Impoverished noble orphan Nyra is handed over by her avaricious relatives to serve as the seventy-ninth sacrificial offering to Apophis, a dreaded serpent deity. Stricken by an ancient venom that freezes his mortal form from within, Apophis has accidentally drained the vitality of every woman previously sent to his dark temple. However, Nyra’s unusual, radiant body heat calms the deity’s agonizing torment without extinguishing her own life force.
As their three-month pact draws toward its end, palace conspirators dispatch assassins to eliminate Nyra and keep Apophis weakened. When the serpent lord risks his remaining vitality to rescue her from slaughter, Nyra confronts the reality of his deep devotion, realizing that curing his ancient affliction may require surrendering her mortal soul completely.
