Publication date: January 11th, 2026
Synopsis:
Ander Forrest renounced blood magic to become a nurse-healer in his rural hometown, far from the drama of wizardry and espionage his sister Kate craved. When Kate goes missing in action, Ander finds himself the legal guardian of her gifted twins and receives a cryptic warning from Kate's husband to protect them before he, too, disappears.
Six months later, his former lover crash lands in the kids' bedroom via a spell only Ander's sister could have cast. Druid Cai Piper doesn't remember how he got there, but he knows he never stopped loving Ander, and that he was sent to protect him and the twins. Cai is strangely drawn to Forrest House and the land it stands upon.
With the secrets of a clandestine wizards' order hanging between them, Cai and Ander must remember how to trust each other as sinister forces move against the Forrest family--magical terrorists who want to exploit their rare sorcery and bring the world to its knees.
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Cai cleared his throat. "You said I'm in America?"
"Yeah."
"And if I was sent by a bloodspell, does that mean Remy and Raven are here?"
"Well, of course." Ander blinked as Cai closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn't sure if it was relief or defeat. "You didn't know," he said.
"No. Edwyn kept it a secret, even from me." His fingers touched the blood-matted knot at the back of his head in tentative exploration. "I must have been out. I would never have let him send me otherwise. He was bleeding badly." His hand tapped an area high to the outside on his left leg. "Shot in the thigh."
Ander thought of all the major blood vessels there and breathed a plea to the Goddess that none were severed. "I didn't think the Fellowship used bullets."
"We don't. We were on a join mission with intelligence agents. Someone started lobbing spells at us and our allies turned and shot each other. He was hit in the crossfire."
"A Judas spell?" Ander frowned.
"I think so."
"Were you working with British intelligence?"
Cai opened his mouth to answer, then flinched and rubbed both sides of his head. "Some of my memories are missing. It's painful to think about."
"I think you might have a concussion."
"Maybe. But this feels more like it was blocked by a spell."
"By Edwyn?"
"I don't think he would have had time. Not surrounded by guns and magic." His breath became uneven again, and he sat unsteadily on the bed. "The harder I try to think about it, the more it hurts."
"Don't try right now." Ander came closer and put his fingers under Cai's jaw, forcing him to look up so he could peer into his eyes. Still no signs of a more serious head injury, but he wasn't satisfied until he ran his fingers under Cai's clotted hair to cradle the bruised lump beneath his palm, his senses open for new bleeding. He didn't discover any.
Cai stared at him as he pulled away, his face inches from Ander's. They both became aware at the same time of how close he was standing, his hands gentle on the back of Cai's head as if he were going to draw him into a kiss. Ander slowly stepped back.
"I have to find a way to get back to..." Cai frowned. "To... damn it! They took that, too. I don't know where we were." He looked to Ander with a desolate gaze. "I don't even know if Edwyn's alive."
"You can't ask the Fellowship?"
He stiffened. "No, I can't."
"I'd feel better if I could get you to a hospital."
"I'll be fine. I think it's clear I'm meant to protect you and the twins."
"Protect us from what?" He sat on the bed next to him. "What's going on Cai? Why wouldn't Ed tell you where the kids were?"
He didn't answer, his gaze slipping sideways.
Ander had not missed this infuriating silence. Kate had pushed Ander away with it, Edwyn maintained it, and Cai had used it to shut down questions when they were together.
He'd left Wales and come home because the people he loved most in the world could barely talk to him unless he was inducted into the Fellowship.
Fury rose in scarlet floods with Cai's refusal to speak. Ander let it crest. "That's fantastic. Of course you can't say anything. Then tell me how to protect them and get the fuck out."
"You don't--"
"They're all I have left of Kate! I need to know how to protect them!"
"If you're going to shout at me, then I will take that paracetamol now." His voice was soft, defeated. A crease furrowed the skin between his brows, and the tight lines of his body spoke of more pain than a headache. Ander didn't have to imagine the grief of not knowing if his brother was dead or alive. He knew only too well.
"I'm sorry." Ander exhaled, forcing himself to calm. "We aren't done," he said in a less strident tone. "You will tell me what's going on. Fuck the Fellowship and your code of secrecy! Those kids are my priority now. They've already lost their mother, and now maybe their father. No more."
To his surprise, Cai nodded. "I promise I will tell you what I know."
Disconcerted by his unexpected victory, Ander reluctantly let his anger drain away.
"Are you hungry? I'm making dinner."
"Starving. I can't recall when I last ate anything."
"It'll be ready in half an hour. Make sure you drink the rest of that water." He turned to go.
"Ander." Cai's expression was gentle as Ander looked back over his shoulder. "It's good to see you."
E.M. (ELISABETH) HAMILL writes adult science fiction and fantasy somewhere in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas. A nurse by day, wordsmith by night, she is happy to give her geeky imagination free rein and has sworn never to grow up and get boring.
She lives with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.
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