by Debra Dunbar
“This is going to be a raging mass of infection by the end of the week,” he commented.
I winced as he touched the torn skin. “I know, but I can’t heal myself for a bit. I’ll explain later. I know we’re in a hurry, and, for once, I don’t want to be late either. Can you just help me find a hat?”
“No.”
With that one word, he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me. The feel of his lips on mine, of his energy singing through me — it knocked the breath out of me. My chest ached then caught fire, so hot that I shivered and burned at the same time. It was just a kiss, a simple kiss, and yet it burned through me like a branding iron. I wrapped myself around him, diving my hands down the collar of his shirt and winding my legs around his hips. The angel’s hands slid down under my rear to hold me up and press me against him. I felt fingers digging into my ass through my jeans, erasing the feel of Rafi’s and overlaying them with his own mark. Not that he needed to — I was his, and only his. No one, human, demon, or angel, had ever brought me so far beyond myself. I trusted him with every part of me. With him, I was more than just an imp.
He gently broke our kiss, nibbling along my cheek to my ear before pulling back to meet my eyes. Even as he set me back to the ground, easing his body from mine, I felt him. I’d always feel him — his mouth on mine, his spirit–self joining with mine, his skin against mine. Always.
My scalp tingled. I raised a hand to feel a full head of hair covering a completely intact scalp. He’d healed me. No need for a hat, or that bloody shirt draped across one of my dining–room chairs.
I smiled up at him, rubbing the top of my head. “I didn’t think to have Rafael heal me. I wonder why he didn’t suggest it?”
“If Rafi had healed you, I would have nailed his wings together and tossed him off a cliff.”
That dangerous glint was back. I felt my blood bubble, wanting him against me once more, but we had a meeting to attend.
“Shall we go?” Gregory opened his arms, and I fell into him. “I have a premonition this will be a very unconventional meeting.”
As I suspected, we weren’t the last to arrive at the Marriott. Sleazy and Gabriel had already taken their places. Gabe’s face looked like storm clouds on the ocean.
“Rafael will be right back,” he huffed. “It seems Chabriel is having some problems in his circle of Aaru and is unable to transport without assistance.”
I snickered, quickly covering it up by coughing and thumping my chest. The angels sat like statues, paging through some report. I got a cup of coffee and plopped down in my chair, slurping the beverage noisily. Ten minutes later, there was a flash, and the other two angels appeared. Rafi was his usual gorgeous self. Chabriel was not.
Once again, I had to fake a cough. The angel looked like someone had run over him with a lawn mower — repeatedly. His clothing hung in shreds from his body, and circular bites on his face and arms slowly bled onto the table and paperwork. Deep diagonal scratches scored the angel’s forehead, flanked on either side by inflamed, puffy skin.
Gabriel and Sleazy raised their eyebrows as they took in Chabriel’s appearance.
Gregory cleared his throat. “Shall we begin?”
No. I had some additional smackdown to deliver. “What the fuck happened to you? I didn’t realize things had gotten so contentious in Aaru that someone would have the balls to beat the shit out of a member of the Ruling Council.”
“You did this,”Chabriel hissed. “We’re stuck in corporeal form, unable to repair our injuries, and there is a pack of wild, vicious animals running around my circle.”
“Wow, how unfortunate.” I couldn’t keep the grin from my face. “You might want to put some Neosporin on that forehead, otherwise you’ll have a nasty infection going on by the end of the week. Or not. I’m thinking that pus–filled wounds would only improve your appearance.”
Finally. Chabriel launched himself across the table at me with a roar. Clearly he wasn’t used to being confined entirely to a human form, because he only made it halfway across. It was totally comical to watch him face down on the table, flailing his arms and legs as he attempted to scoot the remaining distance towards me. The other angels tried to pull him back into his seat. I watched him struggle, and then threw my coffee in his face.
His screams of rage were gratifying, but that was it. With only a human’s strength, the other angels managed to pry him off the table and slam him back into his chair.
“She did this to me! She was in my circle. This is an assault upon my person and the angels in my choir.”
“Nonsense.” Gregory frowned at the other angel. “The Iblis was in her earthly home. I arrived there to transport her to the meeting and saw her myself.”
Chabriel stuttered a few words before clamping his lips shut as he glared at Gregory. Clearly he didn’t want to accuse the powerful angel of lying to protect his lover. “Then she was in my circle directly beforehand. She must have gated back to her house after releasing the spell and the animals.”
“Right. Did this happen yesterday? Because you know how long it takes me to gate anywhere I want to go. If it was, as you say, ‘directly beforehand’ then I’d still be in Tanzania or Romania.”
“Someone helped you.”
“Enough!” Gabriel slammed a fist on the table. I swear the temperature in the room dropped twenty degrees. “I have no time for bickering, or for Chabriel’s ridiculous accusations. If there is a complaint to be made, follow proper channels. Now shut up so we can complete this meeting.”
Wow. Maybe I did like Gabriel after all.
“The Iblis has laid claim to the Nephilim and their descendants, currently called werewolves, stating that as they are the product of sinful angels, they are her responsibility to punish and rehabilitate.”
“No! They’re ours. Next thing you know, she’ll be demanding the sires of these Nephilim, too.” Sleazy looked quite distraught at the prospect.
Rafael lifted one shoulder. “Maybe she should. Our punishment clearly hasn’t been enough of a deterrent. Don’t you think the threat of eternity under the very creative thumb of the Iblis would frighten the most rebellious of angels?”
Gabriel cut him off with a wave of his hand. “If the Iblis wants to put forth that claim, we’ll need to add it to a future agenda. Today we need to discuss the issue on the table. I met with her, and I do believe that in our current state, we should welcome her assistance. The Nephilim have long been an embarrassing problem. We have difficulty finding them and delivering justice. The Iblis is better suited to these things.”
“I don’t like it,” Chabriel commented. Sleazy nodded.
“Are one of you proposing to assume responsibility for the Nephilim and their descendants?” Gregory asked, looking at each angel in turn.
“No!” Sleazy squeaked.
“That’s always been the responsibility of the Grigori,” Chabriel sneered. “Are you saying you can’t handle it?”
Ouch. I winced and waited for Gregory to finish the job the durfts had started. Instead he just sighed and shook his head. “When the first Grigori came to assist the humans, there were one million of them. There are now over six billion. The priority of this group has always been the humans. Let’s keep it so.”
“Fine.” Chabriel crumpled up the paper before him and threw it onto the floor. “I don’t trust her, though. Who is going to keep an eye on her and make sure she is truly punishing and rehabilitating as she’s supposed to?”
The room became eerily silent. Angels cast furtive glances at each other then pointedly examined the ceiling. Again Gregory sighed. “Fine. I’m down there anyway, managing the Gregori. I’ll keep an eye on her. But someone else has to head up these meetings and take the lead in keeping Aaru on the correct path. I can be in two places at once, but not at my optimal power.”
Everyone squirmed in their chairs and continued to find the ceiling particularly fascinating.
“Don’t all volunteer at once, now,” Gregory drawl
ed.
Silence.
“Gabriel. You’re the next eldest in Uriel’s absence. I’m appointing you.”
Gabe’s eyes widened in shock, but he couldn’t hide the quick smile, or the flush that briefly stained his pale cheeks. “I’m honored you consider me capable, my brother.”
Wow. One quick meeting and Gregory had his puppet dictator, I had the Nephilim and werewolves, and I’d watched Chabriel humiliated in front of his peers. Best. Day. Ever.
“Meeting adjourned.” Gregory rose as the other angels vanished, Raphael escorting Chabriel back to Aaru. “Need a lift, Cockroach?”
“Damned straight I do.” I launched myself into his arms and shamelessly felt him up.
“Ready?” He smiled down at me, rubbing a lock of my hair between his fingers.
I was ready. Ready for a crazy future with my angel by my side.
–Epilogue–
To the Most Noble Iblis, from the Freeman, Gareth the Sorcerer
Sam — Your five demons returned and immediately began projectile vomiting all over my shop. I still can’t get the smell out. They also stole three explosive beetles, a mirror of fate, and an endless rope. I’ve added these plus a damages and cleaning fee to your account. Please see me upon your return to Hel to settle up.
P.S. I am calling in one of your favors. Just a little project I’ll need you to undertake for me. After bringing Hel and a sizable chunk of the angels’ territory under your wing, this should be child’s play.
I showed the note to Gregory. “No rest for the wicked, huh?”
He smiled and pulled me against him. “Not for the next few millennium, at the very least.”
Debra Dunbar primarily writes dark fantasy, but has been known to put her pen to paranormal romance, young adult fiction, and urban fantasy on occasion. She lives on a farm in the northeast section of the United States with her husband, three boys, and a Noah’s ark of four legged family members. When she can sneak out, she likes to jog and ride her horse, Treasure. Treasure, on the other hand, would prefer Debra stay on the ground and feed him apples.
About the Author
Debra Dunbar primarily writes dark fantasy, but has been known to put her pen to paranormal romance, young adult fiction, and urban fantasy on occasion. She lives on a farm in the northeast section of the United States with her husband, three boys, and a Noah’s ark of four legged family members. When she can sneak out, she likes to jog and ride her horse, Treasure. Treasure, on the other hand, would prefer Debra stay on the ground and feed him apples.
Connect with Debra Dunbar on Facebook , on Twitter @Debra_Dunbar, or at her website
Thank you for your purchase of this book. If you enjoyed it, please leave a review on Goodreads, or at the e-retailer site from which you purchased it. Readers and authors both rely on fair and honest reviews.
Books in the Imp Series
A DEMON BOUND (Imp Series, Book 1)
Samantha Martin is an imp, enjoying an extended vacation from Hel. All she wants to do is drink beer by the pool, play mischievous pranks on the humans, and get her hot neighbor in the sack. It’s a relaxing break from her infernal home, as long as she manages to avoid the angels, who won’t hesitate to execute her on sight.
But when her naughty hellhound lands her in trouble with the local werewolf pack, Sam is blackmailed into helping track and catch a killer. The steps she must take to appease the werewolves will put her right in the crosshairs of the angels. And with angels, there is no second chance.
SATAN'S SWORD (Imp Series, Book 2)
Samantha Martin is an imp, bound by an angel who allows her to live among the humans… as long as she follows his rules. It’s not easy for an imp to follow the rules, especially when Sam’s brother, Dar, finds himself in hot water. He needs her help to retrieve an artifact from the vampires, or the powerful demon he owes a favor to will enslave and torture him for centuries. It should be a simple courier job, but with demons nothing is simple. Sam reluctantly attempts to help her brother, trying not antagonize the vampires or the demon gunning for him, all while chafing to comply with the restrictions her angel has placed on her as a bound demon.
ELVEN BLOOD (Imp Series, Book 3)
Sam may be the Iblis, but she is also an imp with a price on her head. The powerful demon, Haagenti, won’t rest until she’s dragged back to Hel for “punishment”. Sam knows she can’t face Haagenti and win, so when an Elf Lord offers to eliminate the demon in return for her help, Sam jumps at the chance. It’s a simple job – find and retrieve a half-breed monster dead or alive. But finding this demon/elf hybrid isn’t proving easy and time is running out.
DEVIL’S PAW (Imp Series, Book 4)
For once no one wants to kill Samantha Martin. She’s free to do all the things a mischievous imp loves to do- like remove all the county speed limit signs, and wrap City Hall in crime scene tape. Her only worry beyond organizing the delivery of her boyfriend’s birthday present, is writing those pesky four nine five reports for the Ruling Council of Angels. But imps can never stay out of trouble for long.
Demon corpses have been found drained of all energy, their spirit selves ripped clean from their bodies. Sam’s angel, Gregory, considers her a prime suspect, so when an angel is discovered dead in the same manner, he drags her to Seattle and Juneau to try to clear her name. The race is on to find the murderer before Sam’s secret is exposed and she’s blamed for the deaths. But is a devouring spirit really the killer, or is there more to the deaths than either Sam or Gregory suspect?
IMP FORSAKEN (Imp Series, Book 5)
Sam is banished to Hel, the bond with her angel, Gregory, broken. Six Elven kingdoms are battling for supremacy, and she’s broken and injured in the middle of the most hostile one. Shooting the top off a royal throne, committing fraud in the completion of a contract, and threatening a high lord hasn’t endeared her to the elves, either. If she wants to free the enslaved humans they hold, she’ll need to find a way to help unite their kingdoms.
But elves aren’t the only problem facing Sam. The ancient demon, Ahriman is holding her to the terms and conditions of the breeding contract she signed – and one thousand years under his claw is looking to be the most terrifying thing in all of Hel.
IMP (Imp Series, prequel novella)
Demon young are cruel, especially to little imps like Az. No matter where she hides, even deep in the swamplands, her siblings eventually find her and hurt her, ripping off her scales and slicing her wings. Many demons don’t live to adulthood. Only the strong survive. And the clever.
Survival isn’t looking probable for Az, with eldest brother, Paquit, determined to rip her to shreds at every opportunity. When her other brother, Dar, proposes a trip through the angelic gates into the land of the humans, she jumps at the chance. Finally, a fun adventure safe from Paquit’s cruelty and attacks. Or maybe not.
NO MAN'S LAND (An Imp World novel)
Kelly’s family has beaten her nearly to death, yanked her fangs and discarded her in West Virginia – a buffer zone between two contentious vampire families. It’s impossible for a vampire to survive in exile, especially without fangs. Desperate, Kelly will do anything to convince her family to take her back.
Jaq’s werewolf pack calls West Virginia their territory. They keep it that way by killing every vampire that crosses the border from either side. When she finds a vampire abandoned and dying, she throws caution to the winds and nurses her back to health. Now Jaq’s in the difficult position of keeping Kelly safe from her own pack until the vampire is allowed back into her family.
But the vampire factions are on the warpath, and the werewolf territories are smack in the middle. Both Jaq and Kelly must make allies of old enemies to protect what’s theirs and to carve out a family that's more than blood.
STOLEN SOULS (An Imp World novel)
Nyalla is dog–sitting for Satan. It's a sweet gig for a girl who, up until recently, had been a slave to the elves in Hel. The house is amazing, she's got the key to
the Corvette, and although Boomer is a Hellhound, he's also a lovable, slobbery companion.
When a newly interred corpse vanishes, followed by a series of grisly murders, Nyalla can't help but wonder if Boomer's odd diet has taken a deadly turn. Could the dog be to blame or is there a more sinister creature on the loose? Nyalla must stop who is behind it all before more die — and before the county puts Boomer on death row.
DEMONS OF DESIRE (An Imp World novel) Release date: July 2014
Amber’s succubus desires are driving her, as well as every man within a five mile radius, crazy — and, Irix, the sexy incubus sent to tutor her, isn’t helping one bit. Determined to find some balance in her life as well as get away from his tempting presence, she escapes to visit a college friend in New Orleans.
But the Big Easy is anything but peaceful. Two powerful witch covens are battling for control of the mighty river and the potent ley lines that run through the city. Amber discovers her half–elven heritage may just resolve their differences, but the covens have other, more lethal, ideas. She knows she can restore the elemental energy to balance, but it’s not easy to play peacemaker when her succubus side wants to drown the whole city in a tide of lust.
The tensions between the covens are her only trouble. There’s nowhere Amber can run to escape the siren–call of her demon nature, and no where she can run to escape the seductive incubus who won’t seem to take “no” for an answer.
ANGEL OF CHAOS
Samantha Martin didn’t want the title of Iblis and all the hellish responsibility that comes with it. She sure as heck didn’t want these feathery angel wings permanently affixed to her back– although those have their perks. She especially doesn’t want all the extra projects the Ruling Council keeps dumping on her plate.
