Dark Warrior

“[Her] prose is smooth, literate, and fast-moving; her love scenes are tender yet erotic; and there’s always a happy ending.”—
The Washington Post Book World

“She writes a fast-paced, satisfying thriller.”

—UPI

“Clever and a great read. I can’t wait to read the final book in this wonderful series.”

—
ParaNormal Romance

Books by Rebecca York

KILLING MOON
EDGE OF THE MOON
WITCHING MOON
CRIMSON MOON
SHADOW OF THE MOON
NEW MOON
GHOST MOON
ETERNAL MOON
DRAGON MOON
DAY OF THE DRAGON
DARK WARRIOR

BEYOND CONTROL
BEYOND FEARLESS

Anthologies

CRAVINGS
(with Laurell K. Hamilton, MaryJanice Davidson, and Eileen Wilks)

ELEMENTAL MAGIC
(with Sharon Shinn, Carol Berg, and Jean Johnson)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

DARK WARRIOR

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / September 2011

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ISBN : 978-1-101-54389-4

BERKLEY SENSATION
^®Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
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CHAPTER
ONE

SHE WAS TWENTY miles from safety when disaster struck.

The desert had cooled off, and Sophia Thalia was driving along Blissful Canyon Road, back to the spa where she and the other women of her ancient family ran a luxury retreat for the rich and privileged.

Sophia had always lived there, always accepted the responsibilities that had fallen on her from an early age, but tonight’s contentious meeting of the Sedona Business Association had worn her out.

As she emerged from a stand of junipers, she leaned forward, watching her headlights cut through the desert darkness.

At night on this desolate stretch of road, she was always a little on edge until she reached the turnoff to the resort. This evening it was worse because she couldn’t shake the feeling that danger lurked around the next outcropping of red rocks.

When she spotted the small white sign for the Seven Sisters Spa, she sighed with relief, until her premonition slammed into reality. Something came hurtling out of the darkness toward her SUV, and she swerved past the shoulder, almost plowing into a piñon pine before she regained control of the vehicle.

The car rocked back and forth, then settled into a pocket of loose, dusty soil. Her gaze shot to the windshield. Whatever had zoomed toward her had vanished.

Had a bat changed course at the last minute? Or had she managed to dodge whatever it was?

When she tried to drive back onto the road, the wheels spun, digging the vehicle further into the unstable surface.

“Hades,” she muttered as she cut the engine. A tow truck could pull her out, but she’d have to wait here for hours.

She made a low sound of disgust, thinking this was the perfect ending to her trying week at work. The new massage therapy and meditation rooms she’d been pushing for were going to cost a lot more than the original bid. She’d been trying to get some of her sisters to agree that the extra expense was worth it, but so far her point of view was losing.

Then the supplier of the handwoven rugs they sold in the gift shop had gone bankrupt, just when they were running low on stock. Which meant she’d have to find another alternative—quickly.

Fumbling in her purse, she found her cell phone, but when she tried to get a signal, nothing happened. The phone was dead, although it shouldn’t be. She’d made a point of charging it that afternoon when she’d gotten the bad news that she was going to the meeting in town.

It had been her younger sister’s turn to take that duty, but Mrs. Finlander, one of their frequent guests, had made a special request to have Tessa give her a before-bed massage. Really, anyone could have done it just as professionally. But Tessa had developed a rapport with the woman, and she’d asked Sophia to go to the meeting.

Now she was stuck about three miles from the spa. An easy walk. Too bad she was wearing a creamy yellow suit and high heels. But a pair of running shoes was in the trunk. And a T-shirt and shorts, come to that.

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