The Tethered Mage

In a world where magic is scarce, those born with power must be strictly guarded — for their own good, and for the good of the Crown. Conscripted by the Falcon army from childhood, the mage-marked are cared for, trained, and housed in luxury. But for some, the life of a Falcon is a prison.

Zaira has lived her life in hiding to avoid becoming a Falcon, thieving on the streets to survive. But a rare and dangerous magic flows through her veins: fire bends to her will, sparks rise at her thoughts alone. Without training, she is a threat to herself. And to the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. There are many that would see her dead, simply for the power her last name holds.

But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.