An angel sworn to destroy the darkness. A demon born to consume the light. A bond neither of them can break. Snow Matthews has spent her life fighting the monsters that lurk beyond the veil. As Heaven's chosen weapon, she was created to cleanse the world of demons-and to keep her heart sealed against all temptation. But when the Ashen Gate awakens, threatening to devour everything she's sworn to protect, Snow must confront an impossible choice. Jack Waters is a creature of shadows, marked by ancient sins he can never outrun. Cold. Cunning. Unforgivable. Yet when fate binds him to Snow in a ritual neither fully understands, he becomes her only ally-and her greatest threat. As the darkness spreads, their uneasy truce deepens into something neither of them expected: a dangerous desire that could shatter the realms or save them both. But their bond comes with a cost-and some hungers can never be silenced. In a world where love is forbidden and trust is a risk, Snow and Jack must decide: Will they stand together against the coming darkness...or let it consume them both? Touched by Shadows is the first book in the Veiled Realms Trilogy, a dark fantasy romance of enemies to lovers, forbidden magic, and the courage to embrace what makes us whole.