Being the Merlin of Gallows Gate was supposed to get easier. It hasn’t. My magic has changed, again, and nobody can tell me if that’s a good thing or the kind of thing that gets you quietly erased by the Merlin Group. They’ve put me “under review,” which is bureaucratic language We think you’re a walking magical catastrophe. To be fair… they’re not wrong. And then there’s the stranger I can’t shake. He’s appeared out of nowhere, too calm, too curious, and far too invested in what’s happening to my magic. Nothing good ever comes from attention like that. Meanwhile, Eryk’s dragonborne legacy is tightening its claws around him. Dragons don’t like witches. Dragons really don’t like me. And the feeling is mutual. Now the Merlin Group is circling, the dragons are restless, and my magic is doing… whatever the hell it wants. If I can’t get control of any of it, I won’t just lose my license. I might lose the people I care about. Maybe even myself. No pressure. I’ve survived worse. Probably.