The Demon in Me

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“What have you done?” she asked quietly.

Eden’s eyes widened and that electric feeling again crackled along her skin. “What?”

“Something’s changed since last night. I sensed it the moment I entered this place. But…” She looked around as if trying to pinpoint the source of her distress before her attention returned to Eden. “It’s you.”

“Me?”

Selina’s red lips curled back from her teeth with disgust. “You allowed yourself to be physically seduced by a member of Lucifer’s court?”

Eden stared at her blankly. “I–I… uh…”

“You fornicated with this demon,” Selina snarled under her breath.

Fornicated? That was such an unpleasant word.

Eden cleared her throat and felt her cheeks flush. Terrific. Had a magical memo gone out that she’d jumped Darrak’s bones? She looked around at the coffee bar, but no one was paying any attention to them. Despite the subject matter, their voices were hushed.

“That’s actually none of your business,” she said.

Selina laughed humorlessly. “I wish that was true.” She glared at Darrak. “You should be ashamed of yourself. She’s just a human.”

His expression didn’t change. “Eden’s right. This is none of your business.”

She shook her head. “You’re as deceptive as ever, aren’t you, demon?”

“I never deceived you, Selina,” he said evenly. “You’re the one who summoned me and forced me to give you the power you so desired.”

“And I’ve regretted it every day since.”

He curled his fingers around the mug of hot coffee in front of him. “Doesn’t look like you’ve suffered much over the years.”

“Doesn’t it?” She touched her pendant. “My soul is black.”

“Looks more like a middling gray to me.”

Eden looked at the jewelry as well. “What are you talking about?”

Selina let out a shaky breath. “I wear this special amulet — it tells when the wearer’s soul is in danger. The blacker it is the more I must control my magic or else lose myself to the darkness completely.”

“So it’s kind of like a mood ring?” Eden asked.

Selina fisted the stone and squeezed. “Oh, absolutely. The gauge of my damaged soul is exactly like a mood ring. My, aren’t you smart?”

Darrak’s knuckles whitened on the edge of the table. “Eden has only started to learn that there is more to the world than meets the eye.”

“Her ignorance is obvious. Especially when it comes to you, demon. I guess she’s been charmed by your handsome face and hasn’t seen your demon visage yet.”

“You still think I’m handsome after all this time?” Darrak asked dryly. “Please stop. I’m blushing.”

“I’ve seen him,” Eden said. “The demon him.”

The witch looked surprised. “I don’t believe you.”

Eden nodded. “He’s a lot larger, he has these big-ass horns, and he’s covered in hellfire. Not exactly male model material.” She glanced at Darrak. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

Selina blinked. “I stand corrected. But I can’t believe you have accepted him. That you… fornicated with him.”

There was that word again. Eden winced.

“Let’s stay on topic,” Eden suggested.

The witch crossed her arms. “My life is perfect right now. I don’t want to do anything to risk that. I destroyed you, demon.”

“Well, you gave it your best shot.” Darrak didn’t sound friendly.

“I was such a newbie back then. I should have made sure that the job was done correctly.”

“Water under the bridge.”

“It is?”

He shifted in his seat. “I’m trying to be diplomatic. But being incorporeal and voiceless for three hundred years has a tendency to weigh heavily on one’s mind.”

“And yet you have a body right now. A very fine one.”

“Are you coming on to me? I think that’s a bit inappropriate at the moment, Selina. Given our history.”

She scowled at him. “I don’t even know how it’s possible for you to have a body. I destroyed your previous one.”

He visibly tensed. “Haven’t forgotten that. Believe me.”

“So, what’s changed? Is it her?” Selina nodded at Eden.

“I believe so.”

“There’s something about Eden’s psychic energy that makes it possible for you to draw enough strength from her to take corporeal form during the day. But at night you have to possess her body.”

“Insightful as ever, Selina.”

Eden kept her attention on the mug of hot chocolate in front of her.

Selina smiled thinly. “You’re trying to resist the urge to strangle me with my purse strap right now, aren’t you?”

“I was eyeing my coffee stir stick as the weapon, actually. It could do a great deal of damage in the right hands.” He looked at Eden. “Despite Selina’s ability to work magic and her… well, moldy Swiss cheese soul, a black witch is still essentially human. Despite her potential for immortality, her body is vulnerable to all kinds of damage.”

Eden didn’t like how he said that. There was the threat of true violence behind it. She wondered then, and not for the first time, if it had been a mistake to bring these two back together after all this time.

Oh well. Too late now.

“Yes, the only way to break his curse is if I do it willingly or he kills me with his own hands,” Selina said. “So excuse me if I’m not terribly comfortable at the moment.”

“Selina, please sit down,” Eden said.

“I’d rather stand.”

“It looks a bit conspicuous.”

“Like I care. I thought I told you that you had five minutes. I believe that time is nearly up.” Her eyes narrowed. “I feel your weakness, demon. Not quite the same as you were all those years ago, are you?”

“No, I’ve changed. I’m much more pathetic and needy now. I believe that’s the point of this meeting.”

“Then I’ll give you another minute to convince me to break your curse. Beg if you like.”

Darrak nodded grimly. “I can do that if I have to.”

“Oh. My. God.” A voice from Eden’s right exclaimed. It was Nancy, the barista, who must have just come on shift. “Selina Shaw. Here at Hot Stuff. I can’t believe this.”

“Wonderful,” Selina said sarcastically under her breath. “A fan. Just what I need right now. I should have done a camouflage spell on this table the moment I walked in here.”

Nancy rushed over. “Can I get you a coffee, Ms. Shaw? A biscotti?”

“No, thank you.”

“Perhaps a blueberry scone? I can heat it in the microwave for you and put some butter on it. Are you lactose intolerant at all?”

Selina sighed. “I’m going to decline. But I appreciate the offer.”

She beamed at the writer and then looked at Eden. “And look at you, talking to Selina Shaw herself. If it wasn’t for me you would never have found her in the first place. And now you’re friends!”

“Found me?” Selina asked. “You’re the one who helped them locate me?”

“Yes! Can you believe they’d never heard of your books before? Eden never would have known about your signing last night if I hadn’t told her.”

Selina smiled. “Go now. Before I tear out your intestines and stomp on them with my new Ferragamo