Sacrifice of Darkness: A Guardians of Eternity Novella Read online

  Sacrifice of Darkness

  A Guardians of Eternity Novella

  By Alexandra Ivy

  Sacrifice of Darkness

  A Guardians of Eternity Novella

  By Alexandra Ivy

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2020 Alexandra Ivy

  ISBN: 978-1-951812-14-0

  Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Cover photo credit © Annie Ray/ Passion Pages

  Published by 1001 Dark Nights Press, an imprint of Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Sacrifice of Darkness

  A Guardians of Eternity Novella

  By Alexandra Ivy

  From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Ivy comes a new story in her Guardians of Eternity series…

  Javad has one rule. No fighting pits.

  It doesn’t matter that the savage battles have been a tradition among demons for eons. As the manager of the Viper’s Nest in Vegas, his word is law. Period. Then he hears rumors that some fool has dared to create a fighting pit in the middle of the desert. He goes in search of the hidden location, only to realize too late it’s a trap by his former master Vynom. The powerful vampire is determined to force Javad to fight once again. This time to the death.

  Terra is a rare fey creature known as a Seraf. Long ago she’d been captured by Vynom and forced to heal the fighters he used in his pits. Javad had rescued her, and she’d given him a medallion. If he ever needed her, all he had to do was to speak her name and the magic would lead her to him. When she hears his call she doesn’t hesitate to rush to his rescue. Even when it means returning to the dark violence that still haunts her dreams.

  Can they escape the nightmare that nearly destroyed them in the past? And if they survive, are they willing to sacrifice the duties that have pulled them apart to battle for a future together?

  **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

  About Alexandra Ivy

  Alexandra Ivy graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She started her career writing traditional regencies before moving into the world of paranormal with her USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestselling series The Guardians of Eternity. Now she writes a wide variety of genres that include paranormal, erotica, and romantic suspense.

  Text ALEXANDRA to 24587 to receive text alerts whenever a new release comes out!

  Visit https://alexandraivy.com for more information.

  Also From Alexandra Ivy

  Click to purchase

  GUARDIANS OF ETERNITY

  WHEN DARKNESS ENDS

  EMBRACE THE DARKNESS

  DARKNESS EVERLASTING

  DARKNESS REVEALED

  DARKNESS UNLEASHED

  BEYOND THE DARKNESS

  DEVOURED BY DARKNESS

  BOUND BY DARKNESS

  FEAR THE DARKNESS

  DARKNESS AVENGED

  HUNT THE DARKNESS

  WHEN DARKNESS COMES

  DARKNESS RETURNS

  BEWARE THE DARKNESS

  CONQUER THE DARKNESS

  SACRAFICE OF DARKNESS

  BAYOU HEAT SERIES

  RAPHAEL/PARISH

  BAYON/JEAN-BAPTISTE

  TALON/XAVIER

  SEBASTIAN/ARISTIDE

  LIAN/ROCH

  HAKAN/SEVERIN

  ANGEL/HISS

  RAGE/KILLIAN (1001 DARK NIGHTS)

  MICHEL/STRIKER

  ICE/REAUX

  KAYDEN/SIMON (1001 DARK NIGHTS)

  BLADE (1001 DARK NIGHTS)

  THE IMMORTAL ROGUES

  MY LORD VAMPIRE

  MY LORD ETERNITY

  MY LORD IMMORTALITY

  THE SENTINELS

  BORN IN BLOOD

  BLOOD ASSASSIN

  BLOOD LUST

  ARES SECURITY

  KILL WITHOUT MERCY

  KILL WITHOUT SHAME

  HISTORICAL ROMANCE

  SOME LIKE IT WICKED

  SOME LIKE IT SINFUL

  SOME LIKE IT BRAZEN

  ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

  PRETEND YOU’RE SAFE

  WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?

  YOU WILL SUFFER

  THE INTENDED VICTIM

  DON’T LOOK

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  To the men in my life who keep me sane. David, Chance and Alex. I love you!!

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights

  Click here to explore

  COLLECTION ONE

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black

  CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham

  CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom

  DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake

  AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione

  NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones

  SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

  ROPED IN by Lorelei James

  TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  COLLECTION TWO

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan

  WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham

  EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby

  MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair

  CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner

  ADORED by Lexi Blake

  HADES by Larissa Ione

  RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton

  DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James

  RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON KING by Donna Grant

  PURE WICKED by Shayla Black

  HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham

  KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

  TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti

  THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  COLLECTION THREE

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham

  SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst

  DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice

  ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey

  DEVOTED by Lexi Blake

  Z by Larissa Ione

  FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige

  EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby

  UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton

  HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye

  DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant

  KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  STRUNG UP by Lorelei James

  MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian

  TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti

  DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black

  THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely

  SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  COLLECTION FOUR

 
ROCK CHICK REAWAKENING by Kristen Ashley

  ADORING INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  SWEET RIVALRY by K. Bromberg

  SHADE'S LADY by Joanna Wylde

  RAZR by Larissa Ione

  ARRANGED by Lexi Blake

  TANGLED by Rebecca Zanetti

  HOLD ME by J. Kenner

  SOMEHOW, SOME WAY by Jennifer Probst

  TOO CLOSE TO CALL by Tessa Bailey

  HUNTED by Elisabeth Naughton

  EYES ON YOU by Laura Kaye

  BLADE by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON BURN by Donna Grant

  TRIPPED OUT by Lorelei James

  STUD FINDER by Lauren Blakely

  MIDNIGHT UNLEASHED by Lara Adrian

  HALLOW BE THE HAUNT by Heather Graham

  DIRTY FILTHY FIX by Laurelin Paige

  THE BED MATE by Kendall Ryan

  NIGHT GAMES by CD Reiss

  NO RESERVATIONS by Kristen Proby

  DAWN OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  COLLECTION FIVE

  BLAZE ERUPTING by Rebecca Zanetti

  ROUGH RIDE by Kristen Ashley

  HAWKYN by Larissa Ione

  RIDE DIRTY by Laura Kaye

  ROME’S CHANCE by Joanna Wylde

  THE MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT by Jennifer Probst

  SURRENDER by Elisabeth Naughton

  INKED NIGHTS by Carrie Ann Ryan

  ENVY by Rachel Van Dyken

  PROTECTED by Lexi Blake

  THE PRINCE by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  PLEASE ME by J. Kenner

  WOUND TIGHT by Lorelei James

  STRONG by Kylie Scott

  DRAGON NIGHT by Donna Grant

  TEMPTING BROOKE by Kristen Proby

  HAUNTED BE THE HOLIDAYS by Heather Graham

  CONTROL by K. Bromberg

  HUNKY HEARTBREAKER by Kendall Ryan

  THE DARKEST CAPTIVE by Gena Showalter

  COLLECTION SIX

  DRAGON CLAIMED by Donna Grant

  ASHES TO INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  ENSNARED by Elisabeth Naughton

  EVERMORE by Corinne Michaels

  VENGEANCE by Rebecca Zanetti

  ELI’S TRIUMPH by Joanna Wylde

  CIPHER by Larissa Ione

  RESCUING MACIE by Susan Stoker

  ENCHANTED by Lexi Blake

  TAKE THE BRIDE by Carly Phillips

  INDULGE ME by J. Kenner

  THE KING by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  QUIET MAN by Kristen Ashley

  ABANDON by Rachel Van Dyken

  THE OPEN DOOR by Laurelin Paige

  CLOSER by Kylie Scott

  SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS by Jennifer Probst

  BLOOD NIGHT by Heather Graham

  TWIST OF FATE by Jill Shalvis

  MORE THAN PLEASURE YOU by Shayla Black

  WONDER WITH ME by Kristen Proby

  THE DARKEST ASSASSIN by Gena Showalter

  Discover Blue Box Press

  TAME ME by J. Kenner

  TEMPT ME by J. Kenner

  DAMIEN by J. Kenner

  TEASE ME by J. Kenner

  REAPER by Larissa Ione

  THE SURRENDER GATE by Christopher Rice

  SERVICING THE TARGET by Cherise Sinclair

  THE LAKE OF LEARNING by Steve Berry and MJ Rose

  THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES by Steve Berry and MJ Rose

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  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Alexandra Ivy

  Also from Alexandra Ivy

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights

  Foreword

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Seven

  Discover More Alexandra Ivy

  An excerpt from Shades of Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Special Thanks

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

  in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

  you now.

  Prologue

  Human architects and artists had created a beautiful tribute beneath the city of Athens. The underground stoas were a hidden labyrinth of shops and villas—and even some temples. The beauty, however, paled in comparison to the grandeur demons created in the subterranean tunnels buried deep in the ground.

  The sprawling fight club was built of rare marble with arched doorways that led to vast rooms filled with a wide variety of entertainment. Water sprites splashed among the sparkling fountains, and naked imps sprawled on velvet pillows for any vampire in need of blood.

  Or anything else they might hunger for.

  Even the actual fighting pit had been built in the style of an elegant amphitheater—a cage in the center, and marble seats sweeping upward in the shape of a fan. It was all very civilized. Except for the air that pulsed with thick, savage violence.

  Leaving the pit–still covered in the blood of his latest opponent–Javad the Vanquisher strolled through the corridors with their fluted columns and heavy tapestries that depicted his rise as a fighter. He couldn’t remember each and every battle that had been embroidered on the heavy velv
et. Still, he had a vivid memory of the first time his sire, Vynom, had placed him in a fighting pit. The orc he’d been about to battle had laughed at the sight of Javad in a simple loincloth, his dark hair pulled back, and his hands empty. The creature had assumed that Javad needed weapons to be dangerous. Javad had swiftly taught him the error of his ways.

  The battle had ended when Javad ripped the tusk out of the male’s mouth and used it to slice open the orc’s chest, destroying the heart.

  Stories of the gruesome victory had spread far and wide. Within a few decades, Vynom had abandoned the small demon club to create a larger, more exclusive establishment, offering the opportunity for demons to wager vast sums of money on their ability to defeat Javad the Vanquisher. They’d become successful beyond their wildest imaginings.

  Lately, however, it didn’t feel like success to Javad. In fact, everything had started to feel like a prison. And in some ways, it was.

  From the moment Javad had awakened as a vampire, Vynom had stressed the importance of loyalty. He reminded Javad over and over that most sires abandoned their offspring before they ever rose from the grave. And that Javad would be dead or roaming the mountains of Persia alone and feral if Vynom hadn’t taken him into his lair. It had been he who’d taught Javad to survive as a vampire. He who’d protected him when they were attacked by a roving band of hellhounds. He’d also honed Javad’s fighting skills.

  And any time Vynom feared that he hadn’t fully earned his undying obedience, he used fists, whips, and even silver chains to bend Javad to his will.

  Now, he was so indoctrinated, believing that he owed Vynom his very soul, that the mere thought of walking away caused him physical pain.

  Grinding his fangs that still ached from the beating he’d taken from the vicious troll mongrel, Javad ignored the clutch of demons that surrounded him. Most of them were the usual admirers who attended each battle and desperately hoped to gain his notice. However, a few vampires were also there, trying to convince Javad to leave Vynom to fight for them.