The Huntress by Susan Carroll

Perhaps it was not the wisest thing to taunt a man armed with a longbow and a quiver of arrows belted around his waist, but Cat was entirely unable to resist. ~ The Huntress, page 239 ~

The year is 1585 ~ and prophecy has foretold the coming of a daughter of the Earth whose powers are so extraordinary they could usurp the very rule of the Dark Queen herself, Catherine de Medici. Dispatched from Brittany to London, Catriona O'Hanlon, known as the Huntress, must find this mysterious young girl and shield her from those who will exploit her mystic abilities, which have the potential to change the course of history.
Catriona's skill with weaponry is all she has to protect herself and her young charge from spies who snake through the courts of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen ~ including the girl's own father, whose loyalties are stretched to the breaking point. But Catriona will soon face menacing forces and sinister plots unlike any she has ever encountered.

Another winner from Susan Carroll. Her stories draw you in and keep you there. The settings are accurate to time and place and well drawn. Her characters, both good and evil, are believable. I'm to the point where I can't wait for The Twilight Queen in early '09. I love spending my time engrossed in Paris & England in the last 1500s. Scandal, intrigue, mystery, white magic vs. black, strong women and passionate men, friction between the lovers. What's not to like? While not part of the Cheney sisters trilogy these characters have all made appearances throughout that saga so you will definitely want to the read those first before reading this one. She tops my have to place on hold at the library list.