Thorn Season

IN THE KINGDOM OF DARADON, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical specter - a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock... even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted. Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family... is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she's escaped execution thus far only due to painful.
self-control and the efforts of her beloved father. Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the, debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal - and torn between two equally dangerous men. One is a brutal ruler with the face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth - and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.
With the threat of discovery around every corner - and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation - Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. Its Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she'll need to become the most vicious of thorns....