She clasped his head and drew his lips to hers.
The shadows in the corner of the room thickened, and Damien appeared. “Yecch. All this sugary sweetness might make me puke.”
Azrael tensed and rolled off her.
Too bad Az forgot his sword. “What are you doing here?” Ruining their perfect moment.
“I’m running an errand, and thought I’d pop in to see how it’s going.” Pointedly scanning the bed, he sneered. “I see I’m a little late for the show. Oops, maybe not.” He stared at her rear and waggled his brows.
Death glanced down. Her gown was bunched in the back. As she stood, she smoothed it and clasped her hands. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Damien waved her off. “Yeah, I know. It’s a violation of the court thingy. But what self-respecting demon obeys such orders? Besides, I’ve missed you.” His nose wrinkled, and his knees bent like a marionette controlled by an insane puppeteer.
Ugh. “Damien, leave.”
“Not without you, babe. I’ve decided.” Damien stepped forward, love shining in his eyes, softening his voice.
Damn the demon, always intruding. Death gave an incredulous laugh. “Think again.” He’d decided? His nerve exceeded his good looks.
“It’s all I’ve been doing: thinking of you.” He spoke as if in a trance.
Azrael’s chest swelled, and Death sensed every nerve in his body tighten. She laid a hand on his arm. “We should share our good news.” With a steady eye on her angel, she reached for the communications charm on her bracelet and hoped like hell she was touching the right one. Please work!
After pressing it, she raised her voice as she said, “Mother and Father will be so surprised to hear you’ve reassigned me. Perhaps Damien won’t share their enthusiasm, but we should tell him nonetheless.” With any luck, the transmission had gone through and her parents had heard. Why hadn’t she tested it before?
Damien glared. “Reassigned? To what, dude, his concubine?”
At Azrael’s sharp glance, Death gave the slightest flinch of her eyes to indicate the ruse.
Doubt left his face, and his demeanor cooled. “Yes,” he said. “Death and I have an arrangement.”
She stifled her glee. Arrangement? Perhaps they might share many more romantic moments. Without a demon lurking.
The demon clucked his tongue. “Uh uh, no can do. No way.”
“Get the hell out, Damien, before I extinguish your life force with my bare hands.”
Worried Azrael might throttle Damien, she stepped between the two.
“Of course. But you’re coming, too.” Damien reached in his pocket.
A blinding flash stunned them. Hands gripped Death’s wrists, then cold metal touched them. No! Not again!
Damien’s whisper sickened her. “Don’t worry, babe. You can be a concubine. Mine.”
She struggled, but he must’ve found another powerful magic. “You’re insane.”
The smoke cleared. Her throat thickened at seeing Azrael sprawled on the floor, eyes closed.
When darkness billowed near and solidified, giddy hope overtook her. Had the charm really worked? Had her parents heard?
Two figures took shape, a man and woman, but stayed hidden within its confines.
Oblivious, Damien chuckled. “A little insanity keeps things interesting, don’t you think?”
“You’re so right.” Swallowing back her repulsion, she hooked the chain behind his head, pressed against him, and moved her lips against his. “Release me and I’ll show you how interesting it can be.”
An erection writhed in his slacks. His moan vibrated against her mouth.
The two figures within the darkness wavered. Death sensed her parents’ hesitation. She held up her index finger in silent plea for another moment. From within the shadows, Nyx’s beautiful face nodded.
Thank you, Mother! For one instant, her kiss must have erased Damien’s intent. With her other hand, she worked her bracelet beneath the handcuff. It broke apart, a powerful surge of energy pushing them in opposite directions.
Thrust backward, Death plummeted for what felt like forever.
The dark forms of Nyx and Erebos swept between Death and Damien. Nyx caught Death in her arms and hugged her close.
A groan from Azrael signaled he was waking. Her skull ringing from the blast, Death glanced toward him, and relief washed through her. Head bowed, Azrael struggled to sit up.
Not a moment to lose. Clutching her mother’s arms, Death pleaded with Erebos, “Father, the Maze. Please!” For one interminable second, she held her breath, waiting for his response.
“My pleasure, daughter.” Erebos’s smile changed from gracious to fearsome as he turned to Damien, who held his head, clearly rattled and trying to gather his wits. They returned in a snap, apparently. Damien’s eyes flew wide when Erebos lunged, raised arms summoning impenetrable darkness which enveloped the demon.
A scuffle sounded from within. Damien’s unmistakable voice yelled, “Hey, what the…No!” Then oomph and ughhh. Scraping sounds followed.
Her mother’s arms engulfed Death. “Sorry we didn’t get here sooner.”
“I’m so glad you heard.” She strained to see past her mother, but only vague shapes moved within the black shadows.
Night and darkness, Nyx and Erebos. How wonderful to have two parents who complemented one another so well.
The clack of stone echoed from beyond. “Father won’t get in trouble, will he?” In her hasty plea for vengeance, she hadn’t considered the long-term consequences.
Only Nyx could make a shrug appear elegant. “Erebos won’t be faulted for keeping the demon at bay. He was protecting you, after all. Though it may take centuries for Damien to find his way out of The Maze of Darkness your father’s constructing around him.”
Only once had Death glimpsed the Maze. Yes, Damien would be busy a long time. Erebos’s mazes made Escher’s drawings look like child’s work. Erebos reserved it for his worst enemies.
Joy flushed through her. Thank you, Father. It was the nicest thing he could ever do for her.
Still embracing Death, Nyx opened her arms to gather Azrael into the huddle. “Now what was this I heard about an arrangement?”
Azrael beamed a crooked, shy smile. “Sorry about that. But I am hoping your daughter will grant me the honor of a date.”
Death stared into his crystal blue eyes, aimed at her with enduring warmth.
Azrael’s happiness must be infectious. It bloomed like a tropical flower, suffusing every part of her with its heady beauty.
Bemused, Nyx waited for her daughter to answer.
“Yes,” escaped in a breath, pouring from her soul.
He flew to his feet and into the air, twirling her in his arms, mouth pressed into her shoulder. “Many, many dates, I hope.”
Giddiness burst out in a giggle. A terrible day had become the best. Touching down, she reluctantly broke the embrace and straightened her hair, her gown.
Finally, something to make eternity interesting.
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”
When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com, Facebook, Goodreads and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: [email protected]
Dead to Rights
Identity theft sucks. But it’s worse when someone steals your life—body included. All memory of her life before waking up in a mental facility has vanished. Or was erased. Now she has to figure out how to get it all back….
Her only hope of learning the truth li
es with one man.
Problem is, he’s the leader of a cult.
Her only choice is to follow him into his sordid world, where a darker evil lurks.
With a little help from an archangel hellbent on revenge, she may have a chance to learn the truth. But will it force her to make the hardest decision of her life…or death?
Tonight You Belong to Me
A 1Night Stand Story
Danny O’Malley’s screwed. After he and the love of his life, Jillian, moved to Las Vegas hoping to find their big break in show business, she’d tossed him out, thinking he’d cheated. Now he’s in deep with a loan shark to pay for a 1Night Stand—a date he believes is his last chance to win her heart again.
Jillian Jones wants to see Sin City—in her rearview mirror. Agreeing to a blind 1Night Stand date on her last night in Las Vegas as a favor to a friend, she discovers her match is Danny. When he plays their song, Tonight You Belong to Me, she melts. But when two thugs break in demanding money, she finds she might go out with a bang in an unexpected way. Can she save him, and their relationship?
A Hard Day's Knight
A 1Night Stand Story
Some days, it’s best to lay low. Lance Knight finds out the hard way – when he encounters his longtime foe, witch Morgan le Fay, at Medieval Merriment. Her curse kept him wandering the world for centuries. When he also meets Gwyn McCartney there through a 1NS date, he’s struck by her resemblance to his true love, Guinevere. It gives him hope for the first time in centuries. First, he must face Morgan to break the curse, and he has only one hope: his sword, forged in the fires with Excalibur and imbued with magical powers by Merlin.
Gwyn McCartney’s had it with dating. Her friend’s setup through 1NS with Lance Knight irritates her, especially when Lance acts bored at Medieval Merriment – her employer and greatest fantasy. When a wench threatens Lance – a witch, he says – her fantasy world seems all too real. After Lance kisses her, she knows she has to battle Morgan le Fay. Can she free him, or will she lose him forever to the witch’s curse?
Contents
Title page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Death is a Bitch Page 12
