19-year-old mage Lady Lyriana Batavia is third in line to the Seat of Power in Bamaria: a position of wealth and privilege, but not safety. Bamaria falls under the rule of the Lumerian Empire, survivors of a celestial war whose island sank in the Drowning. Now all Lumerians submit to the Emperor and his strict laws about magic. He decides what magic can be practiced and what powers remain forbidden. He decides who will die for possession of forbidden magic.
Lyr’s own cousin was executed for wielding the wrong kind. And for years, Lyr has sworn to protect her older sisters, helping them conceal their own illicit magic.
But when Lyr must participate in the ceremony that reveals her power, she uncovers something else entirely. Something that means banishment from the Empire.
Faced with death in exile, and leaving her sisters behind, Lyr has no choice but to accept a deadly contract. She has seven months to train as a warrior and pass the Emperor’s brutal test of strength—all without magic.
But when she’s forced to train with Lord Rhyan Hart, the man she’s secretly loved since she was a girl—a feared warrior in exile himself, forbidden to her in every way—she’s in danger of losing far more than her family, life, and country.
Rebel forces, and an invading army, are destabilizing Bamaria, just as her family’s secrets threaten to reveal themselves.
Surviving the training, and saving her sisters may mean sacrificing her own heart.
Lyr’s own cousin was executed for wielding the wrong kind. And for years, Lyr has sworn to protect her older sisters, helping them conceal their own illicit magic.
But when Lyr must participate in the ceremony that reveals her power, she uncovers something else entirely. Something that means banishment from the Empire.
Faced with death in exile, and leaving her sisters behind, Lyr has no choice but to accept a deadly contract. She has seven months to train as a warrior and pass the Emperor’s brutal test of strength—all without magic.
But when she’s forced to train with Lord Rhyan Hart, the man she’s secretly loved since she was a girl—a feared warrior in exile himself, forbidden to her in every way—she’s in danger of losing far more than her family, life, and country.
Rebel forces, and an invading army, are destabilizing Bamaria, just as her family’s secrets threaten to reveal themselves.
Surviving the training, and saving her sisters may mean sacrificing her own heart.
Enemies known and unknown get closer every day. While the Imperator's soldiers occupy the city, the Emartis rebels grow bolder, marking Lyr as their target.
Staying safe means more time under Rhyan's protection. But the closer they become, the more their desire ignites, the harder it becomes to resist temptation.
Secrets can only remain hidden for so long. Even ones Lyr bled for.
As new threats arrive at the Bamarian border, Lyr delves deeper into solving the mystery of her power. But revealing these secrets and surviving the Emperor's test may cost Lyr more than she can bargain for.
Loyalty will be tested. Lines will be crossed. Ancient promises will be reforged.
And most dangerous of all: as passion burns, oaths will be broken.
But the Imperators are determined to set decades-long plans into motion, with Lyr’s true identity placing her at the center of their game.
As Morgana’s magic intensifies to its breaking point, she comes face to face with the Lumerian Empire’s most insidious secret—one that threatens her and Meera’s lives.
To save her sisters, Lyr must escape Bamaria with Rhyan. Though they’re being hunted by demons and tracked across borders by the Empire’s forces, they’re determined to solve the puzzle Lyr’s mother left behind. But claiming Lyr’s power may not be enough as an ancient evil returns to Lumeria.