"Every other princess prepares to rule her kingdom after her father's death. Me? I have to get ready to rule all underwater kingdoms—after killing my father.
I already fulfilled the prophecy once. Kind of. I have no interest in killing again.
But no one asked what I want.
It's this stupid Queen Sirena prophecy. My father—my real, biological father—is obsessed. And he's the king, so he gets what he wants. Namely me, embracing a destiny I fear.
As I come to terms with my new reality, I find myself alone, cut off from my best friend and boyfriend and unable to convince my parents this is all a terrible idea.
My father, the king, wants me to kill him. He's set plans in motion to make it happen.
I'm too weak to refuse. And hopefully too strong to succeed."
"What's the point of being a princess if the whole kingdom hates you?
Being a royal should make my life easier, but it only compounds my problems. When my father, the new King of Valora, succeeded the beloved King Tiberius, many of his subjects believed he killed my uncle just to gain the throne. His new policies only make the people hate him more.
Just my luck, they transfer their loathing onto me.
Even my best friend and my boyfriend aren't enough of a buffer, and I'm continually fending off verbal, and sometimes physical, attacks. That's when my powers start growing . . .
When no one at the academy can—or will—help me learn about my new abilities, I begin to research them on my own. Modern answers seem to be entwined with a terrifying ancient legend.
If the lore is true, my destiny is far more tragic than my present problems. And I don't know if I can change it.
Or if I should even try."
"My life as I know it is over.
And no, I'm not being dramatic. I've been living as a human, but now I have to return to my mermaid roots because my dad is the new king of Valora. As soon as we arrive, he sends me to the Dark Sea Academy. Whispers and glares greet me at every turn. Students accuse my dad of killing the previous king, his brother.
My first night, the most popular girl tries to kill me. I barely escape, only to run into Bash. He's older and one wrong move from being expelled. Also as gorgeous as he is arrogant. For some reason, he keeps looking at me with concern in his eyes while giving me a crooked smirk. Almost makes me forget all my problems.
But I can't let myself get side-tracked by him. I won't. If I'm to survive the academy, I need to focus on staying alive. Unfortunately, that means relying on Bash—and he's a distraction that could very well cost me everything."
