“Really. And what’s that?”
“You’ve come to a fork in the road. It’s up to you which path you choose.”
Darrak came to a halt next to Selina at the edge of the building.
“Talk,” he said. “I don’t have all night here. Patience isn’t one of my virtues.”
She leaned back against the black wall behind her. “Do you know where we are?”
“No. I believe that’s why I’ve been asking you that very question since I came to earlier in the bar.”
“Do you know how you got here?”
“What is this, twenty questions?” He fought against the frustration that rose in his chest. “No, I don’t know how I got here. I don’t know what part of the Netherworld this is, only that I’ve never been here before and I’m not too interested in coming back.”
“Do you know what you’ve lost?”
He gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm, cool, and collected, despite wanting to grab whatever or whoever this trickster in front of him was and shake it very hard.
“Do you even know you’ve lost something?” Selina persisted.
“Yes,” Darrak said. “I’ve lost something very important, but I don’t know what it is. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me?”
“Can’t do that.” Selina’s smile changed as her form shifted back to Theo’s again.
“Who are you?” Darrak asked again.
“Someone who has taken a mild interest in you, demon. A very mild interest. Look around the corner and see what is waiting for you. It’s time we move this along.”
This was ridiculous. Darrak moved past the trickster and went around the corner. He took three more steps before he froze in place. Something cold slithered through him. It felt a bit like clarity.
“The Void.” It was the word he couldn’t think of earlier, but it now came back to him.
The street before him, pavement surrounded by cement curbs and brick buildings just… disappeared. There was a drop-off, like the sheer side of a cliff into nothingness. He didn’t have to look. He knew it didn’t have a bottom to it.
The bottom didn’t exist.
He scanned the area to see that the street picked up a hundred yards up ahead and the jagged drop-off formed a wide, gaping circle. An open, bottomless mouth whose deep black hunger could never be satisfied since it had no stomach to fill.
Welcome to the Void.
“So those fairies—” Darrak began.
“Gatekeepers. Sentries. Administrators. Take your pick. They were on a break when they spotted us. It’s their job to make sure no one strays too close to the Void and to double-check those who do. Don’t worry, they’ll be swiftly replaced. It’s a bit lonely in this area, but the pay is excellent.”
Darrak covered his abdomen with his hand. The burning sensation had increased, and now he felt a strange pull toward the hole in the ground. “So let me guess, I’m next up on the list to take a dive?”
“You are.”
It was as if he’d known this from the moment he woke up in the bar, but had been trying to repress it. After all, this wasn’t exactly good news. There was no news he could think of worse than this.
“Well, shit,” he said. “This sure hasn’t been my lucky day, has it?”
Then he remembered something and glanced away from the abyss to look at Theo. “You said you have a proposition for me. Does that include an option of not heading down there?”
“That’s up to you.”
The cryptic statements were grating, but currently his only chance. He knew that strength or smarts weren’t enough to get out of this particular pickle. He’d never heard of anyone who’d survived a trip to the Void. Then again, his memories were currently shaky at best. Maybe he was forgetting something.
“Tell me,” he said.
“Do you want another chance?” Theo asked.
“Of course.” A demon’s first defense was self-preservation. It was also his second and third. Whatever happened, he would put himself first. This was the perfect example of that. At this very moment, Darrak was willing to promise anything in order to walk away from this in one solid piece.
“There is a job opportunity that’s just opened up. It would be a demotion from archdemon, I’m afraid, but these things happen.”
Darrak resisted the urge to protest. “Keep talking.”
“It would involve you going to the human world and doing some reaping of human souls.”
“You mean I’d be an incubus again.” The thought did not appeal, but it was better than the Void.
“No, not quite as pleasant as that. In order for an incubus to take a soul, that soul needs to be willing to be taken. This job requires a bit more stealth work. You would target specific humans, kill them, and tear the souls from their bodies. As you can see things are a bit on the downtrodden side around here, especially in outlying areas like this. With a fresh influx of positive energy we’d be able to do a nice upgrade.”
“Positive energy,” Darrak repeated. “So they would have to be clean souls. Not evil, not corrupt, not dark at all.”
“The cleaner the better.”
“And I’d have to kill them.”
“How else do you suggest reaping a soul?” Theo grinned. “It’ll be fun, I’ll even help you out for a bit like the good old days.”
If this was actually Theo and not some trickster demon, Darrak might find that amusing. “So what’s my first assignment?”
“A private school in England. A bunch of adorable schoolboys. Think Harry Potter without the magic and flying broomsticks. If it makes you feel better, a great many of them regularly break curfew to visit a nearby girl’s school. Very naughty.”
An image flitted through Darrak’s head. A school in London consumed by a fire that he’d set with his own power. Kids screaming, trying to run, but he was blocking the door, snatching them, trapping them. Them begging for his help, pleading, crying, but he wouldn’t help. They had something he needed. Souls, white, shiny, almost silvery souls filled with energy and power. Mothers and fathers consumed with grief when they found out they’d lost their children in such a horrible tragedy…
Definitely not Hufflepuff in any way, shape, or form.
The pain in Darrak’s gut grew more intense and his throat suddenly felt tight. “Sounds… interesting. So what’s behind door number two?”
Theo nodded at the Void. “That.”
Darrak laughed, and it sounded sharp and unpleasant, even to himself. What was wrong with him? Why was he even giving this a second thought? He was a demon. They weren’t your friendly neighborhood superheroes that saved kids from fires and certain death. They caused fires. They killed. They maimed. And then they danced merrily among the carnage.
He definitely had memories of merry carnage dancing from his many years of existence.
So why wasn’t he dancing right now?
“Problem?” Theo asked.
“No. Of course not.”
“You should know this is a limited time offer.”
“How long do I have?”
“Ten minutes. No, actually make that nine minutes and six seconds.”
“So let me get this straight. I either agree to be a murderer and reaper of innocent human kids with shiny souls or I forfeit my entire existence and get sucked into that Void right there. Is that right?”
“You’re paying attention. I appreciate that. Makes things much simpler.”
“Awesome.”
Damn it. What was his problem? Anything was better than his own destruction. He felt the clock ticking down his remaining minutes. The fire in his gut was getting more intense. And the Void had some sort of strong pull on him — like a hellish vacuum cleaner — which was drawing him ever closer to his ultimate fate. He couldn’t seem to move away from the edge.
Unless he said the word, accepted this deal, then he was minutes away from being cast into the Void.
Kill kids for a living or allow himself to be destroyed forever.<
br />
He really wished there was a door number three.
TWENTY
This wasn’t good.
Eden had the best of intentions at marching out of the demon market and searching the surrounding area for Darrak, but she’d started going in circles. Just when she thought she’d found the end of the market, it was as if it folded back onto itself.
She could tell because they kept passing that dragon for sale, a thin, sickly-looking little green thing that coughed up a fireball every thirty seconds as if it had hiccups from Hell.
“It’s like some sort of a trap,” she said. “I don’t know what to do. And we’re running out of time.”
“Ask somebody.”
“Damn it, why did Lucas do this? Why didn’t he help me? I promised him my angel side. You’d think that might earn me a little help here.”
Andy kept pace with her, his large paws padding on the pavement as they continued to work their way through the thick crowd. Eden tried her best not to touch anyone directly.
“You know you’re talking about Lucifer like he’s just somebody who’s doing you a favor. But he’s not some guy who’s trying to help out, Eden. He’s… well, he’s him.” He sighed. “And I’m still convinced I’m dreaming.”
He was right, of course. Not about the dreaming, unfortunately, but about how she looked at Lucas. It showed in her continuing insistence to call him something other than what he was. She needed to face reality and clue in to the fact that he wasn’t trying to help anybody but himself. And she’d already agreed to give him what he wanted whether or not she found Darrak.
Lucas wasn’t a nice guy she could count on in her time of need. He was a self-involved fallen angel who wanted to go back to Heaven at any cost.
And that just made her mad.
He’d given her as little help as possible, without getting his hands dirty. And here she was. She had to stop being so damned uncertain and go after what she wanted.
“You’re right.”
“About what?”
“We need to ask for directions.” She pushed her fears away and approached the next demon she spotted who was in human form. He was tall and handsome with broad shoulders and dark hair.
For a split second, from behind, she could have sworn it was Darrak, and her breath caught.
But it wasn’t.
“Excuse me.” She caught his arm to slow him down and he looked at her curiously.
He cocked his head. “Let me guess. Succubus, right?”
“Me?” She swallowed. “You guessed it.”
“I can spot them a mile away. You’re too beautiful to be anything else.”
Andy groaned.
Great. Just what she needed right now. A pickup line from Hell.
The demon glanced at Andy. “Nice hellhound.”
“Thank you,” Eden said.
He reached his hand out to her. “The name’s Stefano.”
After a slight hesitation she shook his hand. He felt warm and human, even though she was sure he was anything but. “Eden.”
“What an adorably ironic name. Tell me, Eden, are you bearing delicious forbidden fruit?”
She cringed. “And this is Andy.”
Stefano released her hand after one more squeeze and glanced at the hellhound. “Are you protecting your mistress from any unwanted attention at the market today? Are you a good hellhound? Yes, you are!”
Andy growled, low in his throat. A line of drool slid off his jowls and dribbled to the ground.
“Not so friendly, is he?”
“You’re an incubus, aren’t you?” Eden said.
“How did you know?”
Good-looking and not too smart. Dead giveaway. “You remind me a little of somebody — somebody I’m looking for.”
“Name?”
She hesitated. “Darrak.”
He pursed his lips. “Never heard of him. If he doesn’t show up, I have a little bit of downtime. I’d love to get to know you better, Eden. You and your hound.”
“Is this loser for real?” Andy asked.
Luckily Eden was the only one who could hear him.
Stefano looked down at Andy with surprise. “Your hellhound talks?”
Okay, maybe Eden wasn’t the only one who could hear him.
“He’s, uh… special. Look, Stefano, I’m hoping you can help me with something very important—”
“A talking hellhound. That’s incredible!” He crouched down and braced his hands on his thighs. “Say something else, boy. Speak!”
Andy blinked. “I really don’t need this right now. But, woof.”
Eden had to take control of this situation again. “Do you know how to get to the Void from here?”
Stefano froze and slowly looked at her before rising back up to his six feet plus of height. “The Void.”
“Yes, it’s a place of endless nothing where demons go when they’re destroyed.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of what the Void is. I’m just wondering what a beautiful succubus like yourself and her talking hellhound would want with a place like that.”
Her stomach churned. “Forget it. Obviously you don’t know.”
“I don’t know precisely. But as soon as one leaves the safety of the market you’d be able to feel its pull. It’s not far from here.”
She felt the first pinprick of hope since she’d arrived. “How do I leave the market?”
“Wait a minute…” He was silent for a moment, studying her. “You’re not a succubus at all, are you? I was wrong.”
She didn’t like the look on his face. It was suspicious, searching, and the flirtatious friendliness from a minute ago was fading quickly.
“I need to get out of this market,” she said firmly. “Tell me how to do that.”
“There’s a mild spell on the entire area to keep the customers shopping for as long as possible. You have to really want to leave before you can break away from it.”
“Trust me, I really want to leave.”
“So you can go to the Void.”
She kept her mouth closed. Andy began to growl again.
Stefano drew closer, inhaling. “I smell something sweet.” His eyes narrowed. “Something that shouldn’t be here. What are you really, Eden?”
“A visitor.”
“Whose visitor?”
“Lucifer’s.”
Stefano flinched at the name, but he didn’t look as if he believed her. “I smell angel. An angel in the Netherworld. Not a very good idea. Much too dangerous a place for a sweet little thing like you.”
Before her very eyes, he shifted his form until he grew taller, broader. His skin became leathery and the red of bricks, his horns long and curved and shiny black. His lips peeled back from sharp yellow teeth. “Maybe I should have a taste of that sweetness. I hear angels are delicious.”
He grabbed hold of her arm. Andy clamped his teeth into the demon’s shin.
And Eden summoned magic into her hands and blasted the incubus back from her. He landed on his back ten feet away, looking up at her, dazed.
She looked down at the demon. “I’m not that sweet anymore.”
“What the—?” He tried to get up.
Eden held out her hand to stop him. “Follow me and you’re going headfirst into the Void. Hear me?”
He stayed on the ground. “Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s more like it.”
She touched the cold surface of her amulet, but didn’t risk looking at it. A little black magic was worth it sometimes when she could avoid being a demon’s snack.
“We’re out of here, Andy. Come on.”
“You got it.”
Stefano said she had to really want to leave the market. This time she walked out with purpose, with no hesitation, and with every ounce of determination she could summon. There was a slight pulling sensation as she reached the outer breaches of the crowd and noise, but then with a small pop, she broke through.
Out here there was darkness, silence, and a l
ook over her shoulder now showed the market far in the distance even though she’d only taken a few steps away from it.
“I hate this place,” she whispered.
“Me too. But I have good news.”
“Yeah? I could use some of that right about now.”
“He said that once we were out of the market we could feel the pull of the Void.”
She shook her head. “I can’t feel anything.”
“Well, I can. I bet Lucifer made me into a hellhound for that reason. I can guide you there.”
Eden let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding and nodded. “Then lead the way.”
“Well?” Theo asked. “Not to hurry you along, but I do have stuff to do.”
Darrak glared at him, feeling the pull of the Void behind him. “And you’re trying to convince me that you’re not Lucifer.”
“I’m not Lucifer.”
“How do I know that for sure?”
Theo inspected his fingernails for a moment. “Because if I was Lucifer I would have already gone Sparta on your ass and kicked you into the Void just to see the look of shock on your face.”
He had an excellent point.
“Does everyone get a deal like this before they’re gone forever?”
“No,” Theo said. “Most are introduced to the Void like a balled-up piece of garbage tossed into a garbage can before they have any idea what’s going on, rather than moseying up to the edge like this all subtle-like.”
“Then why me?”
“Because I think you could still be useful to me.”
Darrak wracked his mind, trying to find the answers he needed. “Are you one of the other demon lords? You want me to work exclusively for you if I agree to this? Keep the soul energy away from Lucifer?”
“I’m not a demon lord. And your time is ticking away. Just over two minutes left.”
The draw of the gaping chasm of darkness behind him was growing stronger, he felt it like long fingers sliding underneath his skin, like branches growing up over the jagged cement sides and wrapping around his ankles. It would be pointless to try to fight it. It already had him in its clutches, but now it was waiting before yanking him that last bit backward.
But something kept Darrak fighting, hoping for a solution.
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