Duncan’s Descent: Ethereal Foes series

by Marie Harte

  “You’re not hurt,” she said, wanting to hear that he felt as good as he looked. Perfect, not a scratch or bruise showing.

  “I’m fine. But Uriel and your mother have about three seconds before they find damnation at its finest.”

  “She’s your sister,” Charmeine screamed and launched herself at him.

  The large green dragon stepped forward, however, to block the Virtue, and Charmeine found herself battling sharp scales instead.

  “Don’t hurt her, Teban, she’s not herself,” Uriel warned the dragon when it looked to eat Charmeine. The creature rumbled, but Uriel shook his head. “She’s no angel, but a Virtue. And the upper realm won’t forgive her death so easily.”

  “Don’t, Duncan,” Sapphira pleaded, torn between wanting to go with him and doing the right thing. And Charmeine, as irritating as the woman could be, was, after all, her mother.

  “Fine. But we’re leaving.” He pulled her with him and scowled when she refused to budge. “What now?”

  “I can’t.” She sniffed and lowered her voice. “Didn’t you hear what she said? I’m your sister. Half-sister,” she amended, shame coloring her tone.

  To her surprise, Duncan chuckled and mumbled something over his shoulder that had the black dragon grumbling with what might have been laughter. “My father has a way with words, angel. And he’s no more your father than Uriel’s my brother.”

  The distaste on Uriel’s face spoke volumes, and the heavy burden on Sapphira’s heart lifted.

  “Truly?”

  “Truly. Your father, a horse trader from Belize, died fifteen years ago and is doing time below. I’ll even take you to meet him if you want.” Duncan shook his head and made a face. “Give me a break, baby. I’m a demon, but I’m not a freak. Doing my own sister? Disgusting.”

  Sapphira laughed, finally free from worry. She grabbed Duncan and readied to plant one hell of a kiss on his lips when Uriel had to go and ruin the mood.

  “A word, if I may?” Uriel approached them, oblivious to the snarling dragons behind Duncan.

  “What now?”

  “You cannot take an angel from the upper realm. Even you know such an action is forbidden.”

  Duncan frowned but didn’t disagree.

  “Duncan?”

  He ignored Sapphira. “She’s mine,” he said again, and the thrill of his possession worked both ways. As much as she was his, he was hers too.

  “And do you love her?”

  “I don’t owe you any explanations. Or you,” he said scornfully to her protesting mother, and when Sapphira would have protested, he shoved her behind him, into the claw of the massive black dragon standing with him. “You took Sapphira, a rare and treasured nephilim, and tried to mold her into angel decency? And you call yourself a Virtue, an angel of harmony?”

  Charmeine sniffed and stood, her tears still very real on her face. But as she looked at Sapphira, the Virtue faded into the picture of a caring mother saddened by the distance from her daughter. “I loved too much. I sinned with a human, and I repented. I tried so very hard to be a good mother, Sapphira. But I couldn’t let you go.” She ignored Duncan, her attention solely on Sapphira. “I’m so sorry, Sapphira, if I’ve hurt you. I didn’t let myself think you could be anywhere but here, in this realm with me. That you could be anything else but mine.”

  Sapphira wanted to forgive her mother, but the knowledge that her mother had known all along what she was and hadn’t let her be herself hurt. “You knew I was different, that I tried so hard to please you. But you couldn’t accept me for myself.” Sapphira looked at Duncan. “The nephilim are destined to occupy the lower realm, aren’t they?”

  He shrugged, his gaze shuttered. “Most do, and some stay in the Ordinary. But there have been the occasional nephilim who live up here. It’s really up to you, Sapphira.”

  “And what if she decides to stay here?” Uriel asked, his voice surprisingly soft. “Would you stay here with her? Would you Ascend?”

  The room stilled as everyone waited on Duncan’s response.

  To Sapphira’s surprise, Raphael and Seir simply appeared behind the black dragon. They nodded at her but remained silent, eyeing Duncan. Waiting for Duncan’s answer, apparently.

  “My life is with Sapphira. And if that means I have to live in the damned upper realm, so be it,” Duncan snarled, but his gaze gentled on her. “I’m a demon. I lie. I cheat. I take souls and guide them to hell. I enjoy sex, gambling and the occasional skin flick.”

  Her eyes widened. She’d yet to see one of those.

  “But my love isn’t selfish. And my joy isn’t fake. I love you, Sapphira. You please me. And for you I’d Ascend.” He sighed mournfully and turned to the dragons. “Teban, tell James. He’ll understand.” The green dragon nodded. “And Ranton,” Duncan paused in his address to the black dragon. “Tell Asael I’ll see him soon.” He winced. “And I’ll explain it as best I can.”

  Ranton surprised Sapphira by morphing into a giant human with expansive black wings, and she recognized him as the same dragon who had joined them in Duncan’s penthouse. His marbled green eyes glittered with amusement. “I’m not telling your father jack. You tell him when you see him next. Eve’s going to have my ass as it is for letting you fall for an angel.”

  Sapphira couldn’t believe this was happening. Too much, too fast. Not long ago, she’d been convinced Duncan was her brother and that her father was a demon. Now her father was dead and spending an eternity below, she was in fact a nephilim, which explained her inclination for the darker aspects of life, and Duncan was pledging to live in heaven with her?

  Raphael and Seir grinned, high-fived one another, and winked at Sapphira before fading away. But before she could question what they’d been doing at Charmeine’s, Uriel spoke.

  “I’ll accept your declaration whenever you feel like giving it,” Uriel said without sounding pleased about it, which made her wonder. He’d been after Duncan’s Ascension for a long time. Shouldn’t Uriel have been shouting with glee? Instead he stared at her, a shine of sadness in his gaze.

  Charmeine was no help. She knelt on the floor and prayed for forgiveness, from God, Sapphira, and heaven itself.

  Duncan exhaled heavily, took a hard look at Sapphira, and crossed his arms over his heart. “I hereby declare my intent to—”

  Sapphira slapped her hand over his mouth.

  He stared at her with amusement, and she realized then and there she’d been played. He’d been counting on her to leave the upper realm and was bluffing.

  “I’m sorry, Duncan. It’s just, I don’t want you to rush this. That you’d stay up here with me, for an eternity…” She worked up a tear. “I never want to forget this moment—when you profess your love and join me in heaven. Forever. We’ll be so happy here. Together we’ll make it work, you’ll see.”

  He stared at her in confusion, as if unable to believe it. “Ah, are you ready now?”

  “I am.” She was having so much fun. She couldn’t wait to make him pay for screwing with her. “Now what exactly do you need to do? Just declare your intent to Ascend? I mean, if I was going to go down there, what would I have had to do?”

  Uriel shook his head. “It’s not at all the same.”

  Duncan, however, looked relieved, and Sapphira realized she’d overplayed her hand. Dammit. “It’s exactly the same. You simply search in your soul for the truth, and you say the words—”

  “Wait.” Now it was Uriel holding up the works. “Sapphira, if I could have a word?”

  Duncan frowned, but Sapphira knew she wouldn’t be back to the upper realm for a long time, if ever, and didn’t know when she’d see Uriel again. She was the one leaving, so she figured she’d be gracious enough to hear him out.

  She joined him and he pulled her with him to the corner of the room, out of earshot of Duncan and her mother, if not the dragons.

  “I wish you the best, Sapphira.” Uriel took her hand and kissed it, and the pleasure in his gaze confused her. “I
never meant to make you unhappy here. I only wanted what was best for you. And at the time, I thought a firmer hand would help. Had I known you were nephilim, I would never have pushed you to do half the things you did. You should have had a choice in your upbringing, and I can’t tell you how sorry I am you were denied it.” He scowled at Charmeine and turned back to Sapphira with a tired sigh. “I’ll take care of your mother. Some time spent in the third sphere might help break her of that insufferable pride.”

  He was one to talk. But at least she knew Charmeine would be all right. Sapphira could forgive her mother in time, she was certain. Forgetting the wrong done to her, however, might take an eternity.

  Uriel gripped her hand tightly and murmured under his breath, and she felt his blessing upon her. “Love is a precious thing, Sapphira. Value your mate, even if he is a reprehensible demon.”

  Sapphira stared hard at the aggravating angel she’d spent so many years annoying. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I know.” He gave her a smug smile, and she couldn’t help laughing. “Look, I have a reputation to uphold. So when Duncan demands to know what I said, make up something good. Tell him I was trying to blackmail you back into heaven, or something equally righteous.”

  Sapphira smiled and, with a gentle squeeze of her hand, she let him go. “I will. Thank you, Uriel. Go with faith.”

  “And hope and love,” he sighed softly. Then he glanced over her shoulder and sneered at Duncan, and all was once again right with the world.

  “Sapphira, get over here,” Duncan ordered, clearly unhappy she’d granted Uriel anything. When she joined him again, he hugged her tightly to him. “The words you wanted are these…”

  A minute later they stood on the fiery planes of the lower realm, surrounded by demons.

  Duncan caught her in his arms and kissed the breath out of her, much to the blasphemous catcalls and lewd suggestions of the crowd around them. His fallen, he thought with a sigh, and allowed himself the privilege of fondling her openly, caressing her firm, round ass and the strong back that had held under the burdens of the upper realm. He ended the kiss and sighed into her mouth. “I love you.”

  When Sapphira could catch her breath, she smiled at him, and he could see her joy in her new awareness of herself. “You owe me for that Ascension crap up there.”

  “I was good though, wasn’t I?”

  She snorted. “You would never have Ascended, would you?”

  The demons around them dispersed, no longer interested since it appeared Duncan and Sapphira weren’t going to give them a show.

  Duncan looked around him cautiously and lowered his voice so as not to be overheard. “Sapphira, promise you won’t tell this to another living soul.”

  “I promise.” Her eyes widened.

  “The angelic spies working for Uriel are still here, milling about, to Asael’s great displeasure, and I have no idea who they are. For you, I refused to get information I needed to save my ass from the Pit. For you I endured medical care in the Ordinary to save this body instead of possessing a new one, because I know how much you like it. I’ll have you know it took Zelec an entire day to find me and heal me properly.” He gentled his voice. “For you, Sapphira, I would have Ascended.” He grimaced. “But only if it had been absolutely necessary.”

  She smiled wide, seeming overjoyed with the depth of his professed sacrifice. Yet the wicked glint in her gaze told him it wouldn’t be that easy. In truth, he would have been disappointed if it had.

  He groaned. “But none of that matters, does it? Because you plan on making me pay.”

  “I do.”

  He sighed. “I really, really love you.”

  Duncan whisked them into his lavish home overlooking the flowing fires of Baphomet Falls. In no time he had them both naked and standing next to a luxurious bed covered in black satin sheets.

  “Tell me what you want, baby. And it’s yours.”

  She stared at him, her gaze fixing on his steely erection, and the carnal smile that lit her face was purely demonic.

  Duncan groaned. “How the hell could those people not see who you really were for so long? You are so exceptionally talented. A nephilim. Damn, I must have been really, really bad to deserve you.” He chuckled, anticipating whatever payment she deemed fair to set him off. “I’ve missed you, baby. And I’ve been so hungry lately.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Let’s say this up front, Duncan. I’m selfish. I don’t intend to share you, ever. So you’d better stay hungry without me, got it?”

  He hardened more and groaned. “You are so fucking hot when you’re mean.” At her expectant stare, he nodded. “I agree, but that goes both ways.”

  “Of course it does. Do you honestly believe I’d leave the upper realm for anyone else but you? Even if the angels did make me miserable?”

  “Damn, I want you, honey. And no one else. Now what exactly do you want from me?”

  She snapped her fingers, and Duncan found himself bound hand and foot, hanging just off the floor.

  “Sapphira.” He glared at the bonds that looked identical to the ones Uriel had tied him with in the upper realm. Before he could say more, she motioned with her hand and the bonds shifted, and suddenly he was kneeling in front of her, his hands now crossed behind his back, his knees and ankles firmly locked to the ground.

  “Where did you learn to do that?”

  “I had two days to kill in the upper realm waiting for you. And a lot of time to spend dreaming up enticements for my demon lover.” She stood before him, her groin level with his mouth. She spread her legs, and her cleft, with one finger. Sliding her finger into herself, she withdrew it and held it out to him.

  Duncan took the digit in his mouth and moaned. His angel, as he would always think of her, was deliciously wet.

  “Well, my demon? Kiss me.” Sapphira took another step closer, and Duncan impatiently sought her damp core as he gave her what she wanted.

  Her sex tasted like fine cream, decadent and musky, not nearly enough to satisfy. Using his tongue and teeth, he worked her clitoris into a firm bud. He sucked, his entire mouth loving her body. She moaned and clenched her fingers in his hair, riding his mouth and tongue with urgency.

  “So good, Duncan. I’m so glad you kept this form. I love your mouth,” she rasped as she rocked into him.

  “Yes. As am I.” Yet he would have left it in a heartbeat for her. The woman, angel, nephilim, he loved. “Now come for me, love. And show me how much you want me.”

  Tears shone in her eyes as she stared down at him. “I love you so much, Duncan. And I won’t let anyone send you to the Pit.”

  He stopped, momentarily taken aback that she’d recalled that bit of information. “Sapphira?”

  She brushed her mound against his mouth, and he instinctively licked her, growling as his cock begged for respite. He was harder than steel and dripping with need.

  “I know everything that goes on up there. Why do you think Uriel was always pissed at me, why I got into so much trouble?”

  He sucked harder and she cried out, coming over his tongue. Her exquisite taste made him burn, and Duncan pushed past her restraints and took her on the ground. He fucked her past another orgasm, until he could no longer stand the pressure building in his entire body. When he exploded, he shot into her so hard he saw the bliss of enlightenment, the blackness of balance, and knew he was truly home.

  Moments later, he felt her hand stroking his back and realized he was crushing her. But when he moved to rise, she held him down, her ankles locked around his hips.

  Sapphira sighed her contentment and hugged him tight. “I look forward to meeting your family and the others who dwell down here. You are going to show me around, aren’t you? Do we have time for that? I know you must be behind in your work if you’ve been out of commission for a few days.”

  Duncan tried to shrug but didn’t have the energy. “Everything else can wait a day or two. I’m going to love you properly before I take you to meet Asae
l. As it is he’s been dying to see the woman capable of settling me and annoying the crap of Charmeine.”

  Sapphira laughed. “I am talented, aren’t I?” She hugged him tighter, breathing softly into his kiss. “But more than that, I’m yours.”

  He nodded. “You are. And don’t ever, ever forget it.” Content to remain inside her forever, he nuzzled her cheek and ear, whispering words of love and sex that had them both wanting it again in less time than he would have thought possible. Of course, his angel was in fact nephilim, and they had appetites and abilities envied by demons and angels everywhere. And she was his, he thought with humbled love. Which reminded him…

  “Just what did Uriel say to you back there? What did that asshole really want?”

  “He wanted to know how I’d done it.” She squirmed under him, and his cock sank deeper into her warmth.

  Groaning, he began thrusting, unable to help himself. “Done what?” Duncan marveled that he wanted her all over again. His demonic little lover.

  “How I made you fall.” At his questioning look, she smiled dreamily and moaned when he pushed particularly deep. “I love when you do that.”

  “Fall?”

  “How I’d made you fall in love with me.”

  “My own Descent into heaven, you might say,” he rasped before the two of them found words no longer necessary. Their bodies and spirits expressed the joy between them, on the floor and soon in his bed, and afterward, slumber found them easily enough.

  Duncan didn’t know how much time had passed, but when he woke he found himself sprawled on top of his sleeping angel in his large, soft bed. Lost in the sight of his love, it took him a moment to realize they were no longer alone. “What the hell?”

  “I’m sorry to intrude.” The blood elf staring down at them looked anything but sorry, considering the bulge between his leather-covered thighs. White hair cascaded down his back, and red eyes glinted from a face as black as ebony. “You really should install better security. Just anyone can walk in here.”