Don’t tangle with archmagi. That’s the unspoken rule known to everyone on the ancient continent. And Adelia Evard knows it better than anyone else—yet it’s exactly she who agrees to a dubious deal, understanding only one thing: Lord Renar Armeid, her own rector, is clever, experienced, and always achieves his goal. For him, finding a witch from the legends, uncovering a traitor within the walls of his own academy, and deciphering all the terrible secrets of the ancient continent—nothing is impossible. And for Lya’s enemies, it’s better to hide away, because the most dangerous archmage has already taken up their trail.