A Malice of Moons and Mages
by N.V. Haskell
For Audra, survival means lying and stealing from the Moon and Starling tribes who have pillaged her people and stripped them of their magic. No scorned lover, monstrous aunt, or prison bars will keep her from getting what she wants. But when she finally obtains the dragon’s eye jade—the one thing that could save her spell-wounded brother and return her people to their former glory—fate intervenes.
Haunted by his part in his father’s death, Lua is determined to put an end to the chaos of the former Rajav’s madness. As the most powerful, and most hated, mage in the Moon tribes, he must claim his throne before the impending dual lunar eclipses or risk his sociopathic sister dooming their people. But when he’s betrayed and left for dead by the man he called brother, his magic anchors him to the foul-mouthed woman who plucks him from the sea.
Stalked by a former comrade-in-arms who is compelled to kill for a love he can never possess, Audra and Lua race to reach the Silent monastery and break the unwanted bond or risk it destroying them both. As their combined magic and desires grow increasingly entangled, identities are revealed, deep-seeded hatreds are questioned, and uncomfortable truths eat away at the very foundation of their beliefs.
With time running out and loyalties tested, the begrudging pair must overcome not only those who would stop them, but also themselves. Before it’s too late.
About the Author: N.V. Haskell
N.V. Haskell returned to writing in 2019 after many years away. Since then, she’s published numerous short stories and won the Writers of the Future contest. She lives somewhere between suburbia and haunted creeks with her long-suffering spouse, rescue dog, and generations of birds, groundhogs, and squirrels that she can’t help but feed.
After many years in healthcare, she remains stubbornly optimistic. When she’s not hiking or staring at a screen, you can find her incognito at Comic Expos or Renaissance Fairs.