Mercy was a lie. Midnight was the price. Maris Elowyn runs from a monastery that doesn't pray—it feeds. In Thornveil, vows are carved into skin, names are stolen, and the river below remembers every girl who ever tried to leave. But when Maris meets Rowan—an infamous "saint" forged into sacrifice—she discovers the most dangerous magic of all isn't a curse… It's choice. As the Mercy Door cracks open and a town called Pinebone begins whispering for her blood, Maris and Rowan must tear apart the bargain that's been drowning souls for generations—before the river claims her name for good.