For some girls, age eighteen is the magical age of freedom and independence. For Aerys, turning eighteen means an arranged marriage to a man she's never met before, leaving the only home she's ever known, and accidentally discovering things she never knew about the world, about her family, and about herself, things that have been lurking beneath the surface all along. However, each new discovery brings new questions with it, and the answers could lead in some very dangerous directions. She and her fiancé, Dmitri, must decide whether or not to find the answers to these questions and what to do with the knowledge they gain. To change the game instead of living by others' rules, they must look beyond what they see.

Look Beyond What You See

<p>A corner of the rooftop, surrounded by starlight, seems ideal to read the book I ve obtained about humans who possess the "magic touch." Like the tome on supernatural history, the print glows within the pages, enabling me to read easily despite the darkness around me. This is fortunate, as I do not wish to be discovered, even by my fiancé. Especially by my fiancé. As with the Russian that I ve been studying in the early mornings, I want to surprise him with any other magical skills I manage to acquire.</p>

<p> {Humans who possess an ability to perform magic have existed since the beginning of time. What endows them with this ability, none can say. Some suggest cross-breeding with the ancient gods. Others suggest gifts from faeries and other magical creatures. Still, such persons exist, the most famous being individuals such as Nostradamus and Merlin.</p>

Chapter 27 Sorcery