Chapter 13 “Demented” Kyoko fell to her knees beside the pit as the chains jerked her into place. The skin on her knees and palms were bloody from where she had resisted, but she didn’t care. She lifted her gaze seeing another demon crawling backwards out of the pit like someone was pushing the rewind and pause button constantly on some supernatural remote control. Once the demon was in front of her, it turned its face toward her and let out an ear-splitting scream that sounded like hundreds of demons screaming at once. Its blood red eyes flashed open as its skinless nose twitched from her scent. She could see the blue glow from her own eyes casting light and shadow across its gruesome features. Kyoko flinched and jerked backward as it sprang forward, snapping its pointed teeth at her. When it lunged again, she pulled the chain in front of her, screaming when its teeth latched down on the strange metal setting its mouth on fire. While it screeched and thrashed, she twiste
Chapter 14 “Sacrifice” Darious wrapped his hands around Angelous’s throat as he felt his back slam into the cavern wall. Rocks and chunks of earth fell all around them with the impact, but Darious ignored it as a sound filtered through the rumble. Voices… enraged, pleading and frightened voices. It was the guardians calling out Kyoko’s name. Looking down toward the pit, he growled no longer seeing her beside Toya. His eyes narrowed on the silver guardian seeing one of his chains missing and he was struggling to go down into the pit. He could see blood where Toya had pulled so hard on the chains that the unforgiving metal had rubbed the skin raw. He remembered those chains, knew what they felt like, and could still feel the sting of the skin beneath them healing from his attempts to escape. “What’s wrong brother? Did you lose your little priestess because you were not strong enough to protect her?” Angelous gloated. “Did you not hear her scream as she fell into the pit?
Black Winged Angel The Guardian Heart Crystal Series Book 7 Amy Blankenship, RK Melton Copyright © 2010 Amy Blankenship English Edition Published by Amy BlankenshipSecond Edition Published by TekTime All rights reserved. Prologue – Darious The monastery bells rang like an alarm, though no one was in the bell tower to pull the ropes. Lightening flashed across the courtyard as the storm appeared out of nowhere. The wind whipped mercilessly, bringing with it the harsh stench of death. A dark ominous cloud appeared on the horizon, racing toward the monastery at breakneck speed. The monks, who made this monastery home, fell in like soldiers with their weapons of wood, bone, and gold at the ready. They had trained all their lives for this war… this moment in time, as their ancestors had for over a millennium. Sacred scrolls of power and magic were unearthed from the vast library and brought forth to do their work. Dark blue and amethyst cloaks bi
Chapter 1 “Evil Laughter” Normally the movie, ‘Evil Dead 2’, scared the hell out of her. But thankfully, Kyoko was so sleepy she could hardly even see the TV screen, and that was saying a lot since it was a 73-inch surround sound theater system. She blinked a couple of times then jerked awake, lifting her head up to glance at the digital clock on the front of the DVD player. Three in the morning! That last blink had been her downfall. She’d been asleep over an hour. She had a habit of staying awake till she knew everyone had made it home safely, so she quickly started counting heads. She tried to sit up but realized she was sandwiched between the back of the sofa and Toya. Looking down, her cheeks went up in flames. His face was buried against her lower stomach and one arm was thrown across her hip. How was it that she could fall asleep with him clear across the room, and then wake up in the strangest positions with him? It was completely unnerving. If he weren’t sound
Chapter 2 “Dangerous Myths” Kyoko’s hearing came back before she even opened her eyes. When she heard Shinbe’s voice announce that she must be pregnant, her eyes quickly shot open and she pinned him with a death stare. “I…” she was immediately cut off when Toya pulled her into his arms and half crushed her against him. “Don’t do that! You about gave me a freakin’ heart attack.” He held her tight till he remembered everyone was watching. A tick started in his jaw, knowing what was coming. “Aww, how sweet,” Kamui smirked, “Toya’s all lovey on Kyoko. I didn’t know you had it in you.” Toya let go of Kyoko so fast that she fell back against the arm of the sofa. “You’re gonna have my fist in your face if you don’t shut up, brat.” He growled, but his expression softened again as he stepped back and looked down at Kyoko as she sat up. “What I meant to say is… what are you trying to do, finish the heart attack you started last night?” “Keep it up and I just might,” Kyoko
Chapter 3 “Haunted Houses” Darious stood in the shadows, watching as the small group went in separate directions. He hadn’t even bothered with invisibility because, tonight of all nights, he would blend in just fine. His eyes narrowed on the fact that Toya had thrown his arm over the woman’s shoulder. Why was it that they were so accepted within the human circle… when he had always been rejected? What made the guardians so damn special? His brooding gaze caressed Kyoko’s face as she smiled and he knew she did not fear them, but instead, stood among them as if she belonged. What would he give for her to smile at him like that… like a man instead of a monster? Something tightened in his chest, but Darious shrugged off his melancholy as his attention returned to the two cops that were entering the makeshift haunted house. He could sense the demon activity inside but he was more interested in the source of the demonic activity. The master controlling the peons is what he n
Chapter 4 “Officially Freaked Out” “Forget barbeque,” Suki exclaimed. “I’m going for deep fried.” Kotaro’s eyes went humorously wide when Suki lifted the flamethrower in his direction. She pulled the trigger and set the closest three ghouls aflame. All of the ghouls… even the ones the flames hadn’t reached yet, suddenly broke out in a chorus of inhuman screaming before they all burst into flames. Suki and Kotaro could only watch with confusion, as they all seemed to melt, leaving only partially intact skeletons behind. The basement was filled with loud clatter when the bones hit the ground. Suki giggled unable to control herself, “Tastes just like chicken.” Kotaro gave her a weak smile but he wondered why the ghouls suddenly, for lack of a better phrase, dropped dead. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth,” Kotaro managed before he dropped down on his butt. Suki turned off the flamethrower and gingerly walked past Yohji t
Chapter 5 “Hell Hags and Shadow Demons” Grandpa stood in the town square, scratching the top of his head as he played the scene in his mind for the fifth time in a row. Finally, he shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. He stared at the scorched areas where the harpies had been with a comical frown on his face. If Shinbe could do something like that… then why the hell hadn’t he done it in the first place? Heat slammed into his back and he looked over his shoulder toward the stage when he heard the sirens in the distance. He inwardly winced when he saw that his explosion had started a full-blown fire. Spotting a fire extinguisher that was propped up next to the sound system, he grabbed it and pulled the pin. He felt it was the least he could do, since he had caused the fire to begin with… not that he would ever tell the fire department that little secret. Grandpa had just lifted the extinguisher to start attempting to put out the fire, when a tall man with