A soldier with a curse: Tala lost her family to the empress's army, but the empress's crimes don't haunt her half as much as the crimes Tala herself has committed against the laws of magic. A prince with a debt: Jimuro has inherited the ashes of an empire, and he must depend on Tala to deliver him home, but it was his mother's army who murdered Tala's family. A detective with a grudge: Xiulan might be an eccentric, pipe-smoking detective⁠—but she's also a princess in disguise, and she's out to prove herself by capturing the world's most wanted prince. A thief with a broken heart: Lee is a small-time criminal who avoids attachments, but when Princess Xiulan makes her a partner⁠—and offers her a magical animal companion⁠—she can't say no . . . and soon finds she doesn't want to leave the princess behind. This band of rogues and royals should all be enemies, but they unite for a common purpose: to defeat an unstoppable killer who defies the laws of magic. In this battle, they will forge unexpected bonds of friendship and love that will change their lives⁠—and begin to change the world.