Deluxe limited edition includes stenciled edges, patterned endpapers, and a designed case cover!New York Times bestselling author Amber Hamilton returns with a new standalone dark academia romantasy set in the world of her blockbuster debut, Seven Deadly Thorns.What if love were a fate worse than death?Vesper Fontaine and Lonan Duval have always been rivals.Competition at Gossemort Academy is cutthroat, and not just for the top of the class--ever since the kingdom went to war against Dark magic, the school has become the place where students become soldiers, trained in the art of Light magic.But Vesper and Lonan don't just share the top spot--they share a dark secret. And tonight, that secret could get them killed.The annual Solstice feast should be a time of celebration, especially when the mysterious crown prince arrives and claims Vesper as his bloodmate. But that's not all he's come to do--his arrival triggers the Ridding, one night of three ruthless trials designed to test if a meiga is loyal to the Light. Locked in the school until dawn, Vesper and Lonan must fight off danger at every turn and learn to trust each other if they're going to survive the night. As the clock ticks down and the trials grow darker, Vesper will have to choose between what she knows and what fate offers to survive. But what if her fated mate is a fate worse than death?