Thomas East was meant to be the youngest Arch-Mage in history, a magical genius and a solver of problems. But he hadn’t expected quite so many problems -- not to mention the endless meetings, bureaucracy, and political negotiations. So he’s currently hiding in a sleepy California seaside town, working in an ice cream parlor and avoiding everyone he’s let down ... until a firebird in need of rescue crashes into his shop.<br><br>Nicholas Incandesco has far too many problems. He’s a firebird, a shapeshifter, and a power source, and a lot of magicians could use someone with his gifts. He’s also technically a murder suspect with two magical bounty hunters on his trail. He just wants someplace safe to land, and the attractive witch behind the ice cream counter might offer a sweet refuge.<br><br>This encounter might be exactly what both Nicholas and Tom need to find themselves ... and rescue each other.

The Arch-Mage's Firebird

And therianthropes were valuable. Such glorious furnaces of magic. Innate wellsprings. And Colin had been…careless, reckless, if not outright self-destructive.


A good Arch-Mage would’ve cared. Would’ve taken care of every single one of his people. Would never have given up and collapsed under the expectations and the futility and the newfound decadence at fingertips. Would’ve never run from it all.


He breathed again, “I’ll try to find him. If he’s in trouble. I can do that.”


“Him.” Nicholas smiled, brief and wry. “I like that.”


“You think about us as people. Not legends to revere, not power sources you can use, just…” One fingertip traced a semicircle on the table, leaving invisible lines. “People.”


Chapter 6