Chapter One

Cursed before her birth, tone-deaf in a kingdom of musicians, yearning for battle when it is treason for a woman to hold a sword, Cassie is constantly at war. Desperate to escape, she flees the only home she has ever known and immediately falls into the hands of the most feared bandit in three kingdoms. Cassie must rapidly learn to survive the treacherous forest, a bitter bandit's vendetta, and the heartbreak of loss. When she has to make the impossible choice between freedom and duty, will she simply run again, or will the unlikely friendships she finds help her to take charge of her life and the destiny she fought so hard to avoid?