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.