Forced by her cruel stepmother Lady Vesper Crane to murder the Dragon King Drakon Valtor, young Elena Ashford carries a poisoned bone blade as leverage over her little sister Iris, who is held captive. Auctioned off to Drakon at a grim midnight ritual, she infiltrates his towering Dragonspire with assassination on her mind.
Cursed with an ancient deadly affliction, Drakon can only be saved by a virgin who wholeheartedly loves him. Living under the same roof, Elena uncovers his quiet compassion, and her murderous resolve crumbles. She endures harassment from his bitter former lover Seraphine, deadly toxin plots orchestrated by serpent hybrid Varyn Scale, and constant manipulation from Drakon’s scheming younger brother Maurice.
The two fall deeply in love, but a witch unveils a merciless life-or-death tradeoff. Refusing to survive alone without Drakon, Elena offers herself to break the curse. The dark magic mutates into an unbreakable life bond that ties their fates together. Still, Varyn’s slain body was only a hollow decoy—his real self hides in the shadows, and the lovers stand united to face incoming danger.
