Thorn Season by Kiera Azar

Here is a summary with spoilers for Thorn Season by Kiera Azar

Alissa Paine seems to have lived a pampered life as a noble in the Kingdom of Daradon. She is part of a Hunter family, those who go and search for Wielders. However, Alissa has a secret: she is a Wielder (specter thread or tendril) herself, and her father has been helping her cover it up for years. Now, she must do it all herself, as she has reached the age where she must be presented in the Rose Season, essentially a courting season. Alissa has her two best friends by her side during this time, Tari and Garrett, both of whom also know her secret of being a Wielder.

As she and her friends prepare for their first official event, Alissa realizes how difficult it will be to hide her magic. With each person she meets, friend or foe, she isn’t sure if her secret will stay safe for long. And the biggest threat is King Erik himself, who seems to have found an interest in Alissa, but he is also on the hunt for Wielders.

Things change drastically when Alissa is kidnapped by a group of Hunters. She is devastated that they have discovered her secret and hopes her father will be willing to pay the ransom. However, she quickly finds out that she was not taken by Hunters but by other Wielders. Among their top leaders is Keil. He tells her they are looking for the compass, which is in her family’s heirlooms, as it leads to other Wielders. They want to find it before the Hunters do, or they will be wiped out. Keil also tells Alissa to start questioning her father, especially concerning her mother’s death. Keil heals Alissa and then sends her on her way. When she gets home, she confronts her father and learns that he did kill her mother, but claims he did it to protect her.

Alissa distances herself from her father and continues to attend court at Daradon. One evening she is introduced to the Ambassador from Ansora who is there to build relations: it’s Keil. The two pretend not to know each other, but later meet in secret. Keil is searching for the compass, but also for his sister. When Alissa returns, Garrett is furious about the development and tells her she should go back into hiding with her father.

Alissa decides she will seduce Erik to gain access to the compass. She finds it easier than she expected, as the king is bold with her. This gives her opportunities to sneak into other royal suites, such as Princess Carmen’s. It turns out Keil has the same idea, sparking a rivalry-friendship between them.

One evening, Alissa returns to her room to find her father waiting for her. Though she is still hurt by his confession about her mother, she is glad to see him. He tells her she had two mothers: the one who birthed her and the one who took her in as her own, including in name. She forgives him, and he returns home. Alissa then prepares for the next ball.

During the ball, her goal is to continue seducing the king, to try to save the Wielders, and to find the compass. She does a beautiful job of catching his eye, even though Keil also competes for her attention. Though she feels an attraction to Keil, she does not want to ruin her plan with Erik.

After some magical days, devastation strikes: Alissa’s father is found dead. She returns home and finds the Hunters he worked with have already moved in, and she feels they are disrespecting him. She stands up for herself, putting a target on her back.

Back at the castle, she puts her grief aside and continues to search for the compass. One night she is attacked, and she kills her assailant. She does not feel guilty about the death, but she realizes she is forever changed by killing someone. Determined more than ever, she continues her search. She runs into Keil, who offers his condolences. Alissa rejects his sympathy and argues with him. As she leaves, he notices her bruises from the attack and demands to know who hurt her. She tells him it does not matter, because there is nothing he can do.

Alissa feels increasingly alone, now fighting with Garrett and Keil. On the bright side, she has managed to get King Erik begging for her attention. He even offers her a ring and an engagement (despite another contestant, Perla, being furious). He tells her they would rule as equals and hunt Wielders together. She agrees, and rumors begin to spread. Tari hears of the plan and warns her not to continue with the engagement, saying it will only lead to torture and pain, especially once she has Erik’s children, as one of them will likely turn out to be a Wielder.

Despite the warning, Alissa continues with her plan. Erik tests her by ordering executions of Wielders. She urges him to banish them instead of killing them, and he decides to show limited mercy in that regard. Later that night, Keil visits her, and the two share a kiss.

Soon after, Erik discovers that Alissa is a Wielder and imprisons her. She refuses to eat, as everything he gives her is laced with a magical suppressant. Erik visits her repeatedly, trying to goad information out of her, including whether Keil touched her, since Keil has now disappeared. After almost two weeks, Perla visits her in prison and helps her escape. Perla gives her a way to safety, but she must reach the ship by midnight. Alissa decides she has time to finish what she started. She goes to steal the compass and runs into Erik on the way out. After a brief fight, she stabs him and flees.

Alissa hides on a ship under a different name, hoping the compass will lead her to Keil and that Keil will come for her.

In an epilogue, Margo (apologies, audiobook spelling) is in prison when she hears the king return.