“Yes, Ki’an Gasan?” a voice on the phone asked.
Margaurethe’s hand shook. “Nothing. Never mind.” She hung up on the speaker before he formulated a reply. “Reynhard, come in.”
The door eased open, and in walked a garish ghost. Reynhard Dorst’s formerly long brown hair had disappeared, leaving three strips of black that bristled four inches above his scalp. She watched him carefully close the door behind him, his dark eyes glittering with humor. He wore leather and silver, head to toe, and he threw the tail of his trench coat backward as he gave her a patented Dorst bow.
“Ki’an Gasan O’Toole, how wonderful it is to see you once again. You’ve been well, I trust?”
Suffering through the recurring nightmare had her on enough edge. She had no patience for his excessive cheer, and verbal dueling. “I haven’t seen you since—” Her face heated. Even now she couldn’t say it. “—since before the Purge. I thought you were dead.”
His expression became apologetic. Rising, he moved closer to her desk. “I do hear that quite often. I had hoped you, of all people, had more faith in my abilities.”
The last time Margaurethe had seen him, he’d spirited her away from the palace after Elisibet’s funeral. Had she stayed behind, she would have been killed by the mob that raged through the city hours later.
She made a production of shutting down the programs on her computer. “If you’re looking for a thank you for saving my life, you have it. Will there be anything else?”
He tsked. “Lies? I thought we were dear friends.”
“We’ve never been friends, Reynhard.” She glared at him. “Don’t ever mistake tolerance as friendship.”
“May I?” He gestured to a chair, then sat without invitation. “We both know you’d have preferred to remain in the palace that night. You wanted to die.”
The words, so close on the heels of the dream, stabbed her heart. She bared her teeth at him, reaching for the phone. “Get out. I’m calling my security.”
“Alas, I cannot leave until I’ve done my duty.” He attempted a mournful look, but the light of laughter in his gaze ruined the affect.
“And what duty is that?”
“You’ve been summoned to the Colonies, Ki’an Gasan. Someone there wishes to meet you.”
Summoned. Despite Elisibet’s assassination and the Purge that followed, the Agrun Nam had upheld Margaurethe’s title of Ki’an Gasan, “beloved queen,” at least in name. The only ones allowed to summon her were the Sañar themselves. Unless—
Margaurethe felt the blood drain from her face, suddenly cold in her robe and nightclothes. The sun sparkled brightly behind her, but her soul felt the icy mist of the early morning. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask, but her throat made no sound.
The joyful mockery fled Dorst’s expression. His smile was genuine, his eyes sympathetic. “Yes. I’ve finally found her.”
Whiskey started awake, her Sanguire eyes seeing every nuance of the dark bedroom. Cora muttered, still asleep, and shifted to pull her close again. Whiskey allowed it though the warmth of another person beside her did nothing to calm her rapidly beating heart. Whispering through her memory, she heard Margaurethe’s voice. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
Alone despite the woman in her arms, Whiskey murmured, “I miss you, minn’ast.”
Glossary
Aga Maskim Sañar - Judiciary of the High Court of the Agrun Nam; currently held by Bertrada Nijmege.
aga ninna - fearsome crown, [“the crown” and “fearsome lady”].
Agrun Nam - council [“inner sanctuary” and “fate, lot, responsibility”]; the ruling body of the European Sanguire.
amiga - Spanish, friend [feminine].
Baruñal - midwife to the Ñíri Kurám process.
caja - Spanish, literally box; slang for a woman’s vagina.
chica - Spanish, girl.
ensi’umma, ensi’ummai - oracle, oracles.
gasan - lady, mistress, queen.
gracias - Spanish, thank you.
hola - Spanish, hello.
Ki’an Gasan – beloved lady mistress, [“beloved” and “lady, mistress, queen”]; title of Margaurethe O’Toole.
kizarus, kizarusi - vessel [“large vessel” and “to tap” and “blood”], vessels; the Human chattal that feed the Sanguire.
lamma - female spirit of good fortune; Fiona’s nickname for Whiskey.
lugal - male leader of small household unit.
lúkal - dear one.
m’cara - beloved (Gaelic derivative); an affectation of Marguarthe O’Toole for Elisibet Vasilla.
Maskim Sañar - Judiciary of the Low Court of the Agrun Nam.
mi corazón - Spanish, literally my heart; term of endearment.
minn’ast - beloved (Indo-European derivative); an affectation of Elisibet Vasilla for Margaurethe O’Toole.
mucha dinero - Spanish, literally a lot of money.
Nam Lugal - chief counselor of the Agrun Nam.
ninna - fierce lady, female leader of small household unit.
Ninsumgal - lady of all, sovereign, dragon, monster of composite power; official title of Elisibet Vasilla.
Ñíri Kurám - the change, the turning, (“path” and “strange’”and “to take/to traverse”); the final step a youngling Sanguire takes to adulthood. It occurs naturally over decades, or can be hastened via chants and trances.
puru um - idiot, hillbilly.
Saggina - local magistrate of the European Sanguire; a political office that answers to the nearest embassy.
sañar/sanari - councilor of the Agrun Nam.
Sañur Gasum - eunuch assassin [“eunuch” and “i will” and “to slaughter”]; Reynhard Dorst’s title.
Sublugal Sañar - military equivalent of the Nam Lugal, military leader; Valmont’s title.
Usumgal - lord of all, sovereign, dragon, monster of composite power; official title of Maximal Vasilla, Elisibet’s father.
We Wacipi Wakan - Lakota, [“blood” and “dancing” and “sacred”]; the leading council of the American Indian Sanguire.
zaz ne za tud - literally, do you know who you are?
Publications from
Bella Books, Inc.
Women.Books. Even Better Together.
P.O. Box 10543
Tallahassee, FL 32302
Phone: 800-729-4992
www.bellabooks.com
CALM BEFORE THE STORM by Peggy J. Herring. Colonel Marcel Robicheaux doesn’t tell and so far no one official has asked, but the amorous pursuit by Jordan McGowen has her worried for both her career and her honor.
978-0-9677753-1-9
THE WILD ONE by Lyn Denison. Rachel Weston is busy keeping home and head together after the death of her husband. Her kids need her and what she doesn’t need is the confusion that Quinn Farrelly creates in her body and heart.
978-0-9677753-4-0
LESSONS IN MURDER by Claire McNab. There’s a corpse in the school with a neat hole in the head and a Black & Decker drill alongside. Which teacher should Inspector Carol Ashton suspect? Unfortunately, the alluring Sybil Quade is at the top of the list. First in this highly lauded series.
978-1-931513-65-4
WHEN AN ECHO RETURNS by Linda Kay Silva. The bayou where Echo Branson found her sanity has been swept clean by a hurricane—or at least they thought. Then an evil washed up by the storm comes looking for them all, one-by-one. Second in series.
978-1-59493-225-0
DEADLY INTERSECTIONS by Ann Roberts. Everyone is lying, including her own father and her girlfriend. Leaving matters to the professionals is supposed to be easier! Third in series with PAID IN FULL and WHITE OFFERINGS.
978-1-59493-224-3
SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE by Karin Kallmaker. No substitutes, ever again! But then Holly’s heart, body and soul are captured by Reyna... Reyna with no last name and a secret life that hides a terrible bargain, one written in family blood.
978-1-931513-62-3
MAKING UP FOR LOST TIM
E by Karin Kallmaker. Take one Next Home Network Star and add one Little White Lie to equal mayhem in little Mendocino and a recipe for sizzling romance. This lighthearted, steamy story is a feast for the senses in a kitchen that is way too hot.
978-1-931513-61-6
2ND FIDDLE by Kate Calloway. Cassidy James’s first case left her with a broken heart. At least this new case is fighting the good fight, and she can throw all her passion and energy into it. 978-1-59493-200-7
HUNTING THE WITCH by Ellen Hart. The woman she loves — used to love — offers her help, and Jane Lawless finds it hard to say no. She needs TLC for recent injuries and who better than a doctor? But Julia’s jittery demeanor awakens Jane’s curiosity. And Jane has never been able to resist a mystery. #9 in series and Lammy-winner.
978-1-59493-206-9
FAÇADES by Alex Marcoux. Everything Anastasia ever wanted — she has it. Sidney is the woman who helped her get it. But keeping it will require a price — the unnamed passion that simmers between them.
978-1-59493-239-7
ELENA UNDONE by Nicole Conn.The risks. The passion. The devastating choices. The ultimate rewards. Nicole Conn rocked the lesbian cinema world with Claire of the Moon and has rocked it again with Elena Undone. This is the book that tells it all…
978-1-59493-254-0
WHISPERS IN THE WIND by Frankie J. Jones. It began as a camping trip, then a simple hike. Dixon Hayes and Elizabeth Colter uncover an intriguing cave on their hike, changing their world, perhaps irrevocably.
978-1-59493-037-9
WEDDING BELL BLUES by Julia Watts. She’ll do anything to save what’s left of her family. Anything. It didn’t seem like a bad plan...at first. Hailed by readers as Lammy-winner Julia Watts’ funniest novel.
978-1-59493-199-4
WILDFIRE by Lynn James. From the moment botanist Devon McKinney meets ranger Elaine Thomas the chemistry is undeniable. Sharing—and protecting—a mountain for the length of their short assignments leads to unexpected passion in this sizzling romance by newcomer Lynn James.
978-1-59493-191-8
LEAVING L.A. by Kate Christie. Eleanor Chapin is on the way to the rest of her life when Tessa Flanagan offers her a lucrative summer job caring for Tessa’s daughter Laya. It’s only temporary and everyone expects Eleanor to be leaving L.A... 978-1-59493-221-2
SOMETHING TO BELIEVE by Robbi McCoy. When Lauren and Cassie meet on a once-in-a-lifetime river journey through China their feelings are innocent…at first. Ten years later, nothing—and everything—has changed. From Golden Crown winner Robbi McCoy.
978-1-59493-214-4
DEVIL’S ROCK by Gerri Hill. Deputy Andrea Sullivan and Agent Cameron Ross vow to bring a killer to justice. The killer has other plans. Gerri Hill pens another intriguing blend of mystery and romance in this page-turning thriller.
978-1-59493-218-2
SHADOW POINT by Amy Briant. Madison McPeake has just been not-quite fired, told her brother is dead and discovered she has to pick up a five-year old niece she’s never met. After she makes it to Shadow Point it seems like someone—or something —doesn’t want her to leave. Romance sizzles in this ghost story from Amy Briant.
978-1-59493-216-8
JUKEBOX by Gina Daggett.Debutantes in love. With each other. Two young women chafe at the constraints of parents and society with a friendship that could be more, if they can break free. Gina Daggett is best known as “Lipstick” of the columnist duo Lipstick & Dipstick.
978-1-59493-212-0
BLIND BET by Tracey Richardson. The stakes are high when Ellen Turcotte and Courtney Langford meet at the blackjack tables. Lady Luck has been smiling on Courtney but Ellen is a wild card she may not be able to handle.
978-1-59493-211-3
Table of Contents
About The Author
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Glossary
The Strange Path Page 29
