Word Count: 73600
Summary: The king is dead. Hail to the queen. Born with weak magic, Zhenya, the heir apparent to the throne of Askary, is faced with a choice when her father the king dies unexpectedly: Rule the land alone and rely upon the mercy of others to protect it, or give her hand in marriage to someone who will bring true power back into the bloodline. Before she can make her decision, Zhenya narrowly survives an ambush – but quickly finds herself in a new predicament. Keryth has spent years fighting her way up the ranks of the royal guard. Now, she serves close to the queen, but her ambitions reach higher – guard captain, or even the future queen’s personal entourage. When the king dies, she sees an opportunity, but before she has a chance to impress her new queen, she has to make a rash decision to save both their lives. Stranded on a remote island, surrounded by a strange fog that won’t let them leave, Zhenya and Keryth are forced into an unlikely alliance to survive. In such close proximity, it doesn’t take long for the lines between royalty and commoner to blur, and feelings blossom that neither woman is sure they can afford. The fragile peace on the island is shattered when they make a harrowing discovery – their misfortune was not an accident. Now in a race against time, they both need to find their strength and unravel the mystery of the island to return home, or risk losing everything – and each other.
Word Count: 78800
Summary: Their marriage was a simple bargain. Love was not supposed to complicate things. When her reputation-obsessed family issues her an ultimatum – get married or be disinherited – Saria seizes upon what seems like a most convenient solution. She strikes a deal with a stranger – marriage and a child in exchange for freedom and security. That her bride is a sorcerer from the mysterious city of Neeth is not a problem. Or so Saria thinks. Taleysin doesn’t expect much from her second marriage. A child and heir to carry on her sworn duty to the city of Neeth, and more importantly, a wife who won’t ask too many questions. The deal with Saria seems to be everything she wants – and nothing more. She will have her heir, and Neeth will remain safe for another generation. But soon enough, their resolve over their practical decision begins to crumble. While Saria grows ever more curious about Neeth’s magical secrets, Taleysin finds herself falling for a woman who was supposed to be nothing more than a means to an end. When a mysterious assailant begins to hunt down sorcerers, Saria and Taleysin must find a way to work through this shift in their relationship – to save both their marriage and the city.
