Wayward Mage Series

Fitting in has never been in the cards. Not part of the hand Fate dealt me. My superpower is animals, magical and otherwise. They adore me. Birds and insects too. Back when the Celts still roamed the Highlands, I begged them to shed light on how I came to be since my power is unique. You can guess how well that went. They're a taciturn, entitled lot. I didn't shed a single tear when they packed up and left Earth. Other mages don't care for me. They don't trust my one-of-a-kind magic. On my more generous days I don't blame them. For now, I run a tiny detective agency in the Scottish Highlands. Mortals are quick to hire me because I always solve their problems. Using magic is cheating, but they'll never find out. One fine afternoon, a Sidhe sought me out. His power surpassed mine by a factor of ten, so I was suspicious as hell, but he was too profanely gorgeous to turn away… As usual, no one to blame but myself when my life skids off the rails.

Fitting in has never been in the cards. Not part of the hand Fate dealt me. My superpower is animals, magical and otherwise. They adore me. Birds and insects too. Back when the Celts still roamed the Highlands, I begged them to shed light on how I came to be since my power is unique. You can guess how well that went. They're a taciturn, entitled lot. I didn't shed a single tear when they packed up and left Earth. Other mages don't care for me. They don't trust my one-of-a-kind magic. On my more generous days I don't blame them. For now, I run a tiny private investigator shop in the Scottish Highlands. Mortals are quick to hire me because I always solve their problems. Using magic is cheating, but they'll never find out. Most days, it's a delicate dance. If I get lucky, no other mage has it in for me. But I'm still stuck hanging onto enough of a glamour to fool mortals. Occasionally, I want to pack it all in and vanish to…well, to somewhere else. No one to blame but myself when my life skids off the rails.

Learn magic they said. Or at least shore up your paltry skills. Talk is cheap, and that edict has cost me dearly. I had a comfortable life, once upon a time. A quiet life. One where I'd carved a realistic niche for myself. No more. Power is seductive, and a bitch of a mistress. Once I pulled the cork out of that bottle, a million genies sallied forth. None of them were nice. No one offered me three wishes, or any wishes at all. I've been working my fanny off for the last two years. Most days, I slog along from dawn to dusk and beyond. Sleep has turned into a distant memory. When I do lie down—or fall on my face, which is what really happens—my mind whirls in circles as I relive the failures du jour. And the very occasional success. I am stronger. So much stronger it scares me. My talent sparkles, flowing bright and clean. Soon, I'll leave the well-hidden spot that's allowed me time to claim what's mine. Whether my crash course in sorcery was wise remains to be seen.

Life used to be simple. I solved cases for mortals, earning myself a solid reputation as a crack detective. And I basked in the adoration of every animal, bird, and sea creature known to man—or sorcerer. My animal mage part is the same, but everything else has changed. The last time I remember being happy was the day I married Blake. Since then, nothing has gone right. When he met me, I traveled beneath crossed stars. Jinxed is a kind term for the trouble that followed me. He says we're stronger together, but I'm starting to doubt that. Some challenges are meant to be faced alone. Maybe I can fix the problems plaguing us. Maybe I can't, but I have to try. And I must do it with my animal allies. Blake won't like any of this, which means I'll have to slip away when he's not paying attention. And I'll need to cover my tracks well to make sure he doesn't follow me. He's my heart, my life, but if I don't leave him, he'll be doomed right along with me, and I refuse to let that happen.

I need more time to train Tiana, but our enemies won't wait for the young Sidhe Queen to embrace her full power. At the drop of a hat—seemingly—I became a mother. Not that I'd ever considered the possibility of parenthood. If I had, whatever I came up with would have been far off the mark. Tiana had opinions before she was born. Ones she was vocal about. She inherited my affinity for animals, Blake's wings, and his Sidhe royal lineage. In Underhill, they hail her as their queen, which has made raising her far more difficult. If one of us says no, she runs to her bevy of honorary aunts and uncles, one of whom is sure to indulge her. Between Tiana's magic and her position in Sidhe society, I assumed she'd be a target from the moment of her birth. Somehow, a dozen years have passed. I've often let my guard down—and kicked myself for my lack of vigilance. Steeped in magic, my wild child gets lost in the moment. I need a few more years to entrain her power. But if I know that, so do our enemies. They will come for her. When it happens, we must be ready. All of us.