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

Then Five kicked hard at the wyvern’s side to swing himself away, and Ainya released the last arrow from her quiver as if they’d practiced it. The arrow went directly into the deep, jagged gash Five had made. Without the wyvern’s scales protecting it, the arrow pierced right through to the vulnerable flesh.


The wyvern’s head snapped back and a geyser of fire and boiling white blood burst from its mouth. It dropped like a stone, smashing through one of the gallery walks on the curtain wall. Finally it tumbled out into the bailey, dead.


“Five!” Tarquin lurched toward the dead wyvern. “Did you see him get away?” he demanded of Prea.


She shook her head. “I didn’t.” She glanced anxiously over her shoulder, then back at Tarquin, her face stricken. “I must attend to the wounded.”


Gather the collectors to ease the poor soldiers’ deaths, she meant. Tarquin nodded, still trying to see Five in the rubble. “Of course. I’ll come help once I’ve found him.”


Chapter 75