Warrior's Blood

By Melissa Barker-Simpson

Kristen Baracas has survived a great many things in her life. The death of her parents, being turned into a slave by the clan who took their lives, dealing with her brother’s blood addiction problems, and surviving the induction programme for the Real Defence Network. Now she simply rolls with the punches.

As a vampire, it’s her duty to protect the human race. She has access to a superior blood bank, that being her feeding buddy and partner in crime, Carlisle. Even better, she gets paid to rid the mortal realm of demon scum. Life is a party, and she serves up the heads of her enemies.

So what if there’s a war going on? She can deal with anything. Well, except for crossing paths with a battle angel.

Joshua is a member of the Battalion; a warrior sent to the mortal realm to serve and protect. He didn’t expect to fall for a vampire with a chip on her shoulder, one who sets his blood on fire, even when she doesn’t have her fangs buried in his throat.

The pair must join forces to defend a safe zone under attack, while dealing with an attraction that might just be hazardous to their health.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Barker-Simpson
• Release date: Oct 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370719891

Melissa Barker-Simpson

I've been writing since, well...since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I often look back on those earlier stories, and apart from laughing at the heavy-handed drama, or cringing at my inexperience, I am reminded that I have always lived in other worlds. My first novel was published in 2008, and I love nothing more than working on a new project. The voices inside my head invariably pull me in different directions, so although I try to work on one thing at a time, those who know me would tell you it doesn't always work! I have a full-time job which, though does not involve writing per se, incorporates my love of language. As a British Sign Language Interpreter, I get to translate information between two languages which is (mostly) fun. I have two beautiful daughters who bring me great joy. They also keep me grounded, because otherwise I would have my head in the clouds permanently!

Book preview

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

Also by Melissa Barker-Simpson

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Preface

Orion

2017

Squeaky goodness

Power shot across the lush, green-carpeted forest, scorching the grass. Orion was oblivious to the discharge of energy, or to the tears that soaked into the earth and reformed the damaged ground. His Mohana was gone, cut down in her prime. Why? Betrayal. The worst kind of injustice, because this betrayal came from a loved one – Mohana’s twin.

Orion could have saved her, had he reached her in time. Now, he was impotent, unable to move for fear he would shatter into a thousand pieces. When Adara had struck the killing blow, the impact tore through his own heart and left it numb; a shrivelled, hollow organ he wanted to rip from his chest if only so he could join Mohana.

They should never have been, and yet their pairing made more sense than his whole sorry existence. She made his immortal life bearable. Now, he faced eternity alone. Even with all the power he possessed, Orion didn’t know if he had the strength for that. Mohana understood him. She had been his equal, and it mattered little he was a God. Not when they were together.

Mohana was born seven minutes before Adara, and as the first-born child, this made her the rightful heir to Silderholme, a region within Nearyon. She had been a powerful sorcerer, a gifted leader, and she had somehow found it in her to love Orion. Him, with an ego the size of a dominion, and too many flaws to count. He amused her, genuinely amused her. Mohana had laughed at his antics, told stories of his accomplishments, and had shown him how it truly felt to be a god. All his life Orion had been feared, envied, and worshipped at one ridiculous altar after another. Until he met Mohana, he believed it was his duty to put on a show. To become the pompous jerk his followers expected. At least, those who knew of his existence. Mohana’s strength of spirit and goodness humbled him, and without her, his world had no meaning.

Orion felt it building in his chest; the bitterness, the self-hatred, and he did nothing to stop it. He was weak. He hadn’t even had the courage to say his final goodbyes, to look upon her face one last time and let her go. No, he had left the veil that covered her body in place, turned from the water’s edge, and walked away. He had fallen as the first arrow whizzed through the air, knowing the archer’s aim would be true, and he could not watch Mohana burn. After all the atrocities he had seen, the wars he had fought, he did not have it in him to witness his love go up in flames.

Orion had no idea how long he lay sprawled in the grass, masked from sight because Adara had tried to keep the ceremony from him. In another life, he would have made her pay for the insult, she deserved to feel his wrath, and she would. Just not today. Not today.

When his tears dried up, Orion became aware of the heat he was channelling. His energy was still leaking out, poisoning the earth, and killing everything around him. He couldn’t stop it. It had built too quickly, accelerated by his turbulent thoughts.

Forgive me, he whispered to the ground. Orion knew, immortal or not, he could not survive the impact if his power reached critical and he lost control.

Orion. No!

A heavy weight landed on top of him, and a familiar energy closed in tight. Lucas pushed his arms beneath Orion and the ground, attempting to contain the anger, grief, and despair. The angel was powerful, but he was not powerful enough.

Work with me, you son of a bitch! Pull it back. Do it now. Lucas’ voice came out clipped. He was fighting against the pain of their connection.

Try…ing. Orion clenched his teeth. Get off me. The energy burned him, but he held tight to it, even as the angel ignored his demand and held on. That was friendship for you, and Lucas seemed about ready to follow him into the abyss. Orion suspected, should Lucas have an actual halo, the thing would shine with squeaky goodness.

He could feel the Guardian’s love bearing down on him, and though he wanted to deny the reminder he was still alive, instead he embraced it. He would be no kind of God if he allowed his friend to perish. Mohana would never forgive such weakness, and besides, he kind of loved the angel too.

As Orion sucked back the power, he felt a final tear roll down his cheek and drop to the ground. Mohana had loved the earth, she would not wish for him to harm her forest. He could give her that. If he couldn’t say goodbye, he could mend what he had broken.

His last thought, as he concentrated on Lucas and the arms clamped tight around him, was that it would be a lonely eternity without her.

***

2037 – Twenty years later

Angel cakes

The room was cold and dark. It took Orion a while to process this, first because it was always cold in his dungeon, and second, because he didn’t give a shit. He barely felt the chill. He barely felt anything anymore. He was tired, so damn tired of the monotony.

With a careless flick of his wrist, Orion felt power burn his fingertips. A second later, fire exploded to life in the hearth. There, it was no longer dark. And wasn’t he just over the moon about that. After what felt like an eternity of staring into the flames, but was probably closer to five minutes, Orion got up to do something different. He paced the room. He had not left the castle for, hell, he couldn’t even remember. Had it been days, weeks, months – years?

For a while, he had filled the time building his humble abode. Some might call him morbid for erecting a castle on the land where his lover had taken her final breath. He called it vital to his sanity. Without that piece of her, no matter how painful the memory, he would lose his ever-loving mind. Although…yeah, the jury was still out on that one. He had never been completely sane.

On the outside, the structure was everything it should be. Mohana was born to be a queen, and so he had built her a castle. He could not have wished for better surroundings. Eglasia was the perfect backdrop for his masterpiece, his final gift to Mohana. Nearyon bordered the Enchanted Realm and held a power so vibrant in its undertones it caressed the senses. Yet, it was Eglasia in particular that bore the magical beauty of its ancestors; trees that appeared to touch the sky, their branches raised in offering, and mountains stretching as far as the eye could see.

He had designed the castle with the environment in mind, and it shone like a beacon, or it would have done, had Orion not cloaked the place.

Inside was as dark as the outside was light, especially the lower levels. Orion resided in the dungeons he built, where he ate, slept, and breathed his misery.

He had hoped it would discourage visitors, the dark, barren surroundings and complete lack of cordiality. A décor he chose purposely, partly to dissuade the damn angel from darkening his door, or in Lucas’ case, lightening it. His friend never gave up, and he didn’t need a visual reminder that Orion wore the gloom like a coat of armour.

Orion’s head twisted to the left when he felt a minute shift in the air. In the next instant, as though he had conjured him by thought alone, Lucas appeared in the space. Seriously, the angel couldn’t take no for an answer. He just stopped asking and dropped by whenever he damn well felt like it.

The room now shone with so much light, Orion had to fight the urge to close his eyes. The incandescence was courtesy of Lucas; an angel sized glow stick.

Lucas took in his appearance, and rolled his eyes. You look like crap. They had been friends for centuries, and Orion got a side of him nobody else shared. He used to enjoy the frank nature of their relationship. Now? Not so much.

Feel like crap, so that’s hardly news. What do you want, Luke? Are you here to persuade me to join the light and get my happy on?

I believe in miracles, Reece, but even I don’t have that much faith.

Orion laughed, he couldn’t help it. You’re a riot, brother. Meeting Lucas’ eyes, he felt the humour die. Why so serious, angel cakes?

Where do you want me to start? Lucas ignored the dig, and the lack of hospitality. He moved to sit in the chair to the left of the hearth, and waited for Orion to join him. Trouble is brewing in the mortal realm. The Fractured have decided to make a play for the territory.

Orion rolled his eyes to the tall ceiling. They tried that already. The Fractured were souls so dark they had only one goal, to devour and snuff out the light.

Yes. Lucas nodded. But this time they decided to compete for ownership rights between the factions and are waging an open war. We’re talking mass human casualties, and a huge wakeup call for every soul in the realm. We’ll never be able to put this shit back in the box. At this point, it’s damage control.

How very dystopian. Orion let out a deep sigh. What do you want me to do about it?

We need all the help we can get, Lucas said, his brilliant blue eyes boring into Orion’s. And frankly, we can use your special brand of theatrics. He smiled. I miss your public persona. All that pomp and circumstance can be highly entertaining.

Perhaps, but my life is a lot less colourful. In fact, it’s decidedly…grey. Orion snapped his fingers to extinguish the fire. The heat failed to penetrate, and it wasn’t as though he needed the light.

And whose fault is that? You’ve mourned Mohana for two decades, and frankly, your excuses for checking out are getting old. Not to-

Orion snapped his fingers again and his friend was gone. He heard the splash in his head, the sound of Lucas hitting the lake at the rear of his castle. Lucas was a powerful angel, but he hadn’t seen it coming. A second later, Orion was beside the water, holding back his laughter at the outraged look on Lucas’ face. He watched as Lucas emerged from the lake, his clothes drying the moment they hit air.

On impulse, Orion opened his arms and let go of his power. Wind whipped around Lucas, his icy blond hair flapping until, it too, was dry. Is that better? he asked, brows arched at his own dramatics.

It’s a start. We need you to insert yourself in the war, however you see fit. That’s a lot of power, even for a god.

Fine. I’ll play. But you owe me for this, which means when this is over you’ll leave me in peace.

Lucas grinned. Within reason. He bowed, as he always did. Good to see you, brother. A second later, he was gone.

Okay, Orion murmured, gaze on the lake. Let’s see what’s in store, shall we? He waved his hand, palm facing the ground, and the surface became a portal to the mortal realm.

Orion sucked in breath at what he saw. Lucas hadn’t been kidding. The Fractured were having a ball, and the humans were not invited. He flicked his fingers to change the scene, and images of carnage assaulted him. The human military was completely out of their depth, but they were putting up one hell of a fight. Orion had to respect that. Of course, they weren’t alone. The Battle Angels had been deployed, as had members of the Fallen; angels tied to the realm. There were vampires too, which wasn’t a surprise; they were protectors for a reason. Other species were lending their support, if somewhat discreetly. Still, he had his work cut out for him.

What’s your end game? he asked the water, concentrating on Vome, a particularly cruel demon. He led one of the largest factions, and arguably held the most power.

He would have to make his play with care, and if he had any hope of success, pledge part of his allegiance to the darkness currently descending over the realm.

Chapter 1

Joshua

A fitting punishment

The buildings pressed in from either side; empty window frames like gaping mouths seeking their prey. Glass littered the ground, shining like diamonds as they reflected Joshua’s power. He stood in the centre of the chaos, and as the structures groaned around him, perhaps in protest, he fought the urge to bow, as the buildings were, to Vome’s will.

The glass began to vibrate, the music as fragile as the splinters at Joshua’s feet. He anticipated the demon’s next move, and hugged his wings in tight. Tiny missiles shot toward him, ripping into the flesh of his exposed arms and face.

"Give it up, young warrior. Let me pass."

Joshua had his eyes closed. He opened them now, unsurprised to discover his partner had landed directly in front of them. Nevaeh had no fear. It made her a formidable opponent.

He ignored the blood trickling down his cheek and reached to touch a hand to Nevaeh’s shoulder. His hand passed straight through her body.

There is no pain.

The scene dropped away, rebuilding itself to resemble another battle. Joshua allowed his lids to lower shut. He was dreaming. The first scene was unfamiliar, perhaps a premonition – a foretelling. The second, a memory, was pain personified. Joshua had barely escaped with his life.

Then, the landscape changed again and he groaned, not in pain this time, but in need. She had tormented him for an eternity it seemed, this female with eyes so dark he sank into them. He felt her body, felt it pressed against his own and he grew so damn hard he was in the grip of pain once more.

Like a vicious, endless circle, the scene changed. He pushed the images away, denied them power over him, and as his thoughts coalesced, Joshua remembered where he was. His dreams had sharp teeth for a reason. They were part of the healing process; a side effect of the chamber. As was the light. Joshua felt it now. It pressed in on him as the buildings had done.

The moment full consciousness returned Joshua felt the light recede. His cells reacted to the change, his senses returning one by one until he was alone in the dark. He did not need to see what his mind already knew. He had healed.

Joshua’s wings twitched, anxious to be free of their binds. He dissolved the fastenings with a thought, allowing them to unfold, to stretch up and out at a slow, leisurely pace. He embraced the freedom, felt it in every fibre of his being.

He knew how close he had come to true death, to having the light within snuffed out. His soul forever lost to eternal darkness. In their last battle, Vome had torn his right wing clean off, preventing his escape. It weakened him beyond hope, so it was fortunate that a witch had come to his aid, buying him the time he needed to return home.

Joshua had survived the treacherous journey; bruised and battered, he had earned a reprimand for entering the battlefield alone. He was a warrior, an angel of the Battalion, and he would live to fight again. First, he had to face his partner’s wrath. Nevaeh might well return him to the healing chamber.

Satisfied when he detected no weakness in his body, Joshua stepped out into a long corridor of bold, stark white. His eyes adjusted to the stimuli in seconds, and he had no desire to fill his environment with colour, though he could have conjured any scene he chose.

Empyrean, a place mortals referred to as heaven or the heavens, was his home. Joshua felt its touch like a welcoming hand, and he settled; this one constant he could always rely on. The environment itself was fluid and ever changing. Even the Fortress, a construct that housed the Battalion, altered depending on perception. There were barriers, which could be defined as walls. Pockets of space - like the corridor he now stood - that transformed at will. A blank canvass to the imagination.

What Joshua needed was a few more minutes of serenity. Of peace. So, he held onto the light, his feet walking through it, his body absorbing it. Had he looked back, he would have seen the area holding the healing chamber no longer existed, the chamber itself a symbol of the power within the Fortress. Joshua could have allowed the healing to happen anywhere within his home, yet even he needed a focal point, and so he had built the representation with his mind. It was a hub to hold him safe.

The corridor changed the moment Nevaeh stepped into Joshua’s path. It became solid; walls of glass on all sides. Nevaeh didn’t speak right away. She studied him, her vibrant wings of orange and black stretched wide. Warrior angels, those who formed the Battalion, were the only angels with wings. Joshua did not question this; his feathers were a representation of his status, an identifier in his role to protect Empyrean and the other realms. Nevaeh’s wings reminded him of the magnificent beasts which existed among mortals, and to a lesser extent, the changeling community. She was as fierce as any tiger, and had the fire to match. Yes, his partner was ferocious. She was also loyal, and one of the strongest warriors he knew.

Hmm, she said, stepping around him to examine his right wing. The silence stretched between them again, and was as familiar as the scent of Nevaeh’s concern. It’s at least seven inches shorter than the left, but it’ll have to do, she said, stepping forward so she faced him.

Joshua didn’t take the bait. In that case, you have a target to focus your energy.

You’d like that, wouldn’t you? It would make you feel better. Her smile held no humour.

We both know you’ve already thought of a fitting punishment.

Now, the smile lit her indigo eyes. You’d better believe it. She flicked a wrist and the walls dropped away to reveal his dream from earlier, the buildings standing to attention, the glass still in their frames. The battle had yet to unfold.

Joshua flexed his wings. We have our next assignment.

A decisive nod. Vome is making a power play and claiming a large territory. Her finger twitched and the picture changed. Now, they were looking at a map of the mortal realm. We have confirmation he’s acquired property in this region. She touched her finger to the space. We’re working on locating the others.

Joshua didn’t say anything. He fell into step beside her to walk the corridor. His mind was on the events he had seen in the chamber, searching