Embers of Analon by Paul Michael Winters

As the city burns, so does his heart…

Cas Nightbrook lives on a knife’s edge, surviving by precision, cunning, and grit. A thief in the brutal city of Analon, his only goals are protecting his younger sister and avenging his parents’ murder at the hands of the crown.
So when Cas is invited to The Emberlight Trials—a deadly initiation run by a rebel order with links to a forbidden and hunted magical race—he jumps at the chance to get justice.
What he doesn’t anticipate is Darion Thorne.
Charming, infuriating, and always one step ahead, Darion keeps showing up in places Cas doesn’t expect. He sees through Cas’s defenses and tempts him to want something more than just survival.

But Darion’s secrets run deep. As the rebellion breaks into the streets and the city burns, Cas must choose between vengeance, his sister’s life, and a man whose hidden past could destroy everything he’s fought to protect.