A Touch of Crimson

Sylvia Day A Touch of Crimson

The first book in the Renegade Angels Trilogy series, 2007

This one is for my Marked series readers.

I hope you love it.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My gratitude to Danielle Perez, Claire Zion, Kara Welsh, Leslie Gelbman, and everyone at NAL for all the enthusiasm shown for my Renegade Angels from auction to publication.

A tip of my hat to Beth Miller for all the little things.

A shout out to Erin Galloway for her input and for just being her.

Thanks to the art department for granting my wish to have Tony Mauro design my cover.

I have mad love for Tony Mauro and his head-turning, kick-ass artwork for Adrian. I’m grateful for the many ways he allowed me to use his art to share Adrian’s story.

Thank you to Monique Patterson for feeding my muse.

Huge thanks to Shayla Black and Cynthia D’Alba for reading early drafts of this story and helping me pull it together.

Much love to my friend Lora Leigh, to whom Lindsay/ Shadoe pay homage.

Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, Angela Knight, and Cheyenne McCray are very busy women, yet they generously spent some of their precious time reading Adrian and Lindsay’s story. Thank you so much, ladies! I’m grateful.

GLOSSARY

CHANGE-the process a mortal undergoes to become a vampire.

FALLEN-the Watchers after the fall from grace. They have been stripped of their wings and their souls, leaving them as immortal blood drinkers who cannot procreate.

LYCANS-a subgroup of the Fallen who were spared vampirism by agreeing to serve the Sentinels. They were transfused with demon blood, which preserved their souls but made them mortal. They can shape-shift and procreate.

MINION-a mortal who has been Changed into a vampire by one of the Fallen. Most mortals do not adjust well and become rabid. Unlike the Fallen, they cannot tolerate sunlight.

NAPHIL-singular of nephalim.

NEPHALIM-the children of mortal and Watcher parents. Their blood drinking contributed to and inspired the vampiric punishment of the Fallen.

(“they turned themselves against men, in order to devour them”-Enoch 7:13)

(“No food shall they eat; and they shall be thirsty”-Enoch 15:10)

SENTINELS-an elite special ops unit of the seraphim, tasked with enforcing the punishment of the Watchers.

SERAPH-singular of seraphim.

SERAPHIM-the highest rank of angel in the angelic hierarchy.

VAMPIRES-a term that encompasses both the Fallen and their minions.

WATCHERS-two hundred seraphim angels sent to earth at the beginning of time to observe mortals. They violated the laws by taking mortals as mates and were punished with an eternity on earth as vampires with no possibility of forgiveness.

Go tell the Watchers of heaven, who have deserted the lofty sky, and their holy everlasting station, who have been polluted with women, and have done as the sons of men do, by taking to themselves wives, and who have been greatly corrupted on the earth; that on the earth they shall never obtain peace and remission of sin. For they shall not rejoice in their offspring; they shall behold the slaughter of their beloved; shall lament for the destruction of their sons; and shall petition for ever; but shall not obtain mercy and peace.

The Book of Enoch 12:5-7

CHAPTER 1

“Phineas is dead.”

The pronouncement hit Adrian Mitchell like a physical blow. Gripping the handrail to counterbalance his shaken composure, he rounded a bend in the stairwell and looked at the seraph who ascended abreast of him. With the relaying of the news, Jason Taylor advanced into Phineas’s former rank as Adrian’s second-in-command. “When? How?”

Jason easily kept up with Adrian’s inhuman pace as they approached the roof. “About an hour ago. It was called in as a vamp attack.”

“No one noticed a vampire within striking distance? How the fuck is that possible?”

“That was my question. I sent Damien to investigate.”