Elise Nicholson isn't your ordinary witch. For one thing, she can light candles with a look, and plays a mean guitar. Unfortunately, being able to call fire out of the air isn't the most useful skill around. To top it off, she's a Guardian of the City, and the other Guardians-her two best friends-have no time for her. They're too busy with their Watchers, the grim black-coated warriors sworn to protect Elise and her friends from the Dark.

Lonely and terrified because she isn't certain she can control her intensified "gifts," Elise is fast running out of options and patience. Then the Trifero lands in her lap, and everything just gets worse.

Remy is known as the Hunter, snatching Talismans away from the Dark and struggling with the constant agony of being a Watcher. Then he get assigned to stand guard over a smart mouth fire witch who not only hates Watchers but has just found the Trifero, a Talisman capable of blowing the city sky-high.

If the Dark catch Elise, she'll be broken, turned into a magickal weapon, and sold to the highest bidder. Not only does Remy have to get to her first and keep the Dark away from her, but he also must convince Elise that he means her no harm — and that's the easy part of the job. If he pulls this one off, he just might redeem himself the way every Watcher aches to do. But if he fails, both he and Elise might be better off dead.