Damien Blackthorn hasn't had a heartbeat since he was nineteen.The demon that saved his life took it as payment.Three hundred years. No pulse. No rhythm.Nothing.Then they bring him a girl with a debt attached to her name —and his chest —knocks.Once.Like a fist from the inside.He puts his hand over his sternum —in front of his entire council.The demon doesn't celebrate.It screams.Because the deal had a second clause nobody warned him about.The one who restarts the heart inherits the debt.Seraphina didn't choose this.Damien knows.He lets her stay anyway.She wants one morning where nobody owns her.What she gets is a monster who reorganizes his entire existence around the hour her heartbeat steadies —because it's the only time his doesn’t feel like a countdown.She finds out about the debt on a Tuesday.She finds out he knew on a Wednesday.Almost is the most dangerous word in any language.One heartbeat given.One life collected in return.He’s had three weeks with a pulse —and when the debt comes to collect,it won’t be asking which of them it gets.