Darker Days

beautiful—but it shouldn’t have been there.

“What—”

“That is Desakay. In the Shadow Realm, it symbolizes destiny. I thought it fitting. Each leaf represents one year of service. As the years pass, the leaves will disappear. When they’re gone, you have your freedom.” He held out his other hand. In it, a pointed black stone with red veins hung from a think leather cord.

“What’s that?”

“With this around your neck, you need only call out my name and I will hear you.” He took a step back. “And?”

I turned the crystal over in my hands a few times. It was beautiful. The smooth surface was slightly warm to the touch. “And what?”

“Your question?”

Oh. Wow. Way to play it smooth… “My Grandfather—Joseph Darker. I think he made a deal with a demon.”

“That’s not a question.”

“I want to know. For sure.”

“Why do you want to know?”

“We had a deal,” I warned.

“Not to worry. I’ll answer your question. I’m merely curious.”

“These things tend to come back and bite people in the ass,” I said. “I’d feel better if I could see it coming.”

He laughed. “I’m afraid it’s a little too late for that…”

“What does that mean?”

“You’re correct. Joseph Darker did make a deal. To prevent the death of his wife during childbirth.” Valefar grinned. “But you already knew that.”

I nodded. I hadn’t known, but I’d been pretty sure. “Who did he make the deal with? And what were the terms?”

He waggled his finger, lips curling at the corners. “Tsk, tsk, Sweet Pea. That’s two questions.”

Technically, he was right. I was an idiot. I knew better and still phrased it wrong. Good thing Mom wasn’t here to see this. I’d been insisting I could run with the big dogs, when really, I was still a small, stupid puppy.

Hands on his hips, Valefar winked. “But as I said before, I like you…so I’ll give you one more freebie. Ask your question again.”

I’d end up paying for this somehow, I just knew it, but it didn’t matter. I needed to know. “Okay… Who did Joseph Darker make the deal to save his wife with?”

“He made the deal with me, of course. Why do you think you’re here?”

Chapter Thirty-three

Suddenly, hell wasn’t such a warm place. The chills racing up and down my spine could’ve kept ice cream solid for weeks. “What?”

He shrugged. “Let’s not be dramatic. What we have is a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“I don’t understand. I’m the terms? My grandfather died before I was even born.”

“My apologies.” He rounded the desk and settled into his chair. “Nasty curse the Darker family had on them. Nasty indeed. The women always died in childbirth. That Wells witch was a vindictive one, wasn’t she?”

“So he came to you to stop it.”

Valefar nodded. “And of course, I agreed—for a price.”

“Me?”

“Your mother, actually.”

“My—”

“I agreed to lift the curse over your family in exchange for the service of Joseph’s child.”

I felt sick. “He wouldn’t do that.”

“You’re underestimating the love the fool had for his wife—but you’re correct. He didn’t want to do it. He agreed—but with a clause.”

“Clause?”

“Little known thing about Darker genetics—they only seem to produce sons.” He waved his hand in the air. “Annoying, but true. He thought he was being tricky. Joseph agreed to willingly hand over his child— only if it was a girl. He never expected it to happen.”

“If we only have boys, how did he just happen to have a girl?”

The demon winked. “Stick with me, baby. I’ve got tricks you couldn’t imagine.”

The office seemed to be getting smaller. “Okay, so obviously Mom doesn’t work for you.”

“Joseph had to hand the child over willingly. Of course when she was born, he refused.”

“And you couldn’t just take her.”

He snapped his fingers, frowning. “Doesn’t work that way. There are rules—even for someone like me.”

“What do I have to do with any of it?”

“I was furious when Joseph double-crossed me, but I’m the kind of demon that can see the bigger picture. I could have dunked him right then and there, but I chose to wait until I knew the next generation was on its way.”

“Dunk him? You mean he’s—”

Valefar frowned. “In the river? Of course. Come on, now, you don’t strike me as dim. Where else would someone who’s gone back on his deal be?” He stood and came around to the front of the desk. “The Darker line owed me an employee. You were kind enough to supply me with one.”

For the first time in a long while, I had nothing to say. Speechless. No point to argue, no opinion to express. Just nada. I wanted to play with the big kids. Make my own choices and finally step away from the kid’s table.

I’d gotten my wish. And although I had a feeling this was the most monumentally stupid thing I’d ever done, it would save Mom. And that was all that counted. I couldn’t go head to head with Meredith on my own. She’d metaphorically spanked me like a prison yard bitch the last time we tried. When the enemy could simply snap her fingers and incapacitate you, you needed to pull out the big guns.

Valefar shooed me to the door. “We’re done here.”

“What about my parents?”

“All in good time, little demon. All in good time. Right now, though, it’s past your bedtime.”

With a snap of his finger, the room shimmied and stretched, then disappeared altogether.

A second later, I was back in my own room, on my bed.

“Lukas?” I was off the mattress and down the hall in a flash, panic rising in my chest. “Lukas, are you here?”

He rounded the corner as I came to the top of the stairs. “What happened? I—”

“Valefar. He must have sent us back here.” I made my way down the rest of the steps. The lights were off, the only glow coming from the clock above the DVD player. Everything was exactly how we left it. Including the hour. According to the clock, only two minutes had passed since we’d gone to the Shadow Realm.

“How did it go?”

Giving him the gory details wouldn’t really help. “He’s going to help us.”

“And?”

I shrugged. “And now we have to wait for Meredith to call.” I sank into Mom’s chair. “I’m sure she’ll leave us hanging—but that’s a good thing.”

“A good thing?”