Dust Fire

<p>There's a thin line between surviving and losing yourself entirely-and I'm starting to forget which side I'm on. My name is Lyla and I've made a career out of running. Running from trouble running from the past running from the magic that hums beneath my skin begging to be let out. And now? I'm running straight into a trap I didn't see coming. All I wanted was to keep my head down maybe scrape together enough to live a quiet life. But fate-if you can call it that-had other plans. A thief with too much swagger and too little common sense has dragged me into the chaos of his revenge quest against the Sultan of Zamarra a man whose cruelty runs deeper than the sands of this city. The Sultan has stolen more than lives; he's stolen souls secrets and now my last shred of peace. And as much as I hate to admit it Arin-the infuriating thief-is the only person I've got left to rely on. What's worse? I think he might just be relying on me too. We're being hunted. By assassins by magic-wielding queens by shadows that whisper promises I know better than to trust. Arin says there's a ledger that can destroy the Sultan and set things right but the closer we get the more I realize: the real danger isn't the Sultan's power. It's what's waiting in the dark for both of us. Here's the truth no one tells you: magic doesn't solve problems-it creates them. And if I let it consume me I'll be the very monster I swore I'd never become. So here I am staring down an empire a thief at my side and my fate in my trembling hands. All I know for sure? If I fall I'm taking them all with me.</p>