Page 20 of Stolen By the Reaper

I leaped to my feet, pulling Josephine up with me. The scent of sulfur and rotting corpses hung in the air, at odds with the perfectly pleasant young man standing before us. Youthful. Well-groomed. But his blue eyes were like ice, and the strands of his hair were ghostly white.

Clauneck.

“Azrael, my faithful servant.” The demon dipped his head, his tone almost bored. He turned his attention to Josephine and smiled, his lips stretching too wide. “And Josephine, my dear, it seems your beauty only grows. You’re a rare gem I must reclaim.”

He took a step forward.

The air crackled, heavy with power. My glyphs blazed as fire raced through my veins. I threw every ounce of power into slamming a barrier between us. The force knocked Clauneck backward a step. A single fucking step.

His gaze narrowed, and for a fleeting moment, a sliver of surprise flickered in those icy depths.

But he didn’t stop.

His laughter echoed off the stones, high-pitched and manic. His hands swirled, tracing sigils of power and casting spells as he stalked closer. The air shuddered around us. The grass withered and died.

“Such a protective boy.” He shook his head, the amusement slipping from his face. “The last one, by the looks of it.”

My entire focus zeroed in on Clauneck, the world fading to nothing around us. I poured all of my anger, all of my hate, into my magic. I had to keep him away from her. Had to protect her.

I delved deep into my power and burned through my glyphs. A trickle, that was all I needed. Just enough to crack through reality.

The portal opened behind me. Behind Josephine.

I glanced over my shoulder and mouthed two words to her. “Find Veridian.”

Then I threw out my arm and shoved her through.

The portal snapped shut, cutting off her scream.

Clauneck’s face contorted with rage. “You dare?”

His power shattered my barrier and slammed into me. The bond of reaper to demon, forged centuries ago, flared to life. White-hot agony ripped through my body as the world spun around me, the cliffs dissolving. The ground disappeared from under my feet, and I was tumbling through darkness.

I landed on my knees with a sickening thud, pain lancing through my bones. My breath came in ragged gasps, my head swimming as I tried to get my bearings.

When my vision cleared, I found myself in Clauneck’s palace. Gold-leafed walls, jewel-encrusted floors, and the stench of suffering.

That bastard sat where I’d tasted Josephine. I snarled at the memory-polluting fucker in human skin.

“Defiant to the last.” Clauneck’s voice dripped with disdain. He stepped down from the throne and circled me, each step deliberate. “I should have known you’d try something foolish.”

I gritted my teeth, fighting to breathe through the pain. “Go to hell.”

“Did you really think you could outsmart me, Azrael? I made you. I own you.” He knelt before me, his face inches from mine. “But don’t fret. You haven’t ruined anything. I’ve been meaning to pay our old seer a visit, anyway.”

A muscle twitched in my jaw, my anger bubbling beneath the surface. I locked it down tight, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose control.

Clauneck’s eyes glittered with malice. “Perhaps I’ll let Veridian’s soul keep your sister company. Hester’s been so lonely, after all.”

Icy fingers closed around my heart, my pulse thundering in my ears. I had to get out of his grasp and back to Josephine. I trusted Veridian would serve her role as seer, but I could only hope that role included Josephine’s safety. Hester, Veridian, even my miserable fate—none of us survived without my mate.

“She’s quite remarkable, my stolen bride,” Clauneck mused. His lips curled into a cruel smile. “Such untapped potential. And those lips... I look forward to molding her into something truly spectacular.”

Rage boiled within me, giving me strength to lift my head. “You won’t touch her.”

He smiled, all teeth and no warmth. “I won’t have to. She’ll come to me willingly once she realizes what’s at stake. Your sister’s soul. Your miserable existence.”

I lunged at him, but my limbs betrayed me. Pain shot through me, and I collapsed in a heap. I willed my limbs to obey, to force my battered body to stand. To fight.

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