The Darkest Promise--A Dark, Demonic Paranormal Romance

by Gena Showalter

  “Lazarus.” She scrambled to her knees and frantically patted his cheek. “I’m alive, not dead. Come back to me. Please.”

  No reaction. Underneath the glistening crystals, she could see the outline of his beautiful face. His eyes stared at nothing. His chest never rose or lowered with breath.

  Unacceptable!

  A strong, comforting hand squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweet. Let’s get you home.”

  “No.” She batted William away. She could feel the lure of true happiness for the first time in centuries, but a familiar grief tried to lock her in a bear trap, clamping metal spikes around her heart. Again—unacceptable. “I’m not leaving without Lazarus.”

  She would cut and hack at the crystal tomb until she reached him!

  “Listen to her.” Rathbone rubbed his healing jaw. Cameo had accidentally broken it while fighting to escape. “She means what she says.”

  “Lazarus...or what remains of him...can go with us,” William said. Pity coated every word.

  “Yes,” she said, and nodded. “Yes.” Her friends would help her. “Take us home.”

  * * *

  Days passed. Lazarus remained trapped inside the chrysalis, and Cameo remained nearby, leaving her bedroom only once. She’d given Torin the apple for safekeeping.

  “I need you, Lazarus.” She paced in front of him. “Come to me.”

  The first time she’d grabbed an ice pick, intending to chisel Lazarus free, Keeley had burst into the room, shouting, “Don’t you dare! Cut a butterfly from his chrysalis, and he will be weakened. Make him work for it, and he will be stronger.”

  Exactly what Lazarus had once told her. “He’s not a butterfly,” she’d replied. But she’d paused, her mind racing. Butterflies had swarmed the fortress ever since his return. They’d perched on Lazarus, a few times even covering him completely.

  “He is!” Keeley had said. “Finally found his info on my corkboard.” Corkboard—what she called her millennia-old brain. “He’s the son of Typhon, the last living king of butterflies.”

  “Uh, there’s no way Typhon or Lazarus were kings of freaking butterflies.” Cameo had received her first look at the Monster inside Hera’s temple. To be honest, the monster descriptor was being kind. “He would have known it. And he isn’t delicate. Or tiny. Or winged.”

  Keeley had shaken her fists at the sky. “Why does everyone only rely on their own experiences and not believe my firsthand account? Look. I knew Typhon. He was a horrid male. His great-however-many-other-greats grandmother was Hydra, and Hydra had a secret affair with the king of the Lepidoptera—warriors without equal. They branded every soldier, weapon and piece of armor with the mark of the butterfly. A symbol of rebirth, since they always came back from the dead.”

  But... “If they’re able to come back from the dead, where are they now?”

  “Perhaps they weren’t strong enough to break free of the chrysalis? Typhon wasn’t. I mean, he isn’t. He’s still trapped. I questioned William and Hades about Hera’s secret realm. The Monster is there. His chrysalis is infected—probably because of the hatred in his heart—and oozes poison.”

  Oozes. Something in the realm had oozed all right. The tar-covered tree thing that had helped Lazarus escape the homicidal vines. Was the tree his father, the chrysalis hidden underneath the ooze? Perhaps his dad wasn’t all bad?

  Never mind. Rapist. All bad.

  “A chrysalis isn’t made of crystal,” Cameo had said.

  “No. Not for insects. For immortals like Lazarus, they are made of pupa and crystal. Anyway, gotta jet. There’s a Psych marathon I’m not missing. I’m learning to be a detective.” Keeley had skipped toward the bedroom door before pausing and glancing over her shoulder. “Parting advice from the Red Queen. You need to give Lazarus a reason to keep fighting his way free.” Then she was gone.

  Now Cameo sat on her bed, directly in front of Lazarus. She rubbed the spot on her chest. The place the Paring Rod had pierced her. A thin line marked the center of her sternum. A scar...what looked to be wings branching from both sides of the line. Another butterfly, she thought with a smile. An actual smile!

  “Zeus and the rest of the Greeks escaped Tartarus,” she told Lazarus. “They’ve joined Lucifer in the war with Hades and their forces grow stronger by the day. Hera has been spotted in the third heaven, hiding among the Sent Ones. I need you here, fighting by my side. Lucien nearly died in the last battle, and Maddox has yet to recover from his newest set of wounds.”

  Nothing. No reaction.

  “Did you ever meet Atlas and Nike? They’re the Greek and Titan god and goddess of Strength. They’re married now, and they’ve allied with Hades. They convinced him to agree to the mother of all battles, set to take place in one week. I’m going to be there, in the midst of the fray. Do you really want me going without you?”

  Still nothing.

  Her nails dug into her upper thighs. Not giving up. Never giving up.

  “I’ve stolen the devotion of your pets. They fly outside my balcony, and I give them reports about your condition. You never told me the little buggers could speak eleven different languages but had chosen to speak Typhonish, the only one I didn’t know, simply to irritate me.”

  Annnd nothing.

  All right. Time to play hardball. Literally!

  “The butterfly tattoo on my back is gone. But I have another one, thanks to you.” Cameo tore her shirt over her head, ripped at the center clasp of her bra and shimmied out of her pants and underwear, leaving her bare. Cool air wafted over her as she leaned back, anchoring her weight on her elbows, and offered Lazarus a full frontal view.

  “See?” She traced her fingertips over her sternum. “What do you think?”

  Her heart raced as she waited. Hoped, prayed. But nothing happened.

  She climbed atop the bed. The sheets smelled of Lazarus, of sweet chocolate and heady champagne.

  “This is what you’re missing.” A husky note had entered her voice. “And you’re denying me what I’m missing. Your kiss...your touch...your hard and fast possession.” She cupped her breasts, plucked at her nipples. Pleasure burned through her. “Bet I can make myself come without you...but it won’t be nearly as fun. I’ll—”

  The chrysalis shattered. Shards of crystalized pupa flew in every direction. Lazarus rose, standing to his full seven foot height. His hands were balled, his chest rising and falling quickly.

  She gasped, her gaze welded to his. His eyes were...changed. They were dark, but now his irises appeared to be rimmed by the pupa he’d shed, and his skin glistened as if he’d been dipped in diamond dust. Or played motorboat with a stripper.

  “You did it!” she cried. “You broke free!”

  “So I did.”

  At the sound of his low, sexy timbre—nothing but a predatory growl—undiluted joy burst inside Cameo. “I should have gotten naked days ago.” A laugh escaped her, then. A genuine laugh.

  He sucked in a breath. “That is the laugh I have dreamed of hearing, but it is better in reality, far better than anything I’d imagined. Your laugh is magic. A spell of enchantment. An incantation meant to entice, lure and seduce, and if I hadn’t loved you already, I would have fallen right then.”

  She quieted, suddenly caught up in a maelstrom of sensations. Tingling, heat, aches and needs, so many needs. He crawled across the bed and hovered over her, his palms braced at her temples. They stared at each other for a long while, soaking up the moment. They had a future!

  He lowered his head and kissed her. His soft lips tasted her—and then they devoured her.

  By the time he lifted his head, they were both out of breath and panting.

  “I love you more than I can ever articulate, sunshine. You are my light on the darkest of days. To me, you are first. You will always be first. Nothing and no on
e will ever come before you.”

  “I love you, too. You are first...though in the spirit of full disclosure, you are tied with your penis.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Is this my sweet Cameo without a hint of misery?”

  “It is indeed. But you may call me Queen Cameo,” she corrected with a smile. “Apparently you are king of the butterflies, and as your woman, I claim half of your possessions. Starting with this...” She cupped his shaft, and he hissed in a breath. “Mmm, your love for me is growing.”

  He nipped at her bottom lip. “We are going to have a glorious life together. That is a command...and a promise.”

  “We’ll be happy,” she said, and nipped his lip right back.

  “Happy,” he confirmed. “And, sunshine? I have a feeling my love for you will grow every morning, afternoon and evening.”

  She chuckled. “Yay, me!”

  He swooped down to claim another kiss and Cameo lost herself in the promise of an eternity ever after.

  * * * * *

  Lords of the Underworld:

  INSIDER’S GUIDE

  Contents

  Lords of the Underworld: Timeline

  THE DARKEST FIRE, ebook prequel

  THE DARKEST NIGHT, story of Maddox

  THE DARKEST KISS, story of Lucien

  THE DARKEST PLEASURE, story of Reyes

  THE DARKEST WHISPER, story of Sabin

  THE DARKEST PASSION, story of Aeron

  THE DARKEST LIE, story of Gideon

  THE DARKEST SECRET, story of Amun

  THE DARKEST SURRENDER, story of Strider

  THE DARKEST SEDUCTION, story of Paris

  THE DARKEST CRAVING, story of Kane

  THE DARKEST TOUCH, story of Torin

  THE DARKEST TORMENT, story of Baden

  Lords of the Underworld:

  TIMELINE

  THE DARKEST FIRE,

  ebook prequel

  * When the goddess of Oppression dies, Hera, the queen of the Greeks, uses her bones to create dimOuniak, a small box she fills with demons. Also trapped inside is a being known as the Morning Star.

  * Zeus, king of the Greeks and husband to Hera, steals dimOuniak, and orders an immortal soldier named Pandora to guard it.

  * dimOuniak becomes known as Pandora’s box, and it is stolen by thirteen immortal warriors—Sabin, Lucien, Maddox, Baden, Strider, Torin, Gideon, Kane, Reyes, Aeron, Paris, Amun and Cameo. They are betrayed by their friend Galen, who tells Zeus of their plans. Before they can be stopped, the box is opened and the demons are unleashed. No one knows what happens to the Morning Star.

  * As punishment, the warriors responsible are paired with the demons. Maddox, new keeper of Violence, becomes crazed and slays Pandora. In turn, he is cursed to die every night only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again.

  * The warriors are kicked out of Mount Olympus and forced to live among mortals, where they become known as the Lords of the Underworld. They settle in ancient Greece.

  * Rhea, queen of the Titans and new keeper of Strife, escapes Tartarus—a prison for immortals. She allies with Galen, new keeper of False Hope and Jealousy. They recruit an army of human soldiers known as Hunters and task them with killing the Lords.

  * Baden, new keeper of Distrust, is beheaded. In their grief, the Lords split into two factions, one moving to Budapest, the other traveling the world to destroy Hunters.

  * Torin, new keeper of Disease, accidentally unleashes the Black Plague in ancient Greece.

  THE DARKEST NIGHT,

  story of Maddox

  * Titan gods escape Tartarus and take over Mount Olympus, imprisoning the Greek gods.

  * Maddox, who is part of the Budapest faction, meets a human named Ashlyn Darrow. She possesses the ability to hear any conversation that has ever taken place in a room.

  * Aeron, keeper of Wrath, is ordered by Cronus, king of the Titans, to kill a human named Danika Ford and all her family. He isn’t told why.

  * Through love and sacrifice, Ashlyn breaks Maddox’s curse to die again and again.

  * Ashlyn becomes pregnant with Maddox’s twins.

  * Aeron becomes crazed with a mystical desire to kill Danika, and the Lords are forced to lock him in the dungeon to stop him.

  * The group of Lords hunting Hunters is led to Budapest, and the twelve surviving demon-possessed warriors are reunited.

  THE DARKEST KISS,

  story of Lucien

  * Lucien, keeper of Death, meets Anya, goddess of Anarchy, at a nightclub. She is obsessed with him, determined to steal a kiss from the scarred warrior.

  * Paris, keeper of Promiscuity, is captured by Hunters. He meets Sienna Blackstone, a Hunter spy and the only woman he can bed more than once. However, she is killed by her own people during his escape.

  * Aeron breaks free of the dungeon.

  * The Lords learn about four ancient artifacts that can lead them to Pandora’s box. The box is a weapon capable of killing them all—but it might be the only key to their salvation.

  * The Cage of Compulsion, one of the four artifacts, is found.

  * William the Ever Randy—the greatest warrior of all time, just ask him—guards the Cage of Compulsion, but Lucien and Anya manage to defeat him.

  * Lucien and Anya fall in love. The greatest love story of all time—just ask her.

  * Aeron is transported to hell, where he meets a demon girl named Legion.

  THE DARKEST PLEASURE,

  story of Reyes

  * Reyes, keeper of Pain, searches for Danika Ford, desperate to protect her from Aeron’s bloodlust.

  * Aeron and Legion are rescued from hell and brought back to the Lords’ home in Budapest.

  * The Lords learn Galen is the leader of the Hunters.

  * Paris receives a boon from Cronus and, rather than saving Sienna, he uses it to save Aeron from his bloodlust.

  * Reyes saves Danika’s life and discovers she is the second artifact needed to find the box. She is the All-seeing Eye.

  * Despite their tumultuous past, Reyes and Danika fall in love.

  * Danika’s friend Gillian Bradshaw—known as Gilly Shaw when she lived on the streets—moves to Budapest and strikes up a friendship with William.

  THE DARKEST WHISPER,

  story of Sabin

  * The Lords free a Harpy named Gwendolyn Skyhawk—aka Gwen the Timid—from a Hunter prison.

  * Sabin, keeper of Doubt, is fascinated by Gwen.

  * Aeron discovers an invisible being is spying on him.

  * Paris thinks he sees Sienna—who is dead—in Budapest.

  * Hunters capture Gideon, keeper of Lies, and cut off his hands.

  * Gwen learns Galen is her father and, when the time comes, frees him rather than kills him.

  * Sabin, who has always abhorred weakness of any kind, falls in love with Gwen, anyway.

  THE DARKEST PASSION,

  story of Aeron

  * Olivia, a Sent One, is ordered to kill Aeron. But she thinks she might be in love with him and chooses to give up her wings for a chance to save him.

  * Galen successfully places the demon of Distrust in the body of his right-hand woman, Fox.

  * Legion makes a deal with Lucifer in order to become human, hoping to win Aeron’s heart.

  * Aeron rejects her gently. He is falling for Olivia.

  * The Lords capture an immortal named Scarlet, who is the keeper of Nightmares. She has a secret agenda toward Gideon.

  * Olivia steals the third artifact—the Cloak of Invisibility—from Galen.

  * In an effort to help Aeron, Legion decides to kill Galen. She seduces him instead.

  * Aeron is beheaded and freed from Wrath. Thanks to the Sent Ones, he is given a new bod
y. Now he and Olivia can be together.

  * Cronus successfully bonds the demon Wrath to the spirit of Sienna, making her immortal and tangible to the rest of the world.

  THE DARKEST LIE,

  story of Gideon

  * Scarlet believes she shares a secret past with Gideon. She thinks they were married while she was imprisoned in Tartarus and that they had a child together. Gideon remembers none of this and wonders if someone stole his memories.

  * Amun, the keeper of Secrets, Aeron and William journey to hell to save Legion, who has been captured and tortured.

  * The Lords take the three artifacts they’ve acquired and split up, hoping to prevent other immortals from stealing their property.

  * Strider, keeper of Defeat, kidnaps Haidee, an immortal Hunter who helped kill Baden. He can’t bring himself to kill her.

  * Gideon fails to kill Galen.

  * Legion is rescued from hell, and in the process Amun is infected by new demons.

  * Gideon and Scarlet learn the truth about their past, but the past doesn’t matter. Only the future. They have fallen in love.

  THE DARKEST SECRET,

  story of Amun

  * Amun and Haidee enter hell to rid Amun of his newest demons. She is the only one who can quiet the evil whispers in his head.

  * Strider, William and Paris go on vacation. Kaia, a Harpy, joins them, hoping to seduce Strider.

  * Amun meets the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, William’s children.

  * Amun finds himself falling for Haidee, despite her past actions against Baden.

  * Haidee is killed and reanimated because she’s possessed by the demon of Hate.

  * Only when Haidee and Amun give in to their feelings for each other is Love able to overcome Hate, allowing the pair to live happily-ever-after.