Twenty-year-old Tarquin is smart, tactless, and braver than he knows. He's also been Mage of the Realm of Kelor for two years, taking the title from his mother after she died protecting Kelor from a terrible threat. Mages, unlike all other magicians, give their blood in exchange for far more powerful magic. Unfortunately for the Mage of the Realm, there's always the chance one day Kelor will need magic of such potency that a mage will have to give not just their blood, but their life. Tarquin's mother already made this sacrifice, and Tarquin knows it's likely also his fate. While on a quest to heal his brother, who is dying because of Tarquin's reckless mistake, Tarquin is attacked by a horrific, flesh-eating monster. He's saved by an enigmatic and mute young soldier, called "Five", who is cursed with a terrifying appearance that conceals the heart of a knight. There's an almost instant attraction between the two men, but no time to explore it. The monster's attack is the harbinger of a new invasion. With Kelor helpless, the realm's only hope lies with Tarquin. Just as he feared, his sole choice is to sacrifice himself the way his mother did, in exchange for magic strong enough to destroy the coming evil. He's prepared to give up his life to save the realm, but before the battle is over, he'll be faced not just with his own death, but the death of everyone he cares about. Including the cursed soldier he's come to love.

Blood for Magic

Tarquin glanced at the corner again. The collector was still there, still waiting, but not for Five, now. Not anymore.


Ainya swore violently under her breath. “He needs something to stop the bleeding,” she ordered the watchman. “Here, help me,” she said to Five. “Don’t break his leg.”


Five nodded. He put his hands where Ainya’s had been on the linen, his expression apologetic. Then he leaned into it.


Tarquin screamed and slid away into nothing.  7: A Skein of Red Yarn


The world stopped making sense after that.


Tarquin was aware of very little beyond how much everything hurt, and of the cold like being buried in ice, or of heat that seared the flesh off his bones.


Chapter 51