With her new husband by her side, the Duchess looks to reform the Realm of Virtues, promoting equality and advancement for all. Her vision, while pure at heart, is seen as a play for power by other leaders, and opposition grows fierce. Will the Duchess be able to restore peace throughout the Realm of Virtues, or will she be forced to retreat into the shadows?
Three months after her wedding, Duchess Jacqueline Arienta Xavier is finally taking a well-deserved break. With tensions high among the duchies, the Duchess leaves Saphire under the cover of night, disguised as Lady Victoire, a highborn noble, setting off to the deserts of Kwatalar with her husband and closest friends. They arrive at Ogdam Oasis, an estate known for its shimmering sands and relaxing spring water pools. Jax thinks she has the perfect romantic getaway planned, until she stumbles into a dead body, hanging from the rafters of the estate's greenhouse. Baffled by the guest's sudden suicide, her past run-ins with death help Jax uncover something more shocking: The guest was murdered. It's up to Jax, Perry, and their friends to reveal what the desert sands have long kept buried
