Songbird — Colleen Helme

Teya is desperate. Caught by the King and held for her magical singing abilities, she is ready to do anything to escape, or die trying. When her own plans fail, an ambassador from another country unexpectedly offers her a chance at freedom. All she must do is take him to her homeland. It sounds too good to be true, and she realizes she might only be exchanging one prison for another. When she challenges the ambassador, Bran, to remove her kundar, the hated collar that keeps her magic in check, he hesitates. She is a beautiful, exotic creature, but from the rumors he's heard, the collar is the only thing that will keep her from turning on him, and he needs her help to find the elixir sym, that threatens to destroy his country. A precarious alliance forms between them, and their journey begins. But it quickly becomes filled with treachery and deceit. Teya must learn who she really is, for if she fails, her people and the magic they weld are lost forever. Now, as she nears the completion of her journey, she realizes the path she is destined to take will also tear her from the man she loves. Can she give up everything she is for him?