Kaelin Roan Arlenton would rather live with the newly outed bloodsuckers than spend another day in this foster home. At least, that's what he thought. Then, officials from the Kingdom of Sidrea arrive at his school. They tell him he's been chosen to participate in the Co-Existence Project, and he finds himself facing that very reality. Struggling to care for his younger foster sister, seven-year old Kiana, Kaelin finds himself torn. Attending the Academy across the border could provide him with the means to escape the very real troubles he faces at home, but the more entrenched he becomes in vampire society, the more it pulls him away from everything-and everyone-he holds dear. When it comes down to his own safety or his sister's security, he knows he only has one choice.It would be easier if it wasn't for the smart-mouthed vampire prince meant to keep him out of trouble. But every decision Kaelin makes has consequences that spiral out farther than he knows. The no-longer-united American States are becoming increasingly restless, an outbreak of war between humanity and the supernatural species looms on the horizon, and a killer is draining pretty young girls of blood, threatening the already tenuous relations with the vampires.Will Kaelin's participation in the Co-Existence Project help stabilize the fragile alliance, or will he send it spiraling out of control?Book One in the Ruins of War Series Part of the Bound in Blood and Shadows ChroniclesTo see the other side of the story pick up: Double-Edged War: Holding Ground