Ghosts are real. And now they're Aric's problem. Even legendary swordsmen need time off, and Aric and his half-fairy partner Emrys are traveling south to visit Aric's brother. But, on a stormy night at a roadside inn, an old friend stumbles in nearly frozen, swearing that the mountain pass is haunted ... and deadly. With travelers and friends in danger, Aric and Em will try to solve the mystery of the murderous hauntings, but that won't be simple. Swords aren't much use against specters. Any use of Em's magic will draw attention from a powerful fairy king. And this quest is making Aric think about his past, his future, and settling down in one spot with Em, someday ... if Emrys wants that future, too.

Sometimes heroic swordsmen need money. So Aric and his half-fairy partner Emrys have accepted a job protecting a wealthy cloth merchant's caravan. But the job's more complicated than it seems. Em's fairy father is hunting them, and Em's trying not to draw attention by using magic. Their client, Lady Caris, has demanded that Em stay in a simple single-gendered human form and not shapeshift—and Aric can see his partner growing more uncomfortable day by day. On top of that, their client's hiding a magical secret ... and a dangerous enemy.