Life couldn't have possibly gotten worse for the demon king Alrik. But it did. He lost the love of his life. Days spent clouded in black and gray were brightened only with the lovely Arianna near. Her light kept the darkness at bay if only for a few moments. And now she's gone leaving him alone. Now he has nobody. But he has purpose. A purpose—steely determination—for revenge against the one who cursed him. His mother. She's out there in the rift, gathering forces, for what, he's unsure. A mere human witch by the name Abbigail Krenshaw is the key to saving himself and killing his mother—or so a little old seer tells him under sword point. Small, fragile, and breakable Abbigail almost reminds him of his lost love, yet she's different. Strong, charming, always pushing him in ways that Arianna wouldn’t dare. He can feel her worming her way into his battered, blackened heart and can't decide whether he wants to close her inside forever, or lock her out. He needs Abbigail. He needs the human witch to sacrifice herself in order to save his tortured soul. He's more than willing to sacrifice her for his purpose, but the more he's around her the more difficult it becomes to uphold the decision. Can he really use her to save himself and let her die? His heart screams no but his mind says yes.