Merlin has spent his life as a nameless swordsman, hiding from a past he doesn't remember. But when a duel in the royal courtyard awakens a forbidden magic inside him, he is branded as witchborn and hunted by the ruthless Arcane Order. His only chance of survival lies with Princess Lysara, a warrior heir with secrets of her own?secrets that make her just as much a target as he is.

Forced to flee into the wilds, they face monstrous beasts, deadly trackers, and an unraveling prophecy that ties Merlin's magic to a forgotten war. As he struggles to control the growing power within him, Lysara begins to see him as something more than just a fugitive?but as a dangerous force the world is not ready for. If the Order captures him, they won't just kill him. They'll turn him into a weapon.

But fate is as relentless as the hunters on their trail. With war brewing and magic stirring in the shadows, Merlin and Lysara must decide what they are willing to risk?for freedom, for the kingdom, and for each other. Because in the end, saving him might mean sacrificing her own life.