Oblivion

This is the sequel to Caught in the Devil's Hand, but may be read as a standalone story. Mai is one of thirteen house heads in the empress's court, the first black-haired court to rule after three centuries under the oppression of blond rulers. Though respected by her female peers, men say she is cold enough to cause frostbite at the height of summer. Mai cannot deny her distaste for the opposite sex, but neither can she deny the reaction she has every time a certain army officer crosses her path. Rosuke lived through three hundred years of blond rule because of a curse. His skill as a soldier earns him a place in the empress's army as her lieutenant general, but despite his immense popularity with both men and women, his attention is fixed upon the one woman in the court who wants nothing to do with him. This exotic world is brimming with magic and rife with danger. Experience the heights of passion and follow those who dare to enter a place of nightmares - a twisted plane known only as Oblivion.