Mira's Hope (26 page)

Roots Entwine

by Victoria Bastedo

Hidden in the trees is a boy with a
mysterious past and powerful ability- will the team that found him
have to watch him die?

15-year-old Joaquin can hear a man's heart
beating a half a mile away. He can see in the dark when others are
stumbling. One whiff and he can tell what was served for
yesterday's dinner. But then he needs near-coma sleep to heal his
brain from the searing pain. He's a Phoshat, and his ability comes
with a price.

Rumors spread about the mysterious Phoshat
living in the forest around his family's estate. Then Kallum comes,
the tall stranger who leads a mission team for the king. He's
determined to add a Phoshat to the list of talents that his team
boasts. He takes on the responsibility of a teenaged, untested
Phoshat, and they set out, but soon it's evident that Joaquin's
gift is so powerful that it almost swings out of control. As their
journey goes on and unconsciousness overwhelms Joaquin over and
again, Kallum begins to question whether Joaquin is ready for the
dangerous mission that's growing more intense every day.

Joaquin wonders too. Why was he born
different than everyone else?

Roots Entwine is a young adult fantasy
adventure. A tree standing alone shades no one, but entwining his
life with his team moves Joaquin towards the inevitable choice he
must make for them. It's up to him to decide what the sum of his
life will be, and if his inborn ability will be a curse to him or
the gift that saves his friends.

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From Fire and Ice

Song Magick

by Elisabeth Hamill

In a realm where true magic has been lost for
centuries, seventeen-year-old bard Telyn Songmaker's powers are
unprecedented — and unpredictable. Able to control the actions and
emotions of others with her melodic enchantments, the violent
aftermath of an accidental spell has left Telyn exiled from the
King's court — unaware of the price on her head.

When Telyn is outnumbered by assassins in the
Wood, Mithrais comes to her aid, dispatched to protect her by dying
sylvan gods who need her unique magical gifts to free them from an
ancient and deadly spell. Bound to the Wood by blood and by oath,
Mithrais is more than the mere soldier he seems, and he and Telyn
discover that they share a rare empathic bond of heart and
mind.

The Fates have plans for Telyn and Mithrais,
but what is brewing will further endanger their lives. If they
succeed, magic will return to the realm, but love may be the most
unpredictable magic of all...