Page 15 of Stolen By the Reaper

Another point in his favor. Another deducted for the disappearing act while I slept.

And now he’d been gone for what felt like hours. If he’d teleported away and left me alone again...

Steeling myself, I marched down the corridor. I traced the rough-hewn edges of the stone passageway. The reaper’s quarters were... unexpected. I’d expected some sprawling den of sin and torture. Not the sort of rugged simplicity the few rooms sported.

I pushed open the heavy wooden door at the end of the corridor, and froze.

Azrael sat naked on the edge of the enormous pool, skin glistening with droplets. The soft glow of his glyphs danced over his skin like flickering embers. Steam rose from the water, curling around his muscular form.

He lifted his head, fire-filled gaze landing on me. The corner of his mouth quirked. “Would you like to join me, Josephine?”

My name, in his deep voice, was an invitation and a command. I bit my lip, fingers clenching and unclenching. “I—I’ll come back later.”

“Afraid of a little skin?” He chuckled, and the rich, rumbling sound shot straight through me. “Stay. Unless you’re worried you can’t control yourself.”

My eyes snapped back to his face. “I have excellent self-control, thank you very much.”

“Prove it.” He patted the stone beside him. “I’m reapplying my glyphs. Come, you might learn something useful.”

I hesitated, but curiosity warred with my sense of decency. I wanted to know everything, didn’t I? And he’d admitted he pushed and teased just to get a rise out of me.

I didn’t have to give him one.

The half-smile of amusement remained firmly fixed on his lips as I sank onto the cool stone beside him. I was careful to keep my eyes strictly on his face, pointedly ignoring the rest of his very nude, very sculpted body.

“How do they work?” I asked, voice somehow remaining steady.

He dipped his fingers into a small bowl of shimmering black paste, then held out his forearm. “They’re symbols of power for amplifying our magic. This one enhances strength.”

A black-coated finger traced a symbol over his arm. The skin broke apart like a fissure in the earth, green fire like his eyes burning underneath. The glyph healed over, leaving behind a faintly glowing tattoo.

I didn’t realize I’d reached out to touch him until the tips of my fingers grazed the edges. “Does it hurt?”

“Yes,” he replied, but he didn’t move. His skin was warm, almost hot under my fingertips. I dared to trace the outline. He released a shuddering breath. “And again, when they are used. All magic comes at a price.”

He swiped his fingers across a faint red line, then dipped his fingers in the bowl and retraced the lines. His skin fissured and sealed with the glow of a new glyph, and I realized he’d takenso long because of me. My presence. Alain wouldn’t have forced him to use his glyph reserves otherwise.

Point to the reaper. Not a single word designed to guilt or gloat slipped free of his lips. He didn’t even string the facts together for me. A simple demonstration and explanation, only.

I glanced up, eyes locking on the flames dancing in his eyes. “Thank you.”

“For?” The muscle in his forearm flexed as he worked, the cords of his neck standing out.

“For not sending me away with him,” I said softly. I picked at a loose thread on the jeans I’d changed into as soon as Azrael slipped away.

Another point to the reaper. The wardrobe still held all my clothes, plus a few silky additions he left behind.

“Demons like Clauneck, they’re never satisfied. Always hungry for more power and more souls.” The flames of his eyes flared, casting dancing shadows across his face. “He will not take you.”

There was something more. A raw edge in his voice when he spoke of demons. It sounded personal. “Is that why you became a reaper? To stop him?”

Azrael’s laugh was hollow. “No. I became a reaper because I was a fool.”

He dipped his fingers into the black paste again, his movements methodical. “I had a sister, Hester. Our parents arranged a marriage for her, to a very wealthy and powerful man.” His eyes met mine, flames dancing. “Sound familiar?”

Too familiar. I swallowed hard and nodded. “What happened?”

“She didn’t want the match, so I tried to save her.” Old pain flashed over his features. “I thought the bastard simply meant to kill her, then Clauneck appeared. Gods and demons were juststories until then. I begged for Hester’s safety. I promised him anything.”

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