Halloween in Hell
Ashley Stoyanoff
Ashley Stoyanoff Books
London, Ontario
Copyright © 2016, Ashley Stoyanoff
Cover Art by Mayhem Cover Creations © 2016, L.J. Anderson
Edited by Kathryn Calvert
Published by Ashley Stoyanoff Books
http://AshleyStoyanoff.com
Produced in Canada
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.
Halloween in Hell is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Dedication
1. Liv
2. Jaxon
3. Liv
4. Jaxon
5. Liv
6. Jaxon
7. Liv
Note from the Author
Titles by Ashley Stoyanoff
About the Author
Dedication
For Andrew.
You are a reason to smile and you give great hugs.
Never change.
1
Liv
Making a quiet entrance had never been his style, but crashing into a waitress and knocking a tray full of mugs out of her hands surely had to be an accident.
When the portal opened up in Witches Brew Coffee Shop, everyone, including the barista, stopped and stared. I was in a hurry, of course—there was only one coffee shop on this side of the campus. One coffee shop, one barista, one waitress, and you were lucky if there wasn’t a lineup outside the door at any given time.
I looked up, sighing as Jaxon—my ex—materialized, stepping through the portal and grunting as he collided right into the back of a waitress. The tray in her hand teetered, before toppling over, the mugs shattering on the ceramic floor with a loud crash.
“Sorry, Lucy,” Jaxon said, his rich voice carrying through the shop as he reached out, steadying the brunette, and then with a snap of his fingers, the tray was back in her hands, the mugs all back in one piece.
I watched him, frozen, because I just couldn’t help myself. The man had always been worth looking at, even before I knew who he was. He had raven black hair, the cut, close cropped. He wasn’t overly big, but he was muscular, and the perfect height. Not too tall, not too short. He was wearing a tee, black, with blue jeans, and a pair of kickass blue and black sneakers. And he was smiling. Dear Goddess, I loved that smile.
He turned toward me, his gaze hitting mine, and I felt my heart actually squeeze a little. Jaxon watched me in silence for a long moment, his smile slowly fading away, and then stepped toward me.
“Hey, Liv.” He had a deep voice, warm and hard all mixed into one. The sound made me shiver. I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or dread.
Probably both.
My heart was pounding fast. I smiled, or I tried to, but it felt forced and unnatural. “Maybe next time you should try the door like a normal person,” I said. I was kidding, but he didn’t smile.
“I’m not exactly normal,” he said seriously. “And I’m not exactly a person either.”
That was true. He wasn’t a person, exactly. Jaxon was a demon, but not just any demon. He was the son of the Devil, and the next in line to take over Hell.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, because he shouldn’t have been here. He was supposed to be in Hell, training with the king himself.
“It’s Monday.” He took a few steps toward me, seemingly oblivious to the attention he was drawing, but I wasn’t. People were staring. I could see it. Shit, I could almost feel it. Since his little secret came out a couple of months ago, the man couldn’t go anywhere without people watching.
“Okay …” I said, and then waited for him to elaborate. The line moved, and I moved with it. I was one person away from getting my mocha. I really needed that mocha.
When he only stood there staring at me, I waved an impatient hand. “And that’s important why?”
He huffed and eyed me suspiciously. “It’s Halloween and you haven’t RSVP’d for my party yet.”
I’d known it was coming, of course, but I’d let myself think that maybe he’d just not notice that I hadn’t responded. Honestly, I’d been hoping he wouldn’t clue in until it was too late.
I felt my heart rate pick up faster, and I hated myself for it. When the pumpkin colored envelope had appeared on my pillow last week, my first instinct was to say yes immediately. But then, as I ran a finger over his signature and thought about the night we broke up, my heart started to ache. So I’d tucked it away into my nightstand, and tried—hard—to pretend I never saw it.
“Party?” I folded my arms over my chest and pretended to think.
“Yeah, the Halloween party in Hell.”
“Right, the party!” I snapped my fingers as though I’d forgotten all about it. “It must have slipped my mind.”
He smiled—finally—that dimpled smile that always made my stomach clench. “Sure it did.”
I laughed.
Jaxon didn’t, although he did keep smiling.
“Um … Please tell me you didn’t drop by to personally collect my response.”
“Of course I did.”
I snorted. “A little desperate, don’t you think?”
Another flash of dimples, and then he said, “It’s a little late to play hard to get now, don’t you think?”
He was just teasing, I knew it, but that didn’t stop the heat from creeping up my neck and settling in my cheeks. I was certain I was as red as a tomato. I took a deep breath and glanced around. People were still staring, but that wasn’t really a surprise. People always stared when the Prince of Hell was around.
“That was a mistake,” I muttered, biting my bottom lip.
I glared at him and he stood there for a moment and stared, surprised, a little frown creasing his forehead. He took another step toward me, and reached out a hand, running his fingertips down the side of my face, along my jawline, before brushing his thumb across my lips. His touch sent a jolt through me and I froze, my eyes closing. “You don’t mean that.”
Another truth. I didn’t mean it, but I wished I did. I wished I could be a stone-cold bitch. Wished I didn’t turn into a mushy puddle every single time I saw him.
But I did.
I always did.
He was gorgeous. He was amazing and sweet and powerful. And I wanted him.
I wanted him so freakin’ much.
But Jaxon had made his choice, and it wasn’t me.
And that was exactly why I shouldn’t go to the party. I didn’t trust myself to steer clear of the demon, not on Halloween.
There was a second of breathless silence, and then Jaxon said, “Your sisters will be there.”
That’s because my sisters were over-sexed demon lovers. Not that I blamed them. Demons were excellent boyfriend material. Unlike warlocks, they were loyal, they were powerful, and when they picked a mate, it was for life. And Halloween was the night that most demons chose to mate. Actually, most found the call to claim their mate irresistible under a full Halloween moon, especially Hell’s moon. The magic was just too strong to deny, or so I was told.
I smiled at him a little fuzzily; the effect he had on me was making me feel high. “Of course they’ll be there,” I said. “But I
don’t know if I should—”
He held up a hand, stopping me. “You should.”
Silence. A really long, drawn out one, and then a lazy, one dimpled smile split his lips that made my breath hitch and my lady parts tingle and pulse. “I brought you something.”
I blinked, surprised, glancing down at his empty hands. “You brought me something?”
He nodded. “Hold out your hand, palm up.”
I did. I couldn’t help myself, and with a snap of his fingers, I suddenly had a pumpkin colored bag hanging from my palm. I glanced up at him, arching a brow.
“It’s a costume,” he said, and ran his hands over his hair. “I really hope you’ll come tonight, Liv.”
“I’ll think about it,” I heard myself say, feeling a pure burst of something that resembled panic, mixed with excitement. I clasped my hand around the bag handles.
More silence.
I stared at him.
He stared right back at me.
My stomach fluttered and my heart squeezed.
The line moved again; it was finally my turn to order. “Thanks for the costume, Jax. Maybe I’ll see you later.”
And then, I turned from him and stepped up to the counter, ordering my mocha.
2
Jaxon
Maybe the costume was a bad idea, but I’d wanted to make sure she knew I planned on getting her back, and I’d figured bringing her something that represented her favorite holiday might have helped her remember that she was mine. She belonged by my side.
But, yeah, the costume probably wasn’t the way to show her that. It definitely hadn’t produce the reaction I’d been looking for. I should have brought her flowers, some orange and black roses.
No. Scratch that. I should have gotten her a pumpkin. Liv loved pumpkins. Loved them almost as much as she loved Halloween.
When she’d turned away to order her coffee, I hadn’t waited to see if she’d look in the bag, before summoning a portal. Call me a coward, but given her quick brush-off, I hadn’t wanted to see any hints of disappointment on her pretty face if she didn’t like it. I didn’t think I could handle it.
Hell was teeming with excited energy when I stepped through the portal into the Great Hall. My father’s demons were everywhere, setting up for the party. The band was setting up on the stage. Chairs and tables were being set out. Decorations were being hung.
Nobody looked at me as I walked around the room. I went by the stage, and checked out the tables. Many of them already had centerpieces—a skull inside a cake plate with wilted rose petals scattered around the outside of the plate. Perfect. Liv would love them.
I moved from table to table, inspecting everything. This year we were going for a traditional mortal theme because, well, that’s what Liv liked. Zombies, witches, vampires, tacky decorations. Fake spider webs hung in the corners, ghosts and bats hung from the ceiling. There were even a few skeletons and tombstones scattered throughout the room. But as I continued to scan the room, my smile faltered. There were no—absolutely no—pumpkins.
Panic coursed through me, seizing my ability to move. I wanted to make this the best Halloween party ever, one that Liv would never forget. And a Halloween without pumpkins …
No. Not acceptable.
I had to do something.
Okay.
Okay, okay, okay.
Don’t panic.
It was only a little after eleven o’clock in the morning. Plenty of time to get this fixed, and have everything ready before the party started.
“We need pumpkins,” I shouted. “Big ones.”
Fredrick, one of my father’s advisors, scurried over to me. The short green-scaled demon looked up at me with questioning beady black eyes. He hesitated for about a second, just long enough for me to know he was surprised by my demand, then asked, “Pumpkins, sir?”
“Yeah, pumpkins,” I said. “Replace all the chairs with big ass carved pumpkins.”
“I don’t think that’s—”
“I didn’t ask you what you thought,” I said flatly, cutting him short. “I want this place to look like Halloween. And pumpkins—carved jack-o-lanterns—are exactly what we need.”
Fredrick’s face went blank—completely blank—except for his eyes, which shone with amusement. They all thought it was hilarious that I wanted a mortal style Halloween party. “Yes, sir,” he said, and his voice was just as blank as his face. He hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, glancing around the room, a small smile curling his scaly green face. “I’m on it, sir.”
And then he turned from me, barking out orders.
Well, I thought. At least that’s fixed. I just hope she shows up to see them.
“Pumpkins aren’t going to make her forgive you, big brother.” Suzie. I turned toward the sound of her voice. She was on the stage, staring at me. I hadn’t noticed her there, but that was probably because I was thinking about the damn pumpkins.
She was right though. Pumpkins weren’t going to make Liv forgive me, but damn, they might help make her temporarily forget how much of an ass I was.
My little sister dropped the power cords she was trying to untangle and hopped down from the stage, strolling toward me. She was already in costume. A princess, I thought, although she had her fangs extended. Maybe a vampire princess? I wasn’t one-hundred percent sure. Her long dress was pink with white lace around the hem, collar, and sleeves, and she was wearing a sparkling, gem-filled tiara.
“I don’t need her to forgive me,” I said. I shoved my hands in my pockets and clenched my jaw. I didn’t like talking about all the mistakes I had made with Liv, especially not with my sister. She was fifteen, still too young, and far too sheltered to really get it. “I just need her to give me another shot.”
She laughed, but it sounded a little shaky and a little wrong, and she tucked a long strand of her dark brown hair behind her ear. “I’m surprised she agreed to come.”
“She didn’t,” I said, a bitter bite to my tone. “She said she’d think about it.”
Suzie nodded slowly as though she’d already known what Liv’s response was, and then she smiled mischievously, flashing her fangs. “I might be able to help you with that.”
I snorted out another laugh. “You can’t help.”
Suzie looked at me, blinked once, twice, then her expression shifted and she looked offended, although when she replied, her voice was cheerful, “See, that’s why Liv left you. You’re so bull-headed, never trusting anyone enough and never accepting help when you clearly need it. Trust me, brother. I can help you get her here. After that, though, it’s up to you.”
“Suzie—” I frowned at her for a second, and then shook my head. Shit. Was I really considering letting my little sister help me convince my girl to come to Hell? I sighed. Yep, I most definitely was. “Okay, fine, kiddo. What did you have in mind?”
3
Liv
I glanced at the sexy witch costume spread out at my feet on my bed. It was mostly black. A black corset with white floral embroidery down the center, a sheer black lace skirt, and a black velvet witch hat.
I ran my fingertips along the soft brim of the hat. I couldn’t believe Jaxon picked this out. It was perfect. Beyond perfect. It would cover me up, but still give me a sexy edge, and a witch dressing up as a witch …
Damn, I loved his sense of humor.
Add in some knee high black leather boots and a swipe of deep red lipstick and the outfit would be amazing.
And seeing the look on Jaxon’s face when he saw me in it would be even better.
My heart ached with how good it was to see him today, and at the same time, how much it hurt. I’d missed him so much over the last two months, but I refused to be with a man who felt he couldn’t be himself with me. It just wasn’t … healthy.
I’d met Jaxon just over a year ago now. It was on my first day of classes at Gates of Hell University. I’d bumped into him at Witches Brew—literally—and dumped my mocha all over his crisp white T-shirt. H
e’d taught me a spell that day, one that I’ve used many times since, to clean up the awful stain on his shirt, and I’d fallen fast and hard. He’d been so sweet, so charming, not to mention, such a good sport about my clumsiness, and everything had been good for a while—great, actually.
And then the truth came out, and all of his deceptions had ripped us apart.
But I still missed him. Missed him so damn much.
I froze at the sound of a soft knock on the door. I didn’t go to answer it immediately, although I did turn to it. Taking a few deep breaths, I shook my head, trying to push away the memories of Jaxon, and listened, hoping whoever it was would just go away.
I didn’t want to see anyone.
I didn’t want anyone to see me.
The knock came again.
Sighing, I crawled off the bed, careful not to ruffle the costume, and went to the door, standing up on tiptoes to peek out the peephole. Suzie, Jaxon’s little sister, stood there.
I opened the door.
Suzie was smiling, dressed up in the prettiest pink and white lace dress I’d ever seen. She grabbed me in a hug, and I rocked back a little from the impact. She beamed up at me when she stepped back. “Hiya, Liv.”
“Suzie … um, hey,” I said, frazzled, and hastily stepped back, letting her come in. “What’s up, sweetie?”
She came inside, closed the door behind her, and said, “Get your costume on. We’re going to be late for the party.”
I bit my lip and glanced at the clock. It was a little after nine. Then, I looked at the costume, indecisive. Goddess help me, but I wanted to go. I knew it wasn’t a good idea, but I wanted to anyway.
After a moment, I gave her an apologetic smile. “Um … no. I don’t think I’m going to go.”