Talon of the Raptor Clan

The Talons of the Raptor Clan are trained mercenaries prized by rulers, nobles, and the wealthy as elite guards, soldiers and bodyguards. Each Talon is what he is because he has survived the five Ordeals and ten years of training. Aisha, a new Talon to the Raptor Clan, is unique. She survived the five Ordeals, is one of only three to graduate of the hundreds who applied, and one of only five woman Talons accepted in twenty years. Frail when she came to the Aerie, she could not have competed against any of the others, so she learned to outwit them. After rigorous training, she is stronger than most women and has excellent reflexes and balance. Her speed makes her an excellent knife fighter. Her first assignment: bodyguard, posing as a chaperone, to Rhiannon, heir to a kingdom, whose mother, brother, and sister were assassinated. When Rhiannon and her father are attacked, Aisha gets Rhiannon away. Aisha struggles to keep Rhiannon alive as she is pursued with the kingdom the prize.