In a kingdom that has fallen into chaos, one young woman?and her dragon?are thrust into the role of bringing balance to the land.

From the moment Dayie washed ashore as an infant, everyone in her tiny village treated her as... different. She didn't belong, no matter how hard she tried. So when a vicious, invasive plant called Deadweed overruns her village, she's blamed and sold to the Dragon Traders for fear of her powers and the mystery surrounding her origin.

After years of service to the ruthless Dragon Traders, Dayie wants her freedom. To repay her debt, Dayie steals a dragon egg. But she winds up with far more than she bargained for when her egg hatches before she can get it to them. Now she must hide her hotheaded young dragon Zarr or risk losing him: either to the Dragon Traders or the Deadweed that's creeping ever southward.

When the Dragon Traders travel further south to evade capture and Deadweed attacks, Dayie meets a mysterious Dragon Rider named Akeem, who tells her magic is behind the spread of the Deadweed, and that she's been bonded with Zarr?for life. Now Dayie faces a choice: give up her dragon for her freedom or take her place with Zarr in the Training Hall of Dagban. There, she may have the chance to avenge her parents' deaths and solve the mystery of ever-spreading Deadweed.

Dayie's destiny awaits, if she's brave enough to follow it...

This novel contains violence