Z: A Demonica Underworld Novella Read online

  Z

  A Demonica Underworld Novella

  By Larissa Ione

  1001 Dark Nights

  Z

  A Demonica Novella

  By Larissa Ione

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2016 Larissa Ione

  ISBN: 978-1-942299-10-3

  Forward: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Z: A Demonica Novella

  Zhubaal, fallen angel assistant to the Grim Reaper, has spent decades searching for the angel he loved and lost nearly a century ago. Not even her death can keep him from trying to find her, not when he knows she’s been given a second chance at life in a new body. But as time passes, he’s losing hope, and he wonders how much longer he can hold to the oath he swore to her so long ago…

  As an emim, the wingless offspring of two fallen angels, Vex has always felt like a second-class citizen. But if she manages to secure a deal with the Grim Reaper — by any means necessary — she will have earned her place in the world. The only obstacle in the way of her plan is a sexy hardass called Z, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn. Soon it becomes clear that they have a powerful connection rooted in the past…but can any vow stand the test of time?

  About Larissa Ione

  Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and fictional worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. After a dozen moves all over the country with her now-retired U.S. Coast Guard spouse, she is now settled in Wisconsin with her husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

  For more information about Larissa, visit www.larissaione.com.

  Also from Larissa Ione

  Click to purchase

  ~ DEMONICA/LORDS OF DELIVERANCE SERIES ~

  Pleasure Unbound (Book 1)

  Desire Unchained (Book 2)

  Passion Unleashed (Book 3)

  Ecstasy Unveiled (Book 4)

  Eternity Embraced ebook (Book 4.5) (NOVELLA)

  Sin Undone August (Book 5)

  Eternal Rider (Book 6)

  Supernatural Anthology (Book 6.5) (NOVELLA)

  Immortal Rider (Book 7)

  Lethal Rider (Book 8)

  Rogue Rider (Book 9)

  REAVER (Book 10)

  AZAGOTH (Book 10.5)

  REVENANT (Book 11)

  HADES (Book 11.5)

  Base Instincts (Book 11.6)

  ~ MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRES SERIES ~

  Bound By Night (book 1)

  Chained By Night (book 2)

  Blood Red Kiss Anthology (book 2.5)

  Acknowledgments

  First, I want to thank my amazing readers. You are the most enthusiastic, supportive readers out there, and I love bringing this world to you.

  I also want to send out huge, heartfelt thanks to Kimberly Guidroz, Pamela Jamison, and Liz Berry for all of their hard work. You ladies are absolutely incredible!

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Click here to explore

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black

  CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham

  CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom

  DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake

  AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione

  NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones

  SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

  ROPED IN by Lorelei James

  TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  TAME ME by J. Kenner

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Click here to explore

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan

  WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham

  EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby

  MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair

  CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner

  ADORED by Lexi Blake

  HADES by Larissa Ione

  RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton

  DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James

  RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON KING by Donna Grant

  PURE WICKED by Shayla Black

  HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham

  KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

  TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti

  THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  THE SURRENDER GATE By Christopher Rice

  SERVICING THE TARGET By Cherise Sinclair

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  1001 Dark Nights story

  The First Night

  by Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose

  Turn the page for a full list of the

  1001 Dark Nights fabulous novellas...

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهریار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

&n
bsp; in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

  you now.

  GLOSSARY

  The Aegis––Society of human warriors dedicated to protecting the world from evil. Recent dissension among its ranks reduced its numbers and sent The Aegis in a new direction.

  Daemani––Any being, but usually of demonic or angelic origin, who attracts the souls of the dead. Some daemani can block the souls from entering their bodies, while others are helpless to resist. Few daemani can release the souls without being in the proximity of another daemani or without help from a spell, a mystical item, or another being who possesses inherent or learned extraction abilities.

  Emim––The wingless offspring of two fallen angels. Emim possess a variety of fallen angel powers, although the powers are generally weaker and more limited in scope.

  Fallen Angel––Believed to be evil by most humans, fallen angels can be grouped into two categories: True Fallen and Unfallen. Unfallen angels have been cast from Heaven and are earthbound, living a life in which they are neither truly good nor truly evil. In this state, they can, rarely, earn their way back into Heaven. Or they can choose to enter Sheoul, the demon realm, in order to complete their fall and become True Fallens, taking their places as demons at Satan’s side.

  Harrowgate––Vertical portals, invisible to humans, which demons use to travel between locations on Earth and Sheoul. A very few beings can summon their own personal Harrowgates.

  Inner Sanctum––A realm within Sheoul-gra that consists of 5 Rings, each containing the souls of demons categorized by their level of evil as defined by the Ufelskala. The Inner Sanctum is run by the fallen angel Hades and his staff of wardens, all fallen angels. Access to the Inner Sanctum is strictly limited, as the demons contained inside can take advantage of any outside object or living person in order to escape.

  Memitim––Earthbound angels assigned to protect important humans called Primori. Memitim remain earthbound until they complete their duties, at which time they Ascend, earning their wings and entry into Heaven. See: Primori

  Radiant––The most powerful class of Heavenly angel in existence, save Metatron. Unlike other angels, Radiants can wield unlimited power in all realms and can travel freely through Sheoul, with very few exceptions. The designation is awarded to only one angel at a time. Two can never exist simultaneously, and they cannot be destroyed except by God or Satan. The fallen angel equivalent is called a Shadow Angel. See: Shadow Angel

  Shadow Angel––The most powerful class of fallen angel in existence, save Satan and Lucifer. Unlike other fallen angels, Shadow Angels can wield unlimited power in all realms, and they possess the ability to gain entrance into Heaven. The designation is awarded to only one angel at a time, and they can never exist without their equivalent, a Radiant. Shadow Angels cannot be destroyed except by God or Satan. The Heavenly angel equivalent is called a Radiant. See: Radiant.

  Sheoul––Demon realm. Located on its own plane deep in the bowels of the Earth, accessible to most only by Harrowgates and hellmouths.

  Sheoul-gra––A holding tank for demon souls. A realm that exists independently of Sheoul, it is overseen by Azagoth, also known as the Grim Reaper. Within Sheoul-gra is the Inner Sanctum, where demon souls go to be kept in torturous limbo until they can be reborn.

  Sheoulic––Universal demon language spoken by all, although many species also speak their own language.

  Ufelskala––A scoring system for demons, based on their degree of evil. All supernatural creatures and evil humans can be categorized into the five Tiers, with the Fifth Tier comprising of the worst of the wicked.

  Table Of Contents

  Book Description

  About Larissa Ione

  Also by Larissa Ione

  Author Acknowledgments

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Foreword

  Glossary

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover Larissa Ione

  An excerpt from Forsaken By Night by Larissa Ione

  Special Thanks

  Chapter One

  Inside Sheoul, the demon realm sometimes called Hell, evil was everywhere.

  It dripped off the sides of the sheer rock walls in streaks of black acid that ate into the stone with a hiss. It wafted through the humid air on tendrils of mist that reeked of sulfur and decaying flesh. And, as Vex watched, it oozed like toothpaste from out of a fissure in midair that only people like her could see.

  Her purple-tipped black hair, already short and spiky, stood even more on end as the thing squeezing out of the fissure, a dead demon’s soul, popped free of whatever realm and mystical enclosure it had been inside. The toothpastey glob took a transparent, vaguely humanoid shape, but its glowing crimson eyes were sharp and clear. A malevolent wave of rage and hate rolled off the soul, and Vex backed away, even though escape was impossible for her.

  She was what her parents had called a daemani, a demon soul magnet, a person to whom souls stuck like glue. According to them, most daemanis couldn’t prevent it from happening, and that was a serious pain in the ass. If a demon died near Vex, not even the Grim Reaper’s personal daemanis, creatures called griminions, had a chance to collect the soul before it got sucked into her and stored as a glyph on her skin.

  The demon shrieked, a sound only she or another soul-sensitive person could hear, as it struggled to keep from being sucked into the prison of her body. In a futile attempt to avoid the inevitable, she fled, her booted feet nimbly negotiating the rock shard-strewn ground that was all too common in this part of Sheoul.

  But no matter how fast she ran, every time she looked over her shoulder, the distance between her and the soul had decreased. Closer. Closer. Oh, shit––

  A fireball of pain exploded against her lower spine, knocking her off her feet and sending her tumbling down a ravine infested with thick, thorny vines that tore at her exposed flesh and nearly ripped her knapsack off her back. But it was the misery of the soul settling in that left tears streaming down her face.

  Agony, like a million hellfire ants crawling beneath her skin, wracked her as she scrambled to her feet and clawed her way back to the trail. The demon inside her tore at her mind, shrieking at a maddeningly high pitch that made her gut twist.

  “Female.” The deep, serrated voice startled her, and it must have startled her newest hitchhiking soul too, because the demon spirit stopped freaking out, giving her a chance to catch her breath.

  Palming one of the blades hidden in her boot, she shoved to her feet and stared up at the massive armored demon. He had to be at least
eight feet tall, with horns poking up through the matte black helmet. Mahogany skin stretched tight on the only exposed parts of his body, his long, clawed hands and his craggy face. She grimaced in oral hygiene horror as his cracked lips peeled back from crooked and rotten––but sharp––teeth and five-inch tusks.

  “Who are you?” The symbol etched into the shoulder piece of his armor marked him as a servant of the necromancer she’d come to see, but someone had been trying to kill her for months, and until she knew who they were and why they wanted her dead, she had to be extra careful.

  “I am Othog,” he growled. “You are here to see the great and horrible Frank?”

  The word Frank supposedly meant something really scary in some obscure demon language, but Vex had to struggle to keep a straight face.

  “Yes,” she said, concealing the blade in her palm. She’d already picked a vulnerable chink in his armor to slide the blade through if the guy pulled any shit. “I’m here to see the...Frank.”

  He made a sweeping gesture with his arm, and his armor creaked like nails on a chalkboard. “This way.”

  Demons weren’t the most trustworthy folk, so she kept her weapon ready as she followed him down a well-worn path she swore hadn’t been there before. Bony hands punched through the vegetation, grabbing at them, and random puddles of what she could only assume was steaming blood formed and dissipated as they trudged along the trail. After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes, they reached a passageway that led deep into the side of a mountain. Pulsing veins ran along the dark walls, as if the mountain itself was alive. Maybe it was. Sheoul was weird and dangerous, which was why she’d chosen to live in the human world.