Double damn, he’s in my head like Niki.
I really had to learn how to block my wayward thoughts. His round body bobbed up and down, and I had to bite my lip to stop the resurgent laughter threatening to spill out. When the purple imp winked at me, though, I made up my mind about him.
Pondering a moment, I stepped in front of my mother. Narrowing my eyes I leaned forward, the creature’s steady gaze never leaving mine. I gave him a single nod. “I think you and I are going to get along nicely, Al. You seem smart, and I can tell you have an ornery streak. You remind me of me.”
“And you thought I called you imp in a nice way?” Niki muttered behind me.
“Shut up, Cheesehead,” I retorted without turning around. I continued to stare into Al’s weird eyes, trying hard not to flinch. “As I was saying, you and I are going to become very good friends, and you will be a good little imp, or . . .” I paused and smiled sweetly. “I’ll have to kiss you and hug you.” I jerked my foot behind me, kicking at Niki who sounded like he was snorting all over my backside as he tried to stifle his mirth, a reoccurring bad habit of his.
When the imp’s face bespoke complete horror at his intended punishment, I had to laugh too.
My mother even chuckled when his deep purple skin turned pink. “Well, it gives new meaning to looking peaked.”
“Hmmm. You now have a puppet.” The only emotion showing through Dad’s stern mask was the twinkle in his eyes.
I frowned, not quite understanding. “Uh, not to sound stupid, although it seems to be the norm lately, but what’s a puppet?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I held up my hand. “Don’t say it—you all know what I meant.”
“It’s the dark-world term for pet,” Dad replied.
“What if I don’t want a pet?”
Dad shrugged. “Not your decision, really. Alloutte chose you.”
“Me? How? I didn’t hear him say anything. All I saw was a smile, sort of, in a cute, strange and twisted way. It wasn’t a declaration of love.”
“Exactly.”
“Gods. Do you have to be so cryptic? Explain in plain English, please.”
Niki stepped up behind me, so close the heat from his body seeped into mine, instantly calming my racing heart. He placed his palm against the small of my back, and the remaining tension eased.
Before meeting him, I would never have believed a demon would willingly, much less be able to, take away pain or the feelings associated with it. This new and very strange world I found myself in seemed to be full of surprises, although right this moment, I wasn’t sure how happy I was with the knowledge.
“I thought I just did,” Dad muttered, bringing me back to the drama at hand. “Alloutte clearly communicates with you. If a baby imp chooses its owner, as I believe he has done with you, he will be able to read your mind. I’ve seen it a few times before. Alloutte didn’t stop his mischievousness with your mother. He ransacked her stuff. She couldn’t tell him to stop.”
Dad jerked a chin toward the little purple blob. “Look at him now. Alloutte isn’t trying to escape. He’s merely waiting for you to take him. Whether you like it or not, Johnna, you are now the proud owner of a baby imp.”
“Oh, goody.”
“Imps learn extremely fast. He will mind you, but you have to be patient and firm.” Dad eyed me thoughtfully. “On second thought, this might be catamount to disaster. You’ve never shown patience for anything.”
Fuming at such criticism, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Just get on with it.”
For the first time, he grinned. “See? Now, depending on the imp’s lineage—some are better than others—sometimes they show extreme magical talent and learn too fast. If your bond with him is strong, he will be able to pick everything from your mind, like instant knowledge. You will need to explain the reasoning behind things when necessary, such as morals.”
Comprehension blossomed, and I grinned. “I get it. You’re saying he has the basic answers, but he doesn’t know how or why to apply them.”
Dad beamed at Mom. “See? I told you she took after me.”
My mother sat on the end of the bed and rolled her eyes. “I knew I should have gotten my doctorate in psychology when I had the chance.”
For a brief second, the imp disappeared then reappeared in my arms. No crawling or walking pets for me; mine popped. Yay. I looked down at the round form cuddled against my collarbone and started when I heard a small word whisper through my mind.
Home.
I glanced back at Niki, but his expression remained, as usual, unreadable.
“What in the hell am I going to do with a puppet?”
Chapter 7
The Demon Castle, Demon Realm
Lucien, the demon king
I sat at the massive stone conference table, staring at the wall. My second-in-command waited for my answer.
At this moment, I didn’t have one.
There were too many lives at stake for a rush decision. The steady drum of my fingers on the tabletop matched the clenching of my jaw.
Sometimes, being king sucked.
On the wall I faced, oppressive colors writhed and swirled behind the thick glass-like substance as the demons’ imprisoned spirits skated across the impenetrable gel-like barrier of magic. I had never been on the other side, but my father had often told me about the overwhelming pressure of negative energy given off by the bound prisoners condemned to the Abyss. These were demons too evil ever to regain their freedom.
Resting at the center of my kingdom, this vile zone was the only place where every region of Dark World joined. It also happened to be Lucifer’s residence.
The swirls mimicked the roiling of my gut. Someone had been stringing me and my enforcers along like marionettes, and it pissed me off. Who would be stupid enough to mess with a demon, much less the king?
“What can you tell me?” I met my enforcer’s calm gaze from a few seats down. Other than Niki and Gerard, Malachi was the only other person I trusted.
“No more than you already know. Because of the imp’s age, he wasn’t able to give many details about the break-in. The only definitive thing we learned was the presence of two people, male and female. I wish it were more.”
I sighed in disgust. “He didn’t hear any names, see faces? Anything helpful?”
“After you left, I questioned him for several hours, but he’s simply too young. I sent him to Gerard. Hopefully, he and Niki can get something else from him. It’s going to take time.”
I opened my palm, and a small marble-sized ball of fire appeared. I rolled and tossed it around in my hand as I mulled over Malachi's words. “We don’t have that kind of time. If anyone can get details, it’s Gerard. Lately, however, his attention has been focused more on his daughter.”
“What’s up with the kid? She looked well when I left her earlier.”
I chuckled drily. “The ‘kid’ just turned twenty-three.”
“Not the worst news. She could’ve been twenty-five and coming into her magic.”
“Well, Gerard and Niki had to speed it up a bit and cheat the system, so to speak, to retrieve the diary key before Max took it from her. Gerard knew it was a possibility, depending on what her magic was, but he seemed willing to take the chance if it meant saving her life. His latest report mentioned an unavoidable situation, which jump-started her magic. I won’t know more until he and Niki return. The poor girl’s world has also been turned inside out. Evidently, Gerard never told his daughter her mother is an immortal nor anything else about their family’s history.”
“Damnation.”
“You really need to come up with another expletive. You’re a demon, for crying out loud. Say something more manly, like holy shit,” I grumbled.
“Old habits die hard. Being an angel f
or five thousand years isn’t easy to overcome.”
“Live a little.”
“Screw you.”
“See? It’s not so difficult. All it takes is a little imagination.” I threw the fire marble at the wall, watching as it absorbed the heated energy. “Don’t forget who you’re talking to when you do it.”
Malachi leaned back and propped his boots on the table. Staring at me, his gaze hardened, as if daring me to say something.
I raised one brow and bit back my grin. “Well, I did tell you to live a little, didn’t I? Now, who is your best guess for the thefts?”
Malachi’s boots hit the floor with a loud thud. “That’s what bothers me. Nothing was taken. At least, we haven’t noticed anything missing yet. Who breaks into the largest treasury in Dark World but doesn’t steal anything?”
“Did you look at the books?”
The enforcer scowled. “I wouldn’t have thought to look there.”
Malachi loved movies, but read a book? Not likely. “You’re pathetic, Malachi. Reading is knowledge. Right now, we need a lot of it.”
“Reading gives me headaches. And I’m already smart, thank you.”
I bit my tongue. We’d had this argument many times, and I refused to take the bait. “More than likely, they were looking for the diary. Any sealed book they found, they’d take.”
“Damnation.”
I shook my head. “Well, you said it with more force, but what happened to manly?”
Malachi shrugged. “I tried the ‘Eff you’ in my mind, but it didn’t feel right.”
“Eff—seriously? It didn’t feel right?” I scrubbed my face with my palms. The friction of the calluses from years of wielding a sword felt good against my prickly skin. “Are you a demon or not?”
“Eons as a Fallen Angel make old habits hard to break.”
Time to cut this short. “Malachi, go. Talk to Gerard and Niki. Maybe by now they have something more to go on. Anything. God knows I don’t.”
As I spoke, a bright red light glowed in the far corner of the room, growing in size and brilliance. My heart stuttered, a falling sensation inside my gut, quickly turning into nausea when a heavyset, hard-faced demoness appeared. Each step she took toward the table sounded like a loud drum. The gaudy lime-green of the sack she wore as a dress clashed with her fire-red hair and muddy-looking skin.
“What in Hell’s name are you doing to my kingdom?” she shrieked.
I smiled grimly. “Hello, Mother.”
Chapter 8
Sabine’s crypt house, Hades’ Catacombs
Johnna
I stared down bewilderingly at the purple blob curled up in the middle of my pillow, then confronted my dad. “Seriously, what do I do with him?” I sent Niki a quick frown. “It is a he, isn’t it?”
Niki nodded. “Yes, in a manner of speaking. Imps don’t have different sexes, but if you need a classification, he’s a he.”
“Why?”
Niki raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to give you a science lesson?”
“Smartass.”
“Don’t worry so much,” Dad said. “They are pretty much self-sufficient. You won’t have to do much. However, he will mimic your actions, so you need to be very careful. It’s quite amazing how words can be twisted.” He grabbed Mom by the hand, pulling her to his side. “As for us, we have other things we need to be doing . . .”
I sighed as my parents left. I couldn’t even keep goldfish alive. Why would Al put himself in my incapable hands? This new predicament also meant there would be no alone-time with Niki. I scowled at the little purple monster. Just when I was about to find out how wonderful sex could be, I got stuck with a permanent babysitter. Emphasis on baby.
Lowering my head, I snuck a peek at Niki through my hair. Oh, it was hard not to laugh. His crestfallen look had been priceless. Part of me was glad. I now knew I wasn’t the only one feeling cheated. At least I hoped he felt the same.
Deep down, I still wasn’t sure about any of this, or him. It was as if my past still controlled my emotions. How long would it take me to get over feeling abandoned? Deep down, was I waiting for the next shoe to drop and have it happen to me all over again?
I’d kept everyone—friends, potential boyfriends—at arm’s length for so long, I wasn’t sure I even knew how to let someone get close. I would be opening myself up to heartache again, and this time, I knew I wouldn’t recover.
Niki’s hand curved around the back of my neck, his thumb massaging a sore muscle I didn’t even know I had. When his warm lips pressed against mine, I froze . . . until he sucked my lower lip between his teeth. With a low moan, I scooted closer, needing to feel the heat from his skin against mine. My blood sang, happily rushing through my body while my heart beat in time with his. How could something so wondrous, that felt so right inside me, be wrong?
“Well, isn’t this an interesting scene.”
I jerked and spun around. The ruddy-skinned demon, who’d helped guard me during the fight with Max, stood beside the bed, a wide grin on his face.
I smiled back. “Mr. Muscles.”
“You’re looking much better than before, little blue eyes.” He gestured one thumb toward Niki. “What are you doing with this softy?”
“He’s amusing,” I retorted snappily. “He also has a great butt.”
“If that’s all it takes . . .”
Niki stood, his face furrowed and dark. “Malachi,” he growled.
I smiled at the metal-bound demon in front of me. “Finally, I have a name.” My eyes widened as I made the connection to the enforcer Niki had talked about earlier. “I know who you are.” I tilted my head and pretended to think. “I like Mr. Muscles better. It’s manlier.”
Niki's low snarl rumbled ominously, and I elbowed his side. He didn’t even flinch.
Stop it. Niki’s voice reverberated inside my head.
“Why are you here, Malachi?” Niki pinched the bridge of his nose, his tone strained.
You will pay for teasing me. He whispered it in my mind, making my flesh tingle and heat up several degrees.
You can try. I loved when he spoke to me, possessive-like in my mind. It made me feel special and loved.
Loved? I’d just met the dude. I had no business even thinking such a thing, much less feeling it.
Clearing my mind, I refocused on my new friend.
Malachi’s narrowed regard moved back and forth between us. His eyes widened, a mixture of questions and hope in their depths. “You two mind speak?”
I chewed on my bottom lip and nodded, unsure if this was a good thing or not by his reaction. “We won’t do it if it bothers you.”
“Not the point.” His bulging arms folded over the beautiful metal whips crisscrossing his wide chest. “I didn’t know a human had the strength of mind, much less it being possible. We’re not the same species.”
“Surprise!” I sing-songed. Then another thought popped into my head. “Wait a minute, why has my bedroom become Grand Central Station?” I turned to Niki. “Do you have any more friends who are going to show up?” Even as the words left my mouth, my splayed hand shot up. “Nope, don’t answer. I don’t want to know.”
“Lucien sent you.” All playfulness disappeared from Niki's voice, each word edged with steel.
Now I was confused. I could have sworn he told me Lucien was the demon king and his friend. If Malachi had been sent by this Lucien person, why would he be angry about it?
They argued back and forth, but it wasn’t until they were practically screaming that I really listened to what they were yelling. Or, more importantly, who they were yelling about.
Engrossed in their conversation, I stepped between them, placing one hand against each of their chests. “Wait a minute. What do you mean Max might know
? What is it Lucien believes he may know?” I blew out an exasperated huff. “You two are talking in circles. And men think women are bad? Puh-lease.”
Malachi turned his obsidian gaze on me and, for the first time, a twinge of apprehension crawled up my spine. I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley. I hastily stepped back.
“The situation isn’t as cut and dried as we originally believed,” he stated. “We need to find out why he’s been after the diary. Over the last several months Lucien noticed Max’s control seemed to be slipping. He’d hoped it was from Max spreading his magic too thin, trying to control the Summoned while searching for the book. Now, because of a new break-in at the castle, Lucien no longer believes it’s a viable theory. Not with Max in the Pits of Despair.”
Hooking his thumbs through the belt loops on his jeans, Malachi leaned back against the wall. “There seems to be a new player in our game of hide and seek for your mother’s diary.”
I sat on the edge of my bed, trying to remember what Max had muttered to me just before the fighting began. After a few moments, I gave up. No great revelations or flashes of insight came back to me. Damn. I would have to do this the hard way.
I raised my eyes and found both men staring at me. They weren’t blinking. “What? Did I miss something?”
Niki raised an eyebrow. “A flock of banshees could have exploded through here, and you wouldn’t have noticed.”
Irritated, I grabbed the pillow under my knee and flung it at Niki, hitting him square in the face.
While Malachi let out an amused whoop, I caught my breath and straightened. “You definitely have my attention now.”
“Good,” Niki muttered.
I picked up the imp ball and lifted him to my chest. He immediately crawled underneath my chin and circled my neck. I met Niki's gaze helplessly. “I feel like I’m choking.” I pressed down gently on the purring body with my chin until the discomfort eased. “Better.”
In Mage We Trust (Of Mystics and Mayhem Book 1) Page 10