Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne

A rare conduit of Light, drawn to the Shadows. A spymaster who can’t seem to stay away. For as long as she can remember, Arken Asher has been searching for answers—driven by an insatiable hunger, a need to understand the meaning behind her dangerous arcane secrets. She’s finally taken that leap into the unknown, leaving her simple life behind to attend the Arcane Studium: a prestigious college of magickal arts & sciences nestled in the heart of Sophrosyne: the City of the Gods. As the Scouting & Reconnaissance Captain of the Elder Guard, Kieran Vistarii deals in Shadows, blood and subterfuge. Scarred by his past but dedicated to safeguarding Sophrosyne’s future, Kieran’s self-imposed isolation is easily masked by charm and cocksure energy. Strange disappearances have kept his cadre busy as of late, and yet the captain finds himself sidetracked, distracted by the inexplicable allure of a certain golden-eyed Conduit and her curious mind. They both know better than to get involved, but the Fates have other plans. The dark threads of prophecy were woven long ago, and the ties that bind just might be what it takes to mend these broken, star-crossed souls… or what forges a deadly bond that could damn them all.

Adult • Romance/Fantasy • Fantasy/Epic and High • Fantasy/Dark • Fantasy/Romantic and Erotic

Content Warning: Sensitive material includes, but is not limited to: frequent profanity, violence, torture, murder, child abduction, the tattooing of a child without consent (on-page), emotional abuse, explorations of implied mental illness (depression, anxiety) & neurodivergency (adhd, autism), socio-economic power imbalances, frequent mentions of blood, references to cults and sex work. Of Blood & Aether also contains explicit, open-door sexual content, as well as explorations of kink and BDSM themes that will escalate over the course of the series.

SKaeth author