That night, the streets were swallowed by blood, and Runa’s fate split into “before” and “after.” The revolution stripped the witches of their former power and turned them into prey: now ruthless hunters track them relentlessly. Runa is forced to hide her nature. By day, she plays the well-bred girl of high society… and by night she herself goes out to hunt—the guards of the garrison. The Crimson Moth tears the witches from the hands of their executioners and prevents them from vanishing.
But one day everything goes awry, and, to confuse her pursuers, Runa directs her enchantment toward Gideon Sharp. An unyielding hunter, devoted to the revolution, he despises everything that she represents. Still, Runa could be the only clue in the search for the Crimson Moth—so Gideon decides to play at courtship.
Gradually, he notices: behind the mask of a bored, fashionable beauty, there’s a delicate, intelligent, and surprisingly kind girl—the one with whom he could truly be happy.
But what if it’s her—the very one he’s hunting—who is the monster?