They took my home, my secrets, and my family. Now they're going to find out just how far a "dud" will go to burn their world to the ground.

My adopted parents warned me that if the authorities ever discovered my secret, I'd be taken. They were right—but it turns out telepathy was only the tip of my power iceberg.

Now that I'm in the Conclave's grip, things are looking grim. They're funneling dark energy through weak witches, and because they think I'm just an AUA—the weakest of the weak—they have no idea what they've actually caught. The darkness here is seductive; it's a parasitic force that pulls even my strongest allies into its grip, turning friends into strangers.

But I'm not alone. Out there, Ludo, Alexis, and Donovan are ready to tear through the Academy's foundations to reach me. The Hellhound is on the hunt, too, his teeth bared for anyone who stands in his way.

Then there's Cosmo. The arrogant dragon has been brought to his knees, his pride shattered as he begs for forgiveness I'm not sure I can give. He's desperate to prove he belongs at my side, but I'm not ready to trust the man who once treated me like dirt.

As the Lumina burns brighter within me, the truth of my heritage is finally surfacing. My blood carries a legacy that predates Validus Vale—a lineage so powerful it explains exactly why I had to be hidden from the world.

To save the innocent souls caught in the crossfire and bring my shattered family back together, I must master the power I once feared.

The "dud" is gone. The Lumina is rising. And this time, I'm the one making the rules.

Book three is the high-stakes continuation of the Essence Bound saga. This is a paranormal academy why-choose romance where the heat is high, the magic is dark, and the heroine keeps all her men.