Archenemy
Christina Bauer
Angelbound Xavier Trilogy, #1
Publication date: March 9th 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Ancient Egyptians. Powerful gods. Lost loves. And one badass warrior with wings. Welcome to the beautiful land of ancient Egypt… only it may not stay so lovely for long. The chaos god, Set, plans to destroy the human world. Fortunately, the angel Xavier has the perfect plan to imprison Set and fast. Even better, Xavier can enact his scheme alone… which is just the way he likes it. No partners. No complications. No problems.
Suddenly, a gorgeous woman materializes. Calling herself Camilla, she declares she’s from the future. All of which is strange enough, but things soon go from bad to weird when Camilla announces that she and Xavier must work together—it’s the only way to defeat Set.
Wow, does Xavier ever hate thatidea.
The warrior angel decides on a strategic retreat. In other words, Xavier works to avoid Camilla at all costs. Turns out, that isn’t so easy. This mystery woman has set Xavier’s blood on fire in a way he’s never felt before. No matter how hard he tries, Xavier simply can’t desert her.
But is Camilla another element of Set’s destructive chaos magic… or is she Xavier’s only chance to save both himself and humanity?
Angelbound Xavier Trilogy 1. Archenemy
2. Archnemesis
3. Archangel
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Excerpt:
ARCHENEMY
OPENING
XAVIER
England, 2770 BCE
The first rays of dawn touch the forest outside my hut. Gentle breezes shake the oaks, setting off a chorus of rustling leaves. The scent of all things green and fresh fills the air. Inside my home, mice skitter around the straw pile that serves as my bed. Months ago, those little creatures might have snapped me out of a deep sleep.
But I’m already awake. Why? I’ve avoided any slumber for the last six weeks. It’s not easy, yet I have no choice.
Because when I dream, I see her.
The woman in red.
Lying on my back, I lace my fingers behind my head and wonder who’s behind these unwanted night visions. All the while, I don’t think about the woman in red. I don’t picture her ruby-colored hair and matching dress. Or how her wide eyes gleam with intelligence while her full mouth appears ripe for a kiss. And I definitely ignore the way she exudes feline grace with every movement. The very core of my being craves her. Again.
And I’m not even dreaming. This is bad.
I’m a warrior angel. Since the dawn of time, I’ve only focused on battle. Women are to be protected, not desired. And especially not a quasi-demonic lady who sports a dragon scale tail… like the one in my dream.
Crunch! Crunch!
Uneven footsteps sound on the dried-out leaves outside my hut. I know that particular stride. It’s Mortimer, High Druid of Stonehenge. Normally, I dread the fellow coming around. Now, I welcome any distraction.
The footsteps stop. Mortimer starts chanting something about the coming of summer and visiting the great god, Cernunnos. This kind of thing can go on for hours if I don’t break it up early.
“Come in!” I call.
Mortimer stops chanting. He slides away the panel of thatched branches that serves as my door.
Mortimer’s a lanky fellow in loose black robes. His long face holds a pinched nose and a full beard. Like always, he carries a staff topped by a round stone. After stepping inside my hut, he bows in my direction.
“I greet thee, Oh God of the Wild, Cernunnos.”
When I first moved here from the desert realm, I tried explaining how I’m an angel from Heaven. It didn’t go well. Humans don’t handle strange things easily. Eventually, the druids decided that I am actually Cernunnos, their forest god. One day, humans may know angels so well, I’ll be forced to hide my identity. For now, I consider the ‘Cernunnos mistake’ to be a step in the right direction.
I sit up on my straw bed. “And greetings to you, Mortimer the Druid.”
“You live in filth.” Sadly, Mortimer knows I’m not the smiting sort of deity. He sasses off all the time. This will not end well.
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
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