Hell Everlasting: Lost Souls, #2

By Ariel Dawn

A demon. An angel. A fight for a lost soul.

 

Endor and Valory never expected they would be forced to work together to reunite a lost soul with her body, lest she remain a ghost in limbo forever.

When a territorial pack of wolves kidnaps Mercy, things turn toward the near impossible for the celestials. With outside sources impacting their every move, and emotions running hot while they battle to protect their charge, the two are about to discover they may just share a deeper connection than either of them realized. 

 

Will good win out over evil, or are they both doomed to lose sight of the plan?

 

**This book is a continuation from Heaven Knows (Lost Souls, #1) and contains a cliffhanger. If you have not read book one, please go back and snag it before reading Hell Everlasting.**

• Language: English
• Publisher: Naughty Nights Press LLC
• Release date: Jan 4, 2024
• ISBN: 9781773576091

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Endor

I clenched my jaw as I waited for the attendant at the La Quinta hotel to finish whatever the fuck she was doing on the computer that was taking damn near eternity.

The walk through Pine Ridge was needed, especially after Valory’s little act of heroism.

Just who the fuck did she think she was?

Shooting first and asking questions later, that is supposed to be my job. Not the pretty little angel’s.

All angels are just trigger-happy, if you ask me. Pent up in the big castle in the sky all the time, having to follow orders and law without any chance of deviating.

I should have expected Valory to flex her angelic power the first chance she got when dear old daddy Matthew wasn’t watching her like a hawk.

I bet it felt good, too.

The thought made me wonder if she was susceptible to falling off the bandwagon, and just how much it would take to push her... Perhaps I could add more than one soul to my roster to really cement my contractor deal. No demon’s ever pulled an angel to the dark side before.

Finally, the sloth passing for a person looked up from her computer screen and handed me two key cards.

Your room is on the top floor, hope that won’t be a problem, she said with a pop of her gum. She sucked her bubble inward, chomping on it so loud, I thought the sound itself was nails on a fucking chalkboard. I took the keycards from her, grumbling a thank you as I slid them in my pants pocket.

Once I exited the hotel, I found my way around to the back parking lot. It wasn’t late by human standards, only about eight pm. But by the darkness that blanketed the sad little town of Pine Ridge, New York, it felt like midnight, which I was rather thankful for.

I made my way behind the dumpster, unsheathing my wings. It felt so fucking good to let them out, let them stretch, and I was swept up in their magnetism once more. It didn’t take me long to reach Valory and Mercy, who was still sleeping peacefully in Valory’s arms like some stray kitten.

Valory looked at her like she was the sun, moon, and stars; with so much wonder and awe, I felt like I was intruding. Her golden hair fell over her tan shoulder, her skin practically glowing against the white and ivory dress that looked far too regal for the back alley of some side street. She looked beautiful, like a true angel.

I realized I was staring, and shook it off. It wasn’t like I’d never seen a beautiful woman before, they were a dime a dozen where I came from, so I saw them all the time in Hell. But I’d never really looked at an angel up close before.

I folded my wings down, but I did not sheath them. The sound of light flapping alerted Valory, breaking her awestruck gaze and the weird spell that had fallen over me.

I didn’t hear you arrive, she said, her eyes shifting from awestruck to cold and panicked.

I shrugged as I took my time striding up to them. Carefully, slowly.

Surprised you stayed put. I would have thought you’d be rushing off to save the day again.

Valory pursed her lips.

"Well, I would have, but that would defeat the order that we work together, wouldn’t it?"

I slid my hands into my pockets as I reached her. Her wings fluttered, covering her legs, covering Mercy, but even in the low light reflecting off the puddles, I could see they went on forever. Thoughts of what they’d look like wrapped around my waist threatened to push forth, but I resist them.

For now.

I would poison this angel soon enough, but right then, my only concern was the lost soul she was so enamored with.

Valory looked up at me, her blue eyes ablaze, cheeks flushed as she took in the sight of me in my grandiosity. I flexed my wings for good measure.

Go on and get a good look. I know they are badass.

"This partnership will work best if you listen to me and let me lead."

Valory moved to stand, careful not to wake Mercy.

This partnership will work best if you keep me in the loop. I did not know where you were going, or what you were doing, and—

I held up the key card in front of her and she shut up.

"I believe the words you are looking for, Angel, are thank you."

Valory sighed, pausing dramatically if only to aggravate me so. The desire to make this woman kneel, listen to my word, was overwhelming, but I knew now was not the time. I needed to get Mercy to the hotel, where she would be safe. Where she could sleep off Heaven’s jet lag.

You have not done anything deserving of my thanks yet. She held Mercy in her arms, taking one step forward toward me. She nodded in the direction I had arrived from.

But the day isn’t over yet. Lead the way, Endor.

I scoffed at her attitude, but my cock clearly had other ideas and I had to shift as to not to draw attention.

As you wish, Valory, I said smoothly as my wings flexed once more.

I do hope you can keep up. I smirked as I let my wings carry me up, into the dark night. Soft flapping sounded behind me, echoing my own wings, and I couldn’t help but feel like the night would be never ending.

CHAPTER 2

Valory

Some things never really changed, and hotels are one of them.

Though the outsides may get fresh makeovers, the insides, the operations were solid and unwavering. I watched Mercy as she snored softly, like a baby. I knew the journey ahead of us wasn’t going to be easy, but I also knew more than anyone how precious life was, how people didn’t really appreciate the fleetingness of it all until they were staring at the end after thinking all they had was time.

Time waited for no man, and I knew we had only a handful of days to find Mercy’s body and give her the chance to live again.

But I’d also promised Matthew that I would do whatever it took to persuade a lost soul to our side.

The lost souls are like sponges, according to my boss. Impressionable and moldable, and being an angel would be the highest spiritual gift to someone who is lost.

That is something that was ingrained in me from the time I was old enough to walk.

Do good things and you’ll get into heaven, Valory.

My pastor’s voice echoed in my head and I had to wonder what he’d say about a situation like the one I was in.

Tasked with not only saving the sweet, precious soul that was the girl who walked into my office, looking for her place, but also put in the position of having to put up with a sourpuss of a demon who made my blood