The Queen's Mistress (A History of Fireflies, the connected universe)

She saved the Queen’s life. Now she can’t escape it.

When a commoner saves Queen Henriette from an assassination attempt, she never stops to consider what it might cost.

Perhaps she should have.

The attack leaves both women cursed, their magic infected and growing more dangerous by the day. With no idea who ordered the attack, queen and guard are forced into an uneasy alliance.

Henriette has spent her life as an outsider. Born without arms, she knows better than anyone how little the world was built for people like her. But when her new guard proves to be an outsider too, duty soon gives way to something far more dangerous: desire.

Joséphine abandoned her dream of becoming a knight long ago. Survival was enough, until protecting the Queen begins to feel like something worth risking everything for.

As the curse spreads and the assassin closes in, Henriette and Joséphine must decide what they are willing to sacrifice. Because the closer they grow, the more they risk losing everything—including each other.