Beasts of Bearing

Vicente is an up-and-coming ambassador and the first magic-user trained by the Crown--unfortunately making him a pawn in the power struggle between the queen and the other magic wielders. Desperate for freedom he agrees to mediate a land dispute in an isolated town.He assembles a trusted team but the queen forces them to bring along Iver: a dangerous mercenary intent on pushing Vicente to his breaking point. Loyalties are strained from the outset and in a town that seethes with old grudges one misstep could ignite something irreversible. Even with the odds stacked against them Vicente still believes they can make it work.But Vicente has a secret: his magic gives him a surge of euphoria and he's becoming addicted to it. When a string of brutal murders unsettles the town Vicente must navigate his deteriorating self-control while working with his crew to keep the peace. However Iver has a mission of his own--one that if successful will destroy everything Vicente is fighting for.That is if Vicente doesn't destroy himself first.