In the Freelands, some contracts exact a price no mercenary should pay.
Captain Geoffrey Belford of the Black Guard and "Mad Madilyn" Oakthorn of the Mavens have earned their reputations the hard way—through steel, blood, and cunning. When Lord Caldwell summons both mercenary captains to his manor, offering a fortune to eliminate a witch corrupting his lands, it should be just another job.
But the Withered Woods hold darker secrets than twisted trees and missing villagers. Children are vanishing, entire villages are transforming into something inhuman, and a corruption spreads toward the heart of civilization. Bound by necessity into an uneasy alliance, two of the world’s most formidable captains must navigate treacherous magic, ancient bargains, and creatures that were once human—all while suspecting their employer hasn't told them the whole truth.
A dark fantasy adventure featuring fan-favorite characters from The Assassin Without a Name and The Alchemancer series.
Scott Marlowe lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, where he drinks extraordinary amounts of coffee, rides his mountain or gravel bike whenever the opportunity arises, and writes stories that often end in wondrous, explosive mayhem.View all by Scott Marlowe
