How could Corbin possibly do what he was supposed to do? After his mother died, Maxim Moritz Grobian took him, penniless orphan that he was, under his wing and taught him the magic that was both their heritage. Corbin owed Max everything and now Max had given him a mission. Corbin was to bring Max's estranged daughter to New York. Lorelei was the only one, Max insisted, who could use the Heartstone, a crystal of phenomenal power, to keep mages safe from Inquisitors who hunted them and allow mages to finally take their rightful place in the world. A worthy goal, thought Corbin initially, but once he actually met Lorelei, all he really wanted to do was to run for the hills. Both afraid of hurting her and endangering himself, he needed to stay away from her, not befriend her to do Max's bidding. Besides, his instructions were more than to just befriend her. He was supposed to make her fall in love with him.