The magic they buried

Kiera has spent her life hiding the forbidden script-magic her mentor Quill taught her in the shadows. This magic, which only nobles are supposed to possess, burns glyphs into the very air.

But when Quill vanishes without a trace and a royal prince is murdered by an impossible curse, Kiera realizes the world she knew is about to change. Ancient script-magic is returning, and the Crown will do anything to control it.

To find the most talented magic users and distract from the brewing succession war, the king opens the Inscribed Trials to "all noble bloodlines." But Kiera suspects the Crown's motives run deeper than they claim.

Using a forged noble identity and armed with nothing but her mother's pendant and Quill's final message, Kiera enters the trials. She has no noble blood, no right to be there, and no choice. She must find Quill before it's too late, and the trials are her only way inside the palace walls.

Among the competitors is Riven, the brooding fourth prince: a reluctant heir haunted by secrets of his own. He's sharp, dangerous, and suspects her secrets from the moment they meet. Bound by duty, divided by origin, neither can afford to trust the other.

But some truths can only be carved in fire.