Servant of Earth (The Shards of Magic) (Paperback)

Ash is a gentle earth mage who only wants to farm his remote island and be left alone. He’s spent his life hiding his magic from the powerful, magic-hoarding Great Houses—and hiding his soft heart from the world. But when a terrifying magical plague sweeps the continent, he can’t stand by idly. He travels to the capital to offer his help as a healer, only to be captured and put under the command of the notorious Blood Hound, Commander Rhys. Commander Rhys is the last scion of a Great House, and he’ll do anything to save his people. He’s been ordered to execute any unauthorized mages, but the gentle, compassionate Ash is nothing like the power-hungry rogues he’s been taught to hate. He offers Ash a choice: death, or a permanent magical marriage bond that will allow Rhys to control Ash’s magic. To both of their surprise, Ash chooses the bond. As the two men travel to the epicenter of the plague, they discover that the illness is not what it seems, and a dark conspiracy points to the highest levels of power. Forced to rely on each other, Ash and Rhys must learn to trust—and, despite their best efforts, they begin to fall for each other. But Rhys is still bound to his duty, and Ash is now bound to Rhys. Can their growing love survive the secrets between them and the schemes of the Great Houses?