Marcus Ryan is a mage - with an aversion to magic. For the last twenty years, he's done everything possible to steer clear of spells and the tutors employed to instruct in their usage. All the cheerful young noble wants is to be left in peace to be the oddball everyone thinks he is. However, a brief meeting with an emotionless stranger, and an evening when events spiral out of his control, changes everything - past, present, and future. Called upon to put right an ancient injustice, Marcus will have no choice but to arm himself with the one thing he hates most.