That Old Black Magic

No, that wasn’t exactly true. She knew. She’d been hiding what she really was. Now she didn’t hide. She was proud of what she was, who she was with, what she’d accomplished. And for the first time in her life, the future stretched before her, and she was excited at what was yet to come.

That was definitely progress.

“If there’s one person in the universe I’d be willing to sit on a fluffy cloud for, Eden, it’s definitely you.” Darrak stroked his daughter’s head. “Actually, make that two of you now.”

She shook her head. “Just look at us. We’re… a family.”

“I know. I’m looking forward to telling her how her mom and dad met.”

“We’ll take out the scary bits.”

“Nah. I think she’ll enjoy those parts best of all.”

Eden looked at him skeptically. “You don’t really want to name her Elvira, do you?”

His brows drew together, his expression turning pensive. “I’m not sold on it. What about Morticia like from the Addams Family? No, wait… Maleficent! That’s perfect. She was the evil queen in Snow White.”

She sighed. “Not in a million years.”

“Mal for short. I’m loving this.”

There was a knock at the door and a nurse entered carrying a large bouquet of pink roses. “Mr. and Mrs. Riley? Where should I put these?”

The room was already full of flowers and balloons and stuffed animals, but Darrak cleared a spot on the table next to Eden’s hospital bed. “Right here’s perfect.”

The nurse left them, and Darrak grabbed the small card attached and read it.

“Who are they from?” Eden asked.

He looked at her bleakly. “Take a wild guess.”

They could be from anyone, but the expression on his face told her all she needed to know. She nodded slowly. “So… how is he?”

“He doesn’t go into detail about his health and happiness. All he says is ‘Congratulations.’”

Lucas hadn’t been seen or heard from since he absorbed her black magic and disappeared. Eden knew she was supposed to be afraid of him — he was Lucifer, the Prince of Hell, after all. He was the being responsible for controlling the darkness that threatened the human world. Threatened everything.

He’d wanted to leave, to go back to Heaven, and he’d come so close to doing just that. Instead, he chose to stay and keep doing exactly what he’d signed up for in the first place.

He’d lied, manipulated, and deceived them shamelessly, using them as part of his master plan.

And he’d also saved her soul and Darrak’s life.

“I think I know what her name should be,” Eden said after a moment.

Darrak held up a hand. “Don’t say it.”

“Lucy.”

He sighed. “I just knew you were going to say that.”

“What do you think?”

Darrak put the card down and came to Eden’s side, climbing in the bed next to her and putting his arm around her shoulders. He looked down into the face of his tiny daughter and nodded. “Yeah, that works for me.”

She smiled. “Don’t pout.”

“I’m not pouting,” he pouted.

“You’re going to make a great father,” she whispered to him.

“Going to try like hell.”

They both looked down at Lucy, who seemed to smile up at them a moment before a faint glimmer of fire appeared behind her pale blue eyes.

“She didn’t…” Eden began.

A wide smile stretched across Darrak’s face. “You said she had my eyes. And she does! That’s my little girl!”

Eden started to laugh. “Well, hell. I guess it’s fate.”

“Would you look at that?” Darrak said before leaning over to brush his lips against hers again. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”