Losing is dangerous. Winning means everything.
Katriana has been waiting for this moment her entire life.
Once a century, the Royals hold the Trials. Every Mer of a certain age must participate. The contests are brutal. Survival is not guaranteed. But for the victors, the prize is unimaginable.
They are allowed to walk on land.
She is forced to work for her evil stepmother, while ignoring the taunts of her spoiled half-sister. She’s desperate to escape. So desperate, she begins the Trials without armor, or even a helmet.
Not one to give up, Katriana gives the Trials all she is worth, even catching the eye of a mysterious benefactor who is more than he seems.
How much will she sacrifice to become one of the elite? And if she does win, will she be able to halt mankind’s destruction of the sea?