Ethereal (Illumine #3.5)

A novella inspired by the Illumine Series by bestselling author Alivia Anders, Ethereal will enchant readers with the dark, heart-breaking tale of Rinae.

Rinae Decante has always lived by two rules: run fast, and live reckless. Since the age of seven, she's been a victim of the foster-home system, lost and shuffled until ultimately forgotten under the sea of endless faces of children. When a horrifying event nearly costs another child their life by Rinae's hand, she's branded the devil's daughter, a freak that will never survive in society. Before she can be swept away by the state, Rinae gets lost in the streets, where she spends the next seven years fighting to keep her head above the water. And freaks were destined to be homeless, wandering the streets of New York City for nightclubs to escape the pressure of a broken life.

The past carefully tucked behind her, Rinae tries to put one foot in front of the other. But the past, always watching, refuses to let her go. When a club-goer bumps into her one night as she escapes the pressures of a broken life, she doesn't think much of it. Until he claims to know what she is, and how to control it. Against every instinct, Rinae takes a leap of faith, trusting Tegen, a boy she is uncontrollably drawn to without reason. Together, they collide headfirst into the hidden world of supernatural beings, tangling with enemies and discovering what binds both of them together, learning that some times, inviting the past into the present can save you.