She was sent to protect her. No one warned her how hard it would be to keep her distance.
"Bold, imaginative, and deeply engaging... a refreshing and creative read." - Amazon reviewer
Carrie Abbey escaped a violent, magic-torn world only to find her purpose waiting in a Miami high school.
Autumn Alexander is quiet, guarded, and used to being the target of other people's problems, especially her own family. She doesn't know she is the earthly incarnation of a Balanced One, a powerful spiritual being tied to forces far older than she understands.
Carrie knows enough to stay close.
At first, it feels simple. Her instincts sharpen. Her focus tightens. Protecting Autumn becomes second nature.
Then it starts to change.
The bond between them grows stronger than it should be, blurring the line between duty and something far more personal. The closer Carrie stays, the harder it becomes to pull back.
Autumn's strange episodes are becoming harder to ignore. Trances, flashes of impossible power, and dreams she cannot explain point to something buried beneath the life her family tried to keep ordinary.
And they are not alone.
An unseen stalker is watching. A relentless enemy refuses to stay down. At school, pressure builds from every side, while family secrets pull Autumn deeper into a legacy of gods, monsters, and ancient bloodlines.
Carrie was trained to protect.
She was not trained for what being near Autumn would do to her.
Unvarnished is a character-driven urban fantasy about duty, restraint, hidden power, and the quiet ways connection can shift even the strongest resolve.