Seven years after abandoning her aristocratic lover to shield him from royal dishonor, Jory lives quietly with her young daughter Poppy in a border fortress. Her carefully guarded routine is shattered when Thorn Ashburne, now the realm's most feared battlefield sorcerer, assumes supreme military command of the outpost. Recognizing her instantly, Thorn commands Jory to report directly to his inner sanctum as his personal adjutant.
Trapped within arm's reach of the man she never stopped loving, Jory must hide Poppy's existence from Thorn and his malicious highborn fiancée. But ancient magical brands blaze across their skin whenever their fingers brush, threatening to expose their past intimacy. As hostile barbarian armies besiege the ramparts, Jory must safeguard her daughter while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her commander.
