A cutthroat university. A dormant, terrifying magic. And the lethal secret society leader who wants to claim it all.

Nestled deep within the Scottish Highlands, Aethelred University is a sanctuary of Gothic spires and ancient legacies where secrets are the currency of power. For Orla, an outsider just trying to survive the school's elite, the campus was supposed to be a place of study. Instead, the mist hides a death sentence.

When a volatile magic awakens within Orla-triggered by her late mother's garnet necklace-she suddenly becomes the ultimate prize in an ancient war waged by shadows.

Enter Torin. As the head of Aethelred's most dangerous secret society, he is obsessive, lethal, and devastatingly charming. He is also the first to recognize the raw power surging in Orla's veins. As he pulls her into his orbit, the lines between mentor and captor, ally and enemy, begin to blur. He doesn't just want to control her magic; he wants to claim the girl who holds it.

But the shadows are closing in. Rival covens are gathering at the gates, and the Headmistress is watching Orla's every move. As a catastrophic winter storm brings a violent siege to the university, Orla finds herself trapped between a man who would cage her for her own protection and the sovereign magic demanding to be set free.

In a world where love is bought with blood, surrender is a luxury she can't afford.

The reckoning has arrived. Do you run, or do you burn?

• Featuring a morally grey, possessive hero, a slow-burn romance, and a high-stakes "touch her and die" dynamic, this intoxicating adult dark academia romantasy is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Rebecca Yarros.