“Your mother’s right,” he said. “This is for the best.”
And then the world disappeared.
THIRTEEN
“I’m going to find that goddamned werewolf who mauled me,” Andy said, taking a deep gulp from his silver flask. Darrak had no idea what he kept in there, but it seemed to be working. The man was quickly getting plastered. “And I’m going to make him into a rug. A nice furry rug for in front of my fireplace.”
“You don’t have a fireplace.”
“I’ll have one specially installed.” He paced back and forth and pointed at Darrak. “This is all your fault.”
“Probably. Everything else is, why should this be any different?”
Andy stopped pacing. “You sound kind of whiny today.”
“I know. But thanks so much for mentioning it.”
“You got it all, you know that? No reason for you to be a baby about it.”
Darrak laughed dryly. “I’m feeling sensitive at the moment. You’re going to make me cry if you keep being a meanie like this.”
“What’s the problem?”
“I think you have more important things to think about than my issues, Andy.”
“Maybe, but I’m trying to take my mind off them. What’s up?”
“Nothing, really.” Darrak stared out at the sinking sun over Eden’s parked car. “I went from being a fearsome archdemon with a plan of one day overthrowing Lucifer, to being the amusing sidekick for an unlicensed female private investigator. The woman I’m in love with is feeling a bit blah about me, and I can’t say I blame her. What do I have to offer someone like Eden? Pain, frustration, misery… maybe some hot sex now and then—”
Andy held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear about it. Seriously.”
“Sorry. But it’s true. I’m already a big fat nothing, and I’m slowly coming to the realization that it’s all downhill from here.”
“I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do, Darrak.”
“Yeah, what’s that?”
Andy sank down in his chair. “Damn, I don’t know. I’m not good with giving advice. Sorry.”
“Helpful. Thanks.”
“Women.” Andy took another swig from his flask. “More trouble than they’re worth.”
“You said it.” Darrak focused on him for a moment. “It’s going to be okay, you know. You don’t have to be scared.”
“I’m not scared.”
“You’re terrified.”
“A real man would never admit something like that.”
“I can guarantee you that nothing bad is going to happen. Well… other than turning into a werewolf, that is. Any minute now.”
Andy paled. “That’s pretty bad.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to be one of the good ones. This is not the end, it’s only the beginning. It’s not what you are, it’s what you make of it.” He grinned. “Make the most of it, Andy. Being a werewolf is going to give you a hell of a lot more than it takes away. Werewolves are cool.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Nobody tells you what you are, you define your own rules. Your own guidelines. You’re a good man, I already know that. There’s no way you’re going to hurt anyone. That’s what you’re the most afraid of, aren’t you? Doing to someone what that bastard did to you.”
Andy looked at him bleakly. “Yeah.”
“Besides, Eden’ll lock you up nice and tight in here the moment she gets back from her mommy/daughter powwow. Triple-A will be like a kennel once a month. Fun times.”
His knuckles whitened on his flask. “Is it going to hurt? I mean,
Darrak’s jaw tensed. “Probably a bit. But life is pain. Trust me on that.”
“You give some good advice, if a bit on the unpleasant side. You should take some of it, too.”
“What?”
“You’re so wrapped up in what you’re not — what you’ve lost — you don’t realize what you have.”
“Oh? And what’s that?”
Andy shrugged. “You have Eden.”
Darrak tried to summon a smile, but failed. “Only because she has absolutely no choice in the matter.”
He flinched as the first pain hit him. Nothing remotely like what he’d felt earlier that day when his yin-yang, or whatever, had been out of whack, but still enough for him to take notice. It was a warning signal that he was going to be losing his corporeal form very soon.
Just another day at the office.
“She must be having a good chat with her mother. She’s forgetting the time. It’s been more than five minutes by now.”
“Caroline Riley.” Andy grinned. “So hot, you have no idea. I would have sold my soul for her at one time in my life.”
“You really shouldn’t tell a demon something like that. I might get ideas.”
Andy shook his head. “Maybe once, but not now. I would have done a lot of bad stuff once in my life, but I’m different now. Older, wiser. I’m not the smartest guy around, but I know what I want and what I don’t want. You’re the same. Whatever you were back in the day, that Darrak’s gone for good. You hold on to him because you’ve let him define you, but you shouldn’t. I have a feeling he was a real asshole.”
“So what am I now?” Darrak asked quietly.
“Better.”
“By whose definition?”
Andy shrugged. “Mine. What more do you need?”
Darrak laughed and flinched again. “Nice to see Eden’s keeping a close eye on the clock. She’s probably trying to get back at me for a little disagreement we had earlier.”
“About what?”
“I accused her of wanting to date both God and Lucifer at the same time.”
Andy blinked. “Women are moody sometimes.”
“My thoughts exactly. I better go fetch her. Pardon the expression.”
“Yeah, you go. Wish me luck with my… well, you know,” Andy said, his tone turning serious.
Darrak turned to face him and took Andy’s outstretched hand, shaking it firmly. “You won’t need it. But good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Darrak turned toward the door, twisting the handle and pushing forward, but it didn’t budge.
“What the hell?” he mumbled. He checked the lock to see if it had been turned, but it wasn’t. “The door’s stuck.”
“Use your demonic superstrength.”
“Right.” Not exactly as strong as he once was, but he could probably take at least twenty humans on in a fight if he had to without resorting to firepower. He pushed the door as hard as he could.
Nothing happened.
He frowned deeply. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
Andy was at his side and he tried the door. “It’s sealed shut.”
“Sealed?” Darrak shook his head. “But Eden hasn’t done the spell yet. She wouldn’t do it with me still in here.”
