Brimstone Angels
Authors: Erin M. Evans
I
CAN HELP YOU, YOU KNOW,”
L
ORCAN’S CROONING VOICE SLID THROUGH
her worries. “Simple as it comes. No one will ever hurt you …”
“No,” Farideh said, though her thoughts felt slippery and loose. She covered her eyes and ducked her head. “No. Go away.” Stay, she thought. Tell me.
“It’s a simple thing,” he said again. Lorcan set his hand, hot as an iron, on the bare spot between her shoulder blades, his fingers sliding just under the edge of her collar. “Not like what they tell you. Just say you’re mine. That’s all it takes …”
“No,” she said, though her voice was growing fainter and her head was spinning. Why would she say no? She would be safe …
“Free. Free to do as you please. Free to find whatever life you want.” He pulled her close, very close … His breath burned against her skin. “You want that, don’t you?”
“Yes …”
“You want to be mine?”
“Yes,” she said, and with that her thoughts seemed to clear:
He’s out of the circle
.
Farideh looked up in horror at the cambion, whose arms held her like an iron band. “No!” she cried.
“Too late, darling.” He whispered in her ear, “It wouldn’t have held the imp either.”
Then everything caught fire.
ALSO BY ERIN M. EVANSE
D
G
REENWOOD
P
RESENTS
W
ATERDEEP:
The God Catcher
BRIMSTONE ANGELS
©2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC
All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Published by Wizards of the Coast LLC.
F
ORGOTTEN
R
EALMS
, D
UNGEONS &
D
RAGONS
, D&D, W
IZARDS OF THE
C
OAST
, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
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.
All Wizards of the Coast characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Cover art by: Kekai Kotaki
eISBN: 978-0-7869-5941-9
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v3.1
For my sisters; and for Kevin, who saved me (and this book) at least twice.
W
elcome to Faerûn, a land of magic and intrigue, brutal violence and divine compassion, where gods have ascended and died, and mighty heroes have risen to fight terrifying monsters. Here, millennia of warfare and conquest have shaped dozens of unique cultures, raised and leveled shining kingdoms and tyrannical empires alike, and left long forgotten, horror-infested ruins in their wake.
A LAND OF MAGIC
When the goddess of magic was murdered, a magical plague of blue fire—the Spellplague—swept across the face of Faerûn, killing some, mutilating many, and imbuing a rare few with amazing supernatural abilities. The Spellplague forever changed the nature of magic itself, and seeded the land with hidden wonders and bloodcurdling monstrosities.
A LAND OF DARKNESS
The threats Faerûn faces are legion. Armies of undead mass in Thay under the brilliant but mad lich king Szass Tam. Treacherous dark elves plot in the Underdark in the service of their cruel and fickle goddess, Lolth. The Abolethic Sovereignty, a terrifying hive of inhuman slave masters, floats above the Sea of Fallen Stars, spreading chaos and destruction. And the Empire of Netheril, armed with magic of unimaginable power, prowls Faerûn in flying fortresses, sowing discord to their own incalculable ends.
A LAND OF HEROES
But Faerûn is not without hope. Heroes have emerged to fight the growing tide of darkness. Battle-scarred rangers bring their notched blades to bear against marauding hordes of orcs. Lowly street rats match wits with demons for the fate of cities. Inscrutable tiefling warlocks unite with fierce elf warriors to rain fire and steel upon monstrous enemies. And valiant servants of merciful gods forever struggle against the darkness.
A LAND OF
UNTOLD ADVENTURE
T
HE VILLAGE OF
A
RUSH
V
AYEM
,
THE
T
YMANTHERAN FRONTIER
21 N
IGHTAL, THE
Y
EAR OF THE
P
URLOINED
S
TATUE
(
1477 DR
)