Something Wicked

just want to run my fingers through it. .” She shivered and then had the grace to look a bit guilty. “Sorry. I know it’s probably gross having someone think that way about your brother.”

“Oh, no. Not at all. Darrak is incredibly and sinfully attractive,” he said. “It’s not wrong for you to notice this. At all. More people should, in fact. Regularly.”

“Wow, that’s so awesome of you to say that.”

“It’s just the truth.” He shrugged. “Unfortunately, Darrak’s not available.”

“Oh.” Disappointment flickered over her face. A moment later she sniffed. “Well, that’s not a huge surprise, I guess. I wish I’d known, though. I would have stopped making a fool of myself. All those donuts.”

Darrak didn’t want to lose his donut supplier. He wasn’t ready for that ultimate sacrifice yet. “You know, Darrak really enjoys those. He mentioned it to me several times what a great donut maker you are and how you have a knack for putting in just the right amount of custard. It’s an art, really.”

She brightened. “He said that?”

Darrak nodded. “He definitely did. And don’t worry about him. There’s somebody out there for you. I know there is.” Darrak’s eyes flicked to their right. “Oh great. This guy again.”

Nancy turned to see Stanley approaching them with two glasses of champagne in hand. “This guy’s right for me?”

“No, that’s not exactly what I—”

“Good evening, ladies,” Stanley said. “Can I offer you a drink?”

Nancy’s gaze moved appreciatively down the length of the wizard assistant’s body. “Well, hello there.”

Darrak rolled his eyes. “Stanley, this is Nancy. Nancy, Stanley.”

Stanley’s eyes widened. “Wow, Nancy. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I think I saw you here last night, too, didn’t I?”

“Guilty as charged. I noticed you, too. Couldn’t help it.”

Terrific. Love blossoms. Darrak’s work here was done. That is, if he’d decided to turn in his horns for a shiny Cupid’s bow and arrow. And he hadn’t.

Nancy took the glass from Stanley. Darrak eyed it suspiciously.

Well, maybe his work wasn’t completely done.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I was you,” Darrak said.

Her eyes went wide. “Why not?”

Why beat around the bush? He didn’t have the time to hint. He wanted to find Theo. “Because there’s some lust elixir in there.”

“Really?”

Stanley glared at him. “Thanks a lot.”

“It’s wrong, you know.” Great. Just listen to me, he thought. Who am I to say what’s wrong and what isn’t? “Oh, forget it. Do what you want. Just don’t. . damn it. Just forget it, okay? Drink whatever you want, whenever you want.”

“Seriously?” Nancy said. “Lust elixir? That’s like a magic potion, right?”

Darrak looked at her with surprise. “What do you know about magic potions?”

She shrugged and gave both him and Stanley a wicked little conspiratorial grin. “A little. Doesn’t everyone?”

“No,” Darrak replied. “Not everyone knows about magic potions. Trust me on that.”

“That’s what I love about this club. I can feel the magic in the air.” She shivered. “It’s so exciting.”

Now that she mentioned it, there was definitely a hum of magic here. Very low and quiet, but it was there surrounding them. Damn it, he really wished he could figure out the secret of this place. Even if it was just for bragging rights.

“That’s probably me, baby. My magic is so powerful, you know.” Stanley reached behind Nancy’s ear and produced a red rose out of thin air.

Cheap parlor magic tricks? How sad.

However, Nancy seemed impressed. She took the rose from him happily. “And you gave me lust elixir because. .”

“Because I think you’re freaking hot,” Stanley admitted. “But if you don’t feel the same about me, it won’t work. The elixir only works on the potential carnal desires that are lying dormant between us. You’re totally in control of whether you drink it or not.”

Nancy raised a mischievous eyebrow. “Well, let’s put it to the test, shall we?” She tipped the glass back and drank the champagne down. “Yummy!”

Stanley looked very pleased. “Maybe you and me should grab a seat in the corner and get to know each other a little better. What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a barista and assistant manager of the Hot Stuff Cafe. You?”

“Personal assistant.”

She smiled brightly. “That sounds super interesting!”

Darrak stared blankly at the two of them. Nancy sure had gotten over him quickly.

“I have a message for you.” Stanley tore his gaze from Nancy to look at Darrak.

Darrak grimaced. “Yeah, I bet. Trust me, my friend, you don’t want to suggest that the three of us should get to know each other better. You think I was a ballbuster the other night? You have no idea.”

Stanley looked at Nancy. “Will you wait a minute for me, doll?”

“I’ll wait as long as it takes, lover.” She blew him a kiss.

Stanley looked at Darrak. “This is seriously the best night ever.”

“Hooray for you.”

Stanley cleared his throat and looked shiftily from side to side. He lowered his voice. “Theo wants me to take you to him.”

Darrak hadn’t expected that. He actually felt a bit startled by it. “You know who I am?”

They began to walk away from Nancy, who sat on a stool next to the bar.

“Waiting right here!” she called after them. “For my fabulous new boyfriend!”

“I really hope that wasn’t a mistake,” Stanley said. “She’s kind of hot, but is she clingy?”

“Looks like.”

“I can deal with clingy. Anyhow, yeah, I know who you are. You’re”—he swallowed and glanced at Eden’s body sideways—“the demon. Darrak.”

“And Theo told you that?” He was surprised.

“He did.”

“And why would he do something like that?”

“Because I work for him. I’m his assistant.”

Darrak frowned with confusion. “I thought you were the wizard’s assistant.”

“I can work for both of them. Theo made me an offer I couldn’t refuse last night. Since I didn’t want to bleed to death, I accepted enthusiastically. Theo’s even interested in some of my elixirs. He’s fascinated by non-demon magic.”

Darrak considered this. “And you don’t have a problem working for a demon?”

“Everybody works for somebody. Even Theo does.”

Right. He worked for Lucifer. The same boss Theo wanted to destroy and steal his throne. Talk about the ultimate letter of resignation.

“Listen, Stanley, this club. This Luxuria.” Darrak glanced around, now unable to shake the sense that there was some strange magic at work here that made him increasingly uncomfortable. “What’s the deal with this place? I feel something. . unusual. . here.”

Stanley grimaced. “You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“I can’t believe you seriously don’t know. It’s obvious to me. Well, now it is, anyhow.”

Darrak was beginning to feel frustrated with this human. Maybe he’d kill him. He hadn’t had a problem killing humans in the past. Admittedly, it had been some time, but Stanley might make a good test project to see if his talons needed any sharpening.