A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / November 2010
Copyright ? 2010 by Nalini Singh.
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eISBN : 978-1-101-44510-5
BERKLEY? SENSATION
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To two wonderful friends in different corners of the world: Junko, who made sure I wasn’t lost in translation; and Cora, who has both courage and heart; with a special shout-out to Cian and Calisto from Roman and Julian
CAST OF CHARACTERS
In alphabetical order by first name Key: SD = SnowDancer wolves DR = DarkRiver leopards
Abel Riviere SD soldier, father of Indigo and Evangeline Andrew Kincaid SD tracker, brother of Riley and Brenna Anthony Kyriakus Psy Councilor, father of Faith Ashaya Aleine Psy member of DR, former Council scientist, mated to Dorian Ben SD pup Brace SD juvenile Brenna Kincaid SD tech, mated to Judd, sister of Andrew and Riley Devraj Santos Director of the Shine Foundation, one of the Forgotten (Psy who dropped out of the PsyNet over a hundred years ago and intermarried with the changeling and human populations) Dorian Christensen DR sentinel, mated to Ashaya Elias SD soldier, mated to Yuki, father of Sakura Evangeline (Evie) Riviere SD, sister of Indigo Faith NightStar Psy member of DR, cardinal F-Psy (foreseer), mated to Vaughn, daughter of Anthony Ghost Psy rebel Hawke SD alpha Henry Scott Psy Councilor, husband of Shoshanna Indigo Riviere SD lieutenant, daughter of Abel and Tarah, sister of Evangeline Joshua SD juvenile Judd Lauren Psy member of SD, lieutenant, mated to Brenna, uncle of Sienna, Toby, and Marlee Kaleb Krychek Psy Councilor Lara SD healer Lucas Hunter DR alpha, mated to Sascha Lucy SD, trainee nurse, assistant to Lara Matthias SD lieutenant Max Shannon Human, Nikita’s security chief, married to Sophia Mercy Smith DR sentinel, mated to Riley Ming LeBon Psy Councilor Nikita Duncan Psy Councilor, mother of Sascha Riaz SD lieutenant Riley Kincaid SD lieutenant, mated to Mercy, brother of Andrew and Brenna Sascha Duncan Psy member of DR, cardinal empath, mated to Lucas, daughter of Nikita Shoshanna Scott Psy Councilor, wife of Henry Sienna Lauren Psy member of SD, sister of Toby, niece of Judd and Walker Silvia SD juvenile Sophia Russo J-Psy, works for Nikita, married to Max Tai SD, novice soldier Tarah Riviere SD, mother of Indigo and Evangeline Tatiana Rika-Smythe Psy Councilor Teijan Rat alpha Walker Lauren Psy member of SD, father of Marlee, uncle of Sienna and Toby Xavier Perez Human priest
PURITY
The Psy have been pure, have been Silent for over a hundred years, their emotions conditioned out of them until a wall of ice separates them from the world. Passion and love, hate and sorrow are no longer things they know, except as weaknesses of the emotional human and changeling races.
But as winter thaws into spring in the year 2081, change is more than a whisper on the horizon. Too many powerful Psy have defected, too many are breaking conditioning, and too many fractures riddle the Net.
Some say it is inevitable that Silence will fall.
And some will kill to hold it.
CHAPTER 1
Indigo wiped the rain off her face, clearing it for a split second, if that. The torrential downpour continued with relentless fury, slamming ice-cold bullets against her skin and turning the night-dark of the forest impenetrable. Ducking her head, she spoke into the waterproof microphone attached to the sodden collar of her black T-shirt. “Do you have him in your sights?”
The voice that came back was deep, familiar, and, at that instant, lethally focused. “Northwest, half a mile. I’m coming your way.”
“Northwest, half a mile,” she repeated to ensure they were both on the same page. Changeling hearing was incredibly acute, but the rain was savage, drumming against her skull until even the high-tech receiver she’d tucked into her ear buzzed with noise.
“Indy, be careful. He’s functioning on the level of a feral wolf.”
Under normal circumstances, she’d have snarled at him for using that ridiculous nickname. Tonight, she was too worried. “That goes double for you. He hurt you in that first tangle.”