Marai is a mercenary. She is known amongst criminals of the shadows as the Lady Butcher. She lives in a world that abhors magic and punishes all magical folk, forcing Marai to hide her true self. She is half-fae, one of the last of her kind, after her people were savagely massacred.  But when Marai takes a commission from Ruenen, a young bard running from two powerful kingdoms, she is forced to confront the magic she's tucked away inside herself as darkness spreads across the Continent of Astye. Marai must protect Ruenen, and get him safely to the mysterious land of Andara, before he falls into the hands of cruel kings, bloodthirsty vampires, vengeful pirates, and mysterious dark magic.  Is Ruenen's secret worth risking Marai's own life? Is Marai ready to confront the demons of her past, and embrace her strength within?"The Butcher and the Bard" is the first book in J. E. Harter's new electrifying Dark Magic Series.