Chronically tired. Magically required. Definitely not falling for the fire chief…

Cecelia “Cece” Davenport can stitch the Veil—the invisible seam that keeps Hollow Veil safe—back into place with gold-thread magic and stubborn care. The problem is, every repair costs her breath, strength, and a little more of the privacy she’s fought to keep.

Benjir Faques knows fire. As the town’s one-armed Fire Chief, he’s built his life around control: steady heat, clean choices, and never letting the Veil take more than it’s owed. But when the Veil starts tearing faster than the Council’s approved “solutions” can hold, Benjir is the only one who can give Cece the precise warmth her magic needs.

Working together should be simple: mend the seam, keep the town alive. But the Council is watching. The town is whispering. And every time Cece’s thread meets Benjir’s fire, the Veil itself hums like it recognizes them. Like it wants them…braided. Intricately woven. Not a repair, or a seam… but a tapestry.

To save Hollow Veil, they’ll have to break rules, outlast politics, and decide whether what’s growing between them is just the work… or the reason the Veil finally holds.