Book excerpt: Book Two in the Our Lady of Joy series. Having successfully escaped the Lord High Commissioner’s control with her father and the Harvester’s Gang, Lira, Rease and Night attempt to settle into life at the Davies family estate, Eastlake. As Jonas begins to develop feelings for Dove and comes to terms with his past, Lira petitions the Council for autonomy to continue her romantic involvement with her Guardian as he rebuilds his life and reputation as Our Lady’s Wolf, setting in motion a series of events which she will come to deeply regret. Charmed by their youth and innocence and eager to preserve it, Hanna Davies becomes something of a protective older sister to Lira and Rease. But the serenity of her carefully ordered life is shattered by the arrival of Blake Weymine, who seems determined to win Our Lady of Joy for his own. Vowing to prevent such a tragedy, Hanna sets herself against Blake, inadvertently beginning a game in which victory proves more costly than either of them had anticipated. Still struggling with her role as Our Lady of Joy in this new world, Lira fights for her personal independence even as the prophesy begins to unfold around her.