In the glittering frenzy of the London Season, Theodore Nott is known for his sharp mind, colder reputation, and complete disinterest in marriage. He prefers the edges of ballrooms, observing society’s games rather than playing them. But when he and a clever, quietly defiant young lady are discovered alone together in a private drawing room—under circumstances far too scandalous to explain away—their reputations are instantly compromised.
in a Romanian village rotting under fear, a devout girl is condemned as a succubus and marked for death. Each day she kneels in the forest to beg God for forgiveness, unaware her prayers are claimed by Regulus Black—a vampire who hears them as a summons. As the village prepares fire and stake, Regulus answers her faith with blood, turning protector into predator and proving that some prayers are answered by monsters.
After the war, Hogwarts stands rebuilt—but not untouched. To usher in a new era, the school appoints its youngest professors yet: Theodore Nott, the brilliant and notoriously guarded Potions Master, and the newly hired Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—a woman who once knew him better than anyone. They were inseparable in their final year at Hogwarts. Until they weren’t.
In a village gripped by fear and faith, Sophia is marked for death when whispers of witchcraft turn into accusation. As the threat of trial and fire closes in, she remains unaware that she is not alone—that a wizard watches from the forest, drawn to her desperate prayers. Hidden magic, religious terror, and a devotion that borders on obsession collide as Theo defies morals, becoming the monster the village fears in order to save the girl they are ready to burn.
Vanessa leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter. Her reflection stared back at her from the glass—perfect hair, perfect smile, the girl who always had everything under control. “I’m fluent in Russian,” she said lightly. “And whatever that was? It wasn’t nothing.” And just like that, Scoops Ahoy stopped being a harmless stop on a summer afternoon—and became the place where Vanessa Andrews’ perfect life began to crack.