A Forgery of Roses

Myra paints portraits, and what she paints changes the bodies of the people in them. Powerful people would kidnap or blackmail her to control that gift, so she hides it. The secret protects her younger sister, who depends on her now that their parents are dead.

On a freezing night, the governor's wife learns what Myra can do. She makes a demand: paint a special portrait that will bring her dead son back to life, or she will expose Myra. Myra has no real choice and goes to the family's famous stone mansion.

Inside, it soon becomes clear that the boy's death was no accident. Someone is stalking the halls, and this person is disturbingly fixated on portrait magic. Myra wants to finish the painting and leave as fast as she can. To do that, she asks the governor's older son for help, knowing that the killer could make her the next victim if her secret comes out.

This is a gothic fantasy that mixes a murder mystery with romance. The magic is tied to art, and the mood is dark and atmospheric, set largely inside one threatening house. The tension builds from the ticking pressure of the unfinished portrait and the unknown killer nearby.