Tainted Rose (The Starlight Gods Series Book 2)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Tainted Rose
Yumoyori Wilson
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright© Yumoyori Wilson, 2017
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The publisher is not responsible for website (or their content) that are not own by the publisher.
This eBook/Paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook/Paperback may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.
Cover Design by Arizona Type Designs
Editing by Rachael Kunz
Formatting by Gina Wynn
Contents
Acknowledgement
Glossary
Realms
Knightwood Academy Rank Placement (Highest – Lowest)
A Note on Spelling
In the beginning…
Tainted Rose
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Coming Soon
Recommended Reading
Visionary Investigator
Visionary Investigator Sneak Peek
About the Author
Books By Yumoyori Wilson
Acknowledgement
Thank you for purchasing TAINED ROSE – Book Two in The Starlight Gods
This has been an incredible journey as I launched Dark Wish a little over two months ago. I’m grateful to all the readers who took time out of your schedules to read about Makoto’s journey.
Special thanks to Cece Rose who pushed me to become an author to begin with. Thanks to your ongoing encouragement and guidance I’ve grown as an author and person. I’ll never stop thanking you for everything you do. Thanks for being a perfect example of what a best friend is supposed to be.
I’ll send you ice-cream seeing as you have enough pop tarts.
Special thanks to C.M Stunich, CB Morrigan, Aspen Winters, and Tate James who’d actively SPRINT with me and push me to type away, even when I wanted to give up. You’ve all helped me create this book and I’m so glad I got to meet and to know all of you. XOXOXO
Thank you to all my readers for taking a chance with me. I know Dark Wish wasn’t perfect, but you sailed with it and your feedback has helped perfect it.
Huge thanks to Lina and Kari for being my daily cheerleaders. As best friends, you’ve went over and beyond to support my success and I’m grateful to have you in my life.
Special thanks to my amazing Mom for blessing me with the gift to write and supporting me in all aspects. I pray to continue making you proud as I strive towards success.
Finally, I thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals. Without Him, I would be nothing.
Glossary
ROTATION: Month
SOLACE: First six months of the year (Spring to Summer)
LUNAR: Second six months of the year (Fall to Winter)
CYCLE: Year
Realms
Separate dimension (planet) within the galaxy, created by the Starlight Gods. Only ways of traveling between realms are through portal access, transportation ships or magical ability of teleportation.
Realm ONE: Latelia – Starlight God: Deathpre (God of Death)
Realm TWO: Wintalyn – Starlight Goddess: Kurani (Goddess of Water)
Realm THREE: Feminara – Starlight God: Amaterasu (God of Fire)
Realm FOUR: Phentailia – Starlight God: Lucifer (God of Hell)
Realm FIVE: Minato – Starlight God: Risuki (God of War)
Realm SIX: Earthala – Starlight God: Jehovah (God of Rebirth/Judgement)
Realm SEVEN: Distala – Starlight God: Laviathan (God of Lightening)
Realm EIGHT: Heila – Starlight Goddess: Nightmare (Goddess of Destruction -Daughter of Death)
Realm NINE: Miolana – Starlight Goddess: Yuikimiru (Goddess of Life/Mother Nature)
Realm TEN: ArchAilennia – Starlight Goddess: Aphroditeee (Goddess of Prosperity/Beauty)
Knightwood Academy Rank Placement (Highest – Lowest)
PINK: Highest rank achievement: Shifter possessing master skills in physical, mental, and magical abilities, stronger than the average spell castor. The shifter withholds a longer threshold, allowing they or them to completely shift and stay in such form for longer duration without depletion of stamina. Extremely rare rank.
GOLD: Second highest rank of achievement: shifter able to use advance levels of magic, sharp physical abilities such as: expert levels in swordsmanship, archery and general athletics (including fighting). Shifter can shift fully for a short period of time; once their stamina depleted, the host and spirit are rendered powerless for a long period of time.
SILVER: Shifter can use magic and many of their spirit abilities. Shifter can partially shift, able to change certain body parts into their spirit form (host shifting their hand into claws but unable to shift to full bear form).
ORANGE: Shifter is ranked as average, able to use a certain percentage of magic abilities and spell casting.
BLACK: Shifter ranked as below average. Only able to use physical and mental strengths. Very little to no magic abilities.
RED: Lowest shifter rank. Shifter has no magical capabilities or abilities are dormant in nature. Classified as too weak to be beneficial to shifter world but enough to not be ranked as an average human. If dormant spirit grows in nature, revealing such capabilities, rank is moved up.
TAINTED ROSE
is written in Canadian English:
A mixture of British and American English.
I know how to spell but that’s just how we roll, and I have my preferences with certain words.
Enjoy!
In the beginning…
Only the stars provided pinpricks of light throughout the galaxy. Over time, the stars drifted together and collided, creating ten powerful
beings – the Starlight Gods.
The Gods’ purpose became to create life and light across the vast galaxy. Within the galaxy, they created ten separate realms, but began by creating life in only one realm. Cycles passed and their first creations – humans – blossomed and grew.
The Gods were pleased; however, they wanted more. So, they created spirits – angels, demons, fairies, animals and more – to bond with the human body, and the shifter race was born. They placed the shifters throughout the other realms.
Some realms were home to only a specific species of shifters, while other realms held an assortment of species – the shifters learned to coexist with each other in harmony
The Gods created rules; a set for the human race to follow and a set for the shifter race. One rule was absolute…
“Thou shall not take upon the role of the gods. We bless you with thy protection, your purpose to defend not destroy. One shall be blessed with the number of spirits we bestow and commend. No creation shall be granted ultimate power over the species. Defy this law and you shall know nothing but catastrophe and everlasting despair.”
The Starlight Gods reside in the stars, having power and authority upon all beings. They can take any shape or form, whether human, shifter, animal or familiar. The shifter race looks to the Starlight Gods for power, strength, stability and hope
As long as the shifter believes, the Gods will always be there.
~In Stars We Trust~
Prologue
Solace Rotation – VII, Cycle 5032
I’m cold.
I could only feel how cold it was.
My mind surrounded by darkness.
I didn’t like it here.
I wanted to go home.
But, where was home?
More importantly, who was I?
Was I anything or anyone?
Was I apart of the darkness?
My mind faded away.
~RYDER~
Meditation – the state of mind in which individuals aim for equilibrium and peace.
I needed peace or a moment of absolute silence. Anything to block the multiple sounds, emotions, and torments fighting for entry within me.
I needed to escape – centre myself and understand that this would pass. I will survive this.
Yet, my emotions began to crawl into the depths of the darkness, slithering against the barrier that encased my mind.
I knew their intentions: to shatter the mental barricade I created for myself.
All I wanted was a break. A moment to enjoy the blissful silence surrounding me.
With silence, tranquility emerged. I didn’t need to concern myself with anyone’s feelings or concerns.
I could drop the facade I portrayed every day; the image everyone else saw when I walked down the castle halls.
I was the leader – my purpose had been to inspire and lead my fellow knights towards the undetermined future as we strived to find our goal; our princess...my beloved Rosalina.
Now, she was called Makoto Heart, the woman of my life. I wasn’t the only one she’d impacted; her feisty, humorous personality brought a sense of fresh air to my group of knights: my true family.
Within two rotations, she’d inspired us to become better knights.
Not only did I crave to hear her laugh, but to see those gorgeous turquoise jewels glimmering with happiness as her luscious plump red lips smiled brilliantly, but I craved to taste her, to feel her body against mine.
Her warmth soothed me and the pain that cradled my heart. She accepted my flaws and unworthiness – her appointed star knight whose mission was to serve and protect her from harm’s way.
Yet, I failed, again. My immature, nine-cycle-old self had ignored the signs back then. It was no different now; my older self unable to see the signs before she was taken from me, once more. Would I be able to prove myself once again?
“Ryder.”
No, I didn’t want to go yet. I needed more time in solitude. The darkness was calming and allowed me to ignore the multiple responsibilities and tasks before me.
I didn’t want to face reality, afraid to succumb to my own feelings and heartache.
I wanted my Firefly back.
I wanted to hear her call my name again, to whisper words in my ear as she kissed my neck, cuddling against my bare chest.
I could still imagine the feel of her breasts pressed against me; the thin fabric of her bra unable to hide the feel of her hardened nipples as she lay on top of me. The way she would bite the side of her lip as her eyes gazed up to smile softly at me.
I craved her in all aspects. Even now with my mind surrounded by darkness, I yearned for my Mako...for our Firefly...I missed her. Can I not grieve in peace?
“Ryder...please. I need you, too.”
Stryker– my demon spirit.
I could feel the barrier begin to crack; the glass-like surface breaking as the cracks grew longer and spread across the glass. It was a spider web, spreading to the point where one slight impact would shatter it completely – the emotions taking advantage of its vulnerable state.
Stryker’s feelings were the strongest, such levels of anger and desperation distracting as I tried to function in our current predicament.
I knew he tried to stop his worries and fears from flooding me, just as the others tried to control their emotions from leaking through our knight bond, but he was a part of me and we would have to share this pain together – to mourn the woman we loved.
He had feelings for Rose, Mako’s demon spirit. Their love blossomed way before I began to crush on the little, blue-eyed princess.
Now, he was hurting; unable to stop his emotions from consuming me and tearing at my soul. His reconnection with Rose had restored his emotions for her.
“Ya, I know. Just, one more minute...please.” I begged, my voice cracked.
I couldn’t deal with this pressure, making me regret being a leader to begin with.
What possessed the Starlight gods to think I was worthy enough to lead this diverse group of men?
I didn’t feel worthy or strong enough to lead them and face whatever darkness was foretold. I could barely keep myself together, unable to stop the events that had transpired two weeks ago.
Yet here I stood, the leader of the star knights, hidden away within my mind, so I wouldn’t fall to my own demise.
The hardest part of having a demon spirit was losing control. Darkness wasn’t my enemy, it was a part of me.
Together with the darkness, I could accomplish many things, power being one of the lovely benefits. Too bad that power couldn’t help me now.
“Patience. Time will tell...we have to go.”
I mentally frowned at the tone of his voice, a sound that usually held no emotion was filled with pain and regret.
What was the use of having the power of darkness at my fingertips, if I was unable to defeat the enemy before me? The enemy who stole our Firefly away. The same desolate king who stole my sister from my care. It was his fault that my life had turned out this way, down to this very moment.
Without his selfish greed, I would have been happily serving Heila as a knight during the day, returning to the arms of my lover, the Princess of Prosperity and Good Fortune at night.
I would have experienced over and over again through the cycles, how it would have felt to return to her every night – to her intoxicating, vanilla scent, and have been able to run my hands through her long, brown locks before pressing my lips against her soft ones.
But, such a vision was nothing more than an unfulfilled wish.
During the day, I hid my troubles in the shadows as I forced the fake me to emerge – continuing my duties and training as a knight of Heila as I tried to receive my parent’s praise and adoration. But, at night I was left alone to succumb to my internal pain.
Blair Aspen, you think you’ve won? If only you could fathom what’s coming your way. They say light defeats the darkness, but they don’t know the truth. My darkness won’t just def
eat you...no, it will break you – piece by piece – as I give you a glimpse of what true darkness has to offer. All I need is patience and time. I’m done with being at a standstill. I’ll get my revenge, just you wait. For Anya and Mako...I’ll destroy you.
With that vow, the spider webbed barrier shattered, the multiple waves of emotion poured in.
I opened my eyes, taking a moment to steady my breathing. I wouldn’t let the emotions take control; I was stronger than them.
I looked around the empty bedroom – my bedroom as a child. My happiest moments were spent here, playing and sleeping with the girl I crushed on. Other than that, it had no significance.
I uncrossed my legs before stretching them out. With a deep breath, I sat forward; my feet hit the soft maroon rug below, the texture comforting.
I rose, taking one more second to stretch before striding towards the door. My hand wrapped around the door knob, having every intention to turn the black metal clockwise , but I remained still.