The Devil is in the Details

by Maya Daniels

  “Don’t stop on my account. Or, is it something I’m not supposed to know?” Walking up to the couch opposite Maddison, I curl my feet under me and sink into the soft leather.

  “Not everyone is hiding things from you, Hel.” Eric sounds tired, and he scrubs a hand over his face.

  “Could’ve fooled me,” I mumble, ignoring his sharp gaze. “Maddison, nice to see you again.”

  “I heard what happened.” She cuts to the chase, and I’m grateful.

  “Yeah, one clusterfuck after another. Just another day in the life of Helena.” I can’t hide the bitterness in my voice.

  “As much as I would like to tell you anything to make you feel better, I would have to agree.” Maddison lifts a hand, stopping Eric from talking. “You are not a child who needs to be sheltered from the truth. It seems Michael will stop at nothing to get to you, including making deals with Abaddon.” She gives Eric a peculiar look, and he scowls at her.

  “Abaddon is an idiot!” he snaps and starts pacing. “That moron almost got her captured. Useful, or not, keep him away from me, Maddison. I’ll kill the fucker next time I see him.”

  “Anyone like to share some details so I know what is going on? How does Abaddon fit in all this?”

  Eric clenches his jaw, and his fists, but Maddison has a calculating look in her bright blue eyes.

  “Abaddon and his twin were given to me by my mother when I decided to live in this realm. Humans would call them bodyguards,” she says, lacing her fingers over her knee.

  “To keep you safe from the Order, and the hunters?” Curiosity gets the better of me, and I’m intrigued by their world now that I know not all of them are human-eating abominations.

  “Amongst other things, yes.” She smiles, and I can’t help but stare at how beautiful she is. Her eyes glow slightly, and the green color of her shirtdress make her red hair look like flames around her face. “Humans, too.”

  “I’m sorry, what?” I blink stupidly at her.

  “To keep me safe from humans, as well.” Peals of feminine laughter surround me when I only blink again at that. “Oh, Helena. You think only demons can do evil things? Come now, you cannot be that naïve.”

  “What can a human possibly do to a demon? You are stronger, faster, and a supernatural being no matter how fragile you look.” Eric grimaced at my words, and I glare at him. “Tell me it’s not true!” I snap, and he clears his face of any expression.

  “That is true, but just because I am stronger, it doesn’t mean I want to go around hurting them,” Maddison answers, also glaring at Eric. “Let her ask her questions. Why does it bother you that she doesn’t believe some things? If she told you her perspective of the Order, would you believe her, or start arguing your point of view?”

  “What is it with you women? I said nothing!” Crossing his arms, he scowls at both of us.

  “You don’t have to say anything; your face said it all.” Tucking my hands between my knees, I look away from his penetrating green eyes.

  “I need to make a phone call.” He turns and goes to his bedroom mumbling about women and him never being able to do anything right. My eyes follow him, looking at his shoulders sway with every step.

  “Don’t mind him.” My eyes snap to Maddison.” He is afraid but doesn’t want to show it.”

  “Afraid of Michael? I can’t say I blame him. I never thought an angel could be more terrifying than a demon. Count me corrected in that regard.” Maddison bursts out laughing again, and I gape at her. “I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

  “He is not afraid of Michael.” Placing her hand over her chest, she keeps laughing like I just told her the best joke of the century. After her laughter dies down, she gasps out, “He is afraid of you.”

  “Of me?”

  “Oh, you silly girl. Yes, you! If what you said is true, and you are half angel, half demon, it means you are the last of your kind in existence. Not just the Archangels, but all the Fallen, too, made sure every single one of you were killed. The Archangels killed them to keep the Fallen bound to Hell, and the demons killed them by bleeding them dry in hopes of opening the gates of Hell. And here you are, alive, and causing trouble just by taking a breath. So, he is afraid of what that all means to him, to all of us. But also, he will do anything to protect you, even if it kills him.”

  “I have done nothing to deserve his protection. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, but I don’t want to cause more trouble than all of you already have. I’ll figure it out. I will leave and…”

  “Haven’t you seen the way he is looking at you?” Maddison cuts me off, narrowing her eyes. “Are you that stupid, or are you blind?”

  “You don’t go around risking your life for someone you want to fuck, Maddison, so get off your high horse.” Glaring at her, I fight to contain my anger. “I’ll go away, so he doesn’t have to worry about any of you getting in more shit with that deranged Archangel.”

  “You really can’t tell, can you? You don’t even know who Eric is.” She searches my eyes, but I don’t know what she’s hoping to find. “I thought since you are half demon you will simply know.”

  “Know what?” Tired, frustrated, and bone weary, I sigh heavily.

  “That I am Lucifer’s son, and I have claimed you as my own.” My head snaps in his direction, and my jaw hits my chest.

  “Oh, hell no!” Jumping from the couch, I start walking away from them both. “No way in hell anyone is claiming anything! And Lucifer?! What the fuck?”

  “Helena…”

  “Don’t you Helena me, you asshole! You forgot to mention that tiny bit of information before you shoved your hand in my pants!” Seething, I whirl on Eric, forgetting to even be embarrassed that Maddison is listening to all this.

  “I think you should calm down…”

  “Whatever possessed you to think it’s smart to tell a pissed off woman to calm down is beyond me.” Maddison huffs, cutting off Eric. A burst of hysterical laughter bubbles out of me.

  “I must be either dead, or I’m in some sort of coma living my nightmares while I’m trapped in my head!” I tell them both, deflating, all the anger leaving me so suddenly that I almost drop where I stand.

  “Please, sit down,” Maddison coaxes me while Eric stands frozen in place, glaring, and grinding his jaw so hard I can almost hear it. “Let us talk, and clear things up once and for all.”

  “I’m not sure I want to hear more than what I already know.” Grumbling, I walk back towards the couch because she does have a point. “And I don’t mean that just about you.” I twirl my hand in Eric’s direction. “I’m saying in general, about everything. Angels, the Order, demons…all of it.”

  “It must not be easy to have everything dumped on you at once.” Maddison’s eyes soften, and my stomach clenches.

  “I’m still kinda waiting to wake up,” I tell no one in particular, sighing and rubbing a hand over my face.

  “We have been here for centuries…us, and the angels.” Maddison starts without waiting on anyone to agree or ask questions. “At the beginning, it was brutal. The war lasted a very long time, but eventually, we all got tired of it. So, we agreed to keep to ourselves, and stay out of each other’s way.” Her eyes lose focus, as if she’s lost in memories while Eric stiffly moves to sit next to her, avoiding my eyes. “With no war to keep us occupied, we started looking for trouble. We ended up having rogues, or abominations as you like to call them. But, we were not the only ones. More angels fell too. We now patrol and clean up the problem before the humans notice. Sometimes we don’t make it on time. There is only so many of us in our group. That’s when the Order steps up. We do the same if we come across a fallen that’s harming humans or threatening to expose us. We have been asking the Order to let us deal with our own forever. They don’t stop at the rogues but kill any demon on sight. Michael never agreed. Until last week, when the Order contacted Eric and made him the offer. Kill you, in exchange for being free to police our own.”

  “And inste
ad of killing me, he watched my back and saved my life.” Guilt for everything I said earlier overwhelms me, but I swallow it down and keep as calm and collected as possible.

  “I told you I couldn’t do it. Not that I didn’t come to find you to snuff out your life.” Eric’s cold detachment causes a lump to form in my throat.

  “But you just told me that you are Lucifer’s son. Wouldn’t you want to help your father keep the gate opened?”

  “We don’t see eye to eye on many things.”

  “What does that mean, Eric?” I search his eyes, but they are closed off, not letting me see anything. “I need things spoken clearly, not in riddles.”

  “It means he wants Lucifer away from humans more than Michael does,” Maddison chirps.

  “Why?” Honest curiosity pushes the question out, and I don’t shy away. I let both of them see it clearly.

  “Because after everything, Lucifer is bitter, and if he opens that gate, no human will be left alive after the first day. Ever since the fall, all he has been doing is looking for a way out. It drove him insane. Trust me! He is better kept where he is.” Eric finally relaxes his shoulders, leaning back on the couch and closing his eyes.

  Silence drapes like a heavy blanket, and we all sit lost in thought. My eyes flick restlessly from left to right, my mind racing with one idea after another. What they are telling me is the truth. They have no reason to lie. It’s not like I’m a hostage that they’re trying to convert. They’ve saved my life repeatedly, well Eric did, without asking anything in return. And then the truth hits me like a builder.

  “And I am his ticket to Lucifer!” Wide-eyed, I look from Maddison’s concerned face to Eric’s determined one. “Michael wanted me dead at first, but he changed plans. He wants to use me to get to your father.”

  “They will not have you, Helena.” Eric’s voice is soft but holds such a promise of pain to whoever stands in his way that I physically shiver. “They can’t have you. If you don’t believe anything else I say, believe that.”

  “It’s not just Michael looking for me, is it?” Their expressions give me the answer before they even speak.

  “No, it’s not. But that’s not important right now.” Maddison reaches over and squeezes Eric’s shoulder gently. “We need to come up with a plan.”

  “A plan for what? To hide?” She’s shaking her head before I even finish the sentence.

  “To discover our allies. We already know the enemies.” Determination sets on her face.

  “Us? Are you crazy? You should stay as far away from me as possible. Obviously, I bring nothing but trouble.”

  “True, but you are a…”

  “Let’s go!” Not letting her finish, I jump from the couch and stride towards the door.

  “And where are we going?” Eric is right on my heels, and I’m grateful he is not trying to stop me.

  “To see if we can find the snake in the grass!” Jerking the door open, my determined steps are followed by Maddison’s laughter.

  “Oh, I like her more with every word she says!” she calls after us.

  Okay, so going back to grab my guns killed my dramatic exit, but at least I feel better about having them with me. Eric asks no questions while my mind spins. That conversation with Maddison was like someone pulling the blindfold from my eyes. Why I didn’t I think of this before I have no idea. Michael could’ve killed me the second he set his sights on me. It didn’t matter who was watching. With the explanation that I was half demon, they all would’ve cheered him on. Well, maybe Hector wouldn’t have, but the verdict on that one is still pending. Yet, he spent his time talking, strutting around with his wings on full display like a peacock, talking nonsense. No, he wasn’t going to kill me. Hurt me? I don’t doubt that anymore, but he was going to keep me alive and use me to get to Lucifer. A shiver runs up my spine.

  “Why did you stop me from shooting Michael?” Turning towards Eric, I watch his profile light up from the passing lights of the city as he drives the black SUV we took for my crazy plan.

  “You were going to regret pulling the trigger,” he says it so matter-of-fact that my eyes narrow.

  “How would you know what I’ll regret? He was trying to kill us!” Okay, so I’m angry at everything, and I’m taking it out on him, but it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.

  “You hesitated. That’s all I needed to know.” Turning his head, his green eyes lock on mine, and I see how much my tantrum has hurt him.

  I don’t know how, or why for that matter, but I can read him so easily. Maybe he is allowing me to see what he’s feeling, I’m not sure. One thing I know is, seeing that I’ve hurt him when all he has ever done is helped me, feels like someone has reached inside my chest, grabbed hold of my heart and is squeezing it as hard as they can. While people I’ve trusted stab me in the back and do their best to make sure I’m dead or captured, I’m lashing out at those who stand by my side, when anyone in their right mind would turn and run screaming.

  “I’m sorry.” Not looking away from him, I put as much sincerity as possible into my words. His gaze flicks to mine for a second before he takes a sharp turn and parks on the side of the road.

  “You really mean that.” Eric looks at me with so much intensity a shiver runs up and down my spine.

  “Of course, I mean it.” Looking away, I scrub a hand over my face in frustration. “I know I’ve been acting like an idiot since you’ve met me.” Lifting a hand, I stop whatever he was about to say. “No need for pretty little lies so we can protect the fragile little girl, monster boy. I was acting like an idiot, and I will freely admit it. I wasn’t joking when I said this whole thing seems like a nightmare that I’m waiting to wake up from.”

  “That’s understandable.” Eric’s soft words make me look at him again.

  “Maybe.” A humorless smile tilts my lips. “It still doesn’t mean it’s right.”

  “And who’s to say what’s right or wrong, Hel?”

  “I don’t know. We should ask Michael.” This time a real, small smile shows on my face, but I sober up immediately. “Anyway…what I’m trying to say is, I’m really sorry for lashing out at you. Everything that happened in the last week or so has to come out in some way. I’m letting it out the wrong way by taking it out on you and acting like a two-year-old who needs help figuring things out. The situation is, as it is. I can’t change who I am, or who my parents are, any more then you can change who your father is. Why should I be different, but hold that against you? You have done nothing to prove that I have grounds to be distrustful or hateful towards you specifically.”

  “They do say the devil is in the details.” A small smile tugs at his lips and my heart clenches at the sad look in his eyes.

  “From where I’m sitting, the devil is right across from me. And he is not good for my sanity.”

  “If it makes you feel better, you’re not good for his sanity either.” The crooked smile he gives me speeds up my heartbeat, and I cup his face. He nuzzles in my palm almost as if he can’t help himself.

  “It’s good to know that, so I don’t feel like a school girl with a crush on the bad boy.”

  “I wasn’t joking, nor did I have a different agenda, when I said they can’t have you, Helena.” The hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention when Eric’s eyes flash amber. “You might need time to trust me, or whatever it is you women need. All that is fine with me. But know one thing for sure. You are mine, and whoever wants to get to you will have to go through me first.”

  “Aww, my knight in…”

  Eric cuts off my smartass remark when he tugs me hard towards him, and his mouth devours mine. It’s not the gentle kiss that would’ve been appropriate after the promise he made. His soft lips crash on mine, and his tongue pushes its way inside my mouth, tangling with mine in an all-consuming kiss. My heart thunders as I grip his arms. Everything going through my head vanishes into nothingness. One of Eric’s hands wraps in my hair at the back of my head, and he uses it to angle me an
y way he wants while the other is around my waist pulling me over to his lap. My legs and knees bump into things, sending little pings of pain through me, but I manage to follow his lead and straddle him in the driver’s seat without pulling back for air. At the moment I think breathing is overrated anyway. Especially when my pulsing core settles on his hard shaft and his hips jerk up, pressing even harder where I need him most.

  I’m still wearing his sweatpants and t-shirt, so his hand slips easily inside the waistband, and his sizeable calloused hand grabs hold of my ass, pulling me impossibly closer to him. A deep, painful groan rumbles from his chest when his hand touches only bare skin rather than panties. Another wave of heat pulls in my lower belly at the sound, and my hips move on their own when his fingers delve between my folds. Pulling on my hair, he un-fuses our lips and starts frantically kissing and nipping down my neck.

  “You are driving me insane,” Eric growls, sounding ready to rip something apart, and a shiver rakes my body.

  Without thinking, I push my upper body away from him, trying to give him access to my aching breasts. My back collides with the steering wheel and the blaring sound of the horn scares the crap out of me. His arms wrap around me, pulling me towards him, and his body stiffens for a second before we slowly turn to look at each other. We both burst out laughing at the absurdity of the moment. Eric is still holding me in his embrace as we keep gasping for air.

  “Beware of the horn monster!” I manage between laughs. Eric just shakes his head and keep chuckling while one of his hands slowly rubs up and down my back.

  “It’s nice to see you laugh, Hel,” he says softly after our laughter dies down. I just smile at him. “Now, where exactly are we going?” That question reminds me that I never told him where we were headed.

  “If you didn’t know, then where were you driving us to?” Snickering, I crawl out of his lap and settle back in the passenger seat. He lets me go reluctantly, his hands still lingering on my body.