In the city of Veycross, magic isn't something you're born with—it belongs to the Crown.Every spell is stored inside enchanted objects called Seals, and possessing an unregistered Seal is a serious crime. The wealthy have access to powerful magic while the poor live in the overcrowded districts outside the city's inner walls.Kael Arden, a reckless 16-year-old thief, doesn't care about any of that. He steals food, money, and whatever else keeps him alive.Then he steals the wrong thing.During a robbery, Kael takes a strange black Seal from a royal courier. Unlike ordinary Seals, it doesn't contain a spell.It eats other magic.Suddenly the Crown, criminal organizations, and mysterious figures from the city's past are hunting him. Kael initially sees the Seal as his chance to become the greatest thief in Veycross—but discovers it was created during a forgotten rebellion and may be capable of destroying the magical system holding the kingdom together.Worse, every time Kael uses it, something inside him changes.