"A potent mix of fantasy, romance, and intrigue." D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book ReviewEighteen-year-old Sheft has good reason to fear there is a connection between himself and a deadly entity that haunts the nearby Riftwood. Already despised as a foreigner, he keeps himself apart. Yet, beyond what he'd ever dared to dream, he and Mariat fall in love.Sheft can't bring himself to tell her the truth about his deepest fear. Neither can he share with her the devastating realization of who he is discovering himself to be, nor the terrifying journey his destiny demands. But when he is forced to take part in the secret Rites of the Dark Circle, he confronts the true magnitude of the evil arrayed against him. It threatens to strip away his life, but will first break his heart.