Warrior
Rose Wynters
The Endurers: Book One
Copyright Notice:
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events listed in this book are products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.
Warrior
© 2019 Rose Wynters
All Rights Reserved
Re-released 5/8/2020
Originally published as Rubenesque Rapture
© 2013 Rose Wynters
All Rights Reserved
No parts of this book may be used, duplicated, copied, or reproduced without written permission from the author, with the exception of small quotations used in reviews or articles.
This book is provided by the author for your private viewing only. Sharing publicly is prohibited.
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Foreword
First Prologue
Second Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
Foreword
THIS BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY published as Rubenesque Rapture. It has been updated and rewritten with additional characters not included in the original book. Although it has a new title, the series' name and position remains the same.
There are a total of four novels in this series. The remaining books will be released throughout 2020 and possibly 2021, all rewritten and with new titles. To get more information on the release dates, visit my website at: http://www.rosewyntersbooks.com
First Prologue
MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS ago...
Four angels hovered over what could only be described as a mortals' paradise.
Below them, the earth was lush and green. The water from the streams was clear and clean, and in the distance, they could hear the peaceful sounds of a waterfall. Animals of all kinds grazed on the grass. Trees were filled with fruit, so much so the branches bent from their heavy load.
The sun was bright and shining. In its rays, a man and a woman talked and laughed in the grass next to a stream. For all intents and purposes, the two appeared to be content. They had everything they needed, including each other. Their lives were easy. There were no demands on their time or even their energy. Everything was provided to them. All they had to do was love one another and be happy.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?”
The voice came from a big ball of light. There was no face and no body.
The four turned.
“Father, why have you called us here?” a dark-haired man asked as he stared at the light, unflinching.
“I have something to show you, Arch.” the faceless voice replied. “I have something to show all of you. Just watch.”
The woman stood up and walked away from the man who had dozed off. She was beautiful, with long dark hair and brown eyes. Her body was perfectly formed, from the size and shape of her face all the way down to her feet.
As she walked along the banks of a stream, she looked bored. She stopped to smell some flowers, and then she picked up a stone to skip along the water. After it sank, the woman stared at the water for a moment or two, a distant expression on her face.
With a sigh, she turned and slowly worked her way to a grove of trees. In the middle, a tree stood to itself. It was bigger than the ones around it, and it fairly sparkled in the sunshine. A snake lowered its head from a branch.
“This is the beginning of the end,” the voice from the light thundered to the angels. He didn't fear discovery. Humans couldn't hear him. Not unless he wanted them to. “This is the moment where it all changes. Watch closely.”
The woman came upon the snake and stared at it as if she were transfixed. The snake changed form, taking on the appearance of a man almost too beautiful to look at. His lips moved, uttering forbidden knowledge and tantalizing promises, as he offered her a juicy red apple from the sparkling tree.
She accepted it, her eyes never leaving his as she took a bite. Then she took a second one, as things she was never meant to know, think, or even feel flooded her mind. Their eyes met and held, as she stared at him in amazement.
He took her into his arms. The apple fell to the ground, forgotten for the time being. He penetrated her, their dark passion wild and frenzied. The woman had discovered evil, and it was addictive to her.
After their passion was spent, more words were exchanged. She cried and even pleaded to stay with the man, but his mission was complete. What he'd started out to do was done. His smile was as cold as his eyes, when he instructed her to return to her mate and to share everything she'd learned.
With tears streaming down her face and his seed chilling on her thighs, she picked two apples from the tree. Reluctantly she left, appearing years older than she had before. The life she'd known was over. Nothing would ever be the same for her again.
She returned to the sleeping man she'd left behind. Waking him, she offered him an apple. He bit into it, his eyes widening.
Back in the grove of trees, the other man laughed. He laughed and laughed, a victorious expression on his face. Altering the fate of humanity had been easier than he'd expected. He shifted back into snake form and quickly slithered away. His work there was done, at least for the time being.
“I'll go after Lucifer,” one of the four said, breaking the silence. He pulled his sword out of its scabbard as he prepared to give chase.
“It's too late, Germael. What's done is done.”
Germael looked appalled, but he didn't argue. Instead, he asked, “What's next, Father? How may I serve you?”
A heavy voice replied, “What you just saw changes everything for mankind. A doorway was willfully opened, my commandments defied. It has set into motion a chain of events that will last thousands upon thousands of years. Mortals will have to coexist with immortals. Good will have to survive evil.”
The four exchanged uneasy looks.
“There are only two here now. However, the day is coming where this world will be filled with people. The planet will be bursting,
