Creating a new House of Magic is hard work. Aria knew she had a tall task ahead of her, cleaning up the mess her family had made in the Nine Realms, but nothing could have prepared her for the horrors that awaited within the Nine Realms. Dark magic has taken hold of the lands as Aria finds herself in the middle of an ongoing war while playing cat and mouse with Knox, who hunts her relentlessly. To make matters worse, Aria's creature has grown impatient and is doing everything she can to get back to the monster within Knox, even knowing that Aria's heart is on the line. How far will Aria go to protect those she loves from Knox's wrath? How long can she evade the man stalking her every waking hour as her body and mind fight against the growing need for him to claim her? Can she break the curse that has plagued the Hecate bloodline for over 500 years while protecting her heart? Maybe the answers lie with the mysterious silver-haired men that have come to Aria's aid, or perhaps they are just like everyone else wanting to kill or claim her, realizing she is the key to winning the war.