Exiled Read online

  And then she was gone.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Draven looked around him one last time. Gone was the underground bunker he’d spent so many thousands of years in. Gone also were the soulless trolls and imps he’d brought into being to be his army and sole companions in his exile. He was standing on the surface of Hrakaz.

  Once a barren, rocky void teeming with the disgusting imps and trolls, the land was now quiet and empty as far as the eye could see. The streams were finally flowing clean again and here and there he could see greenery sprouting. The tiny planet was coming back to life.

  But restoring Hrakaz to its former state was only the start of what he had to do. So many evil deeds had to be made up for, so much retribution had to be paid to the races he had displaced or in some cases, nearly wiped out altogether. It was going to be the work of centuries.

  And it looked like he was going to do it alone.

  Even now he could feel the Goddess calling him. Wondering why he had not yet ascended to her plane.

  “Just a few minutes more, Mother,” he sent, flexing his wings, which were tired from so much work. “I promised her I would wait. I need to make sure she’s not coming.”

  The feeling of waiting from the Goddess faded somewhat but didn’t go away all together. Draven knew his heavenly mother was anxious to welcome him home and he was anxious to see her too. But he couldn’t help hoping against hope that L would come. Wishing to see her one more time. If only…

  But no, she probably wasn’t coming. He should just go now and get it over with.

  With a sigh, he turned his eyes to the light purple sky of Hrakaz…

  And saw a single, small craft descending.

  * * * * *

  She was barely out of the door before Draven caught her up in his arms and swung her around and around until L was dizzy.

  “You came! You actually came back!”

  “I promised I would, didn’t I?” she demanded, laughing.

  He set her down but kept his arms and wings wrapped around her, holding her close. “I was afraid you’d change your mind.”

  “I almost did,” L admitted. “It was hard—so hard—to leave my sister. But in the end, she understood why I had to go.”

  “I’m glad you had time to say goodbye.” Draven kissed her softly. “But I’m even happier that you’re coming with me.”

  L looked around. “Are we going now?”

  He shrugged. “There’s no reason to delay. My work here on Hrakaz is complete. In a few years it should be back almost to the way it was when I found it.”

  L cleared her throat. “Oh, all right. Well, then I guess…let’s go.”

  Draven frowned. “Are you all right? You seem anxious.”

  “Well…” L gave him a weak smile. “I’m a little nervous to meet your mother in person. It’s not everyone who can say their mother-in-law is a Goddess.”

  Draven kissed her again. “She’s going to love you. In fact, she already does. She loves you for saving me—if it wasn’t for you and the half soul you gave me, I’d still be trapped in misery and darkness.” He nuzzled her cheek. “I love you so much, L. How can I ever repay you?”

  L smiled. “I love you too, baby. And as for repaying me, we can discuss that later. After we meet your mom maybe we can find a little privacy. You know, maybe complete our bond?”

  Draven’s true green eyes grew dark with lust and he gave her another, much deeper kiss. “It would be my pleasure, darling. Now hold on tight—we’re going to ascend.”

  He took a firmer grip on her and L put her arms around his neck and held on. Draven’s great wings beat the air and then they were airborne, flying high over the quiet landscape of Hrakaz.

  “This is amazing,” she said in his ear. “But are we going to fly to where your mother is? I mean, won’t the air get awfully thin if you go too high?”

  “Look up,” Draven murmured.

  L did and gasped when she saw a shimmering, silver portal above them in the sky. “Oh, it’s beautiful. Is it some kind of gateway?”

  “Exactly.” Draven kissed her again as his great wings pumped the air. “And we’re going through it…together.”

  The End

  Author’s Note:

  Some of you who have friended me on FaceBook know that I thought this was going to be the last book in the Kindred series. I was so sure, in fact, that I wrapped up Draven and L’s storyline along with Saber and Lissa’s. Imagine my surprise when an idea for book 8 came to me while I was writing the next to last chapter of book 7! I’m pleased to say that there will be another Kindred book and probably more than one after this. In fact, I promise to keep writing the books as long as good plots keep coming to me and I feel like I can give my readers a satisfying reading experience, which is very important to me.

  A few of my advance readers have asked if Draven will appear in any future books. My answer is I’m not sure but it’s certainly possible. He was a great bad guy and lots of fun to write but he and L might still have some adventures together in the Goddess’s realm. For the next book, however, I want to stick closer to home. I don’t know the name of the heroine for book 8 yet but I do know that she’s an Earth girl and Reddix, the Touch Kindred with the reversed Touch sense, will be the hero. I’ll probably start working on their story in early 2013.

  In the mean time, I have an idea for a YA series that I really want to write. Those of you who follow my YA writing, under the pen name Emmaline Andrews, are welcome to write and ask me for a review copy when the first book, Lock and Key, comes out. And please check out my first YA novel, The Academy which is available on Amazon, AllRomance, and Smashwords.

  As always, you can find me on FaceBook or check out my website www.evangelineanderson.com I have recently had it revamped so those of you who haven’t seen it in awhile please come and check it out. I love the new look which was done by Crocodesigns.

  Well, that’s all I have for now except to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and to add, once more as I always do—please DON’T PIRATE. I make my living with these books and try to keep the prices low so everyone can afford to enjoy them. Please support your favorite independent authors by buying their work instead of taking it so we can all keep writing for your pleasure and ours.

  Hugs and happy reading to you all!

  11-27-12

  Evangeline

  Brides of the Kindred Glossary

  AllFather—the evil head of the Scourge, a race that are the byproduct of a failed genetic trade. The AllFather is one of the Old Ones and has the power to reach into a person’s mind to harvest emotional pain and trauma. He lives for the fulfillment of the Scourge Prophesy.

  Ancient Ones—beings which live in the Deep Blue—the darkest and most inaccessible part of the Rageron jungles. They are sentient but not related in any way to the Kindred. Each Ancient One has two forms—a bipedal form which resembles a human or Kindred and a beast form which can be deadly and they can change between forms at will. The Ancient Ones predate even the First Kindred and revere the skrillix plant, which they guard jealously.

  Bespeak—to contact someone mentally using a Think-me device. It is considered rude to bespeak someone you don’t know intimately.

  Beast/Rager Kindred—come from Rageron—a jungle planet full of beautiful but deadly flora and fauna. They have dark hair, golden eyes, and hot tempers but their most defining characteristic is the mating fist. The mating fist is an area at the base of the Beast Kindred’s shaft which engages fully only during bonding sex with his chosen mate. When engorged it swells to keep the Beast Kindred and his bride locked together until she is completely bonded to him. This ensures sex that is both extremely long lasting and multiorgasmic for both partners.

  Blackness between the Stars—another name for the Hoard or Grimlax, an ancient enemy of the Kindred. These beings have no souls and so are considered demonic by the Kindred.

  Blood Fever—a condition suffered by unmated females on Tranq Prime, the home