Claimed by the Demon Hunter
by Harley James
(Guardians of Humanity, #1)
Publication date: October 19th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Book Synopsis:
I want to shove her against the wall and take her innocence.
That was my thought as she ran into me in our apartment hallway.
Most women that come this close to a demon hunter turn to putty on the spot.
Not Jessie.
This sassy little spitfire is playing hard to get.
Beautiful eyes and heart shaped ass that would make any immortal do bad things.
I was a scumbag before my death and fate gave me two choices.
Fight demons for the sake of humanity, or face hellfire and damnation.
Yeah, not really much of a choice…
Guarding humanity is tough, but loving Jessie makes me remember what it’s like to be human.
Her gentle touch and caring heart make me want to be… more.
So as the battle for good and evil draws near, Jessie’s safety is my main concern.
They try to come for her.
Wrong move.
I protect what’s mine.
Guardian Dictionary & Demon Hierarchy
GUARDIANS OF HUMANITY TERMINOLOGY
amplio–the heightened senses (gorgeous colors and wonderful taste) that a human or another Guardian can instigate in a male Guardian. Some Guardians think it’s a gift for good behavior. Generally doesn’t mean anything about that person who instigates it in the Guardian. But sometimes it does. Mated compars instigate amplio, but not all cases of amplio are with one’s compar.
bagh nakh—a weapon with claw-like blades inspired by the armature of big cats that is made of iron which, when in contact with a demons, makes the being’s flesh as corporeal as a human’s. And just as vulnerable. It can’t kill higher level demons, but it can wound them enough that they have to retreat.
chrism oil—Consecrated by the bishop on Holy Thursday, chrism oil burns and weakens demons even more substantially than holy water. Made of balsam. And if thrown on a demon’s shade after it had left its human vessel, chrism oil would exterminate the demon forever. Usually kept in pewter bottles inscribed IO—oleum infirmorum, oil of the sick.
soul mate—Guardians have more than one potential soul mate in the world. The choices they make take them down different paths. If they’re lucky, those decisions lead them toward unity with one of those soul mates. If soul mates choose to bond, they amplify each other’s powers.
dark sleep—a rare, black magic spell cast on Guardians by powerful demons using holy relics. It produces weakness and failure to thrive that eventually leads to a death-like unconsciousness from which Guardians almost never recover unless an archangel intervenes. (not the same as ether sleep, see below).
Dei Patris – God the Father
demons—human souls that went to Hell and are now evil, bodiless spirits that require a human host (a human “meat suit”) to carry out their malevolent activities on Earth. They are distinguished from the recently possessed by their eyes. Full-fledged demons have solid black eyes with no color to their irises, while the possessed still retain their iris color, though it may begin winking in and out the closer they are to losing the battle to the evil inside them. Most demons stay out of daylight because their powers are weakened during daylight hours. If the human host body is killed, the demon’s black mist form seeps out the human’s eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The demonic spirit needs to find another host quickly, otherwise it’s sucked back to Hell. If it cannot find another host, or it’s prevented from getting to the host, it settles like gun powder on the original host body and lights on fire, turning the body to ash.
Devil’s Trap—a mystical symbol used to immobilize and control demons. It is similar to a circle of salt, but more powerful and persistent as it is usually etched or painted in place, and can’t simply be brushed or blown away. If a demon walks inside the circle of a Devil’s Trap, it cannot physically leave it—it’s trapped. Devil’s Traps also inhibit the use of some demonic powers. Devil’s Traps have been used not only to detain a demon, but are also drawn at entrances as a deterrent to prevent access to a building, room, or container.
domo—massive vanquishing ceremony for demon byproducts and evil-summoning objects. The ceremony requires at least two Guardians to perform, more if the cache of evil was enormous. The ceremony’s back draft sucks all demons within a ten block radius into a state of nothingness. And those demons are vanquished for all time.
ether sleep—a powerful, healing sleep for Guardians. Can only be instigated by Ether-Elemental Guardians in dire situations. Usually results in significant pain transference to the Ether Guardian.
Incubus (Incubi, plural)—a male class of Fallen Angel who appears in a human’s dreams to seduce him or her for sex energy to maintain an attractive glamour. In their true form they have long, leonine tails and the iridescent scales growing up their shins from their feet. Their female counterpart is the Succubus.
Malakhim—an order of soldier angels in service to Good. Humans can become Malakhim after death by the power of an Archangel, though it is very rare.
Nephilim—a milky-eyed, skeletal class of Fallen Angels who assail a human’s mind, crumbling the human from the inside-out. The Nephilim’s objective is mental illness and self-harm, usually ending in the human’s suicide (unless a Guardian gets to the human in time). Nephilim release ear-shattering shrieks that devastate humans. The sound is hard on the Guardians, too.
Oleum infirmorum—oil of the sick (Latin), also known as chrism oil. A mixture of olive oil and balsam, blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday. Used for anointing in baptism, confirmation, and holy orders. Kept in pewter vessels with glass interiors and inscribed with OI on the front of the vessel. A powerful demon weapon, it has the same effect as holy water (burning, temporary immobilizer), but much stronger. If thrown on a demon’s shade it kills them permanently.
(The) Possessed—humans who have been recently invaded by a demonic spirit in a war for their soul and host body. If the human isn’t exorcised before the demon takes over, it’s almost always too late for their soul. The possessed retain their original (iris) eye color. Full-fledged demons have solid black eyes.
Rephaim—a class of Fallen Angels with leathery gray skin, bald heads, red eyes, and wiry bodies. Taller, faster, and stronger than most Guardians, but they can usually be outsmarted. Unlike the Nephilim, they instigate social chaos and public devastation, creating mobs, serial killers, and suicide bombers.
sanctorum—a spiritually-warded protection room where no demons can enter. It’s also where the Guardians house powerful, ancient religious relics, and stockpile demon byproducts and evil-summoning objects.
shuriken—throwing stars, soaked in holy water. Can kill all but Lucifer and the archdemons if they are embedded in eye sockets.
streaming–teleporting. Guardians can take people and object with them, but it’s taxing.
Succubus (Succubi, plural)—a female class of Fallen Angel who appears who appears in a human’s dreams to seduce him or her for sex energy to maintain an attractive glamour. In their true form they have brown horns, emerald hair, and rust colored, bat-like wings. Their male counterpart is the Incubus.
xiphos—a double-edged, iron sword used by the Spartan Alexios and other ancient Greeks for close combat. Its leaf-shaped design lends itself to both cutting and thrusting. When forged and blessed by Heaven’s Commanding Archangel Michael, it is one of the most powerful weapons in the Guardians’ arsenal. Kills demons and the possessed permanently. Doesn’t kill archdemons and fallen angels, but it can send them back to Hell where they are trapped until a new Seam between Earth and Hell breaks open.
Demon Hierarchy (most power to least)
LUCIFER—the Original Fallen Angel (AKA Satan, The Devil, Dark One)—He rules Hell, Fallen Angels, and all other demonic beings from the cage he was placed in by the Archangel Michael during Heaven’s Fallen Angel Rebellion.
ARCHDEMONS—Lucifer’s children via Succubus mothers. They are princes and princesses of Hell who can control all demonic beings except Lucifer. They have their own true, monstrous forms so they don’t have to take a human host, though they usually do so they can walk among humanity undetected. When Archdemons are exorcised from human bodies without access to their true bodies, they spew a blood-red colloidal substance out of their mouth, nose, and ears. They are immortal. When they are “killed” on Earth, their spirits return to Hell to await their next opportunity to come back to torment humanity.
INCUBUS, SUCCUBUS, REPHAIM & NEPHILIM—Other Fallen Angels from The Rebellion. They take their own forms, so don’t need human hosts, though they usually take them to walk among humans undetected. They can command demons and the possessed. They are commanded by archdemons and Lucifer, but they usually try to keep off the archdemons’ radar so they can do their own thing.
DEMONS & THE POSSESSED—commanded by any class of Fallen Angels (Incubus, Succubus, Rephaim, or Nephilim), but the Rephaim boss them around the most. The Incubi, Succubi, and Nephilim like to be more solitary. Demons and demonic spirits in search of human hosts are more numerous than archdemons and Fallen Angels. They also get to Earth easier and much more frequently than their more powerful counterparts.
Giveaway
Giveaway ends October 24th.
The grand prize is:
- $25 Amazon gift card
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251233348/
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Mom by day and freak by night, Harley is a down to earth soccer mom who lets her foxy side fly when writing about witty females, over the top bad boys, and a world of steamy magical romance so hot it’d make a demon sweat.
When Harley’s not reading, writing, or dancing in the kitchen, some of her favorite activities happen in the great outdoors with her sexy alpha hubby, their two awesome teenagers, and the world’s coolest dog, Finn.
So leave all your worries behind and let Harley make your sultry fantasies come to life!
