by Ali Vali
Force of Fire: Toujours a Vous
Immortals Kendal and Piper welcome their new child and celebrate the defeat of an old enemy by returning to their home outside New Orleans. The last battle was hard but promises to bring peace to their lives for years to come. Now Piper wants to expand her power as a seer and hear Kendal’s history while they enjoy a normal life.
In the deep jungles of Costa Rica, far from the watchful eyes of Rolla and the Genesis Clan, the priests of the ancient order of Fuego have found the tablets that will allow them to finish the incantations that will awaken their greatest treasures. Some of the Fuego members believe the old stories were pure fiction, but Alejandro Garza’s family are true believers.
Far from the peace they'd hoped for, Kendal and Piper are forced into action to reach Garza and his followers before he awakens the army of dragons that sleep forgotten in the rain forests.
Praise for Ali Vali
Beauty and the Boss
“The story gripped me from the first page, both the relationship between the two main characters, as well as the drama of the issues that threaten to bring down the business…Vali’s writing style is lovely—it’s clean, sharp, no wasted words, and it flows beautifully as a result. Highly recommended!”—Rainbow Book Reviews
Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici
“A stunning addition to the vampire legend, Balance of Forces: Toujour Ici is one that stands apart from the rest.”—Bibliophilic Book Blog
Calling the Dead
“So many writers set stories in New Orleans, but Ali Vali’s mystery novels have the authenticity that only a real Big Easy resident could bring…makes for a classic lesbian murder yarn.”—Curve Magazine
Blue Skies
“Vali is skilled at building sexual tension, and the sex in this novel flies as high as Berkley’s jets. Look for this fast-paced read.”—Just About Write
Carly’s Sound
“Vali paints vivid pictures with her words…Carly’s Sound is a great romance, with some wonderfully hot sex.”—Midwest Book Review
“It’s no surprise that passion is indeed possible a second time around.”—Q Syndicate
Acclaim for the Casey Cain Saga
The Devil Inside
“Vali’s fluid writing style quickly puts the reader at ease, which makes the story and its characters equally easy to get to know and care about. When you find yourself talking out loud to the characters in a book, you know the work is polished and professional, as well as entertaining.”—Family and Friends Magazine
“Not only is The Devil Inside a ripping mystery, it’s also an intimate character study.”—L-Word Literature
“The Devil Inside is the first of what promises to be a very exciting series…While telling an exciting story that grips the reader, Vali has also fully fleshed out her heroes and villains. The Devil Inside is that rarity: a fascinating crime novel which includes a tender love story and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger ending.”—MegaScene
The Devil Unleashed
“Fast-paced action scenes, intriguing character revelations, and a refreshing approach to the romance thriller genre all make for an enjoyable reading experience in the Big Easy…The Devil Unleashed is an engrossing reading experience.”—Midwest Book Review
Deal with the Devil
“Ali Vali has given her fans another thick, rich thriller…Deal With the Devil has wonderful love stories, great sex, and an ample supply of humor. It is an exciting, page-turning read that leaves her readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.”—Just About Write
The Devil Be Damned
“Ali Vali excels at creating strong, romantic characters along with her fast-paced, sophisticated plots. Her setting, New Orleans, provides just the right blend of immigrants from Mexico, South America, and Cuba, along with a city steeped in traditions.”—Just About Write
Force of Fire: Toujours a Vous
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Force of Fire: Toujours a Vous
© 2018 By Ali Vali. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13:978-1-63555-048-1
This Electronic Book is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: July 2018
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Shelley Thrasher
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])
By the Author
Carly’s Sound
Second Season
Calling the Dead
Blue Skies
Love Match
The Dragon Tree Legacy
The Romance Vote
Girls with Guns
Beneath the Waves
Beauty and the Boss
Forces Series
Balance of Forces: Toujours Ici
Battle of Forces: Sera Toujours
Force of Fire: Toujours a Vous
The Cain Casey Saga
The Devil Inside
The Devil Unleashed
Deal with the Devil
The Devil Be Damned
The Devil’s Orchard
The Devil’s Due
Heart of the Devil
Acknowledgments
It’s always nice when writing a book is like revisiting old friends—old friends who have interesting friends of their own, like vampires and werewolves. Thank you to Radclyffe for your support, for the opportunity to let my imagination run rampant, and for the opportunity to be a part of the BSB family. Thank you as well to Sandy Lowe for all you do to make every project a success, and for answering all those questions.
Thank you to my editor, Shelley Thrasher, as we complete our twenty-first book. Every book starts as a solitary exercise, but I appreciate the input and dedication of my beta readers Kim Rieff, Cris Perez-Soria, and VK Powell. You guys were great.
Thank you to each and every reader. You’re the best part of this whole process, and meeting you along the way certainly gives me the encouragement I need to keep writing. Every word is written with you in mind.
Curiosity and imagination are things every writer needs to create worlds in which characters like vampires exist, but I think they’re important tools in life was well. They’re the two things I hope my great-niece inherits from our family along with the curly hair and mischievous streak. Your grandfather certainly possessed plenty of both, along with that very wide mischievous streak. Fly high, my girl, and never stop asking the why of everything.
And to C, thank you for the fun times. Verdad!
For Olivia
Always dream big, and above all else, be happy
For C
Chapter One
“Ah…damn,” Piper Marmande said as she squeezed her partner Kendal Richoux’s hand. She’d been in labor for a couple of hours, and while she wasn’t tired, she was in pain.
“A couple more big pushes, my lady, and you should be done,” the Genesis Clan’s healer said as she smiled up at her.
“That’s what you said about a half an hour and fifteen pushes ago, so your assessment doesn’t mean—�
�
“It’s not wrong this time.” Kendal interrupted her before her pain overtook her mouth and senses. “You’re doing great, my love, so just a couple more.”
“Don’t try to sweet-talk me, you big ox,” she said, squeezing Kendal’s hand again as the pain of another contraction started. “It won’t make me forget that you got me pregnant, and with my luck, this kid will be as big as you.”
“Not right away, my lady,” the healer said, and Piper figured she was either trying to be helpful or entertain Kendal when her love tried and failed to suppress her chuckle.
“Ah, shit…shit, this hurts.” She sat up a little, and Kendal moved with her so she used Kendal as a backrest and pushed with all her strength. She felt a sudden rush of sensation, and then the pain stopped.
“It’s a girl,” the healer said loudly, followed by a baby’s cry.
“And she’s as beautiful as her mother,” Kendal said as the healer held her up. From the obvious emotion in Kendal’s voice, Piper knew she’d fallen instantly in love with their child as much as she had.
“You’re sweet, since I doubt I look anything remotely resembling beautiful right now,” Piper said as she watched Kendal’s gazing face soften.
“Don’t argue with me when it comes to that, my love,” Kendal said, kissing the side of her neck. “You’ve been nothing but beautiful from the day we decided on this child. I’d take ten more if Aphrodite sees fit to bless us again.”
“Bite your tongue, for a few months anyway. I’d like to see my feet again before I even think of letting you anywhere near me with any glowing orbs,” she said and laughed.
After she and Kendal had worked to keep the only weapon Aphrodite had ever forged from her brother Ares, the goddess had fulfilled a long-kept promise to two souls who’d sacrificed themselves in her honor. So instead of releasing the power of Ares into the world, the Sea Serpent Sword had served another purpose, and she and Kendal as well as their closest friends Morgaine and Lenore had accepted her gift. The goddess had given her word that the babies she and Lenore carried held the essence of those two long-ago lovers, but only an essence.
When they accepted her offer, Aphrodite had made the baby possible through the power of the sword with the promise that it was as much Kendal’s as it was hers. So they’d made love, and that one night had resulted in the child that the healer very lovingly cleaned up before handing her over. It had been an interesting nine months, but like their time after Kendal had mixed the elixir of life for her, Kendal had taken a break from her duties as a slayer for the Genesis Clan so she could spoil Piper as the pregnancy progressed.
“For as long as I’ve been alive, I’ve enjoyed the gift of immortality because I’ve witnessed the world changing and evolving,” Kendal said as she moved to allow the healers to finish. “I’ve been a silent witness to all the wonders of man through the ages, but you and our daughter are the closest things to miracles I’ve ever been given.”
Kendal and the group of elder immortals who were thousands of years old had served silently through time to keep mankind safe from the monsters they believed existed only in fairy tales. Kendal was their greatest slayer and had battled vampires and every other evil Piper had no clue existed, but as her partner she was devoted and kind.
“You are the same to me, warrior mine.” She watched the healer hand the baby to Kendal, who kissed her forehead before handing her to Piper. The healers left the room, so Kendal lowered the sheet covering her upper body and placed the baby on her naked chest.
Kendal smiled as she held the baby’s hand and nodded. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”
“We have, and I love you more each day.”
Piper had never imagined herself as a wife and mother, but her life had certainly changed when Kendal came into it under the pretext of buying their family business against her and her grandfather’s wishes. She’d despised Kendal at first, but the relationship that had started out as adversarial had turned into the greatest treasure she could’ve imagined.
The Genesis Clan’s greatest slayer had begun her life as Asra of the house of Raad and had lived many lifetimes before meeting her true mate. Piper was young by comparison, but her time as an immortal had been foretold far before Kendal found her. The elixir of life that had granted them all immortality had failed to change Piper’s eyes to the pale blue all the immortals created by the Genesis Clan shared.
Piper’s had stayed the vibrant green of her birth, but the elixir had awoken her sight that could see far into the future. She was still working to perfect that gift, but she’d already been graced with the picture of Kendal holding their baby with a wide, proud smile. Kendal, or Asra, as she thought of her now, had certainly left the path of solitude with the new family she surrounded herself with. They had both been somewhat broken when they met, but together they’d healed.
“So what will we call you?” Piper asked as she lifted the baby to count her fingers and toes, making the baby shiver but not cry. “Have any ideas, my warrior?”
“We narrowed it down to a few, but now that I see her, none of them fit.” Kendal sat next to her and laid her hand on the baby’s back. The small beauty had yet to open her eyes, but she saw a little of Kendal and her own features in the baby’s face. She followed the healer’s instructions and cradled her and placed her nipple in her mouth.
“In honor of Aphrodite, how about something Greek?” She tickled the baby’s cheek and smiled when she latched on to her nipple.
“Considering where this little one has waited, how about Hali? It’s Greek and means the sea.”
“Hali Richoux, welcome to our lives,” she said, and the baby finally opened her eyes, which were the same pale blue as Kendal’s.
“Wow,” Kendal said, making the baby let go and look up at her.
“Does this mean she’s like us?”
“I honestly don’t know. This is my first baby,” Kendal said, seemingly delighted with the infant. “I don’t think the goddess would’ve gifted us with this beauty if she didn’t envision a multitude of happy years.”
“Is that your way of telling me not to worry about it?”
“She’s gorgeous, my love, and she’s ours—yours and mine. All we can do is love her for as long as we can before she flexes her wings and flies out of our nest.”
“I love you, and you’re right.”
“I believe I’ve mentioned that before,” Kendal said, and she pinched her for the jibe.
“Okay, know-it-all. Go get my grandparents so they can start spoiling.”
* * *
“Cuidado,” Oscar Petchel yelled as his workers moved a large stone where the ground-penetrating radar had showed a void. He’d warned everyone to be careful to try to preserve the stone filled with what looked like Mayan hieroglyphics.
Oscar had done a masterful job of hiding the dig from the Costa Rican government and the university where he headed the archeology department. He’d gone deep into the rain forest out of Monte Verde, not really expecting to find anything since he’d been responsible for all the major digs in Costa Rica for the last twenty years. After meeting with Alejandro Garza at his father, Sebastian’s, request, he’d traveled to the site on the map Alejandro had provided, surprised to find a rather large complex.
His father, from Oscar’s earliest memories, had one foot in the past, and he’d preached that’s what had made him good at his job. Sebastian had a doctorate in Mesoamerican studies, but like all his male descendants, he was brought up to be a faithful believer of the Order of Fuego. Oscar had been the first to break the chain of following blindly something he considered preposterous.
“Slowly put it down,” his assistant Pauline Chevalier said in a very accented Spanish. French was her first language, but she knew enough Spanish for the workers and students to understand her. Pauline had moved from France to study with him and had become a quick convert to the Order of Fuego after a dinner with his father and Alejandro.
The ground und
er the stone was moist, but that wasn’t surprising since they were in the middle of the jungle during the rainy season. Trying to get into the void would be tricky, so he waved the workers away. They backed up gladly, considering they’d already lost five workers provided by Alejandro’s Order after they’d gotten into the first chamber they’d discovered.
“Where do you think the trigger is?” Pauline asked.
“Last time, it was located just where we entered the empty chamber. I’m beginning to think this place has been picked clean, but that doesn’t explain the deadly booby traps. Why go to all that trouble to protect an empty room?”
“Maybe they’re not empty.” Pauline glanced back at what they’d already dug up.
“When a room has four walls and nothing in it, that defines empty.” He knew that was true, but this place—it had a different feel to it. The Mayans had a certain fingerprint, as it were, and this site was almost perfect—almost.
He walked back to the first room they’d uncovered. “Let’s see if we missed something. Tell one of those guys to bring the small radar.”
“We’ve already checked every wall.”
“Did you do the floor?” He climbed down the ladder one of the men had built, already knowing the answer.
That’s what didn’t fit here. The Mayans weren’t really deep diggers. They mined obsidian glass and jade, they buried their dead, but mostly they were builders. Their traditions were to touch their sky gods, not dwell in the earth.
