The crown prince is dead. Now his exiled brother is heir to the throne, and the poisoner's next target. And the only girl who can keep him alive is the reason he was banished.



No one at court notices the royal alchemist's apprentice until the crown prince collapses at the midwinter banquet and her master is found dead before dawn. Suddenly Keryna is the only person in the palace who can name the poison, and the only one who can trace it back to the killer before they strike again.



Prince Valtteri never wanted to come home. The palace holds nothing but bad memories, and half the court would sooner see him dead than crowned. His forbidden magic flares whenever he's threatened, and the only thing that steadies him is an apprentice who handles it like any other volatile compound.



Working at his side is dangerous, but wanting him is worse. Every kiss is another lie, told to a man who has already lost everything once to a secret.



The most dangerous reaction in the palace isn't brewing in her laboratory. It's the one that will explode when Val learns the truth.



Caryssa Cole writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and romance novels, and has dreamed of magical, mysterious worlds since childhood. A lifelong fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she believes that in every shadow lies a glimmer of light (and a good deal of sarcasm). She lives with her husband, two teenage sons, and two adopted cats in a climate far too hot for a full Gothic aesthetic—though she still dreams of black coats and heavy boots. Caryssa loves Tarot, even if the cards don't always reciprocate. In her books, she seeks emotion, magic, and characters who can entertain and move even the darkest night.