Some promises refuse to die.
For twenty-two years, Aurelia has known only the quiet village of Briar Hollow, the woman who raised her, and the distant mountains where dragons are said to have vanished into legend.
She has never wanted a crown. She has never believed in destiny. And she certainly never expected the Empire to come searching for her.
But when imperial soldiers threaten everything she loves, a power buried deep within her begins to awaken—and an ancient Night Dragon answers a promise made long before she was born.
His name is Nythrakor.
He remembers a kingdom erased from history, an oath the world has forgotten, and a truth powerful enough to bring an empire to its knees.
As Aurelia is drawn into a world of dragon riders, forbidden memories, and dangerous loyalties, she must learn whom to trust—including an imperial commander whose duty may one day make him her enemy.
Because the greatest secret of House Aetheris was never its crown. It was the promise the dragons made long ago.