Page 108 of Venom Sweeter than Honey
“You kept my pin.”
He smiles gently.
Iwillthe note into my hand—the note that appeared in one of my darkest hours, that gave me hope, and that I have carried with me all these years.
It has become my most precious of treasures.
“And this.”
Ithadto be him.
Even as I think the words, my intuition rejects them.
His brows knit together as he reaches for the note. He frowns, reading it before looking back up at me, giving a slight shake of his head, and making my heart sink a little with disappointment.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t recognize it.”
Gods, I feel so fucking foolish. Of course Azrael didn’t send me a note. He has far more pressing matters to deal with than a brothel whore.
Most obviously, his own damn soulbound.
Cheeks burning with embarrassment, I train my features neutral andwillthe note away.The regret at even having come here is crushing. Just as I’m about to summon another portal open, and profusely apologize for having ever bothered him, Azrael offers me a sad smile.
“It is beautiful though. I wish someone would send me a letter saying as much.” He extends his hand. “Come. Let’s get you out of the heat.”
The momenthefoldsus away, and we arrive inside Azrael’s palace, the view outside tells me we are no longer in his Hell realm, Vassileo.
This place is far too beautiful.
Futuristic yet endowed with an old-world sort of beauty that is reminiscent of nature. Naturalistic elements that are so very similar to those of my own home. An orchestra of stringed instruments sings softly through the room, and I canfeelthe hum of appreciation resonating from the lush green flora lining the walls.
My gaze fixates on the view of the city’s skyline outside, watching with no small amount of awe at the myriad beings flying alongside winged vehicles; ships, even, boasting vast sails. Green foliage and waterfalls run down the length of several buildings so high they puncture fluffy clouds.
The words come out a little breathy. “Where are we?”
Azrael’s expression turns thoughtful, eyes taking in the resplendence before us. “Ourinessa.”
The name tickles the back of my mind, before that night in the carriage begins to replay in my mind.
‘Oleander, please take Ms. Vale anywhere she asks and ensure she returns home safely. Make yourself available to her in my absence—and if she needs a place to stay, please provide her with the keys to my estate. I need to return to Ourinessa earlier than anticipated.’
Oleander is swift to reply. ‘As you wish, my lord.’
“So this is your home when you need a reprieve from Hell, or grow bored of pretty daemonesses?”
Like Larae.Why I remember the name of the female on his arm the night we met, I have no fucking excuse. My cheeks flush at the last part, instantly regretting the admission. Azrael huffs a sardonic laugh. “Hell isn’t merely a place, seraphim, and pretty daemonesses can’t save you from it.”
His response surprises me.
Oh, darling... It's a reality I know well.
The urge to console him ushers me closer, but his gaze returns to the window and the realm beyond. “I live here, partially. Ourinessa is part of my domain.”
Having heard and read so few good things about Azrael, the infamous death god that rules one of the cruellest Hell realms in existence, I expected him to be a sadistic megalomaniac when I first met him. Since then, he has done
“I had no idea.”
Tension dims his smile. “It’s better that way.”
