The Spell of Wanting You

He has four weeks to cast his first spell. His training partner already thinks he is dangerous. For Tavric Mercer, a funded place at Lumina Academy means a dry room, regular meals, and money to send his sister. Fail the beginner spellcasting test, and he loses all of it. But while other recruits make light dance above their palms, his stays empty. Elara Ashford wants to become a field mage, protecting people beyond the academy’s training grounds. Being paired with a man disciplined for excessive violence puts that ambition at risk. Tavric resents her judgment. Elara resents how often he gives her reason to question him. Neither expects to start looking forward to their arguments. Then training spells malfunction, records disappear, and the danger reaches beyond their lessons. Elara’s magic may give Tavric a way to fight back—but using it means learning to trust each other. And when someone offers answers about his missing father, Tavric must decide what he is willing to hide from the woman he is falling for.