Dawn of a Dark Knight by Zoe Forward

In the shadows of our world, a secret band of warriors fights to protect us. They are the last line of defense against an evil no human can stop.

An ancient nemesis has resurfaced. Duty demands that Ashor Vlahos, Scimitar Magi commander, recruit a magical healer to fortify the remaining eight magi. The gods’ choice is the woman who helped him escape torture a decade ago. Ashor couldn’t have imagined a better punishment for his vow-breaker homicidal incidents than for the gods to bind him irrevocably to the only woman in the universe he cannot have. The soul-searing desire she ignites in him is strictly forbidden.

Kira Hardy, M.D. is a brilliant, hardworking internal med resident with big secrets. But when Ashor asks for aid after a brutal daemon attack, she is sucked into his dangerous, secret world. Enslavement to the magi, no matter how hot they are, may be an unattractive life plan, but being targeted for death by their enemies is less tolerable.

She must trust the sexy, tormented Ashor to keep her safe while he must deny his ultimate desire and keep Kira at arm’s length lest he bring destruction down on them both. As a centuries-old evil catches up to them, they face a crucial decision–follow the gods’ rules or follow their hearts.

“Watch out,” Kira shrieked as a four-door import pulled alongside the SUV. The driver targeted Ashor with a gun.

“Down,” Ashor commanded. He dodged the firing muzzle and grabbed Kira forward to avoid the bullet’s path. The bullet left clean holes in the side windows and a spiderweb of cracked glass.

“Persistent bastards,” Ashor grumbled as he jammed the SUV into gear and rammed the car next to them before peeling away. Just as they hit the road, Ashor’s new cell phone squealed in a high-pitched, synthetic, musical noise.

“You okay?” he asked, ignoring the phone. To clear his side view, Ashor thrust his elbow through the spiderweb of cracked safety glass. Glass cubes showered everywhere. “Shit.” He wiped his body free of debris.

“I’m fine,” she replied. She whiplashed into the seat as the SUV was rammed forward.

Ashor tapped the brakes. The cars crashed together again, slamming them forward and then forcefully back in their seats.

“Can’t you do a spell or something to protect this car or make his explode?” Kira asked.

“What? No.”

“Aren’t you a magus, which implies magician or sorcerer? You guys are supposed to do magic spells.”

“The spells were lost.” His phone rang again.

“Lost? What kind of moronic organization loses the spells!”

ABOUT ZOE

Zoe Forward writes action-adventure paranormal romances. She lives in North Carolina with her family and an assortment of pets. A graduate of Duke University, she majored in biological anthropology, but always had a special love of archaeology, especially anything Egyptian. Although a deep part of her wishes she had pursued a career that would have her at a dig site in a hot, sandy country, she’s a small animal veterinarian, caring for everything from chinchillas to dogs…and even one hermit crab in there. When she’s not being a vet, a mom, or sneaking out to a movie with her husband, she’s at her laptop writing.

http://www.zoeforward.com