In a kingdom where magic is slowly disappearing, an evil king will stop at nothing to obtain more power. His sights are set on the golden apples, mythical fruits that promise immortality—and the key to an eternal reign. To claim them, he will unleash the Beast of Thorns, a creature born of darkness, a destroyer of those who defy the crown.

Lyla Stark, a Forestmage at the Academy of Magic and guardian of the golden apples, is about to learn that in the kingdom of Ithaka, nothing is as it seems. And when a Heartstring binds her to Spiritmage Bastian Lightcroft, his darkest secrets will shatter everything she thought she knew about magic, loyalty, and love itself.

As the land crumbles under the weight of dark magic, truth becomes a weapon, and even the purest heart is made a pawn in the king’s deadly game. But some truths, once revealed, can never be forgiven.

And in the end, Lyla must decide if love is worth the price of betrayal.