In a Victorian London where magical privilege divides society, Duke Evander Ravenwood and Viggo Stonewall have forged more than just an alliance—they've fallen in love. But their happiness is short-lived when a new threat emerges. A renowned professor from the Royal Institute for the Arcane has vanished, leaving behind whispers of forbidden magic and mysterious experiments. As Evander begins to investigate, complications arise with the arrival of his enigmatic former lover. An expert called in to help, Leon Beaulieu brings old emotions and new secrets to light.

Meanwhile, troubling rumors reach the Nightshade network: thralls linked to noble families are disappearing across London. Determined to track down the perpetrator, Viggo and his friends are drawn into a perilous hunt for an elusive adversary working from the shadows. Realizing their cases are intertwined, Evander and Viggo join forces to unravel the mysteries behind the professor's disappearance and the missing thralls. But their search soon plunges them into a web of conspiracies rooted in decades-old betrayals—where nothing, and no one, is quite as it seems. As allies become adversaries and the true mastermind closes in, Evander and Viggo will need their wits—and their trust in each other—if they're to survive the darkness gathering around them.

Contains mature themes.