by Мишель Роуэн
“Really?” She looked surprised.
“I ordered you the daily special,” he said, as the waitress brought plates of food to the table a few moments later.
“I. . I’m not very hungry.”
She looked distressed. He really wanted to touch her hand and assure her it was okay, but didn’t want Theo to sense any weakness on his part. Not toward Eden.
No, it would be best if Theo felt Darrak was simply using Eden’s body and any other emotions would disappear the moment he found a solution to his curse.
And Eden couldn’t find out Theo’s plan or the fact that Darrak had readily agreed to help him out. Keeping it from her might be tricky, but he knew she’d never approve in a million years.
Then again, the plan was to destroy Lucifer, not to go gallivanting all over town clubbing baby seals.
Still. The less said the better.
“So now that you have had some time to refresh yourself,” Theo said, keeping his trademark charming smile on his handsome face, “I want to ask for your assistance today.”
Darrak braced himself. While he’d told Eden Theo would help them, he didn’t tell her the demon wanted something in return for his troubles.
“With what?” she asked.
“I’d like you to accompany me as I speak to someone.”
“Who?”
Theo cocked his head to the side. “An angel.”
Eden blinked. “An angel.”
“That’s right. He’s going to help me get something I need.”
“Why do you want me to come along?”
“I just do. Consider it a favor.”
Eden blinked slowly, then took a sip from her glass of water. “Okay. Where will we find him?”
Well, that was easy. Too easy, actually. Darrak was surprised she hadn’t flat out refused to have anything to do with this. Even he didn’t understand why Theo needed to talk to an angel. It was a rare thing for demons and angels to even come face-to-face. They usually repelled each other like magnets.
“He hangs out at a pub just down the street from here every day at about this time.”
“An angel goes to a pub?” she asked.
“He’s an alcoholic.”
Eden’s eyebrows rose. “How is that even possible?”
Theo grinned. “Demons and angels are susceptible to human alcohol and drugs when in human form. Even more than humans are.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate.”
“Just a taste is sometimes enough to create an addiction.”
Darrak snorted. “Just like Eden and her morning OJ.”
“Better than your chocolate donut addiction,” she mumbled under her breath.
Okay. Somebody was still a bit cranky, weren’t they?
Darrak expected her to ask more questions and demand answers, but Eden simply nodded as she pushed her untouched plate of food away from her.
“Okay, let’s go.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “Positive.”
The pub was called the Pig and Thistle, and it was small, dark, and musty. There weren’t many customers inside. One bartender. A waitress. A couple of people sitting in a booth. And one man at the bar, hunched over the nearly empty glass of dark ale in front of him.
“That’s him,” Theo said.
That was an angel? She had to say, she was disappointed. With thinning blond hair and gaunt cheekbones, the angel looked like an average man in his midthirties who drank more than he should while the wife and kids waited patiently at home.
After what she’d just experienced with Lucas, she knew looks could be deceiving. She assumed Theo would question this angel about the whereabouts of the weapon.
Just observe. That was all she was instructed to do.
She could do that.
After all, her mother’s soul currently hung in the balance.
Why would Eden go out of her way to save her mother’s soul? Caroline Riley had basically left her on her own from the time she was a kid to fend for herself, sometimes for up to a week at a time while she went off with whoever her latest boyfriend was.
She’d never physically abused Eden, but the emotional abandonment was enough to do damage. Eden always felt that her mother just didn’t care. And when she was around, she always treated Eden more like a buddy than a daughter.
Would she be happy Eden had stepped up, without question, to do this? It wasn’t as if Eden had agreed to help Lucas so she’d gain something. The last time she’d done a favor for her mother — paid off a credit card so the collection agency would stop calling — she’d been yelled at, not thanked.
Her mother hated it when other people — even her own daughter — interfered in her business.
But this wasn’t a collection agency looking for a few thousand dollars. This was the fate of her mother’s soul. And she didn’t expect a thank-you card in return.
The fact that her mother had left her anything in her will when she died — half of Triple-A and a pair of earrings — still surprised Eden. The fact that her mother had a will surprised her. The woman basically lived out of a suitcase for most of her adult life.
It was hard to believe she’d been knocked up by an angel.
Eden still wasn’t entirely convinced what she’d been told was true. And if it was — that her father was an angel — then it didn’t exactly endear her to the heavenly species. Her father knew about her, had visited her once very briefly, and then that was it?
So as they approached the drunken angel, she didn’t feel any particular emotion for him other than the desire to get this over with as soon as possible. And maybe there was some mild curiosity as well.
As she drew closer, a light brush of energy touched her skin. It felt pleasant, like warm sunshine. Was that an angel thing? That warmth and light? The feeling of acceptance and love just being near him made all her troubles seem to drift away.
She suddenly couldn’t help but smile at the oddly disheveled man before her.
“Hey sugar tits,” the angel said, sweeping his gaze down the length of her. “Wanna buy me a drink?”
Her smile disappeared.
Theo sat on the stool next to the angel. “You’re Alistair, right?”
The angel blinked. “That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”
“I want to talk to you about a business proposition.”
“Oh, yeah? What kind of business proposition?”
“You help me, I help you kind of thing.”
“And who are you?”
“Name’s Theo. That’s Darrak. And sugar tits there is Eden.”
Eden looked at Darrak, who shrugged. She expected him to look amused by the angel’s reaction to her, but he didn’t. His expression was surprisingly serious.
“Is there a problem?” she asked under her breath.
“No problem,” he replied tightly.
She touched his arm to find that his muscles were tense.
He shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m just edgy, I guess.”
That made two of them. She really wanted to tell him about Lucas and what he wanted her to do, but she said nothing. This was a secret that had to remain that way.
She’d keep an eye on Theo as he acquired whatever this weapon was. She’d keep an eye on Darrak and make sure he didn’t do anything that would get him into more trouble than he was already in. And when she was instructed by Lucas, she would grab the weapon and hand it over to him.
Simple.
Well, not simple at all, but she didn’t exactly have a whole lot of choice in this scenario.
Theo nodded at a nearby booth. “Come on over here, Alistair. We’ll buy you another beer.”
“Okay,” the angel agreed. “You know, I love meeting new people. Good conversation, good drink. I’m all over that.”
“Then why would you hang out somewhere like this?” Eden asked tensely as they moved toward the more private booth. “It seems kind of dead in here.”
“They let me run a tab.”
“Why would an angel need a tab?”
Alistair frowned. “How do you know what I am?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but Theo touched her back. “Eden’s a bit psychic. She can sense the otherworldly. It’s her gift.”
“Ah,” Alistair nodded. “That makes sense. Yes, sweet-heart, I’m an angel. In human form at the moment. Impressed?”
“Very,” she agreed, sliding into the booth next to Darrak. He sat close enough that she felt the warmth from his body. It made her think about last night. Even though she’d been in a black magic fog, she still remembered how good he’d felt.
Dangerous thoughts.
She scooted over to put a few inches of space between them.
Her phone vibrated and she glanced at the call display. It was Andy, probably calling to let her know how the werewolf case was going. That could wait. She pressed the end button to ignore the call.
Theo got another beer from the bartender and slid it in front of the angel, who accepted it eagerly, bringing the dark liquid to his lips and taking a long gulp.
“Delicious,” he proclaimed.
“Is it right for an angel to drink so much?” Eden asked, then bit her lip. It sounded ruder than she’d meant it to. Stress made her lose her tact.
Alistair smiled. “Whatever gets me through the day. My time here is almost up. I’m ready to go back to my home. Can’t wait.”
“You don’t like it here?”
“It’s nice for a visit, but that’s all. I won’t be back for another tour of duty for a century, so I’ll have lots of time to recoup.”
“You’re a Cerberus, right?” Theo asked.
Alistair’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve done your research, my beer-buying friend. I am indeed. Then again, there isn’t much place for an angel in the human world unless he’s fallen or a Cerberus, is there?”
“No, I don’t suppose there is.”
Darrak remained silent, carefully watching their conversation.
“So you’re a guard?” Eden asked. “You look after a gateway?”
He nodded. “To the Netherworld. Nobody’s gotten through my gateway without my permission. Not once in seven years.” He hiccupped and his grin began to fade at the edges. “Is that what this is about? You want to visit the Netherworld? Not a good idea for humans, you know. Get too close to the gates of Hell and your mortal bodies will be incinerated on the spot.”
Humans? Eden frowned. Why couldn’t the angel sense that Darrak and Theo were demons?
“No, that’s not what we want,” Theo said. “I’d actually like you to take a look at something for me. Something I recently acquired after a long search.”
“Sure,” Alistair slurred. “What is it?”
Theo reached into his pocket and pulled out a black crystal. It was three inches long, flat, and sharp on one end.
“It’s very beautiful,” Alistair said. “May I?”
“Of course.” Theo handed the crystal shard to him.
Eden’s phone buzzed again. ANDY. She ignored it.
“What is it?” Alistair asked.
“It’s a black diamond.”
“Precious.”
“Very. Hard to find, let me tell you. It’s taken me a long time to find one large enough. But time plus determination inevitably equals success.”
Was that the weapon? Eden wondered. If so, why would he show it to an angel?
“I’m not a collector of rare gems, if that’s what you’re looking for.” Alistair gave the diamond back to Theo and took a swig of his drink. “Us angels tend to hold no material possessions. Makes it easier to return to the heavenly realm.”
“I don’t want you to buy it.”
Alistair placed the mug down on the table and turned to him warily. “Then what exactly do you want from me?”
Theo touched the angel’s wrist, wrapping his fingers around it. “Your heart.”
“My heart?” Alistair’s brows drew together. “But angels don’t have—”
Then his eyes went very wide, and Eden felt a tidal wave of energy crash through the pub. Her breath caught in her throat. “What are you doing?”
A sparkling white light exited Alistair’s body and channeled into the diamond sitting in Theo’s palm. It began to glow.
“Darrak,” Eden managed, clutching his arm. “What the hell is going on?”
Darrak’s brows drew together. He felt tense, every muscle flexed. “What are you doing, Theo?”
“Channeling our pal Alistair’s angelic energy into this black diamond to create my angelheart, of course. What does it look like?” Flames filled Theo’s eyes. “Now if you don’t mind, I really have to concentrate. Almost there.”
Eden reached across the table and grabbed Theo wrist, attempting to pry him off the angel, but she couldn’t budge him an inch.
Instead, she began to feel a draining sensation.
“Perfect,” Theo said, and winked at her. “That helps a lot. Thanks.”
Alistair raised his gaze to Eden’s. “You’re a black witch.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Are you okay?” she demanded. “Is he hurting you?”
“Hurting me?” Alistair gasped for breath. “He’s ripping my angelic energy right out of me. Yes, it kind of stings.”
“Theo, stop it!” she snapped.
“And. . he’s a demon?” Alistair managed. “I didn’t sense it. I couldn’t sense it.”
“Why didn’t you?” she asked, her voice hoarse and panicky. It felt like electricity sparked through the pub, but it wasn’t caused by her magic this time.
His face was strained. “A black witch’s aura can dampen an angel’s senses. The alcohol doesn’t help, either. Should have stopped after my third one. But it’s been a hard day at the office.”
“One of the reasons you were chosen was your tendency to drink too much,” Theo informed him. “Now, please shhh.”
This was why Theo wanted her to come with him. He knew she was a black witch, and he could use that to do. . whatever it was he was doing to Alistair. An angelheart. Is that what he called it? That was the weapon.
“Darrak,” Eden looked at him. “Do something! Theo’s killing him!”
Darrak didn’t move for a moment, but then his hand shot out and he caught Theo’s wrist. Flames had appeared in Darrak’s eyes as well. “That’s enough. You don’t need to destroy him completely, do you?”
Theo grinned. “I guess not. But thanks for ruining the party.”
“This is no party.”
“If you say so. Doesn’t matter. I got what I came here for.”
The next moment, the flames left Theo’s eyes. Alistair slumped forward on the table, his eyes closed.
Theo fisted the diamond and slid it back into his pocket. He slapped the angel on his back and threw a roll of bills on the table before he got up from the booth. “For your troubles. Thanks a bunch.”
Eden scooted around to the other side of the table to check Alistair.
“Don’t worry. He’s alive,” Theo said. “Darrak was right. There’s no need to exert the energy to kill him.”
“You took all of his angelic energy,” Darrak said. “You put it into that diamond.”
He sounded flat and emotionless about it.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I did,” Theo confirmed.
“What does that mean?” Eden demanded. “Is Alistair going to be okay?”
“He’s human now,” Darrak said. “All of his angelic power is trapped in the black diamond now.”
“I need another drink!” Alistair slurred without raising his face from the table. “Maybe eight!”
“Give it back to him right now,” Eden said. She was shaking. She was supposed to observe Theo getting his hands on the weapon. Well, she’d observed. She’d expected a dagger or something stolen from the vaults of a museum, but a diamond filled with angelic energy?
She knew crystals — most commonly, pieces of roc
k salt — were used to help imprison demons. Once the demon found himself trapped, the crystal was smashed to finish the exorcism and destroy the demon. The weaker the crystal the easier it would be for a demon to escape. If one was so inclined, clear diamonds could be used to indefinitely trap a demon and channel its power.
She didn’t need a gemology course to conclude that a black diamond was meant to trap an angel’s power, making it into a weapon to destroy someone like Lucifer.
“Can’t give it back,” Theo said simply, tapping his pocket. “This baby has one shot. One use. And I’m going to make sure it hits the target.”
“You used me.” Eden’s eyes narrowed. “You knew having me here would be enough to render him clueless about who and what you are.”
“I’m so clueless,” Alistair murmured into the tabletop.
“Yes, that’s right,” Theo agreed. “And thank you. You were very helpful. But don’t worry, I’m not going to go back on our bargain. You helped me and now I’ll help you. Right Darrak?”
“Get out of here,” Darrak said darkly.
Theo looked surprised. “What?”
“I would have liked to know exactly what was going to happen here today ahead of time.”
“What do you care? He was just an angel.” Theo shrugged. “And it’s not like I killed him.”
“He can’t go back to Heaven now,” Eden said. “Can he?”
Theo rolled his eyes. “He’ll have more fun as a human than an angel.”
“You need to go now.” Darrak didn’t sound as if he wanted any further argument. Eden found small comfort in the fact he wasn’t celebrating alongside Theo at the moment.
Theo looked confused. “You are so harshing my victory buzz right now. Do you know how long I’ve been planning this? And now I’m going to help you out. Both of you.”
Darrak didn’t answer. His jaw was tight.
“I also have another surprise planned to show my gratitude,” Theo said, then raised his hands when that received a glare. “Don’t worry. It’s something you’re going to love.” He cast a dark look at Eden as if he blamed her for Darrak’s current treatment of him.
“I think Darrak said something about you leaving?” Eden said grimly.
He turned to face her. “Oh, Eden, what would Darrak do without you?”
She glared at the sarcasm but didn’t reply.