Soul Resurrected (Sons of Wrath, #2)

SOUL
RESURRECTED

A SONS OF WRATH NOVEL

BY

KERI LAKE

SOUL RESURRECTED

A Sons of Wrath Novel

Keri Lake Copyright © 2013

All Rights Reserved.

Print ISBN: 978-0-9848517-4-4

Ebook ISBN: 978-0-9848517-5-1

AUTHOR’S NOTE This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Cover Art © David Wagner/WAGNER LA
http://www.wagnerla.com/

Packard Plant Photo © Lisa VanWyckhouse

Editing by Julie Belfield

Layout provided by Colin F. Barnes

Praise for Soul Avenged
(Sons of Wrath, #1)

“Keri keeps you on your toes and just when you think you know where the story is going to go, she throws you off the trail with a great plot twist. Her characters will make you laugh and piss you off. This is one of the best paranormal reads I have read in a long time.” -
Bitten by Paranormal Romance

“
Soul Avenged
was a great debut to what seems like a promising series. This book was really graphic and somewhat violent, which was a refreshing change of pace that made me realize how often these elements should really be in a lot of paranormal romance …” -
Gravetells News & Reviews

“It’s truly a treat to grab up an indie author’s work only to find out that you’ve come across an amazing writing talent, and that’s exactly what happened when I read this first installment of Keri Lake’s Sons of Wrath series.” -
The Autumn Review

“This is the kind of book you wish you’d picked up years after release, fell in love with, and devoured the next five or six within a single week, skipping meals, losing sleep – all for a bunch of demons for hire. Ones who will be with you LONG after you’ve finished their stories.” -
Terri Rochenski, author of Pool of Souls series

“Soul Avenged is an impeccable start to the Sons of Wrath series. Ms. Lake’s world of evil lycans, sexy demons, twisted villain and a kick ass heroine had me turn the pages nonstop.” -
Under the Covers Book Blog

“Paranormal romance is my absolute favorite genre and this is a prime example of why I read it. This book has it all: very hot vengeance dealing demon brothers, a very hot sexy lycan and a death dealing kick butt heroine.” -
The Jeep Diva

“This book is a wonderful read that makes you yearn for more. It has a very good story that keeps your interest throughout with not a single “slow” moment. For me, it ended too quickly. I will be in line to get the next book by this author.” -
Bitten by Books

“A fierce heroine, a forbidden romance and non-stop action…a must read for urban fantasy lovers!” -
Romancing the Dark Side

“Keri Lake’s
Soul Avenged
is an action-packed, fast-paced, emotional roller-coaster that will have you begging for more.” -
Book Lovin’ Mamas

“I was never insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.”
~ Edgar Allan Poe

Gratitude
is recognizing that there are others, without whom, reaching for a dream becomes a solitary struggle. This book is dedicated to you, my beautiful readers. Thank you for reaching back …

GLOSSARY

Abyzz
: A potent, hallucinogenic drug of the demon realm; dangerous to humans

Alexi
: An army of soldiers bred to slay lycans

Amec
: An intense emotion, stronger than human love, of deep affection and loyalty

Amegation
: The illegal impregnation of an un-bonded female

Berserker
: Violent genetic mutations as a result of failed human Lywa trials

Brozszius
: A demon advocate for prisoners of Obsidius, willing to endure half the punishment

Brutesz Demons:
Boorish hit men of the underworld; shady and untrustworthy

Cartazmus:
An ancient book of demon history, which resides within a crypt in Orcosia

Catatones
: Ghouls who inhabit the catacombs of the Wrath Demon manor; guards

Demortis
: The metal of the gods; the only known element that can kill a demon; not commonly found in the human realm

Divine Matrons
: Governesses to children born of demon princes

Elysia
: A strong demon liquor

Enforcers
: Bounty hunters of the underworld

Eradis:
The binding of souls, after which, the couple becomes tazschla and servosx

Feshjule
: Demon equivalent for ‘fucker’

Gambis Demons
: Demons whose most notable talents are thieving and gossip

Gaszla
: Black arts witch

Halfling
: A recently bitten human awaiting the full change to lycan

House of Bereavement
: A tomb for the grieving; found in the underworld; demons call it Mortuadium.

Imprinting
: The transfer of a victim’s memory to another following a lycan bite.

Incubi
: Breed of male demon that feeds off sexual energy; they have the power to erase short-term memory

Lamb
: The derogatory Alexi term for weak human beings (those who do not carry the antibody to lycan venom)

Lenovidus Demons
: Pimps assigned to succubi at a young age; collect souls for the underworld

Lycan
: A supernatural species that can take the form of any animal; most common form: wolves

Lywa Antibody
: A powerful concoction designed by biochemist, General Jackson Wade, which confers resistance to lycan venom after a bite

Mortuadium
: House of Bereavement

Obsidius
: Underworld prison for the damned

Orcosia
: The underworld realm, otherwise known to humans as hell

Orcosii
: Council of Elders in Orcosia

Renoshza
: Sexual maturity of a succubus after her first orgasm with a victim.

Sanctuary
: A bar and casino in downtown Detroit owned by the Wrath Brothers

Sanctisz:
A plea of innocence

Sang
: Short for Sangexzha

Sangexzha
: An ancient species of the underworld, extinct for centuries, with an appetite for blood

Saevious Demons
: Violent sexual predator demons

Savidon
: A demon male’s sexual prime, wherein he’s forced to choose a mate for life

Scelius Demon:
Violent breed of demon that roam in packs and pick up women to share among themselves

Semptresz
: A seamstress to royalty in the underworld

Servosx
: Male demon mate

Shine
: A hallucinogenic drug popular in the underground scene

Stygius:
The realm of absolute death for the damned.

Succubi
: Breed of female demon that feeds off sexual energy and, at one time, were bred as sex slaves to demon lords; often prostitutes; typically mother many children from different fathers; avoided by most male demons

Sudesz
: Suicide; a punishable crime of the underworld

Szexus organ
: An organ in mature male demons responsible for bonded sex

Tazschla
: Female mate

Trolls
: Employed by demons as security guards

Underground
: Parties held in the basements of abandoned buildings in Detroit

Verbrizh:
The most painful form of punishment in the underworld, carried out with a specialized whip designed to inflict severe injury.

Vitiusz Demons
: Potentially violent demons with severe facial deformities

Wrath Demons
: Warriors of vengeance; sons of the demon prince, Wrath; punishers to those who’ve wronged; each specializes in a form of mental or physical pain

Zshula
: Midwife for lost souls; she brings them back from the otherworld.

PROLOGUE

Numbness is a bastard son’s shield.

Mine was forged the day my mother tried to rip me out of her womb with a wire hanger. Not that I remember that shit. Most kids, even demons, grow up never knowing how close they came to being nothing more than a pool of blood on the kitchen floor.

For me? It became my fucking bedtime story as a kid, told over and over again until, eventually, not even it’s horrific truth could penetrate my barriers.

A super-fucking-hero, that’s what I became every time she tried to remind me why I didn’t deserve to live. Invincible.

Not like she didn’t try to finish the job after I was born.

Nightmares—the kind that take most kids under, drown them, and spit their lifeless bodies back into reality—couldn’t reach me. Stronger, thicker, my shield hardened until gashes and bruises on the surface faded to invisible memories.