Empire of Shadows (Raiders of the Arcana, #1)

by Jacquelyn Benson

At that tender age, it had never occurred to Ellie that the life she wanted was an impossibility—that no amount of intelligence and determination would ever overcome the handicap of her gender.

Marriage would mean the end of any occupation for her besides managing the household—a fate even less desirable than being eaten alive by a boa constrictor.

“Are you telling me that the future of this endeavor depends upon whether or not I am a virgin?”