Deven strokes my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“When I was in the Void, do you know what kept me from giving up? Thinking of you.” Deven hugs me close, clutching the small of my back. “I don’t care where we are, Kali. Only that we’re together.”
His immediate agreement leaves me hesitant to accept. This is his dream too. I do not want to take it from him. “You won’t be upset if we don’t move to the mountains?”
“The lower Alpanas would be peaceful, maybe too peaceful. I’d miss my mother and Chitt, Natesa and Yatin. I’d even miss Brac . . . some days. If we stay, I could continue to train with Gemi. I doubt Ashwin would leave me as an advisor. I think he may promote me to serve as his Trembler Virtue Guard.” A bit of excitement resides in Deven’s tone. “In this role, I could really do some good. I could work with the Brotherhood and Sisterhood to teach the truth about bhutas.” Deven leans his head against mine. “We can visit the mountains on occasion for quiet, but this is home.”
He sounds a tad disappointed that our long-held dream is going away.
“Why don’t we have both? Within the year, Chaser will be large enough to fly. It’s only a day’s flight from here to the lower Alpanas. When Chaser is older, we can travel back and forth.”
“Spend fall in the mountains and the other seasons here.”
“Or summer north,” I say. “It would be nice to escape the heat.”
Deven squeezes me against him. “Would you leave Jala?”
“Once we build a hut, we can have visitors. Pons and Indah would like the lower mountains. The sky is so clear.”
Deven chuckles. “You cannot invite them before Natesa and Yatin. Natesa would banish you from the inn for life.”
“We can invite all our friends and family.” I rest my head against his shoulder, the dream in my mind expanding to include more than I thought possible. Siva winds through my legs, rubbing against me, her fire crackling contentedly. “Did we just dream up a new heart’s wish?”
“I don’t think so.” Deven’s voice resonates through me, rich and full. “I think we finally found the real one.”
CHARACTER GLOSSARY
Kalinda: orphan turned first queen, Burner
Deven: general of the imperial army
Prince Ashwin: heir to the Tarachand Empire
Natesa: former imperial courtesan
Yatin: captain of the guard
Indah: Aquifier Virtue Guard
Pons: Galer Virtue Guard
Jala: Indah and Pons’s daughter
Priestess Mita: leader of the Samiya Temple
Jaya: Kalinda’s deceased best friend
Healer Baka: palace healer
Brac: bhuta ambassador, Burner
Mathura: Deven and Brac’s mother, former imperial courtesan
Rajah Tarek: deceased ruler to the Tarachand Empire
Udug: demon unleashed from the Void, the Voider
Kur: demon, First-Ever Dragon
Irkalla: queen of the dead
Edimmu, Lilu, and Asag: demon commanders and siblings
Commander Lokesh: defected imperial soldier
Marduk: demon
Basma and Giza: sister trainees, Burners
Shyla, Parisa, and Eshana: former ranis
Asha: palace servant
Princess Gemi: heir to the Southern Isles, Trembler
Datu Bulan: ruler of the Southern Isles
Tinley: daughter of Chief Naresh, Galer
Chief Naresh: ruler of Paljor, Galer
Chieftess Sosi: wife to Chief Naresh, northern Aquifier
Maida: Tinley’s younger sister, northern Aquifier
Hastin: deceased bhuta warlord
Yasmin: Kalinda’s deceased mother, former kindred
Kishan: Kalinda’s deceased father, Burner
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
What an honor it is to write a series. With each new book, my gratitude for my team has grown. A hand over my heart and bowed head to:
Marlene Stringer, a passionate fighter for my stories. I will forever appreciate your championing Kalinda and me.
Jason Kirk, if only I had the patience to listen as you do. I needed your compassion and empathy many times during this series. You really do bring out the best in your authors. Without your support and enthusiasm, this fourth book might not have been. Cheers to more stories in our future.
Clarence Haynes, your intuitive emails and love of comics have made you my friend. But your generosity of time, pacifying words, and piercing insights have put me forever in your debt. My warmest thanks.
Lauren Ezzo, thank you for channeling your inner warrior princess and narrating Kalinda. And the rest of the incredible crew at Skyscape, especially Kristin King and Brittany Russell, thank you. Also, not enough credit is given to those toiling behind the scenes. Michelle Hope Anderson and Katherine Richards, you made sense of my nonsense and polished my manuscripts to a shine. I’m forever in your debt. Sister warriors rule!
My badass all-female guard, including Jessica Farr, Kate Coursey, Kathryn Purdie, Kate Watson, Natalie Barnum, Shaila Patel, Breeana Shields, Katie Nelson, Caitlin Sangster, Charlie N. Holmberg, and Tricia Levenseller, you bring my “fabulous” level up a notch.
Thank you to my army of trusted early readers: Leah Garroitt, Jessica Clark, Jessica Guernsey, Brekke Felt, Lauri Schoenfeld, Tammy Thierualt, and Teralyn Mitchell, and also to my early reviewers: Beth Edwards, Benjamin Alderson, Cassie James, Wendy Jessen, and Teralyn Mitchell. I’d also like to thank my local book club, the YA and Wine Gals: Krysti, Sarah, Amanda, Rach, Katherine, Shelley, Jenessa, and Mckelle George. And, of course, the Storymakers Tribe.
My favorite book club in Texas, Daughters of the Black Madonna, Sharon, Versil, Novlette, LaVorne, MiMi, Stacy, Meisha, Chanelle, Lisa, and Jenia, thanks for bringing me into your fabulous sisterhood.
For coordinating my incredible bookstagram tours, thanks to the incomparably talented Bridget @darkfaerietales_ and Kristen @myfriendsarefiction.
I would be remiss not to attribute much of my productivity to Diet Coke, as well as to reruns of The Good Wife and Justified, which kept me company while everyone was asleep.
Mom and Dad, thanks for stepping in when I needed you . . . which was more often than any of us thought. My high school sweetheart, John, we’ve come a long way since band class. Your smile still makes my day. Joseph, Julian, Danielle, and Ryan, the brightest, funniest, most amazing children, I’m glad you think having an author as a mom is cool.
My fiercely loyal readers, I appreciate every kind email, comment, and shout-out. Thanks for coming along this journey with me. May you find your own place of peace.
Finally, my father in heaven. None of this would have been possible without you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2015 Erin Summerill
Emily R. King is a writer of fantasy and the author of The Hundredth Queen Series. Born in Canada and raised in the United States, she is a shark advocate, a consumer of gummy bears, and an islander at heart, but her greatest interests are her four children. Emily is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and an active participant in her local writers’ community. She lives in Northern Utah with her family and their cantankerous cat. Visit her at www.emilyrking.com.
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