Azagoth: A Demonica Novella

Chapter Eighteen

Azagoth was in a state of animalistic need. The desire he felt for Lilli was so basic, so primal that, just like his killing urge, he knew better than to fight it. He swept her up and headed inside his manor on a direct course for his bedroom, and Hades help anyone who was stupid enough to get in his path.

Only one griminion came close to making that mistake, but he leaped out of the way with a squeak and scurried into his living quarters as Azagoth stalked down the hall. Lilliana’s lips were kissing hot paths along his neck and jaw, driving him insane. When he reached the bedroom, he kicked open the door, not caring that it cracked down the middle.

Once inside the bedroom, he set her on the floor, but when he lowered his head to kiss her, he caught another whiff of her former lover. Possessive anger lit him up as he gripped the flirty purple sundress she was wearing and ripped it in half.

“You’ve had a very busy couple of days, haven’t you?” He dropped the shredded dress to the floor and hooked his finger under the delicate lace of her panties. “Meeting with your ex, destroying my viewing stone, punching Zhubaal in the face.”

“I’m not sorry about Zhubaal,” she said. “He’s a jerk. And I certainly didn’t invite Hutriel for a visit.” She laid her hand over his and pushed it deeper inside her underwear, until his fingers brushed her cleft. “But I swear, I’m so sorry about the spy stone.”

He let his fingers play a bit, stroking over the flawless hills of her sex. Countless years of bedding angels had taught him that gentle touches while talking soothed the savage beast—both his and theirs.

“What led you to think I wanted someone besides you?”

“Zhubaal said...it’s not important. And then I saw you looking at females,” she said, going breathless as he slipped a finger between her folds. “Then there’s all of this sex furniture stuff. You used it on other females, and I have to just sit here and look at it.”

He supposed he understood that. If the situation were reversed and he’d been subjected to constant reminders of Hutriel the Silver-haired Douchebag, he’d be on edge, too.

“I’ll toss it. All of it.” He dropped to his knees and used a fang to slash her underwear open. Damn, he’d never get tired of the sight of her like this. Bare. Her flesh parted just enough to invite his tongue. “After,” he growled as he put his mouth to her waiting sex.

She allowed him a single, mouthwatering lick before stepping away from him. “No. You want to erase Hutriel, and I want to do the same with all of your females.” She marched over to the St. Andrew’s Cross, her glorious backside swinging. With a lithe spin, she put her spine to the wood and snapped her wrists into the restraints. “Do it. Let’s banish all of our demons. You know, figuratively.”

He inhaled in an attempt to get a bead on where her emotions were, but all he got was a blast of lust that made his knees wobble as he came to his feet.

Real smooth, buddy. Real fucking smooth...

It was crazy how this female had torn down his defenses, made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time. Or ever.

He looked around at the bedroom, at all of the equipment he kept, and suddenly he didn’t want Lilliana’s exquisite skin touching any of it. He’d used it for a purpose he’d never again need it for. It had to go.

Well, maybe the spanking bench could stay.

Summoning all his control, he unbuttoned his shirt. Slowly. Taking his time while Lilliana hung from the St. Andrew’s Cross, her breasts rising and falling faster and faster every time a button popped.

“Do you want to know why I have all of this stuff?” he asked.

Licking her lips, she nodded.

He inhaled deeply, hating that his breath was shaky. He didn’t want to admit this, but she needed to hear it, and he wanted to make sure she never doubted him again.

“Heaven sent me seventy-two females a year.”

“Yes,” she ground out. “I know that. All of Heaven knows that.”

He probably shouldn’t like the note of jealousy in her voice, but hey, he was evil.

Turning away, he stared at the Monet on the wall. “Seventy-two females who didn’t want to be here. Much like you.” Silence churned between them as the truth of what he’d said thickened the air like a rancid stew. “Well, that’s not entirely accurate. Usually two or three of the bunch were eager to experience me. The rest...” Pivoting back to her, he waved his hand dismissively. “The rest closed their eyes and prayed. Literally prayed. Do you have any idea how unpleasant that is?”

“I can’t imagine,” she said softly. “But what does that have to do with all of this...stuff?”

“I told you that I couldn’t feel any emotions of my own, but I discovered that the more they felt, the more I felt. Remember when I told you I took Thanatos’s tattoos just so I could feel something?” At her nod, he continued. “The only other time I could ever feel anything was when I was inside an angel. The more she was worked up, the better for both of us.” He trailed a finger over the wood near where Lilliana’s wrist was circled by the leather cuff. “All of this allowed me to play until even the most timid female begged for my cock.”

She growled. “I did not need to hear that.”

Oh, yeah, he fucking loved that little twinge of jealousy. “And I didn’t need to see Hutfuckriel touching you.” That wasn’t fair and he knew it, but the fact that he was actually experiencing jealousy was awesome. Right now, every emotion was awesome, simply because he could feel them at all. “But that’s over. All of it is over, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“Good. Now, let’s try something more deserving of your behavior.” He released the restraints.

“B-behavior?”

Smiling, he took her by the shoulders and swung her around to the spanking bench. He bent her over, locking her wrists into the cuffs. His cock strained behind the fly of his pants, and he unzipped, springing it from its fabric prison.

“Are you ready?” he asked as he took his erection in his hand and gave it a few strokes.

He was dying for this, but he wanted her to be dying for it, too, the way she’d been on the beach and in the shower. But instinctively, he knew this was a cleansing of sorts, a way for them to banish their pasts. He wanted intimacy. He wanted the sex to mean something.

This could be a new start for them both.

He stroked himself as he gave her a swat on her perky ass. She hissed, but as he rubbed the pink handprint on her ivory skin, she pushed into his palm.

“Yes,” she moaned. “Please.”

“Another then,” he murmured, swatting her harder.

This time she whispered a soft, “Oh, yeah. More. We are so keeping this bench.”

He gave her three more slaps in rapid succession, and his cock thickened to the point of exquisite pain as her ass reddened and grew hotter with every blow. Her arousal was like an airborne aphrodisiac, entering his lungs and spreading through his body like wildfire.

“Azagoth,” she pleaded, her breathless voice pushing him to the edge of his control. “I need to come.”

“You got it.” He positioned himself behind her and nearly moaned at the way she lifted her hips in anticipation. Her juices glistened between her swollen folds, and when he cupped her mound, her honey coated his fingers.

Still stroking himself, he slid his fingers into her slit and rubbed back and forth. She whimpered, pushing into his hand as far as the restraints would allow.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’ll release you. We’ll start this way, but I want to end with you on your back. I want to look into your eyes when I come.”

She cried out, so close to orgasm he could feel the tremors building between her legs. Gently, he eased his thumb into her silken opening.

“When you first came here, did you think we’d end up like this?”

“Never.” The honesty in her voice was tinged with an odd note of remorse. Did she feel bad about not wanting to come here?

Didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was here now, and he had all eternity to show her that she’d made the right decision to join him in Sheoul-gra.

His cock throbbed as he pressed it against her slit. Very slowly, he nudged the head inside her, her slippery desire easing the passage into her tight channel. Suddenly, her emotions slammed into him, a mixture of yearning and guilt. He shook his head, wanting them gone. He could feel now; he didn’t have to borrow her emotions.

But they wouldn’t subside. What the hell? He gripped her hips, holding both of them steady as he struggled to clear his head.

A glint of silver caught his eye, and suddenly, it all made sense.

The key pendant. Designed to transmit strong emotion, it was doing exactly that.

Another blast of her guilt hit him hard enough to make him groan. He needed to remove the necklace and use the rest of the night to assuage whatever regrets she had. He never wanted her to have a negative emotion again.

He’d get her a new pendant. One that wasn’t enchanted.

You only have thirty days to get out with the chronoglass before we close the door on Sheoul-gra, and you’re stuck with Azagoth forever.

He froze as Lilliana’s thoughts, her very memories, slammed into him like a lava troll’s meaty fist. Stunned, he could only stare blankly as the unbelievable truth pinged around inside his head and clawed at his heart. She’d betrayed him. She’d lied from the very beginning.

The warmth that had been nudging at his flesh, that had been starting to thaw his body, iced over.

“Damn you,” he rasped, his voice as raw as the wound she’d just inflicted. “You came here to steal the chronoglass.”

“Azagoth...no...wait—”

“Damn you!” Snarling, he gripped the necklace and yanked hard. The delicate chain snapped, and tiny links flew everywhere. Before she could say another word, he flipped the switch on the cuffs and released her.

“Get out.” Bypassing the ripped garment on the floor, he threw open her wardrobe, ripped a sunny yellow sundress from a hanger, and hurled it at her. And wasn’t he a gentleman for making sure he kicked her to the curb with undamaged clothing.

Idiot.

Lilliana caught the garment with shaking hands. “Please, just listen—”

“Listen?” he shouted. “Listen? To what? More lies? You’ve deceived me from the moment you crossed the threshold into my realm. You destroyed the only connection I had with my children, and now I find out you’ve lied about why you came here.”

Pain, sharper than any he’d ever experienced, cleaved through his heart and he nearly doubled over. How could she do this to him? How could she betray him like this? She’d used him, exploited his desperation, just like Lilith had all those years ago.

“Get the fuck out of my realm,” he gritted through clenched teeth. “and tell the archangels that if they dare to send another angel to me, for any reason, I’ll send that angel back in pieces.” He bared his teeth and advanced on her, forcing her to scramble backward toward the door. For the first time since she’d stepped foot in his realm, he got off on her fear. Craved it. Reveled in it. “Go. Before those pieces are yours.”

Lilliana tried to not cry as she fled down the hall toward the building’s exit, tripping and careening off walls as she attempted to put on the dress while running at full speed. She’d screwed up badly. She’d hated Azagoth in the beginning, but he’d been nothing but good to her. And once she’d understood his lack of emotions, his coldness had not only made sense, but had been understandable.

She should have told him the truth the very moment she realized she was having second thoughts about why she’d come here. Instead, she’d swept her deception under the rug and hoped he’d never find out.

Fool. Of course he found out. This is his realm. He knows all. Sees all.

Wait...how had he found out?

Not that it mattered. What was done was done, and as the tears rolled down her cheeks in hot streaks, she cursed Raphael. Hutriel. Herself.

“Lilliana!”

Cat’s voice rang out as Lilliana shoved open the door to outside. Only the knowledge that Cat might very well be screwed out of a job halted Lilliana in her tracks.

Cat jogged over. “What’s wrong? Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving,” Lilliana said. Well, she tried to say it, but the sobs muffled her words. “I’m sorry, Cat. I’m so sorry. Your job—”

The fallen angel threw her arms around Lilliana and hugged her tight, which only made her cry harder. “Screw the job. I don’t want you to go.”

Get your head on straight. Pull yourself together for her sake. You can fall apart later.

Easing back from Cat, Lilliana dabbed at her wet face with the hem of her dress. “Listen to me. Stay out of Azagoth’s way for a while. If he fires you...” Lilliana couldn’t believe she was about to say this, given the fact that she was an angel and this went against everything angels believed, but things had changed since she got here. She had changed. “There’s a demon hospital called Underworld General. Go there. Try to get a job. You’ll be safe from the fallen angels trying to drag you into Sheoul.”

Cat nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Don’t go.”

A tormented roar, barely muffled by the building, rang out, stirring up a malevolent wind that reeked of rot and danger. “I have to.” She squeezed the female’s hand. “Promise me you’ll do as I said.”

Cat’s bottom lip trembled. “I promise.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lilliana released Cat. “Be safe. And thank you for everything.”

Hastily, before Azagoth made good on his word to send her to Heaven in pieces, Lilliana flew down the stairs and hit the ground running. As she stepped into the portal that would transport her out of here, she looked out over Azagoth’s kingdom.

All the new life, all the vibrant color and fresh air, was dying. Her last thought before the portal whisked her away was about Azagoth.

If his realm was dying, what was happening to him?