Knight and the Necromancer

Sairis has never ridden a living horse, never left home, never kissed a man. He'd really like to do one of those things... Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He needs to get to the capital for a conference that may change his life. But he's never ridden a horse before. At least not a live one. Fortunately, the local knacker is a gentle soul who has helped Sairis in the past. In addition, Sairis suspects the knacker may know things about the world of romance between men. Necromancers don't have social lives, and Sairis doesn't dare ask questions. But after an evening of thunderstorms, ghosts, and a narrow escape, he decides to take a risk. This is a prequel short story, introducing The Knight and the Necromancer trilogy. You can enjoy this story without having read the novels.

It's a classic fairytale: Knight meets necromancer. They argue. They fight. They…make out? Prince Roland comes home from the war to bury his father and see his sister on the throne. He sneaks out to his favorite tavern for nostalgia's sake. It's the place where he kissed a man for the first time, the place where he used to carouse with the lover he buried on a battlefield. Roland expects to flirt with a few strangers for old time's sake. He does not expect to find a fascinating scholar from out of town-a lonely young man with beautiful eyes and an obvious longing to be touched, buried beneath a prickly demeanor. Their unexpected chemistry makes him feel alive for the first time in months. Roland exerts all his knightly charm and is rewarded by the promise of a second date. He'll need something to look forward to tomorrow, since he must spend the day in council with his family's sworn enemy-a necromancer whom his sister has rashly invited to consult about the war. Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He knows that he will have to bargain for his life tomorrow. He's never been this far from his tower. He's good with magic, not people. Sairis knows he's doing something foolish by visiting a tavern the evening before his meeting with the royals-a tavern that caters to men of certain tastes. But Sairis wants things. Things a hunted outlaw can never have. He's shocked when a dazzling mountain of a man is unintimidated by his glare. Sairis knows a knight when he sees one. He has killed plenty of knights. But this knight is funny and kind. Sairis finds his defenses melting in spite of his best efforts. Maybe he could go on a second date with this person. Of course, he'll have to get through tomorrow first…when he must bargain with the hated royals who have persecuted him all his life. The Knight and the Necromancer is a trilogy with satisfying conclusion at the end of book 3.

Roland thought necromancers were inhuman monsters. Until he met Sairis. Roland and Sairis have escaped from a traumatic assassination attempt, solved the mystery of their attacker, and enjoyed plenty of heavy petting along the way. Roland knows that it's too soon for love, but he feels like he's falling head over heels. However, in the final moments when their attacker is revealed, Sairis does something unthinkable. He transfers a brutal spell to Roland, nearly killing him, and disappears. Roland is left reeling, struggling to cope with his injuries, and wondering whether everything Sairis said and did was a lie. Did Sairis seduce Roland only to use him as a hostage? And if not, what has happened to Sairis?

Knights and necromancers are never on the same side...are they? Sairis has known all his life that knights are not his friends...until the last few weeks, when he somehow forgot, and tumbled into bed with one. He told Roland to leave, hurt him badly, used as many cruel words as possible. And yet Roland stubbornly refuses to leave Sairis alone, half-naked and friendless in the wilderness. After a surreal week of shared secrets beneath the stars, they're about to rejoin Mistala's army as it prepares for a desperate battle with a deadly sorcerer. Sairis's help might make the difference, but he is deeply conflicted, afraid of being trapped and stripped of his magic by Mistala's unfriendly magicians. He's not sure whether he's the prince's lover or his prize. He feels like an outlaw, trussed up across Roland's saddle. If he could just leave them all their deaths, things would be so much easier.

Trapped in a necromancer's tower on the longest night of the year. Merek is a pillar of his country community and a confirmed bachelor. He had his chance at love, and he let it slip away. But he's got friends, a faithful dog, and a snug home. Holidays can be difficult, but Merek knows how to handle loneliness. When he volunteers to house-sit for a necromancer on the day before Solstice, Merek expects to be doing the job with no companion apart from his dog. He's displeased to be trapped in the tower overnight by a sudden snow storm. However, everything changes when his old lover shows up on the doorstep. Ian is cold and clearly afraid of something. Merek lets him in. That was his first mistake. The kiss was his second.