Duncan’s Descent: Ethereal Foes series Read online

  Duncan pulled her tighter and sighed into her hair, and Sapphira let go of her many worries to snuggle tighter in the arms of her demon. Her demon. She groaned, wishing she didn’t like the sound of that so much.

  Three days later

  “We’ve got problems.”

  Asael looked up from his desk and frowned at the higher demon waiting for him. “Zelec? I’m busy.”

  “I know, sire. This is important. I wouldn’t have disturbed you otherwise.”

  Asael sighed and watched as his underling carefully skirted the aura of light clinging tightly to him. It probably said much about Asael’s state of being that he liked the fact his demons feared him. The light surrounding him would never fade, a testament to his status as a fallen angel, and one he wore proudly like a badge of honor. Unlike heaven, the Abyss looked favorably upon those who switched sides, and Asael had more clout down here than he’d ever had above.

  “Well, Zelec?”

  Zelec met Asael’s stare, one of the few demons this side of Baphomet’s Falls who could do so. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, Asael. But there have been rumored sightings of Duncan in the presence of an angel.”

  “I know. My son is serving out his sentence for the upper realm while gathering information for us.”

  Zelec cleared his throat, his red eyes flat, showing not the slightest hint of fear, though he had to be feeling some. “Yes, I’m aware of that. What you don’t know is that Uriel is laying claim to Duncan’s forthcoming Ascension.”

  Silence met Zelec’s heresy, and Asael took a moment to compose himself. “You’re telling me my son’s in danger of joining the upper realm, as in, permanently?”

  Zelec had to know he stood on the brink of forever-death, yet he nodded all the same. In Asael’s world, “don’t kill the messenger” had no meaning. Fury, the likes of which he’d felt only twice before in his lifetime—once when he’d first fallen from grace and the other when he’d lost Bethany—filled him. It was only Zelec’s quick reflexes that saved him from utter immolation. Instead, Asael’s desk caught unholy flame and continued to burn.

  Asael stood and walked through his fire, deep in thought. “Do we know this for a fact?”

  “I was getting to that, my lord. No, we do not. We have only our spies in the upper realm reporting what they’ve heard. In the Ordinary, your progeny continues to collect souls for hell.”

  Relief filled Asael. As much as he loathed the upper realm and their cloying sentiments of love, his time spent in the above as well as his tie to a human had dulled his demonic reflexes. As such, he still felt tremendous love for all of his children. And Duncan, capable, strong-willed Duncan, had never failed to make him proud. Even his prank with James, blaming the angels for a dragon theft, had done much to amuse Asael. But to have his son turn… It didn’t bear thinking about.

  “What else, Zelec? Surely you wouldn’t come telling tales unless you had more to go on than Uriel’s bragging in the upper realm.”

  “True. I’m worried there’s more at stake than Duncan’s soul. The lad’s been seen in the company of a most desirable angel, my lord. And they appear to be quite close.”

  “Well, who is she?” Curiosity struck. Duncan had done well for himself. A fine piece of ass and information he was no doubt gathering to bring the angels to their knees. Fat lot of good it would do the angels to continue stealing the souls of the blood elves, not when Asael got his hands on the angelic traitors in the Abyss.

  “She is Sapphira…daughter of Charmeine.”

  Asael swore. “I warned Duncan to steer clear of that one. The mother must be out for blood. Can we get word to my son?”

  “I’m afraid not. He and the angel are fairly joined at the hip,” Zelec huffed. “I’ve tried several times, but he won’t hear me around her. It’s as if she’s blocking any communications I’ve tried.”

  Asael frowned. Very few demons in the Ethereal had telepathic abilities. Zelec was a rare power, and one Asael actually trusted. If Zelec couldn’t get through to Duncan, there was a problem indeed.

  “Very well, Zelec. Bring me Eve.”

  Zelec smiled, an honest grin out of the demon most citizens of hell fought to steer clear of. “As you wish.” Asael knew how fond Zelec was of his daughter, and of the damned dragon she’d mated just a few days ago. He watched Zelec disappear and wished he weren’t so busy. He’d find his son himself if he could, but even Asael reported to another. And displeasing Morax wasn’t even a question.

  When Eve and Ranton, her dragon mate, appeared moments later, Asael calmly told her what needed to be done. Worried for Duncan, she quickly agreed to bring him back. And with Ranton at her side, the angelic terms of Duncan’s penance could easily be broken. They left and Asael smiled, pleased again to have a dragon for a son-in-law. Unable to control the dragons, the Ethereals left them alone. But Ranton loved Eve, would do anything for her, in fact, as would the new dragon king. And Asael was clever enough to keep that in mind should Eve fail to bring Duncan back.

  He returned to his work a contented demon. “Oh, and Zelec.”

  “Yes, my lord?” Zelec turned from the doorway through which he was about to exit.

  “Have our contacts keep an eye on Charmeine. She gives me pause.”

  “Aye. She worries me as well.” Zelec nodded as he saw his way out. “And that’s why you never dally with the upper realm,” he muttered, loud enough to be heard. “Especially not with a Virtue.”

  Asael guffawed at his affront and continued to gather the names Morax had ordered. Keeping Duncan out of trouble posed a greater task than it had been to keep Eve safe. But at least James was proving more cooperative. Asael frowned, realizing he hadn’t heard from James in days.

  “Zelec,” he bellowed.

  Zelec quickly returned to the stone doorway. “My lord?”

  “Check on—”

  “James while I’m at it. Done.” Zelec disappeared and Asael sighed, pleased he hadn’t fried his trusted servant. “So hard to get good help these days.”

  ***

  The hands stroking Sapphira’s thighs grew bolder as she moaned her pleasure into her pillow. He pushed her legs apart, and then she felt an intrusion, something thick filling her channel as pressure prodded her clit with sparks of pleasure. On her belly, Sapphira lifted her head and blinked into the hazy light of morning, her desire growing as Duncan covered her with his large body, his shaft taking her with a subtle tension of ownership that should have worried her but didn’t.

  His thrusts deepened, his jolting presence within her quickening her womb as she spiraled higher toward her own climax. But Duncan shuddered and came before she could join him, much to her disappointment.

  “No, not yet,” he rasped and withdrew, only to prod her slightly higher. He lifted her pelvis, putting her on her hands and knees, and knelt between her thighs. “Now that the urge isn’t so fierce, I can take what’s mine without hurting you…much.”

  Anxiety flared, fear and more than a hint of arousal, which shocked her anew. “Duncan?”

  He laughed, the deep chuckle both menacing and sexy. “The angels don’t want you to overly enjoy it, so they treat sex with that reverent bullshit. But not us demons.” He spread her ass cheeks and rubbed his still swollen cock along her seam, coating her body with both his and her cream. “No, we prefer to enjoy the carnal impulses of the Ordinary. We actually appreciate this one great thing humanity’s given us.”

  “What’s that?” she breathed, tense when he pushed against the tight rosette of her anus.

  “Orgasmic sex,” he answered and pushed further. “That’s it, sweet, take me deeper.”

  Pain intruded, and Sapphira instinctively tried to move away, but Duncan wouldn’t let her. He gripped her hips hard enough to bruise and groaned. “Hell, when you move like that it’s all I can do not to rip right through you. Claiming you is driving me wild.”

  “You’re not…claiming me,” she managed as he withdrew. She felt him shove his fi
ngers inside her wet heat again before he pulled both his finger and shaft back out. “What are you doing?”

  “Lubing myself with your come.” Duncan sighed. “You have no idea how sexy you are. How much I get off just looking at your dark skin, your firm, round ass begging me to take it. A woman should have curves like yours, Sapphira. Ripe and full.” He palmed her ass. “I still can’t believe no one’s ever taken you before.”

  He pushed against her anus again, and this time she felt him sink further, the pain not as bad.

  “If you push out with your muscles, you’ll actually make it easier for me.”

  And why was she agreeing to this anyway? Anal sex with her own personal demon? Sapphira could literally feel her Descent creeping along her skin like the steady thrumming of static electricity. But the pleasure in Duncan’s voice, in his touch, made her want the same, no matter the cost.

  The forbidden had always called to her, and Sapphira readily admitted she wanted to know more.

  “That’s it,” Duncan hissed his pleasure as he sank deeper, while Sapphira did her best not to cry out her pain. “Let the hurt take you, Sapphira. Embrace it so that the pleasure is that much more intense.”

  “Tell you what,” she huffed, trying to move so that he didn’t feel so big, but he slapped her flank and forced her to remain still while he plundered deeper. “You let me take your ass, then you see how easy it is to remain still. Dammit, that hurts.”

  “Hurts so good,” he rasped, finally fully seated within her. “Hell’s core, Sapphira. You’re as hot as eternal flame, and so fucking tight.” He groaned and pulled out, slowly.

  And every touch of his flesh against hers burned. “When does this start to feel good?”

  A sudden warmth stole through her loins, and pleasure burst over her in waves of bliss.

  “How’s that?”

  She couldn’t answer, dimly aware when he shoved back inside her. Duncan had done something to her, something beyond the physical taking of her virgin flesh. His energy pulsed through her, and she cried out as ecstasy possessed her.

  “That’s it.” He rocked, taking her harder. Duncan rode her with an urgency bordering on desperation. “Feel my flame, love. Take me, Sapphira. Let me wash you with seed. Everywhere, angel. All of it,” he groaned as he fucked her, his balls slapping her clit with each pummeling blow.

  Through it all, Sapphira cried her pleasure, inundated with so much joy she could barely breathe. Her body spasmed as it took everything Duncan gave. His rod, so thick and long, finally filled her with seed. And the warmth of his desire pushed her into another state altogether.

  There was nothing pleasant about this surrender to pleasure, nothing tame or loving. Instead, Duncan’s possession was everything fierce, raw and true. Honesty surged between them as Sapphira felt his carnal appetite settle over her, finally sating them both as the warmth filling her finally faded.

  “Sapphira.” Duncan leaned over her, panting, still thick inside her. But as his magic eased back, the discomfort of their position increased. He hugged her tight before he slowly pulled out, and each departing centimeter added to her aches.

  “Too bad that fire didn’t last.” She groaned when he finally withdrew, sinking to the bed, a mess of sweat and come and pain. “Because that really hurt.”

  “Good.”

  She rolled to her side and glared at him, more annoyed with the male arrogance settling over his features.

  “Pain is remembered. And I want you to remember this moment.”

  “What?”

  Duncan nodded and gathered her into his arms. He lay back and settled her on top of him, and they stared at each other, nose to nose. “Pain is the other side of pleasure. It’s real. As real as you and me, together.”

  “Then why didn’t you get to be on the bottom?” she grumbled.

  He chuckled. “Because I’m bigger. And I’m the one with the cock.”

  “You got that right.” But her anger faded as he caressed her. He infused her flesh with his warmth, and the stinging gradually faded. “Hmm, that’s better.”

  “Good. Honestly, I’m not into pain. It’s not my thing.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “But I’m well aware of how it makes an impression.” He frowned. “I can’t imagine being near Sarah or Abigail again without cringing.”

  Jealousy reared its ugly head, and Sapphira paused, wondering at the fierceness of her thoughts.

  “Sapphira? You look a bit green.” But the way he said it told her he read her correctly. The damned demon looked positively ecstatic.

  “Green as in ill? As in I was just screwed in the ass, and rather painfully?”

  He laughed and kissed her. “Sure, sweet. But don’t worry. Uriel’s minions—and I don’t mean you—leave me cold. Believe it or not, all that sugary-sweet love with sex made me green as well.”

  “I know. That’s all they preach up there.” She sighed and linked her fingers over his chest, resting her chin on them. “I’m a very bad angel, Duncan. I think Uriel sent me with you to punish you.”

  Instead of laughing, as she’d thought he would, Duncan frowned. “You’re fine, Sapphira. You’re just inexperienced.” His smile returned. “Well, maybe not so inexperienced now.” He cupped her ass again.

  “Mmm.” She closed her eyes, soothed by his comforting touch. “You know, right now, at this very moment, I don’t care about Uriel, the angels, sways, or my mother.”

  “Your mother?”

  She heard laughter in his voice. “Yeah. My mother’s a Virtue, and nothing I do is ever good enough for her. Just wait until she finds out she’s been undermined by Uriel, a lesser angel. I was supposed to be helping her with her second sphere duties when a lowly angel from the third sphere commanded me to obey.” Sapphira chuckled. “Wish I could have been there to see Charmeine going up against Uriel. Two peas in a pod, those holy-rollers.”

  Duncan suddenly stiffened under her.

  “What’s wrong?” She blinked into his suddenly shuttered gaze. “Duncan?”

  “Did you say Charmeine?”

  “Yeah. So what?”

  “My father’s Asael.”

  “And?” At her confusion, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

  “And according to my father, your mother has an axe to grind with him.”

  “That’s nothing new,” she said dryly. “My mother has problems with everyone and everything not in the second sphere or higher.”

  “What about your father? Does she have problems with him?”

  She thought it an odd question to ask, but shrugged. “I don’t know. She never talks about him, and I assumed he’s one of the Ethereal floating around in the upper realm. I probably take after him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I’m nothing like my mother. She’s as dark as mahogany, and I’m several shades lighter. She’s gorgeous, righteous, and the perfect Virtue. I’ve been on probation since birth, or at least it feels like it. And I just sent a soul to hell.” Sapphira sighed. She really didn’t want to think about Charmeine right now. Her time with Duncan was precious, and so peaceful. Who knew what the future held, especially if what he said were true, and Charmeine was pissed at his father? No doubt Sapphira would take the heat for that unhappy coincidence.

  Deciding to focus on the now, Sapphira leaned over Duncan and kissed him, building their combustible desire into an all-out fire in seconds. “Now do you want to talk about heaven, or do you want to sin some more?”

  His kiss was answer enough, and as Sapphira lost herself in his arms once more, she decided to let tomorrow handle itself.

  Chapter Five

  “I’m telling you right now, I won’t stand for it.”

  Asael shared a glanced with Zelec, who stared stonily back.

  “The aura of light around her hurt, and she took advantage of the fact,” his minion admitted. “But you did tell me to bring her down here for some answers. She simply jumped the gun.”
>
  “So I did.” Asael stared at Charmeine, a Virtue and one of his more colossal mistakes. But no one could accuse him of lowering his standards.

  She was small yet robust, and one of the most beautiful females he’d ever seen. Physically, she possessed a bounty of assets that did her kind proud. Pure, smooth skin, the color an ebony-brown, stretched over blessed femininity. Her hair was long, braided in coils of black and reddish gold, an intriguing mix of light and dark that only complemented her vibrant face. High cheekbones, a strong chin and full, kissable lips rounded out Charmeine’s more appealing assets. She had the requisite curves, a nice rack and a killer ass, one Asael clearly recalled gripping in the heat of the moment.

  He met her glance and noted the abject humiliation in her gaze as she must have remembered their liaison so many years ago. Funny, she hadn’t minded trying to force his Ascension back then, with her body or the promise of her soul. But Virtue that she was, she hadn’t the time or energy to fully mesh with him, a mere fallen angel. Not when the choirs of heaven sang for her return. But the passion. Asael hadn’t realized an angel could be so damned hot in bed. Only Bethany, his dearly departed wife, had given him more satisfaction. A mere human, yet a woman worth every damned soul he tormented in hell.

  “Dear Charmeine, you should have told me you were coming. I’d have prepared a feast in your honor.”

  Zelec, to his credit, didn’t crack a smile.

  Charmeine, however, scowled her displeasure. “I’m not here for frivolities, Asael. My daughter is missing. And I believe your son is at fault.”

  “Oh?”

  “Don’t mistake godliness for weakness,” she warned, drawing her flattering light around her as tightly as her white robe.

  Her anger warmed him, and Asael wondered if her wrath would be worth another dalliance. It certainly wouldn’t be smart, but he’d seduced her once before, and could so very easily again…

  “Asael. My lord.” Zelec’s mouth curved down, a faint sign that he was fully aware of Asael’s thoughts. Then again… Asael stared down at himself. His mounting arousal would be impossible to miss.