"A loner, a runaway, and a failed apprentice Talent, Chad Hagan was kicked out of one Institute of Magic, then fled another when his closest friend died. He may want a quiet life but when he meets Kara Sedgewick, he realizes that is not an option ... Kara has spent her life hiding her powerful magical abilities from the Institutes. As Chad and Kara get close, they discover that their magical gifts, if combined, are dangerously powerful. If they forge this forbidden alliance, they could topple the corrupt Institutes" -- Adapted from dust jacket flap.