Defensive Magic
HIATUS: End of Book 1 - Author’s Note & Book 2 Updates

Hello, hello.

After 100k+ words of magic, monsters, and emotional meltdowns, Defensive Magic is going on a short hiatus.

Why? Because it’s time to sharpen the blade.

The core story isn’t changing—Zeph is still an emotionally stunted, reluctant werewolf, Aries is still a too-annoying, too-sincere prince, and yes, they’re still falling in love at a gothic university full of magical disasters. But the world around them is getting an upgrade: new names, new maps, cleaner prose, tighter pacing, and stronger emotional payoff. Think: same heart, (much) more polish.

While I revise, I’ll also be laying the groundwork for Book 2 - The Brightest Grave, so when Defensive Magic returns, it’ll be with a clearer path forward—for Zeph, Aries, and all the chaos to come. In the meantime, here’s a taste of what’s to come:

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

They’re not supposed to fall for each other. One of them is cursed to kill the other.

Zephyr Ashbourne has always feared what lives beneath his skin. With a prophecy threatening Aries’s life and the wolf stirring closer to the surface, Zeph is running out of ways to pretend he isn’t dangerous.

But desire doesn’t care about curses. And love doesn’t wait until it’s safe.

When an unexpected visitor from Aries’s royal past throws their relationship into question—and Ianthe, Zeph’s immortal ex, returns with blood on her mind—the fragile peace they’ve built begins to unravel. The god Zeph made a deal with is growing restless. His magic is changing. And the past he tried to outrun may hold the key to saving the boy he loves—or destroying him.

As winter deepens and enemies draw near, Zeph must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to protect Aries—and what kind of monster he’s willing to become.

The Brightest Grave is a gothic romantic fantasy about devotion, inheritance, and the dangerous magic of wanting something anyway. New updates coming Autumn 2025.

Thank you for all your reads, your kindness, and your feral commentary. You’ve kept this story breathing, and I promise it’s not done yet.

✨ Stay cursed,

Mad-Sibyl