Jo has spent her life surviving on the streets, invisible among the hungry and desperate. She is a shadow in the city, quick fingers and quicker feet keeping her alive in a world that does not care whether she lives or dies. But one mistake—one stolen purse, one misplaced step—changes everything.
Dragged before the Emperor’s mother, Jo expects punishment, perhaps even execution. Instead, she is taken to the Red Keep, not as a prisoner in chains, but as something far more valuable.
The empire is built on fire and blood, and the Mother has plans for Jo—plans that involve silken chambers instead of cells, gowns instead of rags, and a fate far worse than death. Because in the empire, power is passed through bloodlines, and an heir born with the right lineage is worth more than gold.
Now, Jo must navigate a court where she is both pawn and prisoner, where her body is no longer her own, and where love is just another tool of control. With enemies at every turn and a future she never chose looming ahead, Jo must decide—will she submit to the cage built around her, or will she become something more dangerous than they ever imagined?
Because even birds in golden cages can learn how to bite.
