The Challenge is faced all royals of Astarious who would seek to rule the kingdom. Before their twenty-first birthday they must submit to the will of the oracles to be sent on an unknown adventure.The oracles created the Challenge to make certain the new royals were strong and wise enough to rule the kingdom when they return. If they return.As the second royal daughter, Nevaine already saw the results of one Challenge-her older sister, Lizeth.However, unlike her older sister, Nevaine had no master life plan, nor a goal of ruling the land. She would much rather stay home and read-or work on her formidable knife skills. She wasn't even certain that she wanted to rule the kingdom.Two days before her Challenge begins, her boyfriend suddenly vanishes, leaving a cryptic note behind-one about another woman. Hurt and furious, Nevaine first refuses to believe anything good about him, but evidence grows that he might have been taken to throw off her Challenge.Portals and foul magic invade the kingdom. And when Nevaine is kidnapped to keep her from leaving on her Challenge, she realizes there is far more at stake than her right to be declared an heir to the kingdom.She finds herself in a distant land with her grigeen companion and surprisingly, her semi-ex-boyfriend. He's not who she thought he was and his lies could prove fatal for them all.