Lorne Earrach's father taught her how to fight with a sword, though he hoped she'd never have need of one. He brought her out to the Fringe the day she was born in hopes of delivering her from the ceaseless strife of the kingdoms' endless wars. However, battlefields have a tendency to bleed beyond their borders. When Lorne's life is entirely uprooted by the aftershocks of one such war, she and her friends must venture into the corpse of a fallen kingdom if they're to have any hope of reclaiming what little home is still within their reach. Though, the fires of vengeance burning in Lorne's heart seem to devour her more and more with each swing of her father's hulking blade. A consumption which unearths and awakens something buried deep within her blood...

Despite myself, my heart fluttered as he rolled his shoulders back, his shirt collar slightly opening with the movement. I could see just a hint of his collarbone. "Was it fun, Lizzie?" I frowned in confusion, "what?" He stepped closer, I could feel the warmth from his body against my skin, "driving me crazy all week. Was. It. Fun?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When book editor, Lizzie Thornton, is given the opportunity to work with her all-time favorite romance author, the famous yet mysterious M.A Hertford, it's a dream come true. Until she learns that M.A Hertford is not the kindly middle-aged woman she always imagined them to be but instead is William Lambert, a young man who is the rudest, most egotistical, and challenging author she's ever worked with. As they work (and bicker) towards his latest book's deadline, Lizzie begins to question why exactly William chose to hide behind his famous penname. And after a stranger starts targeting Lizzie, she cannot help but wonder if it's someone from her past or William's.