A Whisper of Crimson

Florence, 1493. As the Renaissance bathes Italy in light through masterpieces, inventions, and intellectual revolutions, a much older and darker war simmers in the cobbled streets and hidden palazzos.



Esmé Loredan, the daughter of a glass artisan, dreams of a life far beyond the one laid out for her. Beautiful, red-haired with emerald eyes, bold and sharp-witted, she draws attention—and trouble. When she publicly defies a powerful noble during a ceremony, she unknowingly steps into a world of danger.



That noble is Luca di Rosso, heir to one of Florence’s oldest families. Mysterious, cunning, and irresistibly charming, Luca bends society’s rules as easily as he plays with hearts. But he carries an ancient secret: he descends from a bloodline of vampires—guardians of a fragile pact between the living and the shadows.



When a string of brutal murders strikes the city, suspicion falls upon the “half-bloods,” beings born of humans and vampires. Esmé finds herself entangled in the mystery, for she possesses a rare gift: the ability to see through the illusions cast by creatures of the night.



Forced to work with Luca to uncover the truth—and secrets buried in her own past—Esmé is drawn into a world of deception, danger… and desire. Their relationship, prickly at first, simmers into a slow-burning dance of forbidden looks, sharp words, and deepening trust.



One truth will surface—one that could change everything. And one of them will have to choose: love… or blood.