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

The three men knelt and bowed their heads and thumped a fist over their hearts, perfectly still except for Ydar’s shivering wings and Yehan’s flicking tail. Yehan’s wing scales covered his hair, his clothing, and half of Ydar, and small flurries of scales scattered with every slight gust of wind. Tarquin thought they added a certain sparkle to the occasion.


Calder, as the magician who made fire, was the one to heat the iron to add the dragon of Kelor to the brands above the shields’ collarbones. He made sure the iron was red and glowing when he passed it to Ainya. She took it solemnly and pressed it to Ydar’s neck and only kept it there a moment, but Ydar screamed like a damned soul all the same. The other soldiers whooped and yelled their approval. The louder the cry when a shield was claimed, the better the soldier’s fortune.


Chapter 95