Michael and Mercy

Praise for the writing of Sheri Gilmore

Hot House 1: Dante & Hayley

Dante and Hayley are amazing characters who really touched my heart… Ms. Gilmore is a fabulously talented author who never fails to grab my attention and keep it. I hope to read many more books by her in the future. -- Susan White, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Hot House: Dante & Hayley is a shockingly powerful story... A fascinating book and well worth reading. -- Chrissy, Euro-Reviews Filled with heat and compelling scenes of betrayal and the emergence of faith, Hot House: Dante & Hayley caught my attention and wouldn’t release it. I love a book that has the ability to pull the reader into the story, and that is what Sheri Gilmore has created. -- Angel, A Romance Review Sheri Gilmore seamlessly blends fact and fiction, rumor and legend, and light and dark together to create something otherworldly in the extreme; she wraps it all in lust and blood and serves it up piping hot. -- Michelle, Fallen Angel Reviews You have to read this book! It's amazing and you can't put it down! -- Teri, Enchanted in Romance

Hot House 1: Dante & Hayley is now available from Loose Id.

HOT HOUSE 2: MICHAEL & MERCY

Sheri Gilmore

www.loose-id.com

Warning This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

***** This book is rated:

For substantial explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable (ménage, BDSM, violence, homoerotic sex).

DISCLAIMER: Many of the acts described in our BDSM/fetish titles can be dangerous. Loose Id publishes these stories for members of the community in which these acts are known and practiced safely. If you have an interest in the pleasures and pains you find described herein, we urge you to seek out advice and guidance from knowledgeable persons. Please do not try any new sexual practice, whether it be fire, rope, or whip play, without the guidance of an experienced practitioner. Neither Loose Id nor its authors will be responsible for any loss, harm, injury or death resulting from use of the information contained in any of its titles.

Hot House 2: Michael & Mercy Sheri Gilmore This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Published by Loose Id LLC 1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29 Carson City NV 89701-1215 www.loose-id.com

Copyright © January 2006 by Sheri Gilmore All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

ISBN 1-59632-195-4 Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

Printed in the United States of America

Editor: Maryam Salim Cover Artist: Christine M. Griffin

“What is this shining thing? For it is not a heaven, but only the flame of a blazing fire, and the voice of weeping and crying and lamentation and strong pain. And he said unto me: This place which thou seest -- here are cast the spirits of sinners and blasphemers, and those who work wickedness ...” -- The Book of Enoch

Prologue

“I don’t like it.” Michael crossed his arms over his chest. The photograph of their new “guest” stared up at him. The sense of recognition that rose confused him, hitting him hard in the gut. Her petite frame and upturned nose piqued his interest further. His jaw clenched. No, he didn’t like the faint stirrings of attraction. Michael turned away from the group of archangels, pagan gods, and demons assembled in his brother’s office -- Satan’s sanctuary. Ancient tomes lined the walls, all works his brother had written or inspired through the channels of time. Michael was here to atone for his weaknesses, not give in to another female and incur more wrath and punishment. “Why not? She looks and sounds perfect -- tiny, defenseless ... sweet.” Gabriel’s fist pounded into the palm of his other hand. The gleam of a true sadist entered his eyes. “I have several little contraptions that I’d love to try out on that white skin. Just imagining her scream gives me a hard-on.” “You will not hurt her.” Zeus’s voice thundered within the confines of the room.

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“Yeah, what are you going to do about it, old man?” Gabriel walked within an inch of Zeus. “She’s ours by right of victory in this battle -- spoils of war.” “She is not aware of who she is. She’ll be frightened.” Zeus’s voice held anger, but Michael could hear the honest note of concern in the god’s voice. As much as he didn’t approve the choice of political prisoners, Michael knew they’d chosen the right one if they wanted to control any pagan attempts to take the gateway again. He kept his voice neutral as he spoke to Zeus. “Why doesn’t she know of her parentage?” “I promised her mother that I would allow her to grow up as normal as possible.” Gabriel laughed. “Zeus keeping his word to a woman. That’s gotta be a first.” Zeus’s lip curled away from his teeth. A low growl, like a wild beast’s, emitted from his chest, causing the hair on Michael’s neck to rise. “Gabriel, enough.” Michael angled his head toward his brother, but didn’t remove his gaze from Zeus’s face. “What is it worth to guarantee her safety while she’s a ‘guest’ in Hell?” “Careful, my lord.” Hades, who had thus far remained silent, pushed away from the wall of Samael’s, now Michael’s, office where Domos and Raum, two angelic demons, stood at attention. Dressed in black robes, with his black hair hanging loose and curling around his shoulders, the god of the underworld moved forward to stand in front of Zeus. He carried a battered helmet beneath one arm. “Do not give in to the angel’s demands too easily. We can negotiate more freedom for our people.” Zeus’s lips thinned. Without breaking eye contact with Michael, Zeus shoved Hades to the side. “You forget your place, brother.” Zeus addressed Michael. “What guarantees do I have that my daughter will remain safe from your demons as long as she stays in Hell?”

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Michael narrowed his gaze, preventing the god from seeing the satisfaction that he experienced from this victory. He had the pagan, and the old man knew it. His Creator would be pleased. Michael released a silent sigh. If only He would overlook Michael’s confession of lust and love for a human woman. Out loud he responded, “I will personally guarantee your daughter Mercedes’s safety. No demon will be allowed to touch her unless she wishes it so.” Zeus’s eyes grew larger and his eyebrows rose high on his forehead. Electricity from invisible sparks made his hair stand on end. “She’s a good girl. She wouldn’t allow such scum to come within ten feet of her person.” Zeus, spitting upon the floor, looked over at Raum and Domos. Michael watched Domos duck his head, but Raum stiffened. A proud demon, an earl in command of thirty legions, Raum was as self-assured and as handsome as Samael. Michael knew Raum considered himself better than the other demons of Hell. Even though he’d been among the first angels to fall, Raum still insisted he “only ever served the true god in the most befitting manner I knew.” Michael fought the familiar urge to examine the demon’s physique. He never quite felt comfortable around Raum, but Samael had assured him the demon was trustworthy. He forced his gaze back to Zeus. “As I said, she will be as safe from demons as she wishes to be.” “What about angels?” Zeus’s eyes flashed up at Michael, then over to Gabriel.

One fuck up, and it follows me around like an albatross. Michael didn’t rise to the bait. Gabriel snorted. “Have no fear from me, old man; she’s a little on the skinny side for my kind of sex. I just want to slice her up a bit.” He angled his finger like a blade across his neck. Zeus took a step toward Gabriel. “We all know what gender you favor, O, angel of

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Gabriel reached for his favorite weapon. Michael stepped between them, staring Gabriel down, but addressing Zeus. “My brother’s sexual preferences are not in question.” “But yours and your other brothers’ are.” Michael blinked, turning toward Zeus, but all the time aware of Gabriel’s tenuous grip on his anger. “Mercy is special to me, Michael. If I give you what you want, I expect you to promise to protect her with your life.” “Zeus, think of your loyal subjects!” Hades moved closer. “Quiet, Hades. This is my daughter.” Hades grabbed Zeus by the arm, spinning him around to face him. “She doesn’t even realize you are her father. She thinks you’re just her mother’s lover -- an interfering old man. You have hundreds more children, who know and honor you. Why do you favor her?” “It’s something I wouldn’t expect the god of dead things to understand.” Zeus broke free of his brother and turned to Michael. Michael watched the Greek god show a father’s weakness. Glancing again at the girl’s picture, he tried to reassure Zeus. “It is against the law for us to touch any human woman. I think we have all learned how that particular crime is punished.” Raphael laughed. Calm and quiet, he was leaning against a pillar with his long legs stretched out, letting everyone else do the work of hashing out a treaty. “Amen to that! I wouldn’t touch her even if she were as beautiful as Helen of Troy.” “What if she were Sarah?” Raum questioned from his stance by the door, his voice deep and quiet. Michael experienced a shiver up his spine and a quiver in his cock. Raphael moved faster than Michael had ever seen him move. One moment the angel had been like a lazy cat; the next he had the demon pinned against the stone wall, an arm

Hot House 2: Michael & Mercy

under the other’s chin, forcing his head sideways in a position to break his neck. Through clenched teeth he threatened, “Watch your mouth, demon.” “Release him, Raphael.” Michael fought his own anger with himself for the unwanted response Raum ignited. The demon had never made any type of advance toward him. He couldn’t be angry at the spawn of Hell if the demon hadn’t done anything. Tension mounted as seconds stretched forward in time. Finally, Raphael released the demon. Raum staggered twice, grasping his throat and coughing. Michael admired the flicker of the torchlight on the demon’s lean features and ravenblack hair. The fit of the leather across the other’s shoulders ...

Damn, what is wrong with me? He turned abruptly, away from temptation, and faced Zeus. “My brothers --” He studied Gabriel with a hard stare. “-- will not touch your daughter.” “Fuck, Michael! First, Hades takes the battle from me; now you take my play-pretties.” Gabriel scowled, stalking toward the door and swinging his khukuri in a wide arc. Raum and Domos dove to the floor. Long blond hair trailed behind the angel of death. “I better be getting some fresh meat in here soon, or I’m heading back to earth to see what kind of destruction I can get away with up there.” Michael shook his head. “You will get your reward. Be patient.” The door slammed with a force that shook the office walls. “You need to put a muzzle on that beast.” Hades’s lip curled in disgust. “Don’t tell me how to handle what’s mine.” Michael stared at the god of the underworld, letting him know who was in charge of the gateway to both Hell and the Underworld.

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Hades smiled. “You’ve only been in charge of Hell for a very short period, Archangel. Do you have the allegiance that your brother Samael had?” “Samael was the original Satan, but there have been others who have ruled successfully, as will I.” “Ooo, such bravado. You’ll meet your match one day.” Zeus shifted restlessly, grabbing Michael’s arm, halting his response. “Michael, please, Mercedes is my youngest and my most determined child. She wants to make her own way in life without anyone’s help. I cannot face the fact that she will hate me when she learns the truth.” Zeus’s face crumbled momentarily, then hardened. “Take care of her, Archangel.” Michael, giving in to a moment of confusion and compassion, nodded. “I promise.” “Good. If anything happens to my daughter under your watch, I will release my demons upon you. You do not have Samael’s power to back you up anymore.”

***** “The sefira’s reincarnation will be within the gate at the beginning of the new moon, my lord.” “Quiet, Domos, you fool. Do not call her by that title.” Asmodeus pulled the chain that bound him within his prison around to lie in front of him. The heavy iron clanged against the stone floor. Behind him, pools of tar flamed and fumed with fire and the rotten-egg smell of sulfur. He watched Domos turn his nose up with disgust. Soon, very soon, the noxious fumes would be a distant memory. He looked at his spy. “Michael is unaware of who she really is?” Domos nodded. “Yes, Great One. The angel’s orders are to keep the daughter of Zeus in permanent residence to ensure the end of the hostilities between the pagans and the Creator.”

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“Good. By the time he realizes who she is, he’ll be too busy fighting his lust for her to worry about what Hades and I are plotting.” Asmodeus smiled, rubbing his hands together. The rattle of chains echoed throughout the second level of Heaven. “You’re mine, Michael, and when I’m through with you, I’m going after your brothers. There won’t be anything left of any of you for your Creator to forgive.” Ash threw his head back and laughed. Fire and brimstone spewed from the tarry pits, sending a spray of infinite torture across his burned flesh, but he didn’t flinch. Indeed, he had grown to crave the pain his jailors inflicted upon him. Pain would be his salvation. “Pardon, Master, but why would Hades wish to harm his own niece?” “She is half mortal.” Asmodeus spit into the flow of the molten river of Phlegethon, swirling around his legs. “Zeus has never allowed her to learn of her heritage. She knows nothing of Hades, nor he of her, except that she exists. He is sickened by Zeus’s weakness for the girl.” “How can you make sure Michael gives in to his desires for this woman? He is God’s greatest warrior. His will is strong.” “Michael has proven his weakness for human women through his lust for his brother’s wife, Lilith.” “I still do not understand how this woman will help us trap and defeat him.” Ash sighed and shook his head. “Must I spell everything out for you, Domos? The girl is not only Zeus’s daughter, but the reincarnation of the sefira, Chesed.” “Ahh ... Mercy.” Ash nodded. “And Michael is the angel of mercy. Her soul calls to his.” “She is his master.” “Michael’s other half.” Ash pulled his massive binds closer to ease the pain of the metal cutting into his scarred flesh.

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Ash slapped one fist into the other, sending a spray of putrid fumes into the musty air. “We were all born as one with our other self. When the Creator decided to separate us, He caused us to search for all eternity for our soul-mates. Michael will recognize her and desire her. And, since he lusts for Raum, it will be the demon’s job to seduce the girl. When Michael sees the two of his desires together, he will give in to temptation, breaking his Master’s laws and leading to Michael’s downfall.” “Ingenious, my lord.” Domos bowed low and exited into the darkness.

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Chapter One

“I’m going to go all out for New Year’s this year.” “Yeah? How’s that?” Mercy glanced over at her best friend. Keisha, stretching her arms to the ceiling, stood tall as an Amazon. “I’m going to buy me some wineglasses from the Dollar Store, and the Piggly Wiggly has some real nice china plates on sale for seven bucks a plate.” Mercy smothered a grin behind her beer. Keisha might look beautiful and sophisticated, but her friend was no more than a simple country girl. Two gulps of the cold brew had Mercy’s humor under control. “Sounds exciting, Keish.” “Uh-huh.” Keisha’s full hips did a slow bump-and-grind to the old blues song that played on the radio. “Remy’s coming over, and after dinner we’re going to do the horizontal boogie all night, girl.” Mercy’s laugh echoed across the room. “TMI, girl. Too much information for me.” She held her hand up to her friend’s excited face. If she didn’t stop Keisha now, she would hear in great detail how her friend and Remy could fuck until dawn on the table, under the table, and sideways.

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Keisha shrugged and kept dancing. “I can’t help it you haven’t gotten any in a year.” “It’s only been seven months.” Mercy picked up a pillow from the sofa and threw it at Keisha’s head. “I’m picky about who I sleep with.” She hugged herself. What she really thought was that something had to be wrong with her. More men than she could count on both hands had asked her to bed, but she couldn’t work up any excitement about the prospects. Sex always turned out the same -- some sweaty man on top of her for forty seconds, getting his thrill, then nothing for her. Her palm itched. What she would really like would to be in charge for a change. To show a man how little control they actually had in the world. “Picky, hell.” Keisha snorted. “A nun gets more action than you. Get your pussy in gear and go on down to that club everyone’s talking about. What’s it called?” Mercy rolled her eyes and took another swig of beer. “House of Purgatory?” Keisha snapped her fingers and smiled; her white teeth flashed against her dark skin. “That’s it!” Mercy shook her head, but her friend kept up her chatter. “I hear you can get anything you want at that place.” She bumped her hip against Mercy’s shoulder. “Hey, watch it!” Mercy wiped beer off the front of her shirt and lap. “Yeah. You can get men, men, and did I mention ... men?” “Yes, you did, but you forgot to mention AIDS, syphilis, and gonorrhea.” “Oh, girl, damn, that’s what they make rubbers for.” Mercy sighed, glancing at her watch. “Look, I know you only want me to be as happy as you and Remy.” She got up, placing her empty bottle on the coffee table. “You never know.” Keisha winked. “Strange might be fun. In those dreams I’ve been having, the best sex I ever had was with this stranger.”

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“Yeah? Have you seen his face yet?” “Nope, but I’ll know him when I see him.” Keisha moved toward the door. “What about Remy?” “What about him? If you meet your soul-mate, you drop everything to be with your true man.” Eerie music projected from the television, signaling the start of her show. “Keisha, I don’t need to go pick up some stranger to find my soul-mate.” She angled her head so she wouldn’t miss the first of the show. “When it’s time for me to find the love of my life, he’ll be there.”

***** “Strange is definitely the word, Keish.” Mercy’s eyebrows rose at the spectacle of wallto-wall bodies in front of her. The blare of heavy-metal music vibrated through her chest, echoing from four massive speakers around the club. If Remy hadn’t broken up with Keisha the day before, Mercy knew she wouldn’t be standing there now. A guy with auburn hair and several tattoos covering his half-naked body walked by, winking at them. “What?” Keisha asked, her hands over her ears, but her gaze followed the guy. Mercy leaned closer. “I said ... oh, never mind.” She grabbed Keisha’s hand, dragging her toward the front door. When they had entered, there had been a sign that indicated a casino down a flight of stairs. Maybe if they took that left-hand path, they would find some peaceful little niche where they could have a drink and escape all the chaos and noise of the mosh pit. Mercy glanced around, but couldn’t find the exit. “I know it was this direction.” In the hallway, Keisha jerked her arm free from Mercy’s hold. “What are we doing?” She pointed back toward the throng of people. “The action’s out there.”

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“So are the weirdos. Did you see those guys?” Keisha grinned. “Yeah, and I’ve got my eye on the cute white boy with the sun tattoo in the middle of his back.” She molded her hands into two cups and squeezed air. “Finestlooking ass I’ve ever seen.” “My God.” Mercy slapped her hand to her forehead. “Those guys had every orifice on their bodies pierced.” “Um-hmm. I’m hoping he has his dick pierced, too.” Mercy frowned. “Why would you hope that? You just broke up with someone.” “Probably because the position of the stud can bring heightened excitement to a person’s partner.” Mercy turned to the husky male voice behind her. “Male or female.” Leather molded long, muscular legs, which tapered into lean hips and a muscular chest, which couldn’t be hidden by the black tee-shirt or black leather jacket the man wore. What caught Mercy’s attention, though, were his eyes. She hadn’t known a person’s eyes could be so blue that they shone like lights. She stared at him with her mouth open, but quickly snapped her lips shut. Then she realized what he’d said. Heat spread up her neck and into her cheeks. “Lord have mercy,” Keisha said, fanning herself with splayed fingers. “I’ve died and gone to heaven.” He crossed his arms over his chest. A tight smile curved the side of his mouth. “Not even close.” Mercy noticed the smile didn’t reach those magnificent eyes. Keisha moved toward him. Mercy’s internal warning system screamed danger! She reached out a hand to stop her friend. “Keish ...” But she was too late. Keisha had both hands on the man’s bicep to measure his muscles, while he stood still, looking down at her, as if she were some new species he’d never

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encountered before. If Mercy didn’t stop her, her friend would have her hands on other parts of the man’s anatomy to check for the right size and fit. Mercy stepped forward and pulled Keisha back to her side. “Um, you’ll have to excuse my friend. She doesn’t get out very often.” Mercy offered what she hoped was a friendly smile, trying not to cringe from the man’s perusal. Steely blue orbs narrowed on her, checking her over from head to foot. Mercy felt her blush deepen. He inclined his head with a slight nod. “Not at all. I’m flattered she likes me.” “What’s not to like?” Keisha and Mercy asked at the same time, looked at each other, and burst out laughing. They were like two teenaged girls at their first prom, with the team’s number-one jock. Mercy recovered first. She couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud. She cleared her throat and bit her lip, while Keisha hooted some more, tears streaming down her cheeks. Mercy crossed her arms and tried to stand straight, but felt conspicuous. Her arms dropped, and she fidgeted with the seam of her dress. She looked at the stranger. His expression remained closed and wary, but a small muscle twitched beside his mouth, like he tried not to smile. Mercy punched Keisha. “Stop it,” she whispered from the side of her mouth. “All right, all right.” Keisha straightened and smiled at their new friend. “I’m Keisha, and this is my best friend, Mercedes.” “Uh, Mercy,” Mercy muttered and looked at her shoes, red spiked-heels to match the dress Keisha had let her borrow for the night. A pin pinched her skin, and she fought the urge to tug the bodice higher over her breasts. Keisha wore at least two cups larger. Where the scrap would hit Keisha mid-thigh, it fell just below Mercy’s knee. “Your friend already said that.”

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The deep voice held a teasing quality. Mercy relaxed a little. Her eyes met the iridescent blue of his. She smiled. “No, I mean, most people call me Mercy, not Mercedes.” A black eyebrow rose, and his face returned to a stern mask. “I’m not most people.”

You can say that again. Her heart rate jumped through the roof at his words. She knew she was out of practice, but she would swear he had been coming on to her. She looked at Keisha. She wasn’t mistaken. Her friend had a hand on her hip, and her foot tapped the floor in irritation. It wasn’t often a man overlooked Keisha’s flamboyant nature in favor of Mercy. Hell, it never happened! Mercy felt her shoulders straighten and her self-esteem bloom, like a plant basking in sunshine. This had to be the most interesting man she’d met in months. When she’d arrived at the club, she had decided to add a little excitement to her boring, routine-laden life. It was New Year’s Eve, a time to make new resolutions ... to find an interesting man and experiment with some hot sex. Here was her first opportunity. Her inner voice gave her a nudge. Live a little, Mercy. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Michael.” He offered his hand, hoping she’d accept his touch. His gut twisted as that jolt of recognition hit him again. Did she know him? He hadn’t failed to notice her anxiety earlier when her friend had jumped him. When he considered her paternity, he could kick himself for the oversight. She might not be aware of who her father was or of her own untapped abilities, but he sure was. She could sense something wasn’t kosher with him. Hell, he’d have to turn down his natural magnetism if he hoped to snare her in his little trap tonight. Zeus had come up with a plan, involving his daughter’s friend. He turned to Keisha. “This is your first time at the House of Purgatory?”

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“It sure is, but not my last, if all those guys are an example of what hangs out here.” He watched Keisha smack her lips, as two of his “employees” passed. “What made you decide to give us a try?” “My no-good ex-boyfriend, that’s what.” Keisha punched his chest with her forefinger. Michael took a step back. “Decided he wanted something with a little more white meat on it.” She glanced at Mercy. “Sorry.” Mercy shrugged. The graceful lift of her shoulders drew his gaze to the creamy white skin. His palm itched, but he curled his fingers in to stem his need to touch her. Zeus had known his daughter wouldn’t come to the club without a good reason. All they had had to do was convince the friend’s boyfriend he wanted someone more reserved than the exotic Keisha. That had taken several weeks longer than they had anticipated. Too much rode on this plan to have it blow up in his face. She was here now, so he could relax. He released a silent sigh and smiled. Now, to get rid of the other one. Michael opened his mouth to introduce Keisha to the young man she’d lusted after earlier. Mercy’s hand slid into his grasp. An unexpected frisson of arousal shot up his arm, like a bolt of lightning. From the shocked expression on her face, she must have felt the same sensation. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tighter, pulling her closer. An intense desire to crawl into her skin and wrap her body around him shook him to his bones. His nostrils flared at the smell of her skin, intoxicating -- a woman’s musk mingled with a fresh lemony fragrance. With eyelids half closed, he mentally matched her face to her scent. Now -- his eyes opened fully onto her -- he’d be able to track her anywhere she might venture through the tunnels of Hell, for all eternity.

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Emerald eyes flashed with surprise as she met his gaze. His cock tightened. I know her, know her body. He scanned the angular face sprinkled with freckles. High cheekbones and a pert, turned-up nose completed his survey. His lips twitched in a flash of pleasure. “You’re a pixie.” Her eyebrow rose, and her eyes sparked irritation this time. He realized he’d spoken out loud. “Don’t be angry. You’re beautiful.” With a forefinger, he traced the silky line above her eye, blacker than a raven’s wing, like her short hair. Raum’s image surfaced. Michael sucked in a sharp breath and released her, taking a step back. The need to touch her was overwhelming. He couldn’t explain why. The comparison with Raum was even more disturbing. He’d been able to force the unfamiliar attraction for the demon from his mind these last several weeks. Now, in a matter of seconds, these unwanted desires crashed within his mind and body. Glancing at Zeus’s daughter, Michael gained some satisfaction; she looked as shocked as he felt. He studied her body. Short, not like the demonesses he usually fucked. He angled his head, stroking his chin.

Not that that’s a bad thing. Toned and attractive legs met slim hips. He usually preferred rounder, fuller curves to grasp tightly when he thrust his full weight into those heated depths. He shuddered. The sudden urge to span her tiny waist with both his hands made his balls ache. A vision of her on all fours with him behind her flickered through his mind. He could almost feel her slick heat around him as he slid in and out of her cunt. His jaw tightened on a groan. From somewhere to his left, he registered a cough. He looked up in time to see Keisha tapping her foot, a look of frustration on her face.

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The tide of pure lust eased. He winked at Mercy’s friend. “Sorry, Keisha, but I think I need to introduce you to Jade.” Mercy turned toward Keisha. A blush spread over Mercy’s chest, neck, and cheeks. He wondered if the pretty pink color covered her whole body.

Christ, get a grip! With narrowed eyes, he snapped his fingers. A man of medium height, with long auburn hair, appeared in the hallway. Muscles rippled beneath the skin of his bare chest. His nipples were pierced, as were his left eyebrow and -- Keisha would be happy -- his tongue. “Now, look here. If you think you can just snap your fingers and make me go aw-Well, who do we have here?” Keisha’s tone changed when she saw Michael’s employee in the archway. Michael had seen the way the girl’s attention had followed the demon earlier in the night. He smiled. His plans were going better than he’d expected, except for the indescribable attraction he felt toward his prey and his demon-earl. His smile faded. “Every desire is possible in the House of Purgatory.” He moved behind Mercy. His job tonight called for him to ensure the daughter of Zeus passed through the gates of Hell for all eternity. The Creator’s kingdom depended on it. His freedom depended on it. Encircling Mercy’s waist, Michael let her feel his erection, hardening into the curve of her lower back. He could not fail. “Keisha, meet Jade.” The feel of Mercy’s ass tight against his thighs forced the words from his throat with a husky need. “Jade, this is Keisha. Make sure she gets everything she wants, and more.” Jade nodded, but never let his eyes leave the exotic black woman he was assigned to pleasure for the night. Michael knew Keisha would leave the House of Purgatory well sated tomorrow morning without memory of anything else but the sex she would share with his

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most trustworthy demon, if she chose. Some decided to stay after experiencing the pleasures and pain of this dimension. It was their choice.

Unlike you, my dear. He kissed the top of Mercy’s head. You have no choice. Your fate has been decided. “Come on.” He moved his body away from the temptation of Mercy, but linked his fingers through hers. “Let them go dance.” Michael stepped behind a screen that concealed a passage known only to a select few. “Where are we going?” She stumbled behind him, looking over her shoulder at her friend. When she turned back around, she stopped, forcing him to pull up short with his arm extended toward her. She studied the secret hallway. “Oh, this was the way that I was searching for, but couldn’t find.” His eyebrow lifted with a jolt of surprise. “Most people who search for this particular path lose their way. Because it is hidden, they give up their quest and choose the path more obvious and convenient.” He tilted his head to indicate the mosh pit. Her face tilted up toward him. A nervous laugh, tinkling and crisp, emitted from her lips and tingled across his skin. “There were too many people that way. I didn’t want to go where they went. I like being different.” Her smile turned impish. “I’m not most people.” He heard the catch in her voice, but it was her choice of words that snared his attention. They were the same words he’d said to her earlier. His heart skipped a beat, knowing what he was about to do to her life. “No, Mercedes, you aren’t ordinary. You are special. That is why you were chosen.” Wanting to touch her, but knowing he shouldn’t, Michael snatched his fingers away within centimeters of her face. He stepped quickly around her and pulled a stained-glass door open for her to pass through.

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A blast of air, so cold it burned, hit them. Michael glanced down, knowing the effect the temperature change would have on her body. He wasn’t disappointed or apologetic for his observation. Her nipples hardened beneath the silk of the red dress. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, much like his brother the “serpent” must have whispered into the ear of Eve. He could begin to like this temptation business. “Would you like to play?”

***** “Hey, where are we going? The party’s back there.” Keisha pulled hard against Jade’s hand. He turned and looked at her with the greenest, most mesmerizing eyes she’d ever seen. His gaze had the effect of making her feel like one of those bugs they pinned to a board in biology class. She looked him up and down and shook her head before moving against him, chest to chest. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she decided to forget Remy. Her hips swayed to the beat of the music, rubbing against Jade’s cock. His quick arousal made her smile. “Let’s go dance and get acquainted.” Jade shook his head, pulling her hard against his body. His free hand wrapped around the back of her neck, and he leaned close. Their height, near equal, enabled him to nibble her ear and chin with just a tilt of his head. “I think there are better ways to get acquainted, Keisha.” There was a rush of anticipation across her skin at his voice. Keisha closed her eyes, listening to his accent, Mediterranean or Greek, maybe. She’d never met anyone Greek who had hair and eyes the color of his. The feel of one hand sliding down her back to her ass sent chills up her spine.

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A low groan escaped when he cupped her cheek with long, firm fingers, stroking her with a feather-soft caress. Remy hadn’t touched her like that -- like he worshipped her. Hell, Remy had barely touched her at all except with his dick. “J-Just what did you have in mind?” Jade looked to his left and his right before he pulled her behind a stone pillar situated in front of a tiny nook that lay shrouded in darkness. The desire in his eyes glowed with a reddish tint from the overhead lights. “I know of a place deep within these walls where we will never be disturbed, if you wish to go with me.” His lips caressed hers; the contact burned. Keisha tried to pull back, but he held her head between his hands, gently, but with enough force to make her look at him. “Will you come with me, or do you wish me to fuck you here against this pillar?” She could feel the heavy throb of his cock against her thigh and smell his arousal. Moisture pooled in the crotch of her panties. She shifted her hips to ease the restless energy in her body, but the action brought her into more intimate contact with Jade. His hands and lips were like a brand against her skin, and she wanted to feel him deep inside her cunt. With an impatient sound, she backed against the pillar, wrapping her hands around his wrists, pulling one hand to her crotch and the other to her hip. She spread her legs at the same time she eased his hand beneath her skirt and between her thighs. Long, deft fingers sank into her cunt with one quick motion. Her neck and back arched into the burning pleasure. “I wanna do both,” she said, her voice nothing but a husky pant.

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Chapter Two

Mercy followed Michael through the ornate glass door. An icy wind hit her, causing her skin to tingle as if sunburned. Her nipples tightened in response to the stimulus. As she rubbed her arms with her hands, a movement on the door caught her gaze. She stopped and studied the intricate design of the stained glass. She could have sworn it had moved when she crossed the threshold. Looking closer, she watched the patterns swirl into a shape, resembling a tree surrounded by bodies lying, standing, sitting ... all melded together. About to turn away, the pattern shifted a third time. She gasped. The bodies were ... alive. She reached out in fascination, then stared in horror when one opened its mouth in a silent scream, the look of agony so expressive that Mercy took a step back. The solid warmth of Michael blocked her retreat through the direction she’d come. She shook her head, pointing to the relief, but looking at him. “How does that work? I’ve never seen graphics like that, even on a computer.” An inscrutable expression lay stamped on his face as he studied her. Mercy didn’t think he would answer her question.

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“It’s magick,” he finally said with a brief smile. She shivered and took a tiny step away from him. Something wasn’t right. She could sense a ... shift ... in the atmosphere since stepping into the room. She glanced around, but wasn’t sure if the bad vibes emanated from Michael, or not. He circled an arm around her shoulders. “You’re cold. But rest assured, the sensation won’t last for much longer.” There it was again, the way his words implied some double meaning. But she couldn’t grasp what, or if there was anything between the lines. She followed along. As he led her away from the door and into the casino area, the sight of ornate chandeliers hanging from cathedral ceilings caught her attention. Elaborate paintings that looked original covered every available space in between. Some were framed on the walls, but some were painted directly onto the surface of the ceiling. “Beautiful.”

Tap, tap, tap. Looking down she admired black and white marble flooring that supported hundreds of people moving back and forth between various games. They were better dressed than the group in the other portion of the club. Tuxedos and gorgeous gowns abounded, as did oodles of expensive jewels and perfumes. A woman in a red velvet dress strutted by, pausing to smile at Michael. Her generous bosom strained against the bodice of her gown to the point of overflowing. Michael took the woman’s proffered hand and kissed her fingers, then turned to Mercy. “Welcome to Avarice Hall, where you may indulge in every form of gambling known to man, in the hopes of obtaining great riches.” He leaned close, and Mercy caught the scent of the woman’s perfume on his lips. She experienced the urge to wipe his lips free of the woman’s mark. “But be careful what you wager, because the manager is only interested in one payment, and he demands to be paid in full before you venture to the next level.”

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She blinked twice and shook her head as his words sank into the green haze that had attacked her momentarily. “There are levels? The club didn’t look that large from the outside.” “Oh, yes, one for each of the nine deadly sins.” He was watching her with the hint of a smile on his lips. The sensation that he knew a secret, and took great delight in her ignorance, intensified. “Nine? I thought there were only seven.” He shrugged. “Depends if you believe in the occult, or not.” “Do you?” She would not play this game. He was trying to scare her, but it would take more than a few words and some trick door. Really, the man needed to work on his technique, if this was how he usually picked up women. “What? Believe in the occult?” He stared down at her. The overhead lights flickered oddly across his face. For a second his features shifted, like the people in the door, and she could see ... something else ... in his face. Mercy couldn’t speak, but managed a nod. This time when he leaned toward her, she stepped back. “I am the occult.” Not only did his face shift, but his voice turned otherworldly with wheezing and hissing from deep within his chest. Mercy gasped, trying to pull her hand from his crushing grip. Michael smiled; his face appeared normal. The room righted itself. He patted her hand. “Come.” His voice sounded deep and seductive, as before.

Jeez, how many drinks did I have? Mercy swallowed and allowed him to draw her further into the casino. I’m hallucinating while awake. At one end of the room, the slot machines lined the walls with row upon row of blackjack tables in front of them. Roulette tables and a glassed-in area for the patrons who

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wanted to enjoy a few hands of poker stood off in one corner. Closer to her right, a long bar encased in black leather and outlined with silver and gold inlay stretched the length of the room. This was where he led her. Long fingers bit into her waist. Her eyes met his as he lifted her onto a tall stool, then released her. The imprint of his hands burned into her skin through the dress. She turned away, pretending to study the occupants of the room. He scared her, and dammit, she didn’t like that at all. Her mother had always been frightened by “Uncle” Zeto, her mother’s boyfriend. Mercy had made a point of avoiding men like him. Something cool touched her arm. She jumped. “Your drink.” Amber liquid swirled around and between large cubes of ice in a glass. “Oh, no, thank you.” She shook her head. “I think I’ve had enough.” I’ll say. “I have to drive tonight.” “A responsible person, hmm?” He signaled the bartender. A flash of a tattoo, like a flame, peeked from beneath the sleeve of his jacket. A giant of a man with wiry black hair and olive-tinted skin lumbered toward them from the far end of the bar. His white shirt and bowtie were totally out of place on his hulking frame, but he didn’t seem uncomfortable in them. “I like to think I am, especially when I’m out with Keisha.” Michael handed the guy the drink, but not before Mercy heard him whisper something in the man’s ear. The man studied her for a second with narrowed eyes. Mercy smiled, but the giant turned away, placed a glass under the tap, then added some ice from beneath the counter. “Thank you.” She accepted the ice water, trying another smile on the guy. She didn’t like to be ignored when she made a point to be recognized.

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The man stared for a second. Mercy thought he’d ignore her gesture, but he offered her a grin that resembled a snarl. “You’re welcome.” “This is Gar. He’s worked here for a very long time.” Michael nodded at the bartender, then drew Mercy’s attention back to himself. “You were telling me about your friend.” “Oh, well, I just never know what’s going to happen when Keisha plans our outings.” “She does seem to be a wild child.” “Yeah, but she has a good soul.” “You consider yourself a good judge of character?” “Most of the time.” She sipped her water, wondering about his accent. “Are you Greek?” “Not quite.” He didn’t elaborate, but continued to study her with a penetrating gaze. Mercy had the impression that, like Zeto, Michael could read her every thought. Many times Zeto had caught her in a fib about where she was going for the night and with whom. She shook her head at the enigma Michael represented and studied the frescoes on the wall. Angels and demons, fighting and loving, like an old Renaissance painting she had seen years ago in a museum with her mother and Zeto. He’d scoffed at her reference to the angels’ beauty and grace, calling them “watchdogs.” “You like art, Mercedes?” A shiver traveled up her spine when he said her name. She turned back to him, sipping her water. A slightly salty aftertaste coated her tongue. She wrinkled her nose. “Very much. I’m an illustrator.” Another jolt of sensation swept through her when she met his gaze again. From a distance his eyes had looked almost white, but on closer inspection she saw flecks of silver and gray near the pupil. Beautiful eyes. “Thank you. Your eyes are very lovely, too.”

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Mercy blinked, not sure what was wrong with her tonight. Faces in the glass, features warping into “otherness,” now mind-reading. “D-Did I say that out loud?” He didn’t answer, but took a sip of his drink and surveyed the area in front of them. His shoulders stiffened as those gorgeous eyes narrowed on something over her shoulder. She turned to see a man at the roulette table nearest them, waiting for the wheel to spin. Obviously thinking no one could see him, he inched his bet over to the color where the ball had landed. He succeeded in winning three times, but that was all. Michael stood and walked to the table after he had motioned for what Mercy assumed was a security team. She remained seated, curious to see Michael in action. She didn’t quite know his role here, but with that air of authority he carried, she knew he had to be in management. In a way, he reminded her of Uncle Zeto, with his assured attitude that everyone would do as they were told. She didn’t need another man trying to control her. But -Mercy let her gaze travel the length of Michael’s lean form. A tingle of awareness formed in her lower abdomen at the way he moved, so quick and silent behind the cheater. His men approached from the other direction, drawing the man’s attention. When they were within about five feet of the table, the man stood to make his getaway, but stopped short at the sight of Michael. Michael reached out, and the man backed away, screaming, “No, you’re supposed to be the angel of mercy! Please, don’t send me back to that level. This was my only chance to get out of here. Don’t --!” “What the hell?” Mercy sat straighter. The security men moved in, and together with Michael, they surrounded the gambler at the same time Michael placed his hand on the man’s chest. A bright light snapped like a

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flashbulb. The man fell within their circle, but when they stepped back, nothing could be seen except a pile of ash. Mercy squeezed her eyes shut, not sure she’d seen what she thought she’d seen. That could not have happened. Michael turned toward her; she gasped. Iridescent eyes flashed. What looked like a long blue-black flame re-entered his mouth. The arms of his jacket smoked, burned through by a design like lightning bolts. Slowly, the reddish-yellow glow receded beneath the leather. “Shit!” It took him two steps before Mercy’s legs registered the command, Run! She stumbled from her barstool, with Michael’s voice close behind. “Mercedes, stop!” Mercy heard his shout, but pushed into the crowd, which had grown thicker than she remembered, and headed for the door. She looked back to gauge Michael’s position, but couldn’t find him in the meshwork of bodies. With a sigh of relief, she turned. Two strong hands wrapped around her upper arms. She cried out in surprise, looking from him to the bar and back. “How did you do that?” The weakness of fear crept through her body. Not sure that her legs would hold her, she tried to pull away, but knew the attempt was feeble against the steely strength supporting her. “Who the hell are you?” She twisted her arm, but Michael held her tight. “What are you?” Several of the patrons glanced at them, but didn’t stop their games of chance. No one seemed to care that a man had been incinerated before their very eyes, or that she was being forced across the floor toward a door beside the bar. Mercy planted her feet, but the heels, scraping and squeaking, only slid against the marble. “We will discuss this in private.”

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“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She swung her left arm around, hitting Michael in the shoulder, but he kept walking, pulling her with him. Well, dammit, she wasn’t going without a fight. She sat, full weight, on the floor, jerking Michael’s big frame off balance. His hand lost contact with her arm. Scurrying on her knees, she crawled over the cold marble through the throng of people entering the room. Heels bit her fingers, crushing her hand with leather dress shoes. She stifled a scream, afraid she’d give her position away. Her hand throbbing, she made her way beneath a blackjack table. Pulling her knees up, she sat nursing her bruised hand. The crowd shifted this way and that. Knowing Michael searched for her, she curled her legs in tighter against her body, easing further beneath the table. The crowd surrounded the table, so thick that their legs and bodies formed a wall of protection. For the moment, she was safe. Surely he wouldn’t find her. He’d think she’d gone out the door and he’d lost her in the crowd. Pairs of feet passed to and fro, like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. Mercy yawned. Her eyes felt heavy. She blinked to keep them open. She felt ... drunk.

Impossible. She thought back, counting the number of drinks she’d had -- two and that glass of water. A frown warred with a yawn. If she wasn’t drunk, then how could she explain the hallucinations? Because that’s what they were. Hallucina-Her eyes drifted closed as a relaxing warmth spread through her. When she opened them again, a pair of black boots stood at the end of her table. Mercy’s heart thumped hard. She held her breath, trying not to move. Chairs scooted back, scraping across the marble with patrons relinquishing their positions at the table. A cloak of silence filled the room, except for the bells of the slots and the occasional shout of “Blackjack!”

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Still, she didn’t move a muscle. Her heart hammered so hard against her chest, she knew Michael could hear her. The boots shifted, and long legs bent at the knee. A pair of iridescent eyes peered beneath the table at her. He didn’t smile or say a word, but held a hand out to her. Mercy shook her head. “No.” A thunderous expression passed over his features, and his eyes resembled a flash of lightning in his anger. His nostrils flared, and his mouth pulled into a straight line with a tinge of white evident around his lips. “You would force me to crawl under there and retrieve you.” She swallowed, knowing he hadn’t asked. Michael, obviously, had no patience toward people who challenged him. A rare phenomenon, no doubt. A spark of anger surfaced. She crossed her arms over her chest. He stood; fingers snapped. Mercy jumped, pushing harder against the wall of legs at her back. If she could break through, she might be able to disappear again within the crowd. She peered frantically through the throng of legs and feet. Where the hell is that door? People rushed forward. The table rose high enough for Michael to walk under, reaching her with little difficulty. He bent toward her. “I do not crawl for anyone, Mercedes.” Mercy found herself lifted high into the air in one fluid movement. “The sooner you learn that, the easier this arrangement will be for both of us.” “Let go of me!” Mercy hit out with her fists and feet, to no avail. What the hell was he talking about? She had no intention of staying there any longer than it took for her to get loose and out that door. He pushed her further over his shoulder, clamping an arm across her legs. Her ability to kick hindered, Mercy bucked up off his shoulder.

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A sharp smack seared her left buttock. “Oooo, wait ’til I get down from here, mister. I’m going to teach you a few things.” She hit him between the shoulder blades, but when that didn’t faze him, she leaned to the side and bit him in the fleshy part of his back. Not that he had much spare flesh to bite. He was all muscle. “Damn!” Michael lurched, dumping her onto the hard marble with her dress gathered above her hips, revealing the red thong panties she’d chosen for the night. Mercy scrambled to pull her dress down at the same time she tried to scoot out of his reach, but he was too quick. He advanced on her with a speed that made her gasp. One second he was a foot away, the next he was on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. His face loomed above hers, then drew closer. His hips pushed her legs wide. The heat of his breath fanned her face; she bucked her hips. An evil smile turned one corner of his mouth. “Keep that up, and I’m going to have to fuck you on this floor.” He glanced over his shoulder, then back. “In front of everyone.” A pin could be heard, the room went so quiet, and so did she. Her breasts heaved up and down with her strangled breaths. The press of his hot erection against the red silk of her miniature panties assured her he had the ability. Cold marble pressed against her nearly bared ass, but she didn’t dare move. His smile told her he would carry out his threat. He leaned forward until their noses touched. She could count every fleck of color in the irises of his eyes. Not only that, but she saw not just his anger, but his desire. She could smell the pure maleness that emanated from his pores. His total male dominance made her want to scream. She’d seen her mother cowed for years by Zeto’s authority, with his excuses over and over of why they couldn’t marry, but why they could fuck. Hell, she even suspected he was her father because they were so alike. Now, here she sat with the same type of man lording over her.

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The unexpected flood of moisture that seeped through the thin strip of silk between her legs surprised her so much, she didn’t fight when Michael’s mouth covered hers. Instead, she groaned in invitation and opened her mouth without hesitation. He didn’t waste any time, either. His tongue invaded and took control, wrapping around hers. Sucking, biting. With a whimper, she gave in to his demand. The kiss continued until she felt branded and ... used, but deep down there was another emotion she didn’t want to examine. Self-disgust warred with desire. Abruptly, Michael stopped. He leaned his forehead against hers, breathing hard. She opened her eyes to observe a mixture of desire and anger swirling within his gaze. “I think you had better behave, for both of our sakes.” With a deep, shuddering breath, he stood, pulling her up beside him. Mercy couldn’t look at him or anyone else in the room. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she stared at the floor while he barked orders to his men to return the table to its original position. No one had ever humiliated her before. Angry tears pricked her eyelids, but she held them back. “I hate you.” Long, strong fingers captured her chin, forcing her to look at him. Narrowed eyes studied her. “Better for you to hate me than for us to give in to whatever it was we experienced a second ago.” Her bottom lip quivered. She just wanted to go home. His mouth tightened. A thick, callused thumb stroked across her lip, but his eyes never left hers. “You can’t go home, Mercedes. You’re here with me now, for better or worse.” She bit her lip, wincing at the tenderness. “Who are you?” He smiled, but his eyes were cold. Michael kissed her swollen lips, still throbbing from his abuse minutes earlier. This time the kiss was brief and gentle, like an apology. “I’m God’s most brutal warrior, and you are my prisoner.”

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Chapter Three

Why the hell did I kiss her? Michael ran a hand through his hair and instructed his demons to straighten the casino. He glanced at Mercy huddled on a stool by the bar. The expression on her face was one he’d seen before whenever he revealed his identity to humans. Shell-shocked. He sighed. He didn’t want her to look at him like that. He wanted the impish grin and flashing green eyes he’d first seen when he’d met her. But he knew his needs and wants were irrelevant. He had his orders, and he would carry them out like he always did. The one time he’d disobeyed had landed him here in this hellhole, literally. All because of a woman. His gaze flicked back to Mercy. He tried to compare her to Lilith, but shook his head. There was no comparison. If he tried, it would be like comparing night and day. Lilith was like the hot flame of the sun, whereas Mercy was -- he studied her profile with her turned-up nose and black hair -- like a pale moonbeam, beautiful and quiet. Michael snorted at the thought of the nocturnal demoness being compared to the rays of the sun and wondered how his ex-lover’s reincarnation was enjoying marriage to his brother, the ex-prince of darkness. A title Michael now carried.

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When he’d rescued Samael from the drunken pit he had sunken into after the release of his beloved, Michael had known what his own punishment would be. He looked around the casino at the scum of humanity immersed in their addiction for gambling and the sin of cupidity to win more. Disgust burned sour in his gut. Then there were the hordes of demons who tempted those souls with their games of chance. The fallen ones would lure the poor saps in, and if they lost -- which they inevitably did -- their payback rate tripled what it had been when the damned walked in. The humans would agree to sign any pact if it meant they had a chance to win the grandest of grand jackpots -- freedom from hell, with riches beyond their wildest dreams. A cool hand on his arm drew his attention away from the tables, and Michael looked down to see a pale and withdrawn Mercy at his side. His cock tightened at the feel of her skin against his. So, this would be his test. To escape his penance and return to his home and rightful rank in the hierarchies of heaven in the world of Briah, he had to resist the temptations of another woman. He could do it He hadn’t seen Briah, with her white, misty clouds and her golden harps sounding gently in the wind, for a very long time. So long, he had almost forgotten the wondrous beauty of the angels’ song in praise of their Creator. Michael clenched his jaw, gently removing his arm from Mercy’s reach. “What do you need, Mercedes?” He watched the smooth skin of her throat move as she swallowed, and the glisten of unshed tears on her long, black-as-soot eyelashes. This was all a shock for her. He understood, but that understanding wouldn’t stop him from doing what had to be done. Her sacrifice would be what kept total chaos from annihilating the delicate balance between Heaven and Hell.

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Here, she was a prisoner, but she was also a queen. Anything that she desired, except her freedom, would be granted to her. She would be free to roam anywhere within the realm of Hell. A privilege that very few but Satan could claim. She shifted upon her stool. “I don’t feel so good. Could I lie down, please?” His nostrils expanded to take in the sweet scent of her warm flesh. The sensation raced through his system, like a shockwave. Michael coughed, trying to hide his groan of pain. She couldn’t be just any woman, either, but one who made his balls ache while his cock stayed on constant alert. He shifted his feet and shoulders in hopes of easing the discomfort he felt in his groin, knowing he’d have to enlist the services of a skilled demoness tonight when he retired to his quarters. That brightened his spirits to some degree. As overseer of Hell, temporarily or not, he was allowed the use of all amenities, except any human, who ventured into his domain ... alive. Which meant Mercedes. She was a casualty of war. His job was to make her comfortable and protect her from the demons, who didn’t give a damn about rules or pacts. They were searching for fresh meat and souls to devour. He’d seen the looks they’d cast upon Mercy, and he knew if he turned his back once, the dark spirits would gobble her up with one bite. One bite to her jugular, and her soul would be sucked out to spend eternity serving the carnal needs of the vilest creatures unknown to man. “Come on. You can use my quarters until I find a safe chamber for you to stay in.” She nodded, not looking at him. His agitation increased. Why should he care if she wouldn’t look at or speak to him? Why did he care if she was uncomfortable? He’d performed much more devastating deeds against humankind and had never felt a nanosecond of remorse.

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He ignored the regret he experienced and led her to the other side of the bar. Opening a door, they stepped into the darkness of his private quarters. He flicked his wrist. A lantern built into the stone wall flared to life. She shuffled along behind him, beaten and dazed. A niggling of guilt wormed its way into his mind. Why was his conscience bothering him now? Michael turned toward his room. His brother had used a chamber off the stage on the Level of Lust. Michael didn’t have the patience for the constant music and mayhem of bodies in motion, so he’d chosen his chambers on the Level of Avarice, praying and observing penance in hopes his punishment and exile would end soon. His gaze followed Mercy’s weary frame to his bed, where she kicked off her heels. For a short girl, she had long legs, and he watched them stretch as she climbed beneath the soft cotton sheets of his bed. Her hips moved with a natural sinuous motion, and he ached with the need to bury his dick in her warmth. He could find relief with another in this realm, but the other’s pussy would be cold compared to the heat of a human woman. He had taken two steps toward her before he realized his intent. “Damnation.” Her eyes were large and round in her pale face when she looked at him. The sheer terror in her expression forced him to stop. His knuckles gripped white against the bedpost, and he forced his fingers to loosen. Sweat broke across his brow with the effort to control his lust. Michael swallowed twice before he could speak with what he hoped was a steady voice. “If you need anything, call out, and a servant will come to you.”

Call me, and I will make you come. He turned away from her temptation, returning to the safety of the casino. Once there, he headed through the glass door, now visible, into the heart of the den of demons to find a bitch to ease his lust ... but not his loneliness.

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Music, heavy with drums, bombarded him from all sides as Michael pressed through the throng of revelers to reach his brother’s old quarters. So loud, his skin vibrated with the beat. The smell of body odor and lust spiraled through the air, thick enough that he could taste it on his tongue. Bodies gyrated around him as the demons’ lust rose, as they salivated at the chance to choose their prey for the night. They would toy with the new souls until midnight. At the stroke of twelve, the gate would start rotating through the levels, depositing each soul into the level of perdition best suited for their sins. Then at dawn, the gate would lock itself until the following night. That would be the instant that the “virgins” to Hell would awaken to their new reality -- temporary repentance in purgatory, or eternal damnation. The massive wood door squeaked open. Once inside, the music drowned with the closure. Quiet abounded, and a dim light shone from an aquarium in the wall. A multitude of colorful fish swam to and fro. Michael smiled at his brother’s small attempt to find peace in a world of chaos. “Even Satan needs a getaway.” The memory of Samael’s last words to him faded into the stillness of the room. He hoped Samael was content, if not happy. His brother had always craved to live as a mortal. Now he had his greatest desire. Hopefully, this time Samael wouldn’t screw it up. There would be no more chances for Sam. He’d used them up -- all three of them. If he failed to evolve this time, he would be cast into the lowest pit, like Asmodeus, for all eternity. Michael made his way to the far side of the room, where ancient books and scrolls lined the walls behind a shield of glass to protect them from the heat of this prison. With all eternity to pass his time away, Samael had turned to the things an angel with a silver tongue and pen would excel in -- writing, and studying the works of other great scholars.

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Michael’s gaze rested on Virgil’s Aenead before scanning several more titles and settling on one. With a flick of his wrist, the glass panel slid back. Reaching inside, he lifted an ancient manuscript. “Hels Grimoire.” Pages crackled, and the smell of the yellowed papyrus tickled his nose. It was rumored that the ancient key was a copy of an even more ancient manuscript found in the bowels of a Viking ship frozen beneath layers of arctic ice. Wherever its origination, the tome held magickal information that would open gates and thresholds for the most bold of adventurers, if they ever got their hands on the book. Even then, they would have to be the bravest of souls to repeat the lines contained within. The ones who had dared had died slow, painful deaths. Here, the key was safe from devious intentions. Gingerly, Michael placed the book on the coffee table, settling back against the sofa. He flipped the pages gently, searching for a picture of the creature sleeping in his bed.

There. His fingers stilled over a penciled sketch. The features were faded, but her image stood etched clearly for him to study. The book might be Norse, but the text connected her name with the level on the Cabalist Tree of Life -- Chesed, which meant “mercy” or “goodness,” the fourth sefira, or divine emanation, from the Creator. Michael’s fingers curled with the force of his anger. The crinkle of dried papyrus caused dust to rise from the page. He knew he’d seen her face before, but the years had faded his memory. She wasn’t just any reincarnated soul, projected by the Creator. She was Michael’s other half. A half he couldn’t claim in her present form. She was human; he was not, never had been, never would be. He’d made his choice in the beginning to serve the Creator. Now, the Creator had given Michael another test to prove his worthiness and allow him freedom from this infernal pit. The air shifted, indicating a slight movement behind him.

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Michael stiffened. He could feel the presence easing closer to him, but he waited. When he felt the intruder close enough that breath tickled the back of his neck, he whirled around, grabbing an arm and flipping the body over the back of the couch onto the cushions. With a twist of his hips, his weight and knee pinned the culprit’s throat and chest. In the dim light, recognition flared at the sight of the female beneath him. He snorted his disgust, easing off her body and jerking her into an upright position on the sofa. “Anea, what are you doing sneaking up on me like that? I could have killed you.” The demoness rubbed her neck, flashing fiery eyes at him. “I did not wish to interrupt you, Master.” She eased up onto her knees. Cool, scaly hands rubbed across his chest. “I heard you needed company for the night, so I have come to offer myself.” Michael looked into the red gleam of her eyes. His cock hardened. Anea had pleased him before. She didn’t have any qualms about who her partners were, or what they desired of her. Her function was to please whichever gender requested her services. Michael eased a hand beneath the heavy fall of her blue hair, letting the silky strands slip through his fingers. Her blue-green scales stretched supple and smooth. Her mouth was hungry as she sucked his index finger between her pouty lips. His nostrils expanded to take in the musky scent of her sexes, and he closed his eyes. He sat against the sofa with his arms along the back. He spread his legs. “Do it.” Her cry of glee made his lips quirk into a smile. The feel of her mouth on his dick made him sigh. He needed the relief she offered. If he couldn’t have the woman in his bed, he would make do with what his temporary realm had to offer. At least he wouldn’t be penalized for taking pleasures from the damned. Anea’s tongue circled around his shaft, up then down. After sampling Mercy’s kiss and touching her flesh, he was more than ready to explode. His thigh muscles clenched.

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At the point of release, the demoness rose to the tip of his cock and hesitated. Michael growled in frustration. “Finish me, Anea.” “I would ask a favor, my lord.” Her breath tickled the head of his dick, and Michael opened his eyes. “What favor?” he asked through clenched teeth. He should have known she’d want something in return for her “favors.” He hadn’t met a female, human or other, who gave her sex for free. Anea laughed, flicking her tongue against his hardened flesh. “I wish to see my old master, Asmodeus, my lord.” “Why? You have not asked to see him before, Anea.” Michael didn’t know if he could hold back much longer. The bitch knew how to tease a man to the point of insanity. “Finish me, now.” “Your favor, my lord,” she insisted. Her hand tightened around the base of his cock. “Grant me this small thing, and I will do anything you wish, and more.” Her lips nibbled the underside of his balls, and her tongue circled their tightness, flicking close to his anus. Michael groaned. Women would be the death of him. “You have your favor ... ahhh ...” Her hot mouth sucked him in and swallowed him whole. His body jerked in spasms to release his juices. Tightening his fingers in her hair, he pushed his body harder into her mouth. Spent, Michael leaned against the sofa and watched Anea lick him clean. When she completed her task, she sat back on her heels and offered him a smile. “Thank you, Master,” she said, her voice soft and sweet. “I would please you more.” She stood and released her robe. The red silk swished and pooled at her feet.

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Michael gazed upon her body and automatically hardened at her perfection. High, full breasts and slightly flared hips topped by a tiny waist and softly rounded abdomen teased his libido. Her legs, long and lean, were everything a male could desire. But he’d seen perfection before and tasted its delights. The results had been ... Hell. He shook his head. “No, I’ve had enough for tonight.” A moment of confusion passed across her face and something like a flash of fear. “YYou will let me see my old master?” Michael narrowed his eyes on the demoness. “I have said I would.” “What of Master Raphael? He is the watcher over that realm.” “I will speak with Raphael later today. Your visit will be approved. Now, go.” “Thank you, my lord.” She retrieved her wrap, disappearing into the dark recesses of the room. He’d have to watch that one. Between her request and the realization of who Mercy really was, he sensed unrest in his newly acquired kingdom.

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Chapter Four

Mercy woke with a start, not quite sure where she was. The quiet of the room lay around her like a tomb. She sat up in the massive bed and surveyed her surroundings, rubbing her fingers absently across the silken bed covers. The bed lay low to the ground. Overhead, a fan hummed in the silence, blowing a gentle breeze across her bare skin. Her crinkled dress hung from a side chair. She angled her head, but couldn’t hear the noise from the casino. The walls and door were too thick. If she didn’t know better, she’d think she were in a vault. A chill raced over her skin at the thought, and she pulled the covers closer. The silk material rustled and slid across her skin. Closing her eyes against the sensation, a flash of lovers entangled in the sheets skimmed the edges of her mind. Mercy froze. Though the image had been fleeting, she understood what the vision meant. Sometime in the near future, she would have a lover. The man’s face had been vague, but her own had been sharp and clear. The predictions didn’t come often, but when they did, they were inevitably accurate. She never knew the exact moment they would happen, but nonetheless, her visions, no matter the subject, always came true.

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“No, no, no.” This time she wouldn’t let what she’d seen come about. She had to get out of here. The man and this place were ... unnatural. How else could she explain what she’d seen and heard? Men vaporizing in front of her, and Michael claiming he was an angel.

The man is gorgeous, but totally crazy. No way could she have sex with him. Mercy eased off the bed and grabbed her dress. With a quick wiggle of her hips, she pulled the scrap of silk into place over her breasts. Her shoes lay neatly on the floor by the end of the bed. She frowned as she slipped her feet inside the spiked heels. Her hand hesitated with the zip. She had been completely dressed when she came to bed, and she had slung her shoes off at the bedside. So, then, who had undressed her, and why didn’t she remember someone being in here with her after Michael had left? Mercy looked around the room. Nothing was out of place. No other being could be visibly detected, but she experienced the sensation of another presence in the room. She swallowed against the wave of fear that rose into her throat. Whatever was in here with her felt ... evil. Mercy took a step toward the door, but a featherlike brush of air against her face told her she wouldn’t make her escape. She reached for the door, but then dropped her hand by her side in defeat. She stared at the floor, then turned to face whatever stood behind her. She gasped. A black-winged creature at least five feet tall, with three heads, each one different, sat on the bed. Feathers frayed before cascading to rest in perfect order against the body. The center head was that of a darkly handsome man. His eyes were black as his wings and intense in his stare, and Mercy couldn’t break contact with them. The grin he gave her was wicked and knowing at the same time. She tried not to examine the rest of the creature, but the sounds of a cat’s meow and a snake’s hiss drew her attention. Her skin grew clammy, and her breath came in quick gasps. She stepped back.

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Bile rose to choke her at the sight of the abomination of nature’s beauty. She closed her eyes, shaking her head in denial of what sat before her. A smell like ozone filled the room. The walls angled and shifted. Grabbing the bedpost for support, she felt her skin tingle, as if electricity converged within the space. Mercy opened her eyes quickly. The creature stretched and yawned in a silent scream, changing first into the form of a crow, then into the form of a man with the face she’d seen earlier. Sweat mingled with another viscous substance over his skin, dripping onto the carpet. He stood to a magnificent height well over six feet, naked and perfect. The malicious smile grew wider, and he bowed to her. “I am at your service, my lady. Is there somewhere you wished to go?” “Home?” The question whispered through numb lips. She couldn’t move from the fear, horror, and fascination that held her captive. “I’m afraid that is not possible.” The smile evaporated. His gaze swept over her with insolent abandon. If he was a servant, he wasn’t very good at his job. “Who the hell are you?” “Excuse my bad manners.” He bowed again, but the expression in his eyes was anything but subservient. “I am Raum.” “Okay, what are you?” Mercy realized he wouldn’t give her any information unless she asked him specific questions. She should have learned that lesson last night. A dramatic sigh issued from his lips. “Alas, I am a great earl, who has fallen from grace. The master instructed me to make sure you were comfortable and have everything you need.” Mercy studied him. Her mind whirled with his confusing words, but she couldn’t think with a naked man standing in front of her like that. His body would make a nun forget whatever vows of chastity she had uttered in ignorance.

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“Thank you, my lady.” His smile turned to one of amusement, and unlike with Michael, the emotion flickered in his eyes. “Wait. You heard me?” Oh, great! He and Michael could read her thoughts. She crossed an arm over her middle and chewed on her thumbnail. This was ... not fair. Raum laughed. “I quite agree that we have an unfair advantage, but that’s the way it is here.” “What do you mean ‘here’?” she asked, then wished she hadn’t, because she experienced another premonition. An image of ... she closed her eyes to focus ... demons and fire. “Hell, of course,” Raum answered. He was closer, having moved next to her. She kept her eyes shut, trying to calm the sudden increase in her pulse. She felt him bend close to her ear. His warm whisper tickled the sensitive skin on her neck. She shivered, but kept her eyes tightly shut, hoping he would disappear and she’d wake up in her tiny apartment -- alone. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?” His tongue, warm and forked, flicked across her ear. Mercy gasped, opening her eyes to stare up into the shifting features of a demon. “Oh, my god.”

***** Michael wove his way through the crowds in the mosh pit. Thinner, now that the demons had chosen their “playmates” from the night before. He knew the throng of souls would grow, the closer they drew to the midnight hour when the gate to Hell opened to distribute the souls for the demons’ pleasure. The gate shifted from one level to the next, depending on the greatest sin of the one being admitted.

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He felt no pity for the souls still in the pit, who writhed to the eerie goth-rock/heavymetal music played constantly throughout this sector of Hell. They had been given numerous chances on earth to redeem themselves, but had chosen not to. Like him, they were here to pay for their sins. For how long, only the Creator knew. He studied a female as she swayed, her motions out of beat with the music. Her dull gaze was dazed, exhausted. Michael shrugged. At least they had a chance for reincarnation after they had served their penance in the realms of purgatory. If they didn’t succeed in bettering their souls in their new life, after three chances they finally ended up in the pits of Hell for all eternity. With a firm hand he turned the woman’s face to him, shaking his head. This one had used all her graces. When he removed his fingers, skin sloughed away from her face to reveal the bluish-green tint of a demon’s hide beneath. Her focus cleared, and she hissed at him, revealing sharp fangs used to suck the life from whatever soul she latched on to. Michael stepped back to avoid the slash of her teeth, but opened his mouth to emit a loud, lion-like roar. The occupants of the pit stilled, and the woman before him groveled at his feet. “Forgive me, Master Archangel,” she said. “You should have asked the Creator that instead of me, woman,” he said, pushing her away. “I am but His servant to carry out His will.” Michael moved on, trying to ignore the way the citizens of Hell kept a healthy distance from him. No one spoke to him or touched him unless he ordered them to. No one, except Mercy. He stopped. The desire to kiss her and feel her soft flesh under his rose to choke him. His cock throbbed with need. Anea had done nothing but give him a few seconds of relief. He knew whom he wanted and why.

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He reached the entry to his quarters a few minutes later. With a flick of his wrist, the massive wooden door flew open, but he didn’t enter. The sight before him had him paralyzed with surprise and something he hadn’t felt in a long time -- green, murderous jealousy.

Raum pulled the woman before him into his arms, holding her tight. The shock of her vision and his affirmation had plainly overwhelmed her. Her eyes were wide, her mouth opening and closing without a sound, and -- he smiled -- she didn’t pull away from his touch. A definite sign that she suffered from shock. He cocked his head and heard Michael’s roar. Time to try a little experiment.

The warmth of Raum’s body and arms seeped into the numbness of her mind, taking all thought of what he’d told her from her mind and easing her fear. When he moved his hands up and down her back, massaging muscles tight and sore from Michael’s abuse, Mercy sighed. She shouldn’t let him, but for just a second she wanted relief from the strange visions and stimuli she had experienced since stepping through the doors of this club with Keisha.

Keisha! Oh, god, where had she disappeared to? Mercy struggled to break free of Raum’s embrace, but the feel of his hot mouth against hers forced a groan of pure need from her long-forgotten libido. She relented. Did all the men in this place kiss this well? Her vision from earlier expanded to include Raum’s face, and Mercy felt a niggling of guilt that she kissed him and not Michael. Even though the male’s face had been blurred, she had been sure it was Michael who would be her lover. Raum’s tongue circled hers, and she opened her mouth wider for his access. His erection, pressing against her abdomen, throbbed and jerked in reaction, while one hand on her back eased down, sliding beneath the hem of her dress. On second thought, Raum was much friendlier. Maybe he’d let her tie him up later? He squeezed her ass, kneading the flesh with expert strokes. “Umm, nice, my lady.”

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“Thanks, but what I’m feeling against my stomach feels a whole lot better,” she said with a slight hitch in her voice. She reached between them and wrapped her hand around his cock. The erection, long and thick, pulsated in her hand with a life of its own. “Now, this is what I call nice.” She stroked her hand up and down. “Jesus.” Raum’s body stiffened as his head fell back. Mercy laughed when he let a hiss issue from between clenched teeth. If he thought her an easy conquest, she had news for him. Two could play this game. She’d not had a man for over half a year, but she remembered well the rules. Her celibacy ended today. She was so wrapped up in Raum, she didn’t hear the door open, or the intrusion of the outside noise. “What the fuck is going on?” A masculine voice she remembered from the night before issued the question in a tone that could have frozen the fiery lakes of Hell. Mercy’s hand stilled on Raum’s cock, but the man who held her ass in the palm of his hand pulled her closer with one arm, raising his other hand to his mouth. He licked his fingers. With slow, deliberate movements, he slipped his hand back to her buttocks before tracing the outline of her ass again. Black eyes glittered, daring her to make him stop. She didn’t. Instead, she shuddered, then groaned as Raum ran his wet fingers down the indention between her cheeks to dip his forefinger into the depths of her cunt. “You told me to look after her needs ... Master.”

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Chapter Five

The insolence of the demon did nothing to ease the lust that shot through his balls at the sight of Raum’s finger in Mercy’s cunt. Michael watched Raum push another finger deep into her body. He saw Mercy tense, but she didn’t pull away. “More. Give me mooore ...” Her pleasured groan and the way she arched into the demon’s body with her knee bent and her head flung back told Michael of her arousal. He felt his nostrils flare with the scent of her sex. He knew Raum capable of crushing any human’s self-respect, man or woman, to the point where they would beg the demon to do whatever he desired of them. That and Raum’s ability to destroy cities made him one of the most powerful earls in Hell. Combined with his desire for Mercy -- that power and the raw beauty of the demon’s body had called to Michael from the beginning. The knowledge crushed Michael’s resolve to stay away from either of them, as far as sex was concerned. He had ordered Raum to watch over Mercy’s needs. Whatever happened between the three of them would be Michael’s fault.

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He moved farther into the room, like a bloodhound that smelled his prey. With a twitch of his forefinger, the door slammed shut to drown out the noise of the casino and locked all three of them in together. Raum’s eyebrow rose in challenge. “Do you not wish for me to ensure her ... contentment, Master?” A wave of need and desire, so strong he ached, washed over Michael. He reached out for the bedpost to steady the bout of sudden weakness. Inches from the couple, all he wanted was to join them, but if he did, he would lose favor forever in the Creator’s eyes. He swallowed hard against his desire. He couldn’t afford to extend his stint in Hell. But ... “No, my orders were to make sure she was satisfied with her stay here,” he said. Michael closed his eyes, his hands clenching into a tight fist. God help him. He had twisted his orders to suit the moment, but he had to have some relief from the need to take Mercy. He had to have an excuse to touch Raum. He wanted to watch the demon touch her, and witness her in the throes of orgasm. That would be heaven in itself. He opened his eyes and met Raum’s insolent gaze. “You know I cannot take care of her, but if she wishes for you to fuck her, then, by all means, continue.” He watched Raum’s eyes gleam with surprise and anticipation. The demon smiled and offered Michael his fingers, wet with Mercy’s juices. “Do you wish to sample her nectar before I continue?” Michael’s nostrils quivered at the erotic smell within inches of his nose. His cock hardened to a most painful state, and sweat broke across his forehead. His focus blurred on the dripping sauce on Raum’s fingers, and he could not stop the groan of need that broke forth from the depths of his being. The demon shrugged at Michael’s hesitation and pulled his hand away, but didn’t get far. Michael grabbed the demon’s hand, sucking the fingers covered with Mercy’s sweetness

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into his mouth. The taste of her made his mind reel, and he swore he could hear the angels in Araboth, the seventh level, sing their Alleluias. His reverie broke when he heard Raum’s deep laugh full of mockery. “Sure you don’t want a sample from her delectable body, instead of my tainted fingers, Master?” A flurry of motion enticed him to look down. Raum lifted Mercy’s dress over her hips to reveal the curves of her ass and the wetness of her cunt. She turned her head, and his breath caught at the blatant desire he witnessed in her face. Her hand reached to touch his face and lips, which were coated with her juices.

Temptation! Michael shoved her hand away, wiping his own hand across his mouth. He circled them to pull the chair beside the bed around where he could watch the couple in relative comfort. He breathed deep to ease the tumult of emotions coursing through his body. “Just make sure she gets what she needs, Raum. Then, I will have all I need.”

The sexual haze around her mind and body abated a little with Michael’s withdrawal, but Mercy heard a soft sound of protest escape her lips. What was she doing? She’d heard all the words he and Raum had spoken, but she couldn’t protest against what Raum did to her. She wanted it, but couldn’t understand why. His black eyes studied her face, and the sinfully wicked smile returned. His body shielded her from Michael, and she wondered if he’d given her something to make her compliant. Strong hands, firm yet gentle, moved up and down her arms, and her clit burned with the need to be rubbed and suckled. Mercy closed her eyes, letting her need shudder through her body. “It’s okay, my lady.” His lips nibbled beneath her ear. “I’ll make sure to explore every sexual fantasy that passes through your mind.” Mercy’s eyes snapped open. His words sounded like a threat, as well as a promise. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

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Raum pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, “Your pleasure is my pleasure.” He nodded his head toward Michael. “And his. I want him to want you to the point that he can’t resist his desires.” Raum moved behind her, and her view to Michael cleared. His large body, tense and aroused, enveloped the chair he sat in. Blue eyes glinted at her from behind narrowed lids. “You wish Raum to do this to you?” His question came through clenched teeth. Mercy heard something like anger and frustration in Michael’s voice, but she also heard excitement and lust. He wanted her, but would force himself to watch in lieu of fucking her himself. Something deep and dark awakened inside her, and Mercy smiled. This had been a secret fantasy of hers for years -- two men, taking her at the same time. “Yes.” “Then I have no control of the situation.” Michael might be across the room now, but she vowed he would be with Raum and her before the next hour passed. She wanted to feel both their hands on her body, playing with her nipples and sucking her clit. Both of their mouths ... A flash of Raum’s first appearance passed through her mind, and she turned to the man who held her, and met his gaze. Raum nodded, and the sensual lips turned up into an even more devilish grin. “My pleasure, my lady,” Raum said. With one vicious tug on her dress, the silk lay torn upon the floor, and she stood naked before both men except for the thin thong panties that did nothing to conceal her pussy from their perusal. She could feel red-hot gazes devouring her body, and excitement shivered down her spine. Raum lifted her into his arms. She raised her arms to circle his neck, but found herself falling onto the bed. He moved swiftly, his fingers wrapping around the thong and yanking the scrap from her hips. Her high-heels flew from her feet. Mercy gasped at the touch of his hands wandering over the skin of her feet and ankles in an almost reverent caress.

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“It has been a long time since I’ve had a live woman.” His first task complete, Raum took the dress from the floor. He stood tall and proud before her and slowly ripped the material into long strips. A rush of juices flooded beneath her. Oh, my god. His perfect body moved behind her to stand at her head. Mercy angled her head and saw him look at Michael with a playful gleam in his eyes. “I like the way this one thinks, Master.” Raum leaned forward, tweaking her nipple between his forefinger and thumb. “She will give pleasure, as well as receive it.” “Do you fuck her for revenge?” “Of course, but it will be my pleasure, also.” Mercy didn’t know what they were talking about. She raised her head from the mattress, glancing at Michael. “Revenge?” His nostrils flared, and his breathing looked painful, his chest rising and falling in short gasps. “Nothing, Mercy. Let him continue.” A shiver of pure desire flooded her vagina when he moved to the edge of the bed.

That’s right, my beautiful angel. She splayed her legs, silently begging him to tie her ankles the way Raum tied her wrists to the bedposts. Michael had read her thoughts last night, and she prayed he could read them now. The greed to be possessed by both men had her hot with need. A large hand moved away from his side, where it had lain clenched in restraint, to touch the inside of her thigh, sending shivers to her clit. Mercy bit her lip on a groan. Do it. Do it, please. He grasped her ankle with one hand and held his other out to Raum for a strip of the silk, but his eyes never left hers. In that moment, she knew he heard her pleas.

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“Tight, like this.” Her body stretched further across the mattress as Raum tightened her binds, to force her head over the edge of the mattress. She shifted her head to watch Michael’s actions. “She wants to be at our mercy.” His fingers wrapped around her ankle in a vise grip, pulling her legs apart wider, binding her. When he’d tied the last knot, she sighed. At last, she’d experience her ultimate fantasy. Mercy dropped her head back in satisfaction, only to see Raum’s cock within centimeters of her mouth. The head flared out like a bold mushroom, then tapered into a long, thick stalk. She laughed with delight at the thought of the bulbous flesh between her legs. His breath sucking between his teeth and the tightening of his body were her initial rewards as she flicked her tongue over his flesh. He shifted his hips forward. His root slipped into the depths of her mouth to lie thick at the back of her throat, forcing her to swallow or choke. She adjusted the angle of her head and neck, lying over the side of the mattress. Taking him more fully into her mouth and throat, she suckled him. Moisture pooled, running between her legs with the increased craving to have that same thickness inside her cunt. Heat coursed through her body. She squirmed against the restless sensations bombarding her body and mind. She’d never been this hot. Raum had to have given her something via his wetted fingers to enhance her desire, but she didn’t care. Her skin burned, as if she were on fire. Her clit throbbed. Mercy rotated her hips in offering to Michael, but he didn’t comply with her unspoken demand. She groaned in frustration, her lips tightening around the cock in her mouth. “Master, she wants you to take her with your mouth,” Raum said, his voice husky and excited.

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She sucked the demon harder; his head fell back. “Ahhh ... do it for her ... please.”

“I know what the hell she wants!” Sweat ran down the side of his face and over his body, but Michael ground his teeth against the desire. The sight, smell, and sound of her flooded his senses. Grabbing his head, he pulled his hair to rid the temptation from his being. “I ... will ... not ... give in.” Her needs invaded his mind with a barrage of sensual, sexual images she wanted them to experiment with, until his head ached. The smell of her pussy, drenched with moisture, beckoned him. He struggled against the urge to bury his tongue and face in her body. An agonized growl echoed throughout the room. Michael looked up to see Raum, his eyes closed, thrusting his hips against Mercy’s mouth. The remembered ecstasy of another woman’s mouth swamped his mind. A woman who had led him straight to Hell. Michael’s cock swelled to the point of bursting, but he refused to touch the siren’s body in front of him. If he did, he would be lost, but he couldn’t keep from watching the oral copulation taking place before him. Both were so intoxicating in their beauty. He wanted them in ways he’d never wanted any other woman or demon. Raum’s head fell back. The muscles in his throat drew taut in readiness for his release. When it came, a shimmer of air shifted around Michael, and the demon’s true form broke free -- the body of a man, but with three heads: man, cat, and viper. Three creatures in one screamed their release into the room and fell forward across Mercy’s body. The human head glanced up at Michael. “If you do not want her, Master, we will please her now.” With that, the heads moved in unison to perform their obligation to reward their mistress’s generosity. Raum moved his hips away from Mercy’s face, placing his body to her side. The viper and cat curved their long necks, latching onto each of her nipples.

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Mercy’s breath halted with a sharp intake of air. Raum positioned his human mouth over her cunt, but hesitated a moment, glancing again at Michael, his expression one of triumph and satisfaction before he speared his tongue into Mercy’s vagina. She rewarded the demon with a thrust of her hips against his eager mouth, forcing a loud, pleased groan from him. Hatred and desire mingled and rose in Michael’s throat. He wanted to be the one she gave her body to, but he also wanted to grab Raum’s hips and drive his cock deep into the demon’s body. He took a step closer, his hand outstretched to pull Raum from between Mercy’s legs, but his Creator’s command, issued millions of years before to his brother Samael, echoed through his mind, reminding him of his own tenuous position in the bowels of Hell.

I have created you perfect, as you are, to serve Me, and Me alone. You and your kind have no need for woman. Therefore, it is forbidden to have sexual knowledge of her. Michael took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. His body shook with need, but he forced himself to turn away and walk from the room. At the door, he reached for the knob. Mercy’s scream of pleasure rent the air. His cock tightened with a desire so intense it burned into his balls.

Join them. It’s your bed, a little voice tempted, dancing around his mind like a dervish. Just once. Who would know? Michael’s fury at his inability to be the one to please Mercy raged out of control. A long flame tattoo rose from beneath his clothing, blazing the length of his arm. His fingers tightened around the doorknob. Beneath his hand, the metal softened, warping from the heat. He released the knob. A thin plume of smoke followed his hand.

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Behind him, Mercy moaned. “That’s good ... so good.” Without turning, he waved his other hand. The door crashed open, and he stepped through to let the massive oak close with a muffled thud.

Hot House 2: Michael & Mercy

Chapter Six

Her body satiated and weak, Mercy could do no more than whimper when she heard Michael go. He was the one she wanted to touch her, to kiss her. She looked down her body to the thing that had made her come. Whatever hypnotic drug he’d given her was clearing from her system. He had one head now, but she could remember all too well the abhorrent creature that she’d allowed to fuck her. Raum’s gaze caught hers. He kissed the inside of her thigh. Mercy cringed. “Now, Sefira, you can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy what my pets and I did for you.” He ran his fingers through the wet tendrils of her mound, and an unwanted thread of desire raced through her abdomen. Her thoughts whirled into another state of chaos. She shook her head in denial. “N-No. That wasn’t real. You gave me something to make me act like that ... to make me see the things I saw and felt.” His thumb flicked across her clit, and she bit her lip against the heat that once again began to build in her body. God help her, but she wanted him to relieve the ache Michael had refused to take care of.

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“What drug did you put inside of me?!” She raised her head off the bed and screamed at the gorgeous man between her legs. One eyebrow, blacker than a raven’s wing, rose in a sardonic expression. His eyes glittered with fathomless amusement. He eased his forefinger into her vagina, but paused. “You still do not understand where you are.” He pushed deeper, and Mercy groaned. A spurt of hot juices flooded the folds between her legs, and his finger slid in further. Raum’s hot breath tickled her clit, but he didn’t touch her with his tongue like she needed him to. She watched his satisfied smile grow, and a wave of frustration washed over her. “What do I not understand?” she asked through clenched teeth. “And my name is Mercy, not Sefira!” Raum laughed, pushing another finger into her cunt. “Sefira is an honored title, my lady. And, as such, I am not allowed to use your name.” “What?” Mercy twisted in her binds. This wasn’t fun anymore, and this man’s words confused her. She didn’t understand what he said. “Can you speak English?” Raum stilled his probing fingers, and his smile disappeared. “You are the daughter of a god and the reincarnation of the sefira, Chesed.” He bowed his head briefly in respect. “You are being held in the bowels of Hell to ensure your father will not attack the Creator’s prison and take control of the gate to the underworld.” “You’re insane!” She jerked against the silk ties, but they didn’t give. “Let me go. Now!” Raum’s laugh echoed around her with an eerie sound like three voices combined into one. For a second the air shimmered, and she saw the three heads she’d seen earlier under the influence of the sexual enhancers. The vision disappeared as quickly as it had come. “It’s not a hallucination. I didn’t use anything on you except demon saliva, which has been known to heighten sexual pleasure.” His tongue swiped across her clit.

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Mercy gasped at the surge of raw desire from the combination of his tongue and fingers. “Legend has it demons make the best lovers; haven’t you heard?” With that, he removed his fingers and rose above her, rubbing his cock against her opening. “I am not an angel like Michael, but if you will tell me your darkest desires, I will gladly give you everything you wish.” Mercy knew she should refuse what Raum offered, but Michael had left her aching with an itch she had to have scratched. Her gaze moved over Raum’s features. A wary look passed across his face, and she suddenly realized he expected her rejection. A touch of compassion crowded the doubt that lingered. He wasn’t Michael, but he was one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen, and she craved what he could do to her. “Okay,” she whispered, watching the black eyes grow darker with renewed desire. He rose onto his knees and held his hands in front of her. Like switchblades, his blackas-pitch fingernails extended to a lethal length. Mercy gasped, knowing a moment of fear. His hands moved downward; she held her breath. With one swipe, her binds lay in shreds. As his nails retracted, he dragged them across her stomach, sending trails of fire through her abdomen. “Touch me.” There was a sorrowful need in his request, and Mercy found herself reaching with a hesitant hand to stroke his cock. He grew thicker and longer than he’d been only seconds before. “Thank you, my lady. Your touch renews my powers.” Mercy squirmed beneath the weight of his legs. There was no way she could take him into her body without serious damage being done to her. She pushed her hands against his chest.

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Raum’s fingernails retracted the rest of the way, but remained black. Catching her wrists in one hand, he pulled her arms above her head and positioned himself to enter her. The head of his cock throbbed and pulsed against the entrance of her vagina. “Wait!” Mercy jerked against his hand, but he tightened his grip. “Shh.” His thumb stroked her clit. “It is what you want. I can see your desires there ...” He touched her forehead. “... in your mind. Tell me.” Mercy whimpered, but quit struggling. Even knowing his size could hurt her, she needed him. Sweat broke across her abdomen, and her muscles clenched in anticipation. “PPlease, but don’t hurt me.” “But there is so much pleasure in pain.” Raum’s hand feathered up her body into her hair. His fingers wrapped around the base of her neck and lifted her head to his. Their mouths a breath apart, he pushed into her body, catching her scream with his lips. Her cunt stretched to accept him. The pain intensified, but her desire didn’t fade. God, she wanted him to keep on and on ... Her tongue wrapped around his, sucking him into her mouth, like her body sucked his dick in deeper and deeper. His laughter vibrated within her as his voice echoed within her mind. I knew you’d

like it. The climax erupted like chills over her skin, and their mouths broke apart as both gasped at the sensations swirling around them, dragging them into the darkness that surrounded them.

***** Humming beneath her breath, Mercy turned her head this way and that as she observed herself in the mirror. Long, strong fingers massaged her scalp, forcing her to close her eyes. “Umm, that feels good.” Firm lips curved against the skin beneath her ear. “You say that a lot.”

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She smiled and opened her eyes to find Raum staring into her reflection, his intense gaze sending shivers of anticipation over her skin. “I know, but that’s how you make me feel.” His hand moved beneath the short layers of her hair, pulling her head back and forcing her to stare up into his face. “Is it me, or the fantasy of Michael fucking you, that pleases you?”

He’d read her thoughts! She squirmed, trying to break his grasp, but his fingers tightened in her hair at the same time his other hand circled her throat in a grip that threatened as it caressed. She stilled. Raum kissed her cheek. “It’s okay, Sefira. Whatever you desire, it is my duty to provide. Those were my orders.” “Do you always follow orders?” He smiled. “Only when it suits my goals.” “Which are?” The knot in her stomach tightened as she continued to watch Raum closely in the mirror. He could snap her neck with one hand. “To regain Hell for my true lord.” Her heart skipped a beat. “Satan?” Raum’s mouth curved at one corner. “Did you know that there were originally three

shaitans cast down from Heaven with all of their legions? Our chief-commander was Samael, or you may know him better as Lucifer, the most favored and beautiful of all angels in heaven.” “I never heard that version.” Raum smiled. “Not many people have unless they’ve studied classical and world literature. But in any case, my lord followed Lucifer, believing in his cause. Consider my master’s dismay when his commander decided to abandon his troops so he could be reincarnated, thereby accepting a second chance on earth from the Creator.”

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“He was probably a little pissed.” “That is putting it mildly. The rebellion that arose in Hell could have rivaled the original.” “So, what happened?” “My lord remains chained in liquid flames in the most bottom pit of Hell, where he plots his revenge.” “Sounds like he needs to take it out on Lucifer, not Michael.” “Ah, but Michael is the one who cast the rebellious ones down to begin with. Now that Samael is human and no longer in control of Hell, it falls on Michael’s head to assume responsibility for all inhabitants in this infernal dungeon.” “Wait. The devil is human?” “You confuse titles with imaginary characters.” “Are you saying the devil isn’t real?” “Only in the minds of those who believe that myth. Satan is a title given to the watcher over Hell. They are angels, who usually serve three hundred and fifty-four years, but in the case of Samael, he reigned two different times and for more extended periods. Michael might be here longer; who knows?” “Why is Michael here? I thought he was an archangel.” “He is, but so was Samael. Samael was originally sent here because he tempted Eve, and the second time because he gave in to his lust for his best friend’s wife. Michael’s here because he lusted after Lilith, Samael’s first wife.” “So? What man doesn’t lust after a woman, unless he’s gay?” “They didn’t just lust. They enjoyed all the gifts those forbidden fruits had to offer and then some. They stole another’s wife.” “And for that they have to stay here for possible eternity? That’s stupid.”

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Raum’s roar of laughter rolled across the ceiling. “Spoken like a true daughter of a god.” Mercy’s breath caught. A chill raced across her skin. “That is the second time you’ve said that. What are you talking about?” The beautiful demon trailed his fingers down her throat, cupping her breast. Bending his head, he bit her nipple, sucking the sensitive bud between his teeth and tugging hard. “I worship your skin, Sefira. So white, so soft.” Mercy arched into him, unable to quell her reaction. Raum’s touch made her ache for more. When he circled her throbbing nipple with his tongue, coating her skin with more of his intoxicating saliva, she moaned. Juices flowed freely between her legs. She struggled to retain control over her quickly straying thoughts. “Don’t evade the question, Raum. What is a sefira ... and why do you call me a ‘daughter of a god’? My father died when I was very young.” Supposedly. She’d always thought Zeto was probably her father. Raum released her breast, laying his head against her chest. His breath fanned her chin as his fingers moved down her abdomen into the damp curls of her pussy. “Not only are you the reincarnation of the sefira, Chesed, but you, my lady, are the daughter of Zeus.” He pushed into her with two fingers, angling his hand for maximum penetration. “Here as the permanent ‘guest’ of the ruling shaitan, to ensure that the pagan gods do not attempt to take the gateway to Hell.” Mercy’s head fell back. Waves of sheer ecstasy rippled through her body, but it wasn’t her lover’s name she cried as she climaxed. “Uncle Zeto, you bastard!”

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Chapter Seven

The slot machine bells chimed loudly as she flung open the door. Wrapping the sheet tighter around her breasts, Mercy strode barefoot through the casino, with Raum strolling at a sedate speed behind her, barefoot and half clothed. His leather pants were zipped but unsnapped, clearly indicating what he’d been in the middle of a few seconds before. “Don’t you think you should wait until I can find you some decent clothes?” “No!” she yelled over her shoulder. He’d shredded her dress and panties, but having no clothes would not stop her from confronting Michael. She wanted to know what the hell was going on. She also wanted to talk to her “uncle.” Several gamblers halted their addiction to study her with curious eyes. “What the hell are you staring at? Go back to your games.” She kicked the satin sheet from around her feet and continued her mission. She’d suspected for years that Zeto was her father, but to find out from a demon of Hell was too much. “I’ll castrate him and hang his balls from the chandeliers.” Raum came forward, an eager gleam in his eye. Bare-chested, his muscles rippled with his every movement. “I truly like this dominant streak of yours. Wouldn’t you rather speak to someone who could help you extract your revenge?”

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Mercy glanced up and down his perfect physique, but didn’t respond. She looked away with an irritated snort. There had to be a doorway that would lead her back to the entrance and the other areas of the club. In the corner behind a marble pillar she spotted a secluded passageway. “Aha!” She moved forward, but warm, firm fingers impeded her progress. “My lady --” How dare he touch her! A rage she’d never known boiled up from deep within her being. She swung her arm out and around. Her hand connected hard with Raum’s cheek. Pain zinged up her arm. The slap resounded throughout the casino. Demons and humans alike stopped their gaming once more. This time Mercy didn’t reprimand them. “Oh, crap.” Mercy’s rage subsided, leaving a dread so deep and penetrating, she could only stare at the man she’d assaulted. Correction: demon. She had to remember that. She shifted her feet and ran a hand through her hair. Raum stood rigid, his nostrils flaring, his mouth thinned into a grim line. Black eyes blazed with what Mercy could only assume was white-hot anger. The imprint of her fingers glowed red across the side of his face. “I’m sor--” Before she could complete her apology, he lowered his gaze and dropped down onto one knee. “Forgive me, Sefira. I can only say in my defense that this new persona of yours fills me with a desire that I’ve never experienced with anyone but one other.” He bowed low over the floor, touching her feet and ankles with reverent hands. “I am yours to punish, as you wish.” “Get up, Raum.” Mercy glanced around her, embarrassed that this strong, self-assured man would exhibit such subservient behavior. She hitched the satin sheet higher. “Why are you doing this?” “You are my dominant, my lady.”

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“No, no, I’m not. I’m ...” What was she? Not submissive. She frowned. She had liked being bound, but she liked the idea of being in control, too. “I’m neutral, in between.” Raum nodded, rising up on one knee. “A switch.” Mercy shook her head. “No!” Raum stood, his head bowed, but his eyes steady upon hers, as if he were gauging her reactions. He took a step forward and placed his lips close to her ear, circling her shoulders, which shook in response to her display of violence and his accusations. “You are capable of both roles, just as you are capable of being a person in three forms.” “What do you mean?” She couldn’t focus on what he said. His warm breath fanned her cheek, igniting the burning desire she held for him. She closed her eyes, angling her head and brushing his forehead like a cat marking its territory. “I don’t know how to do any of this.” “Yes, you do. You are Mercy-human, Mercy-the-daughter-of-Zeus, and Chesed-theemanation-of-God. You were born to conquer and rule all men.” Lips nibbled at her earlobe, sending waves of awareness down her spine, radiating into her clit. “Conquer me, Sefira.” He bit her neck. “I will teach you.” She moaned. “Conquer Michael.” Mercy pulled back with a little laugh. “What ... share the two of you?” “I know you want him, and he wants you, but resists because he is afraid of being punished.” “If he fears retribution from his master, how can I conquer him?” Raum smiled. “Punish him first and teach him the pleasure he can experience in submission to you. Then he will be free to pursue what he desires the most.” “How do you fit into this? What do you gain?”

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“Pleasure, of course. I desire you, but I desire Michael, also.” “You’re ... bisexual?” “Rarely, but I admire his strength ... and beauty ... and intelligence.” With each word, he moved her backwards toward the secluded doorway. “And what I admire, I desire to possess, or be possessed by.” “Oh.” The feel of Raum’s hands cupping her ass and his erection pressing into her abdomen prevented her from coherent thought. “It’s a power thing.” She bumped into the cold wood of the door; he laughed. “You read my mind.” Raum’s head blocked out the light of the casino as he lowered his mouth to hers. The sensation of his lips blocked all thoughts and sound. Soft and coaxing, the kiss bore no resemblance to his earlier caresses. This surprised her, but she liked it. She relaxed and opened her mouth for him, letting his tongue caress and tease. He reached behind her, opening the door with a click. “Come.” He stepped back away from her. “There is one I would have you meet. He will answer all your questions.”

***** Anea crept down the stone steps in the dim light. The sound of boiling liquid reverberated through the twisting maze of caverns beneath the higher levels of Hell. Around her the screams of pain and misery abounded, causing her fear to intensify to the point of utter terror. Turning a corner, she glimpsed the fallen one she sought. Demon eyes glowed red, devouring with their ungodly focus what little of her soul she still possessed. “Y-You wished to see me, my lord?” “I did, mother of whores.” Anea experienced a spark of anger. “I am what I am, as are you.” “So, I am a son of a whore, hmm?”

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Anea raised her chin. Her bottom lip quivered, but she refused to lower her gaze. “You said it ... my lord.” The slap came with such force that her body flew through the air several feet before hitting the stone wall behind her. Sliding down to the dusty floor, Anea cradled her burning cheek with her hand. Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to shed them for his benefit. He might be a god, but he was imprisoned in the lowest pit of Hell, while she roamed freely. Anea stood, facing her tormentor, with her head held high. The angry snarl on Asmodeus’s face elevated her sense of dread. She swallowed the knot of fear rising in her throat, threatening to choke her. He turned away; Anea blinked in surprise. “Enough, woman. I could drown you beneath these layers of molten lava and peel that beautiful flesh from your bones, but I have a job for you.” “What?” She tried to feign boredom, hoping he’d choose another for his diabolical plan. Asmodeus laughed. “Such insolence.” He moved in front of her. The heavy iron chains clanged and sizzled from the molten lava in which he stood. Charred nubs of fingers reached forth, caressing her cheek. Anea closed her eyes, fighting the bile rising from her stomach. “I would have you keep Raphael occupied when it is time for me to escape this pit.” Her eyes opened to find the scarred and hideous face of the ancient god inches from her own. She didn’t move for fear he would retaliate and suck her down into the lava pit with him. Her whisper was shaky and afraid. “How, my lord?” “How does any beautiful woman wield her magick and power over a man?” The nubs moved lower to fondle her breast, tweaking her nipple with a painful pinch. The tears she had refused to release trickled down her face as her bottom lip quivered, but she stared straight ahead, trying not to think of what Asmodeus did to her body. “Raphael is no man.”

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“But he does desire a mortal woman.” Anea’s gaze met the god’s. “Sarah.” “Yes.” Her gaze moved away to stare ahead again. “May I ask why?” “I have a little surprise for Michael.” His hand moved lower. Anea clenched her eyes shut, praying he wouldn’t enter her and defile her with his putrid body. His fingers grasped her chin, forcing her to look into his face. “He is about to meet his mate.” Burned lips pressed against hers. The taste of overdone flesh seeped between her lips, forcing a gag from her throat. Asmodeus shoved her away. “Not today ... reptile. Go play with Raum if you desire to be fucked.” Anea stumbled from the edge of the pit, catching herself on a jutting rock. She glanced down so he wouldn’t see the relief on her face. Maybe he couldn’t get it up any longer. She glanced at his crotch, but couldn’t see his cock beneath the layers of tar and blistered flesh. “Raum pleases Zeus’s daughter.” “Does he?” Ash rubbed his hands together. Sparks flew from his overcooked flesh. He threw his head back, laughing. “All my little plans are falling into place.” The maniacal laugh continued. Anea covered her ears and made her escape, scrambling up the thousands of steps, her heart pounding hard against her chest. She kept running, pulling herself up whenever she stumbled, ignoring the cuts and bruises she received in her attempt to put as much distance as possible between herself and the creature in the pit. If evil existed, it lay in the decaying depths of darkness.

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Chapter Eight

Keisha stepped into a long hallway. Jade held her hand. “Where are we going?” “Down there.” Graceful, pale fingers pointed to the other end of the hall. The corridor narrowed into the dim light without an end in sight. Keisha squinted, unable to see but a few steps in front of her. Jade laughed, releasing her hand. Keisha stopped and reached out, but felt nothing. Darkness enveloped her hand. A sudden memory of a recurrent nightmare flitted through her mind. The similarity of this situation and the dream made her gasp. Jade moved away. “Wait, don’t leave me.” “I’m you, Keisha. We are one.” His voice trailed off.

What ...? Keisha ran her hands up her arms to stop the sudden chill that had crept into the hallway. She looked over her shoulder in the direction they had come, but the entrance was nowhere to be seen. The thick, musty blackness engulfed her. Her breathing could be

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heard in the silence, fast and shallow. She put a hand to her chest and felt her heart race, then pulled at the scooped neckline of her dress. In her dream there had been a creature -Something cool and slimy brushed against her shoulder. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Her feet stumbled forward even though she didn’t know which direction to go. She only knew she had to find her way back to sanity. The walls were close, too close. The illusion of a coffin took focus in her mind. A cold, wet hand grabbed her arm. She twisted to her right. Her sleeve tore, exposing her arm. Pain stabbed into her shoulder, like teeth gnashing her skin. Back to her left, her shoe caught on something and was ripped from her foot. A gooey substance, like hair gel, squished between her toes and slithered up her calf. The sucking sound of its movement echoed off the walls of darkness, and the seams of her dress split with the force of the expanding goo. “Help! Someone help me!” She tried to run, but whatever had her leg refused to release her. She fell forward into a pit of slime that had a life of its own.

Things crawled over her skin and bit through her clothes until she squirmed and clawed at the gelatinous mass for freedom, but to no avail. The more she struggled, the more she sank. Then, as if the pit had spit her out, she was free, but naked. Her legs shook. Not able to stand, she managed to crawl across the hard surface of the floor and up against a wall. She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her teeth chattered as her body rocked back and forth. She wasn’t sure if the reaction was from cold, or the need for comfort. “This is just a nightmare.” Her eyes searched the dark for any signs of salvation, but silence was all that met her quest. “This isn’t real; it can’t be.” Silence abounded, except for a soft, slithering sound.

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Her rocking ceased. She turned her head to the right. There it was again, but this time another sound, like hissing combined with the slither. She pulled her legs in tighter. “Oh, God, oh, God,” she whispered.

He’s not in this place, Keisha. “Who’s there?” Thick, cold bands snaked around her wrists and ankles. The grip tightened so hard, the binds cut into her skin. Keisha screamed, twisting her hips to break free. She kicked her legs, but her body was stretched until she lay exposed to whatever entity had her captive. Deep down she knew it was her dream. The noises grew louder, like someone -- or something -- sliding across the floor. A hiss sounded next to her ear. She turned her head to encounter the nameless demon from her dreams, and her heart pounded to a stop. “J-Jade?” Green eyes with black vertical slits for pupils appeared from the depths of the dark, an inch from her face. Keisha’s next scream tore through the thickness, but went unanswered. Hundreds of cool fingers worked their way over her skin. The sensual massage was exciting and terrifying at the same time. Keisha knew she should fight, but she wanted to give in to the demands made of her flesh. The hiss became a whisper against her ears, begging her to relent, and demanding her to be possessed. “Come to us, Keisha,” the voice said. “You can be one with us.” Her breasts tingled and her cunt wept with the need to fuck, but she fought. She couldn’t do what they wanted. She wouldn’t.

Yes, you will. The green eyes turned gold, then red. The many fingers came together into one and pressed into the wetness of her body. With persistence, the pressure found her sweet spot.

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Keisha arched her back and neck. Her mouth opened in a gasp against the pleasure and the pain she felt spreading through her body. Her pussy stretched to accept her invisible captor. The phallus was hot and cold at the same time. Heat scalded, while cold soothed. Both sensations took her over the edge, and her muscles clenched the foreign cock deep within her, not wanting to release the fullness inside. “Yes, yes, please, don’t stop.” She wanted the vibrations of her orgasm to go on and on forever. Her arms strained against their binds. She wanted to draw the entity closer until they were one, and to her surprise, she was free. Whatever held her knew her every desire. Keisha’s arms circled the creature’s neck until her face was flush with her tormentor’s, eye to eye, mouth to mouth. Keisha didn’t hesitate, but wrapped her legs around its body, melding her lips with the lips of the being she held. A serpentine tail circled around her with heavy rings. They rolled across the floor until their bodies reached the pit, where the creature broke the tie of their tongues. Red eyes burned into hers. “Who are you?” “Your dreams are reality here. The souls of the infernal pit know your secret desires. We will fulfill your deepest desires through me, your demon. Are you ready to be with me?” “For how long?” “Tonight, tomorrow night, or for all of eternity. The choice is yours.” The tips of a forked tongue flicked across Keisha’s face. The hiss of its voice caressed her skin to send vibrations of need down her spine. Keisha shuddered. “I want it all.” The creature entered her, filling her cunt. The two became one. Slime oozed and sucked to pull them down to join the muted voices hidden beneath the mud. Darkness enveloped until the screams of the damned were muffled to mere whispers.

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***** Raum led Mercy down flight after flight of steps, down into the bowels of the earth. Ancient torches dimly lit their path. Stone walls, at first cool and damp, felt dry and hot the lower they descended. “Where are we going?” Mercy put a hand out in front of her in case she tumbled into the vast darkness below. Around her in the distance, howls sounded, but she couldn’t determine if they were human. “I wish you to meet my master.” “I thought Michael was your master.” Raum’s laughter folded around her in a bitter, harsh sound. “No, he was my judge and jury, and now he is my jailor.” “But ... you said you desire him.” “And so I do, but I hate him for what his kind has done to mine.” “His kind? Aren’t angels and demons the same thing?” “There are those who say we are the gods of old cast into oblivion when the new god retained power.” “Are you?” Raum hesitated. “I am what I am.” Down and around they went, ducking and twisting deeper into the caverns. The smell of sulfur surrounded them. She covered her nose with her hand. “How much further?” Trepidation invaded, dispelling her earlier desire. Demons were truly seducers of the soul. How easily Raum had overloaded her senses and conned her into following him. He could slit her throat, suck her soul, and leave her corpse here. No one would ever know. Mercy shivered, wrapping her arms around her upper body.

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“We are here.” He stepped back to allow her to step in front of him into a small cave. In the center lay a pool of molten lava, bubbling and boiling with such an intense heat that sweat coated her skin, causing the sheet to cling to her body like a second skin. Primitive markings covered the walls all around, depicting what looked like an army of devils with pitchforks and pointed tails. Other drawings resembled winged creatures like angels, flying and fighting, falling and dying. Mercy stepped forward, brushing her fingers over the pictures. Raum halted her progress with a hand on her arm. “I would not harm you.” She studied his face, but the shadows hid whatever emotion lay in the depths of his eyes. She eased away from his touch with a deep breath. The musty smell of urine and sweat mixed with the unmistakable odors of blood, decaying flesh, and the never-ending smell of sulfur. She gagged, pinching her nose in hopes of filtering the obnoxious fumes. “I-Is this for real?” A shadowy figure emerged from the darkened recesses of the cave, where he sat and watched. At least, Mercy thought it was a he. He turned his head to the side, as if he were trying to decide if she were friend or foe. When he spoke, his voice grated across her skin, like sandpaper. He stepped closer, and the sight of his hideous body, burned and twisted, forced her to take a step back. She didn’t get far. Raum’s body blocked her retreat. “What is reality? What you have seen in the gate is the true reality of Hell.” The figure waved his hand toward the low ceiling above his head. “You perceive the casino and the club, but reality consists of everyone’s perceptions meshed, entwined, and melded together where, if one reality ends, the beginning of another picks up to continue the cycle for all eternity.”

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He stepped closer, chains rattling with his movements. The acrid smell of his burning skin rose in suffocating waves from his form, sucking the oxygen from around her. Again, she tried to step away, but Raum held her in place with his hands on her upper arms. “Like the shifting of the glass, you, or anyone else, only catch a glimpse of the overall picture.” The monster stood within touching distance now, and Mercy fought the need to vomit at the sight and smell of the abomination he represented. “I only offer ‘freedom’ from the continuous cycle of slavery.” “Who are you?” “Asmodeus.” He bowed, taking her hand in his gnarled stubs. He kissed her fingers. “Former god of all gaming.” Mercy cringed at the feel of his puffy, liquid-filled lips against her skin, but managed not to jerk her hand free. “I thought Asmodeus was a raging demon in Persian demonology.” Asmodeus looked at Raum with a grin. “She’s a smart one.” Behind her, Raum stood at attention. “Indeed, my lord.” “That is only one of my titles, my dear.” Asmodeus studied his nubby fingers, blew on them, sending a spray of sparks into the air between them, then smiled, revealing rotten teeth. “I am also known for inventing music and dancing and am called the demon of impurity.” His face came within a millimeter of hers. His breath, hot and smelling of sulfur and all things dead, fanned her face. “Do you like to dance?” Mercy turned her head. “I gave it up for Lent.” He threw his head back, laughing long and hard. “A sense of humor, too. No wonder Michael is such a boring brute. You have all the good traits.” Mercy frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

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Asmodeus stepped within her space again, brushing the front of her with his disgusting body. “You are Michael’s other half -- his soul-mate. Through his weakness for you, I will overtake the gates of Hell. When I do, I will control Hell, and Hades will control the Underworld again. Together we will overtake Heaven in the final and ultimate battle for supremacy of the universe. Demons will walk freely upon the earth, living and breeding with whomever they wish.” Mercy gasped, not wanting to believe the master demon, but knowing he believed what he said. He continued, with a wild, glazed expression in his red eyes. “If you were able to open your mind and actually grasp what the reality of the universe was, you would go insane, girl. The Creator has closed your minds, so you have a built-in protection -- or force field, if you will. This allows you to function day to day, month to month, year to year ...” He leaned close and whispered into her ear. “... as good little slaves, producing the thoughts, the emotions needed to keep Him alive.” Mercy struggled against Raum’s hold, kicking him in the shins with her bare feet. Raum pulled her up short, capturing her arms behind her back, causing the sheet to fall from her body. Asmodeus pressed into her. “Shall I take you to my reality, Chesed? Will you have mercy upon me and release me from my chains if you see the hell I live in?” His tongue swiped a path across her cheek. “Let me be your guide.” Mercy screamed. “If what you say is real, then what you offer is chaos and insanity.” Asmodeus laughed. “Very astute, but what a way to go, eh?” He ran his deformed hands over her breasts. Mercy cried out at his touch, cold but burning. His thoughts wormed their way into her mind, forcing her psyche to bend and accept his will. He waved his hand, and a vision of the glass doorway she’d passed through appeared. “Stare at the glass, clear your thoughts, accept me.”

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“No!” Mercy shut her eyes, refusing to be hypnotized by his magick. “Raum, open her mind to me. Her control is strong.” Raum hooked one arm through her arms, holding her captive. With his other hand he caressed her breast with his fingertips. Her nipples tightened as her body recognized and accepted Raum’s touch. Mercy turned her head and spit in his face. “You would rape me?” Raum’s face tightened, as if her words pained him. “Never, my lady. We know your desire for me and mine for you are legitimate. We have bonded.” “Why are you doing this?” Mercy twisted her body, but couldn’t break free. The feel of Raum’s hand on her skin was exquisite torture. “Asmodeus is my master. We who are his followers strive to be as he.” “Insane?” She panted, fighting the growing attraction. Raum smiled, shifting her around to face him. He lowered his head to her breast. She tensed for his touch, but none came. He looked up with his fathomless eyes. “No.” His breath, hot and arousing, fanned her breast. “A god. We are all, at some point, souls with a body, not bodies with a soul. The master offers us the opportunity to escape this prison, be free, and live forever.” She fought mentally, focusing on Michael, but the image of Raum in his demonic splendor rose, allowing Asmodeus access to her psyche. “Ah, trust me; illumination is better than sex, Sefira. The climax will be one you may never recover from. Why do you think men have given up everything to live as monks outside of contact from the real world?” Raum asked, whispering the promise of nirvana. Asmodeus wrapped his arms around them. “If you can escape the lie and live in the heaven of your mind forever, you will discover the secret of immortality.” “That is true power.” Raum’s lips touched hers, tipping her over the edge into a swirling black abyss.

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“Only, the ones who knew this didn’t want to share, because they would lose their control, their power,” Asmodeus said, kissing her forehead, then Raum’s. Mercy gasped, struggling against the black void, gaping before her. “It’s too dark! How can I look at what you want when there is no light?” “Shh.” Raum’s hands on her shoulders stilled her. “You are the daughter of Zeus. You are the Sefira. Use the gifts you were born with. Reach out and pluck the wisdom of the universe from the twisting vine of chaos.” “It is only when we gaze into the dark that we will truly see the light. If humans are blinded by that light, hypnotized by its brilliance, then, to the ones in control, so much the better. No one will question their authority, their decisions. I offer you a way out. Freedom.” Asmodeus whispered the words, coaxing and tempting, through her mind. “You are insane.” Asmodeus sighed. “Maybe, but the line is so thin between sanity and the asylum, is it not? I am hope. You are mercy. Join with me, and we will rule forever.”

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Chapter Nine

Steam rose in swirls around him, creating a haze throughout the room. Michael sighed. There were perks to being the watcher of Hell, after all. Not many, but this one was a plus. He stretched his legs out, allowing the jets of the hot tub to massage the kinks from his sore muscles. He laid his head back, forcing all thoughts of Zeus’s daughter from his mind. “She’s here, and there’s not a frickin’ thing I can do about it.” He closed his eyes, listening to the gurgle of the water around him. The filter he’d placed around the room sealed out any sounds from the other levels. Peace was an underrated commodity in Hell -- hard to find and harder still to maintain. The muffled pad of feet on the wet tiled floor registered. Michael stiffened for a second before he forced his body to relax. Keeping his eyes closed, he tracked the intruder throughout the room. He ... no, she moved with a stealthy grace, pausing every few seconds. What seemed like an eternity passed before the interloper stood at the edge of his bath. “I hope you know what the fuck you’re doing, because I assure you I can kill you with my eyes closed.” He issued the threat, but didn’t open his eyes. Let any attacker think him lax. That would be their first and final mistake.

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“I was rather hoping you’d fuck me instead.” The soft voice whispered over his skin. Goose bumps rose at the same time his cock did. Michael sat up, sloshing water over the edges of the tub. The sight of Mercy wrapped in a towel hardened him further. He gritted his teeth against the rush of desire that swamped his senses, confusing his focus and willpower. “I told you I wouldn’t touch you. It’s against the rules.” She snorted, dropping the towel. “Rules, shmules -- they suck.” He couldn’t move. The sight of her pert breasts and tight nipples, combined with the clean lines of her body angling down to slim hips and a thatch of black pubic hair shaved into a narrow strip, forced the air from his lungs in a gulp. His gaze narrowed.

When did she do that? She hadn’t been shaved yesterday in his chambers. “New hairdo?” He motioned his head toward her pussy. She glanced down. A tiny smile touched the edges of her mouth. When she glanced back at him, her eyes danced with wicked mischief. “Thought I’d try something different.” “Ha! I’ll say. That demon earl of yours should be plenty different for someone like you.” She stiffened. “What do you mean ‘someone like me’?” Michael shrugged. “You know, the daughter of a god.” “I only found that out recently.” She lowered her head, staring at the water. An air of sadness surrounded her. “Someone should have told me.” Michael wanted to comfort her, but didn’t. His fingers curled around the stones at the water’s edge. If he touched her, he’d be lost, along with any chance of redemption. “Shouldn’t be too much of a shock. Your father has been around you all your life. Didn’t you ever wonder?”

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Her eyes flashed with an angry glint. “Yes, I had my suspicions that Zeto was my father, but I never knew he was Zeus. I only ever saw him as an overbearing brute to my mother, always ordering her around. He’s a lot like you.” Silence stretched between them. Finally, she stepped down further into the tub, watching him. It was the image of a siren, not a pixie, that Michael observed. He swallowed hard, not sure he could fight off this small whirlwind of a woman.

How ironic. He, the greatest warrior of all time, at the mercy of one little female. “Don’t you want me, Michael?” Her lips formed a pouty moue. Michael’s fingers gripped the sides of the tub harder. The muscles that had eased, now tensed in readiness of an attack. Oh, yeah, this would be a battle, all right. One he wasn’t sure he could win. He knew who and what she was -- his other half, his soul-mate. “It doesn’t matter what I want, Mercedes. It only matters that I can’t have you.” She glided through the water, settling her legs on either side of his. Bubbles foamed and caressed beneath her breasts, taunting him with imaginary words. Play with her, like we

do. Touch her. He closed his eyes. The soft pressure of her ass against his legs held him prisoner between her thighs. Small hands stroked across his chest, feather light, then biting like the claws of a kitten. A stab of pain radiated from his nipple; he flinched, but didn’t fight as her mouth and teeth explored his chest. He wanted her like he’d never wanted another, not even Lilith. Her mouth left his skin. She stilled. He opened his eyes to find her gazing at him with anger and pain on her face. “If you want me more than her, why do you deny me?” Dread washed through his system at her question. He shifted cautiously beneath her. “How did you read my thoughts?”

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If he hadn’t been watching her so closely, he might have missed the miniscule second of hesitation. She shrugged and smiled to cover her uncertainty. That alone told him something wasn’t quite kosher with this encounter. Something had changed within her. “Can’t the daughter of a god enjoy a few of her inherited powers?” She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing their bodies closer. Steam rose from the hot water evaporating from her skin. She laid her head on his shoulder, looking up at him with the most innocent expression. He almost thought he’d imagined the slip. “I guess you’re entitled.” He reached up to remove her arms, but she tightened her grip. “But it takes years to hone that skill. Who have you been playing with, Mercy?” “Please don’t send me away, Michael. I know who and what I am. We belong together. Please?” Anger erupted from deep within his chest. He wanted her, by god. Why couldn’t he have her? She was his other half. Surely, he’d be more beneficial to his Creator if he were whole. Now that he’d found her, how could he pretend she wasn’t here? Her lips touched his cheek in a tentative kiss. He didn’t push her away. How could he not touch her? She grew bolder, kissing his neck, his ear ... his mouth. An explosion of sensation coursed through him at the feel of her lips against his. He pulled her closer, forcing her hot pussy to slide against the throbbing flesh between his legs. Her tongue pushed into his mouth, tangling with his tongue. The taste of her shook him to his bones. “Michael, fuck me,” she pleaded against his mouth at the same time she angled her pelvis and rubbed that sweet, hot cunt up and down his cock. “Please. I need you.” “God bless!” How was he supposed to resist this? He tried to break the connection of their lips, but her teeth latched onto his bottom lip, sucking and biting. The motion shifted

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from his mouth to his cock, and he swore he could feel her mouth on him there, pulling, sucking ... “No!” He shoved her off him, his strength sending her to the other side of the hot tub with a tidal wave of water. “I can’t. You know this.” Michael watched her chest rise and fall. Nipples puckered, begging him to suck them. Her head angled down, but she watched him beneath her eyebrows, like a hungry cat waiting for the moment her prey showed the first sign of weakness. “Your laws say you can’t touch me, can’t fuck me ...” A movement from the shadows caught his attention. “... but you can touch him. You can fuck him.” Raum emerged from the darkness, beautiful and glorious in his nudity. Muscles flexed beneath his glistening dark skin, tempting in their sleek strength. Michael’s cock had already been hard, but at the sight of the demon of his hidden desire, it thickened and extended to the point of pain. His nostrils flared, catching the scent of Mercy’s sex. She wanted this. It turned her on. Michael frowned. “What are you playing at, Mercedes?” She smiled, extending her hand to Raum, who took her fingers and kissed each one as he descended the steps into the water, boiling not only from the heat of Hell, but from the heat of lust and passion. “I want to watch you and Raum together.” “Mercy --” “Raum desires you and me, Michael. I desire the both of you. You desire the both of us.” She glanced at Raum as he moved forward, kissing her hard. Michael’s body shook with need. The jealousy was still present, but now with Mercy’s suggestion, his desire for Raum raged to the forefront of his mind. He took a step toward the couple, but stopped.

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The pain inside him ripped hard. He threw his head back and roared his frustration. The percussion shook the walls. Pieces of dirt and rock crashed from the edifice overhead. Through the warring sides of his conscience, he heard Mercy’s pleading voice. “Do this for me, Michael, please.” Michael closed his eyes, trying not to hear the siren’s call, but it was too late. She had worked her magick, like so many women, winding its way into his mind with her sweet, coaxing voice and visions of that supple body combined with the sight of Raum’s perfect form. He exhaled slowly, dropping his chin onto his chest. “I’m already in Hell. What difference does a few thousand more years matter?” A yelp, excited and pleased, echoed through the room. When he glanced up, the thrill of triumph in Mercy’s eyes made his decision worthwhile. Her smile could light the darkest corner of this hole. He would give her whatever she desired.

***** Classical music swirled throughout the first level. Raphael smiled at the tranquility of the great sea lying between this level and the next. On the horizon he witnessed the gathering of dark clouds, signaling the gloomy entrance into the second level. His hand fisted into the cool, powdery snow. Overhead, fluffy white clouds floated across a crystal-blue sky. Only here on this level did he find peace from the turmoil within his mind and heart. Only here did he not think of Sarah’s beauty. “Master?” Raphael stiffened at the sound of her voice. Turning, he saw her walking toward him up the mountainside, clutching her shawl closer around her body in protection from the cold.

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He blinked, but the image remained. “Sarah?” She stopped in front of him, bowing low at his feet. “It is I.” Raphael rose, reaching a hand toward Sarah’s beautiful face. He shook his head. “This can’t be. You have reached the highest level in your reincarnations. You are with the Creator.” Her tiny hand covered his, placing his palm to her cheek. “I am here with you, as I have dreamt of for many years.” She gazed up at him with doe-brown eyes, soft and loving. Raphael closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sky with a silent prayer of thanks. For so long he had wanted this. To touch her. His fingers traced the outline of her face and lips. To kiss her. He bent his head, angling his mouth over hers in a gentle kiss. She returned the caress, stepping closer to him. Raphael moaned. To hold her. He pulled her into his arms, increasing the pressure of his mouth on hers. She responded, kissing him harder. Opening her mouth, she allowed him further access. Raphael marveled at her boldness. She had been so shy when he had first met her. But, of course, she had married shortly afterwards. Her innocence would have died years ago at the hands of her eighth husband. His fingers tightened as the old flame of jealousy flashed hot and ugly within his mind. He broke the kiss. As he stared down into her face, there shimmered an outline of another face. Then, in a flash, it disappeared. Raphael pushed her away from him. “Who are you, demon, and what the hell kind of game are you playing?” The imposter lowered her head. The air glistened and shifted as her form changed from Sarah into a shapely reptilian form covered in green, blue, and gray scales. Shocking blue hair flowed over her shoulders to her waist. “Anea!”

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She bowed low with a look of regret and sadness on her face. “Yes, my lord.” “What the fuck are you doing?” “I was sent to distract you, Master, but I couldn’t go through with it.” “You mean you failed. I caught you.” Her yellow eyes flashed with a rebellious light, and her hands snapped to her curvaceous hips. “No, I allowed you to see who I really was.” Raphael snorted, half in disgust for himself and half for the creature in front of him. She’d made it plain years ago that she desired to have him in her bed. This latest stunt just proved how low she’d fallen. “Spare me, reptile. While Michael isn’t picky about whom he beds, I am. Hermaphrodite reptilian demons are not my thing.” She flinched. A look of pain crossed her features, but she held her head high. “I have never hidden my desire for you. But you only have eyes for a dead woman, who will never love you, or serve you, like I. It will be fitting for that lofty righteousness of yours to tumble, if he succeeds in his plan.” She turned to leave, but Raphael overcame his shock at her words and grabbed her arm. “Wait just a minute. What do you mean?” “I don’t think I want to tell you.” She flicked her hair with a sassy twist of her head. The demoness’s sniff of disdain irritated him like fingernails on a chalkboard. Grabbing both her arms, he shook her hard enough that she cried out. The scales beneath his fingers rippled to reveal the softness of her skin. He eased his grip, not wishing to injure the exotic flesh he secretly found fascinating. “Speak up, woman.” He’d never considered Anea anything other than female, but the proof lay between her legs that she could switch into whatever gender she chose. He’d seen her with men and women, assuming whatever form they desired of her. Purple fingernails clawed at his fingers, trying to pry his grip loose. “I -- He will kill me if he finds out I told you.”

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Raphael pulled the demoness within an inch of his face. This close, he could see genuine terror in her eyes and smell the fear oozing between her scales. She was scared of someone. “Tell me, or I will kill you.” She smiled, closing her eyes. “I would welcome your hand upon me. Your sword would be more gentle and more swift than his.” Raphael released a roar that resounded around the mountaintops. As usual, she frustrated the hell out of him. “Tell me!” Her smile turned to laughter that went on and on in a hysterical pitch. Raphael didn’t know what else to do. Wrapping his hand in her blue hair, he pulled her head back and kissed her. The laughter ceased, but so did time. Nothing existed, except the two of them. Unlike the chaste kiss he’d given the impersonation of Sarah, he kissed Anea almost brutally. Possessing her mouth, all the pent-up frustration he’d accumulated over the millennia from unrequited love for Sarah and unsatisfied lust for Anea poured from his lips to hers. Finally, his anger spent, he released the demoness. She stumbled back without a word. Raphael watched her touch her lips with trembling fingers. A moment of regret raced through him, but he quelled any remorse when he remembered her ruse. Raphael’s nostrils flared as he tried to catch his breath. His heart raced at breakneck speed. “Tell me, Anea.” Her head bowed in defeat, but she glanced up at him. Sadness and torment mingled in her golden eyes. Raphael had the strange urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her. He frowned, taking a step back. Not liking the confusion and weakness she brought out in him, Raphael growled, raised his hand, and stepped toward the demoness.

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Her eyes widened in disbelief as she raised her arm in defense. “It’s Asmodeus.” Raphael halted. He glanced around him, not seeing anything except the thoughts in his mind as to what the Persian god could be up to. His thoughts flashed upon Mercy and the desire his brother tried to hide for Zeus’s daughter. “Shit.” With that oath, he half ran and half slid down the mountainside to the cave entrance leading to the fourth level, where Michael dwelled in purgatory. Behind him he could hear Anea following. At the entrance he turned toward her. “Stop.” She obeyed, pulling up short. “If you want a lighter sentence, I want you to go and find my brother Gabriel and tell him everything.” At the mention of his brother’s name, the fear intensified in the demoness’s gaze, but she nodded. Raphael turned back to the entrance. A cool hand pressed against his arm. Shivers of awareness spread through his body. He halted, savoring the feel of Anea’s touch. He craved her, but knew he couldn’t have her. She was everything Sarah wasn’t, and he wouldn’t betray the love he had always held in his heart for the human woman. “I do this for you, not for me.” With that, Anea pushed past him, disappearing into the twisting tunnels.

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Chapter Ten

Chains rattled; ropes groaned. Michael watched Mercy turn the wheel another notch. His arms stretched tighter and higher above his head. His feet left the stone floor. Michael grimaced. When he’d agreed to please Mercy, he hadn’t counted on her binding him. “Mercedes, what is this?” “Shh, my handsome warrior.” She trailed the end of a leather whip handle across his chest and down his abdomen. In the corner, a table with assorted “toys” was set up for her choice. “I am in control now. This is how I want to see you -- strung up and unable to escape what I desire.” His cock stirred to life despite this new role. He’d always been the one in charge. The thought of being submissive to anyone, even Mercy, created a shiver of anticipation and trepidation within him. Across the room, Raum waited in the shadows for Mercy’s instruction. Michael could only guess what the demon’s role in this little play would be. His fingers clenched tighter around his binds. He could always break free if the game got out of hand. He stiffened his spine. He was the Creator’s most powerful angel. A mere scrap of a god’s daughter and her

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demon lover would not turn him to mush, no matter what they had in store. He smiled. “Give it your best shot, sweetheart.” She returned the smile, releasing the length of the whip, slowly, as if she were letting him study the tight braid of the leather that fanned into three separate strands, thinner and tighter, at the bottom. “I intend to. I’ve fought against male domination all my life. I refuse to give in at this point. I am tired of being used.” She flicked her wrist, sending the whip’s ends snapping into the steamy air around them. He frowned, concentrating on her words. Again, that inkling of something not quite ... the same ... surfaced. “Remember, I have to come down from here sometime or another.” “Do you?” she purred. “Why should I let you? You just wanted me for a bargaining chip. Raum just wanted me for revenge.” She turned her gaze to the demon. “But he’s so fucking good in bed, I can’t resist him.” Raum stepped forward, revealing a magnificent erection. The head mushroomed out, wider than Mercy’s fist. Michael’s anal muscles tightened. He swallowed a groan of desire. Sweat peppered his forehead at the forbidden thoughts of how he wanted Raum to fuck him. Then he wanted to take Raum and Mercy together. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” Mercy’s naked form glided toward the demon. Michael watched the twitch of her ass, swaying in seductive allure. He wasn’t sure if it was for him, or for Raum. Again, a twinge of jealousy rose at the thought of the other man fucking her. But that’s what he wanted, too. Michael tried to shake the foreign emotions off, but when she reached out and caressed Raum’s balls, his own balls tightened in need at the same time anger exploded within him at her blatant taunting. “If all I’m going to get out of this is a peep-show, then I have better things to do with my time, boys and girls.”

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She turned, quicker than she should have been able. The crack of the whip sounded a moment after he felt the sting of the leather across his thigh. Surprise registered along with pain. “Fuck! That hurts. You could have had my balls.” She laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m aiming for.” Michael couldn’t be sure if she meant what she said figuratively, or literally. Either way, the prospect was ... intriguing. He’d been beaten before. The pain was nothing new. The difference now was the individual wielding the weapon. His cock twitched, revealing some hidden masochist trait that he’d been unaware of in himself. “He likes the idea, Mistress.” Raum moved forward, gazing up at Michael. The demon’s eyes held a gleam of anticipation and lust. “May I?” “May you what?” Michael asked, not sure he liked this game any longer. He tugged on the chains circling his wrists, but they wouldn’t give. He glanced up, yanking hard. “What the hell?” Raum laughed, walking closer. “Don’t bother, Master. You can’t break them. They are made of the same iron that binds the demons in the lowest level of Hell.” Raum circled behind Michael.

Hiss! Michael sucked his breath in hard. Raum’s fingers trailed around the center of Michael’s torso, barely touching the skin. Michael’s cock jumped in response; Raum leaned closer over Michael’s shoulder. “I see that you like my touch.” His demon breath whispered seductively in Michael’s ear. “Do you want me to caress you like I caress the sefira?” Michael stared straight ahead, fighting the need raging inside him. Something was definitely wrong here. Mercy wouldn’t have bound him with demon’s iron. She wouldn’t have known what it was. “Get me down, Raum, or you will regret this day.”

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Raum’s lips nibbled Michael’s earlobe. “I don’t think so, Master. The mistress has told me the ‘slave’ gets to rule today.” “What have you done to her?” Michael asked from between clenched teeth. “I have done nothing she has not desired.” Raum laughed. “Isn’t that what you promised her father?” “So, this is about revenge. Daddy insulted you, so you’re going to pay him back through his daughter.” He didn’t ask; he knew. Raum didn’t do anything without a reason. That’s what made him so dangerous -- so desirable. He did what he thought he had to do to survive, without regrets.

A lot like me, actually. That thought had a sobering effect. “Partly. I do desire her. She makes me feel like ...” He trailed his fingers across Michael’s chest. “... a man.” The muscles in Michael’s abdomen contracted; his cock throbbed and ached with the need to bury itself deep within Raum’s body. “Cut me loose, demon.” “No. Today I am your master, and I intend on showing you what I’ve known for months. Your desires for me have been hard to resist, my lord. I have been tempted to come to you, but I knew you would not welcome my advances.” The whip cracked within the stillness. “Tell me what you desire of me, and I might give it to you.” “I want you to cut me the fuck down from here. Then I’ll show you what I want!” Raum laughed, turning to glance at Mercy, who sat naked and curled upon a small divan surrounded by mountains of silk and velvet cushions. She looked like the goddess he knew her to be. “She is our sweet mistress. Let’s ask her what she desires today.” Michael narrowed his gaze on the petite form staring up at him with greedy eyes. “Sweet, huh?”

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“Oh, yes.” Raum kneeled in front of Mercy, grasping one of her legs. “Sweet on the outside.” He leaned forward, stretching her leg away from her center heat. He licked his way up the inside of her thigh. Michael’s eyes never left hers. At the touch of Raum’s lips to her skin, she breathed in deeply, but continued to watch Michael. She knew what she was doing, all right. Sweet, my

ass. Raum’s tongue traced further between her legs, flicking against Mercy’s shaved pussy. His sigh was content. He turned to Michael. “But spicy hot in the center.” Michael threw his head back and roared. “Get me down! I want to taste her.” Raum stood, arching an eyebrow at Michael. “If that is all you want, I can definitely help you out.” He walked slowly toward Michael, flicking the whip across the floor like a long tail. The end snapped with each turn. The sound echoed in Michael’s mind, traveling down his spine to settle in the engorged head of his cock. If he didn’t get relief soon, he’d explode. Drawing level with him, Raum threw the whip behind him to land on the floor. Their gazes clashed for a second before the demon lowered his eyelashes. With a quick step, Raum angled his head, placing his lips over Michael’s. Michael’s first reaction after surprise was disgust. But Raum circled his neck with his hand, refusing Michael’s attempt to break the intimacy of the kiss. The kiss wasn’t brutal, but it was firm. Not like a woman’s mouth. The texture was rougher, made more so by the scratch of Raum’s beard against Michael’s cheek. The comparison startled him. He’d never thought -Raum’s tongue took advantage of Michael’s lax second, pushing between his lips and teeth. The shock of the contact and the taste of Mercy’s cunt forced Michael’s entire body to jerk, breaking the connection. For a second he swung like a pendulum suspended from the ceiling. The two men stared at each other.

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Raum’s face mirrored Michael’s. Shock. Mercy released a strangled sound, realizing she had sat up straight to witness this moment. Her shoulders ached with her rigid posture, but she didn’t dare move. She had them both where she wanted them. Deep within her mind, she heard Ash whispering, “I can show you sights you’ve never imagined ...” Well, this was one she had imagined, but the real thing was so much more exhilarating. Juices pooled between her legs as she watched the electrical interaction of light and dark. One repelled while the other attracted. Both circled like enemies, sparking with the barest touch, but with the desire to become lovers -- to become one. She watched their chests heave, their nostrils flare, their cocks lengthen and thicken in readiness. But only one could be the positive charge -- the dominant. The other would have to willingly become the negative charge -- the submissive. The power of their personalities bounced around the room. Mercy felt Ash deep beneath them, stretching in his pit of molten lava, drawing energy from the two alpha males. What the god had offered her, she could not refuse. A chance to be free of male domination in her life and become the person she wished to be -- strong, confident, powerful. All she had to do was show Michael how to allow his submissive side to come forth. She had to teach him how to accept her control. Slowly, she settled back against the cushions, so as not to disturb the battle ensuing in front of her. Angel against demon. Yin against Yang. Raum reached out to steady Michael, but Michael kicked out with his legs, preventing the demon from touching him. “Why do you fight what you know you want?” Raum asked with disbelief in his voice. “No. I bow to no one.” Michael’s eyebrows were drawn into a thick black line across his forehead. The skin around his lips turned white with his anger.

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Mercy shook her head. He was so frickin’ stubborn. What am I going to do with you? She watched as Raum waited for Michael’s body to circle on the pulley system. At that instant, he sprang forward, wrapping both arms around the angel, who struggled to break free, but couldn’t. Mercy picked up the remote control and hit release. Michael’s body dropped, with Raum on top of him, pinning him to the floor. Both men grunted with the impact. “I’m going to be on top.” Michael’s face strained red with his attempt to shake Raum off his back. “No. I am.” Raum held tight. The muscles in his neck and arms bulged and flexed in his effort to remain in the dominant position. Michael bucked. The two rolled across the floor, first one way, then the other, like two little boys fighting over a toy.

Crack! Both glanced up with surprised looks on their faces.

Good. I have their attention. She smiled, walking toward them with a riding crop in her hand. Juices flowed into the folds of her pussy. “Umm.” She closed her eyes for a second, absorbing the power that surged when they both glanced at the leather she held. The smell of male sweat and arousal permeated the air. Their neck muscles shifted as they swallowed hard. It all melded together in the kind of energy Asmodeus had promised. “Am I going to have to beat both of you before we can get started?” Raum nodded; Michael shook his head. She laughed. “Well, you both just answered my question of what to do with you.” “What?” they asked in unison. Anticipation played across Raum’s face, while lines of dread were etched into Michael’s.

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“You both have lessons to learn.” She squatted beside them, letting the crop dangle between her legs. “And the mark of a good Domme is to know what each of the submissives

beneath her needs.” Both men stared. Desire clouded their eyes. “And, if you study and practice really ... hard ... I’ll reward you.” She rubbed the handle up and down between her legs, coating the leather with her juices. Their mouths opened. Raum licked his lips; Michael stared mesmerized at her actions. A drop of spittle eased down the side of his lip. Mercy smiled, and far below, Asmodeus spread his arms, threw back his head, and laughed.

***** “You want me to what?” Michael stared at the woman in front of him. He knew he couldn’t have heard her correctly. Raum burst out laughing and bent over, holding his midsection. He had heard her correctly. “Goddammit, Mercy. You know I can’t do that.” “Can’t, or won’t?” She challenged him with a frown and hands on her hips. The muscles in his jaw tightened, but he held out his hand. Raum guffawed again, louder this time.

Thwump! Blood spurted from the demon’s nose. Surprise and pain spread across his beautiful features. “You ass! You broke my fucking nose.” Michael rubbed his throbbing elbow. “I meant to.” He headed to the bathroom located in a small alcove off to the side. “Michael.” Her voice held a silent command. He released a sigh and hung his head, but waved his hand. The crunch of cartilage echoed behind him, but he kept walking.

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Raum came up and slapped him on the shoulder, bouncing around him like a puppy wanting to play. He held a mirror, turning it this way and that. “Thanks. Looks better than before Gabriel broke it two years ago.” Michael shook his head as he entered the bathroom to put his “costume” on. Mercy had insisted he wear it for their session. “Session, shit. I just want to fuck her,” he mumbled, trying to figure out which side was the front. “I heard you.” He hesitated with one leg up and the other planted on the floor. Great, now she has

supernatural hearing. “No, I’m right outside the door.” “Jesus!” He whirled around to find her studying his ass. “Can a guy have some privacy? I’m putting the damned thing on, like you wanted.” “The costume is to separate you from me and Raum. Tonight you are the submissive, Michael, and we are your dominants. Besides --” She smiled. “-- I like to watch you.” He could hear the laughter in her voice. She was enjoying every minute of this little charade. His nostrils flared with anger at his embarrassment, but he bit back the retort that sprang to mind. He had agreed to participate in this. He frowned as he fumbled with a snap. “You read my mind again.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Yeah, so?” She leaned against the doorjamb with her arms crossed.

Shit, she looks good. He shrugged. “It’s just amazing how fast you’re mastering talents that have lain hidden inside for so long.” A finger trailed the length of his back. “Maybe I’ve finally chosen the path that will allow me to use all of my potential.”

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He stiffened, but shivered at her touch. “Sometimes that potential can be harmful and should be left alone.” “Everyone has hidden facets of their personality that come out of the closet at the strangest times.” He didn’t miss the implication of the word closet. “Mercedes --” “I’ll be out here. Don’t keep me waiting too long.” He turned back toward the wall. “Right.” A hand wrapped into his hair, tightening to pull his head back, hard. Michael winced, but didn’t utter a sound. If she thought she could hurt him physically, she was mistaken. He’d been through much worse than this. “What did you say?” Her tone was soft, but deadly. He hesitated. Rolling his gaze upwards, he admitted that he liked her mastery. Out loud he said, “Yes, Mistress.”

Smack! Michael jumped. The stinging impact of her hand on his bare ass took him by surprise. “Good boy,” she whispered. He turned to protest her purposeful humiliation of him, but she had already gone. He’d play this game and see where it led. Something was different about Zeus’s daughter, and he wanted to know what. No one had ever dared treat him like this -- his fingers tightened around the material in his hand; he glanced down at the stockings, and his cock hardened -- except her.

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Chapter Eleven

Raphael stepped lightly to the edge of the wall. Glancing around the corner, he scoped the length of the adjoining tunnel. A scraping noise echoed nearby. He pulled back behind the wall. If Asmodeus was loose, he’d have to take extra precautions against being caught by the Persian. Ash had plenty of reasons to hate the archangels -- Samael for sure, but Raphael in particular. A large hand clamped over his shoulder. Raphael stiffened. Dropping to the ground with his hand supporting his weight, he kicked his leg out and around in a long swipe.

Nothing. He stayed in a crouched position, angling his head left and right. No sound or movement could be detected, but he could sense some presence. He rose, and in that instant a long, cold blade pressed against his neck. The voice, low and full of what sounded like gravel, breathed across his ear and cheek. “You never learn, little brother. You should always check above and behind. If it had not been me, your blood would be soaking into the dust right now.”

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Raphael glanced down toward the khukuri still pressed into his jugular. “I’m inclined to wonder about the sincerity of your words, with this giant’s toothpick at my throat.” Gabriel’s laugh was coarser than his voice, but he released his grip. “Sorry. I get carried away with the hint of battle in the air.” Rubbing a hand over his neck, Raphael watched the angel of death sheath his weapon. “You always did get off on the sight of blood.” “As long as it is someone else’s and not mine.” Gabriel’s smile in the shadow of the tunnel had a sinister twist. Raphael shivered. Gabriel had never tried to hurt him. If anything, Gabriel had always gone out of his way to protect him. But the cold-blooded ruthlessness that Gabriel exhibited frightened Raphael. Samael, the previous Satan, had even steered a clear path away from their slightly maniacal brother. Although Gabriel resented the control that Michael wielded over him, it was Samael whom Gabriel had always hated. When Raphael had asked why once, Gabriel had mumbled something about how he should have been chosen to rival Shiva’s throne. Raphael shook his head. He hadn’t understood then, and still didn’t now. “Did Anea find you?” Gabriel’s grin was swift. “Indeed, he did.” “She.” Raphael couldn’t explain why he didn’t like anyone referring to the demoness as male. Gabriel’s eyebrow rose. “I’ve never noticed that side of the reptile. It is a hermaphrodite, right?” Raphael’s jaw clenched. “Yes, but she prefers not to practice her masculine attributes.” “Pity.” Gabriel stepped around Raphael, but glanced over his shoulder. “He’s very wellendowed.”

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“We’re not here to discuss Anea’s sexual attributes. What are we going to do about Michael and Ash?” Gabriel shrugged. “Michael is a big boy, always wanting to run the show. It’s about time someone brought him down to size. Just wish I could be there to watch that little pixie do it.” “Pixie?” “Anea thinks that Ash is using Mercy as a key to release his bonds. When that has been done, the Persian god will come after Michael, who should be in a delicate, weakened state from a night of sex with Raum and Mercy.” “How is a night of sex going to weaken Michael?” Raphael snorted, but stopped. “Shit, he can’t touch her. She’s Zeus’s daughter.” It was Gabriel who snorted this time. “That’s not his biggest problem. Apparently, the little girl is also Chesed, Michael’s soul-mate.” “What? How do you know this?” “Anea. Didn’t you talk to him?” “Her. And no, there wasn’t time to get all the details.” No way would he tell Gabriel what he had taken time to do with the reptile. “Come on, we have to find Michael before Mercy gets her hooks into him.” Gabriel shrugged. “It might be the most liberating experience for him. He’s too uptight about following the fucking rules all the time.” Raphael sighed. “Maybe. But I don’t think he wants to spend the rest of eternity as the watcher of Hell. The title of Satan doesn’t appeal to him like it does to you.” Gabriel grinned. “I would do it justice.” “I know you would.”

*****

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Michael tried to relax, but couldn’t. The ropes cut into his wrists every time he flexed his fingers. He shifted, grunting. The “horse” he lay on was comfortable enough. Waist high, it had been padded with lambskin. Mercy had positioned him lengthwise, securing his wrists and legs with leather straps hooked into place with locks forged of demon iron. She obviously didn’t trust him to play nice with Raum once they started. He scrubbed his belly against the padding. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to comply, but dammit, this shit itched. The lace of the outfit rustled with his movement. A wave of heat spread over his neck and cheeks.

He, the most feared angel of the universe, bound and shackled. That wasn’t the humiliation. He had been bound and shackled before. What bothered him was his costume. He sniffed. Pink was not his color. “Hey, pink looks pretty good on you.” Raum’s face appeared in front of him. The demon grinned and winked. “Shut up.” Michael looked away. Raum chuckled. “Come on. You know you’ve been wanting to be my bitch for months.” “I believe it’s the other way around. I wanted you to be my bitch.” Michael pulled at his restraints. “Wanted? Not interested anymore?” Raum ran a finger up Michael’s thigh. Muscles quivered and tightened along his leg and throughout his abdomen. Michael buried his face in the lambskin. “You know I am.” The words came out muffled. “Excuse me? I didn’t quite hear that ... Master.” Raum’s voice teased and patronized at the same time. Michael refused to rise to the bait. He groaned at his own pun. “Where is Mercedes?”

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“Relax. She’s putting the finishing touches on the chamber. She wants the atmosphere just right.” “Just right for what?” Again, that niggling disquiet. “For the magick the three of us are going to create.” “We’re just having sex.” “Wrong, big boy. We have something special between the three of us that we’re going to let loose,” Mercy said. Her ass came into Michael’s view as she tugged a large, ornate mirror to stand in front of him. She repositioned it several times, making sure he could see himself and Raum. “There. Perfect.” Michael’s stomach twisted. “Why are you doing all this? And where the hell did you learn about sex magick?” She frowned down at him as if he spoke a different language. “I did know about kinky sex before I met you, dear. I’ve been interested in magick for years. I just never tried it until now.” “Why now?” “I told you. The three of us have too much energy sparking off each other not to put it to use.” “The Creator doesn’t like us using magick.” “What He doesn’t know won’t hurt Him.” She blew Michael a kiss. Michael groaned, giving up. He let his head flop to the horse. Every few minutes he’d glance in the mirror to see what Mercy was up to. She positioned a stick of incense here, put on a CD over there, lit five red candles around them, and finally walked over to Raum and Michael, releasing the sash to her robe. The black silk material pooled on the floor at her feet.

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Raum slid to the floor beside him, speechless. Michael cursed. “Damn.” Before them stood the most beautiful sight he’d ever beheld, and the most dangerous. Tiny feet were encased in black leather slippers laced around slim ankles. Sheer black stockings covered shapely legs to mid-thigh. A corset sewn in intricate detail with beads and lace hugged her torso, pushing her breasts up, bold and bare. Clamped around the dusky area of each nipple was a silver ring. Michael closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he studied her reflection in the mirror. The corset was cut high, riding over her buttocks, revealing the smooth globes of each pale cheek. His body shook. God, he wanted to take a bite. Something black dangled the length of her thigh. He blinked, realizing she held the riding crop hidden behind her back, but angled beneath her buttocks. The end was frayed. “Ready to play, boys?” The voice was pure feminine seduction, purring and soft, but just beneath was the biting edge of a razor. She’d take them over, all right -- straight into the eternal abyss of damnation. He’d never get out. “Or, salvation,” said Raum, countering Michael’s thoughts. He glanced at Michael, finally finding his tongue. “Depends on how you look at the situation.” “Get out of my thoughts.” A wave of panic rose in his mind. How were these two reading his mind, performing magick, and bewitching him? He tugged on the wrist restraints, but they didn’t budge. His power was weakening the longer they stayed together. “Can’t do it. I need to know what you desire most. She needs to know in order to give us all what we truly need. Only then will we break free.” “You’re talking crazy, demon. She doesn’t have that kind of power.” “Am I?” Raum glanced at Mercy. “She’s the reincarnation of Chesed, Michael. She is the power.”

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The sound of his name on Raum’s lips forced another wave of need to crash through him. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to have one -- or both -- of them. “I need some relief!” As soon as he roared his need, Mercy and Raum descended upon him, touching him, kissing him. Mercy’s lips were so soft. Raum’s were rough, as were his hands. Mercy’s fingernails scraped a path down his back, then back up again to tangle in his hair. Pulling back hard, she brought his face to hers. “Is this what you want, Michael? Or do you need something else?” He shook his head, not sure what he needed anymore, but knowing this wasn’t enough. “Something ... I don’t know.” “Yes, you do. All you have to do is tell me, and I will give it to you.” Her voice circled around and through him. He’d never experienced anything so sensual in all his years to compare to this. “W-Whip me.” There. He’d said what he desired. The relief at admitting what he wanted lifted a weight from his mind. His sigh turned into a yell at the sting of her crop against his ass. She set up a rhythm that coincided with Raum’s hands caressing and massaging him. She would flay him; Raum would soothe. Over and over until Michael’s desire reached the point of no return. Ah, yes ... “Stop.” The command sounded foreign in his world of excess sensual stimulation. But all stimulation, whether pain or pleasure, ceased. He opened his eyes, feeling dazed and confused. His breathing wheezed, ragged in the stillness of the room. Mercy stood over him. The look on her face was cold and distant in comparison to a few moments before. “What’s ... wrong?” “I did not give you permission to speak, did I?”

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Michael frowned, but answered, wanting to go back to the place they’d been. A place where he’d felt loved and safe within the hands of Mercy and Raum. “No ... Mistress.” She gave a slight nod of approval at the title. “We have to let the power build. With every point of near climax, we have to pull back. When we’ve built it to a pinnacle where we can no longer contain it, we will release it into the ether. It will be so good. You’ll see.” He didn’t care why she wanted to force their energy out into the universe any longer, as long as she let him come. He nodded. “It’s Raum’s turn.” She held her hand out. “What do you desire most, my beautiful demon? Tell me, and it will be yours.” Raum came into view, on hands and knees. He wrapped his arms around Mercy’s thighs, holding onto her like she was truly his lifeline -- his salvation. “I would please you, Sefira.” Michael watched Mercy’s face contort with rage. Beneath her skin lurked the features of another, and for a moment he knew fear for the first time in his existence. He blinked, and the illusion disappeared. Her face was the same as before, calm and beautiful. “That is not your true desire, Raum. I am your Domme, and I know what you want, but you must voice your need out loud.” Raum turned and caught Michael’s gaze. Without losing eye contact, he said, “I would be dominant over this one and show him his other side. The side of his surrender.” Michael narrowed his gaze, letting Raum know he was dead. “No.” Mercy tsked. “Now, Michael, you are not allowed to voice an opinion in the matter. It is Raum’s time, but I know for a fact that is your deepest desire, or at least one of them. We will bring it to fruition.” “Mercy --”

Snap! The end of the crop slapped across his back, halting his protest.

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“You have not been given permission to speak.” She knelt in front of him, with her face level with his. Her fingers caressed his cheek, and she kissed his mouth lightly. “Be a good angel, and I promise to make it an unforgettable experience.”

Hell, it already is. But Michael kept quiet. Mercy stayed where she was, while Raum moved behind him, pulling the tights down over Michael’s ass. Michael’s muscles tensed in preparation for what he knew Raum intended to do. He couldn’t deny that he’d fantasized about the demon’s possession. He’d just never had the guts to do anything about it. He glanced up at the impetus to this situation and found her studying him. Green eyes flashed awareness. She angled her head, like a curious puppy. “It will hurt.” She leaned closer. Her breath, clean and sweet, fanned his cheeks. “When it is time, remember to open up. Relax, and press against his penetration.” “Will that make it hurt less?” She smiled. “No, but insertion will be smoother.” Her gaze narrowed. “Do you still want to do this?” He snorted. “Do I have a choice in the matter?” Her expression was a mixture of confusion and amusement. “We all have choices, Michael. We just have to remember to make the right ones.” “How very profound.” Raum grasped his hips. Michael tensed. Instead of the searing penetration he had expected, deft, lubricated fingers slid between his ass cheeks, gliding back and forth over his anal opening. He glanced quickly at Mercy. The amusement in her expression had increased. She winked at him. He laughed, relaxing. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, you bit--”

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Her eyes narrowed in anticipation. That was the moment of penetration. Scorching heat speared into his rectum. Michael sucked in a hard breath, clenching his buttocks tight. His fingers tore at the lambskin beneath his hands. “Shh, relax, Michael. Let him in. Relax.” She rubbed his head and shoulders, stroking the tensed muscles into submission, like she mentally stroked his mind ... and his heart. Somewhere along this little journey, she’d wormed her way in, like she’d always been there. Maybe she had. He’d given up on ever having a soul-mate. He wasn’t sure he wanted to believe anymore. If he didn’t get his hopes up, they couldn’t be crushed later down the road. Raum pushed into him harder. “Aghh ...” “Let him in.” Michael concentrated on her voice and the stroke of her hands intermingling with the pain of Raum’s dominance. He had to give credit to the demon. The guy wasn’t raping him, like he’d half expected. There were moments he knew the demon hated him. Those moments were the closest to love that Michael had experienced until Mercy walked into his life. Michael couldn’t take away the past. What was done, was done. Raum’s cock slid deeper. Michael groaned as the pain lessened and turned to pleasure with each thrust. He closed his eyes. He’d only ever fantasized about this -- but usually, he was the one in control. The tip of Raum’s cock rubbed Michael’s sweet spot. The fullness of possession forced Michael’s cock to throb with the need to come. Rising higher and higher toward that plateau, he focused on the sounds and sensations surrounding him. Mercy’s hands massaged his back and shoulders. Her fingers stroked and played in the length of his hair. Raum’s fingers, trying to get a better grip, bit into his waist. The hair on

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his thighs brushed against the back of Michael’s thighs. The horse thumped against the floor with Raum’s thrusts. The rustle of the tutu crinkled as it brushed back and forth over his hips. The musky smell of sex surrounded them, creating a secret world where only the three of them existed. Michael clenched his fists, letting his orgasm build. His balls tingled and ached. The muscles in his abdomen and thighs tightened and released in sync with Raum’s thrusts. Any second now ... any second. Behind him, Raum voiced the same words. “I’m ... almost ... there ... Mistress.” “Stop.” “What? I’m dying.” The words croaked from Michael’s throat. He jerked his head up, to find Mercy standing over him again with the crop smacking into her palm. She couldn’t do this to him. “Mercedes, I’m warning you --” The crop handle pressed into his windpipe, choking his words off. Slowly, she bent her knees. Eyes narrowed, her face came within an inch of his. Behind him, Raum pulled out. Michael wanted to scream, but swallowed his frustration. His throbbing cock wept drops of pre-cum. “Don’t threaten me, Michael. You’ve had it your way for too long. I’m in control now.” Her lips feathered across his. The moist, sweet tip of her tongue traced the contours of his mouth. Pain shot through his abdomen, and his body shook. He gripped his hands against the binds and looked up into the green gaze. He couldn’t take this torture any longer. The need to come was killing him. This was worse than any beating he’d received from his Creator for displeasing Him. “Please, have mercy on me.”

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Her eyes widened. She smiled, flicking a strand of his hair away from his face with her finger. “You’re learning, my love.” She stood, but stepped away from him. Michael bit back a groan. He had hoped that if he begged, she’d release him. With his eyes shut, he buried his face in the padding of the horse.

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Chapter Twelve

Mercy watched her two lovers, both so different. Raum, she knew, would do anything she told him. Michael, she wasn’t so sure about. He was too used to doing things his own way even when his master gave him an order.

Show him how to lose control, and he will be yours forever. Asmodeus’s words came back to her. The demon god had told her much. Could she trust him to be telling her the truth? Only one way to find out. She would have to dismiss her distrust of dominant men if she desired to have her other half -- Michael. If she continued with this plan, would he hate her? Or love her, as the demon god had promised? A moment of fear caused her doubts to surface, but Raum’s breath tickled her cheek, reminding her of who she was. She ran her hands over Raum’s chest and ribs. Muscles rippled beneath her fingers. “Okay, my beautiful demon. I will give you what you want.” She untied Michael’s binds. “It’s my turn.” Rubbing his wrists, the angel stood. The tutu rustled. Michael smoothed a hand over the coarse-looking material. The tights were askew, but he didn’t straighten them.

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Mercy released an exasperated sigh. His submission was not proving easy. “No, it isn’t, Michael.” “He had his turn when he fucked me.” “And you enjoyed every second.” “Yes, but --” Mercy wanted to laugh at the stunned look on Michael’s face when he realized he’d admitted to liking sex with another man. Not just any man, though. A man the angel had desired for quite a while. She shook her head. “I gave you what you wanted, Michael. It’s Raum’s turn.” Michael frowned, crossing his arms. “But I want more.” Mercy’s anger flared. He was acting like a petulant child. Before she could stop herself, she turned, swinging the crop with a quick snap of her wrist. The ragged ends, cracking through the air, left an ugly red welt slashed across Michael’s cheek. Michael’s jaw tightened; his nostrils flared and his lips thinned, pulling back from his teeth in a snarl. He took a step toward. “You’ve gone a little too far, Mercedes.” Mercy’s heart skipped a beat. Oh, shit. She pulled the crop back, trying to bring the leather up so she could defend herself, but his reflexes were too quick. He ripped the crop from her hands, flinging it into the far corner. Her arm sockets ached from the force of his attack. Arms like steel wrapped around her upper arms, pulling her to him. She kicked out, connecting with his shin, but only causing herself pain. “Oww--” Her cry of pain was cut off by the crush of Michael’s mouth against hers. She pushed her arms upwards, trying to break his hold, but to no avail.

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He tightened his grip while marching her backwards until she was against the wall, the lace of his tutu scraping her thighs. Any possibility she’d had of enforcing her dominance evaporated. No matter what he wore, Michael would always be a dominant. He released her mouth. The skin around her lips burned and throbbed. She stared up at him, seeing the flame of desire and anger merge. Her chest heaved from the effort of breathing. Raum appeared just behind Michael’s shoulder, with the same heat of desire in his eyes. “What are you going to do with her, Master?” “Oh, great. Now you’re on his side.” Traitor! Michael’s mouth curled into a cruel grin at one corner. “Exactly what she’s been begging for from the second she got here.” “Now, wait just a --” “Quiet.” The order held as much authority as it would have if he’d yelled. “I’m in charge.” Mercy swallowed, looking from one man to the other -- angel and demon, Heaven and Hell. She might be frightened, but the idea did hold some appeal. “I think, my dear earl, we need to see what it would take to make a god’s daughter lose control.” “Excellent idea.” Raum smiled, licking his lips. Her mouth fell open as she stared at Raum. “This wasn’t how he said it was going to be.” Michael grabbed her behind her knees, jerking her legs from beneath her. Suddenly, she was falling. Bracing for impact with a stone floor, she could only gasp in surprise as she fell into soft cushions.

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Raum leaned closer, adjusting another pillow behind her head and whispering, “Quiet. Let him relax; then we can turn the tables on him.” Mercy frowned. What the demon said made sense. She gave a quick nod. Michael followed, pinning her body on both sides with his knees and pushing Raum to the side. She tried to buck the angel off, but he laughed. “We’ve been in this position before, and you know you can’t escape. Give in, Mercedes.” She stopped fighting and stared up at him through narrowed eyes. “I can’t. If I don’t make you lose control, then I’ll have to stay here forever.” Michael’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. He turned to Raum, but spoke to Mercy. “Where did you hear that?” Raum shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. “Raum?” Michael’s eyebrow rose, but his voice stayed deceptively calm. The demon gave a sulky sigh. “Asmodeus has this grand plot that if Mercy can make you lose control, her power as Chesed will allow him to break his chains.” “When the hell did she speak to Ash?” Michael’s voice wasn’t calm any longer. Mercy cringed from the thundering roar bouncing around the room and through her chest. “Leave him alone, Michael. I asked Raum to get me out of here. He was trying to help me.” Michael snorted, pushing her deeper into the cushions. “I bet he was. He didn’t bother telling you his plan for his own escape, did he?” His eyes flashed colder than ice. A low beam glowed within their depths. A beam Mercy was sure she’d witnessed before.

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He turned his head toward Raum. Mercy struggled to break free, but couldn’t. “No. No, please, don’t hurt him.” She clutched Michael’s arm, trying to turn his face away from Raum. The demon screamed, writhing in pain from the flame of Michael’s gaze. Desperation had her panting. She had to save Raum. She had asked him to get her out of here. “I’ll do anything; just don’t hurt him.” The beam faded. Michael looked down at her, and his eyes had returned to their normal color. “You would give up your freedom for a demon?” Raum lay motionless on the floor. Mercy wanted to go to him, but knew Michael wasn’t ready to release her. Her lip trembled with anger and relief. “Yes.” “You love him that much?” Mercy heard the hurt and jealousy in the question. Here was her chance to take dominance back, but she wasn’t sure she could, or if she really wanted to dominate Michael. He was what he was. She trailed her fingers up his forearm. “Yes.” The thrill of excitement at the play of muscles beneath her touch forced her answer to come out husky. The pressure Michael exerted against her chest eased. A flash of pain crossed his face, but quickly disappeared. “Why?” “I love him because he belongs to me. I am his Domme. It’s my responsibility to take care of him.” Michael sat back on his heels, eyes narrowed. Mercy slipped from beneath him, kneeling close between his thighs, but not touching him. She watched him as he watched her. She wanted to touch him and love him, too, but he would demand more from her than what she could give. She refused to be another man’s prisoner. Her fingers curled into the palm of her hand. “Would you love me if I belonged to you, too?”

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Her heart ached for the hopeful expression that flickered across his face. She couldn’t hurt him, even if he’d tried to make her a prisoner of Hell. “Not like I love Raum.” Anger replaced anticipation on his face. “Why the fuck not? I dressed in this for you.” His hand flicked the pink material of his costume. He leaned closer with his hands on his thighs. “I let you chain me to that horse so you could humiliate me in front of him.” He jerked his head toward Raum, who lay on the floor, staring up at them. Still he kept inching closer. Mercy fell back onto the cushions with her legs bent beneath her. “I would have given up everything to have what you offered, Chesed.” Her eyes widened at the name. “Yes, I know who you are. You are my other half and capable of killing me or rendering me powerless.” He didn’t move, but kept staring down into her face for countless seconds. The cold mask crumbled for a second. “Why don’t you love me, too?” he whispered for her ears only. The sadness in his voice and eyes made her reach out. With a forefinger she traced a finger over his mouth and chin. “I do,” she whispered back. She shifted forward, onto her knees, moving closer to him. Surprise warred with doubt. The firm lips thinned, and he sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Prove it.” The chance to dominate passed. The time for truth had come. She didn’t know which opportunity scared her more. He said he wanted her love, but he had not offered the same in return. Ash’s words came to her again. If you don’t try, how will you ever know the truth? Mercy was positive the demon god had not meant for her to seduce Michael, but to overtake him with her magick, thereby breaking Michael’s control over Hell. Her jaw clenched in anger. Another controlling male. Did she really want the headache and heartache of trying to tame one of them?

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She studied the stubborn angel before her. A movement caught her eye, and she glanced at Raum. An idea formed. “Do you still want Raum?” Michael blinked as his lips parted, clearly not expecting that question. “Yes,” he answered slowly. “Then, why do I have to prove I love you just because I still desire him, too?” His frown intensified. “That is different.” “You better have a damned good reason for that statement.” Her hands went to her hips. “It’s fine for a man to have more than one lover, but if a woman desires more than one man at a time, it’s unacceptable?” She stood, moving into his personal space. “Fuck that.” She stepped even closer, bringing her flush with his body. Michael took a step back. “You can only serve one of us.” “Serve?” “Master, I don’t think that was the right thing to say.” “Stay out of this!” both Michael and Mercy yelled at Raum. They turned back and studied each other. Mercy did love him, but she’d be damned if he was going to play lord and master over her. But, from the look on his face, Michael had no intention of submitting even a little. “This is getting nowhere, you two.” Raum ignored their order to keep quiet. He stepped between Michael and Mercy, circling an arm around each of their waists. “There’s enough of me to pass around, I assure you.” Michael snorted. “I thought you only served Ash.” Raum paled, and his shoulders slumped. “I made a mistake.” His dark eyes looked from one of them to the other. “I want to be with you. Both of you.” Michael moved from the circle of Raum’s arm. “What exactly did good ol’ Ash plot?” Raum and Mercy shifted their feet and their gazes, looking around the room.

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“Sefira?” Raum’s voiced pleaded, and Mercy couldn’t resist. She had to protect him. She sighed. “Okay.” She turned to Michael. “Ash and Raum told me who I am and what powers I was capable of. He did something ... I don’t know ... touched me --” “He’s fucking dead.” Michael’s eyes bulged, as did the veins in his neck. Raum pushed between them again. “He knew that when the sefira gained control, she would have enough power to break the chains that bind him in Hell.” “Are you two insane? He would be free to loose his terror on earth. What were you thinking of?” “Freedom!” Raum and Mercy answered together. “I think I need to have a heart-to-heart with Asmodeus.” Michael grabbed the crop and headed for the door.

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Chapter Thirteen

“Are you sure this is the right tunnel?” Raphael asked. The tunnels all looked the same after a while. “You asking me? You’re the one who put his ass down here.” “Well, fuck, Gabe. That was, like, several thousand years ago, not yesterday.” The cold steel of the khukuri against his balls halted Raphael in mid-step. “My name is Gabriel. You’d do well to remember it.” A drop of sweat worked its way into Raphael’s eye, but he didn’t blink. Carefully, he eased a hand down to his brother’s wrist. Touching lightly, he pushed the khukuri away before breathing a sigh of relief. Samael had often said Gabriel had a screw loose; Raphael was beginning to believe it. “Sorry ... Gabriel. It won’t happen again.” He fought the urge to rub his cock and balls. “Uh, when was the last time you took a vacation?” His brother’s blue eyes shone from the shadows. “I don’t need a fucking vacation. I just need to kill something.” “Right.” A shiver traveled over Raphael’s skin. Gabriel was truly frightening. He nodded, pointing to the tunnel in the center. “Let’s go this way.”

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They stumbled on for several more minutes before a light appeared ahead. Raphael breathed easier. Maybe Gabriel would take out some of his frustration on Ash, and he could get back to the third level and some peace and quiet. “I think that’s it.” Raphael heard voices, but didn’t pay much attention. His thoughts kept returning to Anea and what to do about her. The desire he felt for the demoness couldn’t be denied any longer. What he had felt for Sarah was almost sterile compared to the emotions that Anea aroused in him. Besides, he knew the rules. Human women were offlimits to his kind. Demons were not. The two brothers eased up to the entrance, taking caution in case one of Ash’s demons was waiting. For sure someone was there. The voices were more distinct and raised in anger. Raphael looked at Gabriel. The frown on his brother’s face mirrored his own. They stepped around the corner. The one voice sounded like ... “Michael?” they asked in unison.

Michael had Asmodeus by the throat. The demon god laughed and choked at the same time, spewing blood and lava from his mouth. “Go ahead, angel. Do it. Put me out of my misery once and for all.” “I should, you miserable excuse for a god. What were you hoping to gain?” “My freedom, of course, and a little world domination. Something your brother Samael promised me years ago.” “Well, he underestimated our strength.” “That he did, but look at us now. We all end up here sooner or later.” “What about Mercy? How did she fit into your little scheme?” Ash shrugged. Michael’s fingers sank another inch into stinking flesh.

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“Just like you, I was going to use her to control Zeus. But, unlike you, I was also going to use her powers as Chesed to destroy your Creator.” “She isn’t that strong.” Ash laughed, harsh and grating. “You don’t know what Zeus’s little girl is capable of.” “Michael?” The sound of his brothers’ shocked voices brought Michael away from Ash. Turning, he shoved the demon into the pit. The look of horror on Raphael’s face said it all. He clenched his jaw at what Gabriel might be thinking. Finally, he met the angel of death’s gaze. Humor, disbelief, and some emotion Michael wouldn’t touch radiated from Gabriel’s stare. “Don’t even say it.” “Well, if he won’t, I will.” Raphael frowned and stepped further into the room. He opened his mouth, but coughed instead. His hand went over his nose. “What the hell is that stink?” “A few thousand years of rotting, burning flesh and bodily wastes.” Ash rose from the whorls of smoke and lava. He spread his arms wide and breathed in deeply. “Ahh, welcome to my home, gentlemen. I hope you can stay a while. I don’t receive very many visitors.” “He’s fucking crazy. Let me put him out of his misery and ours.” Gabriel strode forward, pulling his weapon from its sheath. “Stop. That’s what he wants.” Michael held a hand up to stay his brother. His arm brushed the lace surrounding his waist. Raphael snickered. “Nice outfit. A little formal for the occasion, don’t you think?” Gabriel and Ash burst out laughing, then stopped and glared at each other with a snarl. They wouldn’t understand that he’d been trying to find that part of himself that had always longed to be free. The part of himself no one had ever bothered to look for, except

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Mercy. Michael took a deep breath, expanding his chest. He straightened his posture. The bones in his back and neck popped. “Oh, I don’t know. I kinda like pink, and the ruffles just add to the overall effect.” Not a sound could be heard for several seconds except the occasional lava bubble bursting. Gabriel finally stepped forward with a serious expression. He clapped Michael on the shoulder. “If you like it, that’s all that matters.” Raphael’s frown reappeared. “Uh, I don’t get it, but whatever turns you on. You’re the boss.” Michael nodded. “Is Mercy okay?” Raphael asked. “She’s fine,” Michael replied. “Did Raum hurt her?” Gabriel leaned closer. “Want me to torture him for you?” “No!” Michael saw the confusion on his brother’s face at his vehement response. “Raum didn’t do anything to Mercy that she didn’t ask for.” Gabriel nodded with narrowed eyes. “Did you do something you weren’t supposed to?” Raphael groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t fuck her, Michael. You know that’s the reason you’re here in the first place.” “I know why the hell I’m here, and no, I didn’t do anything.” He turned away from them all. “Unfortunately.” The last was mumbled beneath his breath, because he had wanted to do so much more than he had. He glanced down at the pink tutu. “Hey, what do you want us to do with Stinky here?” Raphael asked, holding his nose. Michael turned in time to see Asmodeus lunge toward Raphael. Gabriel stepped between the two. The edge of his blade pointed toward Ash’s heart.

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Michael didn’t think the god had ever had a heart, so it probably wouldn’t matter if Gabriel used Ash as a practice dummy. He turned away. Even he wasn’t that cold-blooded. “Leave him. Let him think about his sins while he continues to rot in this pit.” Raphael and Gabriel stepped away. Ash whispered, “Ever think of the beautiful Sarah, Raphael?” Ash threw his head back and laughed, the sound that of a crazed being. “I do. All that lovely white skin beneath the caress of my hands.” Michael stiffened, waiting to see what his brother would do. He relaxed when Raphael kept walking without a verbal response. But a muscle ticking along Raphael’s jaw told Michael how much the god’s taunt had affected his younger brother. The weight of his own dilemma prevented him from offering any support or comfort. It was within his power to hold Mercy in Hell forever. He could have what he wanted most, but the price wouldn’t be his own damnation. His actions and selfishness would crush her spirit, leading to her hatred of him. That would be his ultimate downfall. He sighed. That price was too high to pay.

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Chapter Fourteen

“Sefira --” “Don’t call me that.” Raum hesitated. “Mercy.” The name on his tongue had a certain inflection that she liked. His accent was different than Michael’s, his R’s more pronounced. She laughed. “What?” The demon snuggled against her. “Do you want me to please you again?” She stroked his hair, moving down to curl a finger around the curve of his jaw. “No.” “You are too sad. I can make you feel better.” She kissed his cheek. “I know you can, but that won’t change the fact that Michael doesn’t love me.” “But he does. He has to. You are his soul-mate, the --” “Sefira, Chesed. Yes, I know. You all keep telling me. But I don’t know that person.” She lifted her legs into the air. Three scissor kicks helped release some of the pent-up energy slowly building within her gut.

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“What about a massage? You’re drawn as tight as a bow.” “That sounds good.” She rolled onto her belly, stretching her arms above her head on the mattress. Raum straddled her hips, resting a portion of his weight on her ass. “Let’s undo that outfit so I can get to your muscles better.” “Sure.” She kept her eyes closed as Raum unfastened the intricate eyehooks along the back of the corset. Her ribs sighed as the tight bodice and underwire released their grip. Raum’s fingers, long and sure, dug into her skin, working the knots from her back and neck. “Oh, God, that’s good. Do it harder.” “You like it harder?” His voice whispered across the shell of her ear. Tiny shivers raced down her spine. “Yes, please.” His fingers worked their magick. Soon, her tension eased and the pressure changed from therapeutic to erotic. Every little spot he caressed tingled with a slow burn, until her entire body became an incendiary device. If he poured water anywhere on her, steam would surely rise and sizzle. Mercy tried to turn over, but Raum pushed her back down. “No. I like you just like this.” She flopped back onto the mattress, too hot and bothered to argue. Her face in the mattress, she felt her demon lover lift his weight off her. “Don’t move.” “Okay.” Her nipples scrubbed across the silken sheets, causing an answering response in her clit. Mercy groaned, curling her fingers. Her nails scraped with a ripping sound across the material. Soft pads tickled her wrists.

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Lifting her head, she found Raum placing padded cuffs around her wrists. Their gazes met, but neither said a word as he continued his task. Mercy knew what he intended. The crop rested nearby in a corner. She swallowed against a nervous flutter in her throat. Thin chains came next, looped through the metal rings sewn into the cuffs. The sound of metal slipping through metal had Mercy clenching her thighs together. Moisture, sticky and warm, reaffirmed the hunger that had been growing over the last several minutes. He tugged hard on the restraints. Ragged little pants burst from her lips at the thought of Raum playing dominant. A door creaked behind her. Mercy angled her head to peer over her shoulder. She gasped. Illuminated in all his angelic splendor, Michael stood in the doorway. The tutu had been replaced with the black leather pants she’d seen him in when they’d met. His chest, bared and battle-scarred, rippled with perfectly formed muscles. The tiny throb in her clit increased to a steady beat. The sticky discomfort between her thighs spread with a gush of juices from her vagina. The musky smell of her sex permeated the space around her. Raum and Michael simultaneously lifted their noses into the air. Both sniffed, closed their eyes, and smiled. Raum stood at attention. “Welcome back ... Master.” Raum bowed his head to Michael as the angel drew near. Michael didn’t answer, but wrapped his hand around the back of the demon’s neck, drawing Raum to him. The two stared at each other for several seconds before Michael crushed Raum’s lips to his own.

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Mercy closed her eyes at the sheer beauty of the two men melding together. A few more minutes of watching them would surely send her up in flames. A soft whimper escaped from deep within her. Michael and Raum turned as one. Blue and brown gazes pierced her, both hot and hungry with desire. Michael grinned at Raum as he pulled the length of the chain, forcing Mercy’s arms to stretch tighter. “You did a good job.” “She is almost ready.” “Were you two celebrating my demise, or my return?” Mercy glanced from one to the other and frowned. “Neither. He was giving me a massage. It was quite nice, too, until you walked in.” She sniffed. Michael sat on the edge of the divan with one knee drawn up and his arm resting casually across it. “Are you sorry I returned?” He angled his head, like a hawk. She watched him studying the cuffs and chains, following the lines over the end of the bed. She could lie, but he would know. “No.” His eyes narrowed when he spotted the crop. Mercy’s heart sank. It was one thing to have Raum discipline her; but Michael was another story. He motioned for Raum to hand him the crop. “I think we have some unfinished business to take care of.” “M-Michael.” His eyebrow rose. “Yes, Mercedes?” The voice was soft and oh, so deceptive. He stood, looked down at her with a smile, and proceeded behind her out of her sight. She twisted her head and neck, but couldn’t see him. “What are you doing?”

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He crouched over her with his arms on either side of her shoulders. The skin of his chest lightly caressed her back. The sensation was electric, but Mercy tried to press deeper into the mattress to escape his touch. His voice whispered into her hair and ear, hot and seductive. “I am going to demonstrate what a submissive expects a true Dom to do for her.” Mercy bucked, kicking out, but Michael dodged and grabbed her legs. Raum moved behind them, looping a rope around each of her ankles. Securing the cords, he pulled them tight, separating and spreading her legs wide. He circled in front to check the wrist cuffs. Mercy focused on him. “You traitor.” Raum laughed. “Now, you know that isn’t true, Mercy. I love you.” “Mercy? Since when have you called her that?” Michael asked, trailing the ragged end of the crop over the backs of her thighs and buttocks. Jesus, what that did to her. She gripped the chains hooked to the wrist restraints and pulled. Spirals of need circled up her legs into her abdomen. The sheets beneath her lay soaked and twisted. “She told me to while we were waiting for you.” Raum loosened the patch of leather that cupped his crotch. Freeing his cock, he stepped closer to her face. “You better not get too close. She looks like she’ll bite.” Raum caressed her head, but quickly tightened his grip, pulling her hair hard. Her head was forced back. Mercy stared up into dark eyes. “Not unless she wants me to bite back.” He winked.

Bastards! They wanted her to fight. She’d show them who was in control.

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Wiggling her hips, she drew her knees up as far as the ankle bindings would allow and tilted her ass up for Michael’s inspection. The sharp intake of breath told her he’d noticed. “Michael, I have an itch. Would you scratch it for me?” A low moan sounded behind her, while Raum laughed in front. “She’s got your number.”

Smack. “Oww!” Mercy yelled at the sting of the crop. “Now you’ve got an itch that I’ll rub just as soon as you get your punishment.” “What for?” she asked, fighting the tears that welled up from the pain of her ass. Michael snorted. “For making me wear that godforsaken tutu.” Smack! “For trusting Ash to set you free, when he was plotting to kill your ass.” Smack! “And ...” The stinging pain had caused a warm flush to spread across her buttocks. With each new impact, the pain stung less and caused her vaginal muscles to clench tighter. Her clit throbbed. Her pussy wept. She lowered her ass and pushed her pubis into the mattress at the moment of contact. So focused was she, she missed most of his last words. “... most of all, for making me ... with you.” Part of what he said was muffled by the swish of the bedcovers beneath her. Had he said he loved her? Her head reared up, shifting her body forward. “What?”

Smack! This last blow missed her ass and fell across her clit. Red flashed behind her eyes as she drew in a sharp breath. A wave of pleasure hit her, so intense it sent her spiraling into orgasm. Her back arched and her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Hands caressed her back, her buttocks, and her pussy. Fingers pushed in and pulled out, giving her the pressure she needed to extend the cycle onward and outward. The energy that had been building in her womb all night coalesced into one giant orb of power. The

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release of it exited from every orifice of her body as a bright white light shooting in every direction and shaking her to her core. Her body jerked in spasm. The room quieted, and the bright lights faded to the dim darkness of before. She lay upon the divan, weak and dripping with perspiration. Beside the divan, her lovers sat in silence. The shocked expressions on their faces told her they’d experienced the same wondrous climax. She offered them a small smile. Far below them, a roar echoed up like a dull groan. They knew Asmodeus had felt the power surge and had known what had caused it. Raum frowned, breathing hard. “He was right. You are the power, Mercy.” She offered him her hand, realizing she was free from the restraints. “You aren’t going to give me to him, are you?” Raum looked horrified by her suggestion. He came up on his knees. His face pressed close to hers. “I can’t let anything or anyone hurt you. You are my mistress.” Mercy turned her head to see Michael. The angel had retreated to a corner of the divan. His back rested against a wall. One knee was drawn up, and he played with something in his hands. “Michael?” Mercy asked. She needed him to affirm what she’d heard. She didn’t expect Raum to tell her he loved her, because she knew her demon had offered her the most he could give. But she had to have the words from her angel. He looked up, and his blue eyes caught her gaze. A sullen expression covered his face. “You are free to go.” She blinked. “What?” He turned his head, and Mercy could see the muscles in his jaw and throat working as though he swallowed hard. When he answered, his voice was husky. “I said, you are free to go. I will tell your father that he has to send someone else to carry out the stipulations of our treaty.”

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“Master.” Raum stepped forward. Michael held up his hand, staying the demon. “Do not contradict me.” “Well, he might not, but I’m going to.” Mercy placed her hands on her hips. “I am so sick and tired of you men deciding what is right for me. I’m a grown woman, and if I want to stay in Hell with the men I love, so be it. Fuck Zeus!” She stuck her second finger into the air with a jab and a firm nod of her head. Michael and Raum stared at her, their mouths open. Michael recovered first. Moving quickly, he caught Mercy to him, holding her tight and searching her eyes with his. “You really want to stay here?” The disbelief in his voice almost made her laugh, but she didn’t. Instead she nodded. “I really do.” He lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her in the gentlest kiss she’d ever experienced. His tongue circled hers slowly while his lips coaxed her mouth open further so he could deepen the penetration. After the most sensuous exploration of her mouth, he pulled back. Mercy opened her eyes and found him watching her with a look of apprehension. “What’s wrong?” She shifted her gaze down and around, looking for anything out of place. “I just wanted to prove that I can be a considerate lover.” The frown on his forehead deepened. Mercy bent her head to hide a smile. After a second she responded. “Michael, if I’d wanted a lover who was afraid to touch me, then I could go back to my boring life out there.” She waved her hand above her. “But you indicated you like a man to be submissive.” She looked at Raum. “Will you help me, please?”

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Raum smiled and stepped forward. “Master.” “Michael.” Raum blinked twice at Michael, his mouth open. Michael shrugged. “She obviously likes you and has told you to call her Mercy, so it’s only natural that you call me Michael.” Raum recovered. “Do you like me, too?” A dull flush rose over Michael’s cheeks. “I must. I kissed you without being bound.” Michael ran a hand through his hair in an agitated motion. “Besides, I owe you the same pleasure you gave me earlier tonight.” Raum stiffened. “I don’t want charity.” Michael growled, glowering at Raum from beneath his eyebrows. “It isn’t charity, Raum. I’ve been thinking about doing that for quite a while. I desire you.” Mercy squealed, jumping up and hugging her arms around Michael’s neck. He circled her waist, pulling her legs around him and kissing her hard. One hand held her head to his as he took what he wanted. When he was through, he lowered her body down the length of his, holding her gaze with his own. Mercy could only stare up at him. How one man could have so much power leashed inside, she would never know. “Tell me now, if that’s what you want, Mercedes, because that’s truly who I am.” He glanced over at Raum, who stood behind her. To her amazement, Michael went down on one knee, taking her hand in his and kissing her fingers. “But I can be whatever you wish me to be -- Dom or submissive. You just have to let me know.” She turned her head just in time to see Raum giving Michael the “ok” signal with his thumb and forefinger. Bastards! They were still in cahoots together -- she smiled -- but she still loved them. “I want you just the way you are.” She held her hand out to Raum. “Both of you.”

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***** The knife chimed against the crystal glass. Ting, ting, ting. Conversation halted. Everyone turned their attention toward her. Mercy smiled, looking over the variety of people gathered around the dining table -Michael, Raum, Raphael, Gabriel, Keisha, Jade, her mother, and her father, Zeus. Totally dysfunctional and nowhere near normal, but what family was? At least they were all here together, and they were hers. “I offer a toast to celebrate another New Year and new beginnings.” She held her glass up high. The others followed. “Hear, hear!” Glasses clinked as everyone put their petty jealousies aside for the moment. Sitting down between her two lovers, she kissed each in turn. “I love you, both.” Raum smiled. Leaning close, Michael touched her face, tracing her jaw with his forefinger. His breath tickled the skin of her cheek and neck. “Show us you how much you love us.” The serious note in his voice had her pulling back to study each of her lovers. Michael’s eyes gave nothing away, and like Raum, there was no smile on Michael’s face. “Here?” She giggled and cast a nervous glance around the table in case any of the others had overheard. Only Gabriel studied them, frowning. “Now?” she whispered, ducking her head away from the angel’s curiosity. Raum leaned closer. “He found us a new toy.” Mercy’s heart leapt. The freedom their trysts allowed her to experience caused a warm flush over her body, spreading across her chest and into her face. Moisture gathered between her legs at the insinuated pleasure that simple sentence offered.

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Mercy squirmed in her seat, crossing her legs. Turning her head slightly, she perused their guests. Everyone appeared not to have heard any of their very private conversation. Even Gabriel studied his salad fork with perverted interest. “We ... can’t.” Michael’s tongue sneaked out to circle the shell of her ear. “What’s stopping you?” “Our guests.” Leaning away from his teasing, she brushed his lips with hers, intending to placate his lust with a quick kiss. He countered with a shift of his head, angling into the curve of her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut at the tantalizing quivers his tongue created against the sensitive skin of her ear and neck. She turned away, bringing their mouths within centimeters of each other. Michael’s eyes stared into hers. He closed the short span between their lips, and the instant they connected, he eased his hand beneath the short skirt that he’d insisted she wear. Mercy froze. Her eyes snapped open, to be snared by his triumphant gaze.

Bastard! Michael knew she enjoyed being observed. She glanced down the table again, then back to Raum, who definitely was watching. The demon sat back hard, his breath quickening. One hand disappeared beneath the tablecloth. The silk material shifted slightly, letting Mercy know Raum stroked himself. She shuddered, closing her eyes again in response to remembering how her demon lover’s thick cock felt in her hand -- strong, but satiny smooth. The vein running on the underside would be throbbing with a life of its own. If she concentrated hard enough, she could smell the musky heat of his arousal and taste the delicious salt of his skin as she licked his length from head to root and back. The knot of arousal that had been building in her womb tightened a little further. She choked back a groan.

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Michael’s mouth nibbled from her ear to the edge of her mouth. “I think I’d like to have my dessert now.” Before she could question what he meant, a long, skilled finger slid beneath the fabric of her thong, burying itself deep within her pussy. The action happened so fast, Mercy couldn’t control her reaction. Her neck arched, and her lips parted on a sigh. “Damn you.” Michael’s touch reduced her to mush with one caress. All Mercy was able to do was utter a tiny squeak of protest as she felt the rush of juices flowing between her thighs and over his questing fingers. He gave a low laugh, removing his finger and offering her the same brief brush of his lips she had given him. One hand patted her hip and slid to her thigh, catching her behind the knee; he crossed her leg back into its original position. Mercy blinked, not realizing she’d spread her thighs for him. “Now, who has whom within their thrall?” Her nostrils flared with irritation, but she had to admit his take-control attitude turned her on more than it ever had with past partners. “Just remember who is in charge.” He smiled, swirling his wet finger over his lips. His eyes stared into hers without flinching. “I think we both know who the dominant partner is in this relationship.” The drenched digit disappeared into his mouth. His eyes closed on an exaggerated moan.

Jesus. Mercy hurriedly glanced around the table. Michael wanted to cause her embarrassment. Her gaze halted when it reached Gabriel. A dull flush stained the angel’s cheeks as he studied Michael and Mercy with narrowed eyes. Averting her gaze, she glanced to her right and witnessed her father’s soft smile at her mother. They were oblivious to everyone but each other. Raphael was staring with interest at Keisha’s animated self, as was her adoring demon. No one but Gabriel looked their way.

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Mercy frowned and shoved Michael with one hand. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Michael’s eyes opened. A ruthless gleam flickered in the depths of his gaze. “You’ve been the dominant for long enough. Time for me to assume the role for a while.” “You’re always dominant.” Her words held such fury, spittle sprayed from her lips even as her words were too low for the others to hear. “Even when you’re playing the submissive.” “But, babe.” His voice held a note of pseudo-disbelief. “Don’t ‘babe’ me. You know I’m telling the truth.” He laughed, stroking his thumb back and forth across her thigh, increasing her desire to give in to whatever he asked of her. “Admit it, Mercy. You like to be in control, but you want to lose control even more.” His hand worked its way between her clenched thighs. “You love when I bind you so snugly you can’t move or fight against all those little taboos I force you to accept. I’m a good Dom, too.” He pinched the inside of her thigh. Mercy’s legs sprang apart with another rush of juices. “I know that when we control you ... when we bind you ... your guilt is taken away, allowing you to let go of all those repressed inhibitions of yours, so you can be what you truly need to be.” Mercy shuddered. The combination of his words and his actions was slowly nibbling at her defenses. His hand slid further up the warmth of her skin, cool and questing. “Remember the power we created the last time you submitted to us? Let us show you how to be Chesed, the emanation of God.” “Why?” “Because when you learn that side of yourself, you will be able to bring your two selves together and be whole and happy.”

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You’re my other self. My other half. All he had to do was tell her he loved her, and she’d be happy. But, if he didn’t offer the words freely, she wouldn’t beg him for them. On the other side of her, Raum’s leg jerked. She glanced at the demon. His nostrils were flared, his mouth parted. He’d come at the dinner table. Instead of mortification, Mercy experienced a mixture of desire and jealousy. She wanted what he could enjoy without self-consciousness -- freedom to release that most secret part of herself that she kept so under control. Her gaze scanned the table occupied by a majority of dominant men. A spark of anger flared. They could enjoy their deepest desires in the light of day. Why couldn’t she? She’d finally demonstrated her ability to control a man in a sexual situation. Why was she so adamant about not letting a man have ultimate control over her? Laughter snagged her attention. She had her answer -- her father. She couldn’t end up like her mother, nothing but a puppet in her father’s hands.

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Chapter Fifteen

Mercy didn’t know what Michael and Raum had in mind, but with a room full of people about to witness her lose control, she couldn’t quite think straight. Her clit throbbed with the need to come. Her heart pounded so hard against her ribs, she was surprised no one had commented on the noise. She reached for the glass of water beside her plate, sloshing the liquid over the tablecloth. Clenching her fingers, she pulled her hand back. Down at the other end, her mother laughed at something her father said. Mercy’s attention shifted to them, focusing on how they interacted with each other. Zeus’s hand caressed her mother’s face as he smiled tenderly at her. Mercy blinked. Why had she never noticed how gentle he was with her? Or how her mother’s eyes lit up with delight whenever he was in the room? Then it dawned. She gasped. Michael’s arm circled her shoulders, bringing her closer into his embrace. “What’s wrong?” Mercy kept observing her parents. A knot formed in her throat, forcing her to swallow several times before she could respond. “He -- They’re in love.”

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She felt Michael angle his head toward Zeus. “You sound surprised.” “I never noticed that side of their relationship. I only saw his domineering and her accepting everything he said without argument.” “You witnessed an adult relationship through the eyes of a child. I doubt you ever saw it, but I am sure your mother didn’t give in to him all the time.” “How would you know?” Mercy turned to study the man beside her. The man she loved. Her heart did a funny little skip. She wished she knew if Michael loved her, or only desired her for the hot sex they shared. Maybe, like Raum, desire was all he could experience. Michael shrugged. “It’s only logical that your mother has some spunk. She’s related to you.” “You swine.” She punched him in the arm, laughing. Michael’s smile disappeared. “I love to hear you laugh.” “Really?” Her hopes soared. “Yeah, almost as much as I like to hear you scream my name when you orgasm.” The tiny ray of warmth and sunshine evaporated with his totally male statement. She averted her head, studying her entwined fingers. “Hey, it was a joke. You’re supposed to laugh.” Mercy offered him a small smile. “Yeah.” “He cares for her very much, Mercy. Don’t worry about your parents. They’re fine.” She nodded. Her glance settled on the empty chair beside her. “Where did Raum go?” Something light brushed her leg. Mercy jumped; Michael’s embrace tightened. “Just relax,” Michael said. “He had an idea.” Mercy lifted the tablecloth and peered beneath. Raum grinned up at her with impish delight dancing in his eyes.

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“What the --” “If you aren’t quiet, everyone is going to know what we are doing.” She twisted around in her seat, catching Raum in the cheek with her knee. A muffled groan sounded from between her legs. “Shhh ...” Both she and Michael scolded the demon, who held a hand over his left eye. “Dammit, I’m blinded.” Raum glared at her with his uninjured eye. “You’ll live.” Michael’s tone was gruff, but he gave the demon a playful grin. “We have a god’s daughter to seduce.” “Here?” Mercy’s eyes widened. She couldn’t be hearing him right. “Yes.” His hand tightened around one shoulder at the same time he angled his body into her other shoulder, pinning her to her chair. Beneath the table, Raum pushed her legs apart, scooting his broad shoulders closer. Using her feet, she tried to push away from Raum. “I don’t think so,” he said. Sitting up, he circled his legs around her lower legs, trapping her. Laughing, he said, “I’ve got you now.” Miffed, but impressed, Mercy responded, letting sarcasm slip into her praise. “Pretty flexible.” “Mmm.” His acknowledgement was muffled by her body as his head worked its way into her crotch. Her thigh muscles clenched with the first puff of hot breath over the material of her thong. Chairs scraped at the other end of the table. Her mother and father rose, shaking hands with Raphael, Jade, and Keisha. “Honey, dinner was great. We’ll come see you again soon, okay?”

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She glanced at Michael, who was studying her with a rabid intensity, making her remember the first time the three of them had been together and he had forced himself to watch as Raum seduced her. “Uh, great ... Mom. Bye, Dad.” Zeus nodded with narrowed eyes, but didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. “I have to be going, too. Thanks for the food, Mercy.” She smiled at Raphael and watched the couple and angel turn toward the door. Raum swiped his tongue over her clit, allowing the demon’s saliva to work its magick. First, through the thin material, but after a few seconds, he seemed to lose patience with her lack of response. He tugged without success. “What the fuck are these made of? Demon iron?” Mercy felt his claws rip the panties from body, causing her hips to slide down the chair with the force of his impatience. Keisha glanced at her with a curious expression on her face.

Great! “What you two doing down there?” She smiled up at Jade, who was feeding her grapes. Raum pushed her up straighter in the chair. “Uh, nothing.” Mercy could feel the heat of her embarrassment spread across her cheeks. She was going to kill them both for humiliating her like this. “I just tickled her in the right spot.” Michael smiled at everyone still present. “Please, eat some more. We have plenty.” The others all agreed the food was excellent, passing the bowls around for seconds.

Damn him. At this rate, Keisha and the others would never leave.

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Michael nuzzled her ear and neck, sending shivers down her back to combine with the shivers Raum was sending up her spine. The culmination of the two sensations had her biting her lip. “I am getting very turned on by the fact that you’re very uncomfortable with having an audience present while you’re being fucked,” Michael whispered into her ear. “I am not being fu--” Her words cut short as Raum’s tongue changed techniques from licking to spearing into her body. He spread her legs further apart. Mercy gasped and closed her eyes at the pressure of his fingers, working their way into her body. His tongue returned to the task of licking her clit. Juices pooled beneath her bottom in the seat of the chair. She turned her face into Michael’s shoulder, whimpering. “I can’t do this.” He smoothed his hand over her hair. “Yes, you can. Just relax and let it happen.” Her head shot up, like the spurt of anger through her veins. “You love this, don’t you? Is this payback for making you wear that tutu?” Michael kissed her, trailing his fingers down her neck. “What I love is the sight of a very strong-willed woman giving in to her inner self and taking the pleasure offered to her.” Mercy stilled, listening to what Michael was trying to tell her. Beneath the table, Raum’s fingers quested deeper, and she knew she would come soon. “Look around, Mercy. Each person here is a source of energy. When they look at you, whether they know you are on the verge of orgasm or not, they feel your excitement and embarrassment. What you make them experience increases your own power, because you are aware of what you’re doing. Doesn’t it turn you on, knowing someone who shouldn’t be is watching you have sex? Doesn’t it give you a sense of power?” At that moment, the orgasm hit. Her feet tingled and curled; her muscles tightened in spasm; her nipples pebbled harder beneath her blouse; her mouth opened. Before any sound

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could escape, Michael’s mouth covered hers in a searing kiss, taking her cry of release into himself. Michael’s body shielded her from their guests’ view as her hips bucked as much as Raum’s weight on her legs would allow. The orgasm rose up and out with each stroke of the demon’s tongue. Finally, with one last stroke, the waves of ecstasy ebbed within her body. Michael’s mouth released her, and Mercy lay within the circle of his arms, out of breath and weak. Michael’s eyes shone brighter than ever. His skin literally glowed from absorbing her release of energy. Mercy swallowed, nodding her head to the others. “Why did you protect me from them?” He smiled. “I decided I didn’t want to share my woman with anyone else --” He glanced at the demon between her legs. “-- except Raum.” “Why?” she asked, not able to stop the plea in her voice. She watched God’s most mighty warrior avert his gaze. The muscles in his neck worked in a nervous swallow. When she thought he wouldn’t answer, his gaze caught hers with a look she’d never seen from him. Raum’s fingers tightened on her thighs, and Mercy heard the demon’s breath catch at the angel’s expression. “You are my other half, Mercedes, and ... I love you.” Her world circled into completion. She closed her eyes and kissed Michael’s lips, working her fingers into Raum’s silky hair. She had everything she would ever need. At the end of the table, there was a restless stirring, but the three ignored it until Keisha’s voice demanded to be noticed. “Hey, what are you doing down there?”

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Sheri Gilmore When Sheri Gilmore isn’t creating romantic sexual fantasies for her readers, she’s a registered nurse, wife, and a mother of three. Her most favorite cities are New Orleans, San Francisco, and New York City, but she’s always wanted to visit San Antonio, Santa Fe, and Las Vegas. Visit Sheri on the Web at www.sherisecrets.com.