Veiled In Darkness Read online

  “You do remember why you’re here?”

  She let out a bored sigh. “Yes.”

  “I have a job for you.” He held out his hand, and a female succubus scurried to place a goblet of blood in his grip. Before she could flee, he grabbed her wrist.

  “You were too slow,” he growled. The demon’s eyes widened, and she doubled over in obvious pain. Her cries of agony made Ashley flinch.

  “Let her go. Why do you feel the need to hurt her?” All conversation stopped, and she felt eyes boring into her back. No doubt the demons in the room wanted to watch Ashley fry.

  Lucifer sipped from his goblet with his free hand and drilled holes through her with his gaze. “You wish to involve yourself in my affairs?”

  She snorted. “Isn’t that what I’m here for?” She forced her hands to stop shaking. Why did she insist on defying him?

  He leaned forward but never released his grip on his victim. “You know nothing is free. You want me to let her live then you shall have to pay for her life.”

  Shit! Of course he’d play that hand, and she walked right into it. Why the hell couldn’t she leave well enough alone? Why should she care if the demon died? Because you know the pain he inflicts. The demon was only a young girl. Likely sold to Lucifer for a hefty price, as was often done in the Underworld. Just because the girl was a succubus and needed sex to live didn’t mean her life wasn’t valuable. She could only imagine the things that had been done to her, and it made Ashley sick.

  She threw back her shoulders. If these fuckers wanted a show, she’d give them one.

  “I’ll do your job, but I have two conditions.”

  He moved into a relaxed posture. “This should prove entertaining. Name your price.”

  “I want to spend a day with my mate.” She dared not ask for more and was desperate enough to take even five minutes with Eli. “And the girl becomes mine.” She knew better than to ask for the demon’s freedom. He would never grant it, but he might consider a transfer of ownership.

  His head tipped back in laughter, and it spread like wildfire across the room as the others laughed with him. Clearly, they thought she’d gone mad. They were probably right.

  “I own you, therefore I’m not required to grant you anything,” he snarled and went back to his torture of the girl. Ashley had to do something quickly because the light was fading from the demon’s black eyes.

  With no time to think, she drew a mental image in her mind of energy emitting from the girl, so powerful it would sting Lucifer like ten thousand electric eels. Within seconds, he jerked back his hand and shock covered both his and the demon’s face. He glared at Ashley.

  “Well played.” There was no doubt he realized where the power had come from. He quickly regained his composure as if he’d planned this all along. “The girl is worthless. Take her, a gift from me to you. As for time with your mate, I’ll give you four hours with him.” He wrinkled his nose. “Even though I hate the stench of that bastard.”

  A lump rose in her throat. “How do I know this isn’t a trick?” It seemed too easy. He clearly was more powerful than her. She also wondered why he didn’t make an example of her in front of the others. After all, she’d basically embarrassed him.

  “I’ll seal the deal in blood.”

  She felt her brows lift, having heard rumors that when Lucifer signed a contract in blood it was binding. That gave her an idea. “You never signed––”

  He held up his hand. “Don’t even think about it. You agreed and now I own you. Not my problem you didn’t ask for a blood contract.”

  Her own blood began a slow boil. She’d find a way to get away from him one way or another. “What is it you want in return?” She had to admit, the thought of spending time with Eli gave her hope.

  “There is a certain human who––how shall we say? Made a deal with the devil. His soul belongs to me, and I’m ready to collect.”

  That lump in her throat rose higher. “You want me to kill a human?”

  He sipped from his goblet. “It’s why you’re here. If it makes you feel any better, he rapes women and sells drugs to children.”

  “I’m sure you’d say that to get me to do whatever you wanted.”

  He leaned forward and waved his hand in a circle through the air. “See for yourself.” The foggy image of a guy, who looked to be in his late twenties, stood in an alley handing out a packet of something which Ashley couldn’t make out. However, the exchange of cash and packet made it clear it was a deal. The buyer looked no more than thirteen.

  “Why should I trust you?” Killing a demon was way different from a human, but if this guy was the scumbag Lucifer portrayed then she’d have no problem ripping his soul out.

  “See for yourself. I’m sending you up top, so go get ready,” the demon king stated.

  Ashley turned to leave the hall, escorted by Wraith, a large Hellhound, and her new slave Talina. She turned to the young girl. “Do you have family?”

  Talina cast her gaze downward. “I have shamed them.”

  She supposed that was true. The girl, no longer a slave to Lucifer, would hold no value to her family. They’d likely kill her. “You’ll stay with me. I don’t have much, but I can offer you protection.” She touched Talina’s arm, and the girl looked up. “You’re not a slave, but for appearances sake, we’ll follow protocol. Understood?”

  The girl nodded. They realized the situation would benefit them both. Ashley would gain even more respect by having been gifted a slave from Lucifer, and Talina would have Ashley’s protection. For the moment, it was a win-win. She reached out and placed her palm over the marking on Talina’s arm. In seconds, Lucifer’s brand was replaced by Ashley’s own single black feather, lined with gold. The girl beamed with pride.

  “How may I serve you, Mistress?” She gave a deep curtsey.

  Ashley smiled. “Run along and have Lucifer’s seamstress get you some new clothes. Pick up whatever else you need from the shops and be sure to charge Lucifer’s account.”

  The girl nodded and quickly scurried away. Ashley continued toward her room.

  Lucifer has a son.

  She shot a glance at the beast beside her, almost forgetting he was there. Only one? Good for him. She had no idea why she was supposed to care.

  He has several children, but one he favors above all others.

  Goody. Why are you telling me this?

  He has the child in hiding. Wraith stopped, his large red eyes fixed on her. Find the child and you have your bargaining chip.

  Her heart nearly stopped. Could it be possible there was a way out of her agreement with Lucifer? She dared not hope. “What kind of trick is this?”

  Lucifer killed my mate and children to punish me. I’d see him suffer for that. Wraith emitted a low growl.

  I’ m so sorry. Ashley learned Lucifer had several enemies in the Underworld. You’ve no idea where this child is?

  No but his name is Fredrick. Perhaps your mate can locate him.

  Fredrick?

  He didn’t want a demon-sounding name, Wraith responded.

  Wonderful. It was good news that they might gain some leverage to use against the demon king. However, how did one go about finding a demon child named Fredrick with no clue where to start?

  Ashley found herself walking a dark alley in the middle of… Well, it was a city and that was all she knew. The smell of vomit mixed with piss had her stomach lurching. You’d think the stench wouldn’t bother her, considering where she had called home for the past month. Just went to show what a person could get used to.

  Sirens blaring in the distance and the sound of traffic, along with a sky filled with towering buildings, were also a good indicator of her location. She folded her wings and commanded them to disappear. A breeze whipped around the corner of a building, and had she been human, it would have caused her to shiver. Instead, it carried the sound of a whimper undetectable to human ears.

  She followed the sound past a dumpster that smelled lik
e someone dumped a body in it, and for all she knew they had. When she heard a muffled scream, she decided it best if she cloaked herself and ran. When she rounded the corner, she came to a screeching halt, just in time to witness a man ripping a woman’s clothes from her body. He slapped his victim across the face.

  “Shut the fuck up, bitch.” He fondled her naked breast. “You know you want it. You’re nothing but a whore anyway.”

  “Pl-please don’t.”

  He reached up, wrapped his hand around her throat, and began to squeeze. “I told you to shut the fuck up.”

  Anger went from a simmer to a rapid boil, and Ashley had seen all she needed. She uncloaked. “Let her go.”

  The man swung his head but didn’t release the girl. Instead, he began to laugh. “Well sugar, how my evening’s looking up. Two for the price of one. Care to join us?”

  She took a step closer and realized this was the man Lucifer had shown her. The one whose soul she was here to collect. “I said let her go.” She stormed forward until she was within reach. He looked from her to his victim then back.

  “Well sweetheart, thanks for making this easy on me.” He grabbed her by the arm, obviously thinking he’d won another prize. When Ashley slipped into his mind with the ease of an ancient immortal, his eyes widened; the death grip he held on the girl slackened.

  “Run,” Ashley whispered and was relieved to see the other female didn’t hesitate. She quickly dug into his mind and replayed memories of his past deeds: countless women he’d raped; children who had overdosed from the drugs he cut with lethal chemicals; what he’d intended for his latest victim. Ashley’s stomach lurched as her anger rose. She pulled free of his mind and gave him a minute to become coherent.

  “What the hell are you?” His voice quivered with fear.

  She placed her palm on his chest and felt his rapid heartbeat. “I am the Angel of Death. You made a deal with the devil, and I’m here to collect.” Her evil side experienced a sudden rush at the thought of taking his life, yet the good in her felt guilt. She reminded herself what he was. He tried to step back, to run, but she held him frozen in place.

  He let loose a nervous laugh. “There’s no such thing.”

  She smiled and released her wings, extending them to their full, glorious width. “You’re a poor excuse for a human.” She leaned in closer. “The devil deserves your soul.” With a flare of power, she jerked his spirit free, not even taking time to numb him against the pain. He screamed as his life force was ripped from him, and his body fell to the ground, nothing but an empty shell. His soul hung in front of her as she grabbed the cobalt glass vessel that hung around her neck and pulled the silver stopper free. The spirit swirled into a mini funnel as it was forced into the glass that Lucifer had given her.

  She sealed it shut. It was done. Her end of the bargain held up. She wrapped her wings around her and shifted into the vortex that had opened to take her back to Hell. She prayed Lucifer kept his side of the blood contract.

  Eli sat in front of a fire at his remote cabin. Always his favorite place, it now held more meaning since it was where he and Ashley had mated. He sipped a glass of Chardonnay. Though the wine wouldn’t make him drunk like humans, it did help him to relax. Something that seemed to elude him of late. Between the battles that never showed signs of ending, to the emptiness inside him since Ashley left, it was almost enough to send an angel over the edge. Every day she occupied his thoughts, and every second he tried to find a way to bring her back. He’d heard the whispers; when an angel fell in love, it happened fast and hard. Shit, they weren’t kidding.

  The flames danced as a breeze swept through the room. He jumped to his feet, afraid to believe what his senses told him. She was here. Her presence brushed across his skin. When he turned to look behind him… Damn. She was dressed in a short black nightie, her blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders. He sucked in a breath.

  “Ash.” He swallowed. “Tell me this isn’t a dream.” He saw her, smelled her, and now he needed to touch her.

  “It’s not a dream. I’m really here, but I only have four hours.” She stepped closer. The sway of her hips would mesmerize any man, human or immortal.

  “I don’t understand.” He set down his glass and rounded the couch, not wanting to waste one second of their time together.

  “I made a deal with Lucifer, and he gave me four hours alone with you.” She held out her arm to show the tattoo on her wrist. The one Lucifer had placed there so he could watch her every move. He took her hand in his.

  “The eye is closed,” he noted.

  “Yes. So before anything happens––”

  He skimmed over her face. Her eyes were dark with desire. “If we only have four hours, we have a lot to do in a short time.” Next, he focused on her neck then arms. He tried not to become distracted. It was difficult, but he needed to know she was unharmed. He concluded his search down her silky thighs until he stopped at her ankles. No wounds or bruises. Now for the inside.

  She gave him a nudge. “I have to say this. It’s important.”

  He sighed. “Fine, but make it fast.”

  “Lucifer has a son. Apparently, one he thinks very highly of and has stashed away.”

  He studied her and took in every word but kept his excitement at bay.

  “I was told the child might be a good bargaining chip, but all I know is his name is Fredrick.”

  “Where did you learn this information?” Eli found it interesting and worthy of investigation.

  “A Hellhound with a grudge,” she flashed an evil grin.

  He leaned in and kissed her neck. “Then I will look into it. For now however…”

  3

  Eli kissed his way along her jaw, causing her skin to pimple. Ashley gasped. “Mmm, I’ve missed you.”

  He pulled back and scooped her up in his arms. “I’ve missed you too.” Then he headed toward the bedroom where he pulled back the covers and gently laid her down. She relished the softness of the sheets, something she’d taken for granted until she’d moved to Hell. Lucifer provided no luxuries.

  “Ashley?”

  “Hmm?” She looked into his steel-blue eyes. God how she loved that color.

  “What did you have to do to come here?”

  She swallowed, not wanting to tell Eli she’d taken a life, even if it was an evil one. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here and we need to make the most of this short time.”

  He kissed her nose. “Don’t. I see the scars on your soul.” He cupped her face when she tried to turn away. “No secrets between us. I can’t help you if you’re not honest with me.”

  “How can you help me?” They lived in two different worlds now.

  “I’m much older than you and have learned a thing or two.” He kissed her eyebrow. “As much as I want to kill Lucifer for what he’s doing to you, it can’t happen. The world would go into a tailspin.”

  She pushed her bottom lip out in a pout. “That’s a shame.” She didn’t want to tell him what she’d done, but he was right. Secrets would destroy them both. “I had to claim a soul of a man that made a deal with Lucifer.” She searched his face for any telltale sign he disapproved, but there was none so she continued.

  “I felt little regret and didn’t even block his pain. I looked into his mind and saw the awful things he’d done. Matter of fact, he was about to rape a woman when I showed up.” Eli stood and pulled his shirt over his head. Hell, if she’d known that was all it took, she would have confessed sooner, she thought as she enjoyed the hard planes of his chest and abs.

  “It’s hard to regret taking a life so evil,” he stated as he unbuckled his belt, and she chewed her bottom lip. How could she have forgotten he was so damn sexy?

  “Have you ever had to take a human life before?”

  “I’m not supposed to, so no.” He unzipped his jeans and slid them down his thighs. She gasped as his erection sprang free.

  “Then why am I?” He placed one knee on the bed and leaned into her
.

  “Because you’re the Angel of Death. The rules are different for you.” He nuzzled between her breasts. “As much as I think your nightie is sexy, it has to go.” He stroked the exposed flesh of her breasts with his fingers, eliciting a moan from her right before he ripped the babydoll in half.

  “Hey, no fair. I didn’t get to rip your clothes off.”

  He grinned. “Nothing was stopping you. If it will please you, I can dress later so you can have at it.” He wrapped his lips around a nipple, and she arched into him with a moan, raking her fingers through his hair. She’d most definitely take him up on his offer. Later.

  Eli had to keep reminding himself this wasn’t a dream. Ashley was here, and she moaned beneath him as he suckled first one breast then the other. It was all he could do not to plunge into her hot depths; he needed her so badly. She tugged on his hair, and he stopped to look up.

  “I need you now. Please,” she begged. Her desperation filled the air.

  “You read my mind.” He slid down her body and parted her legs. Settling between them, he gripped his cock and rubbed the head through her folds. They both hissed in unison at the heated contact. It felt like forever since they’d been together. Eli hated they only had a few hours, and he tried to shake it from his mind.

  He slid home.

  Ashley dug her nails into his back. “Feels so good.”

  “Yes you do,” he whispered and reminded himself to take his time. Her sex squeezed him and promised intense pleasure as he began a slow steady rhythm. Teasing them both. Her pleasure rippled through him, and he was sure she felt his as well. They were connected once again. Not only a melding of their bodies, but of their minds and souls. There was no possible way to get any closer to each other than they already were.

  She wrapped her legs around him, lifting her hips, taking every inch of him.

  He moved faster.

  “Yes. Harder.” She dug her heels into his back to make her point.

  Leaning back, he reached for her ankles and maneuvered her legs over his shoulders then pushed deep. Pumping faster, harder, skin slapping skin. He pinched her clit between his thumb and finger and watched her explode. Bliss crossed her face, making her even more beautiful, and it didn’t take long for his balls to pull tight and his seed to spill.