Derek Paul

Asher Auden is a biology prodigy who has made his rural hometown a prosperous place, but at the cost of his isolation and loneliness. Callendra Saint is an introvert and the town's most prolific animal trapper. They both have the opportunity of a lifetime when they are accepted to a prestigious university in the capital city. Callie embraces her independence in the new surroundings, while Asher's gifts finally grant him the social acceptance he has longed for. However, they are not the only new arrivals. A gas-masked terrorist has begun to terrorize the city, poisoning its leaders and sowing political discord. Asher, who has the skills to develop an antidote, sets out to protect his new friends with Callie's help, the only person he can trust. They unknowingly become entangled in a covert investigation, an ancient society's conspiracies, and the ambitions of a deadly menace.