by Мишель Роуэн
The voice was tempting. Almost as tempting as Eden’s warm and very willing body had been last night.
Lust only.
So give into that lust, the voice said. Have fun with it!
Shut up, he replied internally, and held the phone to his ear. “What?”
“It’s me,” Theo responded.
Darrak couldn’t help but be slightly amused. “Why are you using the telephone? Seems a bit too human for you, or have things changed that much over the years?”
“The telephone wasn’t even invented the last time I saw you. No e-mail either.”
“Why didn’t you just phase here?” Darrak asked, referring to the ability demons had to teleport from place to place at will. He couldn’t do it anymore. His hundred foot tether to Eden stopped him.
“I figured if I just popped by in a flash of fire and showmanship, your girlfriend would freak out and decimate me.”
“You might be right. But she’s not my girlfriend.”
“Saddest excuse for a black witch I’ve ever seen, really. Does she sell cookies?”
Darrak frowned. “What?”
“I figured she might have some available, since she’s such a Girl Scout. They’re so delicious, aren’t they? And the cookies aren’t bad, either.”
“Never tried them. The scouts or the cookies. Although, I am recently very fond of chocolate donuts.”
Darrak felt the curious gaze of the shapeshifter. He walked to the balcony door and stepped outside so he could have some privacy from the spy in residence. He sensed the cold, but it didn’t bother him. No phasing abilities, or unlimited destructive power, but he could stand outside in the chilly air for as long as he wanted.
Yippy.
Eden had recently bought him a black leather trench coat that hung to his knees. It would be November soon, and she thought short sleeves marked him as something different when they went out. Seemed a bit bulky and unnecessary, but he wore it to please her.
He rubbed his forehead at the thought.
To please her.
What the hell had happened to him?
“What do you want, Theo?” he asked as he watched the sun getting low on the horizon. They weren’t in the heart of the downtown core of the city here. More like the outskirts. There wasn’t much to see other than trees and roads and sky. Below him, in the parking lot, the streetlights flickered on.
Already, he felt a small twinge of pain in his very core that worked as a warning signal that his time to lose form was not that far off.
“I know you’re pissed I didn’t tell you about the angel before it happened,” Theo said.
“I’m not pissed. It had to happen, of course, to acquire the weapon. But I would have liked a head’s-up about it, yeah.”
“I have something for you that might make up for it. A gift.”
Darrak watched two people get into a car below and drive out of the parking lot. To the far left he could see Eden’s little Toyota.
“A gift? But it’s not even my birthday. Which, since I was never birthed, is understandable.”
“This is more of a gift of friendship.”
Darrak snorted. What was up with Theo tonight? Maybe he wasn’t the only demon who felt guilt lately. If it brought him gifts, then Darrak was okay with that. “Oh, yeah? Do you even know my favorite color?”
“I think so.” There was a smile in Theo’s words. It was oddly intriguing.
“What is it?”
“Can’t spoil the surprise.”
“Is it the means to end my curse?” he asked hopefully.
“Nope. Still working on that.”
Well, that was disappointing. “If it’s another gift like our visit with that angel today, I’m going to have to take a pass.”
“Why do you sound so morose about that?” Theo asked. “The plan is going perfectly.”
Darrak kept his gaze fixed on the setting sun. Now that Theo mentioned it, he really didn’t know why he was so morose about it. He never would have had a problem with taking the necessary steps to achieve something big before.
“Darrak,” Theo said after a moment. “You’re still into this, right?”
“Of course.”
“Sorry, but I’m not hearing the enthusiasm I’d like to from you. It’s her, isn’t it?”
“Her who?”
“You know who. Your hostess with the mostest. She has you wrapped around her little finger.”
His jaw tensed. “No she doesn’t.”
“Dude, I understand. Really. It’s like. . like what happened with Kristina and me. I can see it.”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“It’s all a test, Darrak. A big one. I was tested with Kristina and I passed. Now it’s your turn. If you don’t pass this test, then you’re going to be eternally screwed.”
“A test, huh? I think I’m failing at the moment. Badly.” Darrak didn’t want to have this conversation. He gripped the railing of the balcony so tightly it made a metallic groaning sound.
“You’re stronger than this,” Theo assured him. “You might think you have some sort of strange attachment to that witch right now, but trust me, it doesn’t mean anything. The moment your curse is broken you won’t feel this way any longer.”
Darrak’s tense shoulders relaxed a little. “You think?”
“You’ve been possessing humans for three hundred years, no wonder you’re all messed up. I would have come here and helped you earlier if I’d known what was going on. But it’s not too late to change things. Once you get away from this Eden chick, you’ll start thinking clearly again.”
Darrak could clearly see the protective wards Eden had put up around the circumference of the apartment building. They shimmered. Humans wouldn’t be able to spot them, though. They didn’t see things quite as clearly as he did.
“Will I?” he asked.
“Yes, you will. She’s just one woman in how many years since we were created? A thousand? How many women have you had in that much time? How many souls have you taken?”
Darrak swallowed. The sunset now looked like fire sinking into the ground. “Countless.”
“And do you remember any of them?”
“Not many,” he admitted.
“You’re in the middle of an existential crisis. You think the witch is helping you, but she’s not. She’s only helping herself. She doesn’t really care about you, does she?”
Darrak remembered what Eden had said to Leena. She didn’t care about him. Lust wasn’t love. “No. She doesn’t. Not really.”
Theo’s pep talk was working. He was feeling stronger the more they spoke. This was exactly what he needed, and it began to fill him with strength and resolve.
But his pain increased with every second that passed as the sun sank lower. His body wanted to turn to smoke. He had a few minutes left at most.
“Meet me tonight without what’s-her-name in tow,” Theo said.
“You do realize she’s my host, right? And I’m about to lose form any second.”
There was a short pause. “Then you know what you have to do. Meet me at Luxuria at one o’clock to get your gift. Girl Scout should be sawing logs by then, right?”
It was impossible. Darrak couldn’t borrow Eden’s body again without her permission.
Hold on. Why the hell couldn’t he? She never had to know. The only reason she’d found out the first time is because he’d stupidly confessed to her. And that had been met with one long, annoying reprimand.
Well, you did steal her body, his conscience reminded him.
Since when did he have a damn conscience?
Demons didn’t have consciences!
“Okay.” A smile curled up the corner of his mouth at the thought of doing something wicked without remorse. “I’ll see you then.”
Darrak hung up before he could change his mind. Then he heard a knock on the balcony door behind him and he turned. Eden stood there.
He tensed. Had she heard him talking to Theo?
She pointed at the sunset and slid open the door.
“Standing on the balcony when you lose form might get you picked up by the breeze,” she said. “It’s a bit windy tonight.”
“Good point.”
She looked at the phone in his hand. “Theo called again?”
“You guessed it.” He didn’t have to lie about everything.
“What did he have to say?” she asked tightly.
“He wanted to know if you hated him for sucking out some angel juice today.”
She grimaced at the reminder. “And you told him I do?”
“Of course.”
“Good.” She stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door. Inside, Leena cocked her furry head to the side, a curious expression on her whiskered face.
“What’s wrong?” Darrak asked. There was a definite searching look in Eden’s expression.
“Lots of things.” She leaned against the railing next to him.
“Tell me.” His knuckles whitened. He would hang on to his form for as long as there was still a sliver of light in the sky. He hated losing it. It was like giving up in a fight.
“Do you think there are ever easy answers?” she asked. “Like the hard things in life. . do you ever think, yes, absolutely, that’s what I have to do? Or is it shades of gray for everyone?”
What the hell was this all about? His pep talk from Theo had helped remind him of a few important things, but Eden’s unexpected mood after she’d stormed off earlier had managed to throw him a bit.
“I think it depends on the person,” he said. “Some, like the Malleus, see the world in black-and-white terms only. All good or all bad. All easy or all hard. But it’s not like that. There are no easy answers.”
“Not for anything?”
“Again, I suppose your mileage may vary.” His brows drew together, and he reached forward to squeeze her amulet in his fist. It was much too gray at the moment. It disturbed him more than he’d like to admit.
“It doesn’t change color when it touches you,” she said, looking down when he released it.
“You expect it to go completely black?”
She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.”
“I’m not human. I don’t have a soul for it to gauge. Therefore, there’s no change.”
“So demons definitely don’t have souls?” Her expression was open, curious, and a bit sad.
“Not demons like me. Previously human demons do, although they keep their souls in jars for safe keeping. Angels don’t have souls, except the angels that used to be human.”
“And werewolves?” she asked, her voice catching on the word.
He touched her chin and raised it so her eyes met his. “Andy’s going to be fine.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
“And his soul?”
“Is safe. Shifters and witches are still essentially human. Humans have souls whether you want them or not. It’s your gift with purchase.”
“My supernatural lesson of the day.”
“There will be a quiz at the end of class. So is there anything else you’d like to get off your very delectable chest at the moment?” His jaw tightened. He couldn’t keep fighting this pain much longer. “Because we’re close to showtime.”
“Oh, right.” A flicker of fear went through her eyes that only made things worse for him.
“I. . really don’t look forward to hurting you like this every day,” he said, not liking how hoarse his voice suddenly sounded.
She pressed her lips together and rubbed them, blinking rapidly. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Was this the secret she’d been keeping from him? The one that seemed to trouble her so deeply? He could hold it together a bit longer if he had to.
“What?” he asked.
“When you. . when you possess me”—her green eyes met his—“it doesn’t hurt me like you think it does.”
He hadn’t expected this revelation. “It doesn’t?”
She shook her head.
“What does it feel like, then? I mean, I hear you when I. .” He swallowed. “Well, you sound like you’re in pain. You gasp and moan and. .” He trailed off and his eyes widened. “And you. . you. .”
“Uh, yeah.” Color came to her cheeks. “Whenever you possess me, it feels like we’re, well. . you know.”
“Like we’re having sex.”
Eden’s lips twitched into a nervous smile. “Maybe.”
If he wasn’t feeling so much pain at the moment, he’d be very amused. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
She shrugged. “I guess I didn’t want you to get cocky.”
“No pun intended.”
“So what I’m saying is out of all the things you should feel guilty about—” Her smile widened. “The act of possessing me isn’t one of them. Even though you and I can’t, well, can’t be together like that physically, every day I do get just a taste.”
“Just a taste.” He drew close enough to back her up against the railing. He stroked her hair to the side and whispered into her ear, “And is that all you need?”
She inhaled sharply. “It’s going to have to be, isn’t it?”
The hot line of her body pressed against his was almost enough to take his pain away. Or, possibly, make it worse.
This news was just too delicious. He could feel her warm breath against his lips. She didn’t pull away as he edged even closer to her.
Just a taste. . he needed it so badly. .
Leena cleared her throat loudly from behind him. Darrak hadn’t even noticed that she’d opened the door.
“Okay, gruesome,” Leena snapped. “Get away from her. Eden, you are so damn lucky I’m here, but really. A little self-control goes a long way.”
Eden bit her bottom lip. “Right. Uh, thanks Leena. I don’t know what I was. . um, what I was thinking.” She shook her head, averting her gaze from Darrak’s as she brushed past him and went back into the apartment.
Darrak followed, glowering at the shifter, who smiled sweetly back at him as she closed the door.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
With amusement, Darrak watched the horror return to her eyes as he changed to black smoke in front of her a little quicker than he normally would. She shifted to her cat form again, hissed, and scurried away from his noncorporeal form.
It was important to enjoy the small things in life.
Eden had sat down on the sofa. Even with her admission, she still eyed him warily as he approached.
“It doesn’t change anything between us, you know,” she warned.
No, she was right about that. No matter what the act of possession felt like for her, it didn’t change the fact that he was draining her of her life’s energy every time he did this.
However, this time he did notice the slight arch to her back as he possessed her, her breasts straining against the thin material of her blouse. The soft gasp from her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut.
It made him strangely happy.
But the happy feeling didn’t last long. His next thought managed to destroy it.
Selina’s spell. The one that would imbue Eden with more powerful and soul-damaging black magic every time they were together sexually.
Shit, he thought with a dark, sinking feeling.
They didn’t have to actually have sex to trigger the spell, did they?
The spell was triggered every single day at sunset when he possessed her.
EIGHTEEN
Darrak had been unusually quiet since sunset. But chatty or not, Eden had to take the next step.
“I want to ask you something,” she said. She hadn’t left the apartment all evening. She didn’t know where to go at the moment, so she stayed in and tried to watch TV as she waited for the right time to broach this subject with Darrak.
Leena had disappeared into the bedroom and was currently sleeping under her bed. Eden wasn’t sure why the shapeshifter was being so unsoc
ial that evening.
“What?” he asked.
“What do you think Theo has planned for that black diamond of his?” she asked, trying to sound casual. Theo hadn’t come out and admitted in front of her that he planned to destroy Lucifer with it. But that was what he was going to do. And she’d been recruited as a double agent to help stop him.
It was like the rerun of Alias currently flickering on her television. Only Eden didn’t have cool multicolored wigs like Jennifer Garner.
Darrak hesitated. “I’m not sure.”
“You don’t sound sure about not being sure. Are you sure you’re not sure?”
“Sure. Theo does his own thing. He always has.”
She curled her legs up under her on the sofa and pulled a cushion onto her lap, hugging it to her chest. “So you don’t even question him?”
“I guess not.”
He was keeping things from her. Then again, she was keeping things from him, too, but that was for his own good.
She could call Darrak by his full demon name, Darrakayiis. Then she would be able to command him. The first time she’d used it, she’d forced him to show her his demon form. When Darrak was under her control, he couldn’t lie to her, either. At the very least, he’d have a hell of a time trying.
As much power as that gave her, it felt incredibly wrong to take his free will away like that.
Eden used to think money made the world go around. After a lifetime of scraping by and a mother who either won big or lost big at the casinos, Eden was used to slim times. But now she knew it wasn’t really money that made the difference. It was power.
And, hell, money still helped. Even a black witch had to feed herself.
Darrak broke the silence after a minute. “You need to forget about that diamond.”
“I can’t.”
“Trust me, it would be better if you did.”
“I want it,” she said as calmly as she could.
“Pardon me?”
She grabbed the remote control and flicked off the television. “I want the angelheart.”
A long moment of silence hung between them. “It’s a bit too big to make a fetching necklace for you. And, really, what would you wear it with?”