They're the best of friends or the worst of friends. Neither one is letting go.

The flame.

Here lies Louchana Valentine. She was a homeless, orphaned virgin.

I never cared what my gravestone would say until I landed in deep with a powerful gangster. Lucky for me, my best friend happens to be ruthless, too. I should feel guilty that he's forced to turn on the man who's been a father to him. Except I've always known that Wren's soul wasn't as black as he claimed.

He was good.
He was beautiful.
He was mine.
He just didn't know it yet.

And with Wren keeping me safe, I've got time left to rewrite the end of my story. But if he has his way, virgin is already carved in stone.

The moth.

I've never known anyone as alluring as Lou. Or as frustrating. Since the night she saved my life and stole my wallet for her troubles, I couldn't stay away.

She became my onus.
My light.
My...anyway.

With nowhere to run, I'm forced to trust someone I never expected. At least with Lou safe in Blackwood Keep - far away from me - I'll die with my conscience intact. Because she no longer looks at me with friendship in her eyes. Those iridescent blues shine with a different need entirely, and I've never been able to deny her.

This second installment in the When Rivals Play series is a continuation of the events that occurred in The Peer and the Puppet. Content suitable for ages 18 and up.