Product Description

The thrilling second installment in Richelle Mead's spinoff series--and a #1 New York Times Bestseller--now in paperback

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, shes been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, Californiatasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age-old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoithe fiercest vampires, the ones who dont die. But its her fear of being just thatspecial, magical, powerfulthat scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone elsesomeone forbidden to her.When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydneys loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how shes supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas shes been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.Should she trust the Alchemistsor her heart?