Azazel might’ve been darkness incarnate, but he wrapped me in his shadows like a cocoon of safety, broke down his walls to let me in, gave me stars to light my way.
Even now his stars filled the air, reflected in his eyes.
I leaned forward to kiss him hard, his lips soft and pliable under mine, his tongue flicking into my mouth. He ran his tongue along mine and over the edge of my teeth, drew back and traced the edges of my lip before biting me gently.
The heated pressure in my abdomen built as my hips rocked, until I felt myself clench up, trembling and gasping.
He thrust in hard, drawing out the orgasm as he groaned into my mouth.
When I’d finally stopped shaking, I climbed off him and crawled onto all fours. It was the only other way that wouldn’t hurt my wing more now.
Azazel knelt behind me and curved himself over me, kissing the star on my neck and working his way down along my spine. His cock nudged against my slick pussy and pushed in, and I gasped as he began to fuck me harder, gripping my ass and pulling me back against him.
He slammed in, letting out his own groan of satisfaction when he came. I was still shaky with the aftereffects as he slid out and carefully adjusted me so I was laying down facing him, without my wing being crushed under me.
“I love you,” he whispered. A star bloomed and died near his face, leaving a streak of light across my vision.
“I love you, too,” I told him, tracing the contours of his face with one hand. Times like this, when Azazel stripped away his armor and stern countenance, were the best of times. It felt like floating in a night ocean, just the two of us under the stars.
His eyes were already heavy-lidded with sleep. “I promise,” he breathed, before they finally slid shut and his breath evened out.
I couldn’t sleep yet. He’d promised me he’d find them, and I believed him with every fiber of my being.
I laid awake for a long time, staring at the stars floating around the ceiling, with new worries chewing at me. Every time he dove into the deep magic, it was harder for him to come back.
How far would Azazel have to go before that darkness consumed him entirely, and he became a being of shadows and electricity, unable to retake this form?
It felt like hours had passed, but it was still dark when a soft rap sounded on my door. I carefully slid out from under Azazel’s arm and pulled on a simple black dress that only needed to be tied around the neck before answering it.
I wasn’t entirely surprised to see a hooded demon at my door. The Chainling’s namesake clinked softly from his sleeves as he looked up at me, eyes gleaming like marshfire under their hood, and spoke in a deep but quiet voice.
“We’ve been waiting for you, Lady. The Chain calls. It is time.”
10
Melisande
I spared a backwards glance for Azazel, but he was still dead asleep. The Chainling waited patiently, his hands clasped in front of him and covered by his robes.
I’d meant to talk to them, anyways. Maybe their holy Chain had been anticipating me, as well.
I nodded and crept into the hall, pulling the door shut behind me as silently as possible. A faint spear of guilt stabbed at me: the Chainlings had been following me for months, and I hadn’t taken the time to really understand them until now. All I knew was that they worshipped this mysterious binder of fate and destiny, and that they were a vague offshoot of the Grigori.
The Chainling turned and swept down the hall, and I followed obediently. When I caught up, the hood tilted in my direction.
“The Chain has chosen you for us to follow, but we have not yet given you our histories,” he said, keeping his voice low. The arena was nearly silent, only other Chainlings patrolling. Tascius and Belial were in the Ninth Circle, having answered a summons from Adranos. “You know only the superficial.”
I ducked my head, feeling the shame again. All their help, and I’d never bothered to find out. “Yes. I know that you were once part of the Grigori, but… that’s it.”
He nodded. “Our founders were once part of the Fates of the Grigori. It was through their strings that the original Chainlings discovered the unholy mysteries of the Chain, the power that links everything