Two rival houses. One cursed mountain. One bond that was never meant to exist. Thalia was raised to hate House Sunfire—raised to spill blood before she ever trusted it. But when the ancient throne hidden inside the mountain begins to wake, the feud becomes more than politics… it becomes sacrifice. Stellan was born with fire in his veins and a missing piece in his soul—an emptiness the mountain recognizes like an open door. When fate binds them together in a tether neither of them asked for, they're forced into an uneasy alliance where every step closer is both a temptation and a threat. Because the mountain doesn't just want peace. It wants ownership. As red cords tighten and bells begin to sing, Thalia and Stellan must descend into living stone, break a cage built from vows, and defy a hunger that promises wholeness… at a price. In a world where love is leverage and magic is a mouth, the only way to survive is to stay two—even when the throne demands they become one.