Raised under the watchful eye of her uncle ude and a stern governess, iselle moon was a coddled, but isolated little girl with a sharp mind, and a lively spirit. lonely and slightly wanton, little iselle, in an impulsive act of childish mischief, inadvertently brings a relentless and unshakable darkness into her life that proves to be nearly impossible to escape. moving from school to school, year after year, iselle has little hope of living a normal life, and the ordeal has served to ruin her ability to trust people. at whitewater academy, forrest outvallen is a much-feared misanthrope in his final year of university. when iselle arrives, forrest's ability to tap into the emotions of others draws him to her the moment he sets eyes upon her. the ethereal beauty is remote and unapproachable, but so is he. sensing the burden she carries, forrest's first instinct is to help, even if he hasn't the slightest idea how. as iselle prepares for the next inevitable confrontation with her adversary and hoping to somehow free herself from this unshakable fate, she must learn to trust herself, and others. the question is, how can she win against a force so full of hate and blackness, and how can she achieve anything when she is defenseless against malevolent magic?