She rolled her eyes. “That’s next to impossible. Probably a replica. I told you, according to legend there are only two––”
“And one of them happens to belong to my boss.”
He really was delusional. But she played along. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll bite. Who is your boss?”
“I call him Azagoth, but you probably know him as the Grim Reaper.”
She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or laugh...harder. The Grim Reaper? Demons were always calling themselves all kinds of crazy shit. She’d met a dozen idiots who swore they were Lucifer. And a dozen more who claimed to be Jack the Ripper. Hitler. Caligula. The list went on.
“Tell you what. You prove you work for the Grim Reaper, and I’ll prove I’m an elf. Deal?”
“Deal.” Razr grinned, that killer one that made her ovaries clench. “Come on, Dobby. Let’s go.”
Chapter Nine
Dobby? Jedda revised her opinion about Razr. He was clearly broken.
Also? Sheoul-gra was super creepy.
Jedda had spent most of her life in the human realm, with occasional jaunts to the elven and demon realms, but the Grim Reaper’s home was, by far, the most unsettling place she’d been. Razr had explained it as being a holding tank for the souls of dead demons and evil humans, but apparently there were two distinct sections. One was for the living, and the other, known as the Inner Sanctum, was where the souls were kept, presided over by a fallen angel named Hades, but not until Azagoth checked out every one of them.
At first glance upon materializing on the arrival pad, everything seemed fairly normal. A green, grassy landscape stretched forever, broken by a forest in the distance. Ancient Greek-style buildings formed a small city dotted by fountains and sculptures, all lending a peaceful vibe.
But once inside the largest of the buildings, things got bizarre, weird, and a little scary. From the room filled with tortured, twisted statues to the zany little demon things Razr called griminions, Azagoth’s home left her wanting only to go back to her home.
“Why is it that I can see the griminions down here but not in the human realm?” she asked as one of them skittered past, chattering in some language that reminded her of the squirrels that scolded her every morning on the walk to work.
“It’s probably because you’re an elf. Humans can’t usually see them, either.”
“Oh, now you believe me?”
He cast her a sideways glance as they started down a shadowy hallway. “It’s actually starting to make sense.”
“Hmph.” She poked him in the ribs. “I told you so.”
“Don’t get cocky, Keebler,” he warned her, but his tone was teasing and his made-for-sin mouth was quirked in mischief. “You still haven’t proved it.”
Stubborn male. “Don’t worry, I will.” A dark, intense buzz vibrated through her, coming from a room ahead. When Razr stopped in front of it, she eyed the iron doors with curiosity. “What’s in here?”
“A bunch of shit Azagoth has collected from people who owe him.” Razr waved to a big guy with a blue Mohawk at the far end of the hall. “Or people he blackmailed. I don’t know. In any case, it’s a museum of rare and valuable crap.”
She couldn’t tell if he was kidding about the blackmail, but she didn’t really care. She’d shoved a precious gem up a dude’s ass. Who was she to judge?
“Like enchanted stones?” She bounced on her toes in excitement.
“Yeah.” He grinned. “Want to see?”
“Did you really have to ask?”
The hard clack of booted feet echoed through the hallway as Razr went to open the door.
“Hey, Razr, hold up.” The Mohawked guy was walking toward them, shirtless, his color-shifting pants making Jedda dizzy. A statuesque female, her shiny mink-brown hair piled in a knot on top of her head, walked a step ahead of him with the authority of a queen. She was a bright light in the gloom that surrounded them, her flirty yellow sundress flapping around her knees, her matching flip-flops snapping against her heels.
“What’s up?” Razr asked.
“Azagoth wants to see you in the library. Lilliana will take care of your female.”
“I’m not his female,” Jedda said, hoping she didn’t sound as flustered as she felt. “We’re...business partners.” She held out her hand. “I’m Jedda Brighton.”
Mohawk stared at her hand. The female tsked at him and took Jedda’s palm in hers. “I’m Lilliana. Azagoth is my husband.” She jacked her thumb at the Mowawked guy. “That’s Hades. He sometimes forgets basic manners.”
“Don’t need ’em where I live.”
Razr snorted. “Don’t believe him. His mate keeps him in line.”
“Pfft.” Hades waved his hand in dismissal. “She knows who rules the roost.”
Lilliana laughed. “Cat does.”
Hades’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah.” Suddenly, he grinned and waggled his brows. “But she has sex with me, so it’s all good.”
If anyone had told Jedda she’d ever be standing in front of the Hades, she’d have given them the same colorectal procedure she’d performed on Tom the Walking Whisky Dick. The thought made her realize she could use a drink, and she really wasn’t even a fan of alcohol.
“Come on, asshole.” Hades clapped Razr on the shoulder and started him down the hall, leaving her alone with a complete stranger. In a strange place. Full of strange things.
She was going to start poofing diamond dust at any moment.
“Don’t worry, Jedda,” Razr called back from over his shoulder. His gaze bored into her, assuring her with a look that he meant what he was saying. “You’re safe here. I promise.”
Was it crazy that she believed him? Someone she’d just met? Probably, but she’d never encountered anyone whose energy synced so well with hers. It was as if he was somehow reaching inside her and holding her life-stone’s essence, streaming directly from the Enoch diamond, in his palm. Was this what love felt like? Was she as crazy to think that as she was to believe in him?
“Would you like a tour?” Lilliana asked, thankfully interrupting Jedda’s insane thoughts. “The boys could be a while. Razr will find us when he’s done.”
Jedda agreed, not having anything else to do. Besides, she was curious. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and she might even discover some new gemstones in the material that made up this mysterious realm.
The tour proved to be fascinating. She and Lilliana walked through forests full of animals from the human realm, and they watched dozens of Memitim angels spar and play team sports. Apparently, the team sports were Razr’s idea to develop their teamwork skills. Lilliana said there’d been a lot of complaining and even fights at first, but now the Memitim––who were, unbelievably, all Azagoth’s children––were getting along better.
Jedda even got to meet a few Unfallen angels, which was a strange concept, and an ugly one. Apparently, Unfallen angels needed to enter Sheoul-proper in order to complete their fall and make them true fallen angels, and these people had chosen the sanctuary of Azagoth’s realm to stay safe. They lived in fear of being forcibly dragged to Hell, which would destroy any chance of redemption. Jedda shuddered as she and Lilliana walked back to the main building.
“You okay?” Lilliana asked, stepping behind Jedda to usher her through the front doors.
“I’m fine. I guess I just didn’t realize what Razr is going through. He must be terrified that he won’t be able to get back into Heaven.”
“Well,” Lilliana said wryly, “Heaven isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
Jedda thought about Becky, one of her dedicated church-going employees. “I know a few humans who would be very upset to hear that.”
Lilliana laughed. “Humans have it pretty good in Heaven. For angels…it’s all work and politics.” She turned down a narrow hallway. “You hungry? I had Suzanne put out some tea and scones.”
As if on cue, Jedda’s stomach rumbled. “My favorite.”
Lilliana led her to
a small but elegant dining room, where a table with the promised refreshments had been set out. A tall brunette female wearing jeans and a skimpy black tank top entered from an arched doorway carrying a tray of finger sandwiches.
“It’s all ready,” the female said as she placed the tray on the table. “I know you didn’t ask for the sandwiches, but I like making them.”
“Suzanne likes cutting food into tinier food,” Lilliana explained, a note of affection in her voice. “When it’s her week of kitchen duty, everything we eat is miniature.”
Suzanne jammed a fist on her hip. “If it’s bite size––”
“It’s the right size,” Lilliana finished with a teasing roll of her eyes.
“Very funny,” Suzanne muttered. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go check on my human.”
Jedda took a seat. “Her human?”
Lilliana poured tea into two delicate, gold-rimmed teacups shaped like human skulls. Sheoul-gra was the strangest, most disconcerting mix of normal and horrifying.
“Remember when I said Memitim are charged with guarding humans called primori?” Lilliana asked.
Jedda nodded, recalling Lilliana saying that primori were humans, and sometimes demons, who were in some way important to the fabric of existence.
“Well,” Lillana continued, “Suzanne just got her first primori. We’re very proud.”
Grinning, Suzanne held out her wrist, revealing a small, round mark. “This is an heraldi. It represents his life. If it burns, he’s in trouble. He’s fine right now, but I should still check on him.”
Lilliana leaned close to Jedda and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “Suzanne has a crush.”
“I do not.” Suzanne’s cheeks flamed hot, betraying her. “But he is to die for. He just needs to dump the necrocrotch skank he’s with.”
Lilliana’s smile faltered a little. “Don’t get involved, Suz. You know better.”
“I know, I know.” Suzanne gave a cheery wave as she started toward the door, probably anxious to avoid a lecture. “Sex with humans is bad. But come on, give me some credit for necrocrotch.”
“Necrocrotch?” A blond male munching on a bag of chips came out of the kitchen with another male whose long hair, a couple of shades darker, swung loosely around his shoulders. Both were dressed in leather, their chests, waists, and hips slung with weapons. “Sweet. I’m totally borrowing that.”
Lilliana gestured to the two males. “The mouthy one is Suzanne’s full brother and mentor, Hawkyn. The Fabio wannabe is Cipher. He’s Unfallen.”
“I call them the Unholy Alliance,” Suzanne chirped affectionately.
Cipher frowned. “Who’s Fabio?”
“He’s a cover model from the––” Lilliana cut off as Cipher puffed up like a rooster.
“Cover model? Fuck, yeah, I could do that.”
Hawkyn punched his buddy in the shoulder, and they squabbled good-naturedly as they left, leaving Jedda to marvel at the moment of normalcy in this incredibly bizarre place. She would never have guessed that people who lived in an underworld purgatory could be so...well, happy.
“I’m outta here, too,” Suzanne said. “My primori is waiting.”
“Just be careful,” Lilliana called out, but all she got for her effort was a flip of the middle finger as Suzanne disappeared around the corner.
“Suzanne seems like an odd name for an angel,” Jedda mused as she stared after the Memitim.
“Memitim are raised by humans, so they usually have common human names representative of the time period and region in which they were raised. Suzanne is relatively young.”
“Wow.” Jedda shook her head as she stirred honey into her tea. “Are any of the Memitim your children?”
Even before the question was fully out of her mouth, she kicked herself for asking it. Lilliana had explained that there were scores of Memitim baby-mamas, but it had only just occurred to Jedda that Lilliana might be one of them. Or not. Either way, it could be a touchy subject.
Fortunately, Lilliana didn’t appear to be bothered by the question. “Azagoth and I don’t have any children yet.” She dropped a cube of sugar in her tea. “This is our time, and we’re enjoying it.”
Wow. Jedda hadn’t spent a lot of time around demons or in the demon realm, but most of what she’d experienced when it came to demons was pure chaos. These people were focused, smart, and genuine. Reaching for a sandwich, she shook her head in amazement.
Lilliana’s mouth quirked. “What is it? You look surprised about something.”
“It’s just that I expected the Grim Reaper’s realm to be...well, not this.”
“You expected torture and misery and a whole lot of scary.”
Bingo. “I didn’t want to say it out loud, but yes.”
The other woman blew steam off the surface of her tea. “That’s how it used to be. When I got here, in fact.” She took a sip, and then she put the cup down with just the slightest tink against the plate. “Everyone’s content here now, but make no mistake, this is a hell realm. This is where demon souls and the souls of evil humans are stored. And my mate can be as evil as anything you’ve seen.”
Jedda swallowed a bite of cucumber sandwich in a painful gulp. “Can I ask you something? Something personal?”
Lilliana shrugged. “Go for it.”
“On our walk, you said you lived in Heaven and got to time-travel for a living. You gave up so much to be with Azagoth. Don’t you ever resent him? Even a little?”
“Never.” The fierceness in Lilliana’s voice made it very clear that she meant it. “I mean, I get mad at him because he can be a major asshat sometimes, but I knew what I was getting into. I make him happy, and he makes me just as happy. I’d sacrifice anything to keep it that way.”
Scuffling noises from out in the hall drew Jedda’s attention. Hades was striding toward them with a bloody body in his arms, and it took her a second to realize who it was. When she did, her heart skidded to a painful halt.
“Razr.” Terror welled in her chest as she jumped up and darted out into the corridor. Her foot slipped in blood and she nearly went down, but she caught herself on the wall just before she crashed spectacularly. “What happened?”
Lilliana grabbed her arm from behind and pulled her around, preventing her from chasing after. “His punishment. He must have gotten the signal during his meeting with Azagoth.”
“I hate that,” Jedda yelled. Adrenaline coursed through her body like a billion tiny, uncut diamonds that abraded every nerve and made her tremble with rage and helplessness. She knew Razr’s condition wasn’t Lilliana’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault who lived down here. But it was sick and twisted, and what kind of whack job devised such cruelty anyway? “It’s bullshit, and dammit, I want to help him. Right fucking now!”
Lilliana inclined her head as if she knew exactly what Jedda was going through. It didn’t even make any sense. Jedda didn’t know Razr that well. But she couldn’t fight the pull to him, the one that made her crave him and want to care for him. To watch over him when he couldn’t do it himself. She’d always been a bit of a nurturer, but she’d also been a loner, not needing anyone but herself for survival or even company.
But Razr had challenged everything she’d ever known about herself. Everything she’d ever been.
“Please,” Jedda said more calmly. “Take me to him.”
Lilliana didn’t argue. In a matter of minutes, Jedda was inside Razr’s small flat in what Lilliana had called the “instructors’ dorm,” patching him up the way she had at her own place. Other than a few hisses and groans when she’d cleaned his wounds, he’d been silent...but awake. His eyes, dulled by pain, had locked with hers now and then, and each time, she’d had to blink back tears.
He finally passed out, and she climbed into bed beside him, wondering where they went from here.
* * * *
Jedda woke to the prod of a very impressive erection against her hip. Smiling, she stretched, letting her body slide a
gainst Razr’s as he spooned her from behind.
“You awake?” he whispered into her hair. She shivered at the feel of his warm breath fanning the back of her neck like a slow caress.
In answer, she reached back and slid her hand between their bodies to grasp his cock. He gasped, arching into her palm. He was so hot, so hard, steel and satin and a drop of silken moisture. Gently, she slid her grip from the broad head to the thick base and back up, letting her fingers memorize every bump, every ridge, every smooth plane. Each stroke made him churn his hips as he nuzzled her neck and dropped his arm around her to cup her breast.
Oh, yes. This was what she’d missed when they’d had sex the other day. Not that she was complaining, but to be able to touch, to play... The decadence of it made her entire body go liquid with desire.
He pinched her nipple and rolled it between his thumb and finger, tweaking it until it was so sensitive it felt like it was directly connected to her core. An orgasm hovered between her thighs and they’d barely gotten started.
“Jedda...” His voice was so tortured, so…male, and she went utterly wet.
Twisting, she looked over her shoulder at him, and in the glow of the nightlight from the bathroom, he was incredible. Passion and raw hunger lurked in his half-lidded eyes, his full lips parted on panting breaths, and she suddenly wanted that mouth on her body. Tasting her. Licking her. Kissing her. Didn’t matter.
As if he could read her mind, he reached over and caught her chin in his hand to tilt her face toward his. As he captured her mouth, he flipped her onto her knees so they were upright, her back against his chest, his erection cradled in the seam of her ass, and his other hand playing between her legs. He was rough with her, like before in her bedroom, his tongue thrusting in her mouth, his finger thrusting in her core.
Her body jerked wildly, chasing what only he could give her.
“I don’t know why I want you so badly,” he murmured as he tore his mouth away from hers to kiss a blazing path down her neck. “You’re just so...damned...beautiful. Every time I look at you, I want to be inside you.”