Sydney Sage is an alchemist, one of a group of
humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge
the worlds of humans and vampires. Alchemists
protect vampire secrets - and human lives.
Sydney would love to go to college, but instead,
she's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school
in Palm Springs, California---tasked with protecting
Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to
throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace,
Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and
held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.
But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially
Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-
old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense
of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes
even more complicated when magical experiments show
Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi--
the fiercest vampires, the ones who don't lie. But it's her
fear of being just that--special, magical, powerful--
that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is
her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who
seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as
he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone
else--someone forbidden to her.
When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire
world apart, Sydney's loyalties are suddenly tested more
than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to
strike a balance between the principles and dogmas
she's been taught, and what her instincts are now tell-
ing her.
Should she trust the Alchemists -- or her heart?
