edge of her desk behind her.
A moment later, the door jingled open and Darrak walked in. He looked at her standing there in shock, clutching the silver bracelet.
“Did I miss something?” he asked with a frown.
“I–I had a visitor. Sort of.”
His gaze moved to her amulet, and his expression turned tense and concerned. Fire flared up — literally — in his previously ice blue eyes. “Lucifer was here.”
“Not exactly. He summoned me. He said it was only a millisecond.” She glanced at the clock. No more than five minutes had passed. Not a millisecond, but close enough. “He gave me an assignment. Wants me to find a guy for him and put this on his wrist.” She raised the bracelet.
He appeared to relax slightly now that he knew she was unharmed, but there was nothing pleasant in his gaze. “Pretty. So was that before or after he stuck his tongue down your throat?”
“Uh… before. And there was no tongue.”
“Glad you thought my idea to kiss him again was a good one after all.”
“I didn’t ask for that. He just did it.”
“Well, that was nice of him, wasn’t it? So helpful, the Prince of Hell. A real swell guy.”
“Don’t, Darrak,” she warned. The desk legs squeaked against the floor as she pushed away from it. “Seriously. I’m not feeling up to this right now. You don’t have to be jealous about this. Of all the people in the universe I’d like to kiss, he’s not even on the list.”
He frowned. “I know that. This is actually much worse than a little jealousy. You’ve become an object to him. Something he now desires.”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t feel that way toward me.”
“It’s not as simple as him wanting to have sex with you. Trust me. That guy could have his pick of anyone in the universe if he wanted. But he wants you. There’s something about you he’s drawn to. He doesn’t do nice things just because. He’s freaking Lucifer, Eden. He’s up to something. Some master plan. And it has to do with you.”
Her breath caught. “What?”
“I don’t know. But even with our bond, he has the ability to snatch you away and I can’t protect you. I don’t like that at all.”
“I can handle him.”
“Really? You can handle Lucifer, the Prince of Hell.” He didn’t sound like he held much faith in that statement. He paced over to the glass door and looked out at the darkening parking lot.
Could she handle him? Maybe it was a good time for a little bit of optimism. “Sure I can. Why not?”
His brow furrowed. “It — it’s time, Eden.”
“Time for—?”
“What do you think?” Darrak clamped his hand over his stomach and doubled over. He nodded toward the window. Outside the sun had sunk beneath the horizon. Night came early in mid-November.
A moment later, his body shifted from a solid six-foot-tall handsome man to an ominous column of black smoke, which then moved through the office toward her as if she was a magnet.
Eden swallowed hard. “Tomorrow, Darrak. I’m going to break this curse first thing tomorrow morning once and for all. I swear I will.”
She closed her eyes when the smoke made contact with her and a gasp caught in her throat as he possessed her.
Being possessed by Darrak had always felt good in the past — warm and oddly orgasmic. Today it felt different. It was cold for a moment, as if she had just walked through a freezer, before the cool sensation moved through her limbs right down to her fingertips and toes.
It had to do with the spell she’d removed. That the sensation of being possessed had changed was only more proof she’d been successful. Realizing for certain that what she’d experienced for the last month was a daily anomaly caused by a malevolent spell brought back her previously queasy feeling.
So, being possessed wasn’t an orgasmic experience anymore. Fine. But it was more proof that she’d be able to successfully break the curse, finally giving Darrak — and her — freedom.
And that was definitely worth celebrating.
“You really think you can break the curse?” Darrak said, his voice now in her head.
“Yes, I do.”
He was quiet for a long, tense moment. “One try. That’s all. And if there’s even a glimpse of anything bad, we stop. Maksim saying it could work doesn’t mean a damn thing. I don’t trust that wizard.”
If it wasn’t for Maksim, she wouldn’t even have attempted the spell removal. “He was trying to help us.”
“Right. Which is pretty much why I don’t trust him. Wizards aren’t usually the most helpful types.”
“But you’re not going to attempt to stop me. One try. You said so yourself.”
“Yeah, fine. But if anything weird happens, we’re pulling the plug.”
That was the story of her life lately. Why should tomorrow be any different?
SEVEN
Someone followed Eden home, and that made her very nervous.
Maybe it was the Malleus — led by Ben Hanson, former crush. They were nasty, horrible people who had conned themselves into believing they were the good guys, but they weren’t. Not even close.
It could be Lucas keeping tabs on her, which would explain how he seemingly knew everything without the ability to see the future. However, that was unlikely. If he was the one following her, she doubted she’d even realize it.
It might even be Leena, her ex-roommate, a feline shapeshifter who’d disappeared two weeks ago after a disagreement with Darrak, leaving only a note behind and a key to a locker containing some of her belongings. Her departure only proved that three was a crowd when it came to paranormal beings cohabiting a one-bedroom apartment.
But it was none of these.
It turned out to be her mother — the twenty-three-year-old lingerie model version, anyway. She drove a sports car like some sort of life-size Barbie doll and pulled up right next to Eden in her apartment parking lot.
“So where’s the demon right now?” Caroline asked, following a silent Eden to the elevators.
“Around.”
“I guess she isn’t going to wait for your call,” Darrak said from inside of her. “What’s it been, six whole hours?”
“Guess not.”
“What, honey?” Caroline asked.
“Nothing. Look… uh, Mom”—it felt so strange calling this woman that—“we need to talk another day.”
“My God. He said at night he…” Caroline’s eyes widened. “That demon is possessing you
Eden grimaced. “It’s really not as bad as it sounds.”
Caroline hugged her tightly. “Oh, sweetie. I can’t believe this is happening to you. I’m so sorry for all of what you’ve been through.”
“It’s not exactly your fault. Besides, it’s almost over.”
“It is? You’re having him exorcised?”
“I have a strange feeling I’m not going to win her over with my charm and good looks,” Darrak observed.
Eden repressed a grimace. “I’m not having Darrak exorcised.”
