Razr: A Demonica Underworld Novella Read online

  Razr

  A Demonica Underworld Novella

  By Larissa Ione

  1001 Dark Nights

  Razr

  A Demonica Underworld Novella

  By Larissa Ione

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2017 Larissa Ione

  ISBN: 978-1-945920-20-2

  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

  Razr: A Demonica Novella

  New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione returns to the Demonica Underworld...

  A fallen angel with a secret.

  An otherworldly elf with an insatiable hunger she doesn't understand.

  An enchanted gem.

  Meet mortal enemies Razr and Jedda...and the priceless diamond that threatens to destroy them both even as it bonds them together with sizzling passion.

  Welcome back to the Demonica Underworld, where enemies find love...if they're strong enough to survive.

  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)

  Z (Book 11.7)

  ~ MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRES SERIES ~

  Bound By Night (book 1)

  Chained By Night (book 2)

  Blood Red Kiss Anthology (book 2.5)

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  I just want to send a million thank-you’s to the entire Evil Eye team. You are like family to me, and I love you dearly! I can’t wait to see you all next time!

  And to my readers, I just want to thank you for sticking with me on this journey. I promise you, it’s just getting started and there is a LOT more to come…

  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

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Click here to explore

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham

  SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst

  DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice

  ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey

  DEVOTED by Lexi Blake

  Z by Larissa Ione

  FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige

  EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby

  UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton

  HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye

  DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant

  KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  STRUNG UP by Lorelei James

  MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian

  TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti

  DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black

  THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely

  SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Sign up for the 1001 Dark Nights Newsletter

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  There's a contest every month!

  Click here to subscribe.

  As a bonus, all subscribers will receive a free

  1001 Dark Nights story

  The First Night

  by Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Larissa Ione

  Also by Larissa Ione

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  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

  Chapter Sixteen

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Disc
over the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover More Larissa Ione

  Special Thanks

  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: شهريار, “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

  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

  Faeway—Mystical “hotspots” in the human realm that elves can use to travel to and from their home realm.

  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.

  Harrowgate--Vertical portals, invisible to humans, used 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 five Rings, each housing 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 imprisoned within can take advantage of any outside object or living person in order to escape.

  Memitim—Sired exclusively by Azagoth, Memitim are 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.

  Primori––Humans and demons whose lives are fated to affect the world in some crucial way.

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

  Sheoul-gra--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.

  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.

  Chapter One

  Inside the confines of his boss’s office, demons swirled in the air all around Razr. The screaming, tortured souls begged for mercy or shouted obscenities and threats.

  Razr tapped the ring on his right index finger against his thigh as Azagoth, an ancient being also known as the Grim Reaper, sent tiny bursts of power at each one, making them screech in agony.

  Azagoth was playing with them, toying with them the way a cat would a mouse. His plush office, deep inside the underworld realm known as Sheoul-gra, had turned into a grim playground of pain.

  Pain was something Razr could deal with. Subservience was not, and after hundreds of years spent as an elite battle angel, being sentenced to serve Azagoth was humiliating as shit. But it was Razr’s own fault, and ultimately, he was lucky. After all, he’d been kicked out of Heaven, but he hadn’t lost his wings.

  No, his angelic wings and their fate would be determined by whether or not he could repair the damage he’d done a century ago.

  So, yeah. Hanging out with Azagoth and his band of freaky minions wasn’t exactly a great gig, but it could be worse. Still, as he stood across from Azagoth, who looked especially Grim Reaper-y in a black hooded robe, his green eyes glowing from the shadows, Razr didn’t see how it could be worse at this particular moment.

  Azagoth flicked his hand in dismissal, and a wave of griminions swarmed into the room like ants, their own miniature black robes dragging on the floor, their faces hidden by cowls. They gathered the demon souls and scurried away, disappearing into a tunnel in the wall to whatever hellhole they belonged in. When Azagoth turned his attention to Razr, the chill that settled on Razr’s skin quickly penetrated all the way to his bones.

  “I want to know why you wear a damned burlap sack and flip-flops every damned day. You have access to anything you want, but the only times you aren’t dressed like a medieval monk are when you leave Sheoul-gra.” Azagoth cocked his head and intensified his focus, leaving Razr feeling like a germ under a microscope. “Is the clothing part of your punishment?”

  Razr started. He’d been living in Sheoul-gra and working in Azagoth’s employ for over a year now, and this was the first time his boss had asked him anything that wasn’t work-related.

  “Yes,” Razr said, but it was a simple answer to a complex issue.

  “Your situation is unique. You aren’t fallen, but you aren’t a Heavenly angel, either. You aren’t even Unfallen,” Azagoth said, referring to the in-between state of an angel who had lost his wings but who hadn’t entered Sheoul, the demon realm, to complete his fall from grace. He glided over to the wet bar and splashed rum into two glasses. “Heaven created a new designation of angel just for you.”

  “Yeah,” Razr drawled. “Ain’t I special.” Except he wasn’t. There was another who had shared his status, his former lover Darlah, presumed dead after failing to return from a mission.

  A mission that was now Razr’s alone.

  Azagoth handed him one of the glasses, and Razr struggled to hide his surprise. And suspicion. The other male rarely acknowledged his existence, let alone treated him like an equal. “For some reason, you are special.”

  This was really getting weird. Azagoth had never shown any interest in him, but honestly, Razr was shocked that the guy didn’t know more about Razr’s story. He’d figured Heaven would have given Azagoth the full scoop, but apparently not.

/>   “What I can’t figure out,” Azagoth continued, “is why you haven’t managed to take care of your business and get back into Heaven.”

  Unable to remain still under this bizarre scrutiny, Razr swirled the rum around in his glass. “It’s not like you give me a lot of free time.”

  “So it’s my fault?” Azagoth’s voice was smooth as velvet and just dark enough to raise the hair on Razr’s head. One didn’t just accuse the Grim Reaper of stalling shit. Not if they liked wearing their skin.

  “Not at all,” Razr replied carefully, because his skin was pretty useful right where it was. “It’s just that I have limited resources in Sheoul-gra. I need more time in the human and demon realms.”

  Instead, he was stuck training Azagoth’s army of Memitim and the Unfallen refugees who had taken sanctuary here. Although, in truth, if Razr had to work for Azagoth, schooling angels on battle tactics wasn’t the suckiest thing he could do. It was a challenge he enjoyed, given that angels were notoriously hard to get to work together, and his specialty was teamwork.

  He’d just rather be training angels in Heaven than in Hell.

  The door to the office opened, and Zhubaal, Azagoth’s right-hand man and Razr’s direct superior, escorted a broad-shouldered male who smelled of sunshine inside. The angel, a big bastard in a plain brown hooded robe who went by the code name of Jim Bob, strode past Azagoth and stopped in front of Razr, which was odd, considering the angel tended to keep conversation limited to Azagoth.