Exiled

Praise for Exiled “Nobody writes a wounded hero like Lynn Rush! EXILED simmers with sexual tension, fast plotting, and heart felt dialogue! I loved this sweet and action-packed paranormal romance!” -Rebecca Zanetti, New York Times Bestselling Author ~~~ “EXILED takes you on an intoxicating ride with demons and angels, and delivers delicious page-turning temptation. Don't miss it!" - Lisa Kessler author of the Award-Winning Muse Chronicles Series ~~~ “Traversing Heaven and Hell, Exiled is a sensual tale of desire and destiny, and an action-packed story you don’t want to miss.“ -Award-Winning Author, Tish Thawer ~~~ “Filled with legendary characters, this wild, action-packed ride will grab hold of your heart and refuse to let go.” -Dana Claire, Award-winning author ~~~ Rush’s grand depiction of the battle between good and evil and her relatable main characters will please supernatural fans with a mix of the familiar and unexpected. -Booklife Reviews Also By Lynn Rush WINGED SERIES Crossed Clipped Crowned TOUCH OF FROST SERIES Frostbite Absolute Zero Cryostorm VIOLET NIGHT SERIES Violet Midnight Violet Dawn Violet Storm CONTEMPORARY NOVELS SURVIVOR SERIES Limitless Fearless Endless WOODHAVEN HIGH SERIES In The Penalty Box Crossing The Line TWIN RIVER HIGH SERIES Coverup Crush Project Personality Chaos Theory EXILED Lynn Rush FHL Press Copyright Original Copyright © 2011 as Wasteland, this 2nd edition re-release as Exiled Copyright © 2023 by Lynn Rush, LLC All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. Copy Edit by Nancy CantorCover Design by Emily WittigProofread by Chip PRINT ISBN: 9798985560138 Dedication For you, Mom II. You are missed. Contents Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Epilogue Prelude to Darkness Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Next in the Eternal Light Series... Acknowledgments About Lynn Rush Chapter One Another two hundred and fifty years in solitary confinement might be worth the sacrifice if it meant spending five minutes alone with the beauty moving on the dance floor to this strange music. “What are you staring at?” Gage’s gravel-coated voice cut above the thumping bass. I tore my gaze from the dancing woman and dropped it to the sweating glass of rum and Coke in my hand. “Nothing. Get away from me.” “Is that any way to treat your brother?” An elbow dug into my side, clipping one of my ribs. “I am not your brother.” Two quick steps to the right, careful not to touch any of the humans milling about the bar, and I stood out of Gage’s reach. I surveyed the sea of thrashing bodies, searching for the woman I had no business finding. Lights pulsed over the crowd. Inebriated movements morphed into a collection of uncoordinated jerks and twitches. Drunken couples groped one another in darkened corners. The stench of human sweat, sour vomit, and sweet drinks assaulted my senses. So uncivilized. My first night out of sensory deprivation, I shouldn’t be in a place such as this. Too many temptations. Scanning the crowd, I caught my gaunt reflection in the mirrored walls beside the DJ and looked away. I didn’t need to be reminded of how two hundred and forty-five years of isolation and endless darkness hollowed my full cheeks and morphed my silver eyes into a dull, lifeless gray. Lifeless like me. A gigantic hand landed on my shoulder. “Come on, David.” Even through the fabric of my cotton shirt the contact stung my skin, so I shrugged him off. “Don’t.” Gage held his hands up in surrender. “Touchy, touchy. I haven’t seen you in nearly two and a half centuries.” “You know I have been in confinement. Until about eight hours ago, I had not seen anything in almost two hundred and fifty years. Then Master pulls me out early and sends me here, my first night out.” Gage slid the loose strands of his strawberry blond hair behind his ear, his ebony eyes examining the crowd. “Yes, he does have an evil sense of humor.” “I am not laughing.” “I can tell it’s a struggle for you, brother.” He pointed toward my forehead. “I think a vein might burst soon.” I knocked his hand away. Despite being a six-hundred-year-old demon who didn’t need to eat, Gage’s six-foot-three frame didn’t hide his padded stomach. Must have been indulging over the years. At least a hundred bodies moved to the beat of the music on the crowded, half-circle dance floor. Most were scantily dressed women with long hair and shimmering skin. A waist-high mock bar contained the flailing bodies to the designated area, and I propped my elbows on the wooden top, analyzing the crowd. Gage laughed. “You’re out five years early. Better than the full sentence, right?” There she was again. Eyes closed, arms raised toward the ceiling, as if paying homage to the music gods, she swayed to the slow tempo. The ruby red, silk dress clung to the contours of her firm body. Her narrow hips swished doing a slow, sexy belly dance just for me. A thin layer of perspiration glistened on her skin, reflecting the flashing white, red, and neon green lights. My breath hitched. Beauty of such magnitude belonged in the Garden, not a place such as this. Long, stick-straight blond hair rippled down her back. It was bare, save the four thin straps securing her miniscule garment. “So, David, where is the Mark?” Gage’s raspy voice snapped my concentration from memorizing the woman’s delicate