The Twice-Wanted Witch: A Steamy Demons and Witches Fantasy

When secrets are what protect you, can the truth really set you free? It's been six months since McKenna Ellerbeck killed her second Archdemon, saved Arcadia Commons, and earned a spot on the Witches Council.

Things should be good, right? Instead she's overworked, underpaid, disrespected by her fellow Council members, all while fighting demons on a regular basis and suffering through having her mother as a roommate. At least she has her friends--minus Bastien, her ex who told her to get the hell out of his life months ago. When her friend Brooke is put on trial with the Council and may lose her magic, with Bastien reappearing to lead the charge, McKenna readily volunteers to represent Brooke. Then just when McKenna has hope there's more to Bastien's involvement and that they might reconcile, he goes missing, leaving a trail of clues and mystifying secrets: a strange new spell he's working on with an unknown partner, a secret demon research project, a ring filled with corrupted magic, and a literal demon hiding in his closet.

With an epidemic of demon-induced blunt honesty sweeping the town, hints of another Archdemon making plans to invade, her mom's mysterious and possibly criminal old flame showing up, time is running out for McKenna to find Bastien, figure out who's keeping which secrets, how dangerous they are, and decide whose side she's on: the powerless or the powerful.

Author: Katie Hallahan
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 01/20/2026
Pages: 508
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.13lbs
Size: 8.25h x 5.50w x 1.27d
ISBN13: 9780316580212
ISBN10: 031658021X
BISAC Categories:
- Fiction | Fantasy | Contemporary
- Fiction | Fantasy | Paranormal
- Fiction | Action & Adventure

About the Author
Katie Hallahan is a fantasy author who loves tabletop RPGs, vampire TV shows, corgis, dabbling in nail art, and pumpkin spice everything. She has designed award-winning narrative adventure games at Phoenix Online Studios, an indie game studio she co-founded. She lives with her husband and son in Boston, Massachusetts where, shockingly, she actually uses her blinker when making turns. Katie is on Instagram, Bluesky, and Twitter at @katiehal16, on her website at katiehal.com.