Royal Duplicity (The Anti-Princess Saga #2)

With her life returned to normal–well, as normal as it was going to get–Quartessa and her three men enjoy some much deserved downtime in the human world. And with the happy prospect of her best friend’s wedding she returns to Kortis for the blessed event. Unfortunately, nothing in Quartessa’s life ever seems to go quite the way it should. A mysterious illness strikes the northern Aukum territory, and, due to her new reputation as “vanquisher of the Boru” she is asked by name to assist in restoring the Aukum King and Queen to their former health. The infection spreads quick, poisoning members of her own party before she can find a way to stop it. But when she begins gaining new powers rather fast, she learns that the Ring of Eccus’ hold on her is not gone and that it is liable to make her either go mad or die from the power she continues to gain. A man from Quartessa’s past returns, creating a rift in her love life that is far beyond her control, and she begins to question if she will ever find her place in either of her worlds or find the peace she so desperately desires. And when two strange men show up at her door looking for her father’s new bride she is faced with the dilemma of either handing over Drina (and dealing with the King’s wrath) or taking care of it herself.

With this illness quickly spreading throughout all of Kortis, the ring’s residual effects and these meddlesome men’s constant returning visits, Quartessa has to find a way to balance the problems, ping-ponging between realms in her efforts. And when she finally understands what she must do to save her realm, she takes on the burden alone, knowing that it is only her who can put an end to her world’s suffering. Not able to be in both worlds at the same time, and fearing for Kyle’s safety, she is forced to rely on the help of old acquaintances from her human life that makes her question just how “normal” the human world actually is.