Masters of Seduction: Books 1-4: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by Lara Adrian

“Angel fire,” she said, peering over the rock toward the shadows at the far end of the room.

  She’d muted her illumination, making it impossible to see through the murky darkness where the Conclave was gathered.

  Crap.

  “I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never seen it in action,” Jian rasped, his voice thick with disbelief. “Can you do that?”

  “My power isn’t nearly as great as the Conclave’s,” she said, chewing her bottom lip as she tried to judge the distance between them and the gateway. Could they make it without getting hit by the Conclave’s powers? “But I do have some fire.”

  “You really are a dangerous female,” he muttered.

  “Look out,” she cried as there was another loud buzz.

  They both ducked behind the rock, then without thinking, Muriel lifted her hand and sent a bolt of her own magic. She hadn’t lied when she said she didn’t have the same power as the Conclave, but she did have an intimate knowledge of these caverns, and with unerring accuracy hit the fault line at the far end of the ceiling.

  There was a momentary silence before a sharp crack echoed through the Oubliette, and with astonishing force the heavy rocks collapsed from above to bury the opposite end of the cavern in a pile of rubble.

  There were screams of pain and fury from the angels who were buried beneath the avalanche of stone. Not that the cave-in would actually kill them, but it took even a powerful angel time to remove several tons of rock.

  Shock jolted through her.

  What had she done?

  It was one thing to escape with Jian. It was quite another to actually attack the Conclave.

  Of course, they had been trying to kill her, she acknowledged, a hysterical urge to laugh bubbling through her. Surely she was allowed to protect herself?

  “Are you okay?”

  Muriel gave a shake of her head, coughing at the thick cloud of dust that filled the air.

  “I wasn’t hit,” she assured her companion.

  Without warning, Jian grabbed her shoulders so he could gently turn her to meet his searching gaze.

  “That wasn’t what I meant,” he murmured softly, surrounding her in the comforting warmth of his magic. “It’s difficult to battle your own people.”

  A portion of her distress eased.

  It was difficult, but she had no choice.

  Not if she was going to survive.

  “I’m fine,” she said. And she was. The horror of attacking her leaders was already fading as she savored Jian’s gentle touch. This male had stood by her and healed her, while her own people had dismissed her as collateral damage. They no longer deserved her loyalty. In fact, she would do everything in her power to protect Jian against them. “Besides, I didn’t really hurt them. It only slowed them down.”

  “It’s all we need.” Rising to his feet, Jian glanced around the cavern that remained undamaged, ensuring that there were no other angels hidden among the shadows. Then, stepping around the rock he headed straight for the gateway. “I’ll go first.”

  Muriel hurried to catch up with his long strides, easily sensing his tension.

  “What are you expecting?” she demanded, belatedly realizing that escaping the Oubliette might be the beginning of their danger.

  “The angels aren’t the only ones who will be expecting us to use this gateway,” he muttered, his steps never slowing.

  “Jian.” She grabbed his arm, bringing him to a halt.

  His lean body hummed with obvious impatience, but he readily turned to cup her face in his hands.

  “Trust me, Muriel,” he murmured, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. “I swear I’ll protect you.”

  As if she’d ever doubt his fierce instinct to keep her safe.

  She shook her head, fear twisting her gut.

  Not for herself.

  But for this male who would sacrifice everything for her.

  “I know that. It’s…” Her words trailed away as her emotions threatened to overcome her.

  He frowned in concern. “Muriel?”

  She gazed into his lean, painfully beautiful face before she went on her tiptoes to kiss him with a hint of desperation.

  She’d just found this sexy, gorgeous, wondrous male.

  She couldn’t bear to lose him.

  “Just don’t get yourself killed,” she commanded in a husky voice.

  The golden eyes flared with a devotion that made her melt.

  “I have no intention of dying,” he promised. “Not when I have so much to live for, my sweet angel.” His skimmed his fingertips over her face, as if memorizing each feature. Then he slowly stepped back and squared his shoulders. “Ready?”

  She sucked in a deep breath.

  “Ready.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Jian forced himself to step forward, acutely aware of the woman who followed him with complete trust.

  Gods. The last thing he wanted was to lead his beautiful angel into even more danger, but it wasn’t like they had any choice.

  They couldn’t stay in the Oubliette.

  Not with the Conclave clearly determined to kill them.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t doubt for a second that they were jumping directly from the frying pan into the fire.

  Entering the gateway, he felt a prickle of magic dance over his skin, then he was through and standing in the ornate bedchamber.

  For a second he felt oddly disoriented as he adjusted to his world.

  The room was shrouded in shadows, but he sensed that it was early morning. Just as he sensed that more than a day had passed since he’d last stood in this spot.

  Whether it was a week or a month was impossible for him to determine.

  Dammit.

  Pulling out his phone, he was relieved to discover that he had enough service to send a quick text to Taka. His brothers had no doubt been preparing the House of Xanthe for war.

  Now he urged his bodyguard to warn his family to wait on any plots of revenge for his disappearance.

  Sliding the phone back into the pocket of his jeans, he clutched his dagger in one hand while tugging Muriel toward the silk screen that divided the room.

  “Stay here,” he murmured softly, his gaze locked on the doorway that led toward the outer hallway.

  “This is the fortress?” Muriel whispered, her eyes wide as she took in the heavy tapestries and mosaic tiled floor.

  “Yes, and we’re not alone,” he warned.

  “Another Blade?” Muriel demanded.

  “Not this time. Watchmen,” he said even as two large bodyguards entered the room.

  Moving to the center of the room so he would have plenty of space to fight, he covertly hid his hand holding the obsidian dagger behind his back.

  Both warriors were well over six feet, with bulging muscles and shaved heads. They were heavily armed with guns as well as daggers that were sheathed across their broad chests.

  The tallest of the two stepped forward, his bluntly carved features impassive.

  “Xanthe.”

  Jian assumed an air of command. He was a better fighter than most, but he didn’t like the odds.

  He far preferred intimidation to actual battle.

  “Where is your Master?”

  The Watchman’s dark eyes narrowed. “He has better things to do than deal with intruders.”

  Intruders. Not intruder.

  Shit. The male had obviously sensed Muriel despite the fact she was hidden behind the screen.

  The need to avoid a fight became even more imperative. He couldn’t risk being injured and leaving his angel vulnerable.

  “Better things,” he sneered. “Like betraying the Incubi?”

  As expected, both Incubi stiffened. There were few things more important to demons than their honor.

  “We are not the ones who have tried to betray our king.”

  Jian made a sound of disgust. “Marakel is not a true king. He’s a petty tyrant who has allowed himself to become a pawn for the angels.”

 
The Watchman gave a betraying glance toward the open gateway, revealing he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the explanations the Sovereign had been giving for his journeys into the Oubliette.

  Still, he grimly held onto his loyalty. “He would never deal with the angels.”

  “No?” Jian stepped forward. “I have proof.”

  Without warning a hidden door slid open, revealing the tall, thin Incubus with a shaved head and dark eyes. With an arrogant tilt of his chin he stepped into the room.

  Attired in loose pants and a white tunic that was embroidered with gold threads and a large ruby, he regarded Jian with unconcealed loathing.

  “Kill him,” he growled, pointing a long, slender finger in Jian’s direction.

  “What’s wrong, Marakel?” Jian mocked, hatred twisting his gut. This male had negotiated with the angels, kidnapped and held Incubi as captives, and nearly killed Jian’s beautiful mate. It was time for him to pay for his crimes. “Don’t want your servants to know that you’ve abused their loyalty to keep yourself in power?”

  There wasn’t so much as a flicker of guilt on the gaunt face. In fact, there was nothing but the fanatical glitter in the dark eyes to reveal the vile corruption that had destroyed his soul.

  “They understand that I am the best leader for our people,” he snapped.

  “You certainly have the greatest arrogance,” Jian taunted.

  The Master of House Marakel turned his head to glare at his Watchmen.

  “What are you waiting for?” he snapped.

  “Maybe they want to know why you’ve allowed the angels to take command of the Oubliette,” Jian said, not missing the Watchmen’s jerk of surprise at his revelation. Any demon with an ounce of intelligence would understand that if the Oubliette was no longer neutral ground, then an invasion by the angels couldn’t be far behind. “Is it to hide the fact you’ve been holding the last Master of the House Akana as your prisoner?”

  “Shut up,” the Sovereign hissed.

  “Akana,” the nearest Watchman growled. “They’ve died out.”

  Jian shook his head, silently making note that the warriors clearly were unaware of their Master’s treachery.

  “I’ve seen him with my own eyes.”

  “Don’t listen to him.” Marakel released a burst of his power, attempting to compel his servants to obey. The Sovereign possessed a talent for coercing others to his will. One of the reasons he’d managed to maintain control of the Throne for so long. “He’s trying to destroy your loyalty.”

  Jian glared at the male who had willingly betrayed his own people.

  “Tell me why, Marakel.”

  The Sovereign waved a hand toward the two Watchmen. “What are you waiting for?”

  The first of the bodyguards slowly reached for his gun, clearly torn between duty and a growing suspicion that his Master might not be worthy of his loyalty.

  Before he could actually pull the weapon, however, there was a targeted bolt of energy that hit just an inch from the warrior’s heavy boots.

  “Don’t move,” Muriel warned, stepping from behind the screen and spreading her wings that glowed with a silver light.

  The two Watchmen stepped back in stunned terror, their faces slack with awe as they studied Jian’s exquisite mate.

  “Angel,” they breathed in unison.

  Resisting the urge to stare at his magnificent angel, Jian launched forward, using the distraction to grab the Sovereign by the throat and slam him against the wall.

  “Tell me why,” he snarled, lifting his dagger to press the point of the obsidian blade beneath his chin.

  The older male widened his eyes, his arrogance shattering as he realized that he was well and truly cornered.

  “Because his power is to sense the birth of a Succubus,” he muttered.

  Jian frowned in confusion at the mention of the female demons who’d become extinct years ago.

  “There haven’t been any Succubi for…” His words broke off as he recalled that they’d all thought the House of Akana had died out. “Holy shit. Have you done something to destroy the Succubi?”

  Marakel hesitated, almost as if he was trying to come up with a convincing lie. Jian curled his lips into a humorless smile, allowing the sharp tip of his blade to pierce the bastard’s flesh.

  “Not me,” the Sovereign squeaked, his frantic gaze darting toward the Watchmen who were still mesmerized by the sight of a real-life angel standing just a few feet from them.

  “Then who?”

  “The Nephilim priestesses,” he finally snarled, accepting his guards weren’t about to rush to his rescue.

  Jian frowned. Nephilim? Granted, the inclusion of the priestesses in the Sovereign’s nefarious plot would explain the presence of the Blade who’d been standing guard at the gateway.

  But what possible interest could they have in the female demons?

  “Why?” he ground out. “Why would they destroy the Succubi?”

  “Because we would have no need of the Nephilim if the Succubi were allowed to return,” Marakel rasped. “Their power comes from our need for their breeders.”

  “Damn.”

  Jian gave a small shake of his head.

  He’d never considered what the Nephilim had gained when the last of the Succubi had disappeared.

  Power. Prestige. And for some…immortality.

  Hell, it was no wonder they would sacrifice anything to destroy the female demons.

  Struggling to organize his chaotic thoughts, Jian nearly missed the sudden sound of running footsteps just outside the door to the bedchamber.

  Jian sucked in a deep breath, catching the familiar scent.

  Nephilim.

  At least a dozen.

  Shit.

  He didn’t need the relief on Marakel’s thin face to warn him that these warriors were well aware of his treachery. And that they would be ready and willing to kill anyone who threatened the Sovereign.

  For a crazed moment he teetered on the edge of murder. Sticking the sharpened blade deep into Marakel’s heart would put an end to his current reign on the Obsidian Throne.

  Unfortunately, he couldn’t ignore the voice of warning that reminded him this bastard had information they might need. Not only to rescue the Master of Akana, but to defeat the Nephilim priestesses and return the Succubi.

  His lust for revenge was going to have to wait until later.

  Besides, now all that mattered was getting Muriel to safety.

  With a swift movement, Jian slammed the blade through the Sovereign’s shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

  It wouldn’t kill the bastard, but it was all the distraction he needed.

  Even as Marakel screamed in pain, Jian was leaping backward, grabbing Muriel’s hand and releasing a burst of demon magic.

  The air swirled around them like a mini tornado, the world fading away.

  Jian tugged his angel close, feeling her tremble as they shifted through the darkness.

  “Hold on,” he whispered in her ear, breathing deep of her exotic scent of orchids.

  A heartbeat later their feet were touching the icy ground and Muriel was pulling her wings in tight as they were blasted by a frigid breeze.

  “Is this your home?” she demanded, shivering as she glanced around the barren shoreline bathed in the weak morning sunlight.

  Jian grimaced, able to understand his mate’s barely hidden distress.

  “No,” he assured her, glancing over his shoulder at the steep mountain that led to the fortress. “I can only carry us a short distance at a time. We’ll have to hide until I can rest.”

  There was no fear, or censure, at his confession they were stuck on the frigid island where they might be captured at any minute.

  Instead his beautiful angel gave a simple nod, her expression calm as she considered their bleak surroundings.

  “I can wrap us in illusion,” she assured him with a courage that made his heart swell with pride. “They won’t find us.”

 
Jian gently cupped her chilled cheek in his hand, but before he could speak, he was stiffening as he realized they weren’t alone.

  Whirling around he prepared for battle, only to breathe a deep sigh of relief as he caught sight of a shallow boat being rowed toward the shore.

  “Or my Watchman can take us home,” he said wryly, standing at the edge of the water with his hands on his hips. “I thought I told you to return to my brothers,” he growled.

  The bodyguard was still dressed in his leather pants and a T-shirt, his harsh features stoic, as if he hadn’t spent the past few days waiting in sub-zero temperatures for his Master to return.

  “I’ve kept them updated, but I knew you would eventually need me,” Taka said.

  With a shake of his head, Jian grabbed Muriel’s hand and urged her into the small boat.

  “You truly are the worst-trained bodyguard,” he said, his teasing words saying more to the male who was his closest companion than any amount of flattery.

  Barely waiting for Jian to jump into the boat, Taka was pushing away from the shore and unfurling the small sail to send them scooting over the shallow water.

  “Fortunate for you,” the Watchman murmured.

  “Fortunate for both of us,” Jian agreed, moving to tug the silent female close to his side. “Taka, this is my mate, Muriel.”

  A faint smile touched the large male’s lips as he cast an appreciative glance over Jian’s companion.

  “An angel?”

  Jian pressed his lips to Muriel’s temple, his heart filled with love as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  He’d gone into the Oubliette to alter the future of the Incubi, and in the end, changed his own destiny.

  It felt somehow fitting.

  “I always did demand the best,” he said softly.

  “True,” Taka readily agreed, steering the boat to the larger ship that was hidden behind a massive iceberg. “Are we headed home?”

  “No.” Jian pulled his phone from his pocket. As much as he longed to return to his graceful mansion and spend the next century indulging his exquisite mate, he understood that until they’d neutralized the threat from Marakel and the Nephilim priestesses there could be no peace. “I need to call a meeting of the Masters,” he growled. “Someplace neutral.”