Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia's deadliest weapon, the Queen's one and only assassin. He's also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow: to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a sect called the Aphrasians. Shadow has been training all her life to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, so Shadow has been learning...

Ellie de Florent-Stinson is celebrating her fortieth birthday with a grand celebration in her fabulous house in Palm Springs. At forty, it appears Ellie has everything she ever wanted: a handsome husband; an accomplished, college-age stepdaughter; a beautiful ten-year-old girl; two adorable and rambunctious six-year-old twin boys; lush, well-appointed homes in Los Angeles, Park City, and Palm Springs; a thriving career as a well-known fashion designer...