Alterant (Belador #2)(106)
Ekkbar
[ECK – bar]
Evalle
[EE - vahl]
Flaevynn
[FLAY – vin]
Gixxer
[JICKS – er]
Kizira
[kuh – ZEER – ah]
Kujoo
[KOO – joe]
Loch Ryve
[lock reeve]
Medb
[MAEVE or MAVE]
Nhivoli
[neh-VO – lee]
Nihar
[NEE – har]
Noirre
[nwar – EH or nwar – A]
Treoir
[TRAY – or]
Tzader
[ZA – der]
Vyan
[VIE – an . . . first part rhymes with BYE]
Turn the page for a sneak peek of
CATHBAD’S CURSE
SHERRILYN KENYON
AND DIANNA LOVE
Coming soon from Pocket Books
Evalle Kincaid looked up from her menu, expecting to see the tall waitress with blunt-cut purple hair and tattoos for sleeves . . . not a pissed-off Celtic goddess with the power to destroy everything in sight.
“Hello, Macha,” Evalle said in as even a voice as she could muster, considering how much trouble she might be in. She’d like to say she’d been working nonstop to deliver information that would earn her the right to live free forever, but her first duty—protecting humans from chaos and destruction—left her little time for saving her own kind: Alterants.
Macha arched a graceful but deadly eyebrow at her. The cool September breeze ruffled the goddess’s waist-length waves of auburn hair and her gown, which shimmered with colors stolen from an Aurora Borealis. “I have allowed you three weeks.”
Evalle had known this day was coming, but not so soon.
Something must have happened to cause this unwelcome visit.
She cast a quick glance around the upper deck of Six Feet Under, her favorite restaurant. None of tonight’s patrons noticed the gorgeous female deity.
Macha must be cloaking her appearance and voice.
But the humans would definitely notice if Macha turned Evalle into a ball of flames. Then they’d chalk it up as another unexplained incident of spontaneous combustion.
Evalle dug out a Bluetooth earpiece she’d found in a garbage can. Clipping on the inactive communication device provided her the perfect cover for conversing with an invisible person. “I know you’ve been patient—”
Macha’s glare returned with full force. “What gave you the ridiculous idea that I’m patient? I had you freed from the Tribunal prison based upon your agreement to investigate, and deliver, the origin of Alterants. Have you forgotten?”
Let me think about this. No, I generally remember deals made with deities. Sarcasm would only get her toasted. Evalle explained, “I’ve been trying to—”
“I know what you have not accomplished, such as bringing the Alterant, Tristan, in to swear loyalty to me and the Beladors. You said Tristan would provide significant details about your kind. Where is he?”
“I don’t know yet.” The night Evalle agreed to the deal with Macha, she’d been sure Tristan would jump at the chance to join a pantheon, be recognized and accepted, and no longer live on the run with his sister, who was yet another Alterant. But after three weeks of calling out to him telepathically Evalle hadn’t heard so much as a whisper in response. “You also ordered me to continue working as a member of the Belador teams with VIPER. We’ve all been running constantly because of this outbreak of gang wars.”
Macha waved a hand in dismissal at the mention of VIPER, the coalition that protected humans from supernatural predators. She said, “Gang wars are a human problem.”
“Not this one. We’ve found trolls involved with the gangs.” Evalle checked to see if anyone was watching her talk, but no one noticed and people flowed around them the way water avoided a rock in a stream.
“Your first priority is your warrior queen, when her safety is in question.”
That snapped Evalle’s attention back to Macha. “Has something happened to Brina?”
“The answer to that should be obvious, since you are still alive.”
Macha would never be known as the nurturing goddess.
Evalle asked, “But Brina’s not under an immediate threat, right?”
“You don’t think so? As of now, you are still the only Alterant who has sworn fealty to me and the Beladors even though I offered sanctuary to all who will. Tristan and his group of beasts remain at large, not to mention any other Alterants we haven’t located. With so many beasts and the traitor unaccounted for, of course Brina is under immediate threat.”
Brina should be safe in her warded castle on Treoir Isle, hidden above the Irish Sea, but Evalle caught the shift in demeanor as Macha’s tone chilled when she mentioned the Belador traitor. “How are Alterants connected to the traitor?”
Macha didn’t move, but her luminous blue eyes turned to flint. Furious energy suddenly whipped across Evalle’s skin, singeing fine hairs along her arms. “I’ll speak slowly so I don’t have to repeat myself. The traitor is working with the Medb coven. You claimed the Medb intend to use Alterants to invade Treoir Island and attack Brina. Even you should be able to connect those dots without paper and pen.”