From Ashes and Embers (Ceasefire Series Book 3)

by Claire Marta

  “It’s ok, pumpkin. Everything is going to be ok,” he assures me before launching himself out of the car into the dark.

  Hands shaking, movements desperate, my mother unclips my belt before reaching past me to open the passenger door. “We have to go honey.”

  “Why?”

  “Those men want to hurt us.”

  Legs shaking, I slither clear of the vehicle at her silent urging, my toy still clutched in my little clammy hand. “I don’t understand.”

  Steeped in the cloak of night the trees around us are tall and solemn, stretching into the blackness. I don’t know where we are. Nothing is familiar. Alarm swells, my breathing coming out in ragged, shrill pants. We’re in the middle of nowhere.

  “I know you don’t, but I promise as soon as were safe I’ll explain everything.” Crawling out beside me, she takes my hand her palm tightly against my own. As we stumble away from the car, I sneak a look back. Seven figures are on the road we left behind. Their shadows bob and dance in the light of the full moon. Their movements are rapid and coordinated. All their focus is on the man battling to fend them off.

  My father.

  A scream slices through the choking silence, and I watch as he goes down under the fierceness of the strangers’ attack.

  “No…” Mothers cry is shattered, soft. Coming to a standstill, she clutches me into her chest. The flowery scent of her favorite perfume fills my senses. Breathing it in, I cling to the familiar smell.

  “Jane. Go and hide…I have to help your father.”

  Clasping her with all my strength, I refuse to let her go. “Mamma…”

  Lips brush my forehead loving and trembling, her tears splashing onto my cheek as she cries. “I love you baby…please just stay safe, and if anything should happen to us, you have to run.”

  Releasing a shaky breath, I banish the rest of the memory before it can solidify and take shape. The horror of that evening and the loss weigh me down.

  It’s a surprise to find Juliana isn’t with her mother. Standing in the middle of the lavish nursery, the Devil himself has his daughter held lovingly in the crook of his arm. Singing softly, he rocks her gently back and forth.

  It dawns on me then I’m witnessing something not many people see. A softer side to the King of Hell. The way he holds her as if she’s the most precious thing in the world is a blatant show of how much he loves her. It sends a pang through my heart. Losing my own parents at an early age, it stirs old pain.

  “Do you intend to stand there all morning?” he asks sardonically over his shoulder.

  Realizing I’ve been caught spying, I move awkwardly into the room. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you, Sir.”

  His smile holds such beauty it echoes the angel he once was, stealing away my breath. “I was aware you would be coming to take over. Mavi was up with her most of the night as she wouldn’t settle, so I’m letting her sleep in. I’m so busy I have to steal moments to have Juliana all to myself.”

  I nod in understanding. Accepting her when he holds her out to me, I take the baby carefully into my arms.

  Big green eyes stare up into mine. She’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Four weeks seeing to her every need and her beauty strikes me every time I see her.

  “My prime interest is keeping my family protected and happy at any cost. If you threaten that or I discover you aren’t suitable, I will have no problem ending your existence. The previous nannies that you replaced were found lacking.”

  Lucifer’s quiet, deadly words jolt me from my staring. The look he’s giving me sends a shiver of fear down my spine. He means what he says. I have no doubt that he would carry it out either. All five of the women who preceded me vanished without a trace.

  “You employed me to help with your daughter. If you’re not happy with my services, you can always fire me,” I reply hastily. He’s having me watched. I’m not so inexperienced not to know that. My every move monitored and logged for any sign of treachery. Has he seen through my deception so soon?

  “I’m not displeased with you, yet, and you came highly recommend,” he remarks thoughtfully.

  My recommendations are solid. Working with children is something I’ve done for several years and enjoyed. It’s always hard to part with my charges when things come to an end. They pull at my heart strings.

  Somehow, I find the power to breathe without hyperventilating in panic. “I’m qualified. You’ve seen all my references. Talked to my former employers.”

  “And they were all very impressive,” he tells me, straightening his suave grey suit. “It would be a pity if we have to get rid of you now Juliana is attached to you. I can assure you it would be done without mercy.”

  “You don’t need to threaten me. I have no intention of hurting anyone,” I point out, hugging the baby to my chest and hoping he buys the lie. He’s the biggest manipulator and liar of them all. Can I deceive the Devil? Or am I stepping into deep water?

  Lucifer smirks deviously, his emerald colored eyes so much like his daughter’s cunningly gleam. “I do hope you’re right, my dear. It would be a pity to terminate your employment so soon.”

  Before I can say any more, he turns with an air of dismissiveness, striding from the room.

  Chapter Five

  Raziel

  “I don’t think the fairy was the right choice.”

  Jane’s driving me out of my fucking mind. I need a release one way or another. Having her around is frustrating as hell when I’m not allowed to touch her. Finding her dancing around shaking that perfect arse to music, while she danced with baby Juliana, almost killed me. I’d wanted nothing more than to pin her up against the nursery wall and take her until neither of us can walk straight. With my orders, I’m forbidden to indulge in that desire. All I’m supposed to do is watch and make sure she’s up to nothing devious. Eye fucking her only gets me so far, and at this rate, my hand will drop off with all the relief I’ve been giving myself.

  Lucifer doesn’t bother to look up from his task but continues to play with the electro wand. His extensive collection of sex toys is strewn over the table in front of him. The grey concrete cell we’re standing in is bare and windowless.

  “What exactly has she done?” he questions distractedly.

  Rubbing the back of my neck, I clear my throat. “Well nothing…but I don’t think she’s suitable.”

  “If she proves not to be the right fit, we’ll get rid of her, but for now, I’m content with my choice in caregiver for my child.”

  “She’s like a walking ray of sunshine. Blinding and annoying,” I continue gloomily. “I don’t believe anyone can be that happy and pleasant all the time. And the cakes! What am I supposed to do with all the ones she just leaves discarded in the kitchen? Set up shop and run a bloody bakery?”

  “I have no interest in desserts unless they’re used for foreplay. Frankly I don’t care what you do with them. Feed the prisoners, burn them, shoot them into the fucking sun. Use your imagination. If it annoys you then order her to stop.”

  I glance in the direction of the beauty chained to the wall. I’ve caught them in the middle of one of their date nights. Their acting out one of Mavi’s fantasies. BDSM and her at his mercy. The whole conversation, her moans have been muffled by the red ball gag wedged between her ripe lips. Ribbons of saliva trail from the corners of her mouth, dripping down onto her naked chest. Nipples engorged by the clamps adorning them, the rubies sparkle in the light. Another shudder rocks through her. From pain or pleasure, I’m not sure. The soft buzz of the vibrator jammed against her pussy lips is unrelenting.

  My silent question is answered when she raises her head. Amongst the tangle of her black hair, blue eyes burn fever bright with sexual excitement.

  Mavi is having the time of her life. The two of them together are into some pervert fucking. She feeds the Devil’s sick twisted desires any way he chooses. After so many millenniums alone, he really is indulging himself as he spoils her.

  Dis
carding the wand, he lifts a taser.

  I know from experience that it looks tame but that it’s been modified to send a dangerous charge when amped up to the highest setting.

  Switching it on, his intense gaze admires the small blue spark of electricity at the end of the prongs. “If that’s all, I’d like to get back to my woman. You’re ruining the mood, and I never like to disappoint her.” His eyes twinkle with demented sadistic glee. “Take the night off. You look like you need it.” Stalking across the room with the device in hand, he moves toward the helpless female. “I think you’ve been hanging there long enough, my Flower. It’s time to move onto something else in our game before I wine and dine you.”

  Mavi begins to squirm in her restraints. Gaze growing wild, I know he’s caught her off guard with his intentions. She struggles fruitlessly, but there’s no escape.

  Lucifer chuckles darkly. “Love is a word too soft for the infinite, blazing agony I feel in my chest for you. The stars could cease to shine, and it would never burn out. I will show you the exquisite beauty of your darkest dreams before this night is through.”

  She’ll have to take the pain before he delivers pleasure, but from experience, I know she won’t balk at what he has in store. They’re both immortal after all.

  Not waiting to watch the show, I leave clicking the cell door closed behind me.

  Maybe he’s right. I haven’t gotten laid in weeks. It’s time to de-stress. What I need is to let off some steam and relax. I’m just wound up sexually. Once I’ve had a woman or two, this unwanted obsession with the rainbow-haired fairy will fade away. Striding up the stairs from the dungeon, only one possibility comes to mind.

  Chapter Six

  Jane

  “This is your evening out?” I question dubiously.

  Rosella’s suggestion at a girl’s night out had sounded like fun, but now I’m not so sure. The only friendly face in the Devil’s fortress, it didn’t take much for her to convince me to come out. One more taste of normality before duty calls, and my life changes forever.

  Shivering beneath the layers of my green coat, I eye the wooden building. It looks like an old-fashioned saloon. Light shines through the windows with a warm and welcoming glow. We’re in the middle of nowhere. My delicately stitched shoes do nothing to stop my toes from numbing to the point of pain. Long tresses swept up into a sophisticated knot on top of my head, it’s fastened in place by a long pair of matching bejewelled hair pins.

  Draped in a long fur coat, the auburn-haired demoness gestures toward the door. “Raz will be here. It’s his favorite place.”

  Glancing behind, I find our footsteps already vanishing under the flurry of crystalline snow. “Why would I be interested in where he’s going to be?”

  Retracing our steps is near impossible, and I realize I should have taken better care. Somewhere behind us lays a portal. A magical gateway in the disguise of standing stones. No longer in the Hell dimension where the fortress resides, we’re in one connected to it. Biting my lip, I curse my mistake. Interlinked with not only the Devil’s domain, I should have familiarized myself better with their locations and destinations.

  “Jane, you’d have to be dead not to see you’re attracted to him, and who wouldn’t be? He’s hot, virile, strong and not lacking in the cock department.”

  Cheeks glowing red at her blatant comment, I shake my head. “I’m not.”

  Rosella ignores my startled cry of denial. “He’s a man whore. He’ll go anywhere he knows he can get sex, and as he hasn’t for weeks, this is where he’ll spend his night off.”

  Turning to the sound of the sea further along from the building, the luminous blue looks ethereally and perilous. It’s the only other color in the white wilderness. “How do you know that?”

  “Because I’m usually the one providing him with relief. I’ve been withholding, and I know for a fact he hasn’t been with anyone else. If you want to hook up with him, this is where you do it. He’ll be desperate enough to sleep with anything at this point.”

  I frown at her barbed words, watching as she gracefully ascending the three steps, hips swaying she pushes open the door.

  The sound hits me first. Mingled voices. Rock music. Next comes the delicious warmth that draws me in after her out of the bitter, bleak cold. Hovering in the doorway, the winter air lashes at my back as I take in my surroundings. A long, wooden bar is situated along one wall. Glass bottles lining the shelves, the liquid within catching the light in different colorful hues. The place is packed. Cigarette smoke lingers in a haze, entwined with perfume, body odor and the scent of stale beer.

  Dancing provocatively on a center stage, a naked woman gyrates her hips in time to the music. Slowly, sensuously, she curls around a pole, fixed in the middle, with the sleekness of a cat.

  Hell’s foul-mouthed bad boy. Raziel’s life revolves around gambling, causal flings, and having a good time. A strip club shouldn’t surprise me.

  “I’m just here to have a drink, that’s all,” I tell Rosella hastily, wanting to curtail any other plans she might have in store. If she thinks we’re going to be here all evening, she’s going to be disappointed. This was not what I had in mind.

  One slender shoulder rises in a shrug. “Suit yourself. Let’s see if there’s any space at the bar.”

  Making our way between warm bodies, I’m not sure whether to be mortified or turned on by everything that’s going on round me. Everywhere I look, someone is involved in a sexual act. Women sucking cocks. Men and women fucking on tables, the floor, against the wall. Men on men, women on women. Demons, shifters, magic wielders, and other breeds of supernaturals. Sheltered most of my life, seeing sex up close is eye opening and shocking. The closest I’ve gotten is owning a vibrator. They don’t seem to care others are watching. It’s one giant orgy. Gazes swing our way. Hot, hungry, they rake over every inch of us with carnal interest.

  Huddling into the depth of my coat, I follow Rosella, feigning disinterest. Fighting off the sexual advances of some lusty supernatural isn’t going to make this evening go any faster. Slipping onto two free stools, the demoness gestures with her finger snatching the bartender’s attention and orders us both two non-alcoholic drinks.

  Head lolling to one side, her heavily made up eyes meet mine. “So, tell me, how are you enjoying your job at the fortress?”

  Accepting the glass that’s pushed in front of me, the scent of something fruity wafts, seducing to my nose. “It’s not very different from the other positions I’ve held. A little daunting working for Lucifer, but I’m more than sure I’m handling the job to his liking.”

  “Hmm I could eat that baby right up,” Rosella murmurs, swirling the contents of her own drink with the end of her straw. “Where were you before this?”

  “Working for a family in the Royal Fae court. It was very formal as they were cousins of the King. Everything had to be done a certain way. Everyone was on ceremony.” I reply, shaking myself from my unease at the hint of seriousness in her tone. “Before that, I was a nanny for a pride of cat shifters. That turned out to be a handful with an entire litter of little ones, but it was fun.” The memory of the tiny furry cubs snuggling into my side makes me smile. With it comes a pang of sorrow, something I always experience thinking back to the children I’ve governed. I’m a brief point in their young lives. A role model and teacher. I doubt they remember me. They move on, but the moments spent with them remain in my heart.

  Swivelling on her chair, the demoness’s attention hunts over the crowd. “You’re dripping with so much enthusiasm it makes me want to throw up. I don’t understand how you can enjoy caring after wailing brats.”

  “You don’t want any children of your own?” I question tentatively. “A family?”

  “As Lucifer’s mistress, that option was taken from me. You?”

  “I’m going to have a family one day.” My small smile is fringed with the sadness of a situation I will never escape. Everything I am has been shaped and honed for what’
s to come.

  Feeling someone melt their body into mine from behind, I jerk in surprise. The broadness and muscles of a male swamping my tiny figure.

  “You wenches fancy a threesome?” The voice is deep and gravelly. Shivering at its effect, I scoot forward, trying to dislodge the stranger. The smell of alcohol wrinkles my nose as his breath skims over my cheek.

  Giving him the middle finger, Rosella’s expression transforms into forbidding and grim. “Fuck off, we’re not interested in your stubby little cock.”

  Turning my head slightly, I find a pair of fog-muddled, silvery eyes. Daunting features paint his countenance, a bump on a hawk-like nose, the chiselled thrust of a clean-shaven jaw.

  “Now listen here…”

  “No, you listen to me.” She cuts him off as he bristles in drunken aggression. “I said we’re not interested. If I’m going to have sex, I would at least like to be deep dicked properly and be able to feel it. Now turn around and find some drunk hoe who’s willing not to laugh at that pathetic twig you call your manhood.”

  Boisterous laughter erupts from a group of males at the other end of the bar, the sound drawing the attention of others around us.

  “Sounds like you met your match, Captain,” A squat ugly male hollers from where he’s sitting. “That one has a tongue sharp as any blade.”

  “Aye, that she does.” The stranger gives us a rueful grin. “I’ll take my dick elsewhere then. I’m in no mind for verbal sparring tonight when there are other pleasures to be found. Good evening, ladies.” Gripping my hips to steady himself with strong hands, he swaggers in the direction of his friends. Bemused I watch him go. A sword hangs from his hip over a loose cotton tunic and a pair of brown trousers tucked into a pair of black knee-high boots.

  Pirates? In Hell? Tilting my head, I study him more closely. He resembles the characters out of some of my romance novels. Rugged, wicked, with a Devil may care attitude. Giggling at the thought, I capture my straw, sucking at the contents of my drink. This is more excitement than I’ve had in a very long time. If I can stay out of trouble, tonight might not be so bad after all.