Guardian of Talons and Snares

Can they stop almost killing each other long enough to save their empire? Or will his secrets destroy them both? Sun Aranya just wants a stable job so she can care for her ailing grandfather. After years of relentless magic training, she has finally earned a city wardenship—only to discover on her first day that annoyingly handsome Shi Kai is laying claim to her position. There’s only one option: they’ll just have to compete for it. But while Aranya and Kai are forced to work together until one of them wins their competition, trouble brews in the empire. Whispered threats of enemy invasion abound, and magic-wielders are disappearing across the empire without a trace. Can Aranya and Kai see past their rivalry to discover the fate of the missing magic-wielders? Or will Kai’s secrets destroy them all?