Lisa Shearin: Armed & Magical

“With the understanding that Ryn Benares is here only as your concerned uncle, not as Commodore Benares.”

I snorted. “And you actually believe that’ll happen?”

“Yes, it will,” said the steely-eyed paladin. “This island isn’t secure—but it will be.”

If it could be done, Mychael would do it; of that I had no doubt.

And he was right—Mid was anything but secure.

Rudra Muralin wasn’t going anywhere. Neither were the Khrynsani unless their lawyers could work some serious legal magic. No one had seen Banan Ryce, but vanishing into the woodwork was what Nightshades did best. Banan didn’t lead by example; he led from behind. At the first whiff of Khrynsani, Banan had probably bolted. No body, no Banan. The Nightshades we found in the embassy basements had been goblin bait, pure and simple. Banan had lost some; he’d just recruit more. There were always plenty of goblin-hating elves to fill his ranks.

Once it became known that Piaras didn’t assassinate the archmagus and that we both had played a big role in rescuing the spellsingers, some of Carnades’s supporters might just switch sides. But the same ones who condemned us one day and congratulated us the next could be back to witch hunting tomorrow.

And some of them would never stop.

My life’s goal was to get rid of the Saghred. Until I could get rid of my link to it, to keep my life, I had to fight for the rock. Meanwhile, the temptation would be there. The danger sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere.

I could live with that.

Like a starved monster crouching in a dark corner, the Saghred was waiting for me to yield to temptation, turn my back, make a mistake, let my guard down.

I smiled. I had some bad news for the rock—and worse news for anyone who tried to take either it or me.

I’m Raine Benares. My guard never comes down.

Lisa is the editor at an advertising agency. She has been a magazine editor and writer of corporate marketing materials of every description. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two cats, two spoiled-rotten, retired racing greyhounds, and a Jack Russell terrier who rules them all.

For more information on Lisa and her books, visit her at http://www.lisashearin.com/.