Alliance Forged
Authors: Kylie Griffin
Praise for
V
ENGEANCE
B
ORN
“Peopled with intriguing characters, the world of
Vengeance Born
is unique and filled with compelling mystery. I’m looking forward to seeing where Kylie Griffin takes that world next.”
—Nalini Singh,
New York Times
bestselling author
“A great debut novel; Kylie Griffin has me hooked. This story grabbed my attention and raced down several dangerous, intense, enthralling paths, making it very hard to put down. The tale of Annika and Kalan is set in a well-thought-out, fascinating world filled with danger, intrigue, betrayal, passion, revulsion, tenderness—Griffin has given her readers a whole gamut of emotions to feel and leaves her readers with the hope for more stories set in this compelling universe. It’s not only good on the first read, it’s still good on the second; this is definitely one for my keeper shelves.”
—Jean Johnson, national bestselling author of
Finding Destiny
“Kylie Griffin builds a compelling and fascinating world that pulled me right in!”
—Joss Ware
“In
Vengeance Born
, Kylie Griffin spins an intriguing story of two races who are mortal enemies, and the half-breeds that are despised by both, who must transform their cultures. The book has solid world building, sympathetic characters, and a twisty story line. I’m looking forward to the next in the Light Blade series.”
—Robin D. Owens, national bestselling author of
Hearts and Swords
Berkley Sensation titles by Kylie Griffin
VENGEANCE BORN
ALLIANCE FORGED
A
LLIANCE
F
ORGED
KYLIE GRIFFIN
BERKLEY SENSATION, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) • Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England • Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) • Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) • Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India • Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) • Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2012 by Kylie Griffin.
Cover illustration by Gene Mollica.
Cover design by Lesley Worrell.
Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
BERKLEY SENSATION
®
is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / July 2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Griffin, Kylie.
Alliance forged / Kylie Griffin.—Berkley sensation trade paperback ed.
p. cm.
ISBN: 978-1-101-58103-2
I. Title.
PS3607.R54836A45 2012
813’.6—dc23
2012012364
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ALWAYS LEARNING
PEARSON
To Kendra and Michelle:
How could I have done this without
your wonderful emails and special brand of pestering?
You do realize payback’s a bitch?
Ask any author starting out on their publishing journey and I bet most will say that their second book was the hardest to write. This one certainly was for me. To the little voice in my head throwing in comments—see, I did it. Again. Don’t doubt; just write!
Again, to my comrades-in-arms—my editor and agent—Leis and Elaine, thank you for helping make this book the best it can be and for your unwavering support. I’ve learned so much from both of you!
To the kids in my class (past and present), and some of you know who you are—you provided the inspiration for Tovie, Rissa, and the other young characters. So, yes, there are some of you in my books. Also to the parents and staff of MPS who’ve encouraged and supported me over the years—many, many, many hugs! Special thanks to Dee—you’re a fantastic beta reader.
And to those who are reading this series—a huge thank you for buying these books. I hope that the characters and their stories have entertained you—if they have, then it’s mission accomplished, my job is done… until the next book!
Chapter 1
“H
ELP!”
The note of panic in the child’s high-pitched cry had Kymora scrambling to her feet, the half-mended shirt falling from her hands to the ground. Her fingertips brushed over the coarse-textured wattle and daub wall of the croft until she found her staff. Sweeping the staff in front of her, she stepped out from the shade into the biting warmth of the afternoon sun.
“Evie, over here!” she called, recognizing the voice. Three strides and the hard sound under the heel of her boot told her she stood in the middle of the pathway among the row of huts lining either side of it.
At the edge of her mind, the young shepherdess’s aura flared, brushed hers, but she was too far away for Kymora to read it accurately. The rapid thump of boots on hard-packed ground grew louder as they came in her direction.
A hollow wooden scraping came from her left, the door to the house being pushed open. An earthy, wild, wind-swept scent wafted
through the air. The odor varied
Na’Chi
to
Na’Chi
but the rich base note of the half-human, half-demon race was always the same.
“Kymora, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Lisella.”
The door creaked and a hand touched her elbow. The half-blood woman’s gesture let her know she was there beside her, a courtesy all the
Na’Chi
had learned in the weeks she’d been living with them.
“
Temple Elect!
They’re killing the flock!”
The child’s aura was a seething mass of darkness edged with the roughness of barely contained terror. Had she been able to see, Kymora had little doubt Evie’s face would have borne a wide-eyed, fearful expression. The ability to read auras compensated for the absence of that sense.
She stretched out her hand to the child, tempted to hurry to the girl but the ground was too uneven. Each row of huts had been built half a dozen steps apart, leaving a corridor for foot traffic, but with young children using the pathways as play areas, even the smallest hole or hollow dug by little hands made traversing the thoroughfares hazardous.
Such a small thing challenged her independence and left her feeling vulnerable, a sensation she disliked. A lot. There were times, like this, when her blindness left her feeling like she was a child again, learning to cope with her disability when she’d first lost her sight. For now, it stopped her from rushing to comfort the child.
She grunted as the ten-year-old barreled into her. Small arms reached around her waist and squeezed tightly. She smoothed a hand over the girl’s trembling body; the harsh sound of her gasping only reinforced the terror she could feel beneath her hands.
“Shh, you’re safe,” she crooned. “Tell me what you saw.”
“Rahni and I were watching the fl-flock from the rocks when we s-s-saw men coming over the hill.” The girl shuddered. Her aura pulsated so viciously Kymora fought not to wince. “They were so
qu-quick… we couldn’t stop ’em. They started k-killing the bleaters….”
Lisella moved closer. “Geanna and Eyan were the watchers today,” she murmured. “Why didn’t they spot them first?”
A cold knot of unease curled in Kymora’s stomach.
Na’Chi
senses were three times as acute as humans’. Disregarding that, the scouts were highly skilled warriors and never derelict in their responsibilities. What had happened to them? “How many were there, Evie?”
“I’m not sure, maybe ten. They’re c-coming this way!”
Kymora’s stomach clenched. With the appearance of the
Na’Chi
in human territory, the myth associated with their rumored existence had been dispelled, shocking many. After five hundred years of war with the
Na’Reish
, many had assumed they were just like the power-hungry demons, especially when it became known that they possessed traits similar to their
Na’Reish
heritage—particularly the need to consume blood.
Some hostility was to be expected, but a physical attack on the
Na’Chi
? Surely these renegades had read the missives sent out by the Blade Council explaining that the
Na’Chi
had received the blessings of the
Lady
, their deity?
Why would anyone risk censure for breaking the laws of sanctuary by attacking the
Na’Chi
?