by Мишель Роуэн
“Darrak—”
“Just don’t hate me.”
“Hate you? But, Darrak—”
The next moment he fell to his side. He wasn’t moving anymore. Amber flames burst through his skin to coat his entire body, and she scrambled back so she wouldn’t get burned.
“Almost done,” Lucas said. He sounded remarkably blasé about it.
She’d asked for this. She’d even made a deal with the devil to make this possible. In moments Darrak would be gone, and she wouldn’t have to put up with his lies and deceit and body stealing and energy draining. It would be over. Forever.
Be careful what you wish for.
“No,” she said softly.
“Pardon me?” Lucas asked.
“Stop this.”
“But you asked for it. I’m only doing what you wanted me to.”
She raised her gaze from Darrak’s body to Lucas’s deceptively warm brown eyes. “Don’t be a sore loser.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“Sorry you can’t use the angelheart to destroy your inner demon today. But hell if I’m going to let you destroy mine.”
Eden clenched her fists and felt black magic roll down her arms and into her hands. It was an ocean of power deep enough to drown someone in.
Lucas observed her carefully. “And what do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to destroy you,” she said matter-of-factly. “I might not have been able to destroy Asmodeus, but I have a feeling your current form is a little more breakable than his was. You didn’t create me like you did Darrak. You have no power over me.”
His lips thinned. “Killing a defenseless mortal with black magic will turn your soul jet-black,” he warned. “Even if that mortal happens to be me. Besides, it won’t even matter. I’ll just return to Hell.”
“Then I’ll follow you there and kill you again. Stop what you’re doing to Darrak right now or I swear I will. I don’t care what I have to do, I will hunt you down and send you to the Void once and for all. I have a feeling that would make everyone very happy.”
She meant every single word like she’d never meant anything before.
Lucas shook his head. “You’d do that? For him?” He nodded at the Darrak-shaped inferno ten feet away. “He’s a lesser demon. A nobody. And you’d give your soul to save something like that?”
Did Lucas really, truly feel that way about one of his creations? Was that all Darrak was? Sentient, soulless hellfire. A formerly evil monster now infected with a little bit of heaven. A demon who had no home or anyone who cared if he was destroyed forever.
“Yes,” she said. “I would. Now release him or I’ll prove it.”
She allowed the black magic to fill the rest of her body. It felt cool and brought with it the focus she needed. Still, a tear coursed down her right cheek. She didn’t bother to push it away.
With a thought, she made the long bar top next to her splinter down the middle, stopping right before the spot where Lucas stood. It didn’t go unnoticed.
He smiled, but it was tight. “That’s so adorable. I had no idea you cared so deeply for him. Sad, but adorable.”
Eden moved toward him. Her hands were glowing — sparks of energy circled them waiting to be unleashed. Waiting to destroy.
The unfortunate thing was, none of this made Lucas flinch in the slightest. In fact, he looked vaguely bored with her display.
He sighed. “Fine, if he manages to survive this, you’re welcome to him. What’s left of him, anyhow. But don’t ever say I tried to go back on our deal, because I didn’t.”
Eden looked to see the flames surrounding Darrak extinguish as if a switch had been flicked. He didn’t move.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me. Not after what I’m about to tell you.” Lucas drew closer to her, unconcerned with the danger that might pose to his mortal body. “What I did? Or what I nearly did? That is the only way this will end for you.”
Her throat felt tight. “What do you mean?”
“The only way for this unfortunate situation to end is for you to die or Darrak to be exorcised. And anyone who tells you differently is lying.”
She shook her head. “There has to be another way.”
“There isn’t. However, I do have good news.”
She looked up at him, ready to grasp onto any possible flicker of hope. “What?”
“As a nephilim, you have endless celestial energy for him to draw on. It’s what sets you apart from his previous hosts. Darrak won’t kill you by possessing you. Only. . I do wonder. .”
Eden reeled from this piece of info. They’d been certain Darrak would drain her completely in no more than a year. “You wonder what?”
“How much of that heavenly drink he can lap up before my lesser demon turns into something else. . something a bit more angelic.” Lucas laughed at Eden’s shock. “He’ll never be welcome home then.”
“He has a home,” Eden said firmly. “With me.”
He grasped her chin between his fingers. “I could have finished him, but I didn’t. This means you owe me one. You work for me now.”
“Great. Another shitty job with lousy pay. Just what I need.”
Lucas stroked his hand down the side of her face and something slid behind his gaze — a strange longing. “I haven’t touched an angel for a very long time.”
She pushed his hand away. “I’m not an angel.”
“Close enough.”
She didn’t wait a moment longer. She went to Darrak’s side. He was unconscious, but whole. The flames had all disappeared without leaving any marks. This time when she touched him, his skin was still hot — too hot — but it didn’t burn her.
“Darrak.” Eden smoothed the hair off his forehead. “Wake up. Please.”
“If he manages to survive this, you’re welcome to him.”
He might not survive. She might have been too slow to get Lucas to stop.
If what Lucas told her was true, their curse couldn’t be broken. Darrak would have to keep possessing Eden just as it had been between them up until now, but with no end in sight.
At one time, she would have resisted that idea. She liked to be alone. She didn’t want anyone to butt into her private business or her personal time. Trusting people was hard for her, it always had been. She didn’t ask for this situation with Darrak. It had been a mistake — a textbook example of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Being possessed by a demon was the stuff of horror movies.
Yes, it was all of that.
She still didn’t want to lose him. She’d only known Darrak a short time, but he’d come to mean everything to her. Absolutely everything.
His body began to shift to black smoke before solidifying again. That wasn’t a good sign. It meant that he’d lost so much energy that he was about to lose himself completely. He wouldn’t possess her again then; he would go directly to the Void — a place of nothingness. Death for demons.
Darrak took energy from her when he was nearly drained. He didn’t like to do it because he’d said her energy tasted too good and he was tempted not to stop. He didn’t want to drain her.
But if Lucas was right, he couldn’t drain her.
More celestial energy coming right up.
She leaned over and kissed him.
Take it, she thought. Please.
Prince Charming and Sleeping Beauty came to mind. But only for a moment. After all, this wasn’t much of a fairy tale.
It took way too long, but she finally felt it. A slight draining sensation and the press of his lips as he began to kiss her back.
Darrak really needed her energy to survive what Lucas had done to him. And after using a bit of black magic in her showy display with the bar top, she really needed to kiss a demon.
Finally, his dark lashes flickered, and he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her leaning over him like Pamela Anderson on Baywatch. Relief and happiness flooded her sense
s.
“Eden. .” he rasped. “Don’t tell me you. . you used your black magic again.”
That was the first thing he had to say to her?
“A little,” she admitted. “But not much.”
“Bad girl.” His Adam’s apple shifted as he swallowed. “I feel like a marshmallow that’s been roasted over a campfire.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“Where’s Lucifer?” he asked.
She looked over at the bar. Lucas was gone.
“Not here,” she said.
“Too bad. Because I am so ready to kick his ass.”
She snorted softly. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Why did you stop him?” He wasn’t smiling.
“From destroying you?” Her chest felt tight. “That’s a stupid question.”
“Still. . why? I’ve destroyed your life, lied to you, stolen your body, uh, et cetera, et cetera. Why didn’t you take this as the chance to finally get away from me once and for all?”
She stared down at him. “You really are pretty, but all kinds of stupid, aren’t you?”
“Eden—”
“Because. .” She wiped a tear away and then touched his face. “Because. . I love you, Darrak.”
His eyes widened and he struggled to sit up. He failed, but trying did count for something. “You love me?”
“Don’t get cocky.”
“Me? Well. . I just—”
Eden bit her bottom lip. “You just need to be quiet and take more of my energy so you can get up off this nightclub floor. There are plenty of things to still deal with in my crazy new supernatural life, and I need your help with most of them. Obviously this is a partnership that I can’t just break at the first, or second, sign of trouble.”
Darrak looked up at her incredulously. “You love me.”
She touched his hotter-than-normal chest. “Yes.”
He placed his hand on top of hers. “If I didn’t feel like a roasted marshmallow right now, I might be very happy to hear that.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Because you already know how I feel. .”
She covered his mouth before he said anything else. “Demons aren’t supposed to feel anything, remember?”
“Oh, right. Forgot about that for a moment. Guess it’s the streak of angel juice running through me now. Makes me say crazy things.”
Angel juice. She wondered if that celestial energy he’d been absorbing from her really would truly change him like Lucas had predicted. It already had changed him. The humanity he’d gained from his previous human hosts had stuck whether he wanted it or not. There was no going back now.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Pretty crazy. Now shut up and suck out some more of my energy, demon, and then let’s get the hell out of here.”
Darrak shook his head and grinned at her. “You are such a sweet talker.”
She was. She really was.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Feeling drained after helping Darrak recover from their standoff with Theo, Asmodeus, and Lucifer, Eden slept through most of the afternoon. Thankfully, it was a dreamless sleep. She’d banked up enough nightmares to last her for many years to come.
She had no official confirmation, but if Lucas held true to their deal, her mother’s soul had been released from Hell. It was a great relief.
You’re welcome, Mom, she thought. Now try your best to get into Heaven, okay? You’re on your own now.
Eden had woken at sunset only long enough for Darrak to possess her before she fell asleep again. It was beginning to feel like a natural part of her day — an oddly comfortable habit, despite its horror-movie trappings.
At the moment, she wasn’t complaining. She was just relieved that he was still around. More relieved than she ever would have guessed.
Then again, she did tell him she loved him.
She hadn’t been lying.
But love or not, having her privacy back one day was a goal she wasn’t ready to give up on yet. However, if it came at the risk of Darrak being exorcised and destroyedWell, she could probably get used to this living arrangement.
If she had to.
Triple-A was closed for business that day as Andy recovered from the werewolf attack. But Friday morning, it was back to business as usual.
Andy smiled brightly as they entered the office. “Good morning, my favorite employees.”
Eden eyed him cautiously. “You’re looking good, Andy.”
“Thank you! I feel good!”
“But we’re not your employees, remember?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, you know what I mean.”
“I’m your partner, and Darrak is, uh. . he’s our consultant on all things supernatural.”
“Unpaid consultant,” Darrak added. “I work for donuts. Preferably untainted ones.”
Apart from what had happened with the lust elixir, Darrak had finally shared his theory with her about how the act of possession might trigger Selina’s black magic spell, but it wasn’t as much of an issue for her as it was for him. Eden felt that she was filled to the brim with black magic already and had a strong feeling that Selina’s spell would have no affect on her anymore. The damage was already done.
So did that mean she and Darrak could be together and not worry about the ramifications?
It was a definite possibility.
She glanced at him — this handsome, protective, celestial-energy-infused demon from Hell she’d admitted to being in love with. Not exactly the boy next door, was he?
He watched her curiously.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” Eden cleared her throat and decided to focus on something else. Something a bit safer. “Andy, you seem rather chipper today.”
“I am chipper,” he confirmed.
“So. . you’re okay with all of this? Everything that happened to you?”
He blinked. “You mean being bitten and mauled by a werewolf, infected with lycanthropy, and at risk of becoming a werewolf, myself?”
“That would pretty much cover it, yes.”
Andy pressed his palms against the edge of his desk and stood up from his chair. “I’ve decided it’s not going to happen to me.”
Eden frowned. “Not going to happen?”
“That’s right. It’s all about mind over matter. I don’t want to be a werewolf. Therefore, I won’t be one. Easy.”
Eden and Darrak exchanged a glance.
“Not sure it works that way, Andy,” Darrak said. “But if you just—”
Andy held up a hand. “Anyway, like you noticed, I’m feeling terrific today. Better than ever, actually. Nothing like a brush with death to make you really start to appreciate life.”
Terrific, Eden thought with a sinking feeling. He’s in complete denial.
It didn’t help that all of his wounds had healed, leaving no scars or marks behind. Denial would be much trickier with stitches, broken bones, and bite marks.
No, Andy had healed up perfectly. In fact, he looked younger than he had before. He could easily pass for forty now, instead of nearly fifty. His blond hair looked healthier. His skin was less lined — even when he smiled the wrinkles that used to fan out around his eyes had lessened significantly. His body looked fit and lean.
“You look good,” she admitted.
“I’ve never felt so good in my life. You know what this means, right?”
“That you’ve been infected with lycanthropy and you’re due to turn into a werewolf in two weeks?” Darrak asked, then glanced at a desk calendar. “Actually, make that twelve days.”
Andy’s expression tightened. “No. It means that we should go out and celebrate.”
“Celebrate?” Eden asked.
“The fact we’re all alive and well. The fact we’re together. Friends you can trust are few and far between.”
Eden glanced at Darrak. He hadn’t spoken about Theo, but she knew his friend’s death had hit him hard. Theo had killed Graham, so she wasn’t sorry he was gone,
but she did empathize with Darrak’s pain.
“You’re right,” she said. “Friends are something to celebrate.”
“How about breakfast? I’ll treat. There’s that buffet around the corner I’ve been meaning to try. I’ve never been so hungry in my life, and Nancy’s coffee and donuts aren’t going to cut it this morning. Besides, she called in sick today so the coffee probably won’t even be as good as it normally is.”
Yeah, Eden thought. She’s recovering from nearly becoming a snack for a demon lord. That’s definitely worth using a sick day for.
“Sounds fantastic,” Darrak said. “Buffets are all you can eat?”
“They are.”
“Do they have chocolate donuts?”
“They might have some chocolate croissants, which, trust me, are even better.” Andy grabbed his coat from the rack and put it on. “Then we can discuss our case load. We’ve all been slacking this week so things are building up. A couple of fairy clients have been calling nonstop. Fairy folk are very persistent. Anyway, I’ll meet you outside.”
The bell on the door jingled as he left the office without giving them a chance to say anything in reply.
“Denial,” Darrak said.
“Big-time denial.”
“Twelve days till the next full moon.”
Eden nodded. “I have it circled on my calendar. And until then?”
“He should be okay. But you might want to invest in a leash and muzzle. Possibly some doggy treats.”
Eden smiled despite herself. “Great.”
As she turned toward the door to follow Andy, Darrak grabbed her wrist.
“Eden. .” he began.
She looked up at him. “That’s my name.”
“When the wizard master gets back from his tropical vacation, we’ll talk to him. And we could also try summoning another demon to help—”
She shuddered. “No more demons.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Lucas said there’s no way to break the curse. We’re stuck like this.”
“He’s been known to lie,” he said. “Demons tend to do that a lot.”
“Oh, I’m well aware of that.”
The Malleus couldn’t help them, she’d already seen what they considered “help.” She hoped she’d never hear from Ben or Oliver or Sandy ever again, but she wasn’t holding her breath. She’d continue to be aware of anyone approaching her carrying a syringe full of tranquilizers.