Lyla's life is planned. In a few months, she'll be leaving her stifling small village and the vicious rumors that have marked her as unsuitable to be anyone's wife, for the endless opportunities of the large port city of Balast. There she will finish her training as a magical healer, join an adventuring team, and see the world beyond the mountainous valleys of the High Passes that she's lived in her whole life.

Then a tragedy strikes.

Lyla doesn't know the secret that the soldier who saved her life is keeping from her. Worse yet, she doesn't know that he accidentally bound himself to her when he saved her life and that without her he will slowly lose his mind. What she does know is that her parents, the village elders, and even her best friend, are falling all over themselves to marry her off to this nearly perfect stranger with far too many muscles for her to take him seriously.

Can she escape this unexpected marriage that is messing up her plans for greatness? Will she even want to? Or will this be exactly the kind of adventure she was hoping for all along?





Do you love reading about the Mages of the Empire of Man?  Try my book "Lines of Inheritance" The first of a series about the conflict between the Empire of Man, The Matriarchy, And The Priestess Isles.

Or check out my web series "Inheritance" and read about the political intrigue within The Matriarchy and the uneasy truce they have with the Orc Horde.

Empire of Man - Book 1: The First Empress

Lan tensed in preparation for the fight. Killing Caleb would make things difficult for him…and complicate caring for Lyla…but it was doable. Living in the wild on the run. That was doable. 


Already his mind was flashing past the fight he anticipated in the next few minutes to what he would do after. How long could he hide the fact that he’d murdered a fellow soldier and a nobleman of The Empire before he was found out? How would he keep the village healer silent until Lyla was well enough to run? 


Would Lyla even be willing to run with him? Of course, it was a given that she would have to run. He couldn’t leave her here to the mercies of whatever was going on. She didn’t have to stay with him. He could…could…take her…somewhere she wanted to go… 


Just the briefest thought of being without Lyla had his breath coming in short fits as his chest tightened up. He could let her go. He could…? 


All he had to do was kill Caleb first and then… 


Chapter 17 - 17 – The Same Poison