“You are kind.”
Achcuatli touched my cheek, a feather-light touch. Even so, I felt a spark of desire leap between us. It was the first time he had touched me. “I would have the world know that the Nahuatl know how to honor a woman.”
“I will tell them,” I said.
His black eyes glinted. “Good.”
When he withdrew his hand, I felt a pang of loss; and at the same time, a pang of guilt, thinking of Bao. But Naamah’s gift enfolded me, assuring me that I was doing her will. I put my guilt aside. Later, there would be time to confront it.
As if the aviary wasn’t impressive enough, there was a bestiary, too. Upon visiting it, Achcuatli stood for a long time before a cage that contained a pair of immense spotted cats that paced back and forth, lashing their tails. Now I knew where Temilotzin’s hides came from. Brushing their thoughts, I felt a mixture of boredom and frustration.
“Some days I feel like them,” Achcuatli said at length. “Trapped in a cage I did not make.”
“So free them,” I murmured.
He shook his head. “It would be a terrible omen.”
I wondered at the Emperor speaking so freely to me; but then, betimes it was easier to confide in a stranger. And I was a foreigner. I would not think less of him for revealing he did not possess a stone face and a stone heart. Indeed, quite the opposite.
We left the bestiary to stroll the garden. As odd as the situation was, I couldn’t help but take pleasure in the lush greenery. Achcuatli paused before a bed of vivid dahlias, stroking their intricate petals with one finger.
“Greet the sky and live, blossom!” he said unexpectedly. “Yet even as the wind stirs your petals, flowers fall. My flowers are eternal, my songs live forever. I lift them in offering; I, a singer. I cast them to the wind, I spill them. The flowers become gold; they come to dwell inside the palace of eternity.”
Something in the words caught at my heart. “Is that a poem?”
“Yes. It is part of a famous poem.” He met my gaze. “It is in honor of life and death. Your people honor life, but they do not honor death.” He broke the stem of a purple dahlia, lifting the blossom. “To me, the skulls in the tzompantli are no different from this flower, and are as beautiful in their own way.”
I took a long, slow breath. “I am trying to understand, my lord. But the flower does not feel pain. The flower does not bleed.”
Achcuatli nodded gravely. “And that is why the flower’s death is not enough to feed the gods. Blood is needed.”
I looked away. “What if you’re wrong?”
He touched my hair. “Who are you to teach the Nahuatl about their own gods?” For a mercy, he sounded more amused than offended.
“A child of my mother’s people,” I said in a low tone. “Who lost a great gift because we did not understand the will of our god. One who had seen for herself that men try to shape the gods’ will to serve them.” I thought about Raphael de Mereliot. “One who did the same when she was young.”
Achcuatli chuckled. “You are still young.”
Without looking at him, I laid a finger on the tightly furled bud of an unopened dahlia blossom. Summoning the merest hint of the twilight, I exhaled softly and coaxed it to grow. It opened obligingly, its myriad petals unspiraling to reveal a crimson blossom with a yellow center.
Beside me, the Nahuatl Emperor drew a sharp breath.
I glanced up at him.
His eyes were narrowed. “What are you?”
“Myself,” I said simply.
Beneath the thin veneer of stoicism, warring emotions crossed his mien. Without warning, he seized my face in his hands and kissed me hard, his tongue thrusting past my lips, the gold plug in his chin digging into mine. Just as quickly, he released me and took a step backward.
“I must think.” Achcuatli beckoned to the entourage trailing us. “My servants will return you to your chamber. I may send for you tonight, or I may not.”
I inclined my head, knowing he would.
More from Jacqueline Carey!
KUSHIEL’S LEGACY
Kushiel’s Scion
Imriel de la Courcel’s blood parents are history’s most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phèdre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d’Ange’s greatest champions. Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne. Such a complex lineage is over-whelming for even the most honorable young man…
Kushiel’s Justice
What was once a mere spark of interest between Imriel and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between them. Forced to choose between duty and love, Imriel decides to honor his role as a member of the royal family, unwittingly trespassing against Elua’s Law: Love as thou wilt. Before the end, Kushiel’s justice will be felt in heaven and on earth…
Kushiel’s Mercy
In order to be with Sidonie, Imriel must find his infamous mother and bring her back to Terre d’Ange to be executed for treason. So, Imriel and Sidonie prepare themselves for another long separation. But when a dark foreign force casts a shadow over Terre d’Ange and all the surrounding countries, Imriel and Sidonie’s world is turned upside down, and they learn that the god Elua always puts hearts together apurpose.
“A postmodern fable of enormous scope and force”*
Santa Olivia
By Jacqueline Carey
There is no pity in Santa Olivia. And no escape. In this isolated military buffer zone between Mexico and the U.S., the citizens of Santa Olivia are virtually powerless. Then an unlikely heroine is born. She is the daughter of a man genetically manipulated by the government to be a weapon. A “Wolf-Man,” he was engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and senses, as well as a total lack of fear. Named for her vanished father, Loup Garron has inherited his gifts.
Frustrated by the injustices visited upon her friends and neighbors by the military occupiers, Loup is determined to avenge her community. Aided by a handful of her fellow orphans, Loup takes on the guise of their patron saint, Santa Olivia, and sets out to deliver vigilante justice—aware that if she is caught, she could lose her freedom… and possibly her life.
Don’t miss Moirin’s first adventure
Naamah’s Kiss
By Jacqueline Carey
A child of the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, Moirin is raised in the wilderness of Alba by her reclusive mother. Only when she comes of age does she discover her own illustrious—and mixed—heritage: descended from Alais the Wise, princess of both Terre d’Ange and Alba, Moirin is also the daughter of a D’Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire.
After undergoing the Maghuin Dhonn rites of adulthood, Moirin finds divine acceptance… provided she fulfills a mysterious fate that lies across the oceans. Beyond Terre d’Ange, in the far reaches of distant Ch’in, she will need to survive the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, and aid both a noble warrior-princess desperate to save her father’s throne and the spirit of a celestial dragon.
And Moirin’s adventure continues in
Naamah’s Blessing
Available now
Contents
FRONT COVER IMAGE
WELCOME
A PREVIEW OF NAAMAH’S BLESSING
MAP
ONE
TWO
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
THIRTY
THIRTY-ONE
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
FORTY-ONE
FORTY-TWO
FORTY-THREE
FORTY-FOUR
FORTY-FIVE
FORTY-SIX
FORTY-SEVEN
FORTY-EIGHT
FORTY-NINE
FIFTY
FIFTY-ONE
FIFTY-TWO
FIFTY-THREE
FIFTY-FOUR
FIFTY-FIVE
FIFTY-SIX
FIFTY-SEVEN
FIFTY-EIGHT
FIFTY-NINE
SIXTY
SIXTY-ONE
SIXTY-TWO
SIXTY-THREE
SIXTY-FOUR
SIXTY-FIVE
SIXTY-SIX
SIXTY-SEVEN
SIXTY-EIGHT
SIXTY-NINE
SEVENTY
SEVENTY-ONE
SEVENTY-TWO
SEVENTY-THREE
SEVENTY-FOUR
SEVENTY-FIVE
SEVENTY-SIX
SEVENTY-SEVEN
SEVENTY-EIGHT
SEVENTY-NINE
EIGHTY
EIGHTY-ONE
EIGHTY-TWO
MORE FROM JACQUELINE CAREY!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BOOKS BY JACQUELINE CAREY
PRAISE FOR JACQUELINE CAREY’S EPIC SERIES
COPYRIGHT
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JACQUELINE CAREY is the author of the nationally bestselling Kushiel’s Legacy series, as well as short stories, essays, and the novels Banewreaker, Godslayer and Santa Olivia.
BOOKS BY JACQUELINE CAREY
Naamah’s Blessing*
Naamah’s Curse*
Naamah’s Kiss*
Santa Olivia*
Kushiel’s Legacy
Kushiel’s Mercy*
Kushiel’s Justice*
Kushiel’s Scion*
Kushiel’s Avatar
Kushiel’s Chosen
Kushiel’s Dart
The Sundering
Godslayer
Banewreaker
PRAISE FOR
JACQUELINE CAREY’S
EPIC SERIES
NAAMAH’S CURSE
“Carey’s storytelling ability is top-notch.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Exquisite… a beautiful, intelligent novel… a world that not only enchants, but confronts readers to think and comprehend. I loved NAAMAH’S CURSE from beginning to end, and I cannot wait for the final installment.”
—TheBookSmugglers.com
“Packed with new people, new lands, and new gods… Series fans will love it.”
—Booklist
“Fun… Carey is fabulous at globe-trotting adventures… Fans of the series should enjoy it.”
—InBedwithBooks.blogspot.com
“Once again, Jacqueline Carey delivers a lushly written, erotic adventure that is deeply engrossing… Moirin’s journey is full of beautiful highs and heartbreaking lows, and it kept me hanging on every word… Carey is a master of writing gorgeous, vivid description.”
—TheDiscriminatingFangirl.com
“Very entertaining… I enjoyed [this book] and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Carey’s writing and world-building.”
—AssociatedContent.com
“Strong A… An excellent novel that I could not put down once started since the voice of Moirin has remained extremely compelling… a page-turner end to end… I recommend it without reserves for any lovers of exquisite fantasy.”
—FantasyBookCritic.com
“A standout… gripping novel… Bring this book with you on vacation to rip through in a fun frenzy, but don’t be surprised if you’re thinking about it for days afterward.”
—io9.com
NAAMAH’S KISS
“Powerful… Carey writes with meditative grace, eroticism, and excitement… Moirin is a nuanced, sympathetic protagonist… While Carey’s fans will clamor for this, it’s also a good entry point for new readers.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Carey writes with an irresistible sense of adventure… Her world seems boundless.”
—“A.V. Club,” The Onion
“Carey begins her new series with a bang. Moirin is an exciting heroine who… playfully and passionately explores the sacredness of sexuality. Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“An engaging, fascinating novel.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Jacqueline Carey has legions of fans hooked on her addictive fantasy epics chock full of political intrigue, steamy romance, and devilishly enthralling characterization… and she continues to crank out the hits.”
—Curve
“4 Stars! Readers are likely to find themselves carried away by the first book in the newest series set in Carey’s lushly imagined alternate Renaissance Europe… Densely plotted and with layers of nuance, this installment is a welcome addition to Carey’s oeuvre.”
—RT Book Reviews
“I was completely enthralled… A novel of pure adventure, with a kick-ass heroine who gets to fight, do magic, and get laid just like the swashbuckling heroes of old… a hell of a lot of fun.”
—io9.com
“Action-packed… vivid… Once again Jacqueline Carey shows her skill at world-building.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Carey is one of those writers whose words make me fall in love, break my heart, and leave me filled with a sense of wonder and longing… her writing is as luscious, beautiful, and captivating as ever. This is fantasy on an epic scale, encompassing magic, romance, heartache, war, and destiny… I loved Naamah’s Kiss, and cannot wait to return to Moirin’s story.”
—TheBookSmugglers.com
“Carey fans will be enthralled by this new, young heroine… Don’t miss Naamah’s Kissl”
—BookLoons.com
* “A postmodern fable of enormous scope and force… a cautionary tale of people caught in a web of lies and creeping terror, and a love song to the beauty and power of being different.”
—ERIC VAN LUSTBADER, bestselling author of The Bourne Sanction
* Available from Grand Central Publishing
Copyright
This book 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 events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Carey
Excerpt from Naamah’s Blessing copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Carey
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
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The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
Second eBook Edition: May 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-56911-8
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