, she discovers Theran Blackmoor — a man shrouded in shadows, whose voice is gentle and whose rare kindness awakens something she never expected to feel. But when Rhianne glimpses his true, terrible form circling the castle at night, she understands why his touch burns and why the Brides before her chose death over their gilded prison.

Then her dreams begin showing her a stranger's face — one that haunts her waking hours and drives her to paint with fevered obsession. As Rhianne uncovers the tragic truth behind the Dragon's curse, she must decide: will her gift for seeing beyond the surface be enough to break five centuries of torment, or will she become just another "Beloved Bride" whose headstone marks the graveyard of broken dreams?

Author's Note: All Tales of the Latter Kingdoms novels are written as standalone romances and can be read in any order.