Yeah, she already knew that much.
Darrak pushed past Lucas and joined Eden in the room.
“What is this, Lucifer?” he demanded. “Blackmail? That’s low even for you.”
Lucas shook his head. “Not blackmail. More like an insurance policy. Nothing can go wrong now. Don’t you understand that?”
“I understand. And I concur. Nothing can go wrong.”
“Concur. That’s a big word for a little boy like you.”
Darrak glowered at him. “I really hate you.”
Lucas grinned. “That temper of yours is going to get you in trouble someday.”
“I’m going to destroy you.”
“How?” Lucas asked. “By phasing me to the Void and attempting to throw me in?”
Eden had never seen Darrak go pale so quickly, but he did. By the look on Darrak’s face, that was exactly what he’d planned to do.
Panic swelled inside of her. What the hell was he thinking? He was going to get himself destroyed. Again.
“I’m going to tear you apart the moment I—” Darrak began fiercely.
“Darrakayiis,” Lucas cut him off, using his full name. “Shut up.”
Darrak went silent. He had no choice. Using his full name gave Lucas full and complete power over him.
“Leave him alone,” Eden growled.
“You need to behave yourself, too.” Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “My patience wears thin with both of you, Eden. I’ve given you much more than I have ever given anyone else in recent memory. And now you try to take away what is rightfully mine.”
“It’s not worth it. He”—she nodded at Daniel—“doesn’t deserve your power. He will not do the same job you’ve done.”
“I don’t care. I’m finished. They’ve locked me out of my home for long enough and it’s time for me to finally go back.”
“But my father—”
“That’s not your father,” Ben spoke up. His throat was bleeding from where Sandy had clawed him. “It’s Oliver Gale. He did a black magic ritual to be able to possess your father’s body. It’s the only way he could go to Hell and become the prince.”
Eden’s mouth fell open with shock. Oliver Gale had somehow possessed her father’s body all so he could take over for Lucas. “This is impossible.”
“I’ll destroy Darrak,” Lucas warned. “You know I can. I’ve been playing up till now, but the game is losing its entertainment factor for me. I’m tired. I’m so tired you could never understand.”
She shook her head. “Then stop this. This is wrong, Lucas. You’re the Prince of Hell. You can’t believe that the leader of the Malleus is going to keep the balance you’ve maintained. If he was this corrupt as a human just imagine what he’s capable of doing with your power at his fingertips.”
But her words weren’t sinking in. Nothing she said would ever change his mind.
Lucas looked at Darrak. “You believe she loves you, but I’m still not entirely convinced. This form of yours, what if you no longer had it? Would that make a difference to you, Eden? If he wasn’t this tall, dark, and handsome man you’ve fallen for. You’ve seen his true form, right? A little less presentable in everyday society.” Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Show us, Darrakayiis. Show us your demon visage.”
When a witch or human used his true name, there was sometimes a short delay as he fought against their power over him, but with Lucas — his maker — there was no fight. Lucas had absolute power over his creation, even now that he wasn’t fully demon.
As a half-angel now, Eden wasn’t sure what to expect him to look like. But amber flames flowed over his now leathery flesh, his form grew another foot taller and much broader, horns curved outward from his temples. It was still Darrak, but this was truly a demon — one from a horror movie or a nightmare.
He didn’t look even a little bit angelic.
Darrak’s lips curved back from sharp teeth as he glared at Lucas, still unable to speak.
“Not so pretty now, is he?” Lucas said. “Not the man of any girl’s dreams.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I guess I have different dreams than other girls.”
She went directly to this demonic version of Darrak and slid her arms around his thick waist. His skin was hot and very dry, like sand beneath her fingertips. The fire didn’t burn her.
Eden looked up at him. “I love you, Darrak. No matter what.”
His eyes were filled with uncertainty until she said those words, but then clarity filled them. He couldn’t speak while under Lucas’s control, but she didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. He finally believed her. And that made anything that happened today bearable for him.
Even the really bad stuff.
“Disgusting,” Daniel, or rather Oliver said.
“Oh?” Lucas replied. “You don’t approve?”
“Can’t say that I do.”
Eden knew she could say Darrak’s true name and free him from Lucas’s influence and turn him over to her own, but she didn’t. She wasn’t playing tag with another witch here. Lucas had power over Darrak with or without the use of his name.
It wasn’t only Eden’s fate at stake here. It was Darrak’s, her mother’s, Ben’s, and Leena’s. It was even Daniel’s, a father she’d never known, who had no control right now because that control had been stolen from him by an evil human with a big agenda.
Whatever Daniel’s reason for not being around when she grew up, he didn’t deserve this. What had they done to him for a human to take over his body?
That was truly black magic.
She eyed Sandy, currently unconscious. Despite her dark power she was still human, still as fragile as any other. This was her doing. Something had changed Sandy, made her choose the darker path. All Eden knew for sure was that she’d chosen wrong.
But Eden also had magic at her disposal, and she wasn’t going to let anyone she loved be hurt here today. No matter the cost.
Darrak stared down at her as if trying to get her to do something other than stay by his side. He didn’t want to be at Lucas’s mercy. But what had he been thinking to even consider making an attempt on Lucas’s life?
“Do you have something to say?” Lucas approached, his arms crossed. “That’s too bad, because I don’t want to hear it.”
“Tough shit,” Darrak growled.
“Wait.” Lucas frowned. “I didn’t give you permission to speak.”
Darrak pushed Eden out of the way, launched himself forward, and grabbed Lucas by his throat. A split second later, they both vanished in a flash of fire.
TWENTY-SIX
Eden stared with stunned realization at the empty space in front of her.
He’d fooled her. He’d fooled all of them.
Darrak might have retained his demonic visage, but the control his true name had over him was a thing of the past. He’d been playing along, lulling Lucas into believing he still had power over him.
Sneaky, very sneaky.
Normally she’d approve, but not this time. She knew his plan. He was going to get himself destroyed if he tried to defeat Lucas.
Oliver approached. “I’ll need to restrain you until the prince returns.”
“Restrain this.” Eden flicked a finger at him and he cringed as if she’d slapped him. She’d meant to throw him like she’d done with Sandy, but an angel — even a fake one — wasn’t quite so easy to throw around.
Her attention turned to Leena, Ben, and her mother. They were her priority right now. Everything else would have to wait.
“Be careful, Eden!” Caroline yelled at her while Ben and Leena struggled with their bindings. “He’s dangerous!”
Leave it to her mother to point out the blatantly obvious.
The time for careful had passed.
The angel’s eyes began to glow — this must be how an angel powered up. He was about to do something very, very bad.
“You need to behave yourself, little witch,” Oliver snarled. “Or I’ll make you behave y
ourself.”
“So you got in that body thanks to black magic, did you? Does it work the other way around?” She thrust her hand out toward him, freezing him in place.
He gasped and sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought against her hold on him. “You’re incredibly powerful, even more than Sandy is. You could serve at my side. When I become the Prince of Hell I could make you a very powerful demon.”
Eden raised an eyebrow. “Bargaining so soon, Oliver? Makes me think that you’re a little bit scared now. Maybe that hold you have on my father’s body isn’t as strong as you thought it was. I chose to let Darrak share my body, but Daniel’s fighting you, isn’t he?”
“This is everything I’ve worked for. Everything I want. I’ve given up everything for this chance.”
“Why?” Ben demanded. “Why would you do this?”
Oliver’s gaze shot toward the ex-cop. “Because I was always meant for something like this — something bigger than any human could ever achieve before.”
Ben shook his head. “You were the leader of an organization that could have done good things for the world.”
“It was only a fraction of the power I’ll have when Lucifer returns. I will rule the Netherworld. I was born for greatness.”
Eden watched the madness slide behind Oliver’s stolen green eyes. “You know, seeing things only in black and white is a good way to get bad vision. You had it all, and you didn’t even realize it. Greatness? You know what’s really great?”
He turned to her as if she might have an answer to help him. “What?”
“Not you.”
She twisted her hand, drawing out Oliver’s soul through Daniel’s mouth in a long gray stream. Daniel collapsed to the ground and the smoke hung in the air. She held it still with a focused thought.
“Don’t worry, Oliver,” she whispered. “You wanted to go to Hell. It’s still your final destination. Have a nice trip.”
Another twist of her magic and the smoke vanished in a flash of fire.
Powerful magic. Powerful black magic. She’d reversed Sandy’s spell as if it was nothing more than rewinding a videotape.
Eden fell to her knees as if a chair had been pulled out from under her, gasping for breath. She had no idea she could even do that, but it had taken a lot of her strength.
And a heavy price as well. A glance at her darker amulet confirmed that she’d delved deeply into her bag of tricks this time.
“Eden!” Leena shouted. “Behind you!”
Sandy had finally come to and was rising to her feet. The other witch’s amulet, Eden noted with a sinking feeling, was already as dark as it could get.
She’d killed Oliver’s mortal form with black magic. She’d crossed the line. Her soul was black. The formerly gray witch had nothing left to lose.
Sandy smiled coldly. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Let’s get the party started,” Eden said, and more magic coursed through her.
Darrak had been aiming for the Void.
Close, but no cigar. They’d landed just to the edge of it. Darrak’s self-preservation had unconsciously kicked in. After all, if he’d sent them directly into the Void upon their arrival it would have been a trip for two.
He stayed in his demonic form since it gave him more strength.
Plus, he’d always been fond of the horns.
Lucifer brushed off his suit, looking annoyed. “So this is how it ends for you, Darrakayiis. Kind of anticlimactic with no other witnesses, isn’t it? I thought you liked an audience.”
Darrak glanced around the dark and deserted area. “There were a couple wraiths here earlier. They would have made an excellent cheering section.”
Lucifer shook his head. “Eden went to great measures to save you, and now you turn around and destroy yourself yet again. Seems a bit ungrateful if you ask me.”
He shrugged his hulking shoulders. “I guess I’m a slow learner.”
“That much is obvious. What’s funny to me is that none of this is my fault. She agreed to my deal.”
“She didn’t know what the deal meant.”
“Not my problem.”
Darrak couldn’t help but snort humorlessly. “You know, you almost convinced me you’d grown to care about her. Forgiving her the screwups. Her own personal summoning crystal. The whole French kiss, darkness-sucking action from time to time. Thought I had some romantic competition for a moment there.”
Lucifer’s expression didn’t change aside from a small smile. “We can share her. After all, I only want half.”
“I don’t share. I’m greedy like that.”
“One last chance, Darrak. Don’t get in my way. You still get the girl and walk away from this.”
Darrak flexed his fists and his talons bit into his skin. “You were right about one thing, Lucy. Your time is up.”
The prince’s smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “Call me Lucy one more time and this ends now.”
Darrak grinned. “Finally getting to you, am I?”
“Congratulations, you succeeded.”
“Thanks. I feel… strangely accomplished.”
“My previous pick was unworthy. I should have realized the solution was too simple, too eager. He was overly motivated by his own greed.”
“It’s a deadly sin. Total bonus.”
“Not helpful in a situation like this, I’m afraid. He was a bad pick, I’ll admit it. Which leaves us with a large problem. If you want to destroy me, there is no one to rule Hell and keep all the demon lords from losing control of the shadows.”
Darrak shook his head. “Wrong. There is someone already lined up.”
“Who?”
“You’re looking at him.”
Lucifer stared at him for a long moment and then burst into laughter. “Oh Darrak, you do amuse me.”
Darrak knew he’d have the last laugh today. “You know, I think I’ll go all out with a crown, scepter, the works. Maybe I’ll sign up a couple of jesters to keep me amused for the next millennium or two. We all know the job will suck the personality out of anyone with a tendency to feel sorry for themselves.”
Lucifer sobered. “So you’ve just appointed yourself to the position, have you?”
“No, I didn’t. I accepted an offer presented to me.”
“By whom? There’s only one being who could…” Clarity went through his brown eyes. “Is that so? And you’re the one who’s been chosen, have you?”
“Uh-huh. The one and only.”
Lucifer swept his gaze over Darrak’s expansive and fiery form. “They must have been grading on a curve.”
“Bite me.”
“I knew you wanted the power once, but now — I would have thought…” Lucifer’s brows drew together. “Wait. You’re not doing this for the power, are you? You’re doing this for true love. Oh, how romantic, Darrak. I see little butterflies and kittens and rainbows right now.”
Darrak crossed his thickly muscled arms. “You’re way cooler when you’re not trying to be sarcastic. It really doesn’t suit you.”
“All for her.” He shook his head. “You would take on this heavy burden all for Eden. To save her from mean old Lucifer.”
“That was the general idea. Also, again, bite me.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“And this is the comeback of the next Prince of Hell.” Lucifer shook his head. “Pathetic.”
“You’re pathetic.” Darrak sighed. “My snappy comebacks do need a bit of work, I’ll admit it. It’s been a rough week.”
“I will find someone else for the job, but that changes nothing today. I would rather see Asmodeus on my throne than you.”
“Too bad I destroyed him then, huh?” Darrak frowned. “Wait. Does that make me the Lord of Lust now? Because my new business cards never arrived if I am.”
“If you were residing in Hell instead of playing house in the human world, then yes, his power would have shifted to you. As it is, his thr
one had to be manually reassigned. You know, maybe I’ll get that nice human Ben Hanson to take over for me. I’ll kill him, take his soul, make him into a demon — bingo. I’ll have myself a nice upstanding prospect to take on the shadows for the next eternity.”
“Not the first time me and Ben have competed for something we both wanted,” Darrak said. “Keep in mind, I won last time, too.”
Lucifer came toward Darrak and grabbed hold of him. Lucifer had no true power over him anymore, but Darrak realized with a strong sinking feeling that the prince’s brute strength was much greater than his own.
Lucas pushed Darrak backward toward the Void. “I don’t give second chances.”
“We’re a lot alike that way.”
“Eden will be fine without you if I shove you in, I promise.”
“How about I promise to hang on tight and take you with me?”
“Either way, you’re gone forever.”
Darrak’s eyes narrowed as he felt the edge of the cliff at his heel. “Have I asked you recently to bite me? It’s on the very tip of my tongue.”
Any remaining humor left Lucifer’s expression. “You would really give everything up to rule this dark, cold, unforgiving place for the rest of eternity? No one would choose this of their own free will, Darrak.”
Darrak clutched on to the prince, knowing he wouldn’t loosen his talons until they were both in midfall. This could only end one way now. Both of them would have to be destroyed.
He hoped there was another plan in place in the universe because Hell would soon be without its prince.
“No one would choose this of their own free will.”
An image of Eden went through his mind then, holding a baby in her arms. His baby.
He didn’t want to give her up, so it looked as if Lucifer was right. He’d chosen this path, but it wasn’t because he felt he had any other option.
The thought was enough to make him lose both his concentration and his footing. Suddenly there was nothing behind him. He clawed at the ground, at Lucifer, at anything, but it all crumbled away.
And then he was hanging on to the side of the Void just as he’d done earlier.
Rinse and repeat.
“Good-bye, Darrak.” Lucifer straightened up, brushed himself off, and turned away.
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