Book Two in the adult fantasy romance adventure series from award-winning, bestselling author Jeffe Kennedy. Follows the prequel novella, The Long Night of the Crystalline Moon, in the Under a Winter Sky romantic fantasy holiday anthology and Book One of Heirs of Magic, The Golden Gryphon and the Bear Prince. A Lonely Road Stella has always been one to count her blessings. Empath, sorceress, shapeshifter, and healer, she's grateful for the gifts the goddess of shadows has bestowed upon her. Yes, she's sensitive to emotions and can't bear to be in large crowds for long. And yes, that means she'll never be able to take a lover, as she's unable to withstand physical contact with anyone but her twin brother. Certainly now that he's found his true love, she feels more alone than ever. None of it haunts her, however, more than the vision of the lonely tower where her life path ends. An Unrequited Love Jakral Konyngrr is a man of simple tastes: good whiskey, some coin in his pocket, and a fine blade in his hand. Though he's no prince, not a shapeshifter, and not blessed with any magic, he's happy in his skin. And yet he seems doomed to live the life of a hero from a tragic ballad, because the only woman he's ever wanted barely knows he's alive. As much as Jak longs for Stella, he's resigned himself to being forever in the background. At least he can guard her back. A Quest to Stop a Monster But now Jak and Stella have been thrown together-along with a mismatched group of shifters, warriors, and sorceress friends-chasing and attempting to avert magic rifts that release monsters into their world. Worse, the strange intelligence behind the bizarre and deadly attacks seems to have developed a fascination for Stella. Battling for their lives and the good of the realm, they must fight-and perhaps love-together to alter the course of the future before it's too late.