Azagoth: A Demonica Novella (1001 Dark Nights) by Larissa Ione Read Free Book Online Page B

to myself now and then, outside of here.” She glared. “Jackass.”
    Even though she’d called him a jackass, the shards of ice in his gaze melted a little, just enough to dull the sharp edges. “I can...understand that.”
    Holy shit, he’d bought it? Then again, it was the truth. If there had been no hope of getting out of this deal by stealing the mirror, she’d have felt exactly as she’d just said.
    He stepped forward so suddenly she jumped. “Take me someplace.”
    “Excuse me?”
    He stepped closer, but if he thought he could intimidate her with his height, he was an idiot. She’d gone through battle training with males far taller and bigger than he was.
    None of those males, however, could hold a candle to Azagoth’s lethal elegance and oozing sensuality. It was as if he had been born for killing and sex. The battle angel in her could appreciate the former. The female in her definitely appreciated the latter. And the thing that sucked was that she shouldn’t be appreciating anything about him. He wasn’t exactly an enemy, but neither was he someone she could afford to get attached to.
    “Take me someplace,” he repeated.
    She tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “Ask nicely.”
    “Take me someplace...please.”
    “You could have at least made an attempt to make it not sound like an order.”
    Clenching his teeth, he ground out, “Will you please take me someplace.”
    Well, it wasn’t quite what she was hoping for, but she doubted it would get any better. Besides, she was ready to get out of here for a while. “Fine,” she said. “But you should know that I’ll have full use of my powers once I’m outside your realm.”
    One corner of his mouth twitched. “Should I consider that a warning?”
    “Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself riding a bolt of lightning if you piss me off.”
    “I’m into kinky shit, so that works.”
    He gripped her palm, and she sucked in a sharp breath at the shock of awareness that shot up her arm. She stole a glance at Azagoth, but apparently he hadn’t felt a thing, because he was as snarly-faced as ever.
    Well...good. They didn’t need to be having any kind of mutual “moments.”
    Although, really, it was a little insulting that he didn’t react. At all.
    Shoving aside her irrational annoyance, she reached deep inside for what angels in her field called the Triple T...the time travel tingle. Independent of her other, currently unusable, angelic powers, it started deep in her pelvis and spread outward, until it was as if she could actually feel time and space inside each and every cell. Now all she had to do was think of a specific time period...then a location...and there it was.
    Instead of reflecting their images, the chronoglass’s surface became a window, beyond which was an ocean of drifting desert sands.
    “Ready?” At Azagoth’s nod, she squeezed his hand tight and led him into the mirror.
    Instantly, dry heat blasted them as their feet sank into the hot sand. Releasing Azagoth, she glanced around at the scenery. It was exactly as she’d known it would be.
    Utterly desolate.
    She’d dropped them in the middle of the Egyptian desert, where there was nothing but rolling dunes of sand. Only the cloudless azure sky added color to an otherwise monotonous field of beige.
    Take that, Azagoth. He’d wanted to go somewhere outside of Sheoul-gra, so she’d brought him to the most boring, featureless environment she could think of.
    Feeling smug, she pivoted around so she could soak in his disappointment.
    Turned out, she was the one in for a letdown. Azagoth’s eyes were closed, his face tilted toward the sun.
    “Egypt,” he sighed. “Damn, I miss the desert.” Inhaling deeply, he smiled.
    She gaped. “Seriously? You like this?”
    “I miss...warmth.” Gripping his collar, he yanked, ripping his shirt and popping buttons with such force that one pinged her in the forehead. “And the breeze...ah, damn, I miss the breeze.”
    He