In Deception's Shadow - La série

For some, rebirth is not a reward. Centuries ago the gods demanded Ashayna Stonemantle sacrifice her demon-tainted lover. She did, and then ended her own life, but it didn't fulfill her obligations to the gods. Reborn into a new body, Ashayna has no awareness of her former life until her sentient magic manipulates her into seeking out Sorntar, Crown Prince of the Phoenix. The majestic and charismatic Sorntar reveals that she is host to a Larnkin—a spirit creature of vast power. If she can trust the word of a man who is part avian, he is host to her Larnkin's other half. When their Larnkins awaken early and force them into an unbreakable bond, Ashayna and Sorntar are accused of being corrupted by an ancient evil. To prove their innocence, they must discover what happened in the past to pit bondmate against bondmate. As the search for the truth draws them closer together, Ashayna realizes she's falling in love with Sorntar. But before she can tell him, his tainted Larnkin enslaves him. The gods demand she kill her beloved, as she did once before, but she will not do it, even if it's the only thing that will keep her soul safe from his darkness.

Magic. It turned Sorsha Stonemantle's world on its head. Yet she can't hate magic for without it Shadowdancer, the Santhyrian ambassador, would never have come into her life. In the days following their first meeting, Sorsha knows Shadowdancer completes her soul. There's only one problem. Any relationship beyond friendship is impossible. From the moment Shadowdancer encountered Sorsha, he knew she was a Herd Mistress—a rare worker of magic, key to the Santhyrian nation's survival. His first obligation is to protect her and bring her back to the safety of the herd, but when Sorsha is threatened by Lord Master Trensler and his priesthood, they soon discover Trensler serves a darker master, one willing to devour all magic until the world dies. And that evil wants Shadowdancer and Sorsha. When a second ambush set by Trensler cripples Sorsha’s magic and traps Shadowdancer in the form of a man, they barely escape with their lives. Unwilling to allow her lack of magic to rule her life, Sorsha sets out to teach Shadowdancer that being human isn't a curse. The proud Santhyrian stubbornly tries to push Sorsha away, but when they are endangered once again, they realize they must work together to find a way to heal themselves. If they fail, Trensler’s master will devour first them and then everything else Sorsha and Shadowdancer ever loved.