Adeib Ali is a man with the personality of a thorn and the lower-body of a snake. As Head of the Botanical Magic Department, he’s busy. Too busy to be dealing with an amateur medicinal mage who doesn’t meet expectations. Or follow protocols. Or do literally anything by the book, and yet…

Iris Watson is sure of one thing and one thing only: she has no idea what she’s doing. After a chaotic and successful start to her career, she’s been assigned to complete a research project at Augury University—the same university where her sister works.

Although working at Augury was Iris’ worst nightmare, what really keeps her up at night is her new partner. Adeib might be a constrictor serpentine, but his words spit like venom, breaking down the pieces of Iris’ already fractured sense of self.

Can Iris find the beauty blooming beneath Adeib’s prickly exterior? Will Adeib be able to nurture the new growth Iris finds at Augury?

This sweet but spicy novella is great for fans of C.M. Nascosta, Clio Evans, and Kimberly Lemming.