Kiss of Shadows: The Knight Light, #1

By Gwen Bright

True love is the ulimate redemtion.

 

Ian the Black Hearted is a Knight Shade: a warrior whose deeds were so dark while he lived he is condemned to centuries of combat in the Shadow World. Ian has earned a second chance at life with his Verum Lux: his True Light. Ian is sent to the Land of the Living when the Demon High Court launches an attack that threatens all True Lights in general and his True Light in particular. Together, Ian and his Light must learn to trust one another enough to reveal their true selves before their chance vanishes.

 

Maria de Jesus is a young woman with a carefully guarded secret. Her isolated life is turned upside down when a "chance" encounter with Ian sends her reeling down a path of self-discovery and sensual awakening. When he is accused of murdering the man who nearly destroyed her life, Maria must choose to confront the scars of the past or risk losing the man she loves forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Champagne Book Group
• Release date: Jul 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781771553438

Book preview

Kiss of Shadows

The Knight Light Series, 1

GWEN BRIGHT

CHAMPAGNE BOOK GROUP

Kiss of Shadows

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Published by Champagne Book Group

2373 NE Evergreen Avenue, Albany OR 97321 U.S.A.

~~~

First Edition 2020

eISBN: 978-1-927454-65-7

Copyright © 2020 Gwen Bright All rights reserved.

Cover Art by Ashely Maki

Champagne Book Group supports copyright which encourages creativity and diverse voices, creates a rich culture, and promotes free speech. Thank you by complying by not scanning, uploading, and distributing this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher. Your purchase of an authorized electronic edition supports the author’s rights and hard work and allows Champagne Book Group to continue to bring readers fiction at its finest.

www.champagnebooks.com

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To all the wonderful people in my life who

have supported and loved me. You mean

more to me than I can possibly say.

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up book 1 of the Knight Light Series! This series is predicated on the idea that everyone deserves a second chance and, no matter what trauma has occurred, there is no damage so deep it can’t be undone through love.

This love can take many forms. Not all valuable relationships are the romantic kind. And sometimes the most transformative love of all is the love of one’s self. Though each separate story follows only a specific kind of journey, the general premise holds that love, not time, heals all wounds.

Gwen

Chapter One

Are you positive I look all right? Ian the Black Hearted squinted at his reflection in his new pick-up truck’s rearview mirror. I’m not wearing enough clothing.

There is nothing untoward about your appearance, the Angel Millicent replied in a tone just cross enough to inform him that he had asked the same question one too many times. As I have already explained, people in the twenty-first century wear far fewer garments than you are used to.

Since the moment he had reentered this plane of existence, Ian had floundered like a fish out of water. Meanwhile, Millicent sat across from him relaxed and at ease in her modern attire. As an Angel, she could visit the Land of the Living at will and thus had learned how to play the part of a modern woman. However, as a man accustomed to wearing battle armor, a meager cotton shirt and these dreadful, itchy denim pants were absolutely foreign to him.

You’re sure I won’t somehow slip up and reveal my ignorance of modern customs?

Despite the Angel’s repeated assurances that she had somehow stored all the information he needed for the complex task ahead of him inside his brain, he hesitated to put his faith in magical hocus-pocus. Too many important matters depended on his ability to pass himself off as a normal man.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile as she leaned back against the leather upholstery. The information transfer you received should fill in any gaps you may have. Were you not capable of operating this vehicle?

Yes, he admitted, running his fingertips over the blue and silver insignia on the steering wheel.

Piloting the bulky metal contraption to the parking lot of the massive marketplace where he and the Angel sat waiting had only been terrifying for a moment or two. Once he got used to it, driving a motor vehicle was a rather fun experience. He had a suspicion many aspects of his new life would follow that same pattern.

Let us review. Millicent slid a large glass incased rectangle she called a cell phone into his shirt pocket. Your new name is Ian Hart. You have recently relocated to Youngstown, Ohio, and you reside in the apartment next door to a woman named Maria de Jesus. Today, you will introduce yourself as her new neighbor here at the local supermarket, a safe, neutral location.

His heart leapt at the mere mention of Maria’s name. He had waited and hoped for this day for centuries. At long last he was going to meet her: his True Light.

Under no circumstance may you tell her she is your Verum Lux. Neither may you call her your True Light. He squirmed in his seat as Millicent’s stare bored into him. In addition, you are also prohibited from telling her tales of your past life or the fact you are a Knight Shade.

But—

Humans cannot be privy to any of this information. Her tone was severe as she enunciated over him. You have made it clear that you disagree, but I am afraid you have no say in this matter.

Ian bit his lower lip to keep counterarguments trapped inside his mouth. Quarreling with an Angel was foolhardy, but part of him still had to fight the urge to rebel and talk back. He had been a devious, unscrupulous, deceptive mercenary in his first life. After over five hundred years of indentured combat in the Shadow World, he was desperate for a fresh start. And he was in no hurry to kick off his bright, shiny new life by lying to the most important person in it.

Can’t I at least alert her to the danger she faces? His bargaining tested the Angel’s patience, but this was important, damn it.

The divine emissary drummed her tapered, elegant fingernails against the door frame. "Though your Light may seem like a special case to you, in reality she is just one of many Verum Lux. Though I understand your impulse to protect her, she cannot become privy to any information about Knight Shades, Verum Lux or the fact that she has been targeted by the Demon High Court. Nor can she become aware that she was marked by a Demon two days ago, though she believes it to be an innocuous cat scratch. She has already begun to experience adverse physical symptoms due to the effect of the marking and will continue to suffer unless you intervene. Being in the presence of a Knight Shade should counteract the effects of the demonic presence in her bloodstream, so rest assured, as long as you stay by her side, her safety is secure. However, you are not permitted to explain any of this to her. Do I make myself clear?"

Yes, ma’am, he replied through gritted teeth.

If there was one thing he would not miss about the Shadow World, it was blindly taking orders. He was used to commanding others and even after centuries, trusting the judgement of another still felt foreign to him. However, he would jump through any hoop to get to Maria. Her happiness and safety were all that mattered to him now.

All Knight Shades bargained their immortal souls for a second chance at life in the Land of the Living with their Verum Lux, or True Light. This shot at redemption was what drove him to endure through centuries of misery in the underworld. Ian had chosen this path so long ago that he struggled to recall what his life had been like before. Now the day he had worked and waited for was here at last, and Maria de Jesus was a living, breathing reality. He found himself devoted to her with single-minded focus.

Look sharp, Warrior. She has arrived. Millicent pointed out the vehicle’s front window.

He held his breath as a small, dark-haired woman emerged from a white car across the parking lot. She wore blue jeans and a purple sweatshirt with the hood drawn up. Shivering in the February cold, she snagged a metal shopping cart and made her way into the store. Even from a distance he could tell she moved in a sluggish fashion, curling in on herself as if she were ill.

How much damage has the Demon’s mark done to her? he demanded. Why was I not sent to her sooner if she was in danger?

Careful, Shade. Millicent’s eyes blazed with blue fire. Remember to whom it is you speak.

He shallowed his pride and bowed his head in a subservient manner, consoling himself with the thought that he wouldn’t have to take the Angel’s orders for much longer. My apologies…may I go to her now?

You don’t give up, do you? Yes, you may be on your way. Fare thee well, Ian Hart.

In the blink of an eye, the Angel vanished. Ian whirled around, checking the parking lot to see if any bystanders had noticed a woman disappearing from inside the cab of his truck. Outside, the twenty-first century citizens continued to mill, absorbed in their own lives and none the wiser to any of the supernatural beings in their presence.

After taking a steadying breath, he gathered his courage and exited the vehicle. Crossing the parking lot, he scanned his surroundings as he neared the entrance of the store. Despite the winter chill, the market was crowded with people. They bustled in and out of the automatic doors, carts piled high with plastic sacks stuffed with various items.

Once inside the store he selected a large metal cart like the one Maria had taken from the parking lot. He scanned the first section of the market, searching for a small woman in a purple hooded sweatshirt. Maneuvering the cart around the perimeter, he marveled at how large fruits and vegetables had gotten over the centuries. He was reaching for an over-sized apple when water erupted from the top of the display. With a yelp, he jumped back, reaching reflexively for the sword he wasn’t wearing.

Several shoppers stopped to stare. An old man putting some tomatoes into a plastic bag shot a suspicious glare in Ian’s direction. Blending in with regular people in this century could prove to be more difficult than he thought. He kept his gaze glued on the floor as he pushed his cart away from the produce section. Maria wasn’t here, and he didn’t want to wait around to discover what else might shoot water at him.

He needed a plan. Formulating battle strategies had always been a specialty of his. True, he was more used to detailing how to ransack a village or destroy a demon hoard. Still, proper planning was bound to be an asset in this situation as well.

He thought it best to keep each step uncomplicated. He would approach her at the market and explain he was her new neighbor. Smile, maybe take her hand. Simple really; so, why did he feel as if he were charging a platoon of demons stark naked with a dull wooden sword?

Ian stopped the cart at the end of an aisle, scanning down the long row in what he hoped was an inconspicuous manner. At last he spotted Maria as she was inspecting a row of small boxes in a section marked Pain Relief. She selected one and tossed it into the cart next to a box of crackers and several chicken noodle soup cans.

At a discreet distance he followed her, chucking random items into his cart every so often to give bystanders the impression he was shopping like a normal person. To his satisfaction, he noticed that he was still larger than almost everyone else in the store. He’d been considered a big man five hundred years ago, but he thought perhaps the population might have changed at some point over the centuries. Maria herself was a rather small person with a delicate build. But despite the fact that she was a mere slip of a woman, Ian was already fascinated with her.

Odd, but he had never worried whether he would be physically attracted to his Light or not. To him, his Verum Lux represented redemption and a second chance at being a better man. Regardless of what she looked like, he would have been devoted to her with a single-minded purpose. He had just assumed attraction wasn’t an important aspect of the process. But now, after laying eyes on Maria, he couldn’t wait to lay other sorts of things on her. Hands for example. Lips…

He corralled his wandering thoughts as he trailed her path through the market. No matter how alluring he found her caramel colored skin or raven hair, he needed to focus on his objective. The poor woman showed clear signs of being ill. Her eyes were wreathed with dark circles, and she shuffled her feet, leaning most of her weight against the cart. His heart twisted at the sight of Maria attempting to care for herself with valiant determination. From this day forward, she would no longer have to suffer though illness, or anything else, alone. From now on, he would make it his mission to see to her happiness and wellbeing.

As she paused to consult her list, he took another step closer. This was it. Just one small moment in time, but one carrying immense weight. He inched his cart closer until he was parallel with her.

He could imagine it. First, he would greet her in a soft tone. Then she would turn toward the sound of his voice, an expression of surprise on her pretty face, maybe her lips would be parted on a startled gasp. She would glance up, surprised to see him there, but not afraid in the least. Their gazes would collide and at last, in a sweet voice he longed to hear for the first time, she would say—

Oh, my God!

The alarmed sound of her voice jerked him out of his daydream. She was staring at him, yes, but her face was ghastly pale, and her eyes were filled with horror.

I think I’m going to—

Maria expelled the contents of her stomach all over his shoes. Hastily, she backed away, making small, frantic circles with her hands.

"I’m so sorry. I haven’t been… feeling… She slumped against the bread stacked on the shelves, F-feeling… well… I…"

Springing forward, he caught her limp form an instant before she crumpled to the floor.

Chapter Two

Maria de Jesus’s eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to bring the world into focus. The last thing she remembered, an outrageously hot blond guy in the bread aisle of the grocery store seemed like he wanted to talk to her. And then… nothing. She couldn’t recall what happened next.

Oh, wait. Yes, she could. Then she threw up on him. And fainted.

Oh, crap.

She rolled onto her back and scrubbed at her face. Two days ago, she had contracted a nasty virus of some kind. Or maybe that cat scratch she received from a random stray last week was somehow to blame? The cut on her hand was puffy and swollen. Could the wound have become infected?

Regardless of what had caused her mystery illness, her symptoms had become so bad that she called off at the daycare where she worked, something she never did. Maria had been on her own since day one. She didn’t have anyone to bail her out financially, so she couldn’t afford to miss work for no good reason. Plus, she liked her job and worried how her students fared in her absence. Sure, the other teachers at the daycare could cover for her, but nobody understood her class like she did. She was in charge of the three- and four-year old’s class, and kids that age weren’t great with change. Hopefully, her students were okay today without her.

Ugh. Could this day get any worse?

It was time to get up and go apologize to whoever was forced to clean up the mess she made in aisle three. Wincing, she wondered to which part of the grocery store they had taken her pathetic self. Maria popped one lid open and got an eyeful of her own bedroom.

Huh?

She blew a stray strand of hair out of her face, levering herself up on her elbows. Did she hallucinate a trip to the grocery store? If so, how pathetic. Her fantasy life had been reduced to shopping for saltine crackers.

Although, if that was the case, the guy she had thrown up on was a nice figment of her imagination. Tall, with dust colored hair, navy blue eyes, and a square jaw. He had been her type, physically anyway. But the sad truth was that, in her experience, guys built like a cross between a lumberjack and a superhero never gave her a second glance. Which was fine since it wasn’t as if she would be capable of responding to their attention in a normal, healthy manner.

In all likelihood she must have fabricated the entire interaction. Because her fantasy man sure seemed like he wanted to talk. Even more surprising, she hadn’t wanted to flee or even stare at the ground when he had tried to speak to her. Something about that man had set her mind at ease, his presence non-threatening.

She must have gone somewhere because she still wore the hoodie and jeans she had put on to go to the store. How had she been able to drive back to her place without remembering how she got from point A to point B? Running her fingers through her hair, she released a steadying breath. It was scary to think she had piloted her car all the way home in what amounted to an unconscious state.

Maria tossed the covers aside and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She didn’t recall anything about her trip to the grocery store past the cringe-worthy encounter with Mr. Tall-Fair-and-Handsome. Hopefully, she had apologized to the mystery-man before she shuffled away in total social agony. But probably not. It was far more likely that she had just skittered off after vomiting all over him like a sickly, mute, hermit crab.

A few more deep breaths dispersed the foggy sensation in her brain. As she took her first tentative steps out of bed, she was hopeful that the worst part of her mystery ailment was behind her. Maybe vomiting on that stranger had been a good thing. Oh, sure, not for him, but at least her chills and body aches were gone. She put a hand to her forehead and determined she still ran a fever. Her head continued to spin a bit, but at least she could now put one foot in front of the other without worrying she might puke all over an innocent bystander.

As she acclimated to being conscious again, she noticed two important details. One: Freddy, her cat, was not snuggled beside her. The faithful feline crawled into bed with her for a rest as brief as a fifteen- minute nap, so it was a bit strange that the tiger tabby was nowhere to be found. Two: her purse sat on the chair in the corner, along with her coat. Only, that wasn’t where her coat and purse belonged. She always hung them in the hallway closet every time she returned to her apartment. The coat was even folded into a neat square, something she never would have done.

As an odd, tingly suspicion began to take hold, she became aware of small noises coming from the kitchen. Careful not to make a sound, she crept to the hall that separated her bedroom for the rest of the apartment. Imitating a move she had seen in spy movies, she flattened herself against the wall and peeked through the doorway.

The source of the noise was revealed the instant she poked her head around the corner. The man from the supermarket stood in her kitchen, stirring something in a pot on the stove. The good news: he was not a hallucination, and he was even more handsome the second time around. The bad news: he was in her frickin’ kitchen. In her apartment.

Her stomach dropped to her toes as fear tangled into knots inside her head. What was he doing here? Had he brought her home from the store? He rummaged through a couple drawers before returning to the stovetop to give whatever he was cooking another stir. As the aroma drifted toward her, she was flabbergasted to discover her home invader was making the chicken noodle soup she attempted to purchase at the store that afternoon.

She observed the man from her hiding spot, careful not to give away her position. The intruder was huge, with shoulders almost as wide as the door frame. Every time he stirred the soup, the heavy muscles in his back flexed underneath his shirt. At the burglar’s feet, Freddy rubbed his tiger-striped fur shamelessly against the man’s long legs.

There you are, you little traitor, she muttered under her breath.

But apparently not far enough under her breath. The man’s head whipped around at the sound of her voice. The moment those deep blue eyes connected with hers she was…changed somehow. Like she had come home after being lost for a long, long time. Almost against her will, her feet moved her from the relative safety of the bedroom into the main area of her apartment.

Halfway across the space between them, she halted. This man was in her home, and she certainly hadn’t asked him to be there. Years of caution, acquired the hard way, had her searching for her phone or at least a heavy object she could throw at the intruder.

Who are you? she demanded, hoping she sounded brave.

Are you well? He dropped the spoon and came around the counter to stand on the opposite side of the sofa. Freddy followed behind with his tail cheerfully curled in the air, oblivious to her distress.

I asked you a question first. Who are you?

My name is not important right now. The man bulldozed through her questions as if she never asked them. Right now, my number one concern is your health. You were very ill back at the grocery store.

Heat flooded her face. I’m sorry I threw up on your shoes. I can replace them if they’re ruined.

He waved her apologies aside. I’m not concerned with the state of my footwear. My only priority is your health, Maria.

I’m much bet— Did you call me Maria?

Goosebumps sprung to life up and down her arms. How did he know her name? She had never seen this man before in her life, yet he possessed an awful lot of information about her. In the store, he had seemed to want to contact her. Why?

Maria, I can explain. He held up both his hands like a lion tamer warding off an angry animal.

Get out of my apartment.

She wished she had her phone to dial 9-1-1, but she had left it behind in the bedroom in her purse. And taking this situation to the bedroom did not sound like a good idea.

This is not what it seems.

Every time she took a step backward, he stepped forward. His silent, stealthy movements triggered alarm bells inside her brain.

Oh, I think it’s exactly what it seems. You should leave. Now. Before… before my boyfriend gets home. As lies go, an imaginary boyfriend wasn’t a great one, but the falsehood should work if his whole I’m-not-a-stalker routine was indeed the truth.

The man narrowed his eyes. You don’t have a boyfriend.

She thought she might vomit again. And you know this how?

Maria, you need to calm yourself. A hint of desperation crept into his voice.

"Nope. Not gonna do that. But you are going to leave now, before I start screaming. Skipping to the side, she put the couch between herself and a man who was clearly some kind of stalker. She snatched the lamp off the end table, holding it above her head like a baseball bat. I don’t have a boyfriend, but I do have a next-door neighbor, and she is downright nosy. If Mrs. Rosenburg hears me raising hell, you better believe she’ll call the cops. So, get out. Now!"

All right! All right. He raised both hands to the sky, surrendering. I will do as you wish. But, Maria?

What? She kept her lamp in a defensive position.

Please, eat the soup and then try to rest. You don’t look well.

Chapter Three

Goddamn it!

Ian slammed the door of his new apartment closed and fired the keys across the room with slingshot like force. Without flipping on the lights, he slid down the door until his butt hit the ground.

In his first attempt at contact with his Verum Lux he had annihilated his chances with Maria. Well and truly destroyed them. She thought he was some kind of sick stalker, and he couldn’t say he blamed her. Returning her to her home? Revealing his awareness of her name and the fact she was single? Maria had interpreted everything in the worst