The succubus was pregnant.
Verrine collapsed onto the ground, closing her eyes to the horrible reality. No one could learn about this. Yenrieth’s punishment would be severe, and Verrine loved him too much to let that happen.
She also loved him too much to tell him about the succubus’s pregnancy. Not now, while he was still a novice. She knew him well enough to know he’d scour Sheoul to find the female, and as a novice, he wouldn’t survive down there for an hour.
No, this was something she’d keep to herself. He might wonder what, exactly, the demon had stolen from him—succubi stole lives, souls, energy, and seed, often a combination of any of those—but with any luck, he’d believe energy alone had been her goal. After all, he was still alive, and he’d have changed if she’d stolen his soul. The seed… well, Verrine would just have to pray he was so drained from the sex that he’d believe the succubus had been after nothing more than the power she’d gain from his angelic life force.
Oh, Verrine would tell him the truth, but not yet. When, she didn’t know. What she did know was that she would move Heaven and Earth herself to find his children. She would make sure they were safe.
“Yenrieth,” she whispered. “I swear upon my heart that I will protect your children if I have to go to hell to do it.”
Somewhere nearby, thunder rolled, as if the heavens had heard her oath.
Inside, her stomach rolled, because somehow she understood that both she and Yenrieth had just been set on a course that would change their lives forever.
About Larissa Ione
Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge… just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.
You can learn more about Larissa and her books by visiting her website at www.LarissaIone.com.
You can also find Larissa on various social media sites:
www.Facebook.com/OfficialLarissaIone
www.Twitter.com/LarissaIone
www.Pinterest.com/LarissaIone (Here you can check out Larissa’s Novel Inspiration/Research board, which contains pictures of various demons, sketches of items found in her Demonica world, and photos of settings used in her books, including the crystal cave described in Immortal Rider!)
ALSO BY LARISSA IONE
THE DEMONICA SERIES
Pleasure Unbound
Desire Unchained
Passion Unleashed
Ecstasy Unveiled
Sin Undone
THE LORDS OF DELIVERANCE SERIES
Eternal Rider
Immortal Rider
Lethal Rider
ACCLAIM FOR LARISSA IONE’S
PREVIOUS NOVELS
Lethal Rider
“Gifted storyteller Ione’s tales are gripping and dark, filled with tragedy and hope. Transfixing!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Ione’s third Lords of Deliverance paranormal builds the secondary story line of Immortal Rider into a rollicking ride of thrills, angst, and sexual heat… Ione humanizes her leads and also captures the urgency of their mission, resulting in a very satisfying read.”
—Publishers Weekly
“5 stars! Larissa immediately grabs our attention right from the first sentence and never lets go—we’re hers, or rather, we’re the horsemen’s… a full-out action-packed, rollercoaster of a ride… The world Ms. Ione has created is extraordinary and brilliant… Just a wonderful story that knocked my socks off… Thank goodness this isn’t the last book of the series or I’d be beside myself. If you’ve been on the fence about reading this series, get off and start reading!”
—SeducedbyaBook.com
“The explosive third installment of Larissa Ione’s dark, dangerous, and sinfully sexy Lords of Deliverance series, a true paranormal romance that delivers well-crafted characters, devious plot lines, and engaging dialogue. I love the balance between the sexy romance and the heart-pounding action—though you know your happy ending is coming, the path there is fraught with peril and pain.”
—HeroesandHeartbreakers.com
Immortal Rider
“Provides a thrilling ride for readers… Ione balances all the angst with plenty of action, sexual tension, and dark humor.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Ione plunges readers back into her creative, dark, sensual, and violent world without missing a step… a fast-paced, multilayered story with all the ingredients that fans of Ione’s wicked, sexy, dark paranormal romances have come to expect… Larissa Ione’s acerbic wit, imaginative, vivid world, and larger-than-life überalpha heroes make for a thrilling, fun, paranormal romp. I’ve read a number of awesome books this year, but I have to say Immortal Rider is my favorite of 2011.”
—USAToday.com
“Gritty… Twisted family dynamics and treachery play out on a global scale in this hard-edged yet sexy adventure. Ione’s worlds are always complex and darkly tinged. Intense to the max!”
—RT Book Reviews
“5 stars! Larissa’s world-building skills are off the charts with this series… engaging… sizzling… highly entertaining… a wonderful blend of romance, action, and drama.”
—SeducedbyaBook.com
“This is one of the best books Larissa has written to date. I’m shocked by the sheer wonder of it all… If you’re dying to get your hands on a great paranormal romance that has a few zingers and pushes the envelope, which Larissa has done, you need to read this book.”
—GoodReads.com
Eternal Rider
“Ione has the amazing ability to create intimidating, powerfully sexy, and utterly compelling heroes. And her heroines aren’t too shabby either! Love, hope, sin, redemption, and, of course, end-of-the-world danger fill the pages.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Totally captivating! Larissa Ione instantly pulls you into a demonic underworld with strong characters, hot, steaming sex, and fast-paced, suspenseful action.”
—FreshFiction.com
Sin Undone
“4½ stars! Tense, sexy, and touching.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Some of the hottest [sex scenes] I’ve read in a paranormal romance. You can practically taste the desire… Sin Undone doesn’t disappoint and makes way for yet a new set of characters and books, in her soon-to-be-released Lords of Deliverance series.”
—FreshFiction.com
Ecstasy Unveiled
“4½ stars! Ione is a master worldbuilder, and one can’t help but fall headlong into this imaginative and compelling story.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Compulsively readable… this book was awesome.”
—LikesBooks.com
“Great… fast-paced… a strong tale that has the audience believing that demons and angels walk the earth.”
—Midwest Book Review
Passion Unleashed
“4½ stars! The third book in Ione’s supercharged Demonica series ignites on the first page and never looks back… Adventure, action, and danger leap off every page. The best of the series to date!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Fast-paced from the onset and never slows down until the exhilarating climax… Readers will be enthralled by the action and the charmed lead couple.”
—Midwest Book Reviews
Desire Unchained
“4 stars! Rising star Ione is back in this latest Demonica novel… Ione has a true gift for imbuing her characters with dark-edged passion… thrilling action and treacherous vengeance… a top-notch read.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Warning! Read at your own risk. Highly addictive.”
—FreshFiction.com
Pleasure Unbo
und
“Sizzling sensuality, dark wit, and wicked hot demons.”
—Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author
“What a ride! Dark, sexy, and very intriguing, the book gripped me from start to finish—totally recommended.”
—Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of Mine to Possess
“4 stars! [Ione’s] hard-edged style infuses the story with darkness while taking it to sizzling heights.”
—RT Book Reviews
Glossary
The Aegis—Society of human warriors dedicated to protecting the world from evil. See: Guardians, Regent, Sigil.
Agimortus—A trigger for the breaking of a Horseman’s Seal. An agimortus can be identified as a symbol engraved or branded upon the host person or object. Three kinds of agimorti have been identified and may take the form of a person, an object, or an event.
Camborian—The human offspring of a parent under the possession of a demon at the time of conception. Camborians may or may not possess supernatural powers that vary in type and strength, depending on the species of demon inhabiting the body of the parent at the time of conception.
Daemonica—The demon bible and basis for dozens of demon religions. Its prophesies regarding the Apocalypse, should they come to pass, will ensure that the Four Horsemen fight on the side of evil.
Fallen Angel—Believed to be evil by most humans, fallen angels can be grouped into two categories: True Fallen and Unfallen. Unfallen angels have been cast from Heaven and are earthbound, living a life in which they are neither truly good nor truly evil. In this state, they can, rarely, earn their way back into Heaven. Or they can choose to enter Sheoul, the demon realm, in order to complete their fall and become True Fallens, taking their places as demons at Satan’s side.
Guardians—Warriors for The Aegis, trained in combat techniques, weapons, and magic. Upon induction into The Aegis, all Guardians are presented with an enchanted piece of jewelry bearing the Aegis shield, which, among other things, allows for night vision and the ability to see through demon invisibility enchantments.
Harrowgate—Vertical portals, invisible to humans, which demons use to travel between locations on Earth and Sheoul. A very few beings can summon their own personal Harrowgates.
Khote—An invisibility spell that allows the caster to move among humans without being seen or, usually, heard.
Marked Sentinel—A human charmed by angels and tasked with protecting a vital artifact. Sentinels are immortal and immune to harm. Only angels (fallen included) can injure or kill a Sentinel. Their existence is a closely guarded secret.
Quantamun—A state of superaccelerated existence on a plane that allows some supernatural beings to travel among humans. Humans, unaware of what moves within their world, appear frozen in time to those inside the quantamun. This differs from the khote in that the khote operates in real time and is a spell rather than a plane of existence.
Regent—Head(s) of local Aegis cells.
Sheoul—Demon realm. Located deep in the bowels of the Earth, accessible only by Harrowgates and hellmouths.
Sheoul-gra—A holding tank for demon souls. The place where demon souls go until they can be reborn or kept in torturous limbo.
Sheoulic—Universal demon language spoken by all, although many species also speak their own language.
Sigil—Board of twelve humans known as Elders, who serve as the supreme leaders of The Aegis. Based in Berlin, they oversee all Aegis cells worldwide.
Ter’taceo—Demons who can pass as human, either because their species is naturally human in appearance or because they can shape-shift into human form.
Watchers—Individuals assigned to keep an eye on the Four Horsemen. As part of the agreement forged during the original negotiations between angels and demons that led to Ares, Reseph, Limos, and Thanatos being cursed to spearhead the Apocalypse, one Watcher is an angel, the other is a fallen angel. Neither Watcher may directly assist any Horseman’s efforts to either start or stop Armageddon, but they can lend a hand behind the scenes. Doing so, however, may have them walking a fine line that, to cross, could prove worse than fatal.
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Contents
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
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
Forty
Forty-one
Forty-two
Forty-three
Forty-four
A Preview of Eternal Rider
BONUS: Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium
Also by Larissa Ione
Acclaim for Larissa Ione’s Previous Novels
Glossary
Newsletters
Copyright
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Larissa Ione Estell
Excerpt from Eternal Rider copyright © 2011 by Larissa Ione Estell
Apocalypse: The Lords of Deliverance Compendium copyright © 2012 by Larissa Ione Estell
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at
[email protected] Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First e-book edition: November 2012
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ISBN 978-1-4555-1777-0
Larissa Ione, Rogue Rider
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