“And my fee?” asked Belial.
“Already taken care of, deposited right in your account,” said Erik.
“Right…my account…” Belial reached into his pocket for the phone. He was still uncomfortable with this human technology, but he was starting to learn.
“Oh, and I got a message from the boss,” said Erik. “He said if you need more work, he’d be happy to toss it your way.”
“Thank you,” said Belial. “Out of curiosity, what kind of spell did Odysseus Black perform for the boy?”
Erik chuckled. “You won’t believe this. Kid wanted a few extra inches below the belt.”
Belial cocked his brow. “Penis enlargement? That’s what this was all about?”
Erik shrugged. “Normies, man. What can I tell ya? Anyway, so about that extra work?”
Belial sighed. “I suppose so.”
“Your boss is okay with this, right?” asked Erik. “Mr. Black wouldn’t want to piss off the Morningstar or nothin’.”
“No, it’s perfectly fine,” said Belial. “The Morningstar is…laying low for the time being.”
2
The bright-red Miata tore down Lake Shore Drive. The convertible top was down and the driver smiled as he felt the wind blow through his dark hair. A black-gloved hand reached for the shifter and he moved to a higher gear and stepped harder on the gas pedal.
A scream came from the passenger seat. The driver looked at his companion, a young redhead in a short, black dress whose hands were clasped over her eyes. He peeled one of her hands away, looking back and forth between her and the road.
“Come on, Isabel. What good is it riding in a car like this if you’re going to cower the whole time?” he asked.
“C-can’t you slow down just a little bit, Luke?”
Lucifer chuckled at her response and turned his attention back to the road, keeping just one hand at the top of the wheel. “Relax. I know what I’m doing.”
“Doesn’t seem like it!”
“Give me a little credit, okay? I’ve been driving for a whole month.”
“…what?”
Lucifer spoke louder so his voice would carry over the wind. “I said I’ve been driving for a whole month.”
“I heard you, that was a ‘what the hell are you talking about’ kind of what! You only got your license last month?”
“License? Who said anything about a license?”
Isabel parted her index and middle finger to peer at Lucifer. “You don’t have a driver’s license?”
“I know, and yet I’m still doing such a great job,” he said. “It’s amazing what you can learn from YouTube and Need For Speed.”
“You mean you learned how to drive from a damn video game?”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Isabel started screaming again, demanding that Lucifer stop the car. He sighed as he weaved through the lanes, passing the slower vehicles.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be at my place in a few minutes. Then we can have a drink by the fire.”
A high-pitched wail caught Lucifer’s attention. His eyes shifted up at the rear-view mirror, turning it to get a better view and saw flashing red and blue lights.
“Oh look, we have company,” he said.
Isabel pulled her hand away and turned around in her seat. She breathed with relief. “Oh thank Christ.”
Lucifer frowned at the expression.
Isabel turned to him. “So you’re gonna pull over now, right?”
Lucifer glanced at her, then back at the mirror, and then once more at Isabel. The corners of his lips curved slightly upwards and Isabel felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.
“Oh no…please don’t tell me you’re gonna do what I think you’re gonna do…”
“I think our friend wants a race,” said Lucifer.
“No, no, no! No, he certainly does not!”
“Consider it an act of kindness,” said Lucifer. “A way for the boys in blue to keep their driving skills sharp.”
“Luke, no, don’t even think about iiiiiiii—!”
The last syllable stretched into a scream as Lucifer took one of the exit ramps. He sped through the red light, pulling hard to the left. The Miata skidded through the intersection, with other cars swerving to avoid him. Before even stopping, Lucifer shifted and hit the gas again, and then took another left to get back on Lake Shore Drive, but this time heading south.
To his credit, the officer managed to keep up, following Lucifer’s trail. Lucifer smiled as he watched the car in his mirror. He was on the far inside lane and sidling up beside another car. Lucifer moved ahead of the car beside him, and then, at the last minute, swerved in front of the middle car and across all the lanes. The cop inadvertently pulled ahead and Lucifer dropped back, slowing down just enough to get behind the cop.
“Okay, you lost him, now can you pull over and let me out?”
“What, so soon? We’re just getting started, my dear.”
Lucifer moved back through traffic, getting closer to the cop. The officer was obviously still trying to find Lucifer up ahead, so Lucifer decided to make his presence known. He pulled into the lane beside the cop and moved his car so the two of them were neck and neck. The cop was on his radio and not even paying attention to his peripheral vision, so Lucifer got his attention by hitting the horn.
The cop looked over, first with surprise and the face instantly turned to anger. Lucifer just laughed and sped on and the chase began anew.
“Ohgodohgodohgod I’m gonna die!”
Isabel kept muttering those words ad nauseam. Lucifer made a sharp right on Jackson, then a left on Columbus. Buckingham Fountain was to his left and the cop still kept on following. Lucifer took another left on Balboa, and then returned to Lake Shore Drive, completing the loop around the fountain.
His foot went heavy on the gas, the only sounds he could hear over the roar of the engine being Isabel’s continued protestations. But they had barely passed the fountain when Isabel suddenly took the initiative, reaching over and grabbing the wheel. She pulled hard
