The Battle for Amatista — Gilbert M. Stack

With the passes to Ã"palo forced open again, Prefect Marcus Venandus hoped to gain a respite to build his army for the war he knows is coming in the spring. Unfortunately, his enemies understand all too well the threat he poses to them and are taking steps to kill him before he reaches next year's battlefields. Assassins, both mundane and magical, step out of the shadows to strike at him, while other conspirators take advantage of the intense divisions within the city to spark riots to bring the government down. Unable to differentiate between friend and foe, will Marcus and his few trusted comrades be able to win the Battle for Amatista?