Just one spell will change their fates…
Cordelia is a pawn of House Dorchada—a notorious noble family comprised of thieves, assassins and dark wizards. Desperate to avoid their poisonous politics, Cordelia plotted her escape for years, but her carefully laid plans are jeopardized when her father commands her to marry an aged lord of Frostever.
Just one spell will change their fates…
Cordelia is a pawn of House Dorchada—a notorious noble family comprised of thieves, assassins and dark wizards. Desperate to avoid their poisonous politics, Cordelia plotted her escape for years, but her carefully laid plans are jeopardized when her father commands her to marry an aged lord of Frostever.
With only a few short months left before her wedding, Cordelia’s salvation hinges on creating a Sephra’s Tear—a forbidden amulet that causes overwhelming lust in its victim. A black market buyer promises a life-changing amount of coin as payment for the Tear, but being caught creating it carries a death sentence.
Two wizards are needed to produce the passion to fuel the erotic spell, so Cordelia recruits the aid of peasant wizard Nathaniel Ravenwood. Nathaniel has long denied his desire for the beautiful Cordelia. As a noblewoman and a Dorchada she is as dangerous to Nathaniel as a viper, but the fortune she offers is a temptation he can't refuse.
Dealing in dark magic comes with a price, and Cordelia and Nathaniel risk losing their freedom—and their hearts. Their fates depend on the one spell that will free them, or destroy them.
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Excerpt
Nathaniel’s study was located in the lower levels of the stronghold, carved out of the stone the city was built upon, where the wizards of limited financial means lived and trained. The décor changed with each floor she descended, the layers of artistry and comfort stripped away until the walls and floor were bare gray stone. Like everything in White Harbor, the lines dividing the wealthy and the poor were clear. Cordelia enjoyed the tangible privileges of noble birth, but she knew she wouldn’t have them for much longer. She’d gladly give up silk and perfume for the freedom that wool and sweat would bring her.
When she arrived at Nathaniel’s door she paused and inhaled a deep breath. Cordelia had committed many small larcenies, and a Sephra’s Tear would be the boldest sin she had ever attempted. Cordelia’s hand trembled as she raised it, and she knocked and opened the door when she heard him bid her enter.
Seated at the aged desk dominating the room, Nathaniel glanced up from the book he had been reading. Surprise flickered across his face for a moment before he rose.
“Lady Dorchada. I won’t have your money until the first of next month.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Then to what do I owe this honor?” Though the question was phrased respectfully, his tone was suspicious. She couldn’t blame him—a Dorchada at one’s door was never a harbinger of good news.
Cordelia stepped into the tiny room and let the door shut behind her. He had a desk, a small alchemy table and a stove for heat. There was one other chair, but it was occupied by a tall stack of books. She glanced at it and gave Nathaniel a pointed look. Rounding his desk, he cleared the books away and waved his guest to take a seat.
“Thank you.” The stiff chair was uncomfortable, but Cordelia sat in it primly. “I apologize for the interruption. I will try not to keep you long. I have a new business proposition.”
“You have my attention.” Nathaniel returned to his seat and watched her with a neutral expression. She hesitated as the well-rehearsed speech vanished from her thoughts. Cordelia cleared her throat and tried to phrase her request as politely as possible.
“I need assistance with casting a somewhat difficult spell, and I hope that you may be able to aid me.”
“What sort of spell?” Nathaniel tended to be brusque, and his straightforwardness added to the anxiety tying her stomach into knots.
“One that would require discretion, should you choose to be involved.”
Nathaniel sat back and folded his hands in his lap. “All of our dealings require discretion, my lady. Thus far I’ve been impressed by your caution.”
Cordelia nodded. “Thank you. It is a Sephra’s Tear. A potent Tear.”
The wizard’s dark eyebrows rose to nearly his hairline. He raised his folded hands, covering his mouth to hide his expression. She admired his composure in response to such an unusual request—he probably didn’t often have women arriving unannounced at his door to ask that he make love to them until they both collapsed. Then again, he just might, considering how attractive he was. Nathaniel was older than Cordelia, but not by much. Unbound, his long black hair fell past his shoulders. As with most wizards Nathaniel’s hands were slender, hinting at dexterity instead of strength, and he had high, sharp cheekbones that most of the noble ladies in White Harbor would kill to be graced with. His plain, charcoal robes were well made, but were durable instead of fashionable. Cordelia found his eyes to be his most interesting feature; pale, crystalline blue, Nathaniel’s eyes were mesmerizing, though they were usually filled with suspicion when looking at her.
Meet the Author
Robyn Bachar enjoys writing stories with soul mates, swords, spaceships, vampires and gratuitous violence against the kitchen sink. Her books have finaled twice in the PRISM Contest for Published Authors, twice in the Passionate Plume Contest, and twice in the EPIC eBook Awards. As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs.
You can find Robyn online at www.robynbachar.com and on Twitter at @RobynBachar.
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