Something Wicked

  Was that enough? Lucas was playing this game of give-and-take really well—everything had gone his way so far. He’d managed to intimidate Eden, and she’d given him no argument.

  But how often would she get a chance like this? The Prince of Hell himself needed something from her. He hadn’t gone to anyone else. Just her. He’d even moved in next door at her crappy apartment building with faulty plumbing and the occasional infestation of fruit flies in order to get closer to her.

  She exhaled slowly, willing some well-needed courage to arrive ASAP. “I want something else.”

  Lucas’s eyebrow rose. “Oh really?”

  She nodded. “When I give you the angelheart, I want you to fix things between me and Darrak.”

  “Fix things in what way?”

  She licked her dry lips. “Make it so that he no longer has to possess me.”

  “Are you changing the rules, Eden?” Lucas asked, smiling thinly. “That’s not very wise, is it?”

  She held his gaze steadily. She wasn’t backing down. If he knew her mother as well as he said he did, he couldn’t possibly believe, 100 percent, that Eden would help her unconditionally. She would, of course, but he couldn’t know that for certain. But her mother was a well-known opportunist. Why wouldn’t her daughter be one as well?

  “Is that a yes or a no?” she asked. “How badly do you want that diamond?”

  He turned and looked at the sunset.

  “Well?” she prompted after a few uncomfortable minutes had gone by. The beach had suddenly grown colder, the wind picking up—more arctic than tropical now. It blew Eden’s hair back from her face and she shivered.

  Without turning to face her, Lucas said, “Fine. It’s a deal. If you give me that black diamond, I will release your mother’s soul and also ensure that Darrak no longer has to possess you. Agreed?”

  She nodded even though he couldn’t see it at the moment. “Agreed.”

  “Now, leave me alone.”

  Snap.

  After the flash of light, she was back in her bedroom again. Hope and dread clawed for dominance in her chest.

  She’d just made a deal with Lucifer, and he was going to help her.

  Something about that sentence just didn’t sit well with her.

  SEVENTEEN

  Well, that pretty much confirmed it for Darrak, didn’t it?

  “You’re not in love with this jerk, are you?” Leena asked, point blank.

  “Hell no,” Eden replied. “Are you crazy? What a ridiculous question! How could I be in love with the demon single-handedly responsible for ruining my entire life? I couldn’t, that’s how! Never, never ever! Multiplied by a million!”

  Cue laugh track.

  Darrak was paraphrasing, of course, but that was the message received, loud and clear.

  Couldn’t exactly blame her.

  The funny thing, really—in an entirely unfunny way—was the fact that only a few moments earlier he could have sworn he saw something in her eyes as she looked at him. Something like . . . desire.

  But, hell. Lust wasn’t love. He knew that better than most. He’d just never put it to the test before.

  Darrak was very comfortable with lust. It made things simple. Love on the other hand. Well, there was nothing simple about that, was there?

  Lesson of the century.

  The phone rang and Leena grabbed it immediately.

  “Yeah?” she said before her eyes flicked to him. “Maybe.”

  Darrak held out his hand. “Give it to me.” When she didn’t budge, his eyes narrowed, and he tried not to let his exasperation with the shifter turn into outright anger. “Now.”

  That cocky look of hers vanished for a moment, replaced with what looked a whole lot like fear. Had she caught a glimpse of hellfire in his eyes?

  Served her right. The shifter really didn’t know who she was messing with.

  Or maybe the bitchy, argumentative act was just that. An act.

  It would be much smarter for her to fear him.

  “Fine.” She placed the receiver on the counter. Then she shifted to her small cat form—werepanther his ass—and skulked over to the sofa.

  The shifter was an annoying intrusion. But, he supposed, that was the point of having her there in the first place. He’d realized last night, when Eden nearly succeeded in seducing him, how very seducible he was.

  Would it really have made that much difference? a part of himself asked. She’s already a black witch. The damage is done. Just because Selina warned that every time you and Eden were together it would take her into darker territory, doesn’t mean it’s the truth.

  The voice was tempting. Almost as tempting as Eden’s warm and very willing body had been last night.

  Lust only.

  So give into that lust, the voice said. Have fun with it!

  Shut up, he replied internally, and held the phone to his ear. “What?”

  “It’s me,” Theo responded.

  Darrak couldn’t help but be slightly amused. “Why are you using the telephone? Seems a bit too human for you, or have things changed that much over the years?”

  “The telephone wasn’t even invented the last time I saw you. No e-mail either.”

  “Why didn’t you just phase here?” Darrak asked, referring to the ability demons had to teleport from place to place at will. He couldn’t do it anymore. His hundred foot tether to Eden stopped him.

  “I figured if I just popped by in a flash of fire and showmanship, your girlfriend would freak out and decimate me.”

  “You might be right. But she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Saddest excuse for a black witch I’ve ever seen, really. Does she sell cookies?”

  Darrak frowned. “What?”

  “I figured she might have some available, since she’s such a Girl Scout. They’re so delicious, aren’t they? And the cookies aren’t bad, either.”

  “Never tried them. The scouts or the cookies. Although, I am recently very fond of chocolate donuts.”

  Darrak felt the curious gaze of the shapeshifter. He walked to the balcony door and stepped outside so he could have some privacy from the spy in residence. He sensed the cold, but it didn’t bother him. No phasing abilities, or unlimited destructive power, but he could stand outside in the chilly air for as long as he wanted.

  Yippy.

  Eden had recently bought him a black leather trench coat that hung to his knees. It would be November soon, and she thought short sleeves marked him as something different when they went out. Seemed a bit bulky and unnecessary, but he wore it to please her.

  He rubbed his forehead at the thought.

  To please her.

  What the hell had happened to him?

  “What do you want, Theo?” he asked as he watched the sun getting low on the horizon. They weren’t in the heart of the downtown core of the city here. More like the outskirts. There wasn’t much to see other than trees and roads and sky. Below him, in the parking lot, the streetlights flickered on.

  Already, he felt a small twinge of pain in his very core that worked as a warning signal that his time to lose form was not that far off.

  “I know you’re pissed I didn’t tell you about the angel before it happened,” Theo said.

  “I’m not pissed. It had to happen, of course, to acquire the weapon. But I would have liked a head’s-up about it, yeah.”

  “I have something for you that might make up for it. A gift.”

  Darrak watched two people get into a car below and drive out of the parking lot. To the far left he could see Eden’s little Toyota.

  “A gift? But it’s not even my birthday. Which, since I was never birthed, is understandable.”

  “This is more of a gift of friendship.”

  Darrak snorted. What was up with Theo tonight? Maybe he wasn’t the only demon who felt guilt lately. If it brought him gifts, then Darrak was okay with that. “Oh, yeah? Do you even know my favorite color?”

  “I think so.” There was a sm
ile in Theo’s words. It was oddly intriguing.

  “What is it?”

  “Can’t spoil the surprise.”

  “Is it the means to end my curse?” he asked hopefully.

  “Nope. Still working on that.”

  Well, that was disappointing. “If it’s another gift like our visit with that angel today, I’m going to have to take a pass.”

  “Why do you sound so morose about that?” Theo asked. “The plan is going perfectly.”

  Darrak kept his gaze fixed on the setting sun. Now that Theo mentioned it, he really didn’t know why he was so morose about it. He never would have had a problem with taking the necessary steps to achieve something big before.

  “Darrak,” Theo said after a moment. “You’re still into this, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Sorry, but I’m not hearing the enthusiasm I’d like to from you. It’s her, isn’t it?”

  “Her who?”

  “You know who. Your hostess with the mostest. She has you wrapped around her little finger.”

  His jaw tensed. “No she doesn’t.”

  “Dude, I understand. Really. It’s like . . . like what happened with Kristina and me. I can see it.”

  “It’s nothing like that.”

  “It’s all a test, Darrak. A big one. I was tested with Kristina and I passed. Now it’s your turn. If you don’t pass this test, then you’re going to be eternally screwed.”

  “A test, huh? I think I’m failing at the moment. Badly.” Darrak didn’t want to have this conversation. He gripped the railing of the balcony so tightly it made a metallic groaning sound.

  “You’re stronger than this,” Theo assured him. “You might think you have some sort of strange attachment to that witch right now, but trust me, it doesn’t mean anything. The moment your curse is broken you won’t feel this way any longer.”

  Darrak’s tense shoulders relaxed a little. “You think?”

  “You’ve been possessing humans for three hundred years, no wonder you’re all messed up. I would have come here and helped you earlier if I’d known what was going on. But it’s not too late to change things. Once you get away from this Eden chick, you’ll start thinking clearly again.”

  Darrak could clearly see the protective wards Eden had put up around the circumference of the apartment building. They shimmered. Humans wouldn’t be able to spot them, though. They didn’t see things quite as clearly as he did.

  “Will I?” he asked.

  “Yes, you will. She’s just one woman in how many years since we were created? A thousand? How many women have you had in that much time? How many souls have you taken?”

  Darrak swallowed. The sunset now looked like fire sinking into the ground. “Countless.”

  “And do you remember any of them?”

  “Not many,” he admitted.

  “You’re in the middle of an existential crisis. You think the witch is helping you, but she’s not. She’s only helping herself. She doesn’t really care about you, does she?”

  Darrak remembered what Eden had said to Leena. She didn’t care about him. Lust wasn’t love. “No. She doesn’t. Not really.”

  Theo’s pep talk was working. He was feeling stronger the more they spoke. This was exactly what he needed, and it began to fill him with strength and resolve.

  But his pain increased with every second that passed as the sun sank lower. His body wanted to turn to smoke. He had a few minutes left at most.

  “Meet me tonight without what’s-her-name in tow,” Theo said.

  “You do realize she’s my host, right? And I’m about to lose form any second.”

  There was a short pause. “Then you know what you have to do. Meet me at Luxuria at one o’clock to get your gift. Girl Scout should be sawing logs by then, right?”

  It was impossible. Darrak couldn’t borrow Eden’s body again without her permission.

  Hold on. Why the hell couldn’t he? She never had to know. The only reason she’d found out the first time is because he’d stupidly confessed to her. And that had been met with one long, annoying reprimand.

  Well, you did steal her body, his conscience reminded him.

  Since when did he have a damn conscience?

  Demons didn’t have consciences!

  “Okay.” A smile curled up the corner of his mouth at the thought of doing something wicked without remorse. “I’ll see you then.”

  Darrak hung up before he could change his mind. Then he heard a knock on the balcony door behind him and he turned. Eden stood there.

  He tensed. Had she heard him talking to Theo?

  She pointed at the sunset and slid open the door.

  “Standing on the balcony when you lose form might get you picked up by the breeze,” she said. “It’s a bit windy tonight.”

  “Good point.”

  She looked at the phone in his hand. “Theo called again?”

  “You guessed it.” He didn’t have to lie about everything.

  “What did he have to say?” she asked tightly.

  “He wanted to know if you hated him for sucking out some angel juice today.”

  She grimaced at the reminder. “And you told him I do?”

  “Of course.”

  “Good.” She stepped out onto the balcony and closed the door. Inside, Leena cocked her furry head to the side, a curious expression on her whiskered face.

  “What’s wrong?” Darrak asked. There was a definite searching look in Eden’s expression.

  “Lots of things.” She leaned against the railing next to him.

  “Tell me.” His knuckles whitened. He would hang on to his form for as long as there was still a sliver of light in the sky. He hated losing it. It was like giving up in a fight.

  “Do you think there are ever easy answers?” she asked. “Like the hard things in life . . . do you ever think, yes, absolutely, that’s what I have to do? Or is it shades of gray for everyone?”

  What the hell was this all about? His pep talk from Theo had helped remind him of a few important things, but Eden’s unexpected mood after she’d stormed off earlier had managed to throw him a bit.

  “I think it depends on the person,” he said. “Some, like the Malleus, see the world in black-and-white terms only. All good or all bad. All easy or all hard. But it’s not like that. There are no easy answers.”

  “Not for anything?”

  “Again, I suppose your mileage may vary.” His brows drew together, and he reached forward to squeeze her amulet in his fist. It was much too gray at the moment. It disturbed him more than he’d like to admit.

  “It doesn’t change color when it touches you,” she said, looking down when he released it.

  “You expect it to go completely black?”

  She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.”

  “I’m not human. I don’t have a soul for it to gauge. Therefore, there’s no change.”

  “So demons definitely don’t have souls?” Her expression was open, curious, and a bit sad.

  “Not demons like me. Previously human demons do, although they keep their souls in jars for safe keeping. Angels don’t have souls, except the angels that used to be human.”

  “And werewolves?” she asked, her voice catching on the word.

  He touched her chin and raised it so her eyes met his. “Andy’s going to be fine.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes.”

  “And his soul?”

  “Is safe. Shifters and witches are still essentially human. Humans have souls whether you want them or not. It’s your gift with purchase.”

  “My supernatural lesson of the day.”

  “There will be a quiz at the end of class. So is there anything else you’d like to get off your very delectable chest at the moment?” His jaw tightened. He couldn’t keep fighting this pain much longer. “Because we’re close to showtime.”

  “Oh, right.” A flicker of fear went through her eyes that only made things worse fo
r him.

  “I . . . really don’t look forward to hurting you like this every day,” he said, not liking how hoarse his voice suddenly sounded.

  She pressed her lips together and rubbed them, blinking rapidly. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  Was this the secret she’d been keeping from him? The one that seemed to trouble her so deeply? He could hold it together a bit longer if he had to.

  “What?” he asked.

  “When you . . . when you possess me”—her green eyes met his—“it doesn’t hurt me like you think it does.”

  He hadn’t expected this revelation. “It doesn’t?”

  She shook her head.

  “What does it feel like, then? I mean, I hear you when I . . .” He swallowed. “Well, you sound like you’re in pain. You gasp and moan and . . .” He trailed off and his eyes widened. “And you . . . you . . .”

  “Uh, yeah.” Color came to her cheeks. “Whenever you possess me, it feels like we’re, well . . . you know.”

  “Like we’re having sex.”

  Eden’s lips twitched into a nervous smile. “Maybe.”

  If he wasn’t feeling so much pain at the moment, he’d be very amused. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  She shrugged. “I guess I didn’t want you to get cocky.”

  “No pun intended.”

  “So what I’m saying is out of all the things you should feel guilty about—” Her smile widened. “The act of possessing me isn’t one of them. Even though you and I can’t, well, can’t be together like that physically, every day I do get just a taste.”

  “Just a taste.” He drew close enough to back her up against the railing. He stroked her hair to the side and whispered into her ear, “And is that all you need?”

  She inhaled sharply. “It’s going to have to be, isn’t it?”

  The hot line of her body pressed against his was almost enough to take his pain away. Or, possibly, make it worse.

  This news was just too delicious. He could feel her warm breath against his lips. She didn’t pull away as he edged even closer to her.

  Just a taste . . . he needed it so badly . . .

  Leena cleared her throat loudly from behind him. Darrak hadn’t even noticed that she’d opened the door.

  “Okay, gruesome,” Leena snapped. “Get away from her. Eden, you are so damn lucky I’m here, but really. A little self-control goes a long way.”