The Darkest Promise--A Dark, Demonic Paranormal Romance

by Gena Showalter

  THE DARKEST SURRENDER,

  story of Strider

  * A new Harpy Games kicks off, a type of Olympics for immortals.

  * The Moirai, keepers of Fate, tell Kane, the keeper of Disaster, he will start the apocalypse.

  * William kills Gilly’s parents as punishment for abusing her.

  * Kane is captured and transported to hell, where he is tortured by demons.

  * Strider falls for the feisty Kaia and agrees to be her consort. Her team wins the Harpy Games.

  * Strider kills Lazarus the Cruel and Unusual, the consort of Juliette the Eradicator, to gain possession of the fourth artifact, the Paring Rod.

  THE DARKEST SEDUCTION,

  story of Paris

  * Viola, goddess of the Afterlife and keeper of Narcissism, is taken to Budapest to help the Lords.

  * William and Paris find Sienna, the new keeper of Wrath. Cronus has locked her away.

  * Galen kidnaps a pregnant Ashlyn in order to trade her for the artifacts.

  * Kane is captured and tortured by two of the Four Horsemen.

  * Legion gives herself to Galen in order to save Ashlyn.

  * Ashlyn gives birth to twins, Urban and Ever.

  * Sienna kills Cronus and becomes queen of the Titans.

  * Josephina, a blood slave to the Fae royal family, rescues Kane from torture.

  * Paris falls in love—and in like—with Sienna, the first and only woman he can bed more than once.

  THE DARKEST CRAVING,

  story of Kane

  * Cameo and Viola vanish after touching the Paring Rod.

  * Cameo meets Lazarus in a spirit realm. She is intrigued—and irritated—by him.

  * Kane is supposed to marry Josephina’s sister, a woman who has abused Josephina all her life, but he can’t do it. He’s too attracted to Josephina and insists on wedding her instead.

  * Torin inadvertently infects a human girl named Mari before the two are imprisoned.

  * Josephina defeats her father and becomes queen of the Fae.

  * William’s daughter White is beheaded.

  * Kane is killed but thanks to Josephina, who is pregnant with his child, he is brought back to life.

  THE DARKEST TOUCH,

  story of Torin

  * Mari, the only friend of Keeley the Red Queen, dies because of Torin’s disease and Keeley vows to punish Torin.

  * Torin accidentally touches Keeley, but though she gets sick, she heals. He is overjoyed—and so attracted to her, he can’t get her out of his mind.

  * Cameo and Lazarus arrive in Lazarus’s spirit-kingdom, though Lazarus manages to convince her they are in enemy territory and she must rely on him to save her.

  * Lucifer the Destroyer kidnaps Cameo, Baden, Cronus and Rhea.

  * Keeley shows the Lords how to use the four artifacts. She saves Cameo.

  * Baden and Pandora are given serpentine wreaths, making them tangible once again but also slaves to Hades, one of the nine kings of the underworld.

  * Keeley and Torin rescue Baden and Cameo from Lucifer.

  * Keeley agrees to help Hades in his war with Lucifer.

  * Torin proposes to Keeley, and she accepts.

  THE DARKEST TORMENT,

  story of Baden

  * Baden learns he’s bound to Hades and, to survive, must do as the king orders.

  * Baden kidnaps Katarina Joelle from her wedding to force her husband to do what Hades wants. He is drawn to the human woman and begins to crave her touch, even though the skin-to-skin contact pains him.

  * Gilly sickens, and William whisks her away to a secret location.

  * Lucifer sends an assassin to destroy the Lords’ Budapest fortress.

  * Gilly meets and marries Puck, the keeper of Indifference, and becomes immortal.

  * Katarina is bound to a pack of hellhounds—immortal dogs.

  * Baden becomes Hades’s son and marries Katarina.

  * They all live happily-ever-after...until the next book...

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  AND PLAYERS

  Aeron—Lord of the Underworld; former keeper of Wrath; husband to Olivia.

  Alexander—aka Alex, Cameo’s former boyfriend.

  All-seeing Eye—Godly artifact with the power to see into heaven and Hell; aka Danika Ford.

  Amun—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Secrets; husband to Haidee.

  Anya—(minor) goddess of Anarchy, engaged to Lucien.

  Ashlyn Darrow—human female with supernatural ability to listen to past conversations; wife to Maddox; mother of Urban and Ever.

  Axel—Sent One with a secret.

  Baden—Lord of the Underworld; former keeper of Distrust; husband to Katarina.

  Bianka Skyhawk—Harpy; sister of Gwen, Kaia and Taliyah.

  Bjorn—Sent One.

  Brochan—fallen Sent One; brother of McCadden.

  Cage of Compulsion—Godly artifact with the power to enslave anyone trapped inside.

  Cameo—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of the demon Misery.

  Cloak of Invisibility—Godly artifact with the power to shield its wearer from prying eyes.

  Cronus—former king of the Titans; former keeper of Greed; husband to Rhea.

  Danika Ford—human female; wife to Reyes; known as the All-seeing Eye.

  dimOuniak—Pandora’s box.

  Downfall—nightclub for immortals owned by Thane, Bjorn and Xerxes.

  Echidna—Gorgon, mother of Lazarus.

  Elin—Phoenix/human hybrid; mate to Thane.

  Ever—daughter to Maddox and Ashlyn, sister to Urban.

  Fae—race of immortals descended from Titans.

  Flashing—transporting oneself with just a thought.

  Galen—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Jealousy and False Hope.

  Gideon—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Lies.

  Gillian Bradshaw—aka Gilly Shaw; human female recently made immortal.

  Greeks—former rulers of Olympus.

  Gwen Skyhawk—Harpy; wife of Sabin; daughter of Galen.

  Hades—one of the nine kings of the underworld.

  Haidee Alexander—former Hunter; keeper of Love; mated to Amun.

  Hera—queen of the Greeks; wife to Zeus.

  Hilda—Sphinx; guard of the Realm of the Skulls.

  Hunters—mortal enemies of the Lords of the Underworld; disbanded.

  Josephina Aisling—queen of the Fae; wife to Kane.

  Juliette Eagleshield—aka the Eradicator; Harpy; self-appointed consort of Lazarus.

  Kadence—the goddess of Oppression; deceased yet in spirit form.

  Kaia Skyhawk—part Harpy, part Phoenix; sister of Gwen, Taliyah and Bianka; consort of Strider.

  Kane—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Disaster; husband to Josephina.

  Katarina Joelle—formerly human; Alpha of the Hellhounds; consort of Baden.

  Keeleycael—a Curator; the Red Queen; engaged to Torin.

  Lazarus (the Cruel and Unusual)—an immortal warrior; only son of Typhon and Echidna.

  Legion—demon minion in a human body; adopted daughter of Aeron and Olivia; aka Honey.

  Lords of the Underworld—exiled immortal warriors now hosting the demons once locked inside Pandora’s box.

  Lucien—coleader of the Lords of the Underworld; keeper of Death; engaged to Anya.

  Lucifer—one of the nine kings of the underworld; son to Hades; brother to William.

  Maddox—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Violence; father to Urban and Ever; husband to Ashlyn.

  McCadden—fallen Sent One; brother to Brochan.

  Morning Star—thought to be hidden in Pandora’s box; with it any
thing is possible.

  Olivia—Sent One; mated to Aeron.

  Pandora—immortal warrior; once guardian of dimOuniak (newly resurrected).

  Pandora’s box—aka dimOuniak; made of bones from the goddess of Oppression; now shaped as a small apple charm; once housed demon high lords.

  Paring Rod—Godly artifact with ability to rend soul from body.

  Paris—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Promiscuity; husband to Sienna.

  Phoenix—fire-thriving immortals descended from Greeks.

  Rathbone—one of the kings of the underworld.

  Reyes—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Pain; husband to Danika.

  Sabin—coleader of the Lords of the Underworld; keeper of Doubt; consort of Gwen.

  Scarlet—keeper of Nightmares; wife of Gideon.

  Sent Ones—winged warriors; demon assassins.

  Sienna Blackstone—former Hunter; current keeper of Wrath; current ruler of Olympus; beloved of Paris.

  Siobhan—goddess of Many Futures.

  Strider—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Defeat.

  Taliyah Skyhawk—Harpy; sister of Gwen, Bianka and Kaia.

  Tartarus—Greek god of Confinement; also the immortal prison on Mount Olympus.

  Titans—rulers of Titania; children of fallen angels and humans.

  Thane—Sent One; mate to Elin.

  Torin—Lord of the Underworld; keeper of Disease; engaged to Keeleycael.

  Typhon—father of Lazarus.

  Urban—son of Maddox and Ashlyn; brother of Ever.

  Viola—goddess of the Afterlife; keeper of Narcissism.

  William the Ever Randy—immortal warrior of questionable origins; aka the Panty Melter and William of the Dark.

  Xerxes—Sent One.

  Zeus—king of the Greeks; husband to Hera.

  Bonus Scene

  This snippet takes place after The Darkest Torment but before The Darkest Promise.

  Hades threw open his bedroom door, nearly ripping the solid gold hinges from the frame. He stomped down the hall, his boots leaving cracks in the marble. Any soldier foolish enough to remain in the area would soon find the heart ripped out of his chest. Too bad, not sad.

  Mystical blue fires blazed here and there with no distinguishable pattern; they were simply warnings for spirits and humans alike. Approach my quarters without my permission and die horribly. He stepped through each of the flames, welcoming the heat. While the infernos would agonize others, they only strengthened him.

  When he reached the throne room, he dismissed the surrounding guard with a roared “Go! Now. While you still have legs.”

  The men scrambled out as fast as their feet would carry them. Those who had witnessed the repercussions of his temper would do anything to avoid his notice. Wise. Most days he could control the all-consuming rage that was so much a part of him. On very rare occasions, he...couldn’t. Today was one of those rare occasions.

  The only way to regain control was to purge. Meaning, he had to remove his own heart—or other people’s heads. Many other people.

  Care to guess which way I’m leaning?

  Though a door never opened, he suddenly sensed another presence in the room. Someone had flashed here, moving from one place to another in only a blink, and that someone was behind him.

  His senses were highly tuned, even more highly trained, and he deduced the intruder’s identity without turning.

  “What has your panties in such a twist?” a familiar voice asked.

  He’d deduced correctly. His youngest son, William the Ever Randy. Also known as William of the Dark and the Panty Melter. Hades knew him as the owner of the only head never in danger of being removed.

  Which was odd. Hades had been called the Keeper of Flames, the Monster Other Monsters Feared, the Lord of Death and the Heartless Foe, but damn if his hollow chest didn’t ache with love every time he looked at his son.

  The irreverent womanizer reclined on Hades’s favorite throne. His favorite, because it was made from the bones of his victims.

  Oh, there’d been another bone throne before his takeover. But he’d dismantled it during one of his rages and later built a new one...made with the bones of the first victims to die at the end of his claws. Among those victims? His mother and the male she’d sold him to—the male who’d spent centuries torturing him, a mere lad of five. The king who’d ruled a hellish realm long before Hades.

  “Not what,” he finally replied. “Who.”

  “So you admit that you’re wearing panties,” William said with a droll tone. “How very modern of you.”

  The little shit. “Why should females be the only ones allowed to wear silk? As you know, I demand the best for myself.”

  A roll of William’s ice-blue eyes. “Let me guess the source of your problem. Lucifer.”

  William’s brother. The worst of the worst. The slayer of innocents, and the father of lies. Pride and greed, the most dangerous commodities in this world or any other, drove him to do despicable things. His soul was now so black it was nothing but an abyss. The original Bermuda Triangle, where happiness vanished, never to be seen or heard from again.

  The day Hades adopted him was the day his own life—a life forged in the gutters of inhumanity—had truly taken a turn for the worse. But he’d done it for his own pride and greed. Because he’d wanted a family. Sons to stand with him against any threat. Instead he’d helped create a new threat. “He has declared war against me.”

  “Well, this isn’t the first time,” William reminded him.

  “I know. But this time, we will war to the death.”

  “So? Kill him and be done with it.”

  There was no love lost between the brothers, and with good reason. Lucifer had often tortured the once vulnerable William just for grins and giggles.

  “There are...complications.” Only the Morning Star could kill him, but it was currently locked inside Pandora’s box, and Hades wasn’t in possession of it. Wasn’t even sure where to search. Every time he found it, it was somehow flashed to a new location.

  “Besides, I had just acquired a woman I admired,” Hades added with a grumble. A beautiful, smart, bloodthirsty woman. Such a rarity these days, when so many felt they deserved a participation medal just for showing up, and everyone cried about their overly sensitive feelings. Shudder.

  Taliyah had never cried about anything. In fact, she had challenged him about everything.

  “I’m sure you have a woman on standby,” William said.

  True. “I had to dismiss the new one before I actually wanted to dismiss her.”

  In past wars, his women had been used against him. Either they had been captured and tortured for information, killed just to hurt him or paid to turn against him.

  He was better off alone.

  William pursed his lips. “Boo hoo. My heart bleeds for your travesty. I weep for your pain, blah, blah, blah. When the time comes, you’ll find a new woman.”

  Hades arched a brow in a show of derision. “This from the male who’s been waiting for the human—what’s her name? Hillbillian...no. Sillian...no, no, Gillian.” As William sucked in a breath, he nodded. “Yes. That’s her. You’ve been waiting—drooling—for her to turn eighteen so you could pounce.”

  Those crystalline eyes narrowed to tiny slits, black lashes fusing together. “That’s different.”

  “How?”

  “She’s mine.” William beat at his chest with a tightly clenched fist. “Mine.”

  “And yet you haven’t kept little Willy in your pants.”

  “Big Willy, thank you very much.”

  “So, what does that tell you?” Hades insisted.

  “Tells me I’m a man with very particular needs.”

  “Or that
you can, in fact, live without her.”

  Propelled by a blast of his own rage—rage so similar to Hades’s own—William jumped to his feet, his hands fisted. “You’re one to talk, old man. You’ve never waited for anyone. You even have a harem!”

  The harem. Right. He stroked his chin. Perhaps he should free the females he’d collected over the centuries. They had willingly signed on for active duty in his bed, willing to do whatever he desired whenever he desired, and he’d made sure to accept only the applicants he could easily dismiss, but he would hate to see one or all of them targeted.

  On the other hand, he needed an outlet for his passions. The less sex he had, the more his rages won, and wars like this could last decades, even centuries.

  Well. Sacrifices had to be made. He’d keep the harem in place.

  I am such a giver.

  “I’m not here to gossip about our romantic relationships,” William announced, cutting into his thoughts. “I’m here to discuss Baden.”

  Baden. The former keeper of the demon of Distrust. Former, because he’d been beheaded, his spirit sent to another realm. But Hades had given him a pair of serpentine wreaths, making his body tangible once again...and unbeknownst to Baden, also making Hades his master.

  Lost a lover, gained a soldier. Well. Life wasn’t as bad as he’d assumed.

  He buffed his nails against his shoulder. “I’m keeping him. End of discussion.”

  “He’s changing,” William said. “And not for the better.”

  “So,” he replied, mocking his son for the earlier dismissal of his problems.

  Straight white teeth flashed in a scowl. “Either free him before it’s too late or use him. Just do something with him!”

  Again Hades stroked his chin. He’d given Baden the wreaths as a favor to William. He’d owed the boy, and he always sometimes paid his debts. But Baden couldn’t be freed without returning to the spirit realm. And with the war...

  Now was the time to stockpile allies. Now wasn’t the time to give someone the chance to align against him. And if Baden worked for him, all the other Lords of the Underworld would work for him. Including their very powerful mates.