Saare, J.A. - Moon Kissed.pdf - zachomikowane - Em3A

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Cover art by J. A. Saare © September 2009

Amira Press

Baltimore, MD 21216

www.amirapress.com

ISBN: 978-1-935348-64-1

No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means,

including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-mail, without prior written permission from

Amira Press.

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To my one and only.

The quiet darkness faded into a soft orange light as I lifted my weighted lids and blinked rapidly to

bring an unfamiliar room into focus. I detected the distinct sounds of a fire crackling nearby, the

heady fragrance of scorched oak combined with fresh linens wafting throughout the air and lining

my nose.

I shifted atop the soft, billowy mattress, relieved to discover there were no aches or pains.

Everything worked as it should—torso, limbs, and head firmly attached. It was odd that I felt so

well, considering I’d been thrown headfirst into an unforgiving brick wall.

Biting back the startled gasp that came courtesy of the immediate recollection was easy. Calming the

erratic beating of my heart was impossible. As the chosen of the Thymeria, I had been selected to

track and face the ever-elusive Master vampyren Demetrius Espada—the King’s very own second

and the monster in command of the sin eaters. It was an honor bestowed to many of my orphaned

brothers and sisters, a task repeatedly failed. The sadistic bastard was infallible and sent more and

more of us to unmarked graves.

Which begged the question, why wasn’t I six feet deep?

I struggled to remember, forcing jagged pieces to interlock together to form a hazy memory of being

glamoured before kissing solid rock and mortar with my cranium. The wall came first, blackness

speckled my vision, and Demetrius appeared at my side to finish the job.

His fangs descended, coming closer. I felt the heat of his breath against the vulnerable softness of

my throat. And then . . . then . . .

Damn it! I cursed my faulty memory and struggled beneath the thick duvet, shrugging aside the

expensive and lush down. The clean white bandage wrapped snugly around my right forearm

protested the violent thrashing, and I tested my range of motion with the rotation of my wrist.

There was no pain, just an annoying itchy sensation I quickly brushed aside.

I stood on steady feet and shivered when the whisper of the cool air brushed against my bare legs.

Gazing down, I frowned at the soft white cotton shirt with several buttons left loose covering my all

but naked body. I lifted my head, glancing around the room. Aside from the bed, fireplace, and

myself, there were zero adornments in the plain white space. My clothing was gone, as were my

weapons.

My relief at being alive was short-lived. I didn’t know where I was, but it was high time I found out.

Whoever brought me here obviously didn’t want me dead, which meant there was work to be done.

I had to get back to the streets. Demetrius was alive and would continue to kill, draining the life

from the innocent and overpopulating the world with more of his tainted race.

I shivered at the thought.

Every preternatural race had what was referred to as The Fallen—evil creations that embraced the

darkness instead of the light. They were a curse, a plague, a taint on the world. And vampyren—

vampires that had fallen from grace—were the most reviled creatures roaming the mortal earth.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the open doorway, and I froze, peering around frantically. There

wasn’t even a poker near the roaring fireplace. I had no weapons to wield, no way of defending

myself.

Cursing quietly, I backtracked, lurched onto the bed, and climbed across the soft mess of sheets and

feather comforter more clumsily than I would have liked. As I neared the edge of the mattress, I lost

my balance and landed in a laughable heap atop the hard wood floor. My trembling limbs supported

my weight as I made it to my feet and, preparing to face impending company, pressed flat against

the wall.

It was a good thing I had the foresight to brace myself against the comforting solidity of cool

plaster. I’d never been prepared for the sight or presence of Adam Trevlian. Not in the past, and

certainly not now.

He was as gorgeous as he was lethal, a superb and debilitating example of a Lycae male. His ebony

hair was short along the sides and back, the top slightly longer. His steps were purposeful and

calculated, smooth and graceful, bringing his imposing and enormous six foot, five inch frame into

the confining space. He was shirtless, covered in nothing more than a wrinkled pair of black slacks.

A slathering of yellow-hued bruises marred the perfection of his tanned and contoured skin, a sealed

gash closed and on the mend over his left eye.

He paused inside the doorway, studying me. His radiant forest green eyes roamed as far as the bed

would allow, pausing midway on their trek before returning to my face. When he spoke, I thought I

might crumble.

“ Diien , Kassia.”

My name on his lips was the ultimate aphrodisiac, which sent waves of liquid heat to my sex and

created an odd inner cramping in my stomach. This was the reason I’d left the Thymeria faction in

New Orleans in favor of those housed in New York. He was too combustible, too undeniable, and

too damned irresistible to leave alone.

And I didn’t derive pleasure from rejection.

Somehow, I managed to collect myself and stifle my raging hormones long enough to murmur

hoarsely, “Adam.”

His lips curved, a most sinful grin forming. “You’ve grown taller.”

The innocent remark stoked the raging fire in my system and reminded me that while he wasn’t the

enemy, he wasn’t exactly the cavalry either. Pain is a powerful ally, bringing to mind all of the

reasons a person has chosen to resent someone.

“I imagine I have,” I responded in a level tone, meeting eyes the color of the most sought after

emeralds. I recalled the dismissive words he’d spoken in the past and added tartly, “As I’m no longer

a child.”

Saare, J.A. - Moon Kissed.pdf

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