Book excerpt: In this second entry of a romantic fantasy trilogy, a mage and her lover must heal themselves of dark magic before they can protect their world from evil. Striving to save the Aurelian Empire, Valeria reached for too much power too quickly and a darkness has rooted inside her. Unable to confess the truth, Valeria turns to Kerrec, her former mentor, one of the elite Riders from the Mountain, home of the gods. But Kerrec, too, is deeply wounded and his darkness may be even deeper than hers—and he is refusing to face it. Until his weakness nearly destroys the Riders and their immortal white stallions . . . As Kerrec is sent from the Mountain on a desperate quest for healing, Valeria is forbidden to follow. But compelled by a power she cannot understand and encouraged by her own stallion, she shadows Kerrec on a perilous mission. The patterns of deception and secrets have been woven, the threats of war and unrest spread throughout the land, the barbarian hordes return and once more it is Valeria—and Kerrec—who must gather their strength and their wounded magic to protect all that they believe in. . . . But who will believe in them? Praise for Song of Unmaking “The battle scenes are magnificent, the characters are realistic, and the storyline is pure magic; readers will eagerly await the next book in this tantalizing series.” —Harriet Klausner “A world easy to immerse myself in. . . . [The story] was well-written, had a well-rounded and thought out world, well-characterized, and emotional.” —Laurie Ryan, author of the Willow Bay novels and the Earth Legacy series