A Blackened Mirror — Jo Graham

1489—When Giulia Farnese came to Rome to make an arranged marriage with a young man of a noble family, she dreamed of learning, art, politics and power in the glittering city of the Renaissance popes. However, the grand house is full of secrets, her mother-in-law seems frightened, and her husband refuses to consummate the marriage at the direction of the head of his family, Lord Bracciano. But Giulia herself has a secret: she sees visions in mirrors and hears the whispers of spirits, the gifts of an ancient sibyl in an age when magic is heresy punishable by death. Is her ability to speak with unseen spirits the reason Bracciano has trapped her in this sham of a marriage?As she struggles to find answers, Giulia finds herself oddly drawn to her mother-in-law's cousin, Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia. Ruthless, sophisticated, and old enough to be Giulia's father, Rodrigo is a priest and a humanist, a collector of pagan art and heretical writings, and a loving father to his illegitimate children despite his supposed celibacy. He is a bright spot in Giulia's chilly life—but to Bracciano, he's a political rival to be removed. Bracciano's dark rites to summon demons may make Giulia the instrument of Rodrigo's destruction.Dealing with demons is a mortal sin. Refusing Bracciano would be a fatal mistake. And allowing herself to indulge her growing attraction to Rodrigo might be the worst thing Giulia could do—or the key to her salvation. To defy the demon's power and seize control of her own life, Giulia will need to cross the line between innocence and heresy. And once she's descended into that underworld, there's no coming back unchanged.