There will always be a price to pay. Blood for gold in equal weight. Nova Folly is many terrible things-a fool, a fraud, a dead girl on two feet. When a noble family offers her a deal she can't refuse, Nova is forced into a lie that could cost her everything. Masquerading as their deceased daughter, Nova must enter the Elimination-a brutal competition to determine the next heir to the demigod of Temperance. Seventeen of Asceticia's most powerful noble heirs stand between her and freedom. At first Nova believes keeping her stolen identity secret will be her greatest challenge. She's wrong. Paired with Ryett Adelio, the sharp-tongued son of the Justice Advisor, and the most insufferable man she's ever met, Nova is forced into an uneasy alliance. When the Elimination turns deadly, the Fool and the Justiciar must work together to survive. As trust forms and secrets unravel, so does the truth about the realm they're fighting to inherit. In Asceticia, one law rules above all: Follow with absolute obedience-or face punishment absolute.