Crimson Reign
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Crimson Reign
A Crimson Nights Saga
V.L. Moon & J.T. Cheyanne
Copyright © September 2013 - V.L. Moon & J.T. Cheyanne, 2013
First Edition September, 2013
Published by: Laz & Lachi Publications, L.L.C.
AMAZON KINDLE EDITION
ISBN: 978-0-9899725-0-5
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Laz & Lachi Publications, L.L.C., ald0071@aol.com.
No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Laz & Lachi Publications, L.L.C. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.
Edited by: Angela Dykes
Cover design by: Tracey Weston
Book Formatting/Page Building/conversions: Princess SO
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Crimson Reign
A Crimson Nights Saga
V.L. Moon & J.T. Cheyanne
GENRE: MM/Erotic Paranormal
WORD COUNT: 111, 559
A pulse of light preceded the gift of life breathed into the coldest and darkest of souls. Bathed in the glow of celestial love and swathed in a blanket of black satin wings nestled a king among kings, a vampire born to destroy the decay threatening to eradicate the race he was destined to save.
An angelic heart torn by yearning, suffering and pain throbbed to the rhythm of the life he created; a life prophesied in the scriptures by the Creator’s own hand. A vow of servitude given in blood sealed the fate of a Seraphim's heart and tied it eternally to the creation he craves, protects…loves.
Ancient treaties are lost and reborn, rising from the ashes as the Nephilim ravaged Malachi's race. The deviant desire that soared in his blood threatened to bring Rome to its knees when Malachi's world, his soul and his heart are brutally shattered and torn apart. Will purity born of an angel's love be enough to calm the savage mind of Malachi Denali? Or will Laziel be doomed to a life of purgatory for loving the life he was gifted to create…
This is not a HEA, or even a HFN....Who knows what will happen to seal their fate....Only time will tell. Vampires, angels, demons and wolves together with love, betrayal, sadness and yearning make up the ongoing story that is...
The Crimson Nights Saga.
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WARNING
This book contains material that maybe offensive to some: graphic language, homosexual relations, adult situations.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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DEDICATION
So many people have crossed our paths within the course of our lives that it's hard to sometimes make a dedication feel meaningful. But for us...I can honestly say that this book stems from the love of our extended family, who we both love with all of our hearts.
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It was upon meeting the inspirationally dynamic Kim Smith and the compassionate Rhonda Burch that bore life to our characters. Their wit and kind hearts know no limits and we will be forever grateful to both of them. Through Kim and Rhonda many precious friendships have been made over the years. Our sweet adorable Kylie, who we both love so much, our Madi, always so strong and silent. Love you for that. To the admiral and most amazing Kim Stone who touches both our hearts, you're amazing. Melanie, Raven and our La (Little Emmie), sweet Terri & Kimberly @ sisterbitches, Terric & all at DnD.
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To our families, our readers and our many lovely colleagues, we thank you all for your friendship and support.
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Last, but by no means least, we have to say a very special thank you and heartfelt praise to two very amazing people. To Soxie & Princess SO. Your never ending help, support and advice never ceases to amaze us. You are both immensely appreciated for everything you do. There are no words for how thankful we are to you both.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
COVER
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
BONUSES
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PROLOGUE
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Framed by the satin expanse of archaic, black wings, Laziel, guardian of souls and believer of fate, knelt upon the white marble steps of Heaven's pearly gates. The steps were littered; shimmering with the rubies of an angel’s shed tears. The crimson rain of gems reflected upon the angelic perfection of a beautifully adorned, androgynous face. Glowing within the celestial's open palms lay a solitary orb of ethereal life. Within its pulsating light, the only true creation, born from the gift of an immortal's soul, nestled unaware of its destiny. The beat from its heart rang strong and true while the very essence of its being was one of purity and strength. Blessed with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and blood, the being would one day serve, love and protect the subjects of its race.
Transfixed by the rolling orb of translucent light, Laziel, oblivious to the caress of the Creator’s arms, brought the orb before the fullness of his celestial lips and gifted unto the light the blessings of life.
“So it is done, Laziel. Heed the words of your Maker, my blessed child. The ties of life you bind yourself to will only ever be broken by the joint ending of your union of light. The savagery of this being's war is one born of hostility. Train your creation well. For even though what you hold unto your heart is of difference, such a creation will not be immune to the rigors of pain. And, in gifting this soul your purity, so you shall feel each other’s pain along the path of life.”
Laziel’s eyes lifted, and for the slightest of moments, he witnessed fear crease the brow of his Creator. In addition, he was granted a flicker of things to come; images of faces, voices and places, some surrounded by snow and ice, others lush with the scent of the forest and earth; fire and doom were cast before the celestial's eyes. Hands, so warm they burned, lay as a heavy mantel of heat on the width of the angel's magnificent black wings. And, as the words were whispered, Laziel exhaled once more to breathe the gift of virtue, strength and life into the soul of pulsing light.
With a lowered head and a heavy heart, Laziel watched the glowing sphere of innocenc
e slip from the confines of his loving palms and slowly float downward before disappearing below the clouds. His angel heart wept. Such was the depth of his sorrow; the sound filled the heavens with the sadness of loss. And, as the crescendo of Laziel’s heartbreak rang through the skies, an orchestra of angels raised their own voices in unison, until the heavens opened and the angels wept. The despondency of Laziel’s loss worried the Creator, who called upon the sacred gift of Mother Earth to protect his gifted angel’s most pure of creations.
Eyes shining with fortitude and grace, Laziel bowed unto the Creator and swore an oath to protect the conception of life, the last of a dying and loveless race. Spreading wings of shimmering black, Laziel soared through the heavens and descended unto earth. Where, even after the passage of centuries, the angel served in his masculine form to protect his only living creation of pure, untainted blood. He offered up his own celestial soul to be the one blessed by a warrior’s desire for love and crimson wine. Many an era came to pass. And, as the warrior’s soul grew strong before the fiery glow of celestial eyes, so a whole new chapter of their life together started to unwind.
And so it began...
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CHAPTER ONE
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Vatican City, Rome
Voices, so many voices. Their usual arrogant and self-serving tone stiffened the broad, masculine shoulders of the male sitting upon the raised dais before Laziel. The mind numbing crescendo of babble from the pompous, aristocratic dignitaries continued to fill the Council chambers with their obtuse and somewhat self-absorbed notions of how things should be done. One step forward brought Laziel, celestial and angelic guardian, to his rightful place at the side of Malachi Denali.
Head of the vampire Council and pure blooded King of the vampire race, Malachi was the only true creation left to the vampire race. His blood, as well as his arrogant persona, was unique, to the point where no one, not even the highest ranking Elders situated around the Council chambers could ever fathom or comprehend the level of knowledge and absolute power sitting before them and leading their ignorant race. He was… for better words… an anomaly. Neither born nor made, Malachi… Lachi to the angel… was the purest form of vampire. He'd been created to save his race, but now some five hundred years later and to the despair of the Elders, Lachi refused to mate and produce offspring to appease their greed. Their constant demands on their King to choose a female and strengthen the race grated on both Lachi’s and the celestial’s nerves.
The broad shoulders before Laziel rolled, cracking the vertebrae along Lachi’s back and neck, a tell-tale sign of the vampire’s rising stress. Laziel felt the inferno of Lachi's anger and reached out, urging the male to rein in his tightly coiled temperament. It would do no good for the male to let loose on those who looked up to him to save them, for Lachi had worked and trained too hard to achieve his status. Laziel had seen to it that, even as a child, Lachi trained with the elite of the race's guards, and learned to fight at Laziel’s own firm hand. In every aspect of life, the angel tutored the young vampire male. Whether in the arts, law or literature, Lachi excelled in all his lessons, leaving no stone unturned. The vampire turned out to be absorbent, soaking in the riches of his long and learned life.
The instant Lachi's violent temper plateaued into less of a raging storm, Laziel knew he'd somehow caged the torrid swell of his emotions and pushed them into the darkest depths of his vampiric soul. Relieved, Laziel absorbed the cacophony of chaos and noise echoing throughout the lower chamber. Its distracting pandemonium was a far cry from the human breed living above them. They carried on in blissful ignorance with the mundane chores of their daily lives, oblivious to the fact that situated far beneath them, deep below the catacombs of the Vatican; a secret race thrived driven by the thirst for power and the need for blood. Oh, some of them knew, the upper echelons of their society, the kings, the presidents, the dictators, the church leaders, they knew about the treaty that kept the supernatural world a child’s nightmare instead of reality. But, the everyday Joe Blow meandered through their mundane lives unaware and through their ignorance most remained safe.
Often in the early years as Lachi rose through the rungs of chamber seats to grow into the embodiment of his vampiric powers, Laziel wondered why. Why would Rome, home to the hierarchy of human religion, be used to house the most powerful and dangerous of the vampire race? Beneath the Vatican of all places? As Malachi's regime and ability to rule rose in conjunction with his own heightening powers, it came as a shock to Laziel when, upon presiding on one of Lachi's many Council meetings, the very same question had been proposed.
The Elders, some aged a thousand plus years, laughed at the question posed by Darklon di Sangue. It was only the notoriety of the aforementioned vampire's eccentric nature that guaranteed the answer Darklon sought. What's more, the response Darklon received made perfect sense to Laziel and Lachi. The age old cliché 'keep your friends close but your enemies even closer' was indeed coined by the vampire race. That in itself was the power of reasoning behind their King hiding under the skirts of the very race that had made them into the sick and romantic fantasy of fiction and branded them the sadistically tormented creatures nightmares were made of.
They were the monsters.
Like a dam bursting its banks, the bitter tide of anger finally erupted from its source with a deafening, thunderous roar.
“ENOUGH! You will be seated NOW or leave. DO NOT make me repeat my words.” Abrupt silence fell across the chamber, bringing with it the noxious aftertaste of fear. In that one moment as Lachi's anger washed over the flesh of his emissaries, it made no difference to their level of power or their age, for before them stood their King. He was their strength, their righteous peer, and the savior of their race. His very demeanor commanded their respect.
Laziel’s pride soared, filling the well of his angelic heart with mounting respect and desire. And, as he stepped closer to lightly rest a palm at the center of Lachi's broad muscular back, the vampire he'd trained to fight and taught to live relaxed back against the sure touch of familiarity. However, unlike a tutor bestowing respect to its pupil, Laziel’s touch was born of intent and the need to feel the flesh of the warrior wrapped neatly within the fine threads of a very beautifully tailored Dolce silk shirt.
The celestial's touch, so solitary in its meaning, instantly appeased the vampire’s anger, quelling Lachi's intention to rise to his feet and exact punishment upon the mass of his Council for their blatant show of disrespect. Instead, Lachi pushed out a slight bolt of his power, hinting with just a minor faction of his anger at what they challenged with the sharpness of their questioning tongues. The return hissing sting at their recognition of the level of Lachi's supremacy was enough to bring a smirk of self-justification to the vampire's face. The hard stare along with the hint of Lachi's ferocious nature instantly fuelled the allure of Laziel’s hardening sex.
Right on cue, as if Lachi could sense the change emanating from Laziel, he turned. The heat and authority radiating from the depths of Lachi's inflexible black glare slammed into Laziel like a wrecking ball, adding to the flames of his burning obsession for the sins of Lachi’s rippling flesh.
The vampire belonged to Laziel.
In the early years when the dawning realization of Laziel’s feelings for Lachi first surfaced, there hadn't been an explosion of metaphysical angst wherein the angel declared undying love. Instead of the colorful expo that came with love's blessings, his adore simmered and grew in magnitude. It increased in its potency over the multitude of decades spent alongside each other, until the painful yearning for more became almost too much even for the angel to bear.
The physical need to love Lachi consumed Laziel’s celestial soul, urging him to face the dire consequences attributed to consummating such an affliction of love, if in fact it would be returned.
In the beginning, Laziel, an angel holding power beyond recognition, troubled over the yearning desires. Night after night, he so
ught solace, pacing the lengths of the darkened catacombs in his masculine form while fighting against the rise of emotion beating hard against the chasm of a heart he had long thought void of such craving. But, as per the norm, there was nothing about Laziel or the depth of feelings burning inside his celestial heart that came easy. For unbeknownst to Lachi's legions, there was a different side to the angel, Laziel.
What Lachi's minions witnessed on a day to day scale was only a tempered down part of what made up the celestial's status and form. Laziel, after all, was androgynous, a gift that deemed the celestial with no particular dominating sexual gender. In fact, Laziel’s abilities worked out to be pleasurable, advantageous and versatile to the vampire King’s needs. But, fear and the unwillingness to concede to the pent up well of carnal hunger rode roughshod over the more subordinate half of Laziel’s psyche much to the bitter ire of his feminine counterpart. Steeped in the terror of its depth of emotion, Laziel trained daily to keep a firm grip on the instincts constantly threatening to rise inside his celestial form. Every time the imminent presence overwhelmed the angel’s senses, Laziel dominated the surging urge and tamped down the curse of its feminine affliction.
Lachi, for all his sadistic tastes and violent intentions toward others, accepted and embraced with vigor everything for which the angel stood. More than used to the angel's dual persona, the vampire showed a rare flicker of compassion whenever Lorenza or Loz… as Lachi liked to refer to Laziel's more subordinate female form… fought through to the surface.
It was the presentation of the angel’s feminine form adorning the arm of the vampire King that fooled the court Elders. They attended all of the elite court functions parading as a loving couple and duping Lachi's nemesis, Darklon, into thinking there would one day be a union between the two. Their pairing softened the whiplash of the court's insinuations and expectations. Unbeknown to them, Laziel masqueraded before them, using the power of his celestial's ability to choose forms. In addition, Laziel pushed the thoughts into their self-centered minds that the intoxicating female adorning their King's arm was vampire. The masquerade only accentuated the confounded desire of the angel’s emotional sanctum.