Darkness Awakened

by Stephanie Rowe

  Swearing, he instinctively moved closer to her, scanning the parking lot. He didn't like her being in danger. "Let's just get out of here and back to my place where I can keep you safe."

  Justine's face softened. "You want to protect me?"

  "Of course. No one gets to hurt you."

  "But you're planning to kill me."

  "I—" He hesitated. He'd forgotten about that. Damn it. "I…well…no one else gets to kill you."

  Her eyebrows went up, and amusement danced her eyes. "Is that so? Or maybe you're starting to get fond of your favorite Guardian?"

  He couldn't help but smile back. "Fond of you? No chance."

  Becca pushed her way between them, forcing them both to step back. "Hey!"

  Justine's hand went to her lower back. Swearing, Derek quickly stepped around Becca, sliding his fingers around Justine's wrist just as she was reaching for her dagger. "It's okay," he murmured softly to her. "You don't need to kill her." Before either woman could reply, he turned to Becca, making sure to keep his body between them. "Okay, Becks. What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?"

  To his surprise, Becca ignored him and looked right at Justine. "Did you say someone tried to kill you, and it wasn't Derek or his brother?"

  Justine narrowed her eyes. "What's it to you?"

  "That means someone besides Derek has found you!" Becca flung her hands up and whirled away, rattling off something in a foreign language and gesticulating wildly with her hands. "Dammit, Goblet Girl! I'm not prepared for that!"

  "Goblet girl? She called me Goblet girl!" Justine grabbed his arm, spinning him toward her. "Why does she know about me? Now I'll have to kill her, and it's your fault. And who else have you told? Because I'm going to have to take them out, too." She gave him a hard shove and folded her arms across her chest. "Did it ever occur to you that I don't like killing people, and now you're making me go on a mass extermination spree? Is that thoughtful? Is that nice? What kind of date are you anyway?"

  "I didn't tell anyone," Derek protested. "Quincy knows, and that's it. If there's someone else after you, it's not because of me."

  Becca turned back toward them, her hands in fists by her sides. "Okay, we need to go somewhere and talk. All three of us." She jerked her head at a couple strolling by, happily oblivious to their little discussion. "Privacy needed."

  Derek opened his mouth to respond when he noticed a gray spiral of mist floating up toward Becca's face. "Um, Becca?"

  "What?"

  "Your stomach is smoking." He blinked. "Are you on fire?"

  Justine stepped up next to him. "Holy crap."

  Becca glanced down at the gold flames roaring on her abdomen. "Bastard. Like I need to deal with this right now. He thinks it's so hilarious to send me notes this way." She scowled at them. "Do I look like I'm laughing?"

  "You never laugh," Derek said. "Jesus, Becca! Do something! You're on fire!" He looked around for a fire extinguisher or help, but strangely enough, there wasn't another human in sight anymore. A chill ran up his spine, and he eased his feet into a ready position.

  "Isn't that painful?" Justine asked curiously.

  "Of course it is. But I’m not giving him the satisfaction of letting him know." Becca eyed Derek. "I was going to tell you anyway, but I guess this is the best way. At least you'll probably believe me now."

  "Tell me what?" He gaped as the flame faded on her stomach, leaving behind a series of red scars. "What the hell's going on?"

  She looked down at her belly. "Watch."

  The scars twitched, convulsed and then began crawling over her stomach, rearranging themselves. "Jesus!" He jumped back, yanked up Justine's dress and grabbed her dagger free before she could stop him. He held it ready, ignoring the amused look Justine shot him.

  "Quit freaking out and pay attention," Becca snapped.

  "I'm not freaking out," he shot back. "I'm arming myself."

  Justine touched his arm as she moved closer to him. "Look at her stomach, Derek. It's fascinating."

  "Said by the woman who lives with a dragon and probably sees this stuff every day." But he dropped his gaze to Becca's midriff as Justine leaned forward for a better view. As he watched, the scars moved into letters...into words... He looked up at Becca as he read the words etched into her skin. "Kill them both?"

  She nodded grimly. "I work for Satan."

  Derek gaped at her. "What?"

  "Yeah, and he just ordered me to kill you." She lifted her hand and a fireball formed in it. "Unfortunately, I have no choice but to do exactly as he commands."

  Then she hurled the fireball right at them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  How would Mona-induced-immortality stack up against Satan's personal servant?

  Justine decided it was probably best not to find out.

  She threw herself to the ground as a fireball streaked toward her. It exploded next to her hair and set it on fire, as well as two potted plants that had been decorating the front step.

  "Dammit, Justine! You moved!" Becca shrieked as Derek stomped out the flames that used to be a very cute, very pricey highlighting job by the Jacques Leflore. She'd been on the waitlist for six months before she'd gotten a home visit from him, and now it was burned up?

  A total waste of money.

  The doorman ran outside, saw the flames, and raced back inside, yelling for a fire extinguisher. A little late, but whatever.

  Derek pulled Justine upright, using his jacket to smother the rest of the flames. She yelped as the cloth pressed against her head. Nothing like third degree scalp burns to make a Guardian wish someone would behead her.

  "You all right?" Derek crouched in front of her, his forehead furrowed in concern as he peered at her burned hair. "Looks bad."

  Oh, how totally sweet. She actually had to blink hard to keep her eyes from filling up. She slapped his hand away. "Guardians don't need comfort. We heal quickly and are trained to be independent."

  "But your head is burned. Doesn't it hurt?"

  "Like hell." Hmm...speaking of hell...she shot a quick look at Becca, who was giving her a very unfriendly look. But at least there were no fireballs in her hands. That was a start. "Derek? Satan's assassin is still here." She pushed him aside and hiked up her dress to grab her gun. Not that she was particularly optimistic about a gun's usefulness against Satan's servant, but it was worth a try.

  "Back off, Becca." Derek moved between Becca and Justine, and Justine felt another flicker of warmth. Mr. Mortal Guy was protecting her, an immortal bad ass? How adorable. She paused to bask in the moment, then shoved him aside so she had a clear shot at Becca.

  The doorman came outside again with a fire extinguisher and another couple, and all three of them froze, their gazes fixed on her gun. Justine glanced at Derek. "A little help, please?"

  "We have this under control," Derek said firmly. "Please go back inside and keep everyone in until we leave."

  "No problem." The trio bolted back inside, and Justine figured they had about five minutes until the police showed up.

  Becca didn't look happy. "I wouldn't have hit her at all if she hadn't moved." She scowled at Justine. "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how much trouble I would have been in if I'd killed you?" She paled suddenly and sat down hard on the smoking flower pot. Her breath started coming in wheezes, and she put her head between her knees. "She's okay," she muttered to herself. "She didn't die. No harm done. Deep breath. One...Two..."

  Justine glanced at Derek while Satan's helper counted to ten, then started over. He shrugged, then cleared his throat. "Becca? You okay?"

  She snapped her head up. "Of course I'm not all right. I almost killed the Guardian! Do you have any idea what it's like to have Satan pissed at you?" She started to sway, and returned her head to between her knees, as if she were on the verge of passing out. "Goblet Girl, if you ever do something that stupid again, I'll follow you to the Afterlife and torture you for all eternity." She looked up, and her eyes were glowing re
d. "And trust me, I'm more than capable of doing it."

  Derek cursed and took a step back, grabbing Justine's wrist and yanking her with him. "Good lord, Becca. What are you?"

  "I'm a Rivka. Created by Satan, kept alive by his life force, destined to obey his every command, yada, yada, yada. I'm sure you've heard it all before."

  "Um, no. I haven't. You were created by Satan? And he actually exists?" Derek still looked shocked, his jaw muscles twitching as if he was trying desperately to process everything before he ended up dead.

  Justine nudged his arm with her gun, and he glanced at her. "Derek. I don't want to be rude and interrupt this little educational session, but I think we need to take advantage of the fact she hasn't killed us yet. If you'll step out of the way, I'll take care of this situation."

  Becca stood up and brushed the flower remains off her butt. "Hello? Obviously, I'm not planning to kill either of you. If I was, you'd be dead by now."

  Justine narrowed her eyes and trained her gun on the Rivka. "I'm very difficult to kill."

  The Rivka's eyes grew redder. Sort of looked like glowing embers. Interesting. Somehow, Justine couldn't drum up any regret that she'd managed to avoid Rivkas until now. There was something a little unsettling about hanging out in a parking lot with Satan's number one.

  "I'm his best Rivka. Trust me, you'd be dead if I wanted it that way." Becca's fingers turned red, and a fireball began to form in her palm.

  "I'm the best Guardian in a thousand years. Trust me, you're no match for me." She released the safety and took aim on Becca's forehead. Honestly, she wasn't sure that she'd come out the winner in a mano-a-mano with Becca, but attitude was everything, right?

  Derek stepped between them, and Justine quickly averted her gun so she didn't accidentally unload a bullet into him. "Okay, hang on, ladies—"

  "You're calling me a lady?" Becca interrupted, her face shocked. "Even after all this?"

  Derek hesitated. "Sorry?"

  "No! That's so nice!" The red faded from Becca's eyes, and her face softened. "No one ever calls me a lady once they know what I do. A freak, the damned, a murderous bitch who deserves to be dismembered, yes. But a lady?" She beamed at Derek, and a surge of something rushed through Justine. Jealousy, maybe? He was her man to kill, after all.

  But there was something else too. Empathy. She understood how it felt to be outside society due to challenging and lethal work duties. Derek's acceptance of her had felt so good, so she knew why Becca felt the same way. She sighed, realizing that she didn't want to kill Satan's Rivka any more than she wanted to kill Derek. "Hey, Rivka."

  Becca glared at her. "My name is Becca."

  Justine lifted a brow. "Really?"

  A faint red flushed her cheeks. "Well, it has been for five years. I kind of like it. Better than the one Satan gave me."

  Something in the Rivka's expression touched Justine. Something that said that Becca might understand what it was like to hate her job. Someone who understood centuries of isolation. Vulnerability and exhaustion hidden behind a fierceness that could never falter.

  It was how Justine lived, and apparently, how Becca did, too. She sighed. "Fine. Becca it is. I have a question."

  Becca tilted her head, studying her. "Go ahead."

  "You said Satan had ordered you to kill us immediately, and you said you had to obey him. But you didn't kill us, and you aren't trying to. What's up with that?"

  Derek raised the dagger again, his fingers relaxed around the hilt in an expert grip. "You really were trying to kill us?"

  "No, not really." Becca sighed. "First of all, Derek, the 'them' referred to you and your brother, not you and her. Once you found Goblet Girl—"

  "Justine. Call me Justine."

  Becca glanced at her, and something in the air between them changed. It wasn't friendship, but it was an understanding. She flashed Justine a small smile before turning her attention back to Derek. "Once you located Justine, you became a danger to her. My assignment has been to monitor your search for her. If you found her, I had to report in to Satan. Apparently, he has decided you need to be destroyed before you can follow through on your plan to kill her."

  Derek blinked. "You mean, the whole five years you've been working for me, you've actually been spying on me...for Satan?"

  At Becca's nod, the dagger wavered in his hand and he let his arm drop to his side. He muttered something about Satan and hell and insanity, then sat heavily on the top step leading into the restaurant. "Didn't you think that was something I might have wanted to know?"

  Becca shrugged. "For what it's worth, you're the best assignment I've ever had. I love working for Vic's."

  He looked at Becca. "You lied to me."

  Justine knew exactly how he felt. The hardest part of killing Carl had been realizing that the man she'd trusted for so long had been lying to her all along. She set her hand on Derek's shoulder and squeezed gently, giving him a small smile. Deception was the worst. She'd never lie to him, especially not for five years. Kill him? Quite possibly. Lie to him? Never. Obviously, she was the better woman for him than this Rivka, who seemed to be so close to him.

  Becca studied Justine. "Why would Satan care if you lived? Everyone knows he lusts after the Goblet, and having you alive doesn't help his odds."

  "I don't know..." She frowned suddenly, her gut dropping. "Oh, wait. I do know. He's courting my mom. He's probably trying to win her over by keeping me alive." Was he going to try to trade her safety for her mom's sexual favors? She slumped to the step next to Derek. Damn. The day was definitely getting worse.

  Derek shifted away from her. "Satan's courting your mom? Are you kidding?"

  Becca stared at her. "Really?"

  "Long story." She sighed and tried not to notice Derek's wary gaze. "I'm sure it's not that big of a deal. Really." When Derek didn't scoot back toward her, she sat up straighter and tried to shake it off. So what if he wasn't so into her now that he knew her mom and Satan had some sort of weird thing? That was fine. It wasn't as if they'd made any promises to each other.

  The fact that he'd seemed to accept her for who she was? It had been a gift for that moment, not a promise of forever. She knew that, right? So, no big deal. She cleared her throat and tried to focus on the situation. "So, Becca, why is Derek still alive if you're supposed to kill him?"

  Becca grinned. "Loophole."

  Like the one that she'd been planning to use to let her worship Derek's body tonight, despite her Oath. Not that getting naked with him was high on her list of priorities at the moment. And he certainly didn't look like a guy with sweaty sex on the brain. She had kind of lost her sex mojo right now as well, though.

  "What loophole?" Derek asked.

  "Well, I have to do exactly what Satan says, but sometimes he's not specific enough." Becca nodded at the smoking remains of the petunias. "He said I had to 'kill them both.'" She blinked innocently. "I thought he meant the plants."

  Justine grinned. "That's brilliant." If they'd met in other circumstances, maybe she and Becca could have been friends. "I'm impressed by anyone with the nerve to go against Satan."

  Becca returned the smile. "Thank you. I do my best to thwart him whenever possible. I might have to obey him, but it doesn't mean I have to make things easy for him."

  "What about if he orders you to 'kill Derek LaValle now'?" Derek asked.

  Becca wrinkled her nose and gave a nod of acknowledgement. "That will be tougher to evade. That's why we need to get this sorted out before he smartens up. Sometimes he gets the order right on the second try. Other times, it takes longer."

  "Sort what out?" Derek asked.

  "The way I see it, we have two options," Becca said. "My first choice, and the easiest one, is to have you kill Justine before I can stop you. Then you can steal the Goblet and end the Curse. I've gotten quite fond of you over the last five years, and I really don't want you to die next week."

  "Um, hello?" Justine waved her hands. "I'm right here. I can hear you tel
ling him to kill me." Maybe she and Becca wouldn't be so close after all.

  Becca brushed the embers off her shirt, ignoring Justine. "Quite frankly, Derek, you're a much better boss than Satan is. I'm willing to trade Justine's life for yours, but if Satan gets pissed and kills you to punish me, it sort of defeats the whole purpose of breaking the Curse, right?"

  Justine picked her gun up off her lap and wrapped her hand around it, letting it angle slightly toward Derek. "So much for being friends, Rivka."

  "I have no friends," Becca snorted. "But here's the thing: if I let Derek kill you, then Satan will be pissed at me, and he might kill Derek and me anyway. But if I kill Derek, then I'll be bummed, so that doesn't work either…" Becca's voice faded and she chewed her lower lip.

  "We wouldn't want you to be sad, would we?" Justine tapped the gun against her knee, her grip loose but ready. She'd felt so connected to Derek such a short time ago, and now she was back to being isolated and alone, a solo practitioner in her mission to keep Mona safe.

  She should just kill them both right now and be done with it.

  Except she didn't want to. Even though she was a little jealous of Becca's apparent bond with Derek, there was also something really beautiful about their connection, and how neither of them wanted the other to die. She wanted that with someone. Yes, she had Theresa, but it wasn't the same thing as having it with a man.

  Derek rubbed his jaw wearily. "Vic's would be in trouble if Satan killed you. We really need you in charge of things. And I'm not all that high on killing Justine," he added, setting his hand on Justine's shoulder.

  Oh…he was touching her again. Dammit. She did not need to be feeling all soft and mushy from one touch, did she? No. She had to ignore him. Feel strong.

  "So what's the other option?" he asked Becca.

  "Find another way to end the Curse besides killing Justine," Becca answered. "You stay alive, and we don't piss off Satan by killing the Guardian. Everyone wins."

  No one was killing her tonight? She liked that plan. She pointed the gun toward the floor, away from the others. Becca and Derek noticed her action, and he immediately set the dagger down next to him and gave her a nod.