Branded and Betrayed

Tessla Harrow, a young Gardnerian Mage, is marked as an outcast in her Keltic village, enduring daily prejudice and violence. When the villagers escalate from insults to arson, burning her family's barn and painting "Heretics" on it, Tessla realizes her family is in grave danger. The Kelts' growing hostility, fueled by political and religious tensions, leaves Tessla and her family isolated and desperate. Her only solace is her friendship with Jules, a Keltic boy who risks his own safety to help her. As the threat of a Purging looms, Tessla's world is upended, and she must act quickly to protect her family and herself from the violence closing in.

Purge and Flight

The Purging arrives sooner than Tessla hoped, with mobs rounding up Gardnerians and dragging them through the streets. Tessla narrowly escapes capture with Jules's help, witnessing friends and neighbors brutalized. The village is thrown into chaos as dragons—both enemy and Gardnerian—fill the sky, signaling the start of open war. Tessla's home is set ablaze, and she is forced to flee into the mountains, her heart breaking for her missing family. The trauma and recovery of violence and betrayal cements her resolve to survive, even as she mourns the loss of everything she's known.

Dragons in the Sky

As dragons battle overhead, Tessla and Jules scramble for safety, seeking Tessla's grandfather's wand—their only hope for defense. The landscape is transformed by fire and fear, with soldiers and magical creatures clashing in the fields below. Tessla's magical affinity, especially for fire, surges under pressure, but without a wand, she is nearly powerless. The devastation around her is total: homes destroyed, families separated, and the future uncertain. The arrival of Gardnerian forces, led by powerful Mages, hints at a possible rescue, but also the escalation of the conflict.

Captured and Cornered

Tessla is captured by Keltic and Urisk soldiers and thrown into a livestock pen with other Gardnerian women. She witnesses the brutality of her captors and the divisions among her own people. The threat of violence is constant, and Tessla's only hope lies in her ability to gather and weave magic, despite the risk of burning herself out. The arrival of her brother Wren and grandfather among the prisoners raises the stakes, as Tessla's desperation to protect them pushes her to the edge of her magical limits.

The White Wand

When Tessla seizes a powerful white wand from a Keltic ax-paladin, her magic explodes in a torrent of fire, creating a shield that protects the prisoners from attack. The effort nearly kills her, as she channels more magic than her body can handle. The enemy responds with overwhelming force—dragons, Icaral demons, and geomancers—testing the limits of her shield. Tessla's act of defiance buys precious time for the prisoners to escape, but leaves her physically and magically shattered.

Mage's Shield

As Tessla's strength fails, Gardnerian Mages arrive, wielding lightning and ice to turn the tide. Vale Gardner, a powerful fire Mage, and Fain Quillen, a water Mage, rescue Tessla and the survivors. The battle is fierce, with the Mages clashing against the Icaral demon and enemy soldiers. Tessla, now Magedrunk from magical overload, is barely conscious as her rescuers fight to save her life and the lives of her family and friends.

Lightning and Ice

The aftermath of the battle reveals tensions among the Gardnerian Mages, especially between Vale and Malkyn Bane, an ice Mage with a cruel streak. Tessla's friend Jules is nearly killed, and the trauma and recovery of violence and loss lingers. Tessla's magical affinity is dangerously unbalanced, and only Fain's water magic and Vale's fire can stabilize her. The experience forges a bond between Tessla and her rescuers, but also exposes the darker side of Gardnerian power.

Magedrunk and Rescued

Tessla's recovery is slow and painful, as she is cared for by Fain and Vale. She learns more about the complexities of Gardnerian society, the privileges and prejudices of the upper classes, and the expectations placed on women. Tessla's intelligence and resilience impress her rescuers, but she is also confronted with their own flaws and biases. The trauma and recovery of her ordeal deepens her resolve to protect her family and claim agency over her future.

Wandfasting and Fury

As refugees gather in the Gardnerian camp, Tessla faces new challenges: poverty, social ostracism, and the threat of being forced into a wandfasting and sealing (magical marriage) for her own "protection." Rumors about her friendship with Jules, a Kelt, make her a pariah among her people. The pressure to conform to tradition and secure her family's future is overwhelming, and Tessla's anger at the injustice of her situation boils over.

Lower River, Higher Stakes

Tessla's status as a Lower River Gardnerian—poor, rural, and looked down upon by the elite—shapes her interactions with others in the camp. She finds unexpected allies in Fain and Vale, who recognize her intelligence and courage. The threat of being fasted to the sadistic Malkyn Bane looms, and Tessla's grandfather's well-meaning but misguided faith puts her in greater danger. Tessla's refusal to be shamed for her background or her friendships becomes an act of resistance.

The Black Witch Arrives

The arrival of Carnissa Gardner, the legendary Black Witch and Vale's mother, electrifies the camp. Her overwhelming magical power and charisma inspire hope and fear in equal measure. As she consolidates Gardnerian power, the lines between liberation and vengeance blur. Tessla witnesses both the compassion and the ruthlessness of her people's new rulers, and the cost of victory becomes clear.

Forced Fasting

Tessla is publicly accused of impurity and threatened with being fasted to Malkyn Bane. In a desperate move, Vale claims Tessla as his promised fastmate, saving her from a cruel fate. The forced wandfasting and sealing ceremony bind Tessla and Vale together, stripping Tessla of her agency but also offering her protection. The experience is both humiliating and redemptive, as Tessla and Vale begin to see each other in a new light.

Sealed by Fire

Exiled from the camp, Tessla and Vale travel together, their magical affinities drawing them closer. Tessla learns that Vale is not the cold, elitist Mage she assumed, but a man burdened by his own traumas and ideals. Their shared experiences of loss, survival, and resistance forge a deep connection. As they open up to each other, their partnership evolves from necessity to genuine affection and love.

Exile and Revelation

In the isolation of Vale's seaside cottage, Tessla and Vale confront their feelings and the truth about their pasts. Misunderstandings about Vale's relationship with Fain are cleared, and Tessla realizes that Vale's affection is for her alone. The two finally consummate their bond, their magical lines deepening and intertwining. Their union is both a personal victory and a symbol of hope for a more just future.

Kindred Affinities

Tessla and Vale open their home to other outcasts, including Beck and his Selkie lover, Ray, and their child. The found family and chosen bonds they create is a haven for those rejected by the rigid lines of Gardnerian society. Tessla's magical skills grow, and she finds purpose in helping others. The couple's love and partnership become a model of equality and mutual respect, challenging the prejudices of their world.

Sanctuary and Selkie

The arrival of Ray and her child brings new challenges, as the dangers of inter-racial relationships and the threat of discovery loom. Tessla's empathy and Vale's sense of justice drive them to protect their guests, even at great personal risk. The bonds of friendship and found family and chosen bonds are tested and strengthened, as the household becomes a microcosm of resistance and hope.

Lines Changed, Hearts Chosen

Tessla and Vale's relationship is publicly celebrated in a grand sealing ceremony, but the world outside remains fraught with danger and injustice. The rise of Gardnerian power brings both liberation and new forms of oppression. Tessla, now fully empowered and loved, commits to using her magic and her voice to fight for a better future—not just for her people, but for all those caught in the crossfire of war and moral ambiguity and prejudice.

Characters

Tessla Harrow

Tessla is a young Gardnerian Mage marked by her poverty, intelligence, and rare magical affinity for fire. Orphaned and responsible for her ailing brother and grandfather, she is shaped by trauma and recovery, prejudice and pariahdom, and the constant threat of violence. Tessla's psychological journey is one of survival, resistance, and self-assertion. She is fiercely loyal, quick-witted, and unwilling to be shamed for her background or her friendships. Her development from victim to empowered Mage is driven by her refusal to accept the limits imposed by tradition and class.

Vale Gardner

Vale is the son of the legendary Black Witch, burdened by expectations, trauma, and a deep sense of justice. Outwardly cold and severe, he is inwardly passionate, principled, and deeply wounded by the violence and hypocrisy of his society. Vale's relationship with Tessla transforms him, allowing him to embrace vulnerability and love. His struggle is both personal and political, as he seeks to use his power to protect the vulnerable and challenge the darkness within his own people.

Fain Quillen

Fain is a Level Five Mage with a traumatic past, marked by abuse and survival. His water affinity contrasts with Vale's fire, and his artistic, compassionate nature makes him a source of comfort and wisdom for Tessla. Fain's sexuality and outsider status make him vulnerable in Gardnerian society, but his resilience and kindness are unwavering. He serves as a bridge between worlds, offering sanctuary and support to those in need.

Jules Kristian

Jules is Tessla's childhood friend and would-be suitor, a Kelt who defies his people's prejudice to help her. His intelligence, loyalty, and quiet courage make him a rare ally, but his love for Tessla is ultimately unrequited. Jules's fate is a poignant reminder of the costs of war and moral ambiguity and the pain of impossible choices.

Wren Harrow

Wren is Tessla's sickly younger brother, whose survival is Tessla's driving motivation. His vulnerability and eventual healing represent the possibility of renewal and the importance of family. Wren's journey from fear to empowerment mirrors Tessla's own growth.

Grandfather Harrow

Tessla's grandfather is a devout, traditional Gardnerian whose faith and passivity often put the family in danger. His inability to adapt to changing times and his insistence on tradition create both obstacles and moments of unexpected support for Tessla.

Malkyn Bane

Malkyn is a Level Five Mage whose sadism and bigotry make him a threat to Tessla and others. He represents the dangers of unchecked power and the dark side of Gardnerian society. His pursuit of Tessla and his violence toward others highlight the stakes of resistance.

Carnissa Gardner (The Black Witch)

Vale's mother is a figure of awe and fear, wielding immense magical power and political influence. Her actions bring both liberation and new forms of oppression, embodying the complexities of revolution and the dangers of vengeance.

Beck Keeler

Beck is a Gardnerian sailor who risks everything for his Selkie lover and their child. His story parallels Tessla's, highlighting the costs of love across forbidden lines and the need for compassion in a divided world.

Ray (the Selkie)

Ray is a Selkie woman trapped on land, separated from her people and struggling to protect her child. Her vulnerability and resilience make her a symbol of the costs of prejudice and the power of found family and chosen bonds.

Plot Devices

Magic as Social Hierarchy

The world of Wandfasted is structured around magical affinity, with fire, water, earth, air, and light determining status and opportunity. Women are especially restricted, with wands and magical training denied to all but a few. Tessla's rare power and her struggle to claim it drive the plot and symbolize the fight for agency.

Wandfasting and Sealing

The ritual of wandfasting—magical marriage—serves as both a tool of oppression and a means of survival. Tessla's forced fasting to Vale is both a violation and a rescue, highlighting the tension between personal agency and societal expectation. The sealing of magical lines becomes a metaphor for intimacy, trust, and the possibility of transformation.

Prejudice and Pariahdom

Tessla's status as a Lower River Gardnerian and her friendship with a Kelt make her a target for scorn and violence. The novel uses her outsider perspective to critique the rigid hierarchies of Gardnerian society and to explore the costs of resistance and solidarity.

Trauma and Recovery

The psychological scars of violence, loss, and betrayal are central to the characters' development. Tessla's journey from trauma to healing is mirrored in her relationships with Vale, Fain, and others, and in her growing mastery of magic.

Found Family and Chosen Bonds

The creation of a new, chosen family—Tessla, Vale, Fain, Beck, Ray, and others—offers hope and resistance in the face of oppression. The bonds of love, friendship, and mutual aid challenge the divisions imposed by tradition and prejudice.

War and Moral Ambiguity

The rise of Gardnerian power brings both freedom and new forms of violence. The novel explores the dangers of becoming what one hates, the temptation of vengeance, and the need for compassion even in victory.

Analysis

Wandfasted is a powerful prequel that explores the intersection of magic as social hierarchy, prejudice and pariahdom, and personal agency in a world on the brink of transformation. Through Tessla's eyes, Laurie Forest crafts a narrative that is both intimate and epic, blending the trauma and recovery of survival with the hope of love and resistance. The novel interrogates the costs of tradition, the dangers of unchecked power, and the possibility of forging new bonds across lines of class, gender, and race. Tessla's journey from outcast to empowered Mage is both a personal and political awakening, challenging readers to consider the meaning of justice, the value of compassion, and the necessity of fighting for a better world. In a time of rising authoritarianism and social division, Wandfasted's lessons about found family and chosen bonds, agency, and the transformative power of love are more relevant than ever.

Last updated: May 15, 2025