Blooded Wand

Blooded WandIn the shadowed halls of Castle Lightmoore, the ancient Wand chooses its bearer once every hundred years.This time, it chose a kitchen maid.Mara has spent ten years with her head down and her hands raw. She wants nothing more than to stay invisible. But on New Year's Eve, the Wand flies across the selection chamber and binds itself to her-a servant with no title, no training, and no place among the three hundred heirs watching in silence.The family is furious. Some call it a mistake. Some call it an insult. And one ambitious cousin will stop at nothing to take what he believes was meant for him.Now Mara must learn to wield a sentient artifact that answers to alignment, not command. The Wand sees something in her that no one else does. Something even she refuses to believe exists.But power always comes with a price. And in a family built on blood, ambition, and old grudges, survival may mean becoming everything she swore she never wanted to be.