Magic, secrets and longing collide in this sweeping, beautiful fantasy from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals.

A CURSED MANUSCRIPT. AN OLD BETRAYAL. A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE.

Lorne St. Clair has spent years hiding from his shadowy past, content to curate magical antiques in his quiet shoppe. But when a mysterious note arrives demanding he transcribe an enchanted manuscript – written in an ink only rare mages can read – his carefully guarded secrets are threatened.

Lorne knows one mage capable of reading the manuscript… But Avalene Vale was declared dead ten years ago.

In truth, she’s also been in hiding, her once-brilliant academic future stolen the night Lorne put a knife to her throat and begged her to flee. When he asks for her help, Avalene knows she shouldn’t trust him. But once she begins translating, she’s drawn into the manuscript’s haunting magic – and the beautiful, dangerous story woven into its spells.

As buried truths resurface and the past tightens its hold, Lorne and Avalene must reckon with what they once were – and what they might become.

PRAISE FOR REBECCA ROSS

‘Rich and romantic’ – Shelby Mahurin, New York Times bestselling author of Serpent & Dove

'Ross weaves her stories in such a vulnerable and delicate way, truly with a style all her own' – Adalyn Grace, Sunday Times bestselling author of Belladonna

‘Her writing sparkles, brimming with wit and magic from the first page to the last’ – Isabel Ibañez, Sunday Times bestselling author of What the River Knows

‘Dazzling prose, a charming cast, and a world where mystique shimmers just beneath the surface’ – Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Beasts of Prey