Tarnished

When Wimleigh Kingdom’s heir hires solitary city guard Ailith MacCree to sneak out an undisclosed “something” from beneath the eye of the power-hungry king, Ailith needs the money more than she needs to ask questions.

She soon discovers her mistake when the “something” reveals itself as the king’s youngest daughter, Caitriona, who is wracked with magic beyond her control and is slowly succumbing to a monstrous curse. Ailith cannot afford to leave this job, but neither can she turn away from Caitriona’s desperate need for help as the king would have both their heads if he knew his daughter possessed long-outlawed magic.

Together, they travel across the continent in search of answers, encountering creatures that thrive off blood and bone, and people who are happy to betray them, but they also gain help from unexpected places. All the while, Ailith and Caitriona slowly shrug off their preconceived notions of each other’s social statuses, realizing they have more in common than either previously assumed.

As both of their lives are threatened, and the possibility neither may make it to their end goal seems more likely, they realize they’ve developed feelings for each other that go beyond a hired guard protecting their charge.

If Ailith means to save herself and Caitriona, Ailith must do all she can to reach the powerful magic-maker who can stop the curse before Caitriona loses control and succumbs to a kingdom-killing transformation.