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Category: Erotica/Paranormal Erotica/Dark Fantasy
Description: Contains explicit M/M sex. Sometimes happily ever after just doesn't happen. Cody knows his lover, Li, is a demon. Yet he remains with him, waiting for Li to tell him the truth. The truth never comes, but Li's brother, Vaul, tries to destroy Cody in a vicious attack. Because the demon seems to know every one of Cody's magical secrets, Cody can't defend himself. What's left of Cody is sent to a suspension chamber and requires twenty-cycles to regenerate a body. As the time passes, Cody, trapped inside a medallion, learns and grows more powerful. Anger becomes twisted rage that only thirsts for revenge. Near insane when he steps out of the chamber, Cody sets out to destroy every demon present at the attack, make Li pay for his betrayal, and to destroy Vaul.
eBook Publisher: Phaze, 2008
eBookwise Release Date: January 2009

34 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [84 KB]
Words: 17033
Reading time: 48-68 min.

"Kulisael."

Li cursed under his breath and turned. "Yes? Do I know you?"

The man who spoke was taller than Li's six and a half feet. Looking at the black and white uniform with red insignia patches, Li knew this demon was high level.

"I thought as much," the man said dryly. He smirked at Li.

"What do you want?" Li started backing up, and the man advanced.

"You are required to return home."

"Home?" Li shook his head, not once looking away from the coal-black eyes staring through him. "I no longer have a home."

The man pulled out a small square card and handed it to Li. "Your service is requested."

"Something tells me this isn't a volunteer thing," Li remarked. The man simply laughed. Then he was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Fuck."

Skulking on the outer fringes of Caeunial, Cody stayed well away from its demon populace. He had his own agenda to take care of, and the thirst for vengeance had led him here. It fucking figured it would be the one place Cody really didn't want to be. Keeping a low profile in the midst of demons, as a human, wasn't the easiest thing to do. Sitting in front of the small fire he'd set to ward off the chill of the coming night, Cody stared into the black flames.

"I thought I might find you here."

Cody didn't freeze with the sound of the voice, but he refused to turn around and look at the speaker. He knew who it was. "That's odd. I didn't think I would find you here."

"I was on my way to ... work." The speaker emerged from the shadows and knelt across from Cody, on the other side of the fire. "You look worse for the wear."

"You were called in to deal with the zombie problem, weren't you?" Cody's gaze remained on the fire as he reached into the pack near him. Pulling out a can, he opened it and drank his dinner. "Are you going to provide additional incentive from the Counsel to hire me on?"

"How do you know any of that?"

Shrugging, Cody tossed the empty can back into the pack. "They already tried to hire me. I told them 'no thank you'. I just didn't think they would bring you into it."

"I don't know what they've called me in for. And I guess it's safe to assume that you're still pissed off."

"Now why would I be pissed off?" Finally looking over at Li, Cody gave his ex-lover a bland look. Li hadn't changed one bit. The demon still was one of the most incredibly handsome creatures Cody had ever seen. From the top of his golden blond curls to the innocent looking features of an angel, Li had eternal youth and extraordinary good looks on his side.

"Why else would you storm out?" Li asked him. "Why else would you turn away from everything?"

"Things change. Didn't anybody ever tell you that? I learned the hard way myself." Cody had found out in a hard way exactly what Li was. In the lesson, he wasn't given a chance to choose, either by Li or the demons who'd damn near killed him.

"Fair enough." He stood and ran his fingers through his hair. "For what it's worth, I haven't changed, Cody."

"That mean you still don't tell the truth?" Cody stood and went to a pile of small sticks. Picking up several of them, he turned back to throw them into the fire.

"What?"

"Never mind. Water under the bridge, Li." In a more conversational tone, Cody asked, "So, are you going to wade into the zombie problem?" Internally, Cody cursed the Counsel. Whether it was deliberate or not, sending Li into it would be an excellent way to drag Cody in as well.

Li eyed him dubiously. "If that's what my orders are, then that's what I must do."

"Never one to do what you want to do, or what you really should do, are you, Li?" Cody tried to keep his own personal issues out of it, but it was hard to do. "You're on your way to the Scarlet Chapel, then."

"Excuse me?" Li stepped closer and glared at Cody. "I went against laws you have no concept of, just to be with you!"

Those laws had been beaten into his body by a group of extremely angry demons, and Cody had precious little use for them. Reaching back into his pack, Cody drew out two more cans. "Want one?" As he asked he tossed the can to Li.

The infuriated look on Li's face gave way to sheer confusion. Catching the can, he slumped back against the nearest tree. "I don't know what else to say, Cody. I've spent the past year trying to figure out why the fuck you just up and walked out, but I'm coming up blank here."

"It was time for me to move on. Why else would I ever have left, Li?" Cody directed a mildly questioning look at him. Yeah, they had some issues. Only Li didn't know what they were, and Cody wasn't sure he gave a damn anymore. The thought itself was a lie, and deep down inside him, Cody knew it.

"So you left, just like that," Li said. "No reasons, no goodbyes, nothing." He nodded. "All right. I see this is fucking pointless." He tossed the unopened can back to Cody. "See you around, babe." With that, he turned and walked away toward the gates to Scarlet Chapel.