Page 26 of Stolen By the Reaper

“We rule together,” she said softly. “Or not at all.”

And fuck, what a glorious reign it would be.

EPILOGUE

JOSEPHINE

Istifled a yawn as Veridian’s lesson on underworld history drew to a close. My head swam with visions of realms I’d never seen—Valac’s treasure-filled caves guarded by his dragons, Asmodeus’s pleasure palaces dripping with sin, Belphegor’s slothful swamps.

So many domains, each with its own peril and twisted beauty. Each with a ruler and purpose I needed to know.

But Veridian’s history wasn’t the kind taught by stuffy professors and pored over in old textbooks. It was raw, messy, and brutal. Every action had a reaction, and I needed to understand rules, decorum, and the bloody feuds that filled the spaces between.

“Thank you,” I said, rising from my seat.

The seer’s milky eyes fixed on me. “The threads of fate continue to shift around you, young queen. Your path remains intriguing.”

Intriguing, in Veridian’s terms, translated to complicated and dangerous.

But I’d chosen it, and I intended to hold on to my power with my reaper.

A thought carried me away from Veridian and back to the throne room of our palace.

MineandAzrael’s.

I still didn’t know what to do with the finery, with the crown, with the fact that I was the queen of a demon-infested underworld. But it was what it was, and I was learning. I wasn’t about to shy away from my power and responsibilities.

Gone were Clauneck’s gaudy gold trappings. Azrael and I had redecorated in shades of midnight and forest, with accents of silver starlight. The air no longer reeked of sulfur and greed. Now it smelled of lavender and spice, a reflection of the souls who dwelled here.

I paused at a window, gazing out at the desolate beauty of the underworld. Ruling wasn’t easy. We’d abolished the worst of Clauneck’s cruelties, but some harshness was necessary. Souls still needed reaping. Contracts still bound reapers to service. But we were working to make the terms fairer, to give hope where before there’d been only despair.

My fingers traced the growing collection of glyphs on my arm. The power from Clauneck’s followers was all I’d needed when I took down the demon, but that reservoir quickly ran dry. I needed my own source of strength if I was going to stay on top.

At least some good had come of it all. Hester’s soul finally rested in her afterlife, freed from Clauneck’s grip. And Azrael—my devoted, wicked reaper—was truly free. No more contracts or obligations.

I pushed open the door to our chambers, lost in thought. Maybe Azrael would be done with his day, too...

Laid out on the bed was a familiar black dress. Black silk, barely there, and positively sinful. Heat pooled low in my belly as memories flooded back—Azrael’s burning gaze, his wicked grin as he’d snapped his fingers and clothed me in this very dress.

I ran my fingers over the silky fabric, marveling at how far we’d come. From kidnapper and victim to partners, lovers, rulers.

A folded note sat atop the dress, written in my reaper’s elegant script. “Please?”

One word, but it sent a thrill through me. Well, when a king asks so nicely...

The silk was cool against my skin as I slipped into the dress. I caught my reflection in the mirror and barely recognized myself. Gone was the shy, naïve woman sacrificed on her wedding day. In her place stood a queen of the underworld, eyes glowing with confidence, skin marked with power.

A flicker of movement caught my eye. Shadows danced at the bottom of the door, almost like a puppy begging to be let out.

Azrael’s work, no doubt.

I opened the door, and the percolating mass of shadows rushed into the corridor. The motes flickered, leading me on a guided path through the palace. My anticipation built with every step until the shadows disappeared at the edge of a secluded courtyard.

Hundreds of candles cast a soft glow over the space, their light dancing off the leaves of towering trees that formed a private forest. Flowering vines and delicate white buds crawled up the trunks, filling the air with the sweet scent of spring. Rose petals blanketed the mossy ground, forming a path to the center of the forest glade.

Waiting for me in the middle stood Azrael, his eyes burning with that familiar green fire.

“Everyone’s been warned,” he said. A smirk twitched the corner of his mouth as he took slow steps toward me. “Eternal captivity with Alain as company awaits if we’re disturbed.”

---