In a world not unlike ours, Muses and their Guardians have walked alongside humankind since the beginning of time. From birth Muses assume they are just like everyone else. Not until their twenty-fifth birthdays do they discover their talents have a special purpose, and that Guardians, with their superhuman abilities, will help them in that purpose whether they want that help or not. Shelby has worked hard to make a life for herself. Her parents died when she was young, and her husband left her with two kids. When her ex-husband comes back to town, he has more to say than just ?I?m sorry?: he's a Guardian, and his new assignment is her. She is a Muse now, one coming into her own no matter how hard she fights it, and trouble stalks her wherever she goes. Her ex-husband can't keep up and, with their history, she doesn't want him to. To complicate matters, there's another Guardian around when she needs help, and they are falling for each other. He has a dark past that's trying to reclaim him, and Shelby is in the way. But she has to accept her Museness and figure out fast what being a Muse really means if she is to keep herself and her children alive.