Basha was never born to lead. That was always her sister’s path, the Signet of their clan and beloved by all. But when a fateful battle in a faraway land claims her sister’s life, Basha’s world is torn apart. Thrust into a role she never wanted and haunted by a loss she cannot endure, Basha must navigate a treacherous web of political intrigue, forbidden romance, and ancient magic to uncover the truth behind her sister’s death and claim her destiny as the new Signet of the Cross-Sea lands.

But as a deadly weapon emerges from the depths of the City Beneath and rising seas inch closer to consuming all she holds dear, Basha is forced to forge unlikely alliances—the roguish heir to a rival clan and the childhood friend she believed lost forever. Together, they embark on a perilous journey through crumbling cities and submerged tunnels, facing assassins, betrayal, and the undeniable pull of their own hearts. But as secrets from her sister’s past come to light, Basha realizes that the key to saving her people may lie in the very mysteries that tore her family apart—and the dark bargains that could reshape their world forever.

In a battle against time and tides, what will Basha sacrifice to claim a power that was never meant to be hers? Witness the rise of an unlikely heroine, stepping out of her sister’s shadow to reshape the fate of an entire realm.