Bastard

Silas Emmason has always known his place: a bastard without a future. After a decade of service in the East India Army, he returns to England expecting little more than to die as a servant. Instead, an earl is waiting for him. Introduced as a potential heir, Silas is thrust into a world of wealth and status, making him an unexpected presence in the lives of his new half-siblings. Grateful for the opportunity but deeply mistrustful of the earl’s motives, Silas keeps one foot in his old life, taking a job as a club staffer to maintain his independence. That independence shatters when he’s mugged on the streets of London and magic—wild and untamed—erupts in his defense. Staggered by this newfound power, Silas begins experimenting on his own until his half-brother, Duncan, reveals his own magical talents and insists they seek training together. Reluctant but unable to ignore the dangers of untrained magic, Silas joins Duncan and finds an unlikely mentor in Carlyle Barclan, who offers more