Nikki stood in a cat stance, trying to form some type of strategy, and used her newfound powers to take in her surroundings. And no called fouls when things got rough. There were no senseis, judges, or black belts hoping to showcase their abilities as masters and students. If she was in a competition, officials would call the fight at the first sign of a cut. For all she knew, there was blood seeping from her lips - she was simply too adrenaline-driven to care. She didn’t taste blood yet, but she could feel her mouth swelling. Her lips were numb, a thankful reprieve from the pain of them smashing against her teeth as the Frenchman, Deux, made contact with a powerful fist. Though to her knowledge, Cinderella never kicked any butt, so any fairy-tale similarities between her and the blonde princess ended there. A smattering of Halflings now dotted the courtyard surrounding the Cinderella-style castle, similar to the one where Nikki had been living like royalty since she and the others arrived. Nikki advanced, ignoring the cheers and gasps around her. Her lips throbbed with the beating of her heart, and for a few horrible seconds she wanted to call time out and collapse onto the ground.īut she wasn’t a quitter, and the pain rumbling through her was only more incentive to pummel the Frenchman into the ground.Įven if it wasn’t the smartest choice she’d ever made. Even the gentlest blow of this Halfling put her past competitors to shame half human, half angels were lethal. And I thought karate tournaments were ruthless. The blur lasted only a second before Nikki Youngblood’s face exploded in blinding pain. If it fit anywhere, you convinced me it fit everywhere. Me a hybrid and to believe in this series.

My insightful agent, Jennifer Schober - the first to call Your dedication to the world of YA will stand the test of time. You truly helped bring the Halflings to life! My remarkable editor, Jacque Alberta - who tookĪ chance on me.

Avenger by Heather Burch