Product Description

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.

Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.…

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6691 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780373773107
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. --New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

Showalter at her finest. --New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning on The Darkest Night

About the Author
Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy. 

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean.  The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called ?a star on the rise?. 

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Reyes stood on the roof of his Budapest fortress, five stories up, his feet balanced precariously on the highest ledge. Above him, moonlight seeped red and yellow from the sky, blood mixed with fickle gold, dark mixed with light, wounds freshly cut in the endless expanse of black velvet.

He gazed down at the gloomy, waiting void beneath him, the taunting ground opening its arms as if begging to embrace him. Thousands of years, and I'm still reduced to this.

Frigid wind blustered, ruffling his hair in every direction, tickling his bare chest, the hated butterfly etched up onto his neck and the remembered lifeblood splattered there. Not his blood, though. No, not his, but his friend's. Every stroke of hair against that phantom evidence of life and death was like kindling thrown into the fire of his blazing guilt.

So many times he'd come here, wishing for things that could never be. So many times he'd prayed for absolution, relief from his daily torment and the demon inside him responsible…relief from his utter dependence on self-mutilation.

His prayers had never been answered. Would never be answered. This was what he was, what he would always be. And his agony would only increase. Once an immortal warrior to the gods, he was now a Lord of the Underworld, possessed by one of the many spirits formerly locked inside dimOuniak. From favor to dishonor, beloved to despised. From happiness to constant misery.

He ground his teeth. Mortals knew dimOuniak as Pandora's box; he knew it as the source of his eternal downfall. He and his friends had defiantly opened it all those centuries ago; now he and his friends were the box, each holding a demon inside himself.

Jump, his demon beseeched.

His demon: Pain. His constant companion. The tempting whisper in the back of his mind, the dark entity that craved unspeakable evil. The supernatural force he battled every damned minute of every damned day.

Jump.

"Not yet." A few more seconds of anticipation, of knowing most of his bones would shatter on contact. He grinned at the thought. The razor-sharp bone shards would cut his injured, swollen organs and those organs would burst like water balloons; his skin would rip from the excess fluid and this time the lifeblood that drained would be his own. Agony, such blissful agony, would consume him.

For a little while, anyway.

Slowly his smile faded. Within days—hours, if he failed to hurt himself badly enough—his body would heal itself, totally and completely. He would wake up, whole again, Pain once more a commanding force inside his mind, too loud to be denied. But oh, for those few blessed ticks of the clock before his bones began to realign, before his organs began to weave back together and his skin to reconnect, before blood once more pumped through his veins, he would experience nirvana. The ultimate paradise. Rapture of the sweetest kind. He would writhe in the exquisite pleasure the pain brought with it—his only source of pleasure. The demon would purr with utter contentment, so drunk on the sensation it was unable to speak, and Reyes would experience such blissful peace.

For a little while. Always, only, a little while.

"I do not need another reminder about how fleeting my peace is," he muttered to drown the depressing thought. He knew how quickly time passed. A year sometimes felt like nothing more than a day. A day sometimes felt like nothing more than a minute.

And yet, both were sometimes infinite to him. Just one of the many contradictions of life as a Lord of the Underworld.

Jump, Pain said. Then, more insistently, Jump! Jump!

"I told you. Just a few seconds more." Once again Reyes glanced at the ground. Jagged rocks winked in that bleeding moonlight, the clear puddles surrounding them rippling in the wind. Mist rose like ghostly fingers, summoning him closer, wonderfully closer. "Plunging a blade into your enemy's throat kills him, yes," he told the demon, "but then it's over, done, and you have nothing left to anticipate."

Jump! A snarled command, impatient and needy, a child throwing a tantrum.

"Soon."

Jumpjumpjump!

Yes, sometimes demons really were like whiny human children. Reyes shoved a hand through his tangled hair, a few strands ripping from his scalp. He knew of only one way to shut his other half up. Obedience. Why he'd even tried to resist and savor the moment, he didn't know.

Jump!

"Maybe this time you'll be sent back to hell," he muttered. A man could wish, anyway. Finally, he splayed his arms. Closed his eyes. Leaned…

"Come down from there," he heard a voice say from behind him.

Reyes's eyelids popped open at the unwelcome intrusion, and he stiffened. He rebalanced but didn't turn. He knew why Lucien was here, and he was too ashamed to face his friend. While the warrior understood what he dealt with because of his demon, there would be no understanding what he'd done.

"That's the plan, coming down. Leave and I'll see that it gets done."

"You know what I meant." There was no hint of laughter in Lucien's voice. "I need to talk to you."

The dewy scent of roses suddenly saturated the air, thick and lush and so unexpected in the late-winter night that Reyes would have sworn he'd been transported to a spring meadow. A human would have found the aroma hypnotic, lulling, almost drugging, and would have done anything the warrior asked. Reyes merely found it annoying. After thousands of years together, Lucien should have known the fragrance held no power over him.

"We'll talk tomorrow," he said tightly.

Jump!

"We'll talk now. Afterward, you may do whatever you please."

After Reyes admitted his newest crime? No, thanks. Guilt, shame and grief might bring emotional pain, but none would soothe his demon in any way. Only physical suffering offered relief, which was why Reyes had always guarded his emotional well-being so diligently.

Yes, and you've done such a great job at it.

He ran his tongue over his teeth, unsure who had whispered that sarcastic little gem. Himself or Pain. "I'm in a bad place right now, Lucien."

"As are the others. As am I."

"You, at least, have a woman to comfort you."

"You have friends. You have me." Lucien, keeper of the demon of Death, was tasked with escorting human souls to the hereafter, whether the hereafter was heaven or the deepest fires of hell. He was stoic, ever calm—most of the time. He'd become their leader, the man every warrior residing in this Budapest fortress turned to for guidance and aid. "Talk to me."

Reyes didn't like to deny his friend, but he told himself it was better that Lucien did not learn the terrible thing he'd done.

Even as Reyes thought it, he recognized the lie for what it was: a shameful lack of courage on his part. "Lucien," he began, only to stop. Growl.

"The tracking dye has worn off and no one knows where Aeron is," Lucien said. "No one knows what he's doing, if he's the one who slaughtered those humans in the States. Maddox said he called you right after Aeron escaped the dungeon. Then Sabin told me you left Rome and the Temple of the Unspoken Ones in a hurry. Want to tell me where you went?"

"No." Truth. He didn't. "But you may rest assured Aeron is no longer able to slaughter humans."

There was a pause, the rose scent intensifying.

"How do you know for sure?" The question possessed a bite.

Reyes shrugged.

"Why don't I tell you what I think happened?" Where Lucien's tone had been sharp before, it was now threaded with expectation. And fear? "You went after Aeron, hoping to protect the girl."

The girl. Aeron had kidnapped the girl. Aeron had been ordered by the new gods, the Titans, to murder the girl. Reyes had taken one look at the girl and allowed her to invade his most private thoughts, color his every action and reduce him to a lovesick fool.

With only a glance she had changed his life, and not for the better. And yet, the fact that Lucien refused to say her name pissed Reyes off royally. Reyes desired that girl more than he desired a hammer to the skull. For Pain, that was saying something.

"Well?" Lucien prompted.

"You're right," Reyes said through tight lips. Why not admit it? he suddenly thought. His emotions were in turmoil and remaining quiet had only roused them further. More than that, his friends could not hate him any more than he hated himself. "I went after Aeron."

The admission hung in the air, as heavy as shackles, and he paused.

"You found him."

"I found him." Reyes squared his shoulders. "I also… destroyed him."

Rocks crumbled under Lucien's boots as he stalked forward. "You killed him?"

"Worse." Still, Reyes did not turn. He peered down longingly at the still-waiting ground. "I buried him."

The pounding of footsteps ceased abruptly. "You buried him but did not kill him?" Confusion drifted from Lucien's voice. "I do not understand."

"He was about to kill Danika. I could see the torment in his eyes and knew he did not want to do it. I cut him down to slow him and he thanked me, Lucien. Thanked me. He begged me to stop him permanently. He begged me to take his head. But I couldn't do it. I raised my sword, but I just couldn't do it. So I had Kane collect Maddox's chains and bring them to me. Since Maddox no longer needs them, I used them to lock Aeron underground."

Reyes had once been forced to shackle Maddox to a bed every night, cursed to stab his friend in the stomach six hated times, knowing the warrior would awaken in the morning and Reyes would have to kill him all over again. Some friend I am.

After hundreds of years, Maddox had come to accept the curse. Restraining him, however, had been a necessity. As the keeper of Violence, Maddox tended to attack without warning. Even his friends. And as strong as the warrior was, he would have rent man-made metal in seconds. So they'd commandeered links forged by the gods, links no one, not even an immortal, could open without the proper key.

Like Maddox, Aeron had been—was...

Customer Reviews

Third in the Lords of the Underworld series - second book is my fav so far
Long ago a band of immortal warriors stole and unleashed the evil within Pandora's box. In the melee, the box was lost. As their punishment for the deed, the gods forced each warrior to 'contain' one of the demons within themselves. So the Lords of the Underworld were born.

At present, some of these possessed immortals live a sheltered life high on a hill in Budapest. They struggle daily with their demons eventually succumbing to the demons desires. As well as warding off attacks by the radical humans called Hunters who want to see them and their demons dead.

The immortal warrior Reyes possesses the demon of Pain. He can only feel pleasure in one of two ways 1)unleashing his demon during fights or 2)self inflicting pain -cutting himself. That is until he meets his *angel*.

Danika Ford is the unfortunate woman whom the gods have targeted for death (along with her family). Aeron (Wrath) has been assigned the task of murdering them. The more he resists, the more the bloodlust grows within him.

Meanwhile the other warriors continue to look for the pieces of the puzzle to find Pandora's box. Only Reyes cannot concentrate on anything other than keeping Danika safe and away from his warrior friend. Soon he must choose between his two loves -his woman or his friend.

A good book but I liked the second one in the series The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) much more. I think I expected something else here -perhaps some mild BDSM? (he is Pain after all). And the adventure was somewhat lacking unlike the previous installment. There is a lot of foreshadowing (more like teasing for the next book! ;)) too . In particular, Showalter showcases Paris and Aeron. Those parts were my favorites (made it a 4 star rather than a 3 star book) and make me anticipate the sequels.

On the other hand as far as the romance goes -Reyes and Danika are a engaging couple but nothing that is earth shattering. Good sexual tension but somewhat mundane love scenes. Perhaps my expectations were too high *shrugs* I don't know.

I mostly liked it and recommend it to those who have liked the previous books. And I will be definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Showalter has an interesting take on the mythological in the paranormal genre.

Lords of the Underworld book 3
This is a very good series and I am enjoying each and every one so far. This is the story of Reyes and Danika, he is possessed by the demon of pain and needs pain to feel pleasure. I really felt this would be a hard book to read or write because of the demon he has. However, I found the book an easy read and the search for the box of Pandora is heating up. All of the other characters are in this one too.

Reyes is possessed by the demon of Pain but since he met Danika all he can think about is her. He is determined to protect her from Aeron who has been ordered by the Titans to kill her and her family.

Danika can't believe how she can desire one of the horrible monsters who are out to kill her family. But as Reyes saves her life again and again she comes to know him and realize there is a soul in him besides the demon of Pain. Danika has fought monsters in her dreams her whole life. She has visited heaven and hell in those dreams and now she faces them is reality.

Lucian demands that Reyes tell him where he has imprisoned Aeron, and Reyes convinces him to keep Aeron chained to protect Danika. They both know that it is not a permenant solution. If Reyes could only find out why Cronos wants her dead.

The story is good the romance is hot and the reading is easy. What more can you ask for a good summer read.

Measuring Pleasure in Pain; Reyes & Danika's Story
The Darkest Pleasure was probably one of the most anticipated books of the summer after The Darkest Night and The Darkest Kiss rolled out with the beginnings of a pretty good new paranormal romance series. The Lords of the Underworld are back, still looking for the artifacts that can lead them to Pandora's box. The hunt for the artifacts takes a very steep decline in this novel as the romance between Danika and Reyes, Keeper of Pain, finally takes center stage. Built up over the course of the previous two books the attraction to one another might seem a little Romeo and Juliet.

Reyes is an immortal warrior possessed by the demon Pain, a demon which forces him to inflict painful injury upon himself to avoid inflicting it on others. Worse yet is the fact that he cannot feel any pleasure without it. He's been Pining for Danika since he first saw her in The Darkest Night, but can't risk getting involved with her without being forced to protect her from Aeron, Keeper of Wrath, his friend and fellow Lord. Commanded to kill Danika and her mother, sister and grandmother, Aeron has been driven to bloodlust yet continues to fight his demon even still. Aeron and Reyes know that if he commits these killings he will be lost to his demon forever. Meanwhile Lucien, leader of the Lords and Keeper of Death, wants Aeron brought home and demands an exchange, he'll tell Reyes where Danika is (and she is in danger from Hunters) if Reyes will tell him where he has trapped Aeron. Trapped for a time, Aeron has been discovered by a mysterious little demon known as Legion who has become his constant companion. When Reyes relents and saves Danika from the Hunters he is ready to protect her for as long as it takes to free Aeron from his mandate. But is Danika really in danger from the Hunters or has she begun to work for them? When the chips fall where will her loyalty and her heart lie?

Sorry, no spoilers! You'll have to read the book to find out. If you've been reading the rest of the series you definitely will want to know what happens. I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than the first and about the same as the second. I liked Danika and Reyes a lot more than previous couplings, but I found myself frustrated at how little of the sidestories there was in this one after being given so much in the last one. In the end I was a bit disappointed that only small sections gave us more story related to Paris and Sienna, Aeron and Legion, Torin and Cameo, as well as the other Lords. I really wanted to get more sidestory and there just wasn't enough this time. Truth be told Legion was pretty much my favorite part of the book and I felt like Cronus had a weird personality change from his previous scenes.

This book was definitely a pleasure and a pain (puns totally intended!), so if you are following the series snap it up quick. If you've not read The Darkest Night (#1) and The Darkest Kiss (#2) I don't think you could really enjoy the story behind this book because there are too many unknown factors you'd need to know from the other two for even the romance to make a lot of sense so check them out!