Allegiance (39 page)

Almost by reflex, I cast about for Steldor, expecting to find him alone. I should have known he would be surrounded by fathers and their daughters, for word had spread fast after the annulment of our marriage, and he was once more the most sought after young man in the land. In previous years, he would have been flirting incorrigibly; now, however, I was surprised to find his eyes on me. He smirked and shook his head, and I laughed aloud, though the people
around me could not have said what was funny. In many ways, life was returning to a state of welcome normalcy, but I still felt something was missing.

After a time, the room grew stuffy, and the open balcony doors beckoned, promising a welcome breeze. I crossed the ballroom and stepped out into the gathering twilight, not startled as I had once been to discover I was not alone. Narian was leaning back upon the railing, his hands resting on either side of him on the dark wood, his mesmerizing blue eyes fixed on me.

“Good evening, Lord Narian,” I said politely, walking up beside him to look out over the city, my pulse rate quickening.

“Good evening, Grand Provost Alera,” he replied with a slight smirk, inclining his head. He turned toward me, continuing to rest a forearm on the railing.

“Avoiding the crowds?” he asked, repeating the words of the first conversation we'd had on this very balcony.

“Perhaps,” I responded with a smile, pleased that he remembered that night as clearly as did I. “And you?”

“I could not refuse your sister's invitation when I received it,” he responded, his eyes seeming to burn right through me. “It was generous of her. But I do not think the Hytanican people are ready to embrace me. In truth, I cannot expect that.”

“I cannot speak for the people,” I lightly replied, my heart warming in anticipation of his reaction. “Only for myself.”

The smirk once more fleetingly appeared, then he looked away from me toward the pinpricks of light cast by the lanterns in the city.

“I have been told your marriage has been annulled,” he stated, his voice steady and unrevealing.

“Steldor was not the man I desired to marry,” I mur
mured, willing him to understand how my heart had ached for him throughout everything that had happened.

He did not move but continued to stare into the darkness, his thoughts indeterminable. Releasing his breath, he finally returned his gaze to me.

“I am no longer that same man.”

“And I am no longer the same woman.”

“So where does that leave us?”

I reached out and put my hand upon his, twining our fingers, inviting the touch I knew he was not sure he ought to extend.

“Perhaps with a chance to start anew,” I offered, fighting the tremor in my voice that evidenced my emotions.

“I would like that, Alera,” he said, continuing to hold my hand despite the sadness and regret lurking behind his words. Then he straightened, coming to his full height as if preparing to leave. At my confused expression, he explained, “You should take time to make certain of what you want. I will be here, if and when you seek my company.”

“I have long been certain of what I want,” I almost breathlessly assured him.

He reached out to touch my cheek, and I searched his deep blue eyes, finding the love I had always known was there. Needing no further invitation, I moved forward into his embrace, nestling against his muscular chest, his earthy scent of leather and pine and cedar enveloping me. He held me close, then lifted my chin to kiss me, causing warmth to spread through me for the first time in months and confirming what I had long suspected: that in his arms, I was finally home.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who lent a hand in bringing
Allegiance
to life:

Mom, Cara and Kendra for being the weirdest, most amazing family anyone could wish for.

Everyone at HarlequinTEEN, in particular my editor, Natashya Wilson, for her invaluable making-book-better skills, and Lisa Wray for her continued efforts to connect me with the rest of the human race. Everyone at HQT is an absolute joy and I wouldn't be where I am without you!

My agent Kevan Lyon for her fabulous work and for making me believe in myself.

My foreign-rights agent Taryn Fagerness for conquering the world.

And finally, thanks to anyone who's reading. You have the power to change the world—you've definitely changed mine.

 

Until next time,

Cayla Kluver

Q: Please tell us a little about yourself and your interests apart from writing.

 

A:
I'm from Wisconsin, where breweries and dairy farming dominate, although my family owns horses rather than cows. I love horseback riding, reading, singing and—if I'm being honest—video games. When I got my hands on “Mass Effect 2,” I stayed up for two days straight to play it through.

Aside from those hobbies, I love working with kids, particularly kids who are trying to follow their dreams or are coming out of broken homes. There is so much strength to be found in young people, and it's inspirational. Sometimes all they need is a hand or a word of encouragement in order to take on the whole world, and being able to provide even a small amount of support to people in those situations is a gift.

 

Q: Legacy has a long publication history worldwide. What has the journey been like for you?

 

A:
Legacy
has traveled more places than I have—while my book has gone to Japan, South America, Greece, Turkey and all over Europe, I've pretty much stayed in Wisconsin. I think because of that, the reality of how widely
Legacy
is being read hasn't hit me. Intellectually I know that what's been happening is huge, but emotionally I still feel like a small-town girl. This reaction might just be part of who I am though—my mom told me one day that she thought she was having a heart attack, so I nodded, got the keys and suggested we go to the emergency room. I tend to handle important things very understatedly, but scream and cry when Amazon delivers a season of
Law & Order
late.

 

Q: You have strong insight into how people act under pressure. Who or what inspires you to create the characters in your books?

 

A:
My characters who handle pressure well are definitely inspired by my mom. She's a lawyer and she's always cool-headed and in charge. She's the kind of frustrating person against whom you can never win an argument because she never loses her temper. She's the strongest person I know. On the flip side, my dad is a massive worrywart (sorry, Dad). Together my parents comprise the entire spectrum of human reaction. They're polar opposites, and for the purpose of my writing I can sort of stroll between them for whatever personality I need.

 

Q: Why did you choose to write in a historical fantasy world?

 

A:
I love history—the different styles of dress and speech, how people lived, the culture. But what I wanted for this series wasn't straight historical fiction. I wanted to create my own kingdoms and conflicts. Mythology and magic, while not highly prevalent in the Legacy Trilogy are still important to the arc of the story, and incorporating these themes into a fantasy novel was a lot more comfortable for me.

Another huge reason I chose a historical fantasy setting was that I wanted the opportunity to construct a major dichotomy between two kingdoms—one dominated by men and one dominated by women. A secondary goal of the series is to illustrate that neither society is ideal—equality is what we should strive for.

 

Q: Your setting and attention to detail are part of what bring Alera's world to life. What kind of research did you do while writing the books?

 

A:
I did a lot of research online about medieval European history; I also hit the bookstore and collected dozens of history-related books that are now highlighted and dog-eared through and through. Because the series is first and foremost a fantasy, I did my research as I went along. I could pick and choose what aspects I wanted to be a part of Alera's life, which gave me the freedom to create a world I really enjoyed writing about.
Legacy
was like the most exhilarating research paper I've ever written.

 

Q: All right, let's get down to what everyone really wants to know—who would you choose, Steldor or Narian? Or Tadark?!

 

A:
Steldor has come a long way, but at his heart he's still a chauvinist, and as a modern girl, I couldn't put up with that. Anybody who tries to tell me where I belong will end up with their pride sliced and diced through means of verbal warfare. Aesthetically, I would definitely choose Steldor though. I can't resist big brown eyes and the intensity of dark hair.

As tempting as Tadark is, I would go with Narian. For me, the most attractive thing in the world is a man who legitimately respects women.
That
I can't resist.

 

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

 

A:
Write what you want to write. Lately I've been hearing, “I'll write what's selling until I'm established, then I'll write what I want.” I don't think it works that way. If what you want to write is also what's selling, power to you. But the beauty of being an author is that you're given the chance to put something in a reader's hands that they didn't know they desired. What you put on paper should always be something you would defend with the passion of an infuriated ninja. Don't let anybody take that away from you. Also, don't give up. Nobody ever got what they wanted by taking no for an answer.

 

Thank you, Cayla!