So Below

So Below (An M/M Demon Angel Romance) Julie Mannino Copyright Ⓒ 2023 by Julie Mannino Published 2023 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieved system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review to print in a magazine, newspaper, or blog post. Julie Mannino Author’s Note Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Other works by Julie Mannino Author’s Note This novel is intended for mature readers only. Demons and angels aren’t made of rainbows and fairy dust. A full list of cw can be found in Castle Village on the pinned post or on GR. This trilogy contains a HEA. Castle Village For info on the latest books, sign up here for the Newsletter Prologue Eren jumped when he heard something crack in the distance. It was too late for Riley to come, so he started climbing a tree. Other humans were dangerous and not to be trusted. The book had said they hurt and killed fairies. Crouched among the branches, he scanned the area as he wrapped his tail around his leg for comfort. The forest seemed empty, but after a couple of seconds, he caught the chirp of a bird. Animals were usually scared of humans too, so if one made noise, that must mean it was safe. Still, he remained in the tree as he watched and listened. No human adults came running with pitchforks and torches. Nobody prowled around for a fairy child. Eren wished he had parents to keep him safe. Riley said most human kids had those, except for him. He had an Uncle, but that was just as good. Eren had no family. He didn’t remember anything from before except for his name when he woke up in the forest one day in a clump of bushes with a few books. The books told him what he was and what to watch out for, but they were gone now. Since it seemed safe, he climbed down. Without Riley to play with, Eren could entertain himself. He found a good patch of dirt and cleared away some weeds and leaves. With a twig in his hand, he lay on his stomach, kicked up his legs, and drew in the dirt. For a house, he made a square with a triangle on top because that was how Riley drew homes. He added a little rectangle with squiggles at the top for a smoking chimney. More squares and another rectangle became windows and a door. Next to it, he drew two stick people who were holding hands. One was a human, and the other had a tail like Eren. A circle with sticks and tiny triangles on top was Riley’s pet cat, Kitty, who didn’t like to go exploring. He preferred to be lazy at home. Eren decided that one day when he was grown up, Riley would be too, so they’d make their own house and live in it together. Surely, Kitty wouldn’t mind if they got a puppy because Riley said they were fun. No other humans would find them, and Eren would keep Riley safe forever. The light grew dim as the sun sank lower, but Eren could see. He was pretty sure humans couldn’t see so well, and that was why they didn’t usually go out at night. Riley had to stay home and couldn’t come to play in the dark. He was doodling swirls and squiggles in the sky above the house when he heard a rustle behind him. With his focus elsewhere, he hadn’t registered the silence blanketing the woods. He jumped up, saw a cloaked figure behind him, and was ready to run until he noticed horns sticking out from under the hood. Humans didn't have those. “Eren, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” The figure pushed its hood back to reveal a woman with long black hair. Her smile showed fangs like his, and she had purplish blue eyes. Eren tilted his head as his heart still pounded. “Who are you?” “I’m your Mother. Don’t you remember me?” He shook his head, almost too stunned for words. “I don’t have a Mother.” She smiled and approached him. “Everyone has a Mother. I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought you were lost forever.” “Why?” “I had to put you here for a bit because it was dangerous at home, but we can go back now.” He squinted at her because that made no sense. Why couldn’t he remember her or anything from before? But if she was his Mother, that meant she was a fairy too, and others of his kind could be trusted. He'd also be getting his wish to have parents. “Where’s Father?” “He’s at home, waiting for you. We have to go now.” But if Eren went home, wherever that was, what if he couldn't see Riley anymore? “Can’t we stay here? I like it.” He figured Mother could keep them safe because she was an adult, and Father could come here too. The bushes where Eren usually slept were roomy enough, or they could build a house. Mother blinked her nearly black eyes. “Why would you want to stay here? We’d have to stay far away in the forest because of the humans.” “I have a friend. He’s a human child, but he’s nice. He plays with me every day.” Eren's throat tightened at the idea of never seeing Riley again. "I want to build us a house someday." “Oh, well, if you have a friend, I suppose you can come to visit every day, but at night, you