Kat Ardent

Aubrey hates the literal gold skin that brands her a living, breathing treasure. High nobles covet Golds like her as trophy wives, while monstrous wyverns hunt her kind as fuel to their fiery breath. When the prince announces he’s seeking a wife and Aubrey’s stepmother thrusts her into society like a prize broodmare, Aubrey grasps the opportunity. She’s spent years watching her late-father’s estate dwindle to ruin with no power and no choices, but not anymore. Determined to rip the last of her father’s legacy from her stepmother’s clutches, she dons the gold-revealing gown she loathes and charges into her very first ball, sights set on the Prince.

Her efforts at the ball earn her a swoon-worthy first dance with the Prince, but that elation is crushed when rebels ambush her carriage shortly thereafter. She expects to be kidnapped and bled for a fortune—gold blood fetches a fantastic price—but the enigmatic rebel leader, Abel, instead imparts a revelation: her father founded the rebellion. It’s a dangerous claim she isn’t inclined to believe, but as she parades herself into every social event and bats her lashes at the prince, she also can’t miss the nobles’ casual cruelty. Worse yet, each time Abel swaggers across her path, the tingles down her spine remind her: only he looks at her like she’s a person, not a purchase.

But Abel and historical truths can’t save her estate and only high nobility possess the specialized armor to protect her from the wyverns. Thus, her choice is simple: entice the Prince to marry her or become fuel to monsters. Then again, maybe her cruel kingdom deserves to burn—and she can spark the blaze.