Adult sexual content. Graphic sex.
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SUNRISE & NIGHTFALL
By Kimberly Kinrade & Dmytry Karpov
Historical Fantasy Romance
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He'll risk everything to save her life.
She'll sacrifice it all to save his soul.
Danika Star will die soon, her visions have foretold this, and they are never wrong.
Andriy Zorin will live forever, but not without a price.
They never expected to fall in love, especially with each other, but fate had other plans.
To save the woman he loves, Andriy must defy the rulers of his kind and make her immortal.
But even immortals can be killed.
Set during the early Renaissance in Venice, Italy under the threat of the Inquisition, Sunrise & Nightfall is a story about love, death, immortality and the power of redemption.
AN UNEDITED SNEAK PEEK:
Outside of Venice, Italy
Andriy Zorin
17 May 1522
One year ago today I lost my heart and gained my soul, because she chose to believe that anyone could be redeemed from their past, no matter how bloody. I have stayed busy in that year, rebuilding what had been lost, creating the life she would have wanted for me—for all of us. Her memory weighs heavy on me always, but I have, to date, stayed ahead of the grief, if by only a half-step, until today.
Today I take pause to grieve and remember and tell the story of the woman who changed the world. Her name will not be written in books of history, but it will be forever carved into my soul. Her stack of letters, written in her final days, sit unopened by this journal, waiting for me to find the courage to read them.
She hasn't come to me since that night, but I feel her always. Her story mustn't be forgotten, and I will make sure it's not. This is my story, and her story. Our story, and the world's story. It is the story of every being who walks the night or basks in the sun.
The pain is still so raw, the loss fresh, that once I open this first letter, I know I too will be ripped open once again, exposed to the pain anew. Why then do I torture myself in this way? Because with the pain comes the love and the joy of cherished memories, moments too sweet to let rot from fear.
She would have wanted me to move on, to live fully, and so I shall try, if only for her.
***
Venice, Italy
Danika Star
17 May 1521
Death stalks us all, in one form or another. Most fear the death of the body, but this is the cycle of life, a natural progression to a new reality. It is not to be feared. But humans act rashly to avoid the unknown, and in so doing often make deals with the devil, sacrificing their very soul for a longer taste of life—a sweetness that inevitably turns bitter.
When the first vision took me, I had no fear. My own death would bring about something greater than any one life.
When the second vision took me, I knew the worst kind of fear, and I knew that I only had a short time to alter the path he had chosen, to save his soul before he could no longer be redeemed.
I write this now as I near the end, in hopes that this story, our story, will live on as a reminder to him… and to others… that no one is past redemption and forgiveness, and to show that death is not the end, merely the beginning of a new kind of journey.
***
Venice, Italy
Danika Star
20 October 1519
The chill of late fall settled in my bones as I hurried through the empty streets of Venice. A dark cloak made of thick wool protected me from the cold, and from prying eyes bent on keeping women in their place. Philip kept pace with me, acting as an unorthodox chaperon for our illicit midnight rendezvous. We had little time to complete our mission. Within a few hours, the air would fill with the scent of fresh bread, as the baker prepared for the start of his day. Street urchins would stake their territories in anticipation of a hot meal. The world, so quiet now, would slowly awaken, greeted by the sunrise, by the promise of a new start.
And I had to be back before any of this happened, or all of our lives would be forfeit.
Tension vibrated through Philip's stocky form, his green eyes creased in worry. "This is far too risky, Danika. We should have waited for her at the manor."
A dark tendril of curl fell out from my hooded cloak as I jerked my head to scan the streets. The force with which I set it in its place pulled a few strands loose at the scalp. "My vision left no room for caution. She's in danger and we must find her."
Sinister forces brewed in the underbelly of the city, though neither my visions nor our network of sources had given shape to the ominous weight I felt. We'd been lucky so far, in as much as we could call it luck. Venice still remained a haven for the Gifted and Nephilim alike, a place we could all live in peace. But that peace would soon be shattered, I feared.
We walked without fire to light our way in order to stay hidden in the shadows. But Philip's kind ruled the shadows. Though not of the Court of Nightfall, having been born Nephilim and not turned by blood magic, he still possessed heightened senses that enabled him to walk as if in full day. The Daywalkers of the Court of Sunrise had all the power of their Nightwalking kin, with fewer weaknesses.
I stayed close to him and wrapped myself in my own magic to avoid tripping on the uneven dirt roads and pebbled paths.
It seemed to take longer than it actually did to arrive at The Four Bridges Inn, which ironically was not located near any bridges. The Inn Keeper, a grizzled man of unknown years named Giovani, greeted us at the back door with a hushed voice and nervous glances over our shoulders.
A thick accent turned his words into puzzles to decipher. "She be here, but you not be taking her any time soon."
I shivered as a gust of wind blew past me. "We must. Already we have pushed the timetable for this. Where is she?"
The map of time that was his face creased in an extraordinary display of tunnels and ridges when he frowned. "She be with the horses."
Philip flashed his sharp incisor teeth and the glow of golden white wings shimmered behind his back. Giovani gasped and cowered into his kitchen, allowing us entrance. Philip pierced him with a stare. "You are well paid to aid our friends who travel to Venice. How dare you treat even one of them like livestock."
Nephilim rarely showed their wings, and though they still remained hidden in a thin veil of nearly transparent magic, it was enough to remind Giovani that we took our charge's health and safety very seriously.
A wave of nausea swept through me and I bent at my waist and clutched my stomach. "I need to see her. Now!"
Philip steadied me and carried our bags as Giovani ushered us to the barn. Sweat dripped from his round face despite the temperature outside, and I began to suspect him of more than just neglecting our charge. Philip and I exchanged a glance and he nodded once, sharply. We would have to be on our guard with him, and we might have to find a new rendezvous spot, if this one had been compromised.
The smell of manure and moldy hay assaulted us as we entered the dimly lit barn. At the sight of Giovani, a white stallion to our right neighed and bucked at the wooden beams imprisoning him. Festering sores from what looked like lashes across his flanks oozed illness and his eyes clouded with fever. The Inn Keeper backed away, fear on his face when I turned to him, power lighting up my eyes. "Get out of here now. If I ever hear of you abusing animal or human again, my friends will be paying you a visit. Are we clear?"
He nodded and scuttled from sight and Philip pulled me along. "Danika, I know your heart is big, but we're running out of time."
I shook him off and approached the horse. "This won't take much time or power. I can't leave him here like this, dying and in pain."
The horse eyed me with suspicion, then sniffed the air. I allowed a tendril of my power to float free, surrounding the fearful beast. He whimpered and bent his b
ody until he lay on the foul smelling hay. "There, there. It's going to be okay. I'm going to help you."
Once he had calmed, I entered the pen and lay hands on him, summoning the power of water to cleanse his wounds, and earth to regenerate and heal him. Swirls of green and blue light warmed my hands and reached out to the illness infecting the horse. I pulled the pain and sickness into me, holding it in my hands and releasing it into the earth to be transmuted into something pure.
Wound knit together and healthy flesh replaced that which was damaged. His eyes cleared and he pulled himself to standing, huffing and neighing in pleasure. I rubbed my hands over his body and kissed his nose. "Would you like to come home with me?" His head nudged mine and I smiled.
The wail of a woman in pain pulled me from the moment. Philip reached for me. "She needs you now."
I left the stall with a silent promise to the horse that I would not forget him and joined Philip as we followed the screams deeper into the barn.
In one corner, laying on her own coat, a woman heavy with child cried out as another contraction wracked her body in pain. I bent down, pushing her thick dark hair out of her face. "We're here. You're going to be okay."
She clenched her teeth through the pain as she spoke. "S'il vous plaît. Aide-moi."
My French was limited, but I knew she plead for help. "Oui. We'll help you." I looked up at Philip. "I need clean cloth, hot water and my bag."
He dropped my bag next to me and left to get the other items I needed. "I hope you can understand me. I'm going to give you a tonic to help ease the pain. I need you to swallow it all, okay?"
She nodded. "I speak… some."
I reached for my bag and pulled out a vial that I gave to her. She drank it all and within a moment sighed in relief as the blend of herbs and magic relaxed her body. "Good. Where is your husband? I was told there would be two of you."
Her large eyes filled with tears. "Jean-Paul. Mort."
"Dead. He died?"
She nodded. "Killed. They found us. The… how you say? Man who hunts us?"
"The Inquisitor?"
"Oui! The Inquisitor, he found us. Jean-Paul died to save me and le bébé." She cried out with another contraction, this one less painful with the tonic. When it eased she reached for my hand. "Le bébé, he is special. Of the sun, comprenez-vous?"
Her pain, emotional and physical, flowed into me and I struggled to contain it, to send it back to the earth. "Yes, I understand. He is a Daywalker. Your husband, he was Nephilim of the Court of Sunrise?"
She slumped into my arms, her face a mix of emotion. Relief that I understood, fear and pain for what had passed and what was to come.
My magic swirled around me and I shared with her my power. "What is your name?"
Her eyes glowed with the light settling into her. "Lisette."
"Lisette, I have friends at Court. They will help you and your son, do you understand?"
She nodded.
Philip arrived at that moment, a bucket of steaming water and a handful of linens that looked like they could use a good wash, but we didn't have a lot of options.
I thanked him and held his eyes as I spoke to Lisette. "This is Philip of the Court of Sunrise. He will be able to initiate your son upon birth and make sure he receives all of the rights and privileges associated with being a Daywalker."
Philip nodded, sadness in his eyes as he too pieced together what the woman had lost at the hands of those who sought to persecute anyone different. He bent and held her hand. "It would be my honor to do so, if it pleases you."
She cried and squeezed his hand. "Oui, s'il vous plaît. Je vous remercie beaucoup."
Philip's eyes clouded with tears, and I knew he was thinking about his sister's birth, and how he had to perform the same rights for her after their mother had died in childbirth. It must be a Nephilim who performs the rights, for a child of Sunrise to come into their power and place properly, and Philip's father hadn't been Nephilim, so that task was left to a young and scared Philip who had just lost his mother.
Lisette cried out again and I felt the child drawing near. "It's time. Lisette, I need you to push."
I positioned myself to receive the child and instructed Philip to hold her from behind. "When the next contraction hits, push with everything in you."
She screamed and pushed. Blood poured out of her and she became pale and listless. My power searched for the problem. "The baby is coming out the wrong way, feet first. There's a tear. She's bleeding out." My heart raced as I used my hands to manipulate the child, trying to turn him in the right direction. Lisette's cries exploded around us, the pain near unbearable.
I couldn't extricate my hands to help her. "Philip, I have another vial of tonic in my bag, give it to her."
As he did, her body relaxed a fraction and I used my power to repair the damage, but if I couldn't turn the baby around, it wouldn't make a difference.
Tears streamed down her face. My hands stayed steady but my heart dropped to my gut as I fought to keep her alive and save the baby living in her womb. I couldn't let this woman lose her husband and child on the same day.
My power, slightly drained from healing the horse, now rushed out of me, leaving me feeling empty and exhausted. I sought more source, pulling from the earth, the sky, the water, sucking it in only to empty it into Lisette and her child.
Philip looked up at me, eyes wide in concern. "Danika, I can hear her heart slowing. She's dying."
"I know, but I won't let it happen." My heart cracked and I fought my own tears. So much hate and pain in this world. All of it unnecessary. She could have lived a happy life with Jean-Paul and her baby, and instead they had to run from their home and life because of fear and prejudice. So many killed, and for what?
I couldn't think of that right now. Had to focus. Finally, the baby turned, head positioned to exit the birth canal. I sent her more of my power, what little I had left. "Lisette, we're almost there. Be strong. Push!"
I felt her draw on her own inner strength and bare down again. The baby's head crested. "Push again!" And with that last push, the baby dropped into my hands, bloody and wriggling. I worked fast, sending more power to Lisette to repair the damage left from the birth while I cleaned off the child and cleared out his mouth and nose.
Once wrapped in the cleanest cloth I could find in the pile, I placed him in her arms. "Your son. He's perfect."
She wept and kissed him as I cleaned her up, then she passed him to Philip.
A golden glow of power surrounded him and the child as he spoke the ancient words to initiate the boy into their court. This would allow him to grow into his own powers as he aged, rather than having them thrust upon him all at once, without any way of controlling them. As he reached puberty he would come into his full power with his wings. It also gave the child a place within their society. He would never be alone, helpless in a world that didn't understand or want him. I wished other Gifted had such rituals and community. Too often those like me never understood who or what they were and died alone and often violently at the hands of those who feared them.
As Lisette healed, she regained her color and strength and eagerly reached for her child when Philip completed the initiation. "Merci. Thank you for saving me and my son. He is also Jean-Paul, for his father."
My head spun from exhaustion and too much use of power, but I smiled and packed up my bag. "That's a lovely name. Rest here and we'll see about getting you a room until you're fit to travel."
Philip nodded and left to speak to Giovani while I cleaned up the mess of childbirth as best I could with rags and hot water. I shrugged out of my coat and laid it over Lisette and her son. "You two need to stay warm." She nodded and dozed into a half-sleep while nursing her baby.
An unexpected surge of bittersweet longing clung to my heart as I watched mother and son. I would never know that kind of bond, never have children of my own. I thought I'd come to accept that. Being a midwife I often delivered babies and witnesses the joy of
that connection, but it had become harder, knowing what I would have to do to save the man in my vision… and to save so many others. I didn't regret my destiny, but I wondered what a softer path in life would have felt like.
I shook myself out of my own wallowing and leaned against a pile of hay to rest my eyes and regain some of my own power, but was startled out of my sleep when Philip charged in and called for me. "Danika, get Lisette and the baby out of here. We've been betrayed."
***
If I hadn't been so distracted by the mission and the injured horse, I would have followed my instincts about Giovani. But, it was too late now. I nudged Lisette awake and reached for the baby to help her up. "We have to go now. It's not safe. I'm sorry."
I swayed as I stood, but clothed the child in my arms and steadied myself. It would take us too long to get back to the manor by foot. The white horse neighed and I smiled and walked over to him. "Will you help us?"
He neighed again and I took that as a yes. "We will have to ride together. I've healed your tears, so it shouldn't hurt too much. Will you be okay?"
She nodded and I handed her baby back to her while I prepared the horse for riding. He stayed calm and even got on his knees to allow Lisette on, as if he knew she needed to be handled with care. I insisted she keep my jacket and slid in front of her, ignoring the deep cold of the night air as she and the child pressed against my back.
Though it had felt like hours, it was still dark outside. Near the Inn, sounds of fighting gave me pause. Philip glowed in golden lights, his wings fully visible to anyone who watched as he took on the five thugs Giovani had summonsed to help capture us.
Philip looked up and saw us waiting. "Run! The Inquisitor is coming to Venice and there's a reward for any Gifted. Go!"
Seduced by Pain: A New Adult Paranormal Romance of Shifters & Witches (Rose's Trilogy, #2) (The Seduced Saga) Page 13