FF Sky Croft - Amazonia

What happens when you finally find the woman of your dreams, but your twin sister despises her?

Amazonian twin sisters Shale and Kale are as different as night from day, but they have an unbreakable bond - a bond that is tested to its limit when their tribe is brutally slaughtered by an unknown assailant.

Seeking revenge, redemption, and a new place to call home, the twin warriors travel to another tribe, where they find an ally in Blake, an Amazon princess. Shale and Blake form an instant connection, much to Kale's obvious unease.

As Shale strives to make friends and fit into their new tribe, a matter made all the more difficult by jealous rivals, power struggles, and her forthright twin, she must also let down her guard to Blake and surrender her heart, a most unnatural task for a warrior.

When the deadly assailant suddenly reappears, not only is the blossoming love between Shale and Blake threatened, but the lives of the entire tribe. Will these warring amazons find common ground and ultimately unite? Or will the entire Amazon nation fall?



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Prologue

HE WIPED A smear of blood across her face—her blood.

As she struggled to remain conscious, Theron’s rough, calloused hand squeezed her jaw tightly, and the pain roused her. An instant later, he removed it and took a few steps back, away from her bound form, causing her to stiffen in anticipation. His torture was relentless, and she wondered how much longer she could last.

The tensing of her muscles was an unconscious reflex and she was alarmed at the amount of pain that coursed through her body at that simple action. She’d been badly beaten and doubted she could escape even if the opportunity presented itself. She wouldn’t accept defeat though, and would give everything she had.

Theron cracked his whip solidly against her back. To her dismay, on the second strike, she cried out.

Theron laughed cruelly. “See. The fiercest warriors fall before me. Even the mighty Amazons.”

Chapter One

Six Weeks Earlier

THE SOFT MEADOW grass tickled Shale’s legs as she ambled slowly through it. A circling hawk let out a shrill cry overhead, and she tipped her head back, lifting a hand to shade her eyes from the glare of the sun. It was midday, and her favorite time of year— spring.

Shale watched the bird of prey for several moments until it finally disappeared, flying beyond the high fir trees and out of sight.

As always, she never heard her blood sister approach. Kale, like herself, was too good a hunter for that. She knew that Kale was nearby though, she could sense her. Going with her gut instinct, Shale looked to her right, and sure enough, Kale stepped out of the forest and into the meadow, giving her a swift nod in greeting.

It was like looking at her own reflection, and Shale understood why people mistook them for each other. They were identical— sharp chiselled features, pale blue eyes, long dark hair, tall. But close up, she and her twin sister did have slight differences. Kale had a small scar above her right eye, while Shale had a larger, diagonal scar across the base of her throat. They wore similar clothes too—a dark brown mid-thigh length skirt, a matching short lace-up top, and calf-length boots. A sword strapped to each back was the only weapon that either carried.

“Did you find it?” Shale called. They were searching for a rare herb that their healer needed. It only grew in this part of the valley, and it had taken them since dawn to get here.

Kale tapped the pouch on her hip in confirmation. She held up a couple of rabbits as she approached. “Found dinner, too.”

Shale smiled, pointing to where her own rabbits lay. They thought alike.

“How many did you get?”

“Two,” Shale said. They always competed with one another, though only in good fun, and they nearly always came out the same.

As identical twins, they knew each other inside out, and were as close as two people could be. That in itself caused a lot of problems. They did everything together, so all of the women either of them had dated soon grew tired of sharing their time, and were often jealous of the strong connection between them.

Shale often thanked the gods for the rare and unique bond she shared with Kale, but was beginning to suspect that it meant she would never have a serious romantic relationship. At thirty-four, she had all but given up hope.

Neither twin was short of offers, but despite several attempts on both their parts, they hadn’t yet managed to find a middle ground where everyone was kept happy. Three was an awkward number in any relationship.

Shale knew they were expecting a lot from a partner, not only did she have to see them as individuals, she had to accept that she wouldn’t always come first, and that sharing a bed with one of them, ultimately meant she would be sharing a life with the other as well. This was an unusual and difficult task, and so far no woman had even come close to fulfilling it. When they were younger and more naïve, Kale assured her it was just because they hadn’t met the right woman, and said if either of them wanted someone enough, they could all find a way to make it work. Of course, that was before Aeron. Shale, though sceptical, had to admit that Kale was probably right. Shale hadn’t truly loved any of her previous partners, though she had cared for them.

Kale, however, had fallen head over heels for a woman named Aeron. She was the longest relationship either of them ever had. They were together for six seasons before Aeron demanded that Kale choose between her and Shale. Shale still felt guilty knowing it was her presence that caused their break up. She’d offered to leave, though, to give them some space, but Kale wouldn’t hear a word of it. The fact that Aeron asked Kale to choose had proven that she wasn’t the woman Kale thought she was, and Kale ended things there and then. That happened several years ago, and Kale hadn’t even looked at another woman since.

Kale dropped the lifeless rabbits onto the ground, her eyes twinkling in mischief.

Shale grinned, recognising the shift. Kale ran at her, long legs powerfully closing the remaining distance. She let out a loud battle cry, but Shale stood her ground. Kale connected solidly with Shale, tackling her to the ground. The expulsion of breath was all that was heard as they grappled together.

Shale managed to get free, and flipped herself from her back onto her feet. Kale immediately lashed out with her foot, trying to sweep Shale’s legs out from under her. Shale jumped clear, and got into a fighting stance.

As Kale stood, she deflected a combination of punches, then delivered some of her own. Shale’s kick caught her squarely in the stomach, but paid for it when Kale’s right hook connected with her jaw. They both backed off slightly, warily circling the other.

Shale shook her head, trying to clear her vision from the stars she was seeing. Kale had a solid punch. She could tell her kick had winded Kale, for Kale was greedily pulling air into her lungs.

Both were excellent fighters in their own right, but together they were unstoppable. Each knew the other’s strengths and weaknesses, and as such either compensated for, or deferred to, the other when needed.

They had excelled at fighting at a young age, so had been chosen to become warriors to help protect their tribe. As they grew, their skills and techniques advanced, and their senses were honed. Now, they didn’t just fight alongside the other Amazon warriors in their clan, they led them.

Having two people in charge certainly wouldn’t have worked in most circumstances, but the twins were unique, and could read each other well.

“How’s the jaw?” Kale taunted.

Chuckling, Shale tossed the verbal volley back. “How are your ribs?”

“Better than your jaw.”

“Is that so?” Shale listened to her opponent’s breathing, and grinned. “You’re panting like a wolf.”

Kale’s eyes narrowed. “Lucky strike. Won’t happen again.”

“I think I’ll be the one to decide that.”

A short bark of laughter escaped Kale, despite the obvious attempt to try and keep a scowl on her face. “Your head’s starting to swell.”

Shale ignored the dig. “Yeah? You must’ve hit me harder than I thought, I barely felt it. You punch like a sacrificial virgin.” She snickered, just managing to get her hands up to protect herself as Kale launched another attack.

They became serious, fighting savagely, and enjoying every moment of it. After a while, sweat began to pour off them, but still they didn’t stop. Faster and faster they moved, hands and feet becoming blurred as they traded deadly blows and kicks. Complete focus was needed, a distraction at the wrong moment could prove quite dangerous.

Since their alert senses were so in sync, they both smelled the smoke at the same time. Shale turned away and Kale followed her gaze to the dark pillar of smoke winding its way upward on the horizon.

They both broke into a sprint. That was where their village lay.



SILENT TEARS SLID down Shale’s cheeks, and she didn’t need to look at Kale to know she was crying also. Although they ran nonstop, and at full pelt, they were too late. Much too late. The fire had all but burned itself out, and all that was left of their village was smoking timbers.

The bodies of their fallen sisters lay everywhere, littering the ground like leaves on an autumn day. Shale turned full circle, searching desperately for the slightest movement. There was none. She had seen many awful things, but this was by far the worst. The stench of death tainted the air all around them, mixed with the acrid smell of smoke and charred flesh. It was nauseating, but both kept their stomachs in check.

Whoever had done this was clever, cleaning up any clue as to who they were. Several of the Amazons’ blades were coated in blood, and crimson stains dotted the ground where the enemy had been killed, but no bodies remained. They had to have been skilled and seasoned fighters, their sisters wouldn’t have fallen easily. They had even taken the horses.

Kale spotted a close friend and crossed swiftly to her, dropping down beside the prone figure. “Senna?”

Senna lay facedown, so Kale rolled her onto her back. Even from several paces away, Shale closed her eyes. Senna, like many others, had been butchered.

A yell of pure fury emerged from Kale’s throat, the sound more animal than human.

Shale sank to her knees in the blood drenched soil, quietly grieving the loss of her friends, her sisters, everyone she had ever known.

Their entire tribe was dead.



SHALE WAS CROUCHED behind a large fir tree, concealed from any watching eyes. “Kale, stop. Wait.”

“We’ve got to cross the river,” Kale said.

Shale examined the river before them. It was wide and deep, but they were both strong swimmers, and could easily make it to the other side. “We can’t, Kale, you know that,” she said quietly, not wanting to give away their position.

Kale gave her an odd look. “Why not? The tracks stop here. It’s clear they crossed the river.”

“I’m not doubting that. But that’s Kedross’s land. We’d be breaking our treaty.”

“Our tribe is dead!” Though Kale’s anger was clear, she kept her voice low.

Shale sighed. As if she could ever forget. Gathering the bodies together for the funeral pyre had been a horrific task that would stay forever etched in her memory. They hadn’t even had time to mourn, for they didn’t want the trail to grow cold.

“We have no treaty! Kedross needs to be punished.”

“You don’t know it was him.”

“Which is why we need to find out for sure. We can pick up the trail on the other side.” Kale started to crawl forward, using the foliage and the falling night sky as cover.

Shale grabbed her top and pulled her back behind the tree. “Wait. We can’t, Kale.” She kept hold of her.

“Someone has to pay for this!”

“You don’t think I want to find out who did this?” Shale snapped back. “That I don’t want to kill every single one of the bastards who murdered our sisters?” She took a breath to try and calm herself. “But you need to think.” Kale never thought things through, she led with her heart. Shale, however, led with her head. “There’s another tribe farther north. If we enter Kedross’s land we’ll be endangering them also. They share our treaty.” She paused to let that sink in. After a moment, Kale nodded, so Shale released her grip.

“Their queen could provide us with reinforcements,” Kale said.

“We should warn them. They could be the next target.”



BLAKE STROLLED OVER to her mother, Zayla, who was surrounded by four Amazons, all clamouring for her attention. As queen, Zayla was always in demand. Blake watched as Zayla listened patiently to each in turn, waiting until they finished before expressing her own opinions.

Zayla tilted her head thoughtfully, the gray strands all but invisible in her fair hair. Despite her many years, she was a distinguished looking woman, her aura exuding a quiet confidence that Blake herself had inherited.

Blake’s calf-length boots stirred the dusty dry soil as she moved, and she wondered how long it would be until it rained.

Zayla was tying up the conversation as she greeted her. “Blakaea.”

“Princess,” the four women said respectfully before departing.

Blake nodded and smiled to them in response. A sturdy woman named Alke passed by, and Blake watched enviously as she joined the rest of the hunters. She focussed on her mother hopefully. “I could do with a walk myself,” she said, pointing across the unlit fire pit in the center of the village to where the hunters were now departing.

Zayla laughed. “I take it you’ve forgotten about the counsel meeting this morning?”

Blake hadn’t forgotten. “I’m not needed there. Surely we don’t both need to be present?” She looked up at the clear blue sky. “And it’s such a nice day to be stuck indoors.”

Zayla nodded. “You’re right. The two of us aren’t needed there.”

Blake grinned. “Great, I’ll go and catch up with the hunters.” She kissed Zayla’s cheek. “I’ll put in a request for deer.” That was Zayla’s favorite. As Blake started to leave, she was stopped with a touch to her arm.

“You can lead the meeting,” Zayla said. She smiled at Blake’s crestfallen expression. “I intend to make the most of this lovely weather.”

Blake frowned. “I walked right into that, didn’t I?”

“It’s for the best. You need to be ready for the role of queen.”

Her frown deepened. “I wish you wouldn’t talk like that, Mother, you’re still young.”

“Many have passed who were younger than I. It would be unwise if we didn’t prepare. I shall be giving you more responsibilities, Blakaea. I feel you’re ready for them. You’re a great Amazon princess, but you’ll be an even greater queen.”

Blake heard the pride in her mother’s voice and her heart swelled. “I had an excellent teacher.”

Zayla’s eyes twinkled. “Did your teacher also train you to be punctual?”

“Of course.” Blake glanced to the rising sun and her mouth quirked. The counsel would have already assembled. “I’ll make my way there now.”



SHALE AND KALE travelled for three long, hard days, each pushing herself relentlessly. Both were physically and emotionally exhausted. They ate and drank on route, only stopping to sleep. And they got little of that, reliving the death of their tribe over and over in their minds.

Once they left the safety of their own territory, the journey became more difficult, having to either barter their way through other people’s land, or in some cases skirt around it entirely.

They re-entered Amazon territory early that morning, knowing it to be so by the markings on the trees. That was the first sign they’d had of another tribe.

It was nearly midday when Kale, who was slightly ahead, suddenly whipped up her hand, giving Shale the signal to halt.

Shale stopped instantl