War-Torn Realms Collide

Fifteen years before our story, the magical Fey invade northern France from their hidden realm, Brocéliande, after a devastating famine. Their magic disrupts technology, and a deadly veil now separates Fey-occupied France from the rest of the world. Only those with enchanted orbs can cross. The Fey king, Auberon, blames and hunts demi-Fey—those of mixed blood—for his people's suffering. In response, a secret human and demi-Fey spy academy, Avalon Tower, trains agents in the hidden city of Camelot to infiltrate Fey territory and gather intelligence. Romance is forbidden among spies, as love is seen as a fatal distraction. The world is fractured, and the stage is set for a new kind of war—one fought with magic, secrets, and divided loyalties.

The Reluctant Spy's Awakening

Nia, a young woman raised in Los Angeles, travels to France and discovers she can cross the deadly veil unharmed. She learns she's a demi-Fey with rare magical abilities, including the power to manipulate the veil itself. After helping a group of hunted demi-Fey, she's forcibly recruited by her ex-boyfriend, Raphael, into Avalon Tower. There, she's identified as a Sentinel—one who can control the veil—and is thrust into a world of espionage, magical training, and ancient rivalries. Nia's journey from ordinary to extraordinary is marked by confusion, resistance, and the heavy burden of destiny.

Bloodlines and Betrayals

At Avalon Tower, Nia faces hostility from the Pendragon family, descendants of Arthur, and learns of a prophecy: the House of Morgan will destroy Avalon Tower. She's bullied by Tarquin Pendragon but finds allies in Tana, Serana, and Darius. Tana, a seer, reveals Nia is the new Lady of the Lake—a legendary figure. The Tower's history is haunted by the betrayal of Mordred, Morgan's son, who supposedly died centuries ago. But secrets fester: Nia is Mordred's heir, and the truth about Auberon's lineage is far more tangled than anyone suspects.

Training, Trials, and Tensions

Nia endures grueling training in Fey language, culture, and combat. She's tested by both her peers and her own emerging powers, including telepathy and mind control. Despite the Tower's rules, her relationship with Raphael deepens, and together they face dangerous missions—including a harrowing encounter with the Dream Stalker, Prince Talan, at the Château des Rêves. Nia's powers grow, but so do the risks, as she learns that those with multiple abilities are feared and often destroyed.

Secrets of the Veil

After Raphael is captured in battle, Nia is drawn by a mysterious call to the Lake of Avalon. Using her Sentinel powers, she discovers the lost, snowbound island of Avalon and finds Mordred alive, imprisoned for centuries. Mordred reveals that Auberon is not his son but Merlin's, and that Nia herself is the true heir of Morgan, fated by prophecy to destroy Avalon Tower. The lines between friend and foe blur, and Nia's very identity becomes a weapon in the war.

The Dream Stalker's Shadow

Nia's connection to Prince Talan, the Dream Stalker, intensifies. She realizes he's been haunting her thoughts for years, their minds linked in a dangerous dance. Talan is both a sadistic monster and a lonely, brilliant manipulator, wielding primal dream magic. When Nia infiltrates Brocéliande to rescue Raphael, she must evade Talan's psychic grasp, using her own growing powers to shield her mind and survive his scrutiny. Their encounters are charged with both threat and forbidden attraction.

Rescue and Ruin

Nia braves the Fey fortress, using mind control and cunning to free a broken, tortured Raphael from the dungeons. Their reunion is bittersweet: Raphael, scarred by his ordeal, insists their love is too dangerous, that emotion clouds judgment and leads to disaster. He breaks off their relationship, determined to focus on the mission and find his missing sister. Nia is left devastated, forced to confront the personal cost of love in a world at war.

Love's Dangerous Cost

Haunted by Raphael's words and the Tower's warnings, Nia grapples with the tension between love and duty. She sees firsthand how passion can lead to fatal mistakes, as with the doomed lovers Alix and Rein. The Tower's iron rule—no romance—proves both cruel and necessary. Nia's heartbreak becomes a crucible, forging her into a more ruthless, focused agent, even as she mourns what she's lost.

Bargains with the Kingslayer

Desperate to save Raphael and gain an edge, Nia strikes a dangerous bargain with Mordred. Bound by a magical Hemlock Oath, she agrees to plant a magical moth—Mordred's eyes and ears—inside Avalon Tower, in exchange for his help. The alliance is fraught with mistrust and manipulation, as both seek to use the other. Nia becomes a double agent, walking a razor's edge between loyalty and betrayal, her every move shadowed by ancient vengeance.

Into the Heart of Brocéliande

Nia's next mission takes her deep into the Fey court, disguised as a farm girl and then as Prince Talan's mistress. With the help of allies, she crafts a flawless cover story and navigates the treacherous politics of Perillos. She faces the envy and malice of Countess Arwenna, the scrutiny of the king, and the ever-present threat of exposure. Every gesture, every word is a performance, as Nia gathers intelligence and plots the downfall of her enemies from within.

Masks, Mistresses, and Machinations

Nia's role as Talan's mistress becomes both a shield and a trap. She must seduce, deceive, and outwit the Fey elite, all while resisting Talan's dangerous allure. Their relationship is a game of power and desire, each testing the other's limits. Nia uncovers secrets—like the Blue Dragon Project—and manipulates court politics, but every success brings new dangers. The line between real and pretend blurs, and Nia must decide how far she's willing to go.

Poison, Power, and Prophecy

As Nia's powers grow, so do the threats against her. Arwenna tries to poison her, and Nia narrowly survives with the help of Mordred's warning. She faces assassination attempts, courtly sabotage, and the ever-present prophecy that she will destroy Avalon Tower. Meanwhile, her magical abilities—Sentinel, telepathy, mind control—reach new heights, but each use comes with pain and risk. The prophecy looms, and Nia's choices shape the fate of both worlds.

The Blue Dragon's Secret

Investigating the mysterious Blue Dragon Project, Nia discovers not a weapon, but a secret orphanage for human and demi-Fey children, hidden and protected by a secret benefactor. The revelation forces her to confront the complexities of war: not all Fey are monsters, and not all secrets are weapons. She reunites Raphael with his long-lost sister, Ysolde, and must decide whom to trust as the lines between enemy and ally blur.

Rivers of Magic and Blood

To warn the human allies of an impending Fey trap, Nia, Raphael, and Ysolde undertake a perilous journey across Brocéliande and into Scotland. Ysolde's water magic parts rivers, and the trio braves Fey archers, wild rapids, and exhaustion. The journey is a crucible of endurance and teamwork, culminating in a harrowing boat ride that nearly claims their lives. The cost of survival is high, and the urgency of their mission grows ever more dire.

The Trap at Scotland's Gate

Arriving in Scotland, Nia discovers the Fey's true plan: a massive ambush using a portal to bring in an elite force and a dragon. With only hours to act, she leads a desperate strike force to the portal's location. In a brutal battle, she uses her Sentinel powers to close the portal just as Talan and his dragon attempt to cross, turning the tide and saving the human army from annihilation. The victory is pyrrhic—many die, including her mentor Viviane—but the Fey are dealt a crippling blow.

Sacrifice and Survival

The aftermath of battle is grim. Nia mourns Viviane and the fallen, haunted by the price of survival. The human alliance is battered but not broken, and the Fey are forced to retreat. Nia's actions have bought precious time, but the war is far from over. The cost of victory is measured in blood and sorrow, and Nia must steel herself for what comes next.

The Price of Victory

Back at Avalon Tower, tensions between humans and demi-Fey threaten to erupt into civil war. The Iron Legion, a human supremacist faction, targets demi-Fey agents, and Nia narrowly saves her friends from assassination. The Tower's unity is crumbling, and the prophecy of Avalon's destruction looms ever closer. Nia's double life grows more perilous, and the line between hero and traitor blurs.

The Wedding Gambit

With the Fey court in chaos, Talan's father demands he marry Arwenna for her wealth. To thwart this, Talan proposes a hasty marriage to Nia, his mistress and secret adversary. The gambit is fraught with risk: if Nia accepts, she gains unprecedented access and power—but also paints a target on her back. As the story closes, Nia stands on the precipice of destiny, her choices poised to shape the fate of two worlds.

Characters

Nia Melisende (Vaillancourt)

Nia is a young woman of mixed human and Fey heritage, raised in Los Angeles and thrust into a world of magic and war. Initially resistant, she's forced into the role of Sentinel—a rare magical being able to control the veil between worlds. Nia's journey is one of self-discovery, as she uncovers her lineage as Mordred's heir and the new Lady of the Lake. She is fiercely loyal, compassionate, and resourceful, but haunted by the cost of love and the burden of prophecy. Her powers—telepathy, mind control, and veil manipulation—make her both a weapon and a target. Nia's greatest struggle is balancing her heart with her duty, and her evolution from outsider to pivotal agent is marked by sacrifice, cunning, and resilience.

Raphael

Raphael is a demi-Fey spy, Nia's ex-boyfriend, and a high-ranking agent of Avalon Tower. Marked by loss and trauma, he is driven by a sense of duty and a desire to protect those he loves. Raphael's relationship with Nia is passionate but doomed, as he ultimately chooses the mission over personal happiness, believing love is too dangerous in war. His journey is one of sacrifice, as he endures torture, heartbreak, and the relentless pursuit of his missing sister. Raphael's moral compass is strong, but his choices are shaped by the harsh realities of espionage and war.

Prince Talan (The Dream Stalker)

Talan is the enigmatic, dangerous crown prince of Brocéliande, known as the Dream Stalker for his primal magic to invade and manipulate dreams. He is both a sadist and a visionary, feared for his cruelty but also isolated by his power and lineage. Talan's relationship with Nia is a complex dance of attraction, suspicion, and mutual manipulation. He is haunted by his mother's execution and driven by a desire to outmaneuver his father, Auberon. Talan's intelligence, charm, and unpredictability make him both a formidable enemy and a potential ally, and his true motives remain shrouded in mystery.

Mordred Kingslayer

Mordred, son of Morgan, is the legendary traitor who once destroyed Camelot and was believed dead for centuries. In reality, he's been imprisoned on the lost island of Avalon, plotting revenge. He is Nia's father and the architect of many of the story's machinations. Mordred is ruthless, cunning, and driven by a centuries-old grudge against Merlin and the Pendragons. His relationship with Nia is fraught with manipulation and reluctant affection, as he seeks to use her to fulfill the prophecy of Avalon's destruction. Yet, glimpses of loneliness and paternal pride complicate his villainy.

King Auberon

Auberon is the Fey king who invaded France and now seeks to conquer England. He is a master of propaganda, blaming demi-Fey for his people's suffering and using them as scapegoats. Auberon's rule is marked by paranoia, brutality, and a relentless drive for power. His true parentage—being Merlin's son, not Mordred's—adds layers of deception and illegitimacy to his reign. Auberon is both a symbol of Fey supremacy and a tragic figure, trapped by his own lies and ambitions.

Tana

Tana is a demi-Fey with the gift of prophecy and augury, and one of Nia's closest friends at Avalon Tower. She provides guidance, warnings, and comic relief, often reading omens in tea leaves, cheese, or even goat entrails. Tana's visions are both a blessing and a curse, as she foresees doom but is powerless to prevent it. Her loyalty and insight are crucial to Nia's survival.

Serana

Serana is a demi-Fey knight, skilled in combat and fiercely protective of her friends. She is blunt, irreverent, and unafraid to challenge authority. Serana's humor and practicality ground the group, and her willingness to fight for her friends makes her indispensable. She is a survivor, shaped by prejudice and war, but never loses her edge.

Nivene

Nivene is the other Sentinel at Avalon Tower, a powerful agent with a no-nonsense attitude. She is instrumental in planning missions, challenging authority, and pushing Nia to embrace her powers. Nivene's pragmatism and willingness to consider mutiny make her both a mentor and a wildcard. Her own losses—especially the death of her sister Alix—fuel her determination.

Tarquin Pendragon

Tarquin Pendragon is a member of the Pendragon family, embodying the Tower's human supremacist faction. He is cruel, elitist, and delights in tormenting Nia and other demi-Fey. Tarquin's actions—bringing Nia's mother to Camelot, leading the Iron Legion—escalate tensions and violence within the Tower. He represents the dangers of bigotry and the fragility of alliances.

Ysolde

Ysolde is Raphael's long-lost sister, a demi-Fey who survived the purges and now cares for orphaned children in a secret Fey refuge. Her reunion with Raphael is a rare moment of hope and healing. [Y

Last updated: May 21, 2025