Taken by Magic: a New Adult Fantasy novel (The Baine Chronicles Book 8)

by Jasmine Walt

  Baine, Mafiela: Chieftain of the Jaguar Clan and Sunaya’s aunt. They were estranged after Mafiela threw Sunaya out onto the streets at age twelve, but have since reconciled.

  Baine, Melantha: Sunaya’s cousin and Rylan’s sister, eldest daughter to the Jaguar Clan’s Chieftain Mafiela Baine.

  Baine, Rylan: Sunaya Baine’s cousin, and like her, a panther shifter. He was an active member of the Resistance, with the rank of Captain, he was captured and imprisoned during the uprising in Solantha, and worked off part of his sentence as Sunaya’s bodyguard. He was pardoned in recognition of his rescue work during the big quake.

  Baine, Sunaya: a half-panther shifter, half-mage who used to hate mages and has a passion for justice. Because magic is forbidden to all but the mage families, Sunaya was forced to keep her abilities a secret until she accidentally used them to defend herself in front of witnesses. Rather than condemn her to death, the Chief Mage, Iannis ar’Sannin, chose to take her on as his apprentice, and eventually his fiancée. Their wedding will be very grand, and is rapidly approaching.

  Barrla, see under Kelling, Barrla.

  Benefactor: the anonymous, principal source of financial support to the Resistance, who was eventually unmasked as the socialite Thorgana Mills (now deceased).

  Canalo: one of the fifty states making up the Northia Federation, located on the West Coast of the Northia Continent.

  Castalis: a country and peninsula at the southwestern edge of the Central Continent, ruled by a High Mage who is related to Sunaya, though he cannot publicly acknowledge it.

  Central Continent: the largest of the continents on Recca, spanning from Garai in the east to Castalis in the west.

  Chen, Lalia: the current Director of the Canalo Mages Guild in Solantha. She immigrated to the Northia Federation from Garai after her apprenticeship, and serves as deputy to Iannis ar’Sannin, the Chief Mage.

  Chief Mage: ruler of one of the fifty states of the Northia Federation, usually addressed as “Lord Firstname”. The Chief Mages come together as the Convention every other year to enact legislation, usually in the capital Dara.

  Chieftain: a title used to distinguish the head of a shifter clan.

  Comenius: see Genhard, Comenius.

  Convention: the assembly of all Chief Mages and highest authority in the Federation, source of all Federal legislation. It usually meets every other year in the capital Dara, but sometimes convenes more frequently, or in other locations.

  Creator: the ultimate deity, worshipped by all three races under different names.

  Croialis: a poison made from the seed of a tropical plant, popular for assassinations as it is not susceptible to magical healing.

  Dara: capital of the Northia Federation, located on the east coast of the Northia Continent.

  Dira: Lord Iannis’s principal secretary in the Mages Guild offices in Solantha.

  Dolan, Marris: a young farmer from Abbsville in the state of Watawis, who has spent some time fighting for the Resistance. Friend and neighbor to Fenris, with whom he came to Solantha to uncover the Resistance Plot there.

  Downtown: the seamy area of Maintown, especially at night, when the Black Market is operating there. Full of brothels and gaming dens.

  Elania Tarrignal: wife of Comenius Genhard; a witch specializing in potions, with a shop in Witches’ End, The Black Curtain.

  Elnos: see under Ragga, Elnos.

  Enforcer: a bounty hunter employed by the government to seek out and capture wanted criminals. They operate under strict rules and are traditionally paid bounties for each head, although Sunaya is trying to reform this system. While the majority of them are human, there is a strong minority of shifters, and even the occasional mage.

  Enforcers’ Guild: the administrative organization in charge of the enforcers, currently led by Captain Wellmore Skonel. Also, the building from which the various enforcer crews work under their respective foremen.

  Faricia: a large continent that straddles the North and South hemispheres, located south of the Central Continent’s western region. Inhabited by many different nations and tribes; partly inaccessible to foreign travelers.

  Federation: see Northia Federation.

  Fenris aka “Jalen Fenris Shelton,” originally Polar ar’Tollis: a clanless wolf shifter who used to be a mage before his illegal transformation; close friend and confidant of Chief Mage Iannis ar’Sannin and Sunaya Baine. After transferring his entire memories and knowledge to Sunaya to save her life, he disappeared from Solantha during the big quake, and was thought dead for a time. In fact, he moved to a small rural community to avoid the scrutiny of the Federal authorities, where he met and became engaged to Mina, a young mage and veterinarian.

  First Mage: see under Resinah.

  Firegate Bridge: Solantha’s best-known structure, a large red bridge spanning the length of Solantha Bay. It is accessible via Firegate Road, adjacent to Firegate Park.

  Garai: the largest and most populated country on the Eastern Continent. Garaians are known for slanted eyes and ivory skin as well as their complicated, rune-like alphabet. Sunaya and Iannis travelled there as part of an official delegation for the Mage-Emperor’s funeral and his successor’s coronation.

  Genhard, Comenius: a hedgewitch from Pernia, owner of the shop Over the Hedge at Witches’ End. Close friend of Sunaya Baine, father of Rusalia Genhard, former employer of Noria Melcott, and husband of the witch Elania.

  Genhard, Rusalia: daughter of Comenius Genhard. She came from Pernia to Solantha to live with her father after her mother’s sudden death, and at first had some trouble adjusting, and controlling her fire magic.

  Graning, Zavian: mage, currently Minister of the Northia Federation. Elected by the Convention for an indefinite term, he is charged with coordination of governmental business and particularly foreign affairs, between the biannual Convention sessions that he prepares and presides.

  Great Accord: a treaty struck by the ruling mages centuries ago, which brought an end to a devastating war known as the Conflict. It is still the basis upon which mages rule their countries and territories. All new laws passed must be in accordance with the provisions of the Great Accord.

  Gulaya: a star-shaped charm, usually made of metal, that is anchored to a specific location and can take its wearer back there at need. They are rare, and difficult to recharge.

  Hawk Hill: near Solantha, on the other side of Firegate Bridge; the location of the mages’ hidden Temple.

  Hedgewitch: a variety of mage specialized in earth-based magic.

  Herald, The: the main newspaper in Solantha, catering mostly to the majority human population. It used to belong to the media conglomerate of Thorgana Mills, the Benefactor, and while in new hands, is still not particularly mage-friendly.

  Iannis: see ar’Sannin, Iannis.

  Janta Urama: mage and scholar, head librarian in the Solantha Mages Guild, and foster mother of Tinari Schaun, a young girl whose human family rejected her for having magic.

  Kelling, Barrla: Mina’s best friend from rural Abbsville, who worked in her parents’ general store and loves shifter romances. She came to Solantha with Fenris, Mina and her boyfriend Marris Dolan, to help uncover the Resistance plot there.

  Lady, The: mages refer to the First Mage, Resinah, as the Lady, most often in the phrase “by the Lady!”

  Liu: a young Garaian girl Sunaya and Iannis brought back from their travels, who is training to be a chef under Mrs. Tandry in the palace kitchens, and wants to open her own restaurant eventually.

  Loranian: the difficult, secret language of magic that all mages are required to master.

  Lowry, Gardina: an exclusive Solantha dressmaker patronized by Sunaya.

  Mages Guild: the governmental organization that rules the mages in each state, and supervises the other races. The headquarters are usually in the same building as the Palace of the local Chief Mage, to whom the Guild is subordinate.

  Magitech: devices that are powered by both magic and technology.

/>   Magorah: the god of the shifters, associated with the moon.

  Manuc: an island country off the west coast of the Central Continent, where Chief Mage Iannis ar’Sannin was born and educated. It is also the country where the legendary Tua most often interact with humans.

  Manucan: the language of Manuc, an island country northwest of the Central Continent.

  Marris: see Dolan, Marris.

  Marwale: a luxurious hotel on the west coast, about an hour from Solantha, the capital of Canalo. It caters to mages and rich humans.

  Melcott, Annia: a human enforcer and close friend of Sunaya. After Annia’s younger sister Noria was sentenced to hard labor in the Mines and disappeared during the great earthquake, Annia set off to find her sibling and has not yet returned.

  Melcott, Noria: Annia Melcott’s younger sister, a gifted inventor who used to work part-time in the shop Over the Hedge, belonging to Comenius Genhard. She had a mage boyfriend, Elnos Ragga, but left him to join the Resistance, and was subsequently sentenced to hard labor in the mines. However, during the great quake she disappeared and has not yet resurfaced.

  Mills, Thorgana: socialite and former owner of a news media conglomerate as well as numerous other companies. After being exposed as the Benefactor, the financier and mastermind behind the Resistance, she was imprisoned. She managed to escape during a prison fire, but later died around the time of the Solantha earthquake.

  Mina: a young mage engaged to Sunaya’s friend Fenris. Mina’s original name is Tamina Marton, and from childhood she was called “Mina” by her friends and family. After running away as a teenager, she used the name Mina Hollin and eventually, various other pseudonyms as needed.

  Mindspeak: shifters’ telepathic way to communicate over short distances, especially useful when in animal form. A few mages also share this ability.

  Minister, the: the mage who presides the Convention of Chief Mages, and coordinates the affairs of the Northia Federation between sessions, particularly foreign relations. The office is currently held by Zavian Graning.

  Moredo, Maltar: chief shareholder and CEO of Moredo Constructions, currently the largest construction company in Solantha.

  Nebara: one of the fifty states making up the Northia Federation, located north of Canalo, and Fenris’s home state.

  Nelia: see under Thrase, Nelia.

  Noria: see under Melcott, Noria.

  Northia Federation: a federation consisting of fifty states that cover almost the entire northern half and middle of the Western Continent. The Federal Government is located in the capital Dara, on the east coast.

  Northian: the main language spoken in the Northia Federation.

  Over the Hedge: a shop at Witches’ End selling magical charms and herbal remedies, belonging to Comenius Genhard.

  Pernia: a country on the Central Continent, from which Sunaya’s friend Comenius Genhard hails.

  Polar: see under ar’Tollis, Polar.

  Ragga, Elnos: mage and inventor, formerly Noria Melcott’s boyfriend. He and Noria worked together to develop new magitech devices. Since she left, he has been collaborating with Chief Mage Iannis on various projects, and advises him on scientific and technical issues.

  Recca: the world of humans, mages and shifters.

  Resinah: the first mage, whose teachings are of paramount spiritual importance for the mages. Her statue can be found in the mage temples, which are off-limits to non-mages and magically hidden from outsiders.

  Resistance: a movement of revolutionaries planning to overthrow the mages and take control of the Northia Federation. Over time they became bolder and more aggressive, using terrorist attacks with civilian casualties, as well as assassinations. The discovery that their main financier, the so-called Benefactor and the other human leaders of the Resistance were planning to turn on their shifter allies dealt a blow to the unity of the movement. While the Resistance appears defanged for the moment, its human adherents are still hoping for a resurgence.

  Rusalia, see under Genhard, Rusalia.

  Rylan: see under Baine, Rylan.

  ar’Sannin, Iannis: Chief Mage of Canalo; Sunaya’s master and fiancé. He resides in the capital city of Solantha, from which he runs Canalo as well as the Mages Guild with the help of his deputy, Director Chen, and various Secretaries. Originally a native of Manuc, a country located across the Eastern Sea. His impending wedding to his apprentice, the half-shifter Sunaya Baine, has drawn world-wide media attention.

  Secretary: in each state, the Chief Mages are assisted by Secretaries (Finance, Reconstruction, Legal, Agriculture, etc.), some of whom may eventually achieve the rank of Chief Mage themselves.

  Serapha charms: paired amulets that allow two people, usually a couple, to find each other via twinned stones imbued with a small part of their essence. Normally, only the wearer can take a serapha charm off.

  Shifter: a human who can change into animal form and back by magic. They originally resulted from illegal experiments by mages on ordinary humans.

  Shiftertown: the part of Solantha where the official shifter clans live.

  Skonel, Wellmore: human; since the retirement of his predecessor, Captain of Solantha’s Enforcers. He does not relish having to work with Sunaya in reforming the Enforcer’s Guild.

  Slade, Rubb: a sleazy journalist covering the Convention and wedding.

  Solantha: the capital of Canalo State, a port city on the west coast of the Northia continent. Seat of Chief Mage Iannis ar’Sannin and the Canalo Mages Guild, and home of Sunaya Baine.

  Solantha Bay: spanned by the Firegate Bridge, the bay gave its name to the city and port that became the capital of Canalo.

  Solantha Palace: the seat of power in Canalo, where both the Chief Mage and the Mages Guild reside. It is located near the coast of Solantha Bay.

  Solantha Press Club: an institution dedicated to supporting the press, known for its well-stocked bar.

  Southia: the subcontinent to the south of Northia, composed of various nations. Northia and Southia together form the Western Continent.

  Sunaya: see under Baine, Sunaya.

  Mrs. Tandry: human, head chef in the kitchens of Solantha Palace, who supervises Liu’s apprenticeship there.

  Testing: human and shifter schoolchildren in the Northia Federation are tested for magic at least twice during their schoolyears, and a positive result used to lead to the magic wipe (often with permanent mental damage). Sunaya, who has a personal stake in the subject as a potential victim of this process, is now in charge of Testing in Canalo, and tries to find more humane solutions on a case-to-case basis.

  Thorgana: see under Mills, Thorgana.

  Thrase, Nelia: a young human, Sunaya’s social secretary, who used to be a journalist before her current job.

  Tinari Schaun: a young human girl who tested positive for magic, and was rejected by her human parents. She has been informally adopted by mage librarian Janta Urama.

  ar’Tollis, Polar: former Chief Mage of Nebara, who was condemned to death in absentia for a crime against the Great Accord – namely, to save the life of a child with illegal magic, who had attacked a mage. He disappeared just before he was to be arrested, and despite a nation-wide manhunt, has never resurfaced.

  Toring, Garrett: mage, Federal Director of Security, former Federal Secretary of Justice. An ambitious high official in the Federal government, determined to expand his power, and catch the fugitive former Chief Mage Polar ar’Tollis.

  Trouble: a non-corporeal ether parrot that resulted when Sunaya tried the ether pigeon spell on her own. He appears whenever Sunaya pronounces his name in any context.

  Tua: a legendary and highly dangerous race of very long-lived beings with powerful magic, who sometimes cross from their own world into Recca, most frequently in Manuc.

  Ur-God: the name the humans call the Creator by.

  Vanderheim, Curian: human millionaire and businessman, husband to the late Thorgana Mills. After his wife’s arrest, he managed to flee the country with some of hi
s vast fortune.

  Watawis: one of the fifty states of the Northia Federation, landlocked, in the mountainous northwest. It is one of the least populated and poorest of the fifty states.

  Witches’ End: a pier in Solantha City, part of the Port, where immigrant magic users sell their wares and services.

  Words: Loranian formulas used by mages for almost all standard spells.

  Zavian Graning: see under Graning, Zavian.

  About the Author

  JASMINE WALT is obsessed with books, chocolate, and sharp objects. Somehow, those three things melded together in her head and transformed into a desire to write, usually fantastical stuff with a healthy dose of action and romance. Her characters are a little (okay, a lot) on the snarky side, and they swear, but they mean well. Even the villains sometimes.

  When Jasmine isn’t chained to her keyboard, you can find her practicing her triangle choke on the jujitsu mat, spending time with her family, or binge-watching superhero shows on Netflix.

  Want to connect with Jasmine? You can find her on Instagram at @jasmine.walt, on Facebook, or at www.jasminewalt.com.

  Also by Jasmine Walt

  The Dragon’s Gift Trilogy

  Coauthored with May Sage

  Dragon’s Gift

  Dragon’s Blood—Coming Soon!

  Dragon’s Legacy—Coming Soon!

  * * *

  The Baine Chronicles: Fenris’s Story:

  Forsaken by Magic (Novella)

  Fugitive by Magic

  Claimed by Magic

  Saved by Magic

  * * *

  The Baine Chronicles Series:

  Burned by Magic

  Bound by Magic

  Hunted by Magic

  Marked by Magic

  Betrayed by Magic

  Deceived by Magic

  Scorched by Magic

  Taken by Magic

  Tested by Magic (novella)

  * * *

  The Nia Rivers Adventures:

  Coauthored with Ines Johnson