I will not go back.

I thought we were free. I dealt with Ra's spawn and freed my sunfires. I have a place of safety outside of space and time where I can develop deeper relationships with my Blood.

Former Soldiers of Light, they were legendary human warriors resurrected to march the golden streets of Heliopolis at Ra's command. They know nothing about Aima and goddesses' daughters.

Neither do I—which is a lethal liability in the game of vampire queens.

I need someone I can trust, but who? The House Sunna consiliarius I've never met? The Isador queen who helped Helayna protect her nest? Or her brother, the wolf king? Eivind should have been my first Blood to teach me what I needed to know to survive. Instead, he left me to my fate in a filthy alley of garbage. He made his choice.

Now I have a terrible choice to make. I might have escaped Heliopolis, but I will never be free as long as I still carry Ra's foul touch.

Note: Karmen is recovering from abuse with flashbacks to her past, which may be triggering to survivors of sexual assault. This series includes themes of pregnancy and pregnancy loss.