Kristie Cook - Genesis

A million thank-you’s go out to all the people who helped Genesis become a reality and ensured I stayed (somewhat) sane along the way.

More appreciation than I can ever put into words go out to my family – Shawn, Zakary, Austin and Nathan, as well as Mom, Terry, Dad and Keena – for your tremendous support, for believing in me, for keeping me motivated and, most of all, for all that you put up with, especially as deadlines barrel my way.

Chrissi Jackson, my publisher, close friend and business partner, thank you for serving as my sounding board, especially when my ideas got really kooky; for holding me up when I felt like falling; and for keeping me focused when my mind soared to far off places. I can’t fathom the idea of doing this without you.

Author Brenda Pandos, I can’t thank you enough for my gorgeous covers, for your keen eye to my writing mistakes, for pushing me out of my comfort zone, and, most of all, for your friendship. We’re doing this, babe, we’re really doing it. And we’re laughing all the way. Yes, KM for the win!

Author Lani Woodland, author Melonie Piper and Judy Spelbring, thank you for enduring my drafts and providing your insight to make this story as tight and strong as Niko’s bod. Author Michelle Gregory and Patti Oaks, thank you for your sharp eyes and for fixing my goofs. Author Jessica Bell, thank you for answering my seemingly endless questions about Greece (you’re not off the hook, though—next up is Australia).

Lisa Adams, thank you for all you’ve done to help keep the chaos under control, both personally and professionally. Tammi, thank you for your friendship, for keeping me grounded in real life and for the laughs on our rides. Jessica and Lisa, a special thank you to you both for your unwavering support, for your love for my books and characters and for all that you do not just for me and other authors, but for the thousands of readers following you.

Readers, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to you all. You make this happen. You keep me going with the beautiful fan mail you send me, with the reviews you post and with the recommendations you pass on to friends, family and even strangers. Without you, all of this would be pointless – just words tucked into a corner of a hard drive, enjoyed only by me. From every cell in my body, from every corner of my world, from the depths of my heart and soul, thank you for reading!

The Angel hovered near the veil between the Otherworld and the physical realm, close enough to take a nearly solid form and near enough to the woman he guarded that he could reach out and caress her cheek. But the distance between them may as well have been the distance of the entire universe. Although Andrew could see her clearly through the veil, she couldn’t see him and she never would—a fact that pierced his soul with more agony than a demon’s blade. He had to ignore that pain, however, as well as his feelings for her.

Andrew could not fathom his love toward this single human. Angels, even warriors such as himself, naturally loved all humans equally—a sacred love only surpassed by their Master’s. His many wards over the millennia had never made him feel as this one did, this human woman known as Zoe from the part of Earth called Thessaly. He did not know what made her different, but from the day he became her guardian, his soul ached to be more than an invisible entity in her life. It wanted to be a part of her physical world. But such desire was dangerous. Forbidden.

Human emotions such as these could cast Andrew out of Heaven, deliver him straight into his enemies’ hands and transform him into one of the very creatures he was created to conquer. The thought of becoming one of them—the fallen, the demons, Satan’s followers—appalled him. He’d rather be extinguished, even if it never meant being a part of Zoe’s physical life. He would destroy her as a demon, but he could save her soul as an Angel.

For her sake, he must suppress his feelings and focus on his duties. He needed to remain alert, ready for battle.

The Higher Angels had special plans for Zoe, although they did not share these plans with Andrew. He was a mere warrior, one who followed orders, not one who issued them. His orders were to protect her, to keep her out of the demons’ hands and alive at all costs. Orders he gladly followed. He would fight for her soul with unmatched ferocity, and according to his superiors, tonight would be the first battle.

Andrew perched on a boulder, feeling the rock’s physicality beneath his not-quite-solid feet, as he watched and waited, his body coiled and ready for the fight. On the other side of the veil, Zoe, unaware of impending danger, knelt by the creek. The moonlight bounced off its rippled surface, washing the color out of her smooth olive skin and casting shadows over her dark brown eyes. She splashed water on her face and glanced up at the half-moon, then suddenly turned her head toward Andrew.

He tensed, for a moment thinking she could see him as her eyes seemed to focus right on him, piercing his soul. If she could, she would see a hard, muscular man with light hair, white wings rising from his bare back, a multitude of weapons hanging from his belt and a long sword in his right hand. Her brows pushed together for the briefest moment and then she let out the saddest sigh he’d ever heard, as if disappointed when she saw nothing but the boulder. Her head dropped and her shoulders sank. Locks of dark hair had escaped the braids wound around her head and now curtained her face as she stared at her lap, her hands twisting into the linen of her tunic.

Andrew heard the noise of someone approaching before Zoe did and sprang to attention. She jumped to her feet, too, and turned toward him—a move that could have cost her life. In the physical realm, three men came at her from behind and one quickly pinned her to the ground.

At the same time, a demon charged the Angel in the Otherworld.

Andrew swung his sword up just in time to parry the demon’s blade. Another arced toward him and he spun, at the same time releasing a dagger from his belt to block the blow. His silver blade clashed with the black one and a shower of sparks rained down. He landed with bent knees, a weapon in each hand, facing the evil spirit in its physical form.

With horns protruding from its temples, razor-sharp teeth, fiery eyes, talon feet and black wings, the demon looked like the Angel’s opposite, though both were hard-bodied warriors conditioned for battle. But while Angels protected human souls, demons sought to destroy them. This one wanted Zoe’s. Curling its upper lip in a snarl, it rose higher in the air, held its blade straight out in front and shot like an arrow toward Andrew.

The Angel’s feathered wings spread widely and lifted him out of the demon’s way. Andrew continued upward, beating his wings harder, as the beast switched directions and came at him again. He dipped and turned and swung his sword, slicing through the demon’s thin-skinned wing. It howled with pain and rage and tried to fly at Andrew again. Instead of crashing into him, however, the injured wing sent the beast careening to his right. As it soared by, its arm jabbed out with full strength, knocking Andrew in the chest.

As he tumbled in the air with the blow, he caught sight of Zoe struggling against the man who pinned her to the ground. Andrew knew the three figures weren’t quite human, but were Satan’s minions, part of his army in the physical world. Zoe would only see three men attacking her. Although they might rape her, they really thirsted for her human blood. Andrew could do nothing about them, however. His purpose was to fight off this demon, driving it away from her soul. He couldn’t be distracted by the physical realm. He had to focus on his own battle and hope Zoe would win hers.