The Devil You Need

by Sam Cheever

  A low growl throbbed on the air, bringing gooseflesh up all along my arms and twisting the knot of fear in my breast. Sharp teeth scraped the sensitive skin of my neck, a fiery invasion that rode the edge of pleasure, despite the pain.

  I cried out, trying to pry my eyes open, and discovered I couldn’t. I was locked into the dream, with only a twisted kind of lust to keep me from completely succumbing to the fear.

  What was I rutting with? And why did it feel so good? The smell of sulfur assailed me. The distant cry of dragons screaming joined with the crackle of fire to create the overwhelming sensation that I was in Hell.

  Why would I dream of being in Hell?

  My hands shoved at my phantom lover—the fear and pain finally sending my mind into full-blown panic. He snarled, the hard hands clutching me more tightly against him, and the pain on my neck exploded into agony. I screamed, my hands flailing wildly against the warm satin of the torso pinning me down.

  Despite the horror blooming in my mind, my traitorous flesh took the agony and transformed it into pleasure. My screams of pain soon turned to screams of delight as blood ran in twin ribbons down my throat, pooling in the crevice between my breasts. I pictured the bright streams of red turning dark as the volume of blood grew. As my body writhed and convulsed in the ultimate pleasure, my mind started to twist, shutting down to save itself. Sensation softened and was muted behind a looming oblivion. A soft charcoal blanket of nothingness folded over my senses, threatening to take me under.

  “Hello, Astra.”

  I blinked, looking around. I was standing in a strange place, surrounded by the smell of lemons. My mother stood several feet away, a mean little smile on her beautiful face. “Hello, Mother. What are you doing in my dream?”

  Danika Phelps looked just as I remembered her from my childhood. She was dressed in a long, flowing dress with tall, leather boots. Her silky, black hair was loose, flowing over slim shoulders and ending in a thick, straight fringe just above her breasts. I felt the tug of childhood memories, mostly bad, as I looked at her standing there. Her velvet black gaze flashed with emotion. “I’ve come to tell you that we are going to destroy your delicious Dialle. It is unfortunate, but his father deserves his throne back, and I’m committed to helping him.”

  I shook my head, numbed under the haze of my dreamlike state. “You can’t, you’re in Hell.”

  She just smiled and turned away. “This is your only warning, daughter. Walk away from him now. Or you will go down with him.”

  Panic played a dull beat in my breast as her words sank in. Dialle is in danger? I shook my head, denying my mother’s words. But even as I did, horror found a place in my breast, and sent me spiraling into velvet unconsciousness.

  * * * * *

  The next day, I sat in my usual place in Gus’ office, hunkered over a steaming mug of coffee. My eyes felt gritty and my body weary, despite the fact that I’d spent ten hours in my bed the night before.

  Even after climbing out of it and moving determinedly through my day, the nightmare from the night before still clung to me. I couldn’t shake it no matter what mental exercises I’d tried to rid myself of it.

  I planned to ask Gus about it when he came in.

  The door opened and Mx. Pickles stuck her head through. She observed me with her usual stoic expression. “Gus isn’t going to be in for a while, Mx. Phelps. He’s asked me to tell you that your aunt Myra is waiting for you in the physical training area.”

  I nearly groaned. Physical training was the last thing I was interested in at the moment. I pushed to my feet. “Okay, thanks.”

  Mx. Pickles’ dark head started to retreat back through the crack.

  “Mx. Pickles?”

  The dark head returned. “Yes.”

  “Do you know what Gus planned for me today?”

  “My understanding is that he wants to test how long your powers last under the stress of battle.”

  I nodded. Made sense. “Okay. Thanks.”

  The woman started to retreat again and then stopped, opening the door wide and staring at me.

  I swallowed the coffee I’d just tasted and offered her a smile. “Yes?”

  “I just wanted to tell you that…well…I overheard Gus saying that he thought you’d regain your magic eventually. I just wanted you to know that. Sometimes Gus likes to keep things close to the vest.”

  I nodded, my smile widening. “Thanks. That helps.” But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the dream I’d had was a warning. As happy as it made me to think about getting my magic back, none of it would mean anything if Dialle was lost to his darkness before I could get back to him.

  With that thought, I made a decision I hoped I wouldn’t regret. Setting the coffee down, I started toward the door. Then I remembered I still had some magic in reserve from my session with Myra the night before. Not fully trusting that the borrowed energy would work, I took a deep breath and thought about the physical training wing, praying I wouldn’t drain my battery before I got there and end up splashing down in the woman’s waste removal throne along the way.

  * * * * *

  I didn’t splash down in a disgusting place, but where I ended up was almost worse. Sound and movement returned and I looked around, only half believing I’d landed where I’d wanted to. The floor was covered in thin mats and the walls were adorned with all manner of blades, firearms and even more prehistoric weapons. The entire back of the place was a shooting range, with a clear, soundproofing wall dividing it from the rest of the facility so the people using the range could be observed.

  One whole side of the remaining space consisted of an interesting assortment of barriers and obstacles for space-shifting practice. I couldn’t help wishing I’d had access to that course before I’d tried to use my fledgling shifting power for the first time.

  I still vividly remembered what it had felt like to be embedded inside that worm-headed demon in the Shadows.

  I shuddered at the memory.

  The place at first seemed to be empty. But then my gaze lit on movement in one corner and I turned toward it. That was the moment I realized there were more horrible things in life than being embedded inside a demon.

  “Bleurgh.” It’s a frunkin’ wonder I didn’t go blind from what I saw.

  Aubrey and Myra guiltily jumped apart, their angelic countenances blushing an attractive pink from being caught in a fiery lip lock.

  Myra quickly cast off her discombobulation and favored me with a glare, as if it was my fault she got caught climbing Aubrey’s delicious torso like a slut monkey. “Stop skulking around, Astra, and get over here. You’re late for your training.”

  I grinned. She wasn’t going to distract me from making fun of her. “Fortunately you weren’t bored waiting for me.” I started toward them. “Is that even legal? I mean, aren’t you guys a thousand years old? That’s just disgusting.”

  Aubrey laughed but Auntie Myra’s glare turned lethal. “Mind your own business, Astra.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, like you always mind your own business where my life is concerned.”

  “That’s different. I’m your elder.”

  “My point exactly. You’re way too elder to be thinking about doing the chunky monkey with old Aubrey here.” I grimaced, shaking my head. Her outraged gasp nearly made me laugh out loud. I was having way too much fun, despite the fact that their amorous embrace was burned inexorably into my poor retinas…never to be scoured off.

  Aubrey touched Myra’s hand. “I’ll see you later, Myra.”

  Despite her anger at me, my auntie favored her hot boyfriend with a soft smile before he blipped away. There was no trace of it left on her face, however, when she turned to me a second later. “That was uncalled for, Astra.”

  “What was uncalled for, Auntie? Me catching you in the act or daring to admit I caught you in the act?”

  Her glare deepened. “Never mind. Let’s get started.”

  I shook my head. “I just came to tell you I’m leaving.”<
br />
  “You can’t leave. We’re just getting started.”

  “I know. But I’m running out of time. I need to get back to Earth.”

  She stared at me for along moment and then sighed. “Dialle?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know what’s going on but he’s changing and it scares me.”

  She expelled another breath and indicated the seating area at the front of the large space. We walked over and sat down on a couch together. She grabbed my hand and, without my having to ask, proceeded to amp me up.

  The process hurt less than it had in the beginning. Gus had shown me some tricks to make it easier, but talking helped keep my mind off what essentially felt like fingernails scraping over my aura. “Do you have any idea what’s wrong with him?”

  Myra shook her head. “I can only guess. This is all uncharted waters for us. Your father and I have talked about what’s going on at the court—”

  “Wait! You guys know what’s going on there? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “Because you haven’t been in a position to do anything about it, Astra. Knowing would have just made you feel worse. You didn’t need any more pressure.”

  I suddenly felt bad about teasing Myra. Despite her innate and unrelenting crankiness, she’d always had my best interests at heart and I’d counted on her help all my life. With a start I realized that was a very mature thought I’d just had. Apparently, despite all my most determined efforts, I was growing up.

  Well shit. That just sucketh.

  “But now that you have some of your magic ability back, maybe you can help Dialle work through his issue.”

  “What exactly is his issue, angel?”

  She finished topping off my battery and pulled her hand back. “I don’t know as much about it as your father does, but the gist of it is that, without your light magic connection to tether him, he’s falling prey to the darkness.”

  “You mean the loss of my daemon hickey is turning him toward the dark world?”

  “It appears that way.”

  I stood. “I need to get back to Earth.”

  Myra stood too, grabbing my wrist. “Before you go to the court, you need to visit your father.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t have time. I’ll visit with him after I see Dialle. I need to make this right somehow.”

  Her hand tightened on my wrist when I started to shimmer. “Dialle can wait a while longer. You need to go to the castle before setting off to help the royals. It’s important, Astra.”

  I held her gaze for a moment and then sighed. “Okay. I’ll go to castle Phelps before I go to Dialle.”

  “Promise?”

  My gaze slid toward her hand on my wrist. “I promise.”

  She looked at me a moment longer and then her pretty pink lips tipped upward in a smile. “You always were a terrible liar, Astra.”

  And just like that we were locked in a space shift and I was unable to even scream at my damnable angel as she space-napped me to my father’s house.

  * * * * *

  We landed in the kitchen and I opened my mouth to scour her with abuse. She lifted a single, blonde eyebrow and waited, obviously unrepentant. I slammed my lips closed, deciding it wasn’t worth it. “I hate you.”

  She grinned. “I know you don’t mean that, Astra.”

  “Do you?”

  She leaned in and kissed my cheek and then blipped away. Sighing, I briefly considered popping over to the court and then realized that I might as well speak to my father since I was at the castle.

  I turned around, intending to go in search of him, and stopped, my breath stalling in my chest.

  “Hello, Astra.”

  Tears filled my eyes. I took a step toward him and stopped, unsure how I would be received.

  Emo smiled at me and opened his arms. I flew into them, sobbing my relief. With my powers back, I could see his aura and it was more silver than gray, more light than dark. Emo had passed his Settling without succumbing to the siren call of the dark.

  “I’ve missed you so much, partner.”

  He kissed the top of my head, holding me tight. “I missed you too, boss.”

  I laughed at the old title. I hadn’t been his boss for a long time. But I hoped to return to our old working arrangement as soon as possible. I’d even asked Bob and Ralph for another office. Just in case. I reluctantly stepped back, out of his arms and smiled up at him. “You look good.”

  His dark eyes sparkled with humor. “Yeah? You don’t look so bad yourself.”

  “Now I know you’re lying.” Suddenly self-conscious, I turned away from his intense scrutiny.

  Emo touched my chin and pulled me back to face him. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you needed me, Astra.”

  I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel guilt. “You aren’t responsible for what happened to me, Emo. Nobody is except the bitch who magic-raped me. I won’t let you feel bad about it.”

  He laughed softly, shaking his dark head. “You can’t stop me from feeling bad, boss. But I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

  “You don’t have anything to make up to me, Emo, but I will let you come back to work at the Angel Network. I really need you. Darma is anything but a suitable substitute.”

  Something passed through his gaze but he laughed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe Darma is kicking demon ass.”

  “I know, right? And to all appearances even enjoying it.”

  “What about Slayer?”

  “Oh.” Heat flushed my face. “You heard about that, huh?”

  “I’ve been following you through Flick.”

  “Flick?”

  “He came to see me almost every day. He really helped.” Emo cocked his head, a silky black wave falling across his flawless, golden forehead. “You didn’t know he was one of my sponsors?”

  Frowning, I shook my head. The little twerp had never even hinted that he was involved. I was surprised he had the insight and compassion to help a struggling Tweener through his Settling. He’d certainly never shown me any compassion.

  “I’m not surprised. They’re not supposed to tell anybody.”

  “Yeah. Well, he didn’t.” I grinned, reaching out to clasp Emo’s hand. It felt large and warm and real. At last. “I can’t believe you’re here.” And that he’d beaten back the dark. Though I’d never tell him that. He’d been so close to giving in to the evil riding his soul. It was a testament to the Angels’ powers that they’d managed to pull him through. Then it occurred to me that he’d come to my father’s house first rather than coming to see me.

  Suddenly I was slightly miffed.

  “You came to my father first…why?”

  “He’s my other sponsor, Astra. He’s also my guide during the re-acclimation phase.”

  “Oh. I didn’t realize you had to get re-acclimated to Earth. But I guess it makes sense.”

  “Yeah, about that phase…”

  Movement near the door pulled my attention from Emo. My father stood on the other side of the kitchen, his handsome face pleasantly blank, his blue eyes intense. Fear washed through me. I had a sudden premonition that he had bad news for me…about Dialle.

  “What’s wrong?”

  James Phelps, Seraphim and right-hand angel for the Big Guy, slid a glance toward Emo. “Can you excuse us for a minute, son?”

  Emo nodded but I bristled. “I don’t have any secrets from Emo, Father. He can stay.”

  My father didn’t respond, he simply held Emo’s gaze until my friend touched my arm and gave me a sad smile. “I’ll see you later, Astra.” I watched him walk out of the room, past my father, and realized his dismissal made me mad. I glared at my father. “Don’t treat him like an invalid.”

  My father wiggled his fingers and the door closed behind Emo, ensuring that Emo wouldn’t hear whatever we were about to discuss. “He is an invalid, daughter. Whatever you might want, he’s still in a delicate condition. He must be eased back into life on Earth.”

&nb
sp; “He seems fine.”

  I got stern face for my comment. “He’s not.”

  I’ll admit it. I still backed down when confronted with my father’s stern face. “But I need him in the office. How soon until he can come back to work?”

  “Not for a while. Maybe never.”

  I swallowed hard, feeling the blood rush from my face. My hand reached out and touched the firm surface of the long, wooden table that dominated the center of the massive, brick-floored kitchen. “He’s still sick?”

  My father took pity on me. “Not really sick. Just delicate. He’s worked very hard to win the battle against the dark influences vying for his soul. He won, he’s on the mend, but he can still revert and regress. We need to keep him as far away from stress as possible until he regains his confidence.”

  I nodded, feeling a little better. “Which means he can’t help me with Dialle.”

  “Not even a little.”

  I thought about this for a minute and nodded, feeling no resistance to the idea. I loved Emo. We’d been friends since we were kids and partners for several years. I didn’t want to do anything that would endanger him. “Okay. I’ll stay away as much as possible.”

  “No. That’s not what I’m asking of you, daughter. Myra brought you here for a reason. He needs you now more than ever.”

  I leveled a look on my father. “Have you met me? My life is stress on steroids. Just standing next to me constitutes a walk on the wild side. How am I going to spend time with Emo without passing some of that stress onto him?”

  “I’m not saying it will be easy. But you made a great start today. You’ll figure it out.”

  Sighing, I shook my head. “My entire life is impossible, why should my relationship with my best friend be any different.”

  “Whining doesn’t become you, Astra.”

  I stuck my tongue out at my father and he laughed. “There you are. I was afraid Myra had left your backbone behind when she shifted you here.”

  “Har. Now tell me about Dialle. What in Hades is going on with him?”

  “You probably have already guessed. When prophecy foretold a great unifier, we didn’t realize that his power to walk the line between dark and light had a caveat, if you will. That caveat is you, Astra. Without you Dialle is no longer grounded in the light.”