Syphon mage Bronte Casteel can't cast a single spell. So she knows full well that the legends about syphons draining a mage's energy are wrong. There's no need for those horrible laws promising death by fiery stake for all syphons. Not that anyone would believe her...except the one man she spent a perfect, if fleeting, moment with years ago. But Vincent Rallis is too powerful, too dangerous to even dream about.

Temptation is pointless.

For safety's sake, she lives among the powerless Nons, masquerading as one of them, her music as her truest companion.

When her family orders her from hiding to deliver a message to their political enemy, Bronte must face the man who knows her secret.

Colonel Vincent Rallis never forgot the woman whose mage power sang to his. But she disappeared so completely he could never track her down...until she finally returns. This time, he's determined to make his world safe for her. But the message she bears reveals a startling danger.

Torn between duty and his heart, Vincent must convince his gentle syphon not to run again, to trust him...and dare to reveal her truth and claim the life she deserves.

Can they find a way to their fated love when fear and mistrust hinder their path? And can their new bond survive the evil that's closing in?

This is a re-released book, lightly edited, generally dusted off, and overall improved from its original version.