A "captivating" and "solidly entertaining" tale (Kirkus Reviews) from a USA Today bestselling author: A seventeen-year-old princess's life of leisure has been shattered when an ancient prophecy forces her into the role of an assassin and guardian. It's that or death to her and everyone she loves. ------- Arabelle is a seventeen-year-old daughter of a merchant king whose life of leisure is shattered when she's attacked by a poisonous creature that hasn't walked the land in over five centuries. Unfortunately, she finds herself an unwitting agent of an ancient prophecy that promises death to her and all she loves.... To avoid such a fate, all she has to do is overcome the debilitating effects of the poison coursing through her veins, find the heirs to the prophecy, and help them overthrow a despot who's been ruling the land with an iron fist for nearly five centuries. As an agent of the prophecy, she has no other choice.