Aeris Vale doesn’t want to fall in love. She wants to survive. Born without magic and marked as a null born, she was never supposed to enter Solarae Academy, a sanctuary for the powerful and highborn. But Aeris isn’t powerless--- she is the heir to a forbidden legacy that could unmake the world. A legacy the academy would kill to control. Unbeknownst to her, two men are tied deeply to her fate. Kael Virel, the golden fire born with a soul bond to hers—hot tempered, fated, too close to undoing her. Sabastian Virel, Kael’s uncle, the cold and brilliant professor who should be off limits—but sees her like no one else. One is written in the stars. The other is a sin she can't stop wanting. While students are mysteriously drained of power and whispers of the “unsealing” begins again. Aeris is forced to choose between the magic rising inside her-and the men who would burn or break the world to claim her. Love was never part of the plan. But neither was becoming a weapon.

“You hate me,” I said. Lucian’s lips brushed mine, dark eyes locked on me. “I want you. That’s worse.” I should’ve pulled away. Instead, I kissed him like I wanted to burn. And he let me—like he wanted to drown. This marriage was never about love. It was about control, power, and revenge. They told me marrying Lucian DeValenci would end the war between our families. They lied. Lucian didn’t want a wife. He wanted a weapon. A pawn handed to him in a white dress. And I? I was perfect for the job. He thinks my father ordered the hit that shattered his life. And now, I’m the instrument of his destruction, the tool he plans to use to burn everything we’ve built. He doesn’t try to hide it. Doesn’t play nice. He wants to break me—slowly, piece by piece. But I’m no soft, obedient bride. I won’t bow to him. I won’t beg. I won’t let him win. The more he tries to hate me, the closer he gets. The closer he gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Underneath that cold, ruthless exterior, I feel something… heat, desire, and a need that terrifies me. I was never supposed to fall for him. We were meant to end each other. But now, I’m the only thing standing between Lucian and the darkness that’s coming for both of us. He touches me like he hates me. Fucks me like he owns me. And maybe he does. Because the second he laid his hands on me, I forgot who the real enemy was. And the scariest part? I think he’s forgetting too.