Markus

By Adara Anderson

An immortal warrior from the race of nephilim, half human and half angel, Markus is a fighter of demons and the leader of his Host of warriors. Responsibility weighs heavily on him and life is a constant battle to avoid succumbing to corruption from his own power and the weariness from his long life. His only hope is to find his mate.

Claudia is tormented by things she cannot explain. Fearful that she is losing her mind, she's about to discover that the reality is much worse. Demons are real and they're coming for her.

Their worlds are about to collide in a web of demonic plots, treachery, and love.

"Markus" is designed to be part of a series. While this couple's story is complete and there are no cliffhangers, not all background plots will be resolved. "Markus" is book one in the series.

Not suitable for those who prefer clean romance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adara Anderson
• Release date: Dec 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310387838

Adara Anderson

Adara Anderson has always wanted to be a writer but took quite some time to get around to it. She has a somewhat unhealthy fascination with things that go bump in the night. Not fear. More of an “ooh, I want my own werewolf” kind of thing. Well who wouldn't? It's like having a hot boyfriend AND a really self-reliant dog all rolled into one. She lives in Scotland where there appears to be a complete lack of vampires and werewolves. Bah.Adara also writes lighter, fluffier paranormal romance under the name Ariana McGregor.

Book preview

Chapter 1

A flash of movement had her spinning around. Nothing. Again. There had been something there. The leaves rustled in the trees, mocking her. Holding a hand to her pounding heart, she looked around. Still nothing but a nothing that felt like something. Why did this keep happening to her? Reality and imagination collided, swirling until they were indistinguishable. Was she being watched? Or was it merely paranoia? Perhaps she was losing her mind.

The park was quiet. A little after 6pm, it was still light. Yet Claudia felt distinctly uneasy. There was no real reason for it. She didn’t see anyone that made her feel threatened. No gangs of young men causing trouble. No drunks. Hardly anyone at all. A businessman sat on a bench, talking into a mobile phone. An elderly woman walked a tiny Yorkshire terrier in a tartan coat, the little dog yapping at everything as if it would take on the whole world. Nobody else in sight. A slight chill was in the air but it wasn’t really cold. Not for Scotland. It was dry and sunny and the chill made it quite pleasant for walking around. All in all, it was just how Claudia liked it. Quiet and comfortable. Ideal for walking and thinking. She had much to think about.

Claudia stopped to rest by the fountain, gazing into the murky water. Four stone cherubs stood with jugs but no water flowed from them. The only water had come from the heavy rain of the last few weeks, caught in the fountain, the drainage system likely blocked by leaves and muck. She often wished that the park was maintained with a little more enthusiasm. Sure, there was grass and plenty of trees. Even some flowers. The fountain, however, had seen better days and the benches were old, their green paint faded and peeling. Not unlike her life, she thought. Nothing specifically wrong but nothing was bright and fresh. Sometimes she felt as though she herself was fading slowly, still living but not exactly lively. Her whole body felt slow and weighted down.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of colour. Startled, she spun around, the sudden motion making her a little dizzy. Nothing. Again. The businessman had gone. The woman and her dog were nowhere to be seen, although she could still hear yapping somewhere among the trees. If not for that sound, it would almost seem as though she was alone in the world. No birds sang. Nothing moved except for the rustling of leaves in the trees. It made her feel indescribably lonely. As if she were the lone survivor of a terrible disaster that wiped out the population of the Earth, leaving only her behind to wander through a ghost world.

Smiling at her own melodramatic thoughts, Claudia turned back to the fountain and froze. Rising from the water was a small creature, the brown water pouring off its head. The size of a small dog, waves of malevolence poured off it as it stared at her through red eyes with a black, vertical slit of a pupil. The creature grinned with a mouth of sharp, rotting teeth. Its skin was greyish green and it looked vaguely like some kind of amphibian but none that Claudia was familiar with. What the hell was it? Intelligence gleamed in its eyes, pinning her to the spot. The stench was overpowering. Rotten eggs? Sulphur? It slowly moved towards her, its unblinking eyes staring at her, a predator stalking its prey. A mixture of fear and disgust kept her frozen in place. She willed her feet to move and still she remained stationary. Oh God, she whispered as she finally regained enough control of her body to back slowly away. She inched carefully, afraid that any sudden movement would cause it to pounce. Her eyes were riveted to the creature. If she blinked, would it attack? Finally, what seemed like years later, she decided that she had created enough distance. She turned and ran.

She tore through the park, breathing heavily, her eyes darting around at the trees. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the creature would jump out at her at any moment. Could it survive out of the water? Branches scratched at her and the ground felt uneven underfoot, as though the ground itself was against her and just waiting for the opportunity to trip her. Pain shot through her ankles every time she touched the ground. A stitch pulled at her left side but fear kept her running. Never a gym bunny, she was curvy but not particularly overweight. Now, she regretted that she was such a stranger to exercise when her body seemed determined to throw a tantrum at being asked to run.

Reaching the gates of the park, she slowed to a fast walk. Glancing around, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She tried, not very successfully, to rein in her breathing as she stepped out onto the street. A few people were going about their business and she received a few glances. She knew what they would see when they looked at her. She could feel the heat in her face from the exertion. Fabulous. She was most likely tomato red, shiny with sweat, with messy, windswept hair and gasping like an old, asthmatic donkey. Not really an attractive look. She could feel the blood pounding in her head and her chest hurt with the effort of pulling in enough oxygen to keep her conscious. Legs like rubber, she concentrated on walking, one foot in front of the other. If she stopped, she may never dredge up the energy to move again.

What on earth was that thing in the park? So many strange things had been happening lately. Was she truly mentally ill? Normal people did not see these things. Voices sometimes whispered to her. Sounding vaguely threatening but often the exact words were too low to hear. Sometimes she felt someone touch her but when she turned, she was alone. Things around her would mysteriously disappear, appear, or move to another location. There was no history of mental illness in her family but these were all signs that something was not right. She should see a doctor but maybe it would all just stop on its own and her world would return to normal. With strange creatures popping up around her, it seemed that normal was unlikely to make an appearance any time soon.

The streets were quiet as she walked home. As her heart rate and breathing returned to normal, the chill in the air made itself known. Shivering, she stuck her hands in her pockets and hunched over within her coat. Her clothes stuck to her clammy skin and a sharp pain on her little toe on her left foot suggested that she had acquired a new blister. Now that the initial fear had faded and her adrenaline levels had returned to normal, she felt tired and confused. She just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. She just needed it to stop, even just for a little while. Long enough for her to catch her breath and wrestle back some control. She felt like she should be screaming or crying hysterically but, honestly, she just didn’t have that kind of energy. So, instead, she endured. Continuing on, day after day, just wondering when she would reach the point when it just became too much. As for what happened at that point, she had no idea. What if it never reached that point at all? What if it just kept on going as it was now? How long could someone remain at breaking point without actually breaking?

She let herself into her house, closing her door behind her and leaning against it. Maybe she should see her doctor. If she was truly mentally ill, then they could medicate her and make it all stop. Almost anything would be worth it to find some peace. Taking off her coat and shoes, she debated whether or not to tidy up a little. In the end, she could summon neither the energy nor the will to do so. Instead, she sat down and switched on her TV. She flipped through the channels for a while. Nothing interested her but the sound of voices coming from the TV was comforting. Eventually she switched it off and dragged herself to bed. Tomorrow she was working at the library and then on Wednesday… well, she should really make that doctor’s appointment.

Chapter 2

The knife flew across the room and hit its target with a loud thunk. Markus heard two of his brothers laughing and joking as they tried to outdo each other. Kaden and Kai often trained together, as close as real brothers. Kaden’s long, curly, red hair shone under the light as he bragged about his knife throwing, daring Kai to match him. Just another typical day at headquarters. Kai’s looks were striking. Medium brown skin and almond-shaped dark eyes that hinted at a mixed ancestry. His long, black hair was tied back as usual. On a smaller man, the combination might have looked almost pretty. However, none of his brothers were small. All warriors, they were all easily over six feet tall with a strong, muscular build. All nephilim, born half-angel, they were all powerful, intimidating men. None of them were small or pretty. Kaden and Kai were by turns amusing and irritating. A little more light-hearted than the rest of them, and yet their fate was the same as them all. Standing outside the training room, Markus listened for a while, letting the sounds of their bantering wash over him. It brought him a measure of peace.

Once as carefree as Kaden and Kai, the years were pressing in on him and he was becoming weary of it all. He was old, even by the standards of his people. He no longer bothered to keep track of his age. He still looked like a man in his thirties, but on the inside, he felt positively ancient. Not physically, of course. His body was as fit and healthy as it had always been. His soul, though. That was a whole other story. His soul felt every single one of his years.

Hey Markus, what’s up?

Markus looked up into the dark eyes of Bo. A giant of a man, even by nephilim standards, Bomani had dark skin and his long, dark hair was braided and tied back. More perceptive than most, Bo had been watching Markus for a while. As much as Markus tried to hide his inner turmoil, he suspected that Bo was all too aware of what was happening inside his head. Bo felt much of the same responsibility that weighed on Markus. As two of the oldest, each watched the other, trying to hold back the inevitable.

Just killing time before patrol tonight, Markus answered blandly. Truth but not the full truth. He had been restless, unable to settle. Little held his interest these days. His long life was becoming a form of torture to him. The days stretched ahead of him, little changing.

Bo merely raised an eyebrow and continued to look at him. Watching. Waiting.

I’m fine, Bo. Really. No sudden urges to slaughter everyone in sight. No plans to take over the world. No voices in my head. I’m good. For now, at least. He was not yet at the point of no return.

I’d say that ‘good’ was an exaggeration but I’m happy to know that you won’t be killing me in my sleep tonight, Bo stated wryly. He broke eye contact, turning his head to watch Kaden and Kai, still laughing as they trained. It’s getting difficult though, isn’t it? The pull is getting stronger.

Markus nodded as he watched his brothers spar. Always. I can still fight it but I know it’s there. The darkness was a part of him now. Life had lost its joy. Time dragged by and more and more he felt apart from it all. The world changed rapidly and yet didn’t really change at all. He lived in the world but was not really part of it. His power pulled at him, tempting him to use it just to relieve the monotony. It would be so easy to do whatever he wished. To push aside all morality. That way was the path of the Fallen. Even nephilim, who had never been part of Heaven, could Fall. Yet, the constant struggle against Falling was the path to insanity. He was trapped, fighting to stand still and deny either path. The utter futility weighed on him. Their only hope was to find their mate. It wasn't much of a hope. Potential mates were rare and none had been spotted in some time. One of his brothers, Téo, had met his mate some thirty years ago, and for a while there had been renewed hope amongst them all. Then the years had passed with no one else finding their mates, no sign of any other Potentials, and slowly the hope had faded. Téo had taken his mate travelling and they had not yet returned.

Yes, Bo responded, turning back to look at him. It’s always there. For all of us. Bo was only a little younger than Markus and was also beginning to struggle with the darkness that was inside them all. Bo had become quieter and a little more withdrawn as the years passed.

Markus clapped him on the shoulder. Come, brother. It’s nothing that we can solve tonight. They walked together to the meeting room, already full of his brothers. Markus took a seat at the head of the table and looked around at the Host. His brothers were all fellow nephilim and warriors. His family. His responsibility. Not just his to command but also his to protect. From the evil out there and also from themselves.

Akihiro sat on his left, tattoos on display on his arms and the side of his neck. Asian and dressed all in black, he called to mind a master of martial arts. As indeed he was. Serious as always, he sat polishing his shuriken as he waited for the meeting to start. His short, black hair in spikes as though even that could be used as a weapon. He appeared calm. Not one of those Markus was most concerned about. Next to him, sat Anders. With his long blond hair and ice blue eyes, he looked like he’d just stepped off a longboat of marauding Vikings. He sat quietly, watching the others. Also not one of those needing watched most closely. Nero was next, as dark haired as Anders was fair. His skin was pale but his long hair was black and his eyes almost as dark. He sat quietly, brooding as usual, a little apart from the others. It was difficult to tell what was going on in Nero's head and Markus worried about the darkness within him. His half-vampire nature made him more vulnerable.

Bo sat on the other side, watchful as ever, eyes scanning the others just as Markus was doing. Next to him was Roman, who as usual managed to look civilised and cultured even while dressed for action. It was a standing joke among the brothers that Roman managed to return from fighting with perfectly styled hair. He sat straight, picking at his shirt, probably removing a speck of imaginary fluff. There was little of immediate concern about the state of his soul. Lothair lounged in his seat, looking bored and running his hand over his short, blonde hair. He nodded when he saw Markus looking at him. Again, Markus was not too worried about this brother.

Kai and Kaden entered the room and took their seats, still trading good natured insults. With their arrival, the room felt more alive, more vital. Two members of the Host, Nikita and Radu were currently away from the headquarters. Niki was expected to return soon but Radu would be away longer. The numbers of the Host changed over time as warriors arrived, left, or died. Such was life, even among immortals. Responsible for all his brothers, his immediate concern was about Bo, Nero, Kaden, and Radu. For a variety of reasons, they appeared to be the ones closest to the edge. Other than himself, of course.

I had an interesting visitor earlier. Bo’s deep voice penetrated his thoughts. Nakir dropped by to spout some prophecy at me. Apparently, ‘If one is saved, the others may follow’. That and some vague warnings about evil. Bo leaned back in his chair, hands folded across his stomach.

Bloody angels, muttered Anders, rolling his eyes. Can never just say what they mean. Can’t they just say ‘Go there. Do this. The bad guy is Mr X. Go kill him’. You know, actual helpful stuff.

Kai snorted. I think you’re confusing angels with fairy godmothers.

Fairy godmothers tell people to kill? Kaden laughed. Man, have I read the wrong fairy tales.

You read fairy tales? Kai smirked. Well, that explains a lot. He ducked to avoid the punch aimed at his arm, sticking his tongue out at Kaden.

Children, Bo drawled. Some of us would like to get out of here sometime tonight.

Any idea what Nakir was talking about? Markus asked. Nakir was one of the angels who occasionally contacted the Host of nephilim. Sometimes to give irritatingly unspecified warnings like now, other times to give them orders. As nephilim, they spent much of their time fighting demons. They patrolled most nights, dealing with demons whenever they found them. From time to time, the angels had more specific tasks for them.

None. Bo smoothed back his braids. I tried to get him to narrow it down a little but… Bo shrugged. He wasn’t very forthcoming. As usual. I’m more concerned with the number of demons currently running around out there. Something is up.

They’re looking for something, Akihiro said, eyes narrowed in thought, expression all business. His shuriken lay forgotten on the table. I don’t know what but there are various demon types in a lot of different places. Most are not even staying long enough to do any damage. Some of them are pretty high level. They ransack places and move on. They want something and it's important to them. It's not just their usual mischief.

Then I think we can all agree that it would be best if they don’t find whatever it is, Roman stated quietly, picking at his nails.

Markus grimaced. That would be easier if we knew what the hell it is. There were just too many things that needed to be dealt with and not enough information to successfully deal with them. Ok. Business as usual tonight. Just keep an eye on the situation. Try to get whatever information you can about what they’re up to. Until we know more, there's little we can do. Nero and Bo, you're with me. Akihiro, you take Anders and Roman. Lothair, you get Kaden and Kai.

Oh goody, Lothair drawled, standing up. I get the Wonder Twins.

He loves us really, Kai stated, blowing Lothair a kiss and smirking at the glare he received in return.

There seems to be a particular hot spot for demons lately, Roman pointed out. He stood and pushed his chair back neatly. One area of town seems to get more attention than others. We've run across demons there fairly often in the last few months. We should check that out.

Where? Markus asked as he stood. I’ll take that area. I could use a good fight. Perhaps some action would fend off the creeping ennui. At least for a little longer.

He gets all the funnest violence, Kai whined with a pout.

There is no such word as ‘funnest.’ Anders pointed out, cuffing Kai on the back of the head as he passed. And I’m sure there are plenty of demons for all of us.

Time to hunt. Kaden grinned, clapping his hands together, like a small child anticipating a treat. Markus smiled in spite of himself. Kai's irrepressible good nature was infectious. Markus only hoped that he could hold onto it in the future.

Chapter 3

The woman had stopped screaming some time ago. Dead or still dying, it mattered little. There would be others. There were always others. He had hardened his heart to it long ago. When you worked with demons, you had to accept the torture of innocents. Even the child victims no longer pulled a response from him. He had long ago died inside. It was easier that way.

They were underground and in the middle of nowhere. Some place the screams would go unnoticed. It was dark, but he liked the darkness. He could hide from himself in the dark. Hide from what he'd become.

Nephil. A voice hissed at him.

Turning, he saw a demon looking at him, lip curled with disgust. It was a common look. He didn’t belong here any more than he belonged anywhere else. Even demons despised him. This one was a pure blood but not particularly strong. He looked more or less human but his eyes were completely black and there were small horns protruding from his head. Not the most intimidating of creatures but looks could be deceiving, particularly in Hell. It never paid to underestimate anyone here. Sometimes the most innocent looking creatures were the deadliest.

What? he snapped at the demon, fixing him with a glare. Demons disgusted him as much as he disgusted them. Always had. Always would. Yet sometimes the strangest alliances could be forged out of necessity.

The Master will see you now. The demon spat at him and left quickly, making sure to stay out of reach. Smart demon.

About fucking time, he muttered, stomping after the demon. He was supposed to be out on patrol. He didn't have time to cool his heels waiting for the demon to finish playing with his latest toy. If he didn't get back soon his absence would be noticed. It wasn't unusual for nephilim to split up on their patrols but he was always careful not to push his luck.

He pushed open the door and strode into the room. His gaze merely glanced over the woman chained to the wall. Various bodily fluids covered her and it was clear that her death had not been an easy one. She had most likely been raped, beaten, and tortured. Purely for entertainment. The demon lord Elathan stood by a table cleaning the blood off his hands. He was dressed in an expensive suit which was now stained with the woman's blood. Elathan was always impeccably dressed. He was purely human looking with blond hair and warm, brown eyes. Appearances could indeed be deceptive. Many women considered him the man of their dreams. Before he became the man of their nightmares.

Ah, nephil.