Page 13 of Prince of Ruin
“I’ll ask again. Who are you?” It was barely a whisper, but the shiver of it slid over her skin, even as his grip tightened a little cruelly. Smoke wreathed from his lips as he lowered his other hand—and the cigarette burning there.
She tried to tear her face from his grip. “No one.”
“I had my men run a scan. Your license says your name is Seraphine Murdoch, but I find I don’t believe you.” Azazel’s gaze slid lower, his expression tightening as he caught a glimpse of her breasts. A demon in full control of himself, but still male in all the ways that counted. His gloved thumb brushed against the curve of her breast.
“IamSeraphine!”
“That one tasted a little bit like truth. What are you doing in the gallery?”
“I was walking.” She breathed the words. Glory’s kiss, what was he doing to her? One touch and a shiver ran through her, curling like a hot, wet fist in her abdomen. It had never felt like this before. “That demon told me to stay put, but I wanted to see more. I wanted to findyou.”
“Why?”
“Because… I wanted you. Not him.”
“Lies.” He crushed the cigarette against the floor and pushed her back until her back hit the wall.
“They’re not lies.”
“I can taste it all over you.” He fisted a strand of her hair and brought it to his nose. “Every inch of you is a lie, from the tips of your pretty little toes to the ends of your bleached hair.”
“I’ll have you know the hair’s real,” she snapped.
“Truth again.” His mouth twisted in a mocking apostrophe. “But I want more of it. Careful, little angel. This is going to hurt.”
He stared into her eyes and all the world was stripped away.
This was no gentle touch, no velvet glove.
Instead, it felt like a man yanking the curtains down from a dusty window. Sera cried out as he stripped outer wards away, stripped her raw.
This was what she wanted.
Vision rose, planted under the base levels of her wards by Tayla.
A hand sliding over her knee in a shabby club.
A promise, whispered in her ear. “I want you to find something for me. If you find it then I’ll give you what you want. I’ll give you immortality. True immortality.”
“You’ll give me the kiss?”
A hand slid between the crevice of her breasts. “Only if you find what I want and bring it to me.”
“What is it?”
“This.”
And all of a sudden, she was staring at the glass case featuring the small golden cask.
Azazel stepped back. Let her go. “You filthy little liar. You are a thief.”
Sera collapsed to her knees—as any mortal would after having their outer wards shattered—and sought to suck back her sobs.
It hurt. It hurt as if he’d cut her open with glass, and yet, he’d bought the false memory as if he’d paid for it in cash.
Thank you, Tay.
“Find out who she works for,” Azazel said, turning to walk away. “Then throw what’s left of her into the streets.”
