Against the Dawn
Against the Dawn
A Shaede Assassin Novel
Amanda Bonilla
Copyright
This e-book is licensed to you for your personal enjoyment only.
This e-book may not be sold, shared, or given away.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Against the Dawn
Copyright © 2014 by Amanda Bonilla
Ebook ISBN: 9781625174772
Cover Art by Nathalia Suellen
http://www.nathaliasuellen.com/
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No part of this work may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
NYLA Publishing
350 7
th
Avenue, Suite 2003, NY 10001, New York.
Dedication
For the tough and tenacious ScreamQueen
Praise for Amanda Bonilla
VENGEANCE BORNE (Sentry of Evil #1)
“Fans of dark urban fantasy have something new to look forward to…there is a gritty edge to this promising first installment that makes it a very compelling read.” –
Romantic Times Book Reviews, 4 Stars
“Immersive world building and bags of action, Vengeance Borne is a fantastic start to this new urban fantasy series.” –
Vampire Book Club Reviews
“Vengeance Borne hits all the right notes with great writing and promising new mythology; welcome to the Sentry of Evil series!” –
Rabid Reads Reviews
SHAEDES OF GRAY (Shaede Assassins #1)
“It is always a pleasure to discover an excellent new author and series, and Bonilla qualifies on both counts. The debut of her Shaede Assassin series features a tough yet compelling heroine. Full of fascinating characters, high-stakes intrigue and fast-paced action, it’s a truly exhilarating adventure! Do not miss out!” –Romantic Times Book Reviews,
TOP PICK
4.5 Stars
“SHAEDES OF GRAY is edgy, full of great paranormal moments and unexpected events that add just the right amount of anticipation to keep you captivated. For urban fantasy fans, Amanda Bonilla has created an extraordinary debut novel, which is sure to keep you glued to the pages until the end, as well as leave you desperate for the next book in this exciting new series.” –
Romance Junkies Reviews
,
Blue Ribbon Rating: 5
“Truly transcendental as well as gritty…. an abundance of awesome action, as well as raw romance, all wrapped up in a fast-paced story that is fresh and unparalleled.
Shaedes of Gray
is going down as one of my favorite new series, and Darian as one of my new favorite heroines of 2011.” –
Pamela Webb-Elliott
,
Heroes and Heartbreakers
“In
Shaedes of Gray
, the main character is stoic and somewhat grouchy and I loved everything about her. Amanda Bonilla has created a brand new series that absolutely wowed me!” –
The Romance Readers Connection
,
4-1/2 Stars
“Let me tell you, within two pages (and no, I am not exaggerating) …. I just KNEW I had started reading a great book by a really talented author… you will no doubt find it on my
Favorites of 2011
list. Yes, people, it was that good.” –
Yummy Men Kick Ass Chicks
“You NEED this book.
Shaedes of Gray
is a first rate read from cover-to-cover! Amanda Bonilla breaks-out on the writing scene at full throttle. I loved the cover art, all 336 pages and the back blurb. In short for me,
Shades of Gray
was pure love. I will (impatiently) await
Blood Before Sunrise
‘s release next summer. You can’t go wrong in buying this novel for the Urban Fantasy enthusiast on your Christmas shopping list.” –
Rabid Reads
,
5 Paws
Shaedes of Gray
is full of compelling characters, exceptional world-building and a story that leaves you wanting more. The Shaede Assassin series is on my must buy list.” –
The Qwillery,
5 Quills
“…this noir and Machiavellian Urban Fantasy will have you clinging to the edge of your seat as you follow Darian through the shadows that is her life. A fast paced storyline that keeps you on your toes as Ms. Bonilla uses Darian’s history to unfold and set up this engaging and suspicious world…This entire book is an emotional roller coaster ride of twists and turns that will keep you riding the edge to the end. –
Tori
Smexy Books
BLOOD BEFORE SUNRISE (Shaede Assassins #2)
“If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy and you have not tried the Shaede Assassin books, you are really missing out!” –
Jen, Red Hot Books, 5 stars
“BLOOD BEFORE SUNRISE is a tightly written, edge-of-your-seat read! You do not want to miss out on this series.” –
Under The Covers Book Blog,
4.5 stars
“Well-written, perfectly paced so not to overwhelm, outstanding character development, Shaede Assassin is definitely a new addition to my favorite UF series list.” –
Smitten With Bad Boy Heroes,
5 stars
“Amanda Bonilla has done it again. Blood before Sunrise is a brilliant follow-up to the great Shaede Assassin series… Blood before sunrise is fast-paced read with a fantastic story line, full force action without losing the 'love' story-line that I like!
Definitely a 5 star +!” –Paranormal Cravings,
5 stars
“All in all Blood Before Sunrise is a Great addition to a Great series and a book I recommend to all Urban Fantasy lovers. If you love this genre this book and this series are a Must Read for you.” –
The Bookaholic Cat, 5 stars
CRAVE THE DARKNESS (Shaede Assassins #3)
“This third chapter in Bonilla’s thrilling, pull-no-punches series has old relationships and prior obligations colliding with a deadly force. The characters in her well-crafted world are complicated, dynamic and nuanced.” –
Romantic Times, 4 Stars
“Well-wrought action sequences and high-stakes suspense.”
Publishers Weekly
“
I think Amanda Bonilla has written with this new Urban Fantasy installment the best one of the series. The tension was heavy. I felt it like a brick in my stomach. Such a strong emotions to strong for me to stop reading! I think this is becoming one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series. Can't wait what Amanda will bring us next!” –
Paranormal Cravings, 5 Stars
“CRAVE THE DARKNESS is riveting and unexpected. The surprises just keep coming which makes this series absorbing and often times bone-chilling. Just when you think you have figured out what's happened in the past, another mind-bender is tossed into the mix! The unusual paranormal beings keep this series unpredictable. The twists and turns are relentless, keeping the reader wondering what could possibly happen next…I don't know about craving the darkness after walking it with Darian, but I sure do crave the next book!”—
4.5 Blue Ribbons, Romance Junkies
Chapter One
“I wish you didn’t have to leave so soon.”
That made two of us. I gave Brakae a sad smile that I doubt she noticed as she directed her attention back to the issue of
Vogue
that she thumbed through for the hundredth time since I’d brought it to
O Anel
. I came here in the first place to take a break from reality and get my head on straight. Problem was, it was time for me to return to the mortal realm, and I didn’t feel much better than I had when I’d arrived.
“I still can’t believe the fashions women wear in your world,” Brakae mused, her voice sounding younger than the centuries she could claim. “When you come back will you bring me more Honey Nut Cheerios? They’re delicious.”
“Food of the gods,” I agreed solemnly.
I’d learned a lot about the Faerie Realm in the brief time I’d been here. There was so much more to this place than I thought I knew. Chaos ruled here. Even time flowed at a different pace depending on where in the Faerie Realm you happened to be. If you ventured too close to
Kotja A’ma
, the fount from which time sprang, minutes passed in the blink of an eye as if time itself were being sucked into a swirling vortex. The further away you moved, the more time slowed. I looked around Brakae’s spacious cottage, which was situated in a small village miles away from
Kotja A’ma
. I was still amazed by this strange land that had seemed so barren to me the first time I’d been here.
When Faolán dragged me along on his quest to merge the human world with the Faerie Realm, I’d thought that
O Anel
was nothing more than fields of endless tall grass and densely treed forests. But beyond the land that was closest to
Kotja A’ma
—the true faerie ring—were outcroppings of civilization. Villages and towns populated with all sorts of preternatural beings. This far from the ring, the chaos was less noticeable. The seasons had a rhythm all their own and the sun rose and set to mark the passage of another day. But the land was encased in an aura that felt a little…
off
to me. It could have been the magic that the Fae used regularly. Or it simply could have been that even though it was my job to guard the doorway to
O Anel
, it was not my home. No, I belonged in the mortal realm.
A couple of weeks spent in Brakae’s village equaled months at home. By my estimation, I’d been here for about six months. Two weeks here, one half of a year passed in Seattle. Some vacation. The details of what had happened to me back at my apartment would have become nothing but a hazy memory to everyone who’d been present to witness my shame.
Precisely the reason I’d come here in the first place.
I knew that I needed time, and a couple of weeks away from home weren’t going to erase the memories of what happened to me. My job had been simple: protect Anya, one of Xander’s favored subjects. The branded property of a Cambion, he was after more than revenge for his imprisonment and the death of his mate and unborn son. He’d killed, Dimitri, Anya’s husband, and demanded she turn over a demonic codex she’d stolen from Kade’s father. If she didn’t, her life—as well as her unborn child’s—was forfeit. I was so confident I could take the half-Incubus-half human out myself. But I’d been dead wrong. Kade saw through my not-so-clever plan and used the addictive toxin that leeched from his pores and saliva to enslave me.
Addict
.
That’s what Kade had made me. I wanted him, craved his touch like a drug and there hadn’t been a damn thing I could do about it. Now, mere weeks later, I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing Kade’s face looming above mine, or feel the rush of revulsion mixed with need that his touch evoked in me. In my dreams, his black, serpentine tale slithered up my body, caressing me before it wrapped around my neck to choke the air from my lungs. I woke up most nights gasping for air as I tried in vain to fight an invisible foe. A shudder passed along my skin as the memories bombarded me. Even now, I craved him.
“Darian, are you okay?” Brakae and I were tied to each other through our connection to the Faerie Realm and she could sense my unease.
“I’m fine,” I replied, not willing to expend the effort for even a wan smile of assurance. I wasn’t fine. Why in the hell did I always feel the urge to tell people I was?
“What would you like to do your last night here?” She sounded sullen and it broke my heart to think of leaving her. She couldn’t visit the mortal realm as long as she was the Keeper of Time in
O Anel
. I hated that she had to stay here, separated from everyone she’d known and loved. And it burned my ass even more that I was able to come and go as I pleased. Sometimes the rules of the natural—and supernatural—world just
sucked
.
Brakae looked expectant as she waited for my answer. Raif’s daughter was as far from pushy as you could get. She was like a lake on a windless morning: calm, serene, and lovely. She simply sat in silence until I was ready to speak and I let her calm wash over me. “Let’s visit Moira,” I said at last. The Guardian of the key and doorway that led from the Faerie Realm into the mundane world lived here with Brakae. Moira was Sidhe, one of the oldest creatures in the Fae lineage. Fierce, beautiful, and a force to be reckoned with in battle. Not to mention a little on the snarky side. I couldn’t help but like her.