Markle Vanrick is cursed by the gods. Nothing in his life has ever worked out. So, when he works up the courage to leave home with only his lute, it’s only natural his money is stolen and he’s stuck without a way to get to his cousin’s farm.<br><br>Enter Frye Indori, a mischievous man who lives life to the fullest -- only because he’s a few steps away from being caught and killed. Blessed with magic from the goddess Magana, Frye fled his hometown to escape the clutches of the corrupt priestess performing evils in the goddess’s name. When he runs into helpless Markle, he feels obligated to show Markle there is some good in the world.<br><br>Like it or not, Markle gets caught up in Frye’s game of fox and hare. When the priestess finally catches them, Markle may have a few surprises of his own.

Music and Magic

He didn’t turn around. “No, I don’t.”


“You used your magic to summon me, that night in the woods. And the night at the inn when we kissed. And I don’t doubt you used that same magic to bend this Waylin to your whims.”


All the air left Markle’s lungs, as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. He spun, and said breathlessly, “How dare you?”


“You said so yourself. He had no interest in you, but then you played him a specialsong. And suddenly, his personality completely changed. People don’t do that unless magic is involved.”


Markle took a step back. “That’s not true.”


“Then you said that one day, he returned to normal. Why else would that happen?”


“He…he was just using me. He had his fun and broke it off.”


“No. You had your fun, then let him go back to the way he was. Maybe you realized, even on a subconscious level, that he wasn’t really yours. Maybe you finally saw that no spell can change a person’s heart.”


Chapter 28