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Lux
The
Veritas Series Book 1
Veritas Series Book 1
by
MJ Vieira
MJ Vieira
Genre:
Dark Fantasy, Paranormal
Dark Fantasy, Paranormal
After
being found, inexplicably, standing over a brutal scene involving a
pair of recent murder victims, Jade comes to in a hospital with
limited memories. Labeled as paranoid by the seedy medical team and
locked up, she seems more a victim than a deviant. Promptly drugged
and plunged into sleep, she is submerged into a chronic dreamland
that seems controlled by another, she soon gives in to a lavish life
with a Malum who seems all too eager to see to her every desire. She
awakes in yet another reality with no memories of her past, or even
herself. Something is making her forget… and just like that she
steps into her new life.
being found, inexplicably, standing over a brutal scene involving a
pair of recent murder victims, Jade comes to in a hospital with
limited memories. Labeled as paranoid by the seedy medical team and
locked up, she seems more a victim than a deviant. Promptly drugged
and plunged into sleep, she is submerged into a chronic dreamland
that seems controlled by another, she soon gives in to a lavish life
with a Malum who seems all too eager to see to her every desire. She
awakes in yet another reality with no memories of her past, or even
herself. Something is making her forget… and just like that she
steps into her new life.
Malum
is deeply in love with Jade and is only agenda is to give her the
world… Or so he claims. Blindly followed by his people, the Luxans,
he works tirelessly to keep them safe from the Rebels, with Jade by
his side. Surely his motives are pure… yet, the more time Jade
spends with him, the further she seems to fall from herself.
is deeply in love with Jade and is only agenda is to give her the
world… Or so he claims. Blindly followed by his people, the Luxans,
he works tirelessly to keep them safe from the Rebels, with Jade by
his side. Surely his motives are pure… yet, the more time Jade
spends with him, the further she seems to fall from herself.
All
the while, Jade is plagued by vivid dreams of another life… one she
struggles to understand while Malum works to make her forget. As Jade
struggles to hold onto her soul and discover her past, Malum seeks to
possess all that she is.
the while, Jade is plagued by vivid dreams of another life… one she
struggles to understand while Malum works to make her forget. As Jade
struggles to hold onto her soul and discover her past, Malum seeks to
possess all that she is.
MJ
Vieira resides in Southern Maine with her husband, Alan, son, AJ, and
their St. Bernard, Roxy. As a child, she traveled around the state
with her parents, seeing the vast history the New England state had
to offer as well as touring the nation while showing her American
Quarter Horse. While traveling, she read many of the great authors of
the time including JRR Tolkien, Stephen King, CS Lewis and Ann Rice.
It is these writers combined with power of music, mainly hard rock
and folk, MJ draws her inspiration.
Vieira resides in Southern Maine with her husband, Alan, son, AJ, and
their St. Bernard, Roxy. As a child, she traveled around the state
with her parents, seeing the vast history the New England state had
to offer as well as touring the nation while showing her American
Quarter Horse. While traveling, she read many of the great authors of
the time including JRR Tolkien, Stephen King, CS Lewis and Ann Rice.
It is these writers combined with power of music, mainly hard rock
and folk, MJ draws her inspiration.
Inbetween writing, MJ enjoys reading, collecting music and attending
concerts. Lux is the first installment in the Veritas series which is
MJ’s first published work.
concerts. Lux is the first installment in the Veritas series which is
MJ’s first published work.
I sense Malum before he speaks, and I can’t help stiffening at his presence. Despite my best efforts, my
dreams still cling to me like spider webs — a most unwelcome feeling. “I am relieved to see you awake,
Pet,” his voice rumbles from the far side of the bed. His tone matches the floor: icy. I keep my focus on
the windowpane opposite me. I am too far away to truly see my reflection or his. But I don’t need to see
him to picture the expression on his face —an arrogant mask of indifference. His eyes are always his tell.
They will be flashing periodically with anger, lightning to match the thunder in his speech. I let the
seconds tick by to see if he continues his lecture, but he says no more. Without warning, he appears out
of thin air, before me. From where I sit, my eyes rest on his sculpted chest, but I can see that he is
dressed in form-fitting black pants and nothing else. Malum’s bronzed skin glistens with sweat, which is
another surprise. We hadn’t been having sex. At least not that I remember. Why on earth is he
sweating? Running and training aren’t things he participates in. I allow my crawl up, tracing the lines of
his muscles, until I meet his eyes. As expected, his expression is haughty and tight. Anger crackles about
him, and I know I must tread carefully. The problem is that I don’t know the exact reason for his anger.
My failed mission? Losing to Jager? Visiting the dream reality? I highly doubted he was concerned for my
wellbeing. I train my features to stay as neutral as I can make them and wait for the tirade to begin.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but little good that does me. Looking back on the situation, I realize it
wouldn’t have mattered how I looked at my master.
My punishment is at hand either way. Malum is going to teach me a lesson, a painful one. A lesson I’d
never recover from. If I’d just said that one word sooner, I could have avoided the entire situation. But
stubbornness and pride got the better of me. Sinner to the core, in more ways than one.
“You failed, Pet.” A clawed hand reaches and gently tucks a stray strand behind my ear. My breath
catches in my throat. A clawed hand? My eyes slide sideways to look at the unnatural black claws that
are protruding out of my lover’s fingers. I rack my brain for any memory of claws, and none present
themselves. Black eyes? Yes. Knives for hands? No. I plead with my heart to calm its frantic pumping, but
it does not listen.
“I told you to bring Jager to me. I told you exactly where he would be and how many would be there. I
provided you with everything, and yet you come back to me poisoned and delirious. I sucked your
poison out, Jade, took it into myself.” Malum hisses the last words, and I dare to glance back at his face.
The demon’s eyes are black as I’d seen them while we came together, but now thin lines of crimson
trickle throughout. They resemble a field of lava that has partially cooled and hardened. The surface is
black, but cracks show where the boiling magma still lies, waiting to be released. I know that once the
inferno bubbling within Malum is released, I will be incinerated. Only this time, there will be no pleasure
with it. Malum trails his index claw along the side of my face. Applying slight pressure, he forces me to
lift my chin as high as I can to keep from being sliced by the razor-sharp talon.
“You’ve ruined my plans and allowed the Rebels to go unscathed with their charge. I needed it killed,
Pet. We needed it killed.” He allows his dagger like appendage to rest just under my jaw, at the softest
point, where it could sever my flesh easily. “I cannot allow this to go unpunished, Jade, unless you will
finally accept my offer.” There it is, the crux of his irritation with me lately. I’d denied him at every turn,
and thus far, Malum had been forgiving. I can tell he won’t be any longer.
dreams still cling to me like spider webs — a most unwelcome feeling. “I am relieved to see you awake,
Pet,” his voice rumbles from the far side of the bed. His tone matches the floor: icy. I keep my focus on
the windowpane opposite me. I am too far away to truly see my reflection or his. But I don’t need to see
him to picture the expression on his face —an arrogant mask of indifference. His eyes are always his tell.
They will be flashing periodically with anger, lightning to match the thunder in his speech. I let the
seconds tick by to see if he continues his lecture, but he says no more. Without warning, he appears out
of thin air, before me. From where I sit, my eyes rest on his sculpted chest, but I can see that he is
dressed in form-fitting black pants and nothing else. Malum’s bronzed skin glistens with sweat, which is
another surprise. We hadn’t been having sex. At least not that I remember. Why on earth is he
sweating? Running and training aren’t things he participates in. I allow my crawl up, tracing the lines of
his muscles, until I meet his eyes. As expected, his expression is haughty and tight. Anger crackles about
him, and I know I must tread carefully. The problem is that I don’t know the exact reason for his anger.
My failed mission? Losing to Jager? Visiting the dream reality? I highly doubted he was concerned for my
wellbeing. I train my features to stay as neutral as I can make them and wait for the tirade to begin.
Hindsight is twenty-twenty, but little good that does me. Looking back on the situation, I realize it
wouldn’t have mattered how I looked at my master.
My punishment is at hand either way. Malum is going to teach me a lesson, a painful one. A lesson I’d
never recover from. If I’d just said that one word sooner, I could have avoided the entire situation. But
stubbornness and pride got the better of me. Sinner to the core, in more ways than one.
“You failed, Pet.” A clawed hand reaches and gently tucks a stray strand behind my ear. My breath
catches in my throat. A clawed hand? My eyes slide sideways to look at the unnatural black claws that
are protruding out of my lover’s fingers. I rack my brain for any memory of claws, and none present
themselves. Black eyes? Yes. Knives for hands? No. I plead with my heart to calm its frantic pumping, but
it does not listen.
“I told you to bring Jager to me. I told you exactly where he would be and how many would be there. I
provided you with everything, and yet you come back to me poisoned and delirious. I sucked your
poison out, Jade, took it into myself.” Malum hisses the last words, and I dare to glance back at his face.
The demon’s eyes are black as I’d seen them while we came together, but now thin lines of crimson
trickle throughout. They resemble a field of lava that has partially cooled and hardened. The surface is
black, but cracks show where the boiling magma still lies, waiting to be released. I know that once the
inferno bubbling within Malum is released, I will be incinerated. Only this time, there will be no pleasure
with it. Malum trails his index claw along the side of my face. Applying slight pressure, he forces me to
lift my chin as high as I can to keep from being sliced by the razor-sharp talon.
“You’ve ruined my plans and allowed the Rebels to go unscathed with their charge. I needed it killed,
Pet. We needed it killed.” He allows his dagger like appendage to rest just under my jaw, at the softest
point, where it could sever my flesh easily. “I cannot allow this to go unpunished, Jade, unless you will
finally accept my offer.” There it is, the crux of his irritation with me lately. I’d denied him at every turn,
and thus far, Malum had been forgiving. I can tell he won’t be any longer.
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