Briony is the 24-year-old Princess of Evermore and a skilled mind magician. Following the defeat of her country by the Bomardi forces, she is captured and sent to be auctioned as a magical heartspring. Despite her royal upbringing and physical vulnerability, she holds a deep loyalty to her friends and uses her intelligence to survive captivity in Hearst Hall. She suppresses her own desires to protect her people and continually looks for ways to resist the Bomardi occupation.

Toven is the powerful heir to his father's position in the Bomardi line of succession. With striking silver-blonde hair and gray-blue eyes, he possesses rare proficiency in both heart and mind magic. He purchases Briony at the auction, taking her to live at Hearst Hall. He maintains a public allegiance to Bomardi supremacy while privately treating Briony with care, creating a confusing dynamic between them.

Veronika Mallow is the ruthless leader of Bomard who seized power and initiated the war against Evermore. She relies on anti-intellectual rhetoric, claiming that mind magic is inherently deceptive while championing heart magic. She claims to draw immense power and longevity from a bond with the last dragon. She actively seeks to eradicate the Rosewood bloodline to solidify her control over the continent.

Serena is Toven's mother and a dignitary's daughter from a nation across the sea. She possesses powerful mind magic and works as a seer, experiencing prophetic dreams. She must constantly alter her own memories to hide her true thoughts from Mallow's invasive mind-reading. She acts as a protective maternal figure in Hearst Hall, offering Briony shelter and guidance.

Orion is Toven's father and one of the wealthiest individuals in Bomard. He is an exceptionally powerful heart magician capable of casting lethal spells on multiple targets simultaneously. Despite his vast resources and abilities, he chooses to remain ninth in the line of succession. He operates mysteriously, appearing during critical moments to protect his family while maintaining his public standing.

Rory is Briony's twin brother and the prophesied Heir Twice Over of Evermore. He serves as the primary source of hope for the Eversun forces during the war against Bomard. He relies heavily on Briony to artificially boost his magical abilities during their education, prioritizing his role as the future king over her academic success.

Cordelia is Briony's best friend and an Eversun magic user. She is captured alongside Briony during the fall of Claremore Castle and taken to the Trow Estate dungeons. She provides emotional grounding for Briony during their captivity before they are separated at the heartspring auction.

Larissa is a Bomardi student and the daughter of Hap Gains. Despite her Bomardi heritage, she finds herself locked in the dungeon with the Eversun women before the auction. She harbors deep jealousy toward Briony regarding Toven, as she struggles to meet her father's expectations of securing a powerful marriage.

Reighven is a Bomardi soldier who develops a predatory obsession with Briony. He haunts her nightmares and actively participates in her capture and processing in the dungeon. He bids aggressively on Briony during the heartspring auction and continually seeks opportunities to abuse his power over the Eversun prisoners.

Hap Gains is a Bomardi official who helps coordinate the capture and appraisal of Eversun women. He oversees the medical examinations and forcefully prepares the captives for the heartspring auction. He treats the prisoners entirely as commodities, prioritizing their monetary value.

Finn is Toven's best friend and a fellow Bomardi magic user. His mother, Ember, was an Eversun who was labeled a traitor. He acts as an ally to Toven, helping him manage the dangerous political climate of Bomard and assisting in the management of the enslaved Eversuns.

Canning is a Bomardi noble who hosts the captive Eversun women in his estate's dungeon. He develops a specialized elixir designed to forcefully elicit Sacral Magic from his heartsprings. He frequently antagonizes Toven and Briony at social gatherings, using his status to humiliate them.

Didion is an Eversun student and soldier who shared a brief, lackluster romance with Briony. He fights in the war against Bomard and is captured and placed in the heartspring auction. He promises to rescue Briony but is ultimately sold to a Bomardi buyer.

Liam is a Bomardi student and the son of Caspar Quill. He embraces the violent, supremacist ideology of Mallow's regime. He purchases Katrina at the auction with his father and frequently participates in the degradation of Eversun women at Biltmore Palace.

Cohle is a high-ranking Bomardi official, sitting second in line for the Seat. He is a brutal enslaver who violently abuses his heartsprings. He participates in medical inspections of the Eversun women and poses a severe threat to any who defy Mallow's orders.

Phoebe is Briony's cousin and a member of the Rosewood line. She is captured and forced to endure medical procedures in the Trow Estate dungeon. She draws a map of the dungeon in the dust to help the others plan an escape before being auctioned to Aron Carvin.

Katrina is an Eversun student who previously lived in Bomard for fifteen years. She provides Briony with crucial information about the Bomardi practice of boosting and the history of the magical civil war. She is captured and eventually sold to Liam and Caspar Quill.

Jacquel is the former King of Evermore and the father of Briony and Rory. He firmly believed in the Rosewood bloodline's right to rule. He pressured Briony into artificially boosting Rory's magical performance, prioritizing the male line of succession over his daughter's individual potential.

General Meers is the head of the Evermore army. He trains Rory in heart magic, allowing him to practice on animals. He advocates for aggressive military tactics against the Bomardi forces and leads the Eversun troops during the fall of the nation.

Sammy is the son of General Meers and an Eversun soldier. He brings a lighthearted energy to state functions during his school years. After being captured by the Bomardi, he becomes the first prisoner auctioned but later successfully escapes his enslaver.

Finola is Briony's cousin and a highly competent fighter in the Eversun army. Unlike Briony, she avoids the pressure of political marriage due to her combat skills. She operates independently after the fall of Evermore, actively fighting against the Bomardi occupation.

The Dragon is an ancient magical creature believed to be bonded to Veronika Mallow. It screeches during the eclipse that marks the fall of Evermore. It acts as a massive symbol of Bomardi supremacy, though the true nature of its allegiance and magic remains a subject of speculation.

Vesper is a large gray fox and Toven's magical familiar. He displays intense jealousy toward Briony, viewing her as a rival for providing Toven with magical power. He acts on his protective instincts but fully obeys Toven's commands.

Jellica is an Eversun woman enslaved by Canning Trow. She is forced to consume an elixir that creates an artificial state of lust, allowing Canning to exploit her for Sacral Magic during his magical duels at Biltmore Palace.

Caspar Quill is a Bomardi official and Liam's father. He is responsible for creating the magical, elixir-based tattoos used to brand the enslaved Eversun heartsprings. He takes pride in his magical creations and openly brags about them to foreign ministers.

Ilana is an enslaved Eversun woman forced to act as the hostess for the degrading parties at Biltmore Palace. She previously belonged to a family that organized against Mallow before being given to the Barlows. She discreetly passes messages and offers small gestures of solidarity to Briony.