New York Times bestselling author Mary Jo Putney weaves a new tale in the Guardian series—a dazzling romantic fantasy that takes readers not only from the elegant streets of London to a dangerously tempting Mediterranean island but across time. Jean Macrae’s family is one of the most prominent clans of Guardians, humans whose magical powers come from nature, but Jean considers her skills modest at best. She has never been able to summon the intense, earth-altering ability that has marked the most talented Guardians, and she is content without the adventure that such skill brings . . . until the day she is confronted by a handsome stranger whose magic imprisons her on his pirate ship. Captain Nikolai Gregorio is convinced that Jean’s father abandoned him, as a child, to slavers. Now he seeks vengeance against the Macraes, no matter the cost. But Jean soon finds his untrained magical gifts far more dangerous than his thirst for revenge, especially when they intensify her own powers to an unthinkable—and enticing—degree. And when Jean and Nikolai’s irresistible connection summons a woman from the future, they are charged with a formidable task: protect those who will oppose slavery’s evil and forever change the future of two nations. This quest will sweep Jean and Nikolai into the most fantastic of realms and try their powers beyond even what the Guardians themselves would dare. And when ultimate disaster threatens, they will stake everything on a shattering test of love that could secure the fate of generations . . . or destroy them and all they cherish. Praise for Mary Jo Putney and her novels of the Guardians Stolen Magic “Putney’s fully imagined magical system, combined with Georgian detail, is a terrific setting for a tale of intrigue and danger.” –Booklist (starred review) “Delightful . . . enchants from beginning to end.” –Elizabeth Haydon, author of The Symphony of Ages series A Kiss of Fate “Mesmerizing in its emotional breadth, stunning in its backdrop, and spellbinding in its paranormal overtones . . . a marvelous, fast-paced tale.” –Romantic Times “A unique spin on reality, magic, and love . . . [Putney] takes romantic fantasy to a new level.” –Library Journal A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Mary Jo Putney is a graduate of Syracuse University with degrees in eighteenth-century literature and industrial design. The author of more than two dozen novels, Putney has been a nine-time finalist in the Romance Writers of America RITA contests, and has won two RITAs, four consecutive Golden Leaf Awards for Best Historical Romance, and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Historical Romance. Her books have been listed four times by Library Journal as among the top five romances of the year. Putney lives near Baltimore, with her nearest and dearest, both two- and four-footed. Visit the author’s websites at www.mjputney.com and www.maryjoputney.com. Chapter 1 Valletta, Island of Malta Autumn 1733 The two foreign gentlemen strolling through Valletta’s market square looked like they had pockets worth picking. Nikolai quietly shadowed them through the crowds, knowing they would never notice a boy his size in the noisy throng. A dozen or more lan- guages babbled above his head. He recognized all of them, and could make himself understood in most. Valletta was the crossroads of the Mediterranean, a place where Europe, Africa, and Asia met and exchanged their goods. The men had the pale coloring of northern Europeans. When Nikolai got close enough to hear their conversation, he found that they spoke in English. That was one of his better languages, since his mother had had a taste for English sailors. Other foreigners roamed the market, but these two had the air and garments of wealth—and they were fool enough to walk alone, with no guards. They’d be lucky to get back to their ship with the clothes still on their backs. Nikolai followed the men, slipping behind a tethered donkey cart to get closer to his quarry. His talent for going unnoticed had enabled him to keep from starving in the years since his grandmother’s death, though he seldom managed to be well fed. The taller Englishman, a powerfully built fellow whose dark red hair was heavily streaked with gray, stopped to admire the silver trinkets of a local peddler. He lifted a pair of lacy filigree earrings. “My wife will like these, I think.” “We saw better in Greece, Macrae,” his companion observed. He was shorter and younger, with a wiry build and a dandy’s taste in clothing. “Tell me again why you were so keen to stop in Malta.” “Worth it to walk on land again for a day or two.” Having reached an agreement with the peddler, Macrae paid for two pairs of silver earrings. “Besides, I felt there was something, or someone, worth meeting here.” “Unlikely!” the other man snorted. Nikolai paid little heed to the conversation, apart from gratitude that it engaged his quarry’s