A startling, seductive, deliciously dark debut that will shatter your definition of YA fantasy. 16-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although shes engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isnt a member of the court. Shes the executioner. As the goddess-embodied, Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week, shes taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her. But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, hes able to look past Twyllas executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess.
