That Old Black Magic

“You’re crazy.” His gaze flicked to Eden to share a moment of “this chick is wacko,” but the look on her face was enough to steal his breath.

Pure shock and an edge of fear.

“Eden…” he began.

She shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I–I didn’t want you to find out like this. Not from someone else.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s telling you the truth.”

His brain had stopped processing information. “It can’t be true. I’m a demon, I’m not a… a…”

Her face had paled. “Half. You’re half-demon and half-angel now. The celestial energy — it’s not a temporary thing. It changed you… permanently.”

He wanted to make a joke and laugh it off, but nothing came out. Just the stunned realization that he couldn’t deny this, because on some level he’d already known the truth.

The angel juice he’d been absorbing from Eden from day one, the same stuff that gave him the ability to take form during the day after hundreds of years of being nothing more than black smoke trapped inside a succession of human hosts…

It hadn’t only tainted him by enhancing his already messed-up humanity-tainted archdemon form. It had literally changed part of him to angel.

Holy shit.

“You already knew,” he bit out. “And you never told me?”

Eden looked distraught. “I should have. I didn’t want you to freak out. Please don’t freak out.”

Freak out? That was the shallow end of reactions he could have to this revelation, actually.

In one single sentence, his entire existence had just taken a swan dive directly into the Void. That was the only place he could end up now. He knew without a single doubt he’d never be accepted in Hell again. Not like this.

And Heaven? As if he’d want to stroll through those pearly gates even if he had the opportunity. Not a chance in… well, wherever.

It was over. It was all over.

And, no, he wasn’t overreacting. He’d witnessed much worse than the Void as a result of way less. For a time he’d even been one of those responsible for doling out punishments to those Netherworld beings deemed unworthy or flawed or… tainted.

Talk about karma.

Eden pulled the silver chain out of her coat pocket. “Okay, Brenda, enough stalling. I don’t know your real story, but I was sent here to do a job and I’m going to do it. Lucas… Lucifer wants to talk to you and you need to have that talk. Say no if he offers you a job downstairs, but you have to see him. I’m sorry, really, but I have no choice.”

“Me neither,” Brenda replied.

She turned and ran out of the lobby.

Eden immediately chased after her.

“Eden!” Darrak began to pursue them, but another wave of pain crashed over him, halting him in his tracks. This time it was accompanied with dizziness. His entire world devolved into a Tilt-A-Whirl from Hell.

Eden wouldn’t get too far without him. Their hundred-foot tether would stop her the moment she reached it.

Or maybe not. He raised his hand before his face, again disturbed to see it shift to the white and black swirling smoke.

Pure light and pitch-black.

Now he knew why it had shifted to that color combo. It was pure evil with a side order of sparkle dust.

It was… him.

Quite honestly, if this didn’t mean the beginning of the end of everything he’d ever known, he’d think it was freaking hilarious.

“Please stop!” Eden grabbed the woman’s arm before she reached the exit. She felt a twinge of pain here — she was at the farthest point she could be from Darrak. Another few steps and she would have had to give up the chase completely.

Brenda’s muscles were tense. “Did you just say ‘please’?”

“I can’t help that I’m polite.” Eden glanced at the knife the woman still clutched, and with a mere thought it rocketed out of her hand and imbedded itself into the wall next to them.

The woman didn’t seem particularly strong, despite her other gifts. Eden was able to hold her in place without too much effort.

“Let go of me,” she snapped.

“Can’t do that.” Eden pulled the silver chain out of her coat pocket. “You tried to kill me.”

“I wouldn’t have killed you.”

“Sorry if I don’t automatically believe that. That’s quite a knife to carry around during the workday.”

“I’m too busy to learn kung fu. A girl’s got to protect herself somehow.”

“You think that would help you against Lucas?”

“Who?”

Eden gritted her teeth. Damn it. “Lucifer.”

“I’m cloaked from him in the human world — totally. He can’t find me without help.” Brenda gave her a dirty look.

“Maybe you should think of it as an honor. Any job he wants to offer you might be a good one for somebody like you.”

Brenda stared at her incredulously. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”

Everything this woman said was confusing Eden. She’d been so focused when she’d arrived here, but now she was distracted and doubting herself. Plus, having the truth about Darrak come out so unexpectedly had thrown her completely off guard.

Darrak.

What was wrong with him? He hadn’t followed after them, which meant he might be in trouble. She had to get this over with so she could check on him.

“Enough,” she gritted out. “Lucifer wants to talk to you and I’m going to—”

“No, Eden. Please listen to me.” Brenda shook her head. “You can’t do this, and you know it. You’re a good person.”

Her throat tightened. “I’m a black witch. Take a good look at my amulet. Does that seem like a good person to you?”

“You’re a good person who’s had a few hard knocks. Like me. You do what it takes to survive, to get through day to day. Don’t do this. If you put that thing on my wrist you’re going to be going against your better judgment. You know this is wrong.”

Eden hissed out a breath. “Stop it.”

“See?” Brenda brightened as Eden’s grip on her loosened a fraction. “We’re in the same situation, you and me. I have a prophecy telling me my destiny is set. But I know I can fight it. I choose what I want to be and, let me tell you, it’s got nothing to do with Lucifer or Hell. I want better than that for myself. And whatever I have to do to keep myself away from him is exactly what I’ll do. He can give that job that’s up for grabs to somebody else.”

“How can you see the truth? How did you know what Darrak is so easily?”

“I don’t know. I just can. He needs you, Eden.” Her brows drew together. “He needs you, more than ever, to make the right decisions — for both of you. And there’s more at stake now than the two of you, you just don’t know it yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

Brenda’s gaze clouded over as if she was focused on something a long way from here. “Some things I can’t tell you. Some things are just whispers in my head, but I know you’re going to have to be strong. You’re going to