Hazard's Price — Robert S. Stone

Long ago, a brutal war between the countries of Chaldus and Yndor left the mages with blood on their hands. To rid the world of destructive magic, they performed the Binding--and vowed that never again would a magical war be fought upon the land. But the Unbinding has begun....

Someone is killing former Chaldean ministers--and leaving a unique calling card: a gold coin in their mouths. Galatine Hazard recognizes the sign because once it was his own trademark. He's a respected man now, but someone is setting him up. To clear his name, Hazard has to reach back into his bag of tricks catch the killer, a wily assassin who could bring the country to the brink of war--and unleash the power of the ancients....