Nightshade

Princess Jessa arrives in Arravan as part of her father's plans for peace, aware that her future has been traded for political advantage. Blackstone Keep offers surprises that complicate her bleak expectations, particularly in the Durand family's youngest daughter. Darrius is a captain in the king's elite guard, and the friendship that grows between her and Jessa soon becomes something more intimate. For a princess accustomed to having little freedom, that connection offers an unfamiliar possibility of choosing for herself. Yet their relationship threatens an already fragile settlement. Hidden family motives, dangerous secrets and an ancient magic surround the two women as personal desire becomes entangled with the prospect of another devastating war.