Sansha — Alison Naomi Holt

Sansha, an orphan with a secret to die for, running from a man willing to kill to possess it.
Aramis Jaes, the most powerful woman ever to lead the queen's guard, the K'w'kai. Two goals consume her. First, protect the queen. Second, recover the scattered descendants of the Sky People â€" a powerful alien race decimated by the queen mother's genocidal obsession with their familiars.
Strength doesn't always require great power. Sometimes, weakness conquers all.
Sansha's Familiar is the first in an intriguing new fantasy series of short stories by Amazon bestselling author Alison Naomi Holt.