Reforging

In a world where membership in one of the four magic guilds guarantees respect and wealth, it is strange that Lucinda Guillierre is terrified of being exposed as a witch. The Fire Warlock finds her attitude puzzling, but does not give her his full attention until a long-buried secret comes to light.She has good reasons to be afraid.As war looms and dangerous romance beckons, who will have the best chance to kill her? Her enemies, her friends, or Lucinda herself?

The warlock never promised Lucinda a happily ever after, but she is still dismayed by how quickly reality intruded on her fairy tale. Her honeymoon is disturbed by assassination attempts and lightning strikes, and her return home brings her no peace of mind. When she discovers a magical conspiracy, Lucinda's faith is shaken in everything she trusts, and she vows to expose the Fire Warlock's most shameful secret and see that justice is served. As the hot summer draws towards a violent end, Lucinda teeters between terror and rage. She would be less angry about risking her life if she didn't suspect that her husband-her hero!-may intend to step aside and let her die.

How is the king like a blacksmith? He has a hammer as well as a sword. Duncan Archer has heard that riddle many times, but he doesn't know what it means. No one does, not even the members of the Royal Guild of Swordsmiths. It isn't Duncan's business anyway. Good sense tells him to stick to beating iron into shape for the residents of his backwater town, and not worry about the king and his nobles pounding Frankland into the ground. But good sense never stopped Duncan from poking his nose into everyone else's business. If it had, he might not be a fugitive, the subject of the biggest manhunt in the country's history. With a charge of murder hanging over his head like a sword, understanding that riddle becomes much more urgent...

Thunder rolls in a continuous barrage, echoing off mountain walls. Lightning blazes across the sky, one jagged flash after another. The bolts that hit their targets leave charred bodies in their wake. The attacks that miss turn spruce and fir into torches, spreading fire until the entire mountain is in flames. Struggling wizards stand out as black silhouettes against the reds and oranges of the forest fire and the white of the deep snow. In the valley, villagers cower under beds or huddle in cellars. The bravest peek out through gaps in closed shutters and pray for the Fire Warlock to come and save them. Their prayers go unanswered. There is no Fire Warlock.

Irene van Gelder's drudge job is killing her, but how can she earn a living as an air witch when her own guild calls her a fraud? The Fire Warlock doesn't ask for her credentials, but with tensions rising between the Fire and Air Guilds, proving her value to him is not a safe move. With the White Duchess and her son intent on revenge, what defences can a failure as an air witch muster? All she has is words. Will that be enough to save herself, and Frankland?