In a manor by the sea, one sister is still cursed. Despite dreams of adventure far beyond the Salann shores, eighteen-year-old Verity Thaumas has remained at her family's estate, Highmoor, with her older sister Camille, while the rest of their family has scattered across Arcannia. When Verity receives word that the Duchess of Bloem - wife of a celebrated botanist - is interested in having Verity paint a portrait of her son, Alexander, Verity jumps at the chance, but Camille won't allow it. Forced to reveal the secret she's kept for years, Camille tells Verity the truth one day: haunted by tragic childhood events, Verity is still seeing ghosts, she just doesn't know it. Stunned, Verity flees Highmoor that night and - with nowhere else to turn - makes her way to Bloem. At first, she is captivated by the lush, verdant landscape and is quickly drawn to the charming, witty, impossibly handsome Alexander Laurent. To her surprise, a romance...blossoms. But it's not long before Verity is plagued with nightmares, and the darker side of Bloem begins to show through its sickly-sweet facade...A modern masterpiece about doomed love, menacing ambition, and the ghosts that haunt us forever. -- Provided by publisher.