After years of secret research, Sage is on the cusp a momentous discovery: the ability to stabilize her forbidden magic so she can finally wield it out in the open. Now, if only she can manage to live long enough to complete it.

When a group of rebels blows up her lab, Sage barely escapes with her life. And when she flees to sanctuary in the royal palace, she winds up accused of being a rebel herself by the cold and commanding captain of the guard, Eskar.

Desperate to find the missing link in her research and forge a peace between the magical factions, Sage sets out for the misty moorlands saddled with Eskar as her less-than-willing protector.

But the more she learns about the privileged King's guard, the more Eskar's tormented past and dark magic calls to Sage—until his presence on her quest begins to feel less like a burden, and more like an intriguing glimpse into the future she never thought she would have. Together, this outsider and insider might be the only ones able to prevent an all-out war, but only if they can bring themselves to trust in each other.