All my life, I've dreamed of experiencing the outside world. Then he stumbled upon my tower.

Carrying a stolen necklace and a charming smile on his gorgeous face, he's my ticket to freedom. My plan is simple: Sneak out undetected, go to the festival for the stolen princess to see the floating lanterns, and return home safely.

I know I shouldn't do this, but I'm so desperate for it that nothing else seems to matter.

Not my mother, who keeps me here. Not the dangers she promises are out there waiting for me. Not even the thief who tells me not to trust him.

And for a moment, it's incredible.

Including the man I can't seem to stay away from. The one I want to shatter every remaining piece of my innocence.

The thief who isn't as evil as he believes, but brings new meaning to the phrase, touch her and die.

But when we're dragged headfirst into a web of death and deceit, we quickly learn no one is who they seem. Including me.

Secrets unravel. Lives fall apart. And yet with my thief, I've never felt more alive.

They say there's an ancient curse on the royal family of Messalina. That when the princess was stolen, it was only the beginning.

We're about to find out.