Ascend Avalon

Some magic is forbidden. Some destinies are cursed. And some hearts should never intertwine.

Lira Tanglewood has spent her life hiding in the shadows-literally. Born with outlawed magic and hunted by the ruthless Varen Empire, she's learned to survive alone in the haunted forests of Tir Nog. But when a cocky empire scout tracks her down, Lira doesn't expect to be cornered, let alone intrigued.

Ryland is everything Lira despises: charming, loyal to the empire, and dangerously skilled with elemental magic. But he's also hiding something-about her father, the war, and the empire's true intentions. But when the empire comes for them both, the tension between them turns into something else entirely: an uneasy alliance and a deeper, deadlier bond. Will he be the only person who can save her-or the one who finally breaks her?

Shadow magic is rising. The empire is closing in. And Lira is about to discover that some truths should never be uncovered.