Star of the Morning — Lynn Kurland

Legend has it that only the two magical swords held in trust by Neroche's rulers can defeat the evil of the black mage...and never have they been more needed, as the mage's assault begins to cover the kingdom in darkness.

The king has lost the magic to wield his own sword. Fortunately, Miach, the archmage of Neroche -- and the king's brother -- has found a wielder for the other in Morgan, a young woman abandoned among mercenaries as a child, now a feared mercenary herself. But Morgan despises magic and has no patience for the schemes of kings and mages...and too soon, Miach must choose between endangering the woman who has captured his heart and defending the kingdom he is sworn to protect.

For in this land of warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. The king is less than he should be, Miach is more than he appears, and Morgan will find that her mysterious past brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword alone...