Ever Dark, Ever Deadly

The last spell Tessa Daniels cast turned a woman's hair green. The one before that? Well, she doesn't talk about that one. Debt-ridden and labeled an outcast, Tessa doesn't think things can get worse until a young woman shows up at her magic shop desperate to attend the prince's ball. But when her latest attempt at magic leads to the woman's murder at the stroke of midnight, she finds herself in the sights of a handsome lead detective who thinks she's the main suspect.

Tessa Daniels finally has it all figured out. Her magic shop is booming, and she's found love with the lead detective of the Royal Agency, Derrick Chambers. Sure, her magic's still a little faulty, but she hasn't turned anyone into a mouse or started a plague in ages, and her mixed-up spells are all part of her charm. Until Derrick takes her home to the countryside to meet his parents. He promises a romantic holiday, but the cozy escape is plagued with strange accidents, mysterious guests, and exposed secrets.

Liana Archer knows the kind of evil that lurks in the dark. Kidnapped by a witch and forced to leave behind her brother to escape, she vows to live her life with purpose even as the past haunts her. Years later, her adoptive family and her ability to forge magical weapons have put her on a fresh path, until her father is thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now she'll do anything to gain his freedom, even if it means bargaining with a beast.