Bound by Unstable Magic

At Ashenveil Academy, losing control does not mean failure. It means severance. Zyra Croft has survived by making herself forgettable. She hides her volatile magic behind mediocre scores, measured breaths, and perfect silence. One uncontrolled surge could expose the truth and place her before Ashenveil Academy's ruthless evaluators. She came to the school to find a way to seal her power, not to become its next warning. Then the Trial of the First Circle pairs her with Marek Vayne. Marek is Ashenveil's highest-ranked student, a weapon forged from discipline and the heir to a bloodline stained by magical madness. He sees through Zyra's carefully constructed weakness immediately. He should report her. Defeat her. Prove that he is nothing like the man whose legacy still shadows his name. Instead, her magic reaches for his. Their forbidden synchronization stabilizes Zyra's power and awakens something dangerous inside Marek. If the faculty discovers their resonance, they will both face consequences far worse than expulsion. Now, every trial forces them closer. Every touch threatens their control. And the rival Zyra was taught to fear may be the only person capable of surviving the chaos inside her. At Ashenveil, only one student can rise. But Zyra and Marek are beginning to discover that their greatest power does not belong to either of them alone. Perfect for readers who love deadly magical academies, dangerous rivals, forbidden bonds, forced proximity, secret power, and a ruthless hero who protects the one person he was meant to destroy.