<p><b>A sparkling historical fantasy filled with arcane magic, deadly conspiracies, and an irresistible queer romance, perfect for fans of Freya Marske and Alexis Hall. </b><br><br>Lord Nicholas Monterris is the only heir of Monterris Court, a crumbling ducal house. Bored and trapped, Nic spends his days crafting new automatons and his nights enticing handsome rogues into his bed, fiercely ignoring the fact that one day he must marry to save his family from complete decline. One day comes swiftly when his father selects his intended, Lady Leaf Serral.<br><br>Tradition dictates the two families be locked in together while the marriage contract is magically drawn up, which Nic assumes will be the worst part. Until he learns the Serrals’ head negotiator is Dashiell sa Vare, an old flame he has neither forgiven nor forgotten, a man their rigid class structure forbids him to love.<br><br>Locked in the moldering grandeur of Monterri
