Eternity of Darkness (Divisa Huntress Book 3) Read online

  ETERNITY OF DARKNESS

  DIVISA HUNTRESS BOOK THREE

  J.L. WEIL

  DARK MAGICK PUBLISHING, LLC

  Published by J. L. Weil

  Copyright 2022 by J. L. Weil

  http://www.jlweil.com

  All rights reserved.

  First Edition 2022

  * * *

  Edited by Hot Tree Editing

  * * *

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  CONTENTS

  Also by J. L. Weil

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Read more by J. L. Weil

  About the Author

  ALSO BY J. L. WEIL

  ELITE OF ELMWOOD ACADEMY

  (New Adult Dark High School Romance)

  Turmoil

  Disorder

  Revenge

  * * *

  DIVISA HUNTRESS

  (New Adult Paranormal Romance)

  Crown of Darkness

  Inferno of Darkness

  * * *

  DRAGON DESCENDANTS SERIES

  (Upper Teen Reverse Harem Fantasy)

  Stealing Tranquility

  Absorbing Poison

  Taming Fire

  Thawing Frost

  * * *

  THE DIVISA SERIES

  (Full series completed – Teen Paranormal Romance)

  Losing Emma: A Divisa novella

  Saving Angel

  Hunting Angel

  Breaking Emma: A Divisa novella

  Chasing Angel

  Loving Angel

  Redeeming Angel

  * * *

  LUMINESCENCE TRILOGY

  (Full series completed – Teen Paranormal Romance)

  Luminescence

  Amethyst Tears

  Moondust

  Darkmist – A Luminescence novella

  * * *

  RAVEN SERIES

  (Full series completed – Teen Paranormal Romance)

  White Raven

  Black Crow

  Soul Symmetry

  * * *

  BEAUTY NEVER DIES CHRONICLES

  (Teen Dystopian Romance)

  Slumber

  Entangled

  Forsaken

  * * *

  NINE TAILS SERIES

  (Teen Paranormal Romance)

  First Shift

  Storm Shift

  Flame Shift

  Time Shift

  Void Shift

  Spirit Shift

  Tide Shift

  Wind Shift

  * * *

  HAVENWOOD FALLS HIGH

  (Teen Paranormal Romance)

  Falling Deep

  Ascending Darkness

  * * *

  SINGLE NOVELS

  Starbound

  (Teen Paranormal Romance)

  Casting Dreams

  (New Adult Paranormal Romance)

  Ancient Tides

  (New Adult Paranormal Romance)

  For an updated list of my books, please visit my website:

  www.jlweil.com

  Join my VIP email list and I’ll personally send you an email reminder as soon as my next book is out! Click here to sign up: www.jlweil.com

  PROLOGUE

  ASHOR

  Her sweet and innocent giggle floated over the swaying stalks of corn as the girl with blonde braids peeked around the tall stems. Little traces of wickedness flashed in her aqua eyes at deceiving the two boys who were seeking her out. The three of them were playing hide-and-seek as they often did on late summer evenings.

  A sliver of moonlight hung in the star-dusted sky above her head, giving the girl a slight advantage in her hiding place. Not that the boys were at a disadvantage, not with the extra abilities they had from other kids their age.

  Like a shooting star, the dark-haired boy zoomed not far from where Lexi stood, tucked behind the plants twice as big as she was. “Lexi,” the boy whispered and then listened, hoping to entice a sound from the girl.

  Her aqua eyes rimmed gold as she covered her mouth to stifle another giggle.

  The first time I saw the little girl with blonde braids, I knew her importance. Seeing her face, hearing her voice, getting a drift of her scent as she spun around, all produced an instant surge of protectiveness that felt like a sleeping beast had been woken inside me. My demon wanted to claim her on the spot, demanded that I find her.

  Lexi Winters—my mate.

  I might have given in to those primal urges despite her young age if it hadn’t been for the dramatic ending of my dreams.

  The other boy called after her as she darted from her hiding spot and took off through the cornfield. Her feet flew over the ground, nothing but a streak of color, blonde braids trailing behind her. The boy caught wind of her location and screamed after her. “Lexi! Lexi, wait up!” He was her brother—Travis.

  I also had a brother, but Soren was nothing like Travis.

  Not even for demon standards.

  Lexi had a family. She had people who loved her, watched out for, shielded her from not just the horrors of the underworld but from the assholes who dwelled in hers. The three of them always looked out for each other, something I envied. I had no one other than Cayden to look out for me, and even then, his protection was limited.

  For years I escaped into these dreams, watching my mate mature. It didn’t matter that we’d never met. She was mine. Even then.

  And because of it, she was damned.

  The notes of my dreams always followed the same path. Sometimes they felt like a punishment, and I wondered if my mother was torturing me—one of her lessons. Being raised by the Queen of Darkness hadn’t been filled with morning hugs and good-night kisses.

  Lexi’s happiness shined through the dreams like the summer sun, and it was through these moments that my cold heart thawed. But then the darkness came, taking Lexi’s laughter, her smiles, her glow, and smothering it all.

  Literally.

  My dreams turned into nightmares in which I watched my mate die a thousand different deaths. Tortured. Brutal. Cruel. We weren’t bound, and yet the pain, anger, and emptiness blazed inside me. Some nights I woke up in a cold sweat, trembling. Other nights I thrust awake, ready to kill, to tear the fucking underworld apart, my demon growling in full glory.

  I had seen Lexi’s death over and over again, to the point where I couldn’t distinguish the difference between dream and reality, not until I woke up, chest heaving and my demon so close to the surface that I nearly lost control. Some nights I didn’t bother to stop the beast from emerging because, man or beast, we both felt the same rage, gut-wrenching sadness, and violent need to kill anyone who tried to hurt her.

  My mother had given me no choice when she decided to seek out the human queen. Through my dreams, I learned of Angel’s existence, her connection to my mate. Some might say it was fate that finally had our paths crossing, that it was our bond pulling us together, the begi
nning threads of our link weaving together.

  But if my dreams had anything to say about our connection, it was us being together that meant Lexi’s imminent death.

  To me, sealing our bond was the same as me killing my mate. And yet, in her presence, staring down in those fiery aqua eyes, I’d been powerless to do anything else. For the first time in my existence, I had underestimated something’s power—a vital mistake.

  I didn’t make mistakes. And somehow, even if it cost me my soul, I’d find a way to save her.

  Hell was no place for Lexi. I never meant to take her. Never meant to bind her to my soul, because in doing so, I basically issued her death card.

  She might be my savior, but I was her end.

  1

  LEXI

  Dust of the dead coated the throne room’s gleaming white floors. The cries of battle had long since silenced into a deafening quiet that seemed to ring in my ears.

  But it wasn’t just the quiet that echoed in my rattled brain.

  Queen of Envy. Queen of fucking Envy.

  How the hell…?

  No matter how many times Ashor’s words swirled around inside me, I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea—the title. It had been difficult to believe he was the King of Envy—a fucking royal ruler of Hell.

  I wanted it to be a lie. I wanted to save Ashor, to pull him out of the darkness, to cut the cord Hell had wrapped around him.

  How was I supposed to respond after hearing him admit what I’d been deathly afraid to hear? I stared at my mate, locked on to his purple irises rimmed with so much gold the two blended together, forming a new color entirely.

  Sensing the turmoil inside me, Ashor whispered against my lips, “It will be okay, luv.”

  He turned to the spot where Verena, the former queen, had fallen, then bent to pick up the glittering crown that sat nestled in a pile of ash. My mate fitted it to his head, and a visible gasp went through the room, setting off a chain reaction. The crown shifted and reshaped, adjusting to its new owner. My eyes drifted upward, taking in the sight of my mate wearing the Crown of Envy. It glittered boldly atop his midnight hair, twigs of dark gold framing around the circlet. Jewels of green embedded into the twigs like sparkling berries.

  The air around him shimmered and quivered with power. I took a step back, thinking I was too close as the magic of the crown hummed and whispered. Something in Ashor’s gaze brightened, his muscles constricting. The murmurs were ancient, and the demon inside me rose to the surface, called by the magic. An ingrained kernel of my own power tingled.

  When the whispers ceased, Ashor flexed and unflexed his fingers as if he was testing out new gloves, working out the kinks. Then the king straightened to his full height, black wings tucked at his back to face the horde of demons filling the throne room. More seemed to appear by the second, popping into the corners, filling every available space. Succubae, fairylike demons, and others who looked like gargoyles, short, stocky creatures.

  “Kneel!” Ashor commanded, his voice booming throughout the castle, the bricks and stones trembling from the power of his order.

  I flinched, my knees ready to hit the ground. He had that much influence in his tone, that even I felt the urge to obey him. Perhaps it was the demon within me, born of this court, who knew her place in this world even if I didn’t. Firming my chin, I forced my legs to stay steady and rigid while I remained just off to the right of Ashor. Not alongside but slightly behind.

  No one dared defy their king. They might not like him. They might not respect him. But they damned well knew better than to test the Prince of Darkness, who was also now their king.

  Shifty, shrewd, and stunned eyes lowered one by one as the demons who belonged to the Court of Envy bowed their heads, dropping before Ashor.

  Speechless, I gawked at those who now surrendered to my mate. It was more than just having no words. I could barely breathe at the sight before me and the sharp turn my life had taken.

  He had an army at his disposal. A castle. A fucking kingdom. And a slew of sex demons who were willing to do anything he asked. The last thought pulled a scowl from my lips. That wouldn’t do. Of all the kingdoms in the underworld, he would have to go and take this one. It didn’t matter that this was technically where part of my DNA hailed from.

  I didn’t want to unpack how this all made me feel in front of his court, or what it meant for us. Not yet. Definitely not yet. Later, after I pulled my heart out of my feet where it had dropped and remained still.

  “Your queen is gone, but the threat to this kingdom isn’t over. It didn’t die with her. My mother has made her intentions clear. She will wage war on every ruler, on every kingdom until all sectors fall under her thumb.” Ashor’s clear voice resonated, the demons in the room slowly lifting their heads, listening to what the king had to say. “I won’t force any of you to stay, but know that if you do, I will fight to keep her from taking this throne.” He threw out his arms. “We don’t have time to waste. The Queen of Darkness will strike again, and we must be prepared.”

  A few grunts of agreement came from the crowd of demons. Some shifted on their feet, but they all warily listened to Ashor.

  I stared at my mate, seeing a different side of him, one I wasn’t sure about. It was as if the moment he stuck on the crown, he became someone else right before my eyes. The only thing that kept me from falling to the ground was what I felt through our bond. Tendrils of darkness caressed my mind in a soothing manner, as if Ashor was trying to console me, assure me that he was still in there.

  “You don’t have to trust me,” he continued. “Not yet. But when the time comes, you will fight. War is upon us.” There was no question in his statement. If they chose to stay, they would be going up against the most powerful kingdom in Hell.

  I had so many questions. And so did the horde of demons. The room erupted into mayhem, hundreds of voices speaking at once.

  “Silence!” Ashor bellowed, again rattling the windows. “Everything won’t be resolved tonight. We have several matters to attend to, and we must prepare for the fight when it comes. For now, resume your duties.” And just like that, he dismissed the court.

  Kali, the Queen of Darkness, might have withdrawn her armada, but the aftermath of the fight still lingered in the Court of Envy. As the king, Ashor would have to assess the damages to the court he ruled.

  “Will any of them stay?” I asked, watching the hordes disburse. As someone who’d spent her life running and hunting demons, it was fucking surreal to stand among and fight beside them. My basic instincts were to destroy them, but like the demons in this court, I had to redirect that fire in my belly on one enemy—one problem at a time.

  He faced me, a bit of the rigidness in his spine relaxing when his eyes met mine. “Most of them will,” he answered. “They have nowhere else to go. No other court will take them.”

  I was still fairly green to the inner workings of Hell’s courts, but I did know that lower demons reported to higher demons who reported to the royals like Ashor and Kali. The underworld had a certain order, a chaotic organization. “So that speech about being free to leave was for shits and giggles?”

  Ashor shrugged, stepping close enough to me that I could feel the coolness of his skin. “Not entirely. I want them to fight with me. I could command it, of course, but they will fight harder if they have something other than fear guiding them.” His finger lightly skimmed over a cut at the corner of my lip that was nearly healed. “I don’t like seeing you hurt,” he stated, violet eyes darkening.

  The mention of my aches and pains brought them to the center of my attention. I’d sustained far worse and suspected more agony was to come. “I’m fine,” I assured him despite the throbbing in my head.

  “Hmm.” He didn’t believe me, and he shouldn’t. “If only saying it made it so. Come,” Ashor said, sweeping me up into his arms, lifting me off my feet. Beautiful black wings fanned out at his back.

  Any other time, I would have resisted being carried
around, but right now, I wanted to be held in his arms for more than just being physically and emotionally drained. I rested my cheek against his even as I asked, “What are you doing?” My mouth and body fought against each other. My body wanted to sink into the comfort only my mate could give me. My mouth wanted to rattle off a string of objections. Exhaustion won.

  His feet kicked off the ground, wings beating behind us, a blur of black feathers. “You need sleep, luv. And I need a moment alone with you if only to see for myself that you are truly okay.” He burst through the broken ceiling and into the night. It wasn’t as dark as the evenings in Brimstone, but something in the expansiveness of black enveloping us had a hint of coolness normally not present. Remnants of Kali’s powers perhaps. “Remind me to have the ceiling fixed,” he said with a hint of humor.

  A breeze kissed my cheeks as Ashor took us over the castle. “Where are we going?”

  Ashor grinned devilishly. It didn’t reach his eyes, and I realized he was holding it together for my sake. “Someplace quiet, where we can be alone.”

  My eyes drifted to the River Styx that ran through Gardeness, not far from the castle. Kali’s armada was long gone, but I could still envision the shadowy outline of those ships. It was an image that would stay with me, one to add to the collection of nightmares plaguing my dreams. “Is that even possible here?” I muttered.