An ancient and unholy university.

A brilliant tutor with a dark past.

A grad student determined to end a curse.

Laura has come to study curse-breaking at Oxford's Cornix College with one goal: to stop dark magic from pursuing anyone who cares for her.

Solitary, talented countermancer Cillian is simply filling in for a missing lecturer ? or so it seems. His true purpose at Cornix is the investigation of a disturbing pattern of deaths and disappearances. And he's noticed the grad student who avoids music ? and attracts tragedy.

In the competitive Faculty of Arcane Sciences, darkness and fascination twist around Cillian and Laura like a forest of thorns. They soon find themselves locked in a mutual battle to resist temptation and maintain secrecy.

Who will hold out the longest, especially when succumbing tastes so sweet?