Authors: Sharon Shinn
Ace Books by Sharon Shinn
THE SHAPE OF DESIRE
STILL LIFE WITH SHAPE-SHIFTER
THE TURNING SEASON
TROUBLED WATERS
ROYAL AIRS
JEWELED FIRE
MYSTIC AND RIDER
THE THIRTEENTH HOUSE
DARK MOON DEFENDER
READER AND RAELYNX
FORTUNE AND FATE
ARCHANGEL
JOVAH’S ANGEL
THE ALLELUIA FILES
ANGELICA
ANGEL-SEEKER
WRAPT IN CRYSTAL
THE SHAPE-CHANGER’S WIFE
HEART OF GOLD
SUMMERS AT CASTLE AUBURN
JENNA STARBORN
QUATRAIN
Viking / Firebird Books by Sharon Shinn
THE SAFE-KEEPER’S SECRET
THE TRUTH-TELLER’S TALE
THE DREAM-MAKER’S MAGIC
GENERAL WINSTON’S DAUGHTER
GATEWAY
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
This book is an original publication of Penguin Random House LLC.
Copyright © 2015 by Sharon Shinn.
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.
ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
For more information, visit
penguin.com
.
eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-17643-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shinn, Sharon.
Jeweled fire / Sharon Shinn.
pages ; cm
ISBN 978-0-425-27705-8 (hardcover)
I. Title.
PS3569.H499J49 2015
813'.54—dc23
2015007962
FIRST EDITION: November 2015
Cover illustration by Jonathan Barkat.
Cover photograph: dark stormy sky © Mr Twister / Shutterstock.
Cover design by Judith Lagerman.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Version_1
To that crazy fan who never expected a dedication.
These are the blessings I pulled for you: intelligence, love, and time.
Contents
Who’s Who in the Southern Nations
Welchin Affiliations and Random Blessings
W
HO
’
S
W
HO
IN
THE
S
OUTHERN
N
ATIONS
IN MALINQUA
F
ILOMARA
, empress
G
ARAMENO
, Filomara’s oldest nephew
J
IRAMONDI
, Filomara’s second-oldest nephew
G
REGGORIO
, Filomara’s youngest nephew, son of Morli
A
RAVANI
AND
S
UBRIELLA
, Filomara’s daughters
M
ORLI
AND
D
ONATO
, two of Filomara’s four brothers
H
ARLO
, the prefect
M
ARIANA
, Harlo’s wife
L
IRAMELLI
, daughter to Harlo and Mariana
B
ARTOLO
AND
S
ATTISI
, Filomara’s cousin and his wife
S
ARONA
, a high-born young lady
L
ORIAN
, steward of the royal palace
E
MILITA
, Corene’s maid
B
ILLINI
, a tavern owner
R
ENALTO
C
ORSICARA
, head of Malinqua’s institute of biological research
VISITORS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
C
ORENE
, a princess from Welce
S
TEFF
(S
TEFFANOLO
K
ORDAN
B
ORS
A
DOVA
), the son of a Welchin farmer and Subriella
F
OLEY
, a member of the Welchin royal guard
L
EAH
, a Welchin native acting as a spy for Darien Serlast
A
DA
S
IMMS
, a Welchin sea captain
M
ELISSANDE
, a princess from Cozique
C
HANDRAN
, a merchant from Cozique
A
LETTE
, a princess from Dhonsho
T
EYTA
, the daughter of a shopkeeper from Dhonsho
C
HEELIN
B
ARLIO
, a young man from Dhonsho
IN WELCE
J
OSETTA
, Corene’s sister
D
ARIEN
S
ERLAST
, Corene’s father, advisor to the old king, currently the regent
Z
OE
L
ALINDAR
, coru prime and wife of Darien Serlast
A
LYS
, Corene’s mother, formerly the third wife of the old king
D
OMINIC
W
OLLIMER
, Alys’s second husband
N
ELSON
A
RDELAY
, sweela prime
K
AYLE
D
OCHENZA
, elay prime
T
ARO
F
ROTHEN
, torz prime
R
AFE
A
DOVA
, Steff’s half brother and the eldest of Subriella’s sons
W
ELCHIN
A
FFILIATIONS
AND
R
ANDOM
B
LESSINGS
ELAY (AIR/SOUL) | HUNTI (WOOD/BONE) | SWEELA (FIRE/MIND) |
joy | courage | innovation |
hope | strength | love |
kindness | steadfastness | imagination |
beauty | loyalty | clarity |
vision | certainty | intelligence |
grace | resolve | charm |
honor | determination | talent |
spirituality | power | creativity |
CORU (WATER/BLOOD) | TORZ (EARTH/FLESH) | EXTRAORDINARY |
change | serenity | synthesis |
travel | honesty | triumph |
flexibility | health | time |
swiftness | fertility | |
resilience | contentment | |
luck | patience | |
persistence | endurance | |
surprise | wealth | |