Demon-In-Law

  AJA FOXX

  Copyright © 2023

  As the personal bodyguard to the consort of Hades, god of the dead and king of the underworld, I very rarely got any time off. When Hades himself gives me the day off, I had some great ideas of how to spend my free time. Only, they didn't go according to plan. Instead, I was summoned by a human wanting to make a deal for his soul. I had a better idea.

  Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing participants.

  Note: This story was originally part of the Uncontrolled Chaos anthology, which is no longer available for purchase. It has been revised and extended by 12,000 words.

  Copyright

  Demon-In-Law

  Copyright © Aja Foxx, 2023

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Cover Design by Sinfully Sweet Designs

  Editing by Fischer Editing

  First Electronic Edition October 2023

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from the authors. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Also from Aja Foxx

  About the Author

  Demon-In-Law

  AJA FOXX

  Copyright © 2023

  Chapter One

  ~ Abigor ~

  Being the personal bodyguard for the consort of the god of the dead and king of the underworld was not for the faint of heart. Herby—Herebeorht Bartholomew Ravensbrook III—had a mind of his own and it was fully human, even if he was a demon-marked human.

  I held my breath as I watched him riding his kelabron in a race with four other riders. Three of them were neck and neck with the last one trailing significantly behind. Herby was one of the three and quickly gaining a lead.

  A kelabron was like a cross between a very large hairless dog and a velociraptor. They were ugly as...well...hell, and just as mean. Somehow, Herby had found one that was totally devoted to him.

  Damn thing followed him everywhere.

  If Lord Hades ever discovered that Herby had entered the kelabron races, I'd end up in the pits—I shuddered just thinking about that horrible place—but it wasn't like I could tell Herby no. I was simply his bodyguard, not his lord and master. My job was to keep him safe.

  These races weren't exactly safe.

  I was going to die.

  I felt a shiver of excitement zip through me when Herby's kelabron pulled significantly ahead of the other three. I know I shouldn't be excited, but I couldn't help it. My charge was going to win.

  "Yes!"

  I visibly jumped when someone shouted beside me. A growing sense of dread filled me as I turned to see the god of the dead and king of the underworld standing beside me avidly watching the race.

  I gulped down my fear and addressed him with a bow. "Sire."

  Hades grabbed my arm and jerked me around. For a moment, I was positive he was preparing to kill me until he said, "I think he's going to win. Don't you think he's going to win?"

  Wait...what?

  "Sire?" How did he find out about the race and why wasn't he pissed? "You’re not mad that Consort Herby joined the races?"

  I had been positive he would be.

  Hades released me—I think my shoulder might be dislocated from being jerked around—and waved a dismissive hand at me. "Oh, he's just having fun."

  My jaw almost hit the ground.

  When Herby and his kelabron crossed the finish line well ahead of any of the other riders, the crowd started roaring, cheering Herby on. The loudest roar came from the demon lord standing next to me.

  "He won!" Lord Hades shouted. "He won!"

  I winced as the massive demon slapped my shoulder. I might be a demon of the First Order, but no one had the strength of Hades. That shit hurt.

  Would I say that?

  Not a chance in hell.

  "Herby and I are going to go celebrate. You have the rest of the day off."

  I perked up.

  An afternoon off?

  I grinned. "Yes, sir."

  It wasn't that I didn't like guarding Consort Herby, because I did, but some time off was some time off. I could think of a hundred things I could do to relax. Relaxing in a steam bath was at the top of that list.

  I did stand there and watch Lord Hades take off to go to his consort. While I appreciated the time off, Herby was still my charge. I wanted to make sure Lord Hades reached him before fully giving up my vigilance for the day.

  Once I saw Hades sweep Herby up in a hug, I smiled and turned away, heading back toward my new quarters. When I had been promoted from Level Six West Gate Enforcer to the personal bodyguard of the royal consort, I had received new quarters inside the palace.

  They were nice.

  As I left the race pavilion and started back toward the palace, I felt a strange tug in the center of my chest. My steps faltered as I reached up to rub the spot. It wasn't painful exactly, but it certainly wasn't comfortable.

  I took another step and then gasped when the tug became painful in intensity. I had just enough time to suck in a breath before the tug pulled me from where I was and dropped me...somewhere else?

  Where was I? Because it wasn't Hell.

  At least I didn't think it was.

  It was dark in the room, but there were several candles lit up around the area, enough to tell I was in some sort of room with plain wooden walls and floor. There was one small circular window on the far side of the room, but it wasn't letting in much light.

  There were also a lot of cardboard boxes and a few old faded wooden chests. That was pretty much it.

  Except for the small figure kneeling on the wooden floor in front of me. The person's head was bent down as if he was reading the book laid out on the floor in front of them, so I couldn't tell right away if they were male or female.

  I did notice a slight trembling to the shoulders and fingers that seemed to curl in on themselves. If I didn't know better, I'd think this person was injured in some manner. I sniffed the air for blood, but all I could smell was dampness and mildew.

  I started to reach out to make sure they were okay until my fingers encountered a barrier that zapped the tips. It wasn't painful exactly, but I still I quickly jerked back my hand and glanced around with a growing sense of panic.

  I was standing in a salt circle.

  Never a good thing.

  "Why have I been summoned?" I asked.

  The figure's head snapped up and I realized that I was looking at a man.

  I think.

  He was damn pretty to be a man, even if his face was covered in dark purple bruises. Narrow face with a straight button nose, high cheekbones, and deep blue eyes that made me want to throw someone into the pits. There was so much pain and sorrow in them it almost made me cry, and I lived in Hell.

  "Are...are you...um...?" The man glanced down at the book in front of him. "Are you Abigor, Level Six Enforcer for the West Gate?"

  I blinked for a moment, stunned that this human knew my name, let alone that I used to be an enforcer for the West Gate. "I am, but I have been given a promotion. I no longer guard the West Gate."

  Shoulders slumped.

  "Why have you summoned me?" I asked again.

  "I need to make a deal."

  I narrowed my eyes as a sense of unease filled me. "A deal?"

  Why did that not sound good?

  The man lifted the book and brought it close to his face. It was almost as if he couldn't see the words unless they were right in front of him. "It says here that if I summon a demon, I can make a deal for my soul."

  A cold chill ran down my spine. "I am not a soul-seeker."

  The man had a frown on his face when he glanced up. "Huh?"

  Seriously? There needed to be a how-to manual for summoning demons. There would be a whole lot less confusion.

  "Only a soul-seeker can make a deal for a mortal's soul. I am merely a demon of the First Order." I shrugged. "I'm basically a bodyguard. I don't have the capability to seek a soul or make a deal."

  I wished I had kept my mouth shut when tears welled up in the man's blue eyes.

  "But...but it says you're a demon."

  My eyebrows lifted. "I'm in your book?"

  That was new.

  The man glanced back down at the book and then slid his finger along the words written in it. "Abigor, demon, Level Six West Gate Enforcer." He glanced up. "That's you, isn't it?"

  Technically?

  "It is, but I still can't make deals for souls. It's against the rules." I peered down at the book as best as I could without bumping into the barrier. "Who else is listed in your book?"

  "Oh, there's a bunch of names. Hades, you, some guy named Bael that is supposed to be in charge of the pits."

  He was, the poor sod.

  Now for the important question. "Where did you find the book?"

  "I found it at an estate sale." The guy tossed the book away. "But if it's not going to help me, it's not worth the money I paid for it."

  Since the guy was already sitting on the floor, I decided to sit down in front of him, making sure I avoided touching the salt circle. He seemed really upset that the summoning hadn't worked, but he really should be grateful. Soul-seekers were not always the nicest of demons.

  "What is your name?" I asked. Trying to be friendly.

  The young man stiffened. "The book said we should never give our real name to a demon."

  I shook my head. "It's the other way around. A demon should never give their true name to a human. That's how we end up getting summoned."

  "So, Abigor is your true name?"

  I grimaced. "Unfortunately."

  "Oh." He frowned for a moment, his brows drawing close. "My name is Jamie. Well, it's Jamison, but I've always gone by Jamie."

  "It's nice to meet you, Jamie."

  Sort of.

  "You are very polite for a demon. I thought you would be more..." He shrugged as if not sure what to say.

  "I have no reason not to be polite," I replied, knowing full well how demons were portrayed in the human world. "Except for summoning me, you have done nothing to upset me."

  Jamie winced as he glanced down at his hands. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just didn't know what else to do. I really need to make a deal with a demon, and this was the only way I could think of to meet one."

  "You do understand that if you make a deal with a soul-seeker, they get your soul, right?"

  Maybe he didn't get that part.

  Jamie glanced up, a confused looking frown marring his features. "But they make deals before they take your soul, don't they?"

  I hated to admit it, but... "They do."

  "And they have to follow through on those deals, right?"

  I reluctantly nodded.

  "That's what I need then. I need one of those..." His brow flickered. "Soul-seekers?"

  I nodded again.

  "Right, so I need one of those soul-seekers to make a deal with me. I understand that I will lose my soul, but that doesn't matter."

  My eyebrows shot up as shock rolled through me like a tidal wave. "Losing your soul doesn't matter?"

  Since when?

  The man's lips pressed thin, but that wasn't what I worried about. It was the pain I could see shining in his eyes that concerned me. No one should have that much pain unless they are living in the pits.

  When he suddenly got up and went to one of the boxes in the corner, I started to follow him until I realized I couldn't. I was still locked inside the summoning circle.

  I settled back down and watched as he picked up something wrapped in a pink colored blanket and carried it back over to where I was sitting. He sat down in front of me again, the blanket wrapped bundle cradled on his lap.

  I gasped when he pulled back the edge of the blanket revealing a small child with a mop of blonde curls. I didn't know much about human children, but I figured the kid couldn't be more than three or four years old.

  "This is my half-sister, Annabelle," the man explained. "Our mother died when she was born."

  "Oh, I'm sorry."

  "My stepfather is the problem."

  "Problem?"

  "He's why I need to make a deal with a soul-seeker." It was only when he pushed the hair back from his face that I saw dark bruising on the side of his face. "He did this. He's always doing this, and lately he's been making threats to go after Belle. If I don't get him away from her..." He licked his lips again before continuing, but winced when doing it as if his lip was split. "It's worth my soul if I can save her."

  I could understand the need to protect his baby sister, but I wasn't sure giving up his soul was the right choice. "Once you sell your soul to a soul-seeker, you can never get it back."

  "If giving up my soul means Belle never has to experience what I have, then it's worth it. She's just a baby, barely three years old. She doesn't deserve to have her innocence taken away by a drunken fool with visions of grandeur."

  This guy sounded delightful.

  Not.

  "Would it not be easier to just take him out?" I wasn't exactly proud of myself for suggesting that, but it kind of seemed like the thing to do, especially if there was a young child involved.

  "He has friends," Jamie replied. "And they are just as bad as he is."

  Oh.

  "Maybe—" My gaze snapped to the door when I heard footsteps. "Someone is coming."

  "Oh god, it's him." Jamie clutched his baby sister to his chest as he jumped to his feet, his eyes snapping back and forth as he frantically looked around. "We're on the third floor and there's no window big enough for any of us to fit through except Belle, and we're three floors up. I can't drop her from here. There's no way out of here."

  Yes, there was.

  I made a split-second decision that would probably come back to bite me in the ass later. "Jamie, listen to me. I need you to break the seal."

  Jamie's head snapped around and he stared at me with raised brows and a slack jawed mouth. "What?"

  "Break the salt seal." I pointed to the floor just in case he didn't understand what I was referring to. "I can get us out of here."

  "But..." Jamie glanced at the book he had tossed away. "The book says to never break the seal."

  What was in that fucking book?

  "I know, but I need to make a cut in the palm of your hand."

  Jamie took a quick step back, clutching his sister tighter to his chest. I was actually kind of surprised she wasn't protesting. "You need to what?"

  "I can't take you and your sister out of here without a soul-bond between us, and to do that I need you to break the seal. It's the only way."

  Jamie chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, but a noise from beyond the door seemed to decide things for him. He swept his foot over the salt circle, breaking the seal.

  The moment I felt the pop as the seal broke and the cool air from the other part of the room rushed toward me, I reached out for Jamie. "Give me your hand."

  Jamie held his sister with one arm and stretched the other one out toward me. His hand was shaking.

  "I'm sorry if this hurts." I made a quick slash on the palm of his hand with one of my nails and then did the same to my own palm. Once we both had a small cut and the blood started to well up, I glanced into Jamie's eyes. "Do you accept this bond?"

  He had to do this willingly.

  Jamie nodded.

  "I need your verbal answer."

  Jamie sighed. "Yes, I accept this bond."

  That was all I needed.

  I slapped our palms together. Something akin to an electrical shock zip through my palm when our hands touched. The moment our blood began to mix, the bond rushed over me hotter than the flames of the River Styx.

  I had heard of soul-bonds. What demon hadn't? I even knew several people that were soul-bonded. I just never expected it to affect me so much. The overwhelming feeling of sharing a soul with someone else almost took me to my knees.

  When Jamie started to go down, I leapt forward and caught him and his little sister before they could hit the floor. Jamie's eyes were closed, and I wasn't even sure if he was conscious or not.

  Humans were weird.

  "Jamie?"

  Nothing.

  "Jamie?" I gave him a little shake.

 

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