The vampire queen must break her curse in this YA romantasy inspired by Filipino folklore, a sequel to The Encanto’s Daughter by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz! A curse has befallen Biringan. Stalking the night sky and sinking sharp teeth in its prey, a vampire-like creature—a manananggal—is terrorizing the kingdom. Now MJ Robertson-Rodriguez must fulfill her duties as the newly crowned queen and restore peace. Except . . . when MJ wakes up in tattered clothes stained with blood, she quickly realizes the monster lives within her. To prevent more destruction, MJ flees to Mount Makiling with select members of her court, all while keeping her curse secret. By her side is Lucas, the talented knight who broke her heart by giving his own to another. And there’s Prince Qian, the devilishly handsome monster hunter from the Jade Empire who's visiting on a diplomatic mission. In the mountains, MJ is charmed by Qian's valiant spirit. Could he be the one to finally mend her broken heart, which still beats for Lucas? But as the manananggal fills MJ with bloodthirst, she must set love aside and break the curse before it consumes her forever. When a neighboring kingdom threatens to wage war on Biringan, can the young queen regain control of herself before she loses control of the crown? A Forbes Most Anticipated Young Adult Book of 2025 "The lush backdrop, infused with Philippine folklore , sets this fantasy series with a racially diverse cast apart. The horror elements are also well executed... A rousing sequel..." —Kirkus " A strong conclusion to a fantasy duology inspired by Filipino folklore that brings much needed representation to the genre." —School Library Journal Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times , USA Today , Wall Street Journal , Los Angeles Times , and Publishers Weekly internationally bestselling author of many critically acclaimed books for readers of all ages, including the Blue Bloods series, the Queen's Secret duet, Disney's Descendants novels, and the Summer on East End series. Her books have sold over eight million copies, and the Witches of East End series became an hour-long television drama on the Lifetime network. Visit her at melissa-delacruz.com I sprinted across the beach. My heart pounded in my ears, rushing like the ocean waves that lapped at my ankles. Salt water coated my lips, and my wet hair clung to my cheeks, stinging the skin on my face, but I couldn’t slow down. I had to keep going. I had to hide. A raised pier where boats would dock loomed ahead of me. It was empty now, all of the fishermen having set sail that morning. Birds squawked and took to the sky, startled and annoyed, when I charged under the dock to take cover in the shadows. It smelled like rotting wood and seaweed here, and I tried to quiet my breathing, but my lungs burned with the effort. I crouched low, closed my eyes, and listened, but all I heard was the creak of the wooden pier, rocking with the ebb and flow of the ocean waves. I knew I didn’t have much time, but I had to catch my breath. I grounded myself, focusing on what was real, to calm down. I am Maria Josephina Robertson-Rodriguez, Mahalina Jazreel, princess—no, queen of the Court of Sirena, ruler of Biringan. It’d been only a few months since I was crowned, and it was still hard for me to get used to calling myself queen. Repeating who I was, what I was supposed to be, helped remind me that this wasn’t all some dream, that I wouldn’t suddenly wake up back in my bed in San Diego or have to go to school with all the other humans like everyone else. A nobody. I was a diwata, a spirit of the mountains and sea in the land of encantos, and the ruler of the hidden world. And I was hiding. Heavy boots shifted in the sand behind me, and it made my stomach drop. He was here. I pressed my back against the pillar. The sound of boot steps grew closer, then paused, the wearer waiting or listening. Probably both. I held my breath and my fingers shook, so I clenched my fist around the dagger at my side, a gift from my godfather, Don Elias. He had given it to me for this very purpose, and I was not going to fail. Not this time. I leapt out from behind the pillar and cut down with my dagger. But my opponent knew I was coming. He always knew when danger was near. He raised his own dagger to meet mine, our blades singing off each other, then stepped back and had the gall to smile at me. Lucas Invierno, the most esteemed knight in all of Biringan City, the datu of Mount Makiling, and, oh—might I mention, my ex-boyfriend. I swung at him, but Lucas was faster than me. He knocked away my dagger again, moving around me, fluid like smoke. Frustration bubbled up inside me, and I moved to hit him again. I was tired of losing. But Lucas had a lifetime of practice in the martial art of Arnis, whereas I was no better than a child swinging a stick. It was the only way I could learn to defend myself, as humiliating a