Tithed

He loves her, or he loves her not.
There's only one way to find out— take a chance.

For most people, Arithmancy is no more than a jumble of numbers. For Somnus Keep instructor Elspeth Valerin, those numbers are her refuge, her passion. Her magic—her only magic since a painful incident from her past cripples her ability to unlock the inner power of the thrall.

Today her calculations indicate change is in the air. That's not what she smells when she enters The Slaughtered Lamb, though. She smells ale. Smoke. And when she catches a glimpse of the owner of the Lamb, memories.

Tonight there's a new face among the regulars in Connell Byrne's pub. The woman he once loved with all his heart—before she left it in pieces. And one thing hasn't changed: she is still clearly—inexplicably—afraid of him.

Elspeth's heart is racing. That she and Conn are here at this moment means her numbers were right. Beyond this moment, though, is a fate she cannot comprehend. The one equation she's never been able to calculate. The one outcome she cannot control—love.

This title has been previously published under the title Everything Counts.

Warning: Star-crossed lovers who need a little push to fully understand the phrase, "The whole is more than the sum of its parts." Explicit sex with enough steam to prove the Chaos Theory.