A Touch of Crimson
Table of Contents
Praise for
A Touch of Crimson
A Touch of Crimson
“
A Touch of Crimson
will rock readers with a stunning new world, a hot-blooded hero, and a strong, kick-ass heroine. This is Sylvia Day at the top of her game!”
A Touch of Crimson
will rock readers with a stunning new world, a hot-blooded hero, and a strong, kick-ass heroine. This is Sylvia Day at the top of her game!”
—Larissa Ione,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Eternal Rider
New York Times
bestselling author of
Eternal Rider
“Angels and demons, vampires and lycans, all set against an inventive, intriguing story world that hooked me from the first page. Balancing action and romance, humor and hot sensuality, Sylvia Day’s storytelling dazzles. I can’t wait to read more about this league of sexy, dangerous guardian angels and the fascinating world they inhabit.
A Touch of Crimson
is a paranormal romance lover’s feast!”
A Touch of Crimson
is a paranormal romance lover’s feast!”
—Lara Adrian,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Taken by Midnight
New York Times
bestselling author of
Taken by Midnight
“
A Touch of Crimson
explodes with passion and heat. A hot, sexy angel to die for and a gutsy heroine make for one exciting read.”
A Touch of Crimson
explodes with passion and heat. A hot, sexy angel to die for and a gutsy heroine make for one exciting read.”
—Cheyenne McCray,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Vampires Not Invited
New York Times
bestselling author of
Vampires Not Invited
“Sylvia Day spins a gorgeous adventure in
A Touch of Crimson
that combines gritty, exciting storytelling with soaring lyricism. Adrian is my favorite kind of hero—an alpha-male angel determined to win the heart of his heroine, Lindsay, while protecting her from his lethal enemy. Lindsay is a gutsy, likable woman with paranormal abilities of her own, as well as a dedication to protecting humanity against a race of demonic monsters.This is definitely a book for your keeper shelf.”
A Touch of Crimson
that combines gritty, exciting storytelling with soaring lyricism. Adrian is my favorite kind of hero—an alpha-male angel determined to win the heart of his heroine, Lindsay, while protecting her from his lethal enemy. Lindsay is a gutsy, likable woman with paranormal abilities of her own, as well as a dedication to protecting humanity against a race of demonic monsters.This is definitely a book for your keeper shelf.”
—Angela Knight,
New York Times
bestselling author of
Master of Shadows
New York Times
bestselling author of
Master of Shadows
Praise for Sylvia Day Writing as S. J. Day
“Great characters and terrific storytelling in a hot-blooded adrenaline ride. A keep-you-up-all-night read.”
—Patricia Briggs, #1
New York Times
bestselling author
New York Times
bestselling author
“Exhilarating adventure in an edgy world of angels and demons . . . will keep readers enthralled.”
—
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
SIGNET ECLIPSE
Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
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Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,
New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2,
Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)
Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi - 110 017, India
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, October 2011
Copyright © Sylvia Day, 2011 All rights reserved
SIGNET ECLIPSE and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
ISBN : 978-1-101-54465-5
This one is for my Marked series readers.
I hope you love it.
I hope you love it.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My gratitude to Danielle Perez, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, Leslie Gelbman, and everyone at NAL for all the enthusiasm shown for my Renegade Angels from auction to publication.
A tip of my hat to Beth Miller for all the little things.
A shout out to Erin Galloway for her input and for just being her.
Thanks to the art department for granting my wish to have Tony Mauro design my cover.
I have mad love for Tony Mauro and his head-turning, kick-ass artwork for Adrian. I’m grateful for the many ways he allowed me to use his art to share Adrian’s story.
Thank you to Monique Patterson for feeding my muse.
Huge thanks to Shayla Black and Cynthia D’Alba for reading early drafts of this story and helping me pull it together.
Much love to my friend Lora Leigh, to whom Lindsay/ Shadoe pay homage.
Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, Angela Knight, and Cheyenne McCray are very busy women, yet they generously spent some of their precious time reading Adrian and Lindsay’s story. Thank you so much, ladies! I’m grateful.
GLOSSARY
CHANGE
—the process a mortal undergoes to become a vampire.
—the process a mortal undergoes to become a vampire.
FALLEN
—the
Watchers
after the fall from grace. They have been stripped of their wings and their souls, leaving them as immortal blood drinkers who cannot procreate.
—the
Watchers
after the fall from grace. They have been stripped of their wings and their souls, leaving them as immortal blood drinkers who cannot procreate.
LYCANS
—a subgroup of the
Fallen
who were spared vampirism by agreeing to serve the
Sentinels
. They were transfused with demon blood, which preserved their souls but made them mortal. They can shape-shift and procreate.
—a subgroup of the
Fallen
who were spared vampirism by agreeing to serve the
Sentinels
. They were transfused with demon blood, which preserved their souls but made them mortal. They can shape-shift and procreate.
MINION
—a mortal who has been
Changed
into a
vampire
by one of the
Fallen
. Most mortals do not adjust well and become rabid. Unlike the
Fallen
, they cannot tolerate sunlight.
—a mortal who has been
Changed
into a
vampire
by one of the
Fallen
. Most mortals do not adjust well and become rabid. Unlike the
Fallen
, they cannot tolerate sunlight.
NAPHIL
—singular of
nephalim
.
—singular of
nephalim
.
NEPHALIM
—the children of mortal and
Watcher
parents. Their blood drinking contributed to and inspired the vampiric punishment of the
Fallen
.
—the children of mortal and
Watcher
parents. Their blood drinking contributed to and inspired the vampiric punishment of the
Fallen
.
(“they turned themselves against men, in order to devour them”—Enoch 7:13)
(“No food shall they eat; and they shall be thirsty”—Enoch 15:10)
SENTINELS
—an elite special ops unit of the
seraphim
, tasked with enforcing the punishment of the
Watchers
.
—an elite special ops unit of the
seraphim
, tasked with enforcing the punishment of the
Watchers
.
SERAPH
—singular of
seraphim
.
—singular of
seraphim
.
SERAPHIM
—the highest rank of angel in the angelic hierarchy.
—the highest rank of angel in the angelic hierarchy.
VAMPIRES
—a term that encompasses both the
Fallen
and their
minions
.
—a term that encompasses both the
Fallen
and their
minions
.
WATCHERS
—two hundred
seraphim
angels sent to earth at the beginning of time to observe mortals. They violated the laws by taking mortals as mates and were punished with an eternity on earth as
vampires
with no possibility of forgiveness.
—two hundred
seraphim
angels sent to earth at the beginning of time to observe mortals. They violated the laws by taking mortals as mates and were punished with an eternity on earth as
vampires
with no possibility of forgiveness.
Go tell the Watchers of heaven, who have deserted the lofty sky, and their holy everlasting station, who have been polluted with women, and have done as the sons of men do, by taking to themselves wives, and who have been greatly corrupted on the earth; that on the earth they shall never obtain peace and remission of sin. For they shall not rejoice in their offspring; they shall behold the slaughter of their beloved; shall lament for the destruction of their sons; and shall petition for ever; but shall not obtain mercy and peace.
The Book of Enoch 12:5–7
CHAPTER 1
“Phineas is dead.”
The pronouncement hit Adrian Mitchell like a physical blow. Gripping the handrail to counterbalance his shaken composure, he rounded a bend in the stairwell and looked at the seraph who ascended abreast of him. With the relaying of the news, Jason Taylor advanced into Phineas’s former rank as Adrian’s second-in-command. “When? How?”
Jason easily kept up with Adrian’s inhuman pace as they approached the roof. “About an hour ago. It was called in as a vamp attack.”
“No one noticed a vampire within striking distance? How the fuck is that possible?”
“That was my question. I sent Damien to investigate.”
They reached the last landing. The lycan guard in front of them pushed open the heavy metal door, and Adrian slipped sunglasses over his eyes before stepping into the Arizona sunshine. He watched the guard recoil from the ovenlike heat, then heard a complaining growl from the second lycan, who brought up the rear. As base creatures of instinct, they were susceptible to physical stimuli in ways the seraphim and vampires were not. Adrian didn’t feel the temperature at all; the loss of Phineas had chilled his blood.
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