The first kareshta came to train at Udaipur a year after Meera and Rhys returned. In fact, it was his own brother’s mate, Kyra, who became Udaipur’s first kareshta pupil. Meera reasoned that if the library in Udaipur exhibited a willingness to train the daughters of the Fallen, soon other houses would follow suit, for who would question the wisdom of Anamitra’s heir?
Meera opened her tunic and brought her son to her breast. The little boy gave a sigh of contentment and settled his chubby palm on Meera’s chest, blinking up at her with dark, adoring eyes as he began to nurse.
And Rhys said the prayer he’d repeated every day since Meera had chosen him.
Creator, how have I pleased you? Show me, that I may always be so blessed.
Their world was changing rapidly. And while evolution was necessary, the history and memory of the Irina had become an even more important anchor for their world. Dozens of emissaries arrived in Udaipur every week, and it was Rhys’s job to sort through those who truly needed council and those simply looking for the tacit approval of a respected authority.
Rhys of Glast had no problem being the arbiter. In fact, on most days he quite enjoyed it. Meera’s role in Udaipur was complicated enough. Rhys was more than happy to be the bad guy.
After all, if he was the bad guy it was only in service to the woman who was the center of his world. Other people had their own interests. Politics. War. Rivalries.
Rhys had Meera.
He would always guard her. Always be her most honest counselor, her truest lover, and her most loyal friend.
It was worth it. Every trial and tradition, every formality and constraint. He would give her anything—the blood from his body should she ask—because she was still the most perfect gift he hadn’t been capable of imagining.
And she gave him hope.
The End
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Acknowledgments
This book had quite a journey.
* * *
I want to steal a few lines here at the end to thank those on (and off!) my writing team who helped Rhys and Meera come to life.
I want to send a special acknowledgment to the staff at the Lamothe House in New Orleans, who were so helpful guiding my introduction to the Faubourg neighborhood. It was our home away from home and a treat to stay with you.
I also want to thank our wonderful guide, Ginnie, the very knowledgeable staff at the Laura Plantation, and the Torres family of Bayou Boeuf. Your collective knowledge of Saint James Parish and Creole Louisiana was invaluable to making this book as authentic as possible. Any missteps are mine and mine alone.
Thanks to my family for slogging through this book with me, even when I lost my notes and had to reconstruct so much. I wasn’t always the most pleasant person to be around, but my husband and son persevered, fed me coffee when I needed it most, and shoved me onto a bike and out of the office when things got too hairy.
My hat is off to you, gentlemen.
To my readers, you will always and forever have my most sincere thanks, but this year in particular, you’ve been champions. Thanks for supporting me through all the ups and downs. Thanks for your patience and understanding when life doesn’t go according to plan.
I am the luckiest writer in the world, and you’re a big part of that.
To Damonza, who designed the beautiful cover for THE SEEKER, I thank you. To Anne and everyone at Victory Editing who are always such professionals, I am forever in your debt. And to my agents at Dystel, Goderich, & Bourret, thanks for smoothing the way.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
About the Author
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in Central California, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family. She has published over thirty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
ElizabethHunterWrites.com
Also by Elizabeth Hunter
The Irin Chronicles
The Scribe
The Singer
The Secret
The Staff and the Blade
The Silent
The Storm
The Elemental Mysteries
A Hidden Fire
This Same Earth
The Force of Wind
A Fall of Water
The Elemental World
Building From Ashes
Waterlocked (novella)
Blood and Sand
The Bronze Blade (novella)
The Scarlet Deep
Beneath a Waning Moon (novella)
A Stone-Kissed Sea
The Elemental Legacy
Shadows and Gold
Imitation and Alchemy
Omens and Artifacts
Midnight Labyrinth
Blood Apprentice (Winter 2019)
Linx and Bogie Mysteries
A Ghost in the Glamour
A Bogie in the Boat
The Cambio Springs Series
Long Ride Home (short story)
Shifting Dreams
Five Mornings (short story)
Desert Bound
Waking Hearts
Contemporary Romance
The Genius and the Muse
7th and Main
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HOOKED (Winter 2019)