When a grumpy inventor meets her outrageous new neighbor in the big black castle down the road, more than one type of spark will fly! Mia Brandt knows better than to ever again allow her true powers to be discovered. Ever since her last neighbors burned down her workshop in a night of terror and flame, she's been determined to stay solitary, safe, and – to all outside appearances – perfectly respectable… But Leander Fabian, whose sinister castle looms over her new cottage, has far more interesting – and dangerous – ideas in mind. When he persuades Mia into a reluctant alliance, she finds herself swept into an exhilarating world of midnight balls, interfering countesses, illicit opera house expeditions, necromantic duels, and a whole unnatural community of fellow magic-workers and outcasts, all of whom are facing a threat more dangerous than any she's confronted before. It's a good thing that Mia has her own unnatural powers to wield for all of their sakes – but even her unique skills may not be enough to protect her new found family and help her resist the wickedly provoking neighbor who's seen through all of her defensive shields from the beginning.
