After the loss of a friend and a false imprisonment in an Eleysian dungeon, Cyrene has no interest in destiny. Her heart was shattered, friends scattered, and her home is nothing but a pretty illusion. Even her magic won't cooperate. Only desperation can turn her to the last person she should trust: Prince Kael. His darkness mirrors a growing force lurking within her. A struggle she never imagined threatens to consume her. And as friends and foes...

On the day of her Presenting, in front of the entire Byern Court, seventeen-year-old Cyrene Strohm's lifelong plans comes to fruition when she's chosen for one of the most prestigious positions in her homeland, an Affiliate to the Queen. Or so she thinks. When Cyrene receives a mysterious letter and an unreadable book, she finds nothing is as it seems. Thrust into a world of dangerous political intrigue and deadly magic, Cyrene's position only grows...