Mage Bride -- Angela J. Ford

<p><strong><em>She's a powerful mage. He's a hardened warrior. It will take them both to slay a monster.</em></strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Phera is a protector.</strong> As one of the water mages from the esteemed Academy of Mages who maintains law and order, she's known for being clever and resourceful, if a touch overzealous. But faced with a deadly foe, Phera makes a costly mistake. Blood magic is forbidden, no matter the outcome. She's brought to trial and offered a choice: give up magic or venture into the perilous lands of the ice warriors to aid them on a quest.</p><p><br></p><p>Without hesitation, she chooses the quest, only to discover she's not meant to act as merely a protector.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>She's intended to be an ice lord's bride.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>The last thing Lord Rhyme wants is a bride, and certainly not a treacherous mage. There's a reason they were outlawed from the ice lands, after all. But Rhyme has a demon to fight. The women of his clan have gone missing, and it appears the only way to win them back is by offering a sacrifice: a mage bride.</p><p><br></p><p>Rhyme wants no part of the deception. But he can't turn his back on his clan.</p><p><br></p><p>Burdened with secrets and their mutual distrust, Phera and Rhyme must put aside their differences-and their budding attraction toward one another-to find the missing women.</p><p>The truth they uncover is far darker than either could have imagined.</p><p><br></p><p><strong><em>Thi