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  PRAISE FOR AMALIE HOWARD’S

  ALPHA GODDESS:

  A Spring 2014 Indie Next Pick

  “I was absolutely immersed in Sera’s world! Alpha Goddess is a fiery, gripping twist on a timeless love story. The rich mythology and exotic themes were beautifully imagined and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Brilliantly dark and powerful. A must-read!”

  —Colleen Houck, New York Times bestselling author of the Tiger’s Curse series

  “Alpha Goddess is a touching depiction of the strength of family and the importance of love and loyalty. Fans of books blending the modern with the mythical will enjoy Sera’s story and the love triangle involving her best friend and her immortal love.”

  —VOYA Magazine, starred review

  “Howard’s Alpha Goddess is a breath of fresh air for any young adult fantasy fan. Sera’s adventures in discovering her parentage and her existence as the reincarnation of Lakshmi, one of the most powerful beings in the created universe, are exciting and interesting. Sera finds herself caught amid the battle between good and evil and must choose to take her place as the savior of the known world. Howard’s writing is excellent and her concept stands out among the flood of angel and demon fiction already populating the genre.”

  —Demi Marshall for the Spring 2014 Kids’ Indie Next List

  “Complete with non-stop action and deft writing, Alpha Goddess is mesmerizing and inventive. Overall, this is an intriguing read full of surprises!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “This isn’t a typical love triangle, and this isn’t a typical good versus evil story. Nothing is quite that straightforward. The twists were brilliantly crafted, and the plot moved along smoothly and at a good pace. I cared for the characters (mainly Sera, Dev, and Nate) and was fully invested in their journey. Alpha Goddess is a rich Hindu mythology novel with powerful gods, deadly realms, and fierce battles.”

  —YA Books Central

  “Amalie Howard has done it again! With Alpha Goddess, she brings us an amazing, gorgeous story with vivid, detailed mythology, amazing characters and wonderful prose.”

  —Pandora’s Books

  PRAISE FOR AMALIE HOWARD’S

  THE ALMOST GIRL:

  “The Almost Girl is a feminist tour de force. This sexy, fast-paced story is impossible to put down. A must read! Fans of Divergent will love it!”

  —Kim Purcell, author of Trafficked

  “A riveting union of science fiction thriller, romance, family drama, and conspiracy theory, The Almost Girl had me wishing I could crawl inside the pages and join Riven on her epic journey between parallel worlds. Amalie Howard’s writing is sharp and smart.”

  —Page Morgan, author of The Beautiful and the Cursed

  “Amalie Howard writes a fast paced and thrilling story with a kick butt, authentic heroine and a brilliantly crafted world.”

  —Eve Silver, author of Rush

  “A high-octane thriller. [Sci-fi] and dystopia fans will be right at home with this book and its fierce, capable heroine.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  PRAISE FOR AMALIE HOWARD’S

  THE FALLEN PRINCE:

  “An engaging combination of soap opera and space cowboys, this sequel to The Almost Girl charges along from action scene to action scene, with a few tender moments thrown in.”

  —Booklist

  “Hand this . . . to fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent who are still looking for new dystopian battles to get invested in.”

  —School Library Journal

  “[P]acked with action . . . Imagery is the highlight of this book.”

  —VOYA Magazine

  Also by Amalie Howard

  Alpha Goddess

  Bloodspell

  Bloodcraft

  Waterfell (The Aquarathi)

  Oceanborn (The Aquarathi)

  The Almost Girl (The Riven Chronicles)

  The Fallen Prince (The Riven Chronicles)

  Copyright © 2018 by Amalie Howard

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Sky Pony Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

  Sky Pony Press books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Sky Pony Press, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or [email protected].

  Sky Pony® is a registered trademark of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc®, a Delaware corporation.

  www.skyponypress.com

  www.amaliehoward.com

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

  Cover design by Brian Peterson

  Cover photo credit: iStockphoto

  Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-0989-8

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-5107-0998-0

  Printed in the United States of America

  For anyone who has ever felt invisible—I see you.

  “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”

  —Mahatma Gandhi

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Goddess Warfare

  Secrets

  Roll of the Dice

  The Sisters Divine

  The Goddess You Know

  Love Is a Slippery Slope

  Like Father, Like Son

  What Are Friends For?

  Demon Tracking

  The Belly of the Beast

  Keep Your Friends Close

  Xibalba Claims Its Own

  Beneath the Bowels

  The Devil You Know

  The Light and the Darkness

  An Eye for an Eye

  Keep Your Enemies Closer

  Revenge Is Best Served Cold

  The Cost of a Soul

  Power Play

  Goddess Immortal

  The Champion of Xibalba

  The Gateway to Hell

  To the Death

  The End of the World

  The Glade

  Epilogue

  Pavamana Mantra

  Author’s Note

  Acknowledgments

  PROLOGUE

  Demons were festering in the Mortal Realm.

  No matter how hard they attempted to hide their disguises—human, animal, or otherwise—the Goddess of Destruction could see the rakshasas plain as day, scattered like black poisonous dust, tainting the very air around them. They lurked in any dark hole they could find.

  Waiting.

  The goddess frowned. Size was immaterial. Small demons were as clever and insidious as their larger counterparts. At times, even more so. Even now, she could foresee the black dust multiplying, paving the path for something monstrous . . . a plague that would only spread if left unimpeded.

  Lord Devendra had been wise to forestall the end of the world by banishing the Kali rakshasa months before, with the help of his consort Lady Serjana and their mutual ally Kalias. But the truth was, the fate of man had been sealed the minute the binding wards of the Mortal Realm had been breached by Ra’al, the Demon Lord of the seventh level of hell. The gates of Xibalba had been opened, its very stench seeping through its seams and into the human world.

  The goddess’s third eye slid shut; she contemplated what she’d seen.

  It was too late.

  The
Mortal Realm had to be cleansed. It had to be destroyed.

  GODDESS WARFARE

  Kyle Knox inhaled deeply as the tingling sensation he’d felt in his arms and legs disappeared for the moment. It had been a shiver of something that caused a dull ache in his bones—that cold, numbing feeling of a storm brewing. He must be tired. After everything that had happened in the last few months—namely, the near extinction of everything human—it would be strange not to be out of sorts. And, of course, there had been his miraculous transformation from human boy to immortal guardian of the Mortal Realm. Miraculous because it was granted by the Trimurtas, the gods of Illysia, and mostly because he hadn’t been sentenced to eternal damnation.

  He gave himself a stern shake and shrugged off the strange feeling. “I am an Azura Lord.”

  The words felt strange in his mouth. What they meant felt even stranger. An Azura Lord, responsible for keeping the demons where they belonged: in the seven domains of Xibalba, what humans called hell. For so long, he’d been confused about his humanity, nearly losing himself to the Dark Realms. But he’d fought the pull, letting his love for his best friend, Sera Caelum, become his moral compass. And even though Sera wasn’t into him—she was in love with someone else—that didn’t mean what he felt just went away. He’d fallen, hard and fast, from the moment he’d met her. Love like that didn’t disappear overnight. It stuck around and tortured you with what you couldn’t have.

  Kyle sighed.

  Being immortal had its perks, but it didn’t earn him any bonus points with Sera. It was kind of hard to compete when the girl of his dreams was dating a powerful god who happened to be the protector of the entire world. Not to mention that the two of them had been destined to be together from the dawn of stinking time. It was freaking unfair, that’s what it was. Even so, Sera had chosen to stay in the Mortal Realm with him, instead of taking her rightful place in Illysia—the Light Realm—with Dev.

  That had to mean something, didn’t it?

  “Hey! Get out of the way!” someone screamed behind him just as a black Ducati motorcycle squealed past and into the high school parking lot. Kyle twisted out of the way, barely clearing the hissing rear wheel. The bike skidded to a stop, acrid smoke billowing in its wake.

  “What the heck are you—” Kyle’s voice stuck like sand in his throat as a tall, slender girl got off the bike and pulled a black helmet from her head, releasing waves of glossy dark hair, which tumbled down her back. The girl was dressed all in black—black T-shirt, black leather pants, black boots—except the black and white skull belt hanging low on her hips. Her hair was a shimmery ebony, so sleek it looked liquid, moving with her every step as if it had a life of its own. She glanced at him over her shoulder, tossing a lock of hair to the side as she hoisted her backpack on her arm.

  “Sorry.” The girl’s voice was smoky and rich . . . the kind of voice that suggested it guarded dark, decadent secrets. One word, and Kyle’s chest felt two sizes too small, his stomach like it was suspended in midair. He gaped as she passed him, but the girl barely slowed as she surveyed him from head to toe. From the look in her jet-black, kohl-lined eyes, he wasn’t worth much more than her cursory glance. Kyle could smell a hint of her musky, cinnamon perfume lingering in the air as she disappeared from view.

  “Who was that?” Sera’s voice startled him so much that he nearly dropped his books. She had a knowing look in her clear, light eyes, a smirk on her lips.

  “Who?” Kyle’s tongue tripped over the word.

  “Miss I-Hate-The-World new girl who nearly ran you over without blinking,” Sera said. “You should wipe the drool off your chin, by the way. Very unbecoming of an Azura Lord.”

  Kyle smirked, though his heart was still hammering. Clearing his head of dark eyes and cinnamon musk, he forced his breathing to slow and calm. “Looks like I still have some of my human traits. Pretty girls will always get me hot and bothered.”

  “I can’t even with you,” Sera said, eyeing him. “Plus, it’s not like you need any more distractions at school. Especially not some girl who looks like more trouble than you can handle. You should be focusing on keeping all of the demon riffraff out of the Mortal Realm.”

  “Sure, Mom. Though that doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun playing the field, right?” Kyle winked as they walked toward the school entrance. “After all, I did come back to finish senior year, even though high school’s pretty pointless when you’re fighting hordes of acid-spewing demons.”

  “High school’s a must,” Sera tossed back.

  “Overrated. Who needs trigonometry when you’re an all-powerful, portal-defending Azura Lord?”

  “You wouldn’t say that if you were caught between a rock, a hard place, and a bunch of demons and needed to figure out escape routes. Trig is useful, and learning, in general, keeps your mind sharp.”

  “Woodshop is useful for designing weapons,” he grumbled. “But I guess you have a point.” He shook his head and smiled. Only Sera could come up with a reason to use trig or statistics mid-battle. Though she was right, he supposed. Demon fighting was in a class all its own, requiring dexterity and finesse unlike other fighting styles. One wrong move could cost you more than your life—and pretty much guaranteed an eternity of pain. He sobered at the thought. “On a more serious note, any more news on what’s happening with the rest of the demons?”

  Sera’s face drew tight. “My parents are still battling, along with the rest of the Daevas, to get rid of the ones that are in hiding here. It’s tough, though—they know how to conceal themselves. Some are even taking human form.”

  He blinked his surprise. “Like possession?”

  “Similar, though not what you’d expect from the movies. No veined faces and clotted blood patches, or anything like that. Possessed humans look completely normal. Like you and me.” Sera laughed at herself. “Well, not exactly you and me. These days, you can hardly tell what a possessed human host looks like.” She tapped her head. “My dad says you need to use your senses to feel them. The stronger demons are nearly undetectable.”

  “Great.” Kyle sighed. Sera’s dad would know—he was an ex-Azura Lord turned human. So he knew more about human souls than just about anyone. “How are we supposed to send them back to hell if we can’t even see them? Does Samsar have a cheat sheet or something? Cliffs Notes? Post-its?”

  Sera rolled her eyes at him. “Practice. Plus, you’ll learn to sense them after a while. With your abilities, it should be a piece of cake.” She shivered, shadows gathering in her pale eyes. “They feel . . . oily. Like scum coating your skin.”

  “Thanks for the tip.”

  Inside, the school hallways were bustling with students back from summer break. Kyle watched Sera say a shy hello to some girls she knew and then head over to her locker. Things had changed for her since she’d come into her own as a goddess—not that the other kids knew that’s what had happened. But discovering her true identity, and dropping the shade her mother had placed on her to hide her otherworldly looks, had transformed Sera’s appearance. Her natural auburn suited her more than the goth-black hair color she’d worn most of the previous year. It was eye-opening how shallow most teens were—some of them acted as if they hadn’t known who she was anymore. Then again, in high school, something as superficial as a makeover could change your entire social life. And Sera was immortal. Without her shade, she tended to attract people without trying.

  Occupational hazard, Kyle figured.

  No one waved to him—he’d always been a loner. And that wasn’t going to change just because he’d moved up the cosmic food chain and gotten a new, indestructible body. Unlike Sera, he wasn’t a god and his looks remained the same—his black, curly Mohawk and tattoos told people to stay the heck away if they knew what was good for them. And they did.

  He studied his human peers moving like animals, survival instincts primed. A trio of football players slammed into a skinny, freckle-faced boy at his locker, making him drop his belongings. An apple rol
led out of a brown paper bag and one of the boys kicked it across the linoleum floor. They snickered and high-fived one another like a bunch of hyenas determined to play with their food before eating it.

  It wasn’t his business, he told himself. And then he sighed. That kid’s entire semester could be ruined because of this one moment. Didn’t Sera’s mother always say that life was determined by a series of moments and choices?

  “It’s only the first day. Why don’t you guys knock it off?” Kyle snapped, drawing surprised looks his way. As if sensing danger on the wind, the football players’ gazes flickered with uncertainty before they banded together, seeming to decide that strength in numbers would give them a sort of edge.

  The tallest of the three sneered at him. “What’s it to you, loser? You want to be next?”

  Kyle raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his chest. “Sure. Come and get it.”

  The wide receiver who’d tossed the taunt threw the first punch. Kyle saw the fist coming toward his jaw and stopped it mid-strike with the heel of his palm. He closed his hand around the other boy’s and squeezed, watching his face contort, then leaned in, his voice low: “Pick on someone your own size next time, or you won’t be using this arm anytime soon, got it?” He released his hold.

  Thin-lipped, the wide receiver nodded and clutched his injured hand, scuttling back to his friends. Once he was out of reach, safe among his packmates, he glared daggers at Kyle. “Watch your back, man.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  As they took off down the hallway, Kyle shook his head. Sometimes, high school was worse than the lowest level of hell. He considered helping the other boy gather his things, but decided against it. He didn’t have to go all out to be a good guy.

  “So, I’ll catch you later for chem?” Sera said, walking back toward him with her books in hand. She narrowed her eyes at the retreating football players as one turned around to give Kyle the finger. “What’s with them?”

  “They’re just having a bad first day,” Kyle replied. “Wait, you’re not going to English?”