House: Lastrider
Age: 20
God: Nyx
Powers: Shadow magic
The middle child of House Lastrider, Taesia is a reckless creature who craves freedom from the stifling conventions of duty. She acts before she thinks, but at least she looks good doing it. Thankfully, her older brother, Dante, bears the title of heir, which means once he’s instated she can roam the realms without the yoke of responsibility. But when disaster strikes House Lastrider, Taesia will have to delve deep into her determination, her power–and yes, even her rage–to challenge those who threaten not only her family, but her entire city.
House: Vakara
Age: 21
God: Thana
Powers: Necromancy
The eldest daughter of House Vakara, Risha has grown up with strict rules regarding the use of necromancy, a magic passed down from the god of death herself and which only her family wields. Her main goal: to reopen the portal to the realm of death, since her home realm is rapidly becoming overrun with trapped spirits. So when a group of would-be necromancers start to use dangerous magic to further destabilize the city of Nexus, Risha is determined to stop them. Yet their leader may hold the key to opening the long-sealed portal to the realm of death–and Risha may need to second guess those rules she’s grown up revering.
House: Mardova
Age: 21
God: Deia
Powers: Elemental magic
Angelica is the sole heir of House Mardova, and as such, can wield all four elements: air, earth, water, and fire. However, unlike other Mardovas, she is ashamed that she cannot access those elements without the use of musical instruments. What’s worse, she has an unbearable addiction to fire, which she summons with masterful performances on her violin. Angelica is desperate to grow stronger and prove herself an able mage–and even more important, an able heir to the throne of her kingdom. But it’s not only her powers and the other House heirs that stand in the way; the gods themselves are plotting something, and Angelica may be the key to learning what that is.
House: Cyr
Age: 22
God: Phos
Powers: Light magic
Nikolas is the oldest son of House Cyr–but he wasn’t always meant to be its heir. His younger brother, Rian, was their father’s favorite, but an accident took his life years earlier, leaving Nikolas to weather the burden of his father’s wrath and expectations on his own. It seems impossible to become heir when his family’s patron god, Phos, won’t even bless him. But when Nikolas is assigned to a task force to catch dangerous magic users in the city, he’ll have to confront his grief in order to help unravel a plot that’s been centuries in the making–and which his god might be part of.
