That Old Black Magic

TWENTY-FIVE

Thankfully, no immediate smiting occurred.

“A deal is a deal,” Lucas said simply.

“You can kiss that deal good-bye. Go find your own nephilim and leave mine alone.”

Eden felt the weight of Lucas’s gaze on her.

“How do you feel about his taking ownership of you? You’re an independent woman. Must feel a bit uncomfortable.”

She shook her head. “Feels fine. I am his. And he’s mine. It’s an equal opportunity relationship.”

“Isn’t that special?” Lucas smiled. “So you’re denying me what we agreed to.”

She knew she should be afraid of him, but everything that had happened had just succeeded in pissing her off. She hated games. And he’d been playing with her life, with her emotions, for too long now.

Screw that.

He couldn’t help her, but she still had questions that needed answers, that might help her put the pieces of her life together after all this time.

Eden turned to the angel. “Is that really why you’re here? To take over Lucas’s throne?”

“Lucas?” Daniel repeated with a flick of his gaze to the prince.

Lucas shrugged. “I have many names. That’s one of them. Although, I do prefer it to Lucy, I must say.”

“You didn’t answer me,” Eden said to Daniel. “Why would you do this? Why don’t you help me? You’re my father.”

“Biology works in mysterious ways.”

The flippant answer only worked to enrage her more. This might be her only chance to find out the truth. “Why would you leave my mother pregnant and alone? You didn’t even tell her what you were. I should have known I was half-angel. It might have made a difference.”

Daniel shrugged. “Sorry.”

She gaped at him. “Sorry? That’s all you have to say to me?”

“I’m probably not exactly the one you should be having this conversation with anyway.”

“No? Well, that’s convenient, isn’t it? Why did you visit me that one time when I was a kid? Were you feeling guilty about leaving us? I’m not saying we could have been a family, but I don’t understand. It was one thing when I could have convinced myself you were some one-night stand or a traveling salesman, or whatever, but you’re an angel? And you just turned your back on us for all that time?”

Daniel shrugged. “Angels rarely procreate. It’s fascinating to me, really, that this could have even happened.”

Yeah, that was such a good answer. It solved so many mysteries of Eden’s life. No, actually it just made her angrier. His green-eyed gaze moved to her hands where the black magic had been triggered by her roller coaster of emotions. Darrak put his hand on her back. The warmth of his touch was enough to calm her for the time being, but only slightly.

She turned to meet his eyes and felt the sting of tears. “He didn’t want me.”

“His loss.”

Daniel laughed then, a sharp crack of sound that made chills run down Eden’s spine. “This is rather awkward, Lucifer. Shall we get on with it?”

“What?” Darrak snarled. “You’re going to do it right here, right now? Drain Eden’s angelic energy and then attempt to swap places like this is some sort of relay race?”

“Yes, that’s the plan exactly,” Daniel said.

“This doesn’t have to be unpleasant,” Lucas soothed. He was speaking to Eden directly. “It won’t hurt you. And there are ways to keep your soul from turning darker without the angelic energy to balance you. I promise no harm will come to you.”

“How can you promise that?” Darrak demanded.

Lucas’s jaw clenched. “I’ll discuss this matter with Eden alone.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Don’t stand in the way of this, Darrak. I’ve given my word that Eden and your unborn child will be protected no matter what happens.” Lucas shook his head. “I still don’t understand how something like you could have created a new life.”

Darrak glared at him. “It’s kind of sad, if I gave a moment’s thought to feel sorry for your hellish ass. You’ve never felt true love, not a moment in your entire existence. It’s all been about serving your own interests. Your own worldview. Oh, you have a shitty job. Boohoo. I had the worst job ever for hundreds of years and did you ever hear me complain?”

“Yes,” Lucas replied. “Constantly.”

“Yeah, well, I like to air my grievances. It’s healthy.”

“Are we finished here?” Daniel asked. “I’ve sacrificed much and am not in the mood for a pissing contest.”

“You think that’s what this is?” Lucas’s tone turned sharp. “A pissing contest? Be patient or you will get nothing from me at all.”

Daniel looked cowed by this. “My most sincere apologies, my prince.”

Eden couldn’t help but be disappointed. Her father was a wussy peon who caved at the slightest challenge. She’d thought he might be able to help her, but she saw that was only a pipe dream now. She had to figure out how to save herself and Darrak and she needed to do it now.

If that required her giving up her celestial energy in order to get everyone out of this in one piece, then that was exactly what she’d do. But first she needed to know something.

She turned to Daniel. “Why are you willing to become the next Prince of Hell? Is this an official assignment? A changing of the guard?”

That would be enough to reassure Eden that this was the right thing to do. After all, Lucas had served in Hell for a very long time. She had to admit, even he deserved a break.

Daniel moved closer to her and gently cupped her face in his hands. This close to him she could feel the celestial energy radiating off his tall and strong angelic form. It felt nice and warm and safe.

“Yes, that’s it,” he said softly. “It is my time and I shall do what I must to help the greater good of the universe. Do you believe me, my daughter?”

She dug her fingers into his hand and wrenched herself away from him. “Nice try. But you’re a very bad liar. What the hell are you?”

The warmth in his expression and from his heavenly energy had never once touched his eyes.

“Eden!” A shout came from the room down the hall. It sounded like Ben.

She didn’t wait; she ran directly over and pushed the door open all the way.

Ben, Leena, and her mother’s rented aspiring-actress body were tied to three wooden chairs. Standing next to Ben, her fingernails digging into his throat, was Sandy, a gray witch Eden had met before. She’d helped Eden escape once when she’d been in a bit of a bind.

She took the entire room in in a split second.

“See, Ben?” Sandy purred. “I told you I could make you scream her name if I wanted you to. Looks like I was right.”

Magic sparked into Eden’s hand and she focused it at Sandy without a second thought. She didn’t need a program to tell who the players were here. Despite her issues with Ben, he was in trouble, big trouble. And so were Leena and her mother.

Sandy flew backward and hit the wall hard enough to knock her out.

“Eden!” Caroline called out to her. “You need to run! This is a trap!”

Yeah, she already knew that much.

Darrak pushed past Lucas and joined Eden in the room.

“What is this, Lucifer?” he demanded. “Blackmail? That’s low even for you.”

Lucas shook his head. “Not blackmail. More like an insurance policy. Nothing can go wrong now. Don’t you understand that?”

“I understand. And I concur. Nothing can go wrong.”

“Concur. That’s a big word for a little boy like you.”

Darrak glowered at him. “I really hate you.”

Lucas grinned. “That temper of yours is going to get you in trouble someday.”

“I’m going to destroy you.”

“How?” Lucas asked. “By phasing me to the Void and attempting to throw me in?”

Eden had never seen Darrak go pale so quickly, but he did. By the look on Darrak’s face, that was exactly what he’d planned to do.

Panic swelled inside of her. What the hell was he thinking? He was going to get himself destroyed. Again.

“I’m going to tear you apart the moment I—” Darrak began fiercely.

“Darrakayiis,” Lucas cut him off, using his full name. “Shut up.”

Darrak went silent. He had no choice. Using his full name gave Lucas full and complete power over him.

“Leave him alone,” Eden growled.

“You need to behave yourself, too.” Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “My patience wears thin with both of you, Eden. I’ve given you much more than I have ever given anyone else in recent memory. And now you try to take away what is rightfully mine.”

“It’s not worth it. He”—she nodded at Daniel—“doesn’t deserve your power. He will not do the same job you’ve done.”

“I don’t care. I’m finished. They’ve locked me out of my home for long enough and it’s time for me to finally go back.”

“But my father—”

“That’s not your father,” Ben spoke up. His throat was bleeding from where Sandy had clawed him. “It’s Oliver Gale. He did a black magic ritual to be able to possess your father’s body. It’s the only way he could go to Hell and become the prince.”

Eden’s mouth fell open with shock. Oliver Gale had somehow possessed her father’s body all so he could take over for Lucas. “This is impossible.”

“I’ll destroy Darrak,” Lucas warned. “You know I can. I’ve been playing up till now, but the game is losing its entertainment factor for me. I’m tired. I’m so tired you could never understand.”

She shook her head. “Then stop this. This is wrong, Lucas. You’re the Prince of Hell. You can’t believe that the leader of the Malleus is going to keep the balance you’ve maintained. If he was this corrupt as a human just imagine what he’s capable of doing with your power at his fingertips.”

But her words weren’t sinking in. Nothing she said would ever change his mind.

Lucas looked at Darrak. “You believe she loves you, but I’m still not entirely convinced. This form of yours, what if you no longer had it? Would that make a difference to you, Eden? If he wasn’t this tall, dark, and handsome man you’ve fallen for. You’ve seen his true form, right? A little less presentable in everyday society.” Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Show us, Darrakayiis. Show us your demon visage.”

When a witch or human used his true name, there was sometimes a short delay as he fought against their power over him, but with Lucas — his maker — there was no fight. Lucas had absolute power over his creation, even now that he wasn’t fully demon.

As a half-angel now, Eden wasn’t sure what to expect him to look like. But amber flames flowed over his now leathery flesh, his form grew another foot taller and much broader, horns curved outward from his temples. It was still Darrak, but this was truly a demon — one from a horror movie or a nightmare.

He didn’t look even a little bit angelic.

Darrak’s lips curved back from sharp teeth as he glared at Lucas, still unable to speak.

“Not so pretty now, is he?” Lucas said. “Not the man of any girl’s dreams.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I guess I have different dreams than other girls.”

She went directly to this demonic version of Darrak and slid her arms around his thick waist. His skin was hot and very dry, like sand beneath her fingertips. The fire didn’t burn her.

Eden looked up at him. “I love you, Darrak. No matter what.”

His eyes were filled with uncertainty until she said those words, but then clarity filled them. He couldn’t speak while under Lucas’s control, but she didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. He finally believed her. And that made anything that happened today bearable for him.

Even the really bad stuff.

“Disgusting,” Daniel, or rather Oliver said.

“Oh?” Lucas replied. “You don’t approve?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

Eden knew she could say Darrak’s true name and free him from Lucas’s influence and turn him over to her own, but she didn’t. She wasn’t playing tag with another witch here. Lucas had power over Darrak with or without the use of his name.

It wasn’t only Eden’s fate at stake here. It was Darrak’s, her mother’s, Ben’s, and Leena’s. It was even Daniel’s, a father she’d never known, who had no control right now because that control had been stolen from him by an evil human with a big agenda.

Whatever Daniel’s reason for not being around when she grew up, he didn’t deserve this. What had they done to him for a human to take over his body?

That was truly black magic.

She eyed Sandy, currently unconscious. Despite her dark power she was still human, still as fragile as any other. This was her doing. Something had changed Sandy, made her choose the darker path. All Eden knew for sure was that she’d chosen wrong.

But Eden also had magic at her disposal, and she wasn’t going to let anyone she loved be hurt here today. No matter the cost.

Darrak stared down at her as if trying to get her to do something other than stay by his side. He didn’t want to be at Lucas’s mercy. But what had he been thinking to even consider making an attempt on Lucas’s life?

“Do you have something to say?” Lucas approached, his arms crossed. “That’s too bad, because I don’t want to hear it.”

“Tough shit,” Darrak growled.

“Wait.” Lucas frowned. “I didn’t give you permission to speak.”

Darrak pushed Eden out of the way, launched himself forward, and grabbed Lucas by his throat. A split second later, they both vanished in a flash of fire.