George continued to scroll, riveted to the screen. Much in the human world had fallen apart and slipped from existence—restaurants, movie theaters, businesses of all kind simply shut down. The wave of death that followed the night of the Blood Moon had decimated the general population. And while life as they’d known it had stopped, humans had found a way to survive. Some even thrived. One thing that had not gone away was the Internet. Specifically, news filtering out of New York. But no one knew how long that would last. After the night of the Blood Moon, chasms had opened up from above and below, flooding earth with Flamma of Light and Dark. But Genevieve had led a successful campaign, pushing the demon hordes back to Hell where they belonged. Even so, they were not gone. This war would not be over soon.
Kat watched the pall of gray shift in the afternoon sky, the sun peeking between two clouds, then fading once more behind the constant cover. The barrage of warfare between the Flamma had put the elements in chaos, churning the sky with billowing clouds day and night. With so much of the world in turmoil, Kat was happy to have her own private piece of serenity.
George remained intent on the news, draining the last of his tea. Kat wiggled her feet. He patted her leg. She wiggled them again. Nothing.
“Well, I think I’ll go in and take a long, hot bath.”
“All right, love,” he mumbled, focusing on the small screen.
“Yes. Just me and the bubbles.”
Nothing.
“Naked. With nothing to do.”
His gaze shot up from the screen. Setting the iPad on the table, he leaned forward, grabbed her thighs and pulled her closer, then onto his lap. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she gave him her innocent smile.
“I can think of something to do,” he said.
“Can you? I wasn’t sure. You seemed so keen on the world at large a moment ago.”
“The world can go to Hell.” He descended on her neck, nipping up the tender column toward her lips.
“Finally,” she whispered as he smiled against her lips.
Katherine moaned, loving the way George did everything with complete precision. No matter what the job was, his focus was sharp and his skill was perfection. After several centuries, he’d become a master at many things. But kissing had become her favorite of his many skills.
“I’d like to take that bath with you,” he said between kisses.
“Are you sure you’re finished with the news?”
Sliding his hand from her hip to her breast, he showed her where his attention lay. “Quite.”
As he stood, lifting her in his arms, a loud flap of wings sounded overhead. In a split second, he’d dropped her to her feet and they’d both drawn blades, which they never went anywhere without. But the Flamma landing on the balcony wasn’t an enemy. The serious and serene Anya stepped toward them, folding her royal-blue wings against her back.
George and Kat relaxed.
“I apologize for interrupting.” She must’ve seen what she was interrupting a few seconds before her landing. “But I’ve become concerned about Uriel.”
Anya was devoted to Uriel, following his strategy against the demon horde above others. She had worked closely with him since the beginning.
“What’s wrong?” asked George, concern written on his face.
“He hasn’t returned from his last mission.” Her violet eyes were piercing in broad daylight, even with the endless gray canvas above.
“His last mission where?” Kat asked.
“Italy. He was on simple reconnaissance to rally the hunters in Florence and Venice. But he hasn’t returned.”
Katherine glanced at George. “We’d better go.”
“I already have,” said Anya, her voice steady. “He vanished. My contact there said he spoke with him a month ago, but he never met them again at their appointed rendezvous.”
George rubbed the day’s growth of stubble on his chin. “I know someone who may be able to help.”
“Who? Jude?” asked Katherine.
“No. Dommiel.”
“You and Genevieve. Why do you both trust him so much?”
“Because he’s never failed us.”
“Not yet,” clarified Katherine.
“No. Not yet,” he amended.
“So now, demons are our allies?” she asked with an arched brow.
“Better the devil you know. Besides, Dommiel is different from most.”
Katherine couldn’t argue with that. Beyond the fact that he’d been the one to aid George in saving her from her living nightmare in the underworld, the demon had joined forces with the hunters in the months before the Blood Moon. He’d become invaluable up till that night, then he’d disappeared.
“I’d like to help if I can,” interjected Anya. “Where can we meet this demon?” She turned to Katherine.
“That might be the problem. No one knows where to find him.”
“Genevieve can find him,” George assured them before turning a knee-buckling smile on Katherine—the kind she pretended didn’t affect her anymore but most certainly did. “Get packed, darling. Our honeymoon is over.”
About the Author
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home, where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. Her love of mythology, legends and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read Jane Eyre as a teenager, she fell in love with Gothic romance—brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
Website: www.juliettecross.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/juliettecrossauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7795664.Juliette_Cross
Look for these titles by Juliette Cross
Now Available:
The Vessel Trilogy
Forged in Fire
Sealed in Sin
Bound in Black
Age of Gray
The Deepest Well
Coming Soon:
Vale of Stars
Dragon in the Blood
Don’t miss Juliette Cross’s Vessel Trilogy!
She never knew this demon world existed. Now she just wants to survive it.
The Vessel Trilogy, Book 1
Genevieve Drake never needed a man to come to her rescue. Not until the night of her twentieth birthday, when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley behind a New Orleans Goth club. And a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.
The hunky rescuer? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons, now her guardian, whether she likes it or not. But she’s seriously beginning to like it.
Her would-be murderer turns out to be only the first of many minions of the demon prince, Danté, who has all kinds of lascivious and sadistic plans. Which means when the formidably beautiful Jude offers his protection, Genevieve has no problem accepting it.
For Jude and his fellow demon hunters tell her she is a Vessel, one who is born to serve the Light, but can be corrupted into a weapon of darkness. And to survive, she must trust a man whose unearthly eyes promise heaven…but whose powers unleash hell.
Warning: Contains a dark and brooding demon hunter who harbors even darker secrets, a snarky heroine who’s being hunted by every demon in the underworld, and a sadistic demon prince with a fancy for violent sexual encounters.
Sometimes sin looks an awful lot like heaven.
The Vessel Trilogy, Book 2
One demon prince may be festering in the bowels of the soul eater Cocytus, but Genevieve’s troubles are far from over. Prince Bamal, demon lord of New York City, still wants her. But this time, he wan
ts her alive, to control her inherent power as a Vessel of Light.
With Jude Delacroix off searching for the prophecy, Thomas—a guardian angel with sea-green eyes and an aura of winter woods—steps into the gap, offering her the power to protect herself.
Yet she hesitates, for the transfer of that power comes through a kiss. While Gen’s love for Jude is true, Thomas stirs a desire where there should be none. Thomas also knows Jude’s darkest secret and plans to use it, if necessary, to win Gen for his own.
While her Vessel power grows and more demon spawn creep from every dark corner of the world, one thing is certain—the Great War between the angels and demons is quickly approaching. And Gen is in a race against time to awaken her full power before the storm breaks.
Warning: Contains a demon hunter with dark secrets, a sexy angel with ulterior motives, and demonic creatures running amok.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
The Deepest Well
Copyright © 2016 by Juliette Cross
ISBN: 978-1-61923-337-9
Edited by Linda Ingmanson
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: February 2016
www.samhainpublishing.com
The Deepest Well Page 27