Hand of Mars (Starship's Mage, #2)

by Glynn Stewart

Two men were standing there, looking outwards in shock as their cover disappeared. Alaura pulled their feet from beneath them with her magic, bringing them down to the street with a gentleness that had nothing to do with mercy.

Montgomery’s entire torso was covered. From the standard Jump Mage runes inlaid into his palms to what looked like two separate runes covering his chest, swirling characters of silver polymer had been carved into his skin in patterns that tried to shed the eye. The runes covered both of his arms, wrapping onto his torso and looping around his chest and back.

Those five Runes had taken his at-best mediocre power levels and elevated him to a level with, effectively, no equals bar the other Rune Wrights.

no one on this planet really knows what it means for a Hand to go to war.”

That battleship is going to settle into orbit and its Marines are going to arrest us both. They’ll haul us back to Mars, give us a perfectly fair trial, and shoot us.”