She swore to kill him. He swore to break her. But neither expected the bond that would ruin them both. Talia, the ruined heir of a disgraced Evermere family, has one desperate chance to save her dying brother. Bound by a fatal blood oath, she must cross the veil into the monster-infested Ruined Lands and assassinate the lethal Shadow King. With no magic and no training, her only hope is to rely on her wits and survive the brutal, bloody trials at Noxhaven Academy long enough to strike. The Shadow King has a kingdom to save. The Abyss he guards is starving, and its ancient horrors are threatening to break free. But when his eyes meet Talia’s, the powerful fae ruler realizes a terrifying truth: the girl sent to murder him is his fated mate. As the monsters of the Abyss claw at the gates, and the trials become more dangerous, Talia and the Shadow King must fight the forbidden, intoxicating bond tethering their souls together. Will Talia carry out her murderous task to save her brother's life? Or will the Shadow King's thirst for revenge drag them both into the dark? Surrender to the shadows and discover a dark fantasy romance where love is the most dangerous trial of all.For readers who love:  Morally grey alpha heroes Dark magic trials Enemies to Lovers Fated Mates Fae and supernatural creatures