Shroud of Lies

Jessamine is a runty desert kitsune with seven older brothers and a blacksmith as a father who is determined to sell her away in an arranged marriage because their family is too poor to feed a girl. Her father thinks she is a mindless nothing who spends her days moping about and figures that if he doesn't marry her off soon the vultures will get her. And her father also believes that a girl could never craft a sword worth selling. What he doesn't know is that Jessamine risks her neck every night ring fighting in her brother's place and she learned black smithing in secret and lets her brothers take the credit for her work which is better than that of any man. When a powerful male kitsune comes through her village looking for a sword, she plans a daring escape, disguising herself as a boy and offering to be the newcomer's weapons expert in exchange for him allowing her to accompany him on his quest. But soon she finds she has feelings for the boy she ran away with, and keeping up the charade becomes harder and harder, even though he might abandon her if he learns the truth.