“Holy shit!”
“Yeah, no kidding. I had grown quite attached to that place.”
“Where is BapuJi?” Asha said, looking around as if she expected her grandfather to appear.
Nidhan took the paper from Lexi, studying the photo. “He went to bring Dādi and my parents and brothers back home. Apparently they were vacationing in Goa. He said to tell you he'll meet us in Hong Kong where he'll be one of our Healing instructors.”
“And Tanvir?”
Lexi laughed. “He went home to his very pissed-off wife for a three-month leave.”
“And… Avinash?”
Lexi and Nidhan glanced at each other. Nidhan said, “He and Kairav went to South Africa. Some complicated thing about Werewolf-Guard cooperation that no one wanted to explain to us. He tried to talk to you before he left, but…”
Asha walked to the railing and looked out across the water. Lexi and Nidhan joined her, standing protectively close. Lexi put an arm around Asha's shoulders and leaned her cheek on her head. “Considering what we were up against, it's a miracle we only lost eight people, Asha. And a few of the Masters were injured…”
“Received some very dashing scars across my back myself,” said Nidhan.
Lexi grinned. “Yeah, you did!”
Asha stared into the water. “I never understood the difference between a super yacht and a mega yacht.”
Lexi blinked. “A—what?”
Nidhan put a hand on her shoulder. “Asha, you should rest—”
“And what is this I hear about a wedding? I pass out for a few days, and you guys go from very annoying and, I might add, very unconvincing, denial to getting married?”
“First of all, we're not getting married.” Lexi turned to wink at Nidhan, and he pulled her to him, gathering her in his arms as she leaned against him. “Not yet, anyway.” They both grinned idiotically at each other, faces closing in.
Asha flinched dramatically, waving her hands. “I gotta go.”
Nidhan and Lexi protested about the state of her health and the perils of walking around on unstable, slippery Benetti super yachts alone.
“I have to meet my fiancé!” Asha called over her shoulder, and laughed as their mouths dropped open.
† † †
Asha rounded the corner, and there was Aquila. Leaning against the railing, barefoot in shorts and a T-shirt, his skin tanned to a radiant golden brown, his hair flying around his head. Meeting her eyes, his face lit up with a smile so beautiful that Asha thought her heart would burst with longing. Closing the distance between them, she fell into his embrace, slamming deliciously against him as he lifted her in his powerful arms, spinning her around, his ecstatic relief washing over her like warm sunshine.
Asha felt the deck beneath her feet and the wall against her back as Aquila met her eyes breathlessly. He leaned in slowly, his smile exquisite as desire flooded through her, singing in her blood. And almost touching, his hair brushing her cheek, Aquila paused for a maddening eternity, his honey brown eyes shining with mischief and sudden tears.
And kissed her.
Barely capable of coherent thought, let alone breath, Asha finally managed, You… rescued my harp!
Aquila's lips played teasingly across hers, soft as rose petals, as his fingertips danced along Asha's ribs, circling around her back to pull her closer.
What's a little life-threatening flight through a collapsing building, right? Piece of cake.
Fighting the decision to kiss Aquila for her entire foreseeable future, Asha gasped, dislodging her lips from his.
Aquila… I should probably tell you…
“Mmm?” Aquila opened his eyes and twined a hand through Asha's shimmering black hair. “I kind of miss the white. Is that weird?”
“I had white hair? Wow. That's—”
“White as snow. It looked striking, actually. Lexi said it was very Storm—whatever that means.” Aquila brushed her hair gently out of the way to kiss her neck. “She arranged for a whole room full of roses for you, and the white was gone.”
Aquila brought his gaze to Asha's. “What was it you wanted to tell me?”
“I kissed Himat,” Asha blurted, tears stinging her eyes. “He was dying, giving up, and I just thought… maybe if I… and then I kissed him, and then he—”
Aquila took Asha's face in his hands, and laughed. “Asha. Calm down. I know you kissed him. I encouraged you to do it.”
“You—what? But—”
Aquila's smile became sad as he wrapped Asha in his life-renewing embrace, swaying with the boat.
“Besides,” he said. “Himat was so pretty, we all wanted to kiss him.”
Asha laughed despite herself, and shoved Aquila. He stumbled dramatically across the deck, pretending to nearly fall over the railing.
“I think Ursala actually did kiss him one night around the bonfire. But Himat was asleep, so I'm not sure that counts.”
“You are so full of shit.” Asha laughed, and ran to the front of the yacht. Aquila reached for her, and Asha shifted, screeching as she jumped out of his reach.
Oh, it's on now, Creepy Eyes!
See if you can keep up, Poultry Boy!
And—flying. Higher and higher until the yacht disappeared.
And the world was transformed to nothing but tourmaline waves.
And all at once, life was simple. Ocean. Sky. Aquila. The shining sun. Light everlasting.
† † †
Hours later Asha and Aquila drifted back to reality on a warm, salty breeze. Music and laughter reached them from the yacht as the sun began to sink into the ocean, and Asha felt time slip away, taking grief with it as it left.
Characters
The Trainees (sorted by original group)
Asha Sandhu (Ah-sha SUN-dew) hope Healer/Seer/Jodha (Falcon)
Himat Pradhan (HIM-mut pr-DON) courage Jodha
Karan Rai (kuh-run rye) handsome/beautiful Jodha (Wild Asian Boar)
Lexi Hewitt defending mankind Jodha (White Tailed Eagle)
Li Tsia (LEE si-AH) power/strength Tvastar/Weapons Forger
Nidhan Sandhu (ne-DON) great treasure Tvastar
Wei Feng (way fong) large/powerful Jodha (Siberian Tiger)
Ariella Kahlon (KAH-lo(n)) lion of God Jodha (Bengal Cat)
Arupa Iyer (a-ROO-pah I-yeyr) formless Jodha (Multiple birds)
Chucho (CHOO-cho) Vega little dog Healer
Hua Tseng (hu-AH sang) flower Illusionist
Ibha Nayar (EE-bah na-YAr) elephant Jodha (Rat)
Jiao Wan (zh-AH-(oh) WAHn) beautiful/lovable Healer
Tzirga Dutt (ZIR-guh) gazelle Jodha (Indian Gazelle)
Aquila Desai (uh-KEE-la de-SAI) eagle/hawk Jodha (Eurasian Sparrow-hawk)
Bao Chen leopard Jodha (Snow Leopard)
Freya Castillo (FRAY-uh cas-TEE-yo) lady-Norse Goddess associated with love, war, and death, who receives half of those who die in battle in the afterlife Illusionist
Kelakha Shukla (kay-LAA-ka SHU-kla) dances on the edge of the sword Jodha (Multiple Animals)
Mia Santos (MEE-uh SAHN-tose) wished for child/rebellion
Ursala Mehta (oor-SAA-lah meh-tah) little bear Jodha (Asian Black Bear)
The Instructors, sorted by Talent
Jodha
Barindra (ba-RIN-dra) king of warriors Asian Imperial White Eagle
Chakori (cha-CORE-ee) bird who loves the moon Indian Eagle Owl
Uma (OO-ma) mother/horse White Marwari Horse
Fanishwar (fun-EESH-war) lord of serpents (King Cobra)
Garud (ga-ROOD) king of birds Falcon
Javin (JAH-vin) swift Indian Flying Fox Bat
Tanvir (ton-VEER) brave and strong Asian House Crow
Healers
Senya (SEN-yuh) warrior
Prabhnoor (prub-NOOR) jewel of God
Tvastars (makers of divine instruments/weapons forgers)
Dhevan (DAVE-uhn) Godly
Arihan (uh-ree-HAAN) killing of enemies
Avinash (uh-vee-NAASH) indestructable
Seers
Janu (juh-NEW) life force
Kairav (KAY-ruv) white lotus
Illusionists
Afzal (UF-zuhl) most excellent
Yael (yah-elle) strength of God
Others
BapuJi (BAH-poo-jee) Abhijay (uh-bee-jay) victorious
Zemirah (zuh-MEE-ra) song of joy
Ranya (RAAN-ya) battle/fight Varina (va-REE-na) thorn
Shaan peaceful
Kushi (cu-shee)
Punjabi Words Index
(R's are rolled like Spanish)
Achkan: (UCH-kun) A high collared knee length jacket worn by men in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan
Anarkali: (uh-NAAR-kulli) A full skirted dress of varying lengths (usually long), worn with leggings and a veil (named after the fictional Anarkali, a legendary courtesan in Emperor Akhbar's court murdered for her illicit relationship with the Crown Prince)
Dupatta: (dew-PUTT-ah) A long, multipurpose scarf or chuni that is essential to many South Asian women's clothes, matching their garments.
Kajal: (KAA-jol) Black eye cosmetic, also called kohl, traditionally made by grinding stibnite.
Lassi: (LUH-see) A popular, traditional, yogurt or buttermilk based drink from the Indian Subcontinent originating in Punjab. It can be sweet, salty, or spicy.
Lehenga: (LEYn-gah) Word for skirt, often formal and covered in embroidery.
Pakora: (pa-CORE-ah) Deep fried snack made from batter of chickpea flour with spices, it can be veggies, homemade cheese, meat, or even fruit.
Paneer: An un-aged, acid-set, non-melting cheese or curd made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or other food acids.
Parantha: (pa-RON-tah) Flatbread originating in the North Indian Subcontinent, fried and usually stuffed with vegetables or panner and spices. A very common breakfast in Punjab.
Salwar Kameez: (sul-VAAR) Traditional outfit originating in South Asia. The top is the kameez, a long shirt of varying styles with slits along the sides. The salwar are the pants, wide folds falling in pleats to a cuff at the ankle. Always worn with a dupatta.
Yaar: Meaning friend, also used like “dude” or “man”.
Acknowledgements
This book would not exist if it weren't for my incredible, wonderful, loving husband, who said, ‘You read enough of those things, why don't you write one?’ Your unwavering faith in my ability to do what I believed was beyond lowly mortals' reach, gave me the courage to stop making up excuses and follow my dream. Life is never boring with you. Here's to countless more lifetimes together.
I want to thank my awesome beta readers. First of all my mother, The Divine MataJi (Go ahead. Laugh. She has 80 years of near-constant reading experience): You are a direct and honest critic, in spite of believing anyone who doesn't love this book is just plain stupid—except the bad words. Amrit Singh: You continued to demand chapters even after I ignored your title suggestion of Die Demon Bitches. This journey wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without the two of you.
Amrit Kaur (you know which one you are): Your enthusiasm for this story lifted my spirits more then you will ever know. I owe you a million hugs for all your website help. Vanessa Bassett: Thank you for putting up with my whining for two years and always managing to have words of encouragement and wisdom, no matter what. You are a true friend. Erlene Seybold-Smythe and Sofie Frontiere: You are both bright shining lights of joy and the most awe-inspiring badass equestrian heroines in the entire Galaxy. I'm lucky to know you. GuruPrakash Kaur The Wonderful: Your generosity and sparkling smile perfectly balance your on-point constructive criticism. Carmen Perez-Ortiz Grammatical Goddess and genuine embodiment of grace. I will be forever grateful for your guidance in all things Spanish, and touched that you suffered through my first draft. Lakshmi: Your excitement and insistence that my work was as good as others you'd loved helped revive my beaten-to-a-bloody-pulp ego. The exalted and generous Victoria Egenstiener: Your exuberance can put a smile on even the most dejected writer's face. And last but not least, Kasey Leigh Miller: You graciously agreed to read a complete strangers novel—for no other reason than you are a kind, helpful, and bountiful angel (and long lost sister from a past life. There really is no other way to explain it).
I love you all. I look forward to harassing you with book two shortly.
A big thank you to my Khalsa brothers Supreet Manchanda, Dharam Singh, Simran Singh, and Manpreet Bawa for your support in all things computer, and for mostly keeping straight faces when I ask idiotic questions.
This book would be unreadable if it weren't for my editor, Beth Jusino, whose incredible eye for detail and super-human patience is astounding. Everyone in need of an editor should look her up. Well, maybe not everyone. That might be too much. Actually, no—she can do anything. Go ahead and look her up.
A Wrigley Field-sized hug of gratitude to Rick Shroeppel, who heroically endured countless phone calls and emails, still managing, through his magical genius, to create a mind-blowing cover despite my interference. You are the best.
Words can never express how I feel about my wonderful, marvelous, fantastic sisters Nirbhe and GuruJohn, who entertain my daughters while I write, and offer nothing but encouragement and support, even though the entire YA genre makes them wrinkle their noses like civilians passing too close to Headquarters. You guys know how much I love you without me ever having to spell it out for you.
About the Author
SiriGuruDev Singh lives in New Mexico and Punjab with her husband, two daughters, and various extended relatives and animals. The Infernal Guard Emergence is the first in The Infernal Guard Trilogy.
You can visit her at www.sgdsingh.com or www.facebook.com/sgdsingh.
Table of Contents
Emergence
Copyright
Dedication
Weapons 1
Weapons 2
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Characters
Punjabi Words Index
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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