Azrael's Light [Demon Runners of Unearth] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Amy J. Hawthorn Read Free Book Online Page A

you’re looking for Alia. I doubt you have time to draw my family tree.”
    “I don’t have many details to work with. I just know that both Lilith and Lucifer are worried about something and want her home yesterday. Who knows what kind of mess Lilith has made?”
    “True.” It galled her to admit it to a virtual stranger, and one who might stand on the opposite side of this mess from her, but there was no denying her sister was more than likely at the heart of the matter. She lived in the eye of a chaos storm. “How did you get suckered into this?” Though she couldn’t argue that his story made perfect sense, she wasn’t willing to hold hands with him just yet.
    Soul Runners lived and breathed by their code of honor, but with a mark as potentially controversial as the devil’s daughter, all rules might have been thrown out the window. There was too much she didn’t know or understand.
    Was there anyone she could trust? She didn’t think so, and for the first time in three hundred years, she wondered if she made the right decision. But even knowing that now, she wouldn’t go back and change things. If she’d stayed in Unearth much longer, she would have gone mad.
    He grumbled under his breath and then sighed. “I’m supposed to be on vacation. Before I could put my feet up, your pain-in-the-ass sister showed, dropped her ugly bomb, and begged me for help. I was as shocked over her begging as I was over the news that Lucifer could be on Earth searching for her. I was faced with giving up my vacation or letting the balance between Earth and Unearth crumble, causing who knows what kind of apocalyptic action. Believe me, I’d much rather be back on my boat.” He ran a hand through his waterfall of black hair and looked up at the ceiling. His broad shoulders stretched his leather coat tight as he released a weary-sounding breath. The red-tipped ends of his hair settled, as if waiting for something important.
    Legends said that his hair used to be completely red, but as he spent more and more time traveling the dark places of Unearth, it darkened until only the last few inches remained the original color. It was often speculated that Soul Runners didn’t cut their hair because they didn’t want to lose the last part of their former selves.
    He took a step towards her and looked her up and down, stopping at her face. At least she hoped he looked at her face and not her cleavage. She figured it was a tossup.
    “So, Lilith’s sister, tell me your name.” Dark and heady, his command urged her to obey. His voice lowered a notch in both volume and pitch, sending ripples of hunger through her. How long had it been since she’d felt desire for something more than a piece of chocolate cake?
    Should she tell him her name? It probably didn’t matter at this point, but something held her back. His dark, heated stare bore right through her, making her feel as if he could see her every secret and desire. Who knew what kind of dark magic Azrael was capable of? If keeping her name to herself was the only secret she’d been allowed, she would hold it close.
    She looked up at him, through his burgundy irises, and into the depths of his pupils. She stayed silent, refusing his demand. Expecting to see frustration or anger over being ignored, she was surprised to see what looked like amusement. The dim light in his eyes brightened, and one corner of his gorgeous mouth quirked up. Was he laughing at her?
    He stepped in once more and took a lock of her hair in his hand. Briefly he rubbed it between his fingers as if savoring the texture and then tucked it behind her ear, grazing the outer shell with a lingering sweep as he pulled his hand away.
    “You really are a stubborn little thing, aren’t you? Beware, sweetness. That fight only makes you all the more tempting to someone like me. When your resistance finally falls, the victory is so much sweeter.”
    His eyes pinning her in place and his voice compelling her to follow his