The city-states of Xaca and Anillo have fought for dominance in a blood feud spanning generations. Mariela, donita of Xaca, has spent her entire life punished and berated by her own family for her inadequate magic, despite being heir to the crown. As her eighteenth birthday approaches, she is ready to step out of the shadows and prove her worth... until an assassin tries to end her reign before it begins. Alone and trapped in enemy territory, desperation turns Mariela to the most unlikely of allies: a talkative firebird and her sworn enemy, the don of Anillo. To regain her stolen throne, she may have to sacrifice everything else. The crown of Xaca belongs to Mariela. But is she willing to pay the price?