Read King of the Damned: A League of Guardians Novel Online

Authors: Juliana Stone

King of the Damned: A League of Guardians Novel (34 page)

“She cannot perish. Her future is hidden in the fabric that binds us all. But know this.” Bill’s nostrils flared as his anger thickened. “She will be protected. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and make sure she meets her destiny.”

“Seems like a moot point, considering she’s already dead.”

Bill’s eyes narrowed. His face darkened and blurred . . . features shifting until his true self shone through. Gone was the pleasant, middle-aged human. In his stead a powerful, enigmatic creature stood. Two realities converged, and Logan had to admit the little shit’s mojo was impressive.

Bill’s voice vibrated, falling in layers that encircled Logan and filled his head. There was no mistaking. The Seraphim was livid.

“She is not meant to die—not yet. Someone is trying to alter her destiny and I need you to retrieve her for me.”

“She’s not my problem. Find some other dog.”

“Oh, but she is your problem. I need someone who can track her. Someone who knows her scent.” Bill leaned closer, his voice amplified even more. “Someone who’s tasted her soul.”

Logan had had enough. He growled and bared his teeth. “I don’t take orders from you. Not anymore. I don’t know why I ever agreed to it in the first place.”

Bill sighed, grabbed his bag of candy, and helped himself to a generous amount of the gooey mess. “You joined the League because you knew it was the right thing to do. Nothing’s changed.” He chewed and stared up at Logan, his hard eyes and unyielding mouth at odds with the image he portrayed.

“You will do this for me.”

Logan crossed his arms over his chest and spread his legs. The Seraphim was going to have to do a hell of a lot better than that.

Logan reached for the nearly empty bottle of whiskey and dumped the last of it into his glass. “You’ve wasted a trip, old man.” He was dancing on the edge—tossing insults to one of the most powerful creatures in existence—and he didn’t give a shit.

Such was the way of it these days. His stay in the Pit had altered him in more ways than one.

“You will do this because of your vow to the League.” Bill arched a brow. “And because I know your true origins.” The words slid between them—silky, dangerous. Bill’s ace in the hole.

Logan paused, the glass nearly to his lips. His throat tightened and his teeth clenched hard.

“I know who your mother is.”

The glass shattered in Logan’s hand as a snarl erupted from within his chest. In a flash, his fist closed around Bill’s throat and he shoved the Seraphim back onto the bar with such force that the walls shook sending bottles and glasses crashing to the floor.

Logan’s skin shifted and the beast shone through, his eyes morphing to blood red as he stared down at the small man held tight in his grip.

Several longs moments passed and eventually Logan pulled back, curses in an ancient tongue flying from his mouth as he stepped away.

He closed his eyes, forced his body to relax, and crooked his head to the side. “Where’s the girl?”

There was a pause.

“Purgatory.”

Logan swore. “I don’t have permission to enter the gray realm, you know that. No hellhound has ever breached it.” He swore again. “And even if I did, there’s no guarantee I will get to her in time or find my way out.”

“This is true.” Bill nodded. “But I have faith in you, Logan. I always have.”

Logan clenched his lips together tightly and took a few moments to gather his thoughts. He had no choice and he hated that the little son of a bitch had put him in this situation. Hadn’t he given enough to the fucking League?

He glared at the Seraphim and spoke coldly. “Where’s her body?”

“The Regent Psychiatric Institute in Florida.” At Logan’s snarl, the round man finished quietly. “Morgue.”

The word had barely escaped Bill’s lips and Logan was already gone.

About the Author

JULIANA STONE is a writer, mother, and rock star. She lives in Canada with her family.

You can contact Juliana at www.julianastone.com.

Visit
www.AuthorTracker.com
for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

By Juliana Stone

King of the Damned

To Hell and Back
(novella)

Wicked Road to Hell

Wrong Side of Hell
(novella)

His Darkest Salvation

His Darkest Embrace

His Darkest Hunger

This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance
to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.

“Wrong Side of Hell” was originally published
as an e-book novella. March 2012 by Avon Impulse, an Imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers.

Excerpt from “Wrong Side of Hell” copyright ©
2012 by Juliana Stone.

KING OF THE
DAMNED
. Copyright © 2012 by Juliana Stone. All rights reserved under
International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required
fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access
and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be
reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored
in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form
or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter
invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EPub Edition DECEMBER 2012 ISBN:
9780062102324

Print Edition ISBN: 9780062102317

FIRST
EDITION

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Publisher

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

http://www.harpercollins.com.au

Canada

HarperCollins Canada