In a world of legends, some stories are deadly.

It's been mere months since Nieve SeptÎle-once thought to be the only Talin born without water mage abilities-reopened Llyan's Gate and flooded magic back into the world. Nieve doesn't yet have a firm grasp on her godlike powers, and when Keir Manseray, the pirate mage who captured her heart, is attacked by mercenaries, she lets slip the fragile threads of her control. But how can she and Manseray make a life together if she is no better than a monster?

Pirate lord and water mage Keir Manseray doesn't want to part from his true love, even for a short two months. Yet, Nieve needs time to learn control, while Manseray-a target of King Hyperion's war against magic-must act or see all that he loves suffer. But there are more dark forces at play than just Hyperion's soldiers. Lurking in the deep, destroying ships across the seven seas, is a terrifying creature that had long been relegated to stories. The Kraken has awakened and is claiming victims.

When Vauna's priestesses are captured by Hyperion's forces, Nieve and Manseray are reunited-but their happiness is fleeting. To free the priestesses, they'll need to put aside the hunt for Kraken and return to the one place they hoped never to set foot again: Hyperion's Metal Court. But what is supposed to be a straightforward rescue mission quickly devolves into a desperate gambit for their lives. And soon, a slippery connection is revealed between the water beast and the king's realm.

Between betrayals and revelations, what surfaces will change everything.