Breath of Life — A.F. Dery

On the feast of the love goddess, Valentine is preparing to make a confession to her childhood sweetheart when an unexpected moment of passion derails her plan and lands her in the path of a dangerous mage. He practices a forbidden form of magic, and he wants Valentine to be his apprentice. Life and death hinge on her decision, but one thing is for certain: he's not going to take "no" for an answer.