Galdoni

GALDONI

Book 1

By Cheree L. Alsop

Galdoni

By Cheree Alsop

Copyright 2013 by Cheree Alsop

Smashwords Edition

Cover Design by Andy Hair

www.chereealsop.com

PRAISE FOR CHEREE ALSOP

Galdoni

“
I was pleasantly surprised by this
book! The characters were so well written as if the words
themselves became life. The sweet romance between hero and heroine
made me root for the underdog more than I usually do! I definitely
recommend this book!”

—
Sara Phillipp

“
Can't wait for the next book!!
Original idea and great characters. Could not put the book down;
read it in one sitting.”

—
StanlyDoo- Amazon
Reviewer

“
5 stars! Amazing read. The story
was great- the plot flowed and kept throwing the unexpected at you.
Wonderfully established setting in place; great character
development, shown very well thru well placed dialogue- which in
turn kept the story moving right along! No bog downs or boring
parts in this book! Loved the originality that stemmed from ancient
mysticism- bringing age old fiction into modern day reality.
Recommend for teenage and older- action violence a little intense
for preteen years, but overall this is a great action thriller
slash mini romance novel.”

—
That Lisa Girl, Amazon
Reviewer

The Silver Series

“
Cheree Alsop has written
Silver
for the YA reader
who enjoys both werewolves and coming-of-age tales. Although I
don’t fall into this demographic, I still found it an entertaining
read on a long plane trip! The author has put a great deal of
thought into balancing a tale that could apply to any teen (death
of a parent, new school, trying to find one’s place in the world)
with the added spice of a youngster dealing with being
exceptionally different from those around him, and knowing that
puts him in danger.”

—
Robin Hobb, author of the Farseer
Trilogy

“
I honestly am amazed this isn’t
absolutely EVERYWHERE! Amazing book. Could NOT put it down! After
reading this book, I purchased the entire series!”

—
Josephine, Amazon
Reviewer

“
Great book, Cheree Alsop! The best
of this kind I have read in a long time. I just hope there is more
like this one.”

—
Tony Olsen

“
I couldn’t put the book down. I
fell in love with the characters and how wonderfully they were
written. Can’t wait to read the 2
^nd
!”

—
Mary A. F. Hamilton

“
A page-turner that kept me wide
awake and wanting more. Great characters, well written, tenderly
developed, and thrilling. I loved this book, and you will
too.”

—
Valerie McGilvrey

Keeper of the Wolves

“
This is without a doubt the VERY
BEST paranormal romance/adventure I have ever read and I’ve been
reading these types of books for over 45 years. Excellent plot,
wonderful protagonists—even the evil villains were great. I read
this in one sitting on a Saturday morning when there were so many
other things I should have been doing. I COULD NOT put it down! I
also appreciated the author’s research and insights into the
behavior of wolf packs. I will CERTAINLY read more by this author
and put her on my ‘favorites’ list.”

—
N. Darisse

“
This is a novel that will
emotionally cripple you. Be sure to keep a box of tissues by your
side. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will fall in love with
Keeper. If you loved
Black Beauty
as a child, then you will truly love
Keeper of the Wolves
as
an adult. Put this on your ‘must read’ list.”

—
Fortune Ringquist

“
Cheree Alsop mastered the mind of a
wolf and wrote the most amazing story I’ve read this year. Once I
started, I couldn’t stop reading. Personal needs no longer existed.
I turned the last page with tears streaming down my
face.”

—
Rachel Andersen, Amazon
Reviewer

Thief Prince

“
This book was a roller coaster of
emotions: tears, laughter, anger, and happiness. I absolutely fell
in love with all of the characters placed throughout this story.
This author knows how to paint a picture with words.”

—
Kathleen Vales

“
Awesome book! It was so action
packed, I could not put it down, and it left me wanting more! It
was very well written, leaving me feeling like I had a connection
with the characters.”

—
M. A., Amazon Reviewer

“
I am a Cheree Alsop junkie and I
have to admit, hands down, this is my FAVORITE of anything she has
published. In a world separated by race, fear and power are forced
to collide in order to save them all. Who better to free them of
the prejudice than the loyal heart of a Duskie? Adventure,
incredible amounts of imagination, and description go into this
world! It is a ‘buy now and don’t leave the couch until the last
chapter has reached an end’ kind of read!”

—
Malcay, Amazon Reviewer

Small Town Superhero

“
Anyone who grew up in a small town
or around motorcycles will love this! It has great characters and
flows well with martial arts fighting and conflicts
involved.”

—
Karen, Amazon Reviewer

“
Cheree Alsop has written a great
book for youth and adults alike. . .
Small
Town Superhero
had me from the first
sentence through the end. I felt every sorrow, every pain, and the
delight of rushing through the dark on a motorcycle. Descriptions
in
Small Town
Superhero
are so well written the
reader is immersed in the town and lives of its
inhabitants.”

—
Rachel Andersen, Amazon
Reviewer

Stolen

“
This book will take your heart,
make it a little bit bigger, and then fill it with love. I would
recommend this book to anyone from 10-100. To put this book in
words is like trying to describe love. I had just gotten it and I
finished it the next day because I couldn’t put it down. If you
like action, thrilling fights, and/or romance, then this is the
perfect book for you.”

—
Steven L. Jagerhorn

Heart of the Wolf

“
This book is a roller coaster of
emotions that will leave you exhausted!!! A beautiful fantasy
filled with action and love. I recommend this book to all fantasy
lovers and those who enjoy a heartbreaking love story that rivals
that of Romeo and Juliet. I couldn't put this book
down!”

—
Amy May

ALSO BY CHEREE ALSOP

The Silver Series

Silver

Black

Crimson

Violet

Azure

Hunter

Silver Moon

The Small Town Superheroes Series

(Being published through Stonehouse Ink)

Small Town Superhero

The Small Town Superheroes

The Last Small Town Superhero

Galdoni

Heart of the Wolf

Keeper of the Wolves

Stolen

The Million Dollar Gift

Thief Prince

Shadows

Mist

To my husband, Michael Alsop.

Thank you for believing in me,

And for giving Kale his wings.

To my family for their support,

And for reading each copy.

I love you!

Chapter One

Free. The word burned in my mind. Above,
Galdoni flew in pairs and trios past the sky-rise buildings. I
fought back the urge to fly with them; it was better to have the
stable ground under my feet after the world had just turned on
end.

I flexed my wings, then tucked them tight
against my back so they would be less obvious to the casual
observer. A mob of humans bearing signs ringed the main gate
through which most of the Galdoni left; luckily, it was publicity
they sought and none of the protesters bothered with the few
smaller gates like the one I used.

I looked back at the gray stone building in
which I had lived my entire life. I felt a dull taint of fear and
pushed it away, surprised that the emotion had survived my
training. I gritted my teeth and stepped into the alley.

The fading sunlight didn’t reach the shadows
that clung to the walls and refuse. I stepped around an overflowing
garbage bin. The scurry of tiny claws sounded against the cement;
bigger footsteps echoed it, and a tiny shriek choked off to leave
the air a bit colder.

As I made my way through the debris-littered
darkness, I began to second-guess my decision to walk, but there
wasn’t enough room to spread my wings between the claustrophobic
walls. A rusted fire escape hung crookedly down the side of one
condemned building. I set a foot on the bottom rung with the
thought of climbing to the top of the building so I could fly. I
had just put my weight on the rung when a yell came from further
down the alley. A dull thud followed.

“
No, please!” A cry close
to a sob preceded another thud.

I took a step closer to the end of the
alley; it turned to the left out of sight. There was another
shriek, this one full of pain. I ran toward the sound. Adrenaline
pounded through my veins as I rounded the corner. I stopped short
in shock.

Three men stood around a cowering boy; a
fourth man leaned against the wall with a gleam of amusement in his
eyes. He toyed with something dark in his hands and nodded at one
of the others. The man lifted what looked like a table leg. The boy
shrank away from him, his hands raised to protect his already
bruised and bloody face. When he turned, my heart slowed. Brown and
white feathered wings, battered and dirty, hung from his beaten
shoulders. Clumps of feathers littered the alleyway.

My gut clenched. “Stop!” My feet moved
before I knew what I was going to do.

All four men turned and the boy shrank back
against the grimy bricks of the dead-end. “Mind your own business,”
the furthest man spat. He pushed off from the wall, his gaze
narrowing. Anticipation coursed through my veins at the promise of
an opponent. Instinct took over and I sized him up without breaking
stride.

He stood at five-nine, an inch shorter than
me; his frame was sparse and he walked with a swagger that told
more of boast than fighting experience. The other three glanced
from me back to him, awaiting orders. I wondered why they followed
him because two of the three towered over six feet and the third
looked like he could bench-press a bull; but still they waited for
his word to take action.

“
Leave him alone.” My hands
shook with rage as I closed the distance between us.

The men laughed.

“
Why should we listen to
you?” the leader asked, his voice as cruel as the gleam in his
eyes. He glanced at his men; they started toward me.

Instinct screamed in the back of my mind,
but I ignored it and raised my wings. Their eyes widened and the
three men slowed; they looked back at their leader. I expected
relief when I met the boy’s eyes, but his expression now showed
fear where only defiance and pain had been. He shook his head and
tipped his chin, indicating that I should leave. Confused, I shook
my head and looked back at the others. “You can’t do this.”

The leader turned so that he faced me
directly; his three men backed to the walls on either side. “I’ve
lost a fortune on you Galdoni.” He lifted the object in his hand. I
stared down the barrel of a gun and my blood ran cold. Before I
could so much as flinch, he pulled the trigger twice. The first
bullet skimmed the top of my left shoulder and passed through my
wing feathers, but the second hit the bone just below my left wing
joint.

A yell tore from my lips. I stumbled
backwards with the force of the blow. My wing collapsed against my
back; pain stole my breath and fogged my thoughts. I leaned against
the wall for support.

The man gave a twisted grin and motioned
with the firearm. “Not so tough now, eh?”

His men surrounded me. I pushed the pain to
the back of my mind as I had been trained and stepped sideways to
keep them all in sight. The beefy one hefted the table leg to his
shoulder.