Devils Inc.

by Lauren Palphreyman

  I set my tea down with a thunk. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”

  Gabriel frowns and takes a sip of tea. “I thought it was human custom to lead with the bad news then end with the good.”

  I laugh. “You’re such a dork.” Then the smile dies on my lips. “What about Crow? Does he get one too?”

  Gabriel sets his cup down and folds his hands together. Something clenches at my heart.

  “Are you serious?” I say.

  “I tried, Rachel. I did. But given his pattern of untrustworthy behavior, they wouldn’t see reason.”

  I think of Crow in Apocalypse, howling with grief after he gave up everything.

  “That’s not fair.” A crackle of blue flame bursts from my fingertips and engulfs my teacup. “Shit.”

  Gabriel points a finger, and the resulting white light encases my hand like a glove. Then he sighs.

  “I know.”

  We both slump a little and stare out the window. A construction worker passes by on his way to the churchyard in scuffed orange overalls—part of the team working on fixing the destruction caused by Adalind. Across the road, there’s scaffolding around the entrance to Apocalypse too.

  A vision of Crow on his knees on the floor in there, crying, floods my mind. Lucifer offered him the only thing he ever wanted, and he turned it down to save the world. Yet Halo Corp. won’t even give him a small Miracle to say goodbye to his wife.

  Biting my lip, I turn back to Gabriel. “So this Miracle? What do I do?”

  Gabriel opens the folder and slides a piece of paper and a pen across the table.

  “Just write out the Miracle that you want, then sign at the bottom,” he says. “And then it’s yours to do with as you wish.”

  I hold his gaze a moment, heart thrumming hard in my chest. Then I scribble what I want and sign it.

  Gabriel watches. For a moment, I think I catch the corner of his lip quirk up. Then it’s gone.

  After he slips it back into his folder, we fall into heavy silence.

  “How’s Josie?” he asks after a while.

  “She’s good,” I say. “She was pretty pissed with Darius and the others for forcing her to leave, but since we’re all okay, she’s agreed to keep her job there.” I take a sip of tea and smirk. “He asked her to go to dinner with him to make it up to her—which she told me she refused out of principle. But I think if he asks her again, she’ll probably accept.”

  “It was unusual for Death to stand up for a human like that,” says Gabriel. “She must have made quite an impression.”

  “Yeah, Josie tends to have that effect on people.” I pull a face. “And supernatural harbingers of doom, apparently.”

  Gabriel laughs. “How about your brother?”

  “He’s fine too,” I say, warmth spreading through my body. “He’s looking for an apartment here in LA. Said he’s going to stick around now the whole Adam and Eve thing has blown over. And I’ve persuaded him to come back to New York with me next week. I’m visiting our parents. I know he’s not allowed to speak to them, but he’s promised me some moral support.”

  “That’s great news,” says Gabriel, taking a sip of tea.

  “Thanks for making sure he didn’t try and fight Lucifer or anything,” I say. “Did you get my prayer?”

  The corner of Gabriel’s lip quirks up. “Yes. It was very . . . unusual.”

  “Hmph. Why didn’t you reply?”

  “Doesn’t work that way.”

  “But I can get into your head? Like, if I wanted, I could just pray to you all the time? About menial stuff. Constantly?” I take a sip of tea. “Interesting.”

  Gabriel rolls his eyes. “There has to be desperation, love, or good intent there for the message to come through,” he says. “Otherwise, I’m sure Ewan would have enjoyed using that to torment me over the years.”

  “Have you seen Crow?” I ask.

  Gabriel shakes his head stiffly. “I’ve tried to get in touch, but he’s not answering his calls, and he’s set himself to offline on Afterlife.” Gabriel exhales again. “I think he just needs some time to process.”

  “When we were in Apocalypse, I thought he was really going to drag you into that elevator,” I say. “And then I thought he was really going to kill you. But you never fought him. And when you stopped that trident from hitting him, and when you stood up to Lucifer . . .” I shrug. “Well, you’re more powerful than you look.”

  “Thanks,” says Gabriel.

  I roll my eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean . . . it seemed like you could probably beat Crow if it came down to it.”

  Gabriel inclines his head. It’s not an arrogant notion, just an assertion of fact.

  “You knew he wouldn’t do it though,” I say.

  Gabriel sips his tea and places his cup down carefully before him. “He thought about it. But I have faith in him. I always have. Deep down.”

  “If he had done what Lucifer asked? What then?”

  “Then I’d have been dragged to Hell. I doubt my father would have been too bothered.”

  I stir my tea absently with the small silver spoon. “The fact Lucifer wanted your soul proves otherwise. I mean, he knew us. He knew exactly how to push our buttons; to get under our skin. How to break us.”

  “Yes,” says Gabriel. “That’s true.”

  We both fall quiet, and I wonder if the same image of Crow’s soul-wrenching roar has been haunting his thoughts too.

  “I think maybe your father cares more than you think,” I blurt after a bit. “Otherwise, why would Lucifer want to kidnap you?”

  Gabriel’s coppery eyebrows rise almost imperceptibly, his expression pensive. “Perhaps.”

  We finish our tea, avoiding the serious topics and talking about lighter things—such as how Gabriel hopes to use his more respectable position to get a sabbatical to do some research for the Purgatory Vaults. Finally, Gabriel tucks my Miracle under his arm, and we make to leave. As we do, I give Eve and Adam, now bickering, an awkward wave.

  On the street, Gabriel tells me how to use the Miracle. I wait until he’s gone, then I pull out my phone and check Afterlife.

  Once I have the address I need, I order a cab.

  ***

  An hour later, I’m sitting in front of a prestigious redbrick manor house. The place reminds me of one of the stately homes you see on period dramas. Sitting on acres of green land, with a giant fountain, it’s hidden from the rest of LA by thick trees and wild hedges.

  I sit on the steps to finish replying to Josie’s message that we should go watch Lucas’s Faustus dress rehearsal tonight.

  Sure. There’s just something I need to do first.

  A shadow looming over me causes me to jerk my head up. Crow stands before me wearing a pale blue shirt, sleeves rolled up. His jaw is covered with a layer of stubble, and there are smudges beneath his eyes. One of his hands is in his jeans pocket; the other holds a bunch of white lilies.

  “What you doing here, little Demon?” he asks, his voice gruff.

  I push myself to my feet. “I wanted to give you something.” When he seems confused, I add, “Can I come in with you?”

  He rubs the back of his neck. “Little Demon. . .”

  “It’s weird, I know. I just want to try something. Please?”

  He exhales. “Aye. Okay.”

  After he checks in at reception, he leads me through a maze of disinfectant-scented hallways. When we pass a TV room full of elderly people in worn armchairs, a number of nurses smile and say hi. He seems to be well-liked here.

  Finally, he pauses outside a wooden door. Taking a deep breath, he pushes it open. Hesitantly, I follow him inside, into a small bedroom.

  The first thing I see are vases full of lilies everywhere—on the chest of drawers, on the windowsill, on the table next to the bed—their floral note mingling with a heavier, mustier smell. That’s when I spot the old woman sitting in a rose-print armchair by the bed. She’s petite, with white hair brushed back in
a bun, and a long green skirt covering her knees. She has a scar down one side of her face—probably from the car accident that left her unable to care for herself. And left Crow unable to care for her too.

  She doesn’t react when we step closer. Her blue eyes are vacant; unseeing.

  “Maddie, love?” says Crow.

  Her head moves slowly to the pair of us. “Who are you?” she asks sharply. “If you’ve come to bring me some lemon cake, I’ve been waiting for hours.”

  “No, Maddie, love,” says Crow before he replaces a bunch of dying lilies by the bed with the fresh ones in his hand.

  As he does, I crouch down in front of his wife. Crow stiffens but doesn’t stop me. I take her hands in mine, gnarled and old.

  “What are you doing?” he asks.

  I turn to meet his gaze. “If this works, Gabriel says the department can’t make the effects permanent. So it won’t last long. But I hoped it would be enough.”

  Something vulnerable crosses his expression when he understands what I’m saying.

  “If you don’t want me to—if it will make things harder—I don’t have to do it,” I say.

  He opens his mouth, cheeks flushing. But then he nods.

  I do what Gabriel told me. Closing my eyes, I send my prayer to the Halo Corp. Miracle Processing department. As I’m muttering under my breath, a warmth begins to buzz beneath my skin—not hot and harsh and needing release like Devils Inc. power. More subtle than that. It’s like the feeling of Gabriel’s light when he fought Lucifer. Or the feeling of hugging Jonathon after all that time. It’s like soft sunlight and gentle bathwater. It feels like love.

  I hear Crow breathe in sharply behind me. I open my eyes to see white light radiating from my hands and engulfing Maddie. Then it disappears.

  I let go of Maddie’s hands. When I look up, the glaze is gone from her eyes, making them a brighter, intelligent blue.

  “Ewan?” she says, eyes fixed on a spot over my shoulder.

  Crow crashes down to the floor beside me, taking her small, frail hands in his big ones. “Maddie, sweetheart, I’m here.”

  “Ewan, you haven’t aged a day.” She smiles, touching his cheek. “You’ll have to share your skincare routine.”

  He lets out a half-laugh, half-sob.

  “Maddie, I’m so sorry.” Tears stream down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, love.”

  She laughs. “Whatever for?”

  “I’ll give you two some privacy,” I say.

  Quietly, I slip out of room, only pausing in the doorway long enough to see the two of them start to talk. Then I head out of the building and explore the grounds, enjoying the late-afternoon sun on my skin.

  After a while, I stumble upon a small man-made lake with a white iron bench to the side. Sitting, I reflect on everything that’s brought me here.

  I could have used the Miracle to save myself, but I don’t feel bad that I didn’t. I’ll find another way to get out of my contract with the Devil. Crow saved the world—given what he gave up for that, it only felt right that he should get a chance to tell his wife he’s sorry. Maybe he can finally move on. He deserves to.

  A couple of hours pass before Crow silently takes a seat beside me. The sky is starting to pinken as evening approaches, and it colors the water.

  “Thank you,” he says, his voice thick with emotion.

  I turn my head to look at him. His eyes are red and swollen, but the tension has left his shoulders.

  “You okay?” I ask him.

  He runs a hand over his mouth. “Aye. It was hard. But I told her everything,” he says. “She said it wasn’t my fault, that there was nothing to for her to forgive.” He taps his chest. “I feel like a weight has been lifted. Or something. I feel better. That I got the chance to tell her.”

  “I’m glad.”

  We fall into silence for a while, watching the water.

  “How did you get hold of a Miracle anyway, little Demon?” asks Crow.

  I shrug. “I’m diabolical.”

  He chuckles, putting an arm around my shoulders. “Aye, that you are,” he says before releasing me to rest his hand on the bench behind me. “Seriously, how did you get it?”

  I tell him what happened, leaving out the part about what else I could have used the Miracle on. I think he’s carried around enough guilt over the years.

  Still, he frowns. “You should have used that for yourself. Gotten yourself something good. Or sold it.”

  I shrug. “Nah. Nothing I wanted.”

  His frown deepens. “Maybe you could have used it to get out of your contract,” he says.

  “I need the internship, don’t I?” I say, raising my eyebrows. “College credit. Plus, we’re friends. And that’s what friends do. They help each other out.”

  He stares at me a moment longer. Then he follows my gaze across the water.

  “So Gabe offered you a Miracle and let you sacrifice your soul to give it to me?” The corner of his lip quirks up. “Perhaps our mate Gabe is the true diabolical one.”

  “It wasn’t like that,” I say. “And why is that diabolical?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “What will I see?”

  He mimes zipping up his lips. I give him a playful slap on the arm.

  “You’re still going to be this annoying?”

  “I think Gabe will want to tell you himself.”

  We fall quiet for a bit.

  “So . . . friends?” he says after a little while.

  “I think so. If you want?”

  He smiles. “I’d like that.”

  We watch the sky turn a burnt orange over the lake. All I can hear are Crow’s deep breaths, and the sound of the breeze rustling the nearby trees. After about half an hour of sitting with our thoughts, Crow nods to the water.

  “You’ve probably got some aftereffects of that Miracle in your body, you know?” he says.

  “What do you mean?”

  He gestures to the lake again and makes a stomping movement with his feet.

  “You’re trying to tell me I can walk on water?”

  He raises his eyebrows and nods.

  “Screw you,” I say. “You’re just trying to get me to drench myself.”

  He chuckles. “Am not!”

  “Yeah, you are.”

  “I bet my life you can walk on that lake!”

  I hold his gaze. Then, with an eye roll, I get up and go to tentatively touch the lake with my Converse. When I look back, he gives me an encouraging nod.

  I sigh. “Fine.”

  I take a step, bracing myself for the plunge into dirty, ice-cold water. But it doesn’t come.

  “Holy shit,” he says, approaching the water’s edge. “It actually worked.”

  “Are you serious? You didn’t know for sure!” When he simply shrugs, eyes glinting with mischief, I laugh. “You’re such a dick.”

  “I know.”

  I hold out my hand to him. “Come on.”

  “I bet you’d love that, wouldn’t you?” he says.

  Leaning forward, I pull him onto the lake with me. Both of us remain standing atop the surface. His eyes widen.

  I laugh again. “Oh, my god, I didn’t think that would work!”

  Dipping his sneaker into the water, he kicks some up, drenching me. I yelp, splashing him back. Then he throws me over his shoulder, and we mess around on the surface of the lake as the sun sets behind us. It feels good to blow off some steam, as friends, after everything that happened.

  An attempt to tackle Crow goes horribly wrong, and he has me in a headlock when he freezes.

  I twist out of his grasp to see Gabriel striding across the water toward us, a disapproving look on his face, and a white folder tucked under his arm.

  “Glad to see you two are keeping our Ethereal secrets safe, dancing out here in the middle of a lake,” he says. “Not at all unusual for anyone watching.”

  Crow grins, and I look at my feet.

  “Sorry, Gabriel,” I say.


  “Yes, well . . .” He looks at Crow, eyes softening. “Did everything go all right, Ewan?”

  A smile spreads across Crow’s face. “Aye.” He puts his arm around Gabriel and pulls him close, brushing his lips against his forehead. “Thanks, mate.”

  Gabriel lets himself be held for a couple of seconds before awkwardly shrugging him off. Crow watches him, amused.

  “So what’s up?” I ask Gabriel, trying to bring the conversation back on track.

  “I have some news,” he says brightly. “You see, as it turns out, there’s a get-out clause in all Ethereal Contracts. Including your Devils Inc. one.” He puffs with pride. “It’s called the Redemption Clause.”

  “That’s how Jonathon got out of his contract with Halo Corp.,” I say. “He sacrificed his soul to save me.”

  “Yes,” says Gabriel. “He gave you his Miracle. As for you, I could never have actually used the Miracle to save your soul,” he says. “Halo Corp. wouldn’t have meddled with a contract with Lucifer. But you thought that was the case, and you gave it to Crow anyway. You sacrificed your soul for someone else. It was enough to exercise the Redemption Clause in your contract.”

  When I look to Crow, flabbergasted, the Omen grins. “Told you he was diabolical.”

  My eyes widen, something warm swelling inside me. “So I’m out of the Devils Inc. contract?”

  “Yes. You’re out,” says Gabriel. “It doesn’t mean Lucifer won’t still collect on his debt, though, so be careful.”

  “No more signing up to free Wi-Fi without reading the terms and conditions then?” I say with a half-smile.

  “Well, that would be a start,” agrees Gabriel. “But I also thought . . . well, you’ll still be needing an internship. And it would be good for both Ewan and I to keep an eye on you. So I pulled some strings, and . . .”

  He passes me the white folder. My pulse quickens as I take it, a thrill of excitement buzzing through my veins.

  “Your new contract, should you choose to sign it,” says Gabriel, and then he smiles.

  “Welcome to Halo Corp.”

  Acknowledgements