Darrak cleared his throat. “It was relevant at the time.”
The waitress, dressed in a knee-length toga and a gold laurel in her hair, came to their table. “I should let you know we have lamb gyros on special today. And for dessert, the baklava is extra specially delicious and a dollar off, now until one o’clock. Get it while it’s hot! Have I tantalized your taste buds with Opa’s food — fit for the gods themselves?”
Darrak had told Theo she was a black witch. She’d seen firsthand what happened when Oliver found out that little fact about her — she’d nearly been killed. And now Darrak was announcing it to every old buddy he came across?
There would be words.
“Where’s your restroom?” she asked the waitress, feeling the desperate need to escape and gain control of herself before she allowed her black magic to fry Darrak where he sat.
The waitress pointed to her left. “Just along that hallway.”
“Is it less than a hundred feet from here?”
That earned a frown. “Uh. . I think so. Why?”
“Just because.” Eden stood up, shot Darrak a dirty look for broadcasting her secrets, and left the table.
“I think she might need a little extra Tsatsiki,” Darrak told the waitress tensely from behind her.
That put it mildly.
“So she seems like fun,” Theo said dryly.
“Like I said, it’s been a difficult couple of weeks.”
“I understand that. But she’s kind of high maintenance, huh?” Theo stared off in the direction Eden had escaped. “I mean, great body, cute face. Long hair I’d love to wrap around my di—”
Darrak glared at him. “Watch it.”
“—digits.” Theo held up his right hand and wiggled his fingers. He grinned. “So what is this? Are you gone on her, or something?”
“Define
“Emotionally attached.”
Darrak shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t know.”
Theo laughed and downed his glass of wine. “You’re reminding me of what happened with me and Kristina. Also high maintenance. And you remember how that turned out, right?”
Darrak cringed. “All too well.”
Kristina had been a human Theo had become involved with in the seventeenth century. He’d been sent to take the young virgin’s soul just as she’d been about to become a nun. Along the way, he’d been trapped by a wizard, and Kristina had rescued him thinking he was an angel sent from God to watch over her.
Theo was no angel.
However, he’d fallen in love with her and refused to take her soul. Darrak had thought it humorous and rather pathetic at the time. Theo had changed into a puddle of very humanlike emotion, if only for a brief time. When news reached Lucifer of Theo refusing to follow through with a direct order, he’d sent another demon to finish the job.
Theo had had a choice — fight the demon and Lucifer’s orders and risk being destroyed, or let Kristina’s soul perish.
It hadn’t been pretty.
Theo ultimately chose self-protection. Kristina was destroyed, and her soul was consumed by hellfire. And Theo had become very focused when it came to getting ahead in his career as a demon. He never mentioned Kristina again. Not until now, anyway.
He might hate Lucifer even more than Darrak did.
“Feeling anything toward a human is a bad idea,” Theo said. “It’s a risk we take in this business, but one that must be controlled.”
Darrak’s jaw was tight. “All I feel is pathetically dependent on her in my time of neediness. If I feel anything else, it is because of my curse, and as you said before, it will disappear once we take care of it.”
“You really think so?”
“Of course.” It was the truth.
“Good.” Theo indicated to the waitress that he wanted another drink. “You know, she doesn’t seem like a black witch to me. She’s so. . uptight. Witches I’ve dealt with are always ready for a party.”
“Eden’s different.”
“So I’m gathering.” The waitress returned with two glasses of wine, which she placed in front of either demon.
Darrak tried not to worry, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. He wanted to trust Theo, but he had some questions that needed answers.
“I want to know what the plan is today,” he said. “Where are we going to get this weapon you told me about?”
“It’s not far from here.”
Still vague. Deliberately, it seemed. “And you promise this will bring no harm to Eden.”
“Wouldn’t dream of hurting your delicate little witchypoo.” Theo leaned closer. “What I want to know is if you’re still interested in being a part of my master plan and taking over Hell, starting with Lucifer’s throne?” When Darrak didn’t jump up and down with glee right away, he continued. “Come on. Netherworld dominion. Seven lords. Seven thrones. Two demons with ambition. Sound good?”
He wouldn’t speak so freely if Lucifer had any chance of hearing. Luckily for everyone involved, the Prince of Hell didn’t come to the human world since he had no power here. His power had been blocked here after his fall from Heaven because of his timeless hatred of humans.
That was why he needed demons like Darrak and Theo to do his dirty work. The dirtier the better.
In Hell, Lucifer was all-powerful. But here? Not so much.
It was the only thing that helped relax Darrak when it came to the subject of his former boss’s demise.
“Is there a problem?” Theo asked. “You seem. . distracted.”
Darrak shook his head. “Something happened last night that I’m having a hard time getting out of my mind. A problem with the Malleus.”
“The Malleus,” Theo replied distastefully. “What is that human scum up to now?”
“Eden knows someone. . he’s a new recruit, apparently. He almost got her killed last night.”
“And that would be so bad?” At Darrak’s sharp look, Theo laughed. “What’s this do-gooder’s name?”
“Ben Hanson. He’s a cop, too. Thinks he’s Mr. Perfect.”
“Somebody sounds jealous.”
“Oh, I am. Insanely. I could never have hair that perfect and blond. He’s like a Ken doll.”
Theo blinked and ran his finger over the edge of his wineglass. “Huh?”
“Barbie’s boyfriend,” Darrak clarified.
“Still not understanding.”
“Teenage model.”
Another blink.
Darrak sighed. “In any case, I can’t compete.”
“Why would you even want to?”
Darrak pushed the menu away from him, feeling anger toward the cop welling up inside of him again. “That son of a bitch is going to make the wrong decision in his quest to fight evil, and it’s going to hurt Eden.” Realizing how that sounded after his claims of disinterest, he clarified, “Which would affect me, of course.”
Theo leaned back in his chair. “Sounds like an angel to me.”
“It does, doesn’t it? All self-righteous, squeaky clean, and self-centered.”
Theo’s expression turned thoughtful. “The best way to deal with an angel is to rip his wings off and enjoy his screams of agony. Remember that time in Paris during the plague?”
It had seemed like a fun afternoon at the time when they’d cornered an unsuspecting angel minding his own business. Now, the memory made Darrak cringe. Damn humanity bringing with it an unhealthy dose of guilt. “Good times.”
