Only a couple of years after rescuing the unicorn Yelena and defeating the Adept Evan, Kahrin and Innes navigate their lives as new adults. That’s no small feat under the best of circumstances. Balancing college and blossoming social lives in separate towns, their friendship remains strong as ever even as it deepens in new and confusing ways.

Innes tries not to judge Kahrin’s myriad questionable dating choices, including her budding taboo tryst with André. Kahrin doesn’t hold back her opinions about Innes’ beautiful but intense new neighbor, Evangeline. Are Kahrin’s suspicions and prickly interactions with Evangeline simply conflicting personalities? Is Innes just too judgmental? Or is there some other, supernatural force at play? Dating and self-discovery is tricky enough without the world of magic creeping in. Either way, romance sure feels like a matter of life and death.