Young, terrified, and bound to a vampire, Louella Eschete fled the bayou and swore off magic. Years later, she’s returned to the tiny town of Cypress, Louisiana to take her rightful place as head of her magical family, whether she likes it or not. In order to keep the tentative peace formed between the various races of powerful beings who rule side by side, she must face her own demons. Mainly one, Cristobal Cortez. Now a master vampire, and lord of the seven cities surrounding New Orleans, her former lover has moved up in the world. Their relationship gets way more complicated when his court is framed for a rash of murders they didn’t commit. Forced to play her role as his bond mate, and launch an investigation into the darkness threatening to overturn truces, she may be in over her head.

With two coronations to attend, you’d think the universe would stop piling catastrophes on top of Louella Eschete, but you’d be dead wrong. As she prepares to ascend two thrones, one as Lady of the Cortez Vampire Court and the other as Matriarch of the Eschete Witches, she must face a new evil. Just when Lou is ready to stab a seamstress with a hat pin, murder and strange occurrences begin to happen around her city. Stolen corpses in the cemetery, decapitated astronomers, and hearts taken from nursing homes is odd, even for Louisiana. There is no rhyme or reason to the carnage, but the sigil left behind at a scene points to something ancient. It’s a race against the clock for humanity. There’ll be nothing to rule if everyone’s dead.