Valentina, a young student of the scholarly art of Essence Weaving, wants to rescue her family from poverty – whatever the cost. But Bridgewater University is a dangerous place, where knowledge and power are for the few rich or unscrupulous enough to attain them. Between ruthless noble rivals, forbidden summonings and the dark promise of a pact with a demon, Valentina finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and temptation. As the academic competition becomes ever more cutthroat, she must decide whether she will pay the price of ambition – or whether that price is higher than she ever expected.