Shadow Visions (Shadow Warriors)
Gabriella Hewitt
When the last shadow warrior falls, so will all humanity.Shadow Warriors, Book 2A shadow warrior on a mission, Manuel must track down a demon who is sacrificing women marked with hummingbird tattoos. He is in danger of losing his humanity to his eagle spirit until he comes across Ixa Reyes, a beautiful San Diego detective working on the same case, who also bears the mark of the Aztec sun god. She is his salvation and redemption from a past filled with failure. Only she wants nothing to do with him or her heritage.When a demon kidnaps her grandfather, the wind god, they must work together to save him and all mankind. Manuel has twenty-four hours to help Ixa control her elemental power over wind—that is if he can control his own desires to claim her body and soul. Because if he should fail this time, the god of war will usher in a new era filled with blood and destruction such as the world has never known.
**Excerpt**
“Don’t come
any closer or I’ll shoot.” Her gun shook in her hands as if she were a damn
rookie. She fought to control her emotions but they swirled inside her. If she
didn’t pull it together another tornado would manifest, and that frightened her
more than the half-naked man with the eagle eyes in front of her.
“Not another step,” she ordered, but he continued to stalk towards her.
She held her stance. Her finger trembled on the trigger.
He reached her. His chest pressed to the muzzle. He easily towered over her. She stared up into his golden eyes. No fear. Instead, she read another emotion in his eyes.
Desire.
She should have felt threatened, and she did, but not because she believed he meant to hurt her—it was much more fundamental than that. Her whole body seemed to come alive in his presence. Her breath shortened and she felt a flush stealing up underneath her tanned cheeks. She lowered her gaze and let her weapon fall to her side. Keeping her fingers tightly wrapped around the grip reminded her to remain grounded. Her reaction to him was so totally unlike her.
Up close, she found herself staring at a broad chest covered with a mantle of feathers. The man was made of solid muscle. Without volition, her gaze traveled upward, noting the powerful shoulders, the hard jaw, the firm lips and the stern expression he wore.
“You’re very brave, but your gun won’t help you against the tzitzimime.”
Ixa swallowed, searching for her voice. “Who are you? What are you?”
His hand came up. Gently, he traced the image of the hummingbird tattooed on her right bicep. Her muscle quivered under his touch. “Just as I thought. You bear the mark,” he murmured.
In the distance she heard the confused shouts of her fellow officers. “They’ll be here soon.” They would have heard the shots. They’d be searching for her.
“I distorted the sound so they check in a different area. They will not be upon us yet.”
“You can do that?” It didn’t seem possible, except she didn’t have an explanation for anything that had happened. Her brain seemed to be functioning in first gear, unable to catch up to anything that required substantial thought.
“I can do many things, you will find.”
He cupped her chin and tilted her head. His golden eyes came closer until his head blotted out the sky and everything around her. Helpless, she waited for his lips to touch hers.
His lips brushed hers, once, twice. She let out a sigh. He pressed down a third time and she leaned into him, but before she could deepen the kiss, he released her and stepped back.
Her entire body zinged with energy. She stared up at him, bemused.
He chuckled, which snapped her out of her daze. Had she lost her mind?
“Don’t ever do that again.”
He smiled, an incredibly sexy smile that made her nerve endings sing with need. Before she could lash out at him again, he raised his arms up. A breeze passed around them, ruffling the feathers adorning his chest. His image wavered and bent. She heard bones cracking, reshaping. Wave after wave of feathers burst forth in a soft, rippled covering. Where a warrior once stood, now a large eagle spread its wings and gave a loud cry. The eagle flapped its wings and took to the skies.
Ixa gasped. The gods will find a way to convince you. Her abuelo’s words echoed in her mind.
“Not another step,” she ordered, but he continued to stalk towards her.
She held her stance. Her finger trembled on the trigger.
He reached her. His chest pressed to the muzzle. He easily towered over her. She stared up into his golden eyes. No fear. Instead, she read another emotion in his eyes.
Desire.
She should have felt threatened, and she did, but not because she believed he meant to hurt her—it was much more fundamental than that. Her whole body seemed to come alive in his presence. Her breath shortened and she felt a flush stealing up underneath her tanned cheeks. She lowered her gaze and let her weapon fall to her side. Keeping her fingers tightly wrapped around the grip reminded her to remain grounded. Her reaction to him was so totally unlike her.
Up close, she found herself staring at a broad chest covered with a mantle of feathers. The man was made of solid muscle. Without volition, her gaze traveled upward, noting the powerful shoulders, the hard jaw, the firm lips and the stern expression he wore.
“You’re very brave, but your gun won’t help you against the tzitzimime.”
Ixa swallowed, searching for her voice. “Who are you? What are you?”
His hand came up. Gently, he traced the image of the hummingbird tattooed on her right bicep. Her muscle quivered under his touch. “Just as I thought. You bear the mark,” he murmured.
In the distance she heard the confused shouts of her fellow officers. “They’ll be here soon.” They would have heard the shots. They’d be searching for her.
“I distorted the sound so they check in a different area. They will not be upon us yet.”
“You can do that?” It didn’t seem possible, except she didn’t have an explanation for anything that had happened. Her brain seemed to be functioning in first gear, unable to catch up to anything that required substantial thought.
“I can do many things, you will find.”
He cupped her chin and tilted her head. His golden eyes came closer until his head blotted out the sky and everything around her. Helpless, she waited for his lips to touch hers.
His lips brushed hers, once, twice. She let out a sigh. He pressed down a third time and she leaned into him, but before she could deepen the kiss, he released her and stepped back.
Her entire body zinged with energy. She stared up at him, bemused.
He chuckled, which snapped her out of her daze. Had she lost her mind?
“Don’t ever do that again.”
He smiled, an incredibly sexy smile that made her nerve endings sing with need. Before she could lash out at him again, he raised his arms up. A breeze passed around them, ruffling the feathers adorning his chest. His image wavered and bent. She heard bones cracking, reshaping. Wave after wave of feathers burst forth in a soft, rippled covering. Where a warrior once stood, now a large eagle spread its wings and gave a loud cry. The eagle flapped its wings and took to the skies.
Ixa gasped. The gods will find a way to convince you. Her abuelo’s words echoed in her mind.
***********
Gabriella Hewitt is the pen name of creative writing
talents Sasha Tomaszycki and Patrizia M.J. Hayashi. Together they weave tales
of romantic suspense and dangerously sensual paranormals. Check out the website
www.GabriellaHewitt.com to find out about upcoming releases
and events on her blog.
