Daggerbound (Swordheart Book 2)

Edmund is a scholar whose life is defined by dusty relics and the monotonous safety of temple bureaucracy. His latest assignment—transporting an ancient, unremarkable sword—seems like just another tedious chore until a brutal bandit ambush forces his hand. In a moment of sheer desperation, Edmund breaks tradition and draws the blade, expecting a weapon but instead manifesting a man.

Enter the Dervish, an immortal warrior who has spent centuries trapped within enchanted steel. He is lethal, temperamental, and rightfully furious at his prolonged imprisonment. Bound to Edmund by the very magic that cursed him, the Dervish finds himself forced into the role of protector against an escalating gauntlet of cultists, dragons, and treacherous diplomats.

The central conflict quickly shifts from the external threats hunting them to the internal friction between two polar opposites. While the Dervish is determined to remain cynical and detached, Edmund’s inherent kindness and sharp intellect prove impossible to ignore. As they traverse a world brimming with dangerous magic, the warrior discovers that his greatest challenge is not the enemies at the gate, but the growing, unwanted vulnerability he feels toward the man holding his leash.