By the Orchid and the Owl

Books

On the island of Eshol, a ruling council gifts magic to all its citizens - whether they want it or not. Eighteen-year-old Rayna Drey should be excited for her Branding, when the island's Good Council will infuse her blood with one of five sanctioned the ability to wield elements, summon objects, shift forms, talk to wildlife, or manipulate minds. The Good Council is good. The Branding doesn't hurt. And the institution she must attend afterward, to learn how to control her new gift, is only a little dangerous. Or, at least, that's what Rayna has always heard. As soon as she arrives at the Esholian Institute, however, a peer-pressured dare makes her explode with a power as deadly as it is forbidden. Worse yet, the only one who can teach her how to hide it from the Good Council is Coen Steeler, a much-too-handsome fifth-year who can manipulate minds as easily as he breathes. He alone understands Rayna's forbidden power...because he has the same one. With their secret in each other's hands, Rayna soon ...