That Old Black Magic

TWENTY-SIX



Eden stared with stunned realization at the empty space in front of her.

He’d fooled her. He’d fooled all of them.

Darrak might have retained his demonic visage, but the control his true name had over him was a thing of the past. He’d been playing along, lulling Lucas into believing he still had power over him.

Sneaky, very sneaky.

Normally she’d approve, but not this time. She knew his plan. He was going to get himself destroyed if he tried to defeat Lucas.

Oliver approached. “I’ll need to restrain you until the prince returns.”

“Restrain this.” Eden flicked a finger at him and he cringed as if she’d slapped him. She’d meant to throw him like she’d done with Sandy, but an angel—even a fake one—wasn’t quite so easy to throw around.

Her attention turned to Leena, Ben, and her mother. They were her priority right now. Everything else would have to wait.

“Be careful, Eden!” Caroline yelled at her while Ben and Leena struggled with their bindings. “He’s dangerous!”

Leave it to her mother to point out the blatantly obvious.

The time for careful had passed.

The angel’s eyes began to glow—this must be how an angel powered up. He was about to do something very, very bad.

“You need to behave yourself, little witch,” Oliver snarled. “Or I’ll make you behave yourself.”

“So you got in that body thanks to black magic, did you? Does it work the other way around?” She thrust her hand out toward him, freezing him in place.

He gasped and sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought against her hold on him. “You’re incredibly powerful, even more than Sandy is. You could serve at my side. When I become the Prince of Hell I could make you a very powerful demon.”

Eden raised an eyebrow. “Bargaining so soon, Oliver? Makes me think that you’re a little bit scared now. Maybe that hold you have on my father’s body isn’t as strong as you thought it was. I chose to let Darrak share my body, but Daniel’s fighting you, isn’t he?”

“This is everything I’ve worked for. Everything I want. I’ve given up everything for this chance.”

“Why?” Ben demanded. “Why would you do this?”

Oliver’s gaze shot toward the ex-cop. “Because I was always meant for something like this—something bigger than any human could ever achieve before.”

Ben shook his head. “You were the leader of an organization that could have done good things for the world.”

“It was only a fraction of the power I’ll have when Lucifer returns. I will rule the Netherworld. I was born for greatness.”

Eden watched the madness slide behind Oliver’s stolen green eyes. “You know, seeing things only in black and white is a good way to get bad vision. You had it all, and you didn’t even realize it. Greatness? You know what’s really great?”

He turned to her as if she might have an answer to help him. “What?”

“Not you.”

She twisted her hand, drawing out Oliver’s soul through Daniel’s mouth in a long gray stream. Daniel collapsed to the ground and the smoke hung in the air. She held it still with a focused thought.

“Don’t worry, Oliver,” she whispered. “You wanted to go to Hell. It’s still your final destination. Have a nice trip.”

Another twist of her magic and the smoke vanished in a flash of fire.

Powerful magic. Powerful black magic. She’d reversed Sandy’s spell as if it was nothing more than rewinding a videotape.

Eden fell to her knees as if a chair had been pulled out from under her, gasping for breath. She had no idea she could even do that, but it had taken a lot of her strength.

And a heavy price as well. A glance at her darker amulet confirmed that she’d delved deeply into her bag of tricks this time.

“Eden!” Leena shouted. “Behind you!”

Sandy had finally come to and was rising to her feet. The other witch’s amulet, Eden noted with a sinking feeling, was already as dark as it could get.

She’d killed Oliver’s mortal form with black magic. She’d crossed the line. Her soul was black. The formerly gray witch had nothing left to lose.

Sandy smiled coldly. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Let’s get the party started,” Eden said, and more magic coursed through her.





Darrak had been aiming for the Void.

Close, but no cigar. They’d landed just to the edge of it. Darrak’s self-preservation had unconsciously kicked in. After all, if he’d sent them directly into the Void upon their arrival it would have been a trip for two.

He stayed in his demonic form since it gave him more strength.

Plus, he’d always been fond of the horns.

Lucifer brushed off his suit, looking annoyed. “So this is how it ends for you, Darrakayiis. Kind of anticlimactic with no other witnesses, isn’t it? I thought you liked an audience.”

Darrak glanced around the dark and deserted area. “There were a couple wraiths here earlier. They would have made an excellent cheering section.”

Lucifer shook his head. “Eden went to great measures to save you, and now you turn around and destroy yourself yet again. Seems a bit ungrateful if you ask me.”

He shrugged his hulking shoulders. “I guess I’m a slow learner.”

“That much is obvious. What’s funny to me is that none of this is my fault. She agreed to my deal.”

“She didn’t know what the deal meant.”

“Not my problem.”

Darrak couldn’t help but snort humorlessly. “You know, you almost convinced me you’d grown to care about her. Forgiving her the screwups. Her own personal summoning crystal. The whole French kiss, darkness-sucking action from time to time. Thought I had some romantic competition for a moment there.”

Lucifer’s expression didn’t change aside from a small smile. “We can share her. After all, I only want half.”

“I don’t share. I’m greedy like that.”

“One last chance, Darrak. Don’t get in my way. You still get the girl and walk away from this.”

Darrak flexed his fists and his talons bit into his skin. “You were right about one thing, Lucy. Your time is up.”

The prince’s smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “Call me Lucy one more time and this ends now.”

Darrak grinned. “Finally getting to you, am I?”

“Congratulations, you succeeded.”

“Thanks. I feel . . . strangely accomplished.”

“My previous pick was unworthy. I should have realized the solution was too simple, too eager. He was overly motivated by his own greed.”

“It’s a deadly sin. Total bonus.”

“Not helpful in a situation like this, I’m afraid. He was a bad pick, I’ll admit it. Which leaves us with a large problem. If you want to destroy me, there is no one to rule Hell and keep all the demon lords from losing control of the shadows.”

Darrak shook his head. “Wrong. There is someone already lined up.”

“Who?”

“You’re looking at him.”

Lucifer stared at him for a long moment and then burst into laughter. “Oh Darrak, you do amuse me.”

Darrak knew he’d have the last laugh today. “You know, I think I’ll go all out with a crown, scepter, the works. Maybe I’ll sign up a couple of jesters to keep me amused for the next millennium or two. We all know the job will suck the personality out of anyone with a tendency to feel sorry for themselves.”

Lucifer sobered. “So you’ve just appointed yourself to the position, have you?”

“No, I didn’t. I accepted an offer presented to me.”

“By whom? There’s only one being who could . . .” Clarity went through his brown eyes. “Is that so? And you’re the one who’s been chosen, have you?”

“Uh-huh. The one and only.”

Lucifer swept his gaze over Darrak’s expansive and fiery form. “They must have been grading on a curve.”

“Bite me.”

“I knew you wanted the power once, but now—I would have thought . . .” Lucifer’s brows drew together. “Wait. You’re not doing this for the power, are you? You’re doing this for true love. Oh, how romantic, Darrak. I see little butterflies and kittens and rainbows right now.”

Darrak crossed his thickly muscled arms. “You’re way cooler when you’re not trying to be sarcastic. It really doesn’t suit you.”

“All for her.” He shook his head. “You would take on this heavy burden all for Eden. To save her from mean old Lucifer.”

“That was the general idea. Also, again, bite me.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And this is the comeback of the next Prince of Hell.” Lucifer shook his head. “Pathetic.”

“You’re pathetic.” Darrak sighed. “My snappy comebacks do need a bit of work, I’ll admit it. It’s been a rough week.”

“I will find someone else for the job, but that changes nothing today. I would rather see Asmodeus on my throne than you.”

“Too bad I destroyed him then, huh?” Darrak frowned. “Wait. Does that make me the Lord of Lust now? Because my new business cards never arrived if I am.”

“If you were residing in Hell instead of playing house in the human world, then yes, his power would have shifted to you. As it is, his throne had to be manually reassigned. You know, maybe I’ll get that nice human Ben Hanson to take over for me. I’ll kill him, take his soul, make him into a demon—bingo. I’ll have myself a nice upstanding prospect to take on the shadows for the next eternity.”

“Not the first time me and Ben have competed for something we both wanted,” Darrak said. “Keep in mind, I won last time, too.”

Lucifer came toward Darrak and grabbed hold of him. Lucifer had no true power over him anymore, but Darrak realized with a strong sinking feeling that the prince’s brute strength was much greater than his own.

Lucas pushed Darrak backward toward the Void. “I don’t give second chances.”

“We’re a lot alike that way.”

“Eden will be fine without you if I shove you in, I promise.”

“How about I promise to hang on tight and take you with me?”

“Either way, you’re gone forever.”

Darrak’s eyes narrowed as he felt the edge of the cliff at his heel. “Have I asked you recently to bite me? It’s on the very tip of my tongue.”

Any remaining humor left Lucifer’s expression. “You would really give everything up to rule this dark, cold, unforgiving place for the rest of eternity? No one would choose this of their own free will, Darrak.”

Darrak clutched on to the prince, knowing he wouldn’t loosen his talons until they were both in midfall. This could only end one way now. Both of them would have to be destroyed.

He hoped there was another plan in place in the universe because Hell would soon be without its prince.

“No one would choose this of their own free will.”

An image of Eden went through his mind then, holding a baby in her arms. His baby.

He didn’t want to give her up, so it looked as if Lucifer was right. He’d chosen this path, but it wasn’t because he felt he had any other option.

The thought was enough to make him lose both his concentration and his footing. Suddenly there was nothing behind him. He clawed at the ground, at Lucifer, at anything, but it all crumbled away.

And then he was hanging on to the side of the Void just as he’d done earlier.

Rinse and repeat.

“Good-bye, Darrak.” Lucifer straightened up, brushed himself off, and turned away.

“Who’d give up everything to rule this place?” Darrak snarled up at him, only raw anger now giving him the strength to continue holding on. “You would, that’s who. Why don’t you remember that? You gave everything up—you gave up Heaven—in order to help keep the balance down here because you knew it was the right thing to do.”

Lucifer froze and looked over his shoulder at the demon swinging above the gaping black hole of the Void. “No. I was cast out of Heaven for having a different opinion of how the world should be. Because I despised humans.”

“Bzzz. Wrong. You did it to keep the darkness from expanding and destroying those humans you claim to hate, along with everything else. You agreed to this, and now you’re the one who’s going back on a promise.”

Lucifer’s expression darkened. “You lie.”

“You’re experiencing memory loss. Maybe one of those other lords poisoned your mind with something in an attempt to take over your throne. Maybe your memories were damaged through years of being stuck down here in the pit as you controlled the shadows and maintained the balance. I don’t know. But you agreed to do this and now you forget. Now you’re looking for an out. Well, I’m your out, Lucifer. I’m willing to do it, just as you once were. But you can’t have Eden’s energy, too. I won’t let you destroy her.”

“You destroyed her, not me,” Lucifer spat back. “You’re the worst thing to ever come into that woman’s life.”

Darrak struggled to hold on. “I thought that once, but now I don’t believe it. This was all meant to be—and it’s all led to this moment. Right here and now.”

“You’re in no position to argue right now, incubus.”

“I’m not an incubus. I’m a demon. And I’m an angel. I’m the very first of my kind. And I’m willing to be the next Prince of Hell because it’s obvious that you’re too selfish and cowardly to keep doing the job you originally agreed to.”

Lucifer crouched down in front of Darrak and stared into his face. Darrak couldn’t read his expression—it was cold and dead.

“Thank you for your opinion.”

Lucifer pried Darrak’s talons away from the rock until he had nothing left to hang on to. Scrambling for a handhold that he no longer had, Darrak began to fall backward into the hungry mouth of the Void.





“Watch out!” Ben shouted. “Sandy’s dangerous now.”

Eden flicked a look at him. “No kidding.”

Sandy’s gaze moved to her amulet. “Maybe I won’t kill you, after all. We’re almost in the same boat, Eden. You and me, black witches. We could cause a lot of damage together.”

“What, you want to start a girl band or something?”

“Something like that.” She glanced over at the unconscious body of Eden’s father. “He’ll wake up soon. He’s not going to be happy.”

“Your point?”

“An angel like him will destroy you. He won’t care if you’re his daughter, all he’ll see is evil. You’re dangerous. Can’t you feel it? Your soul is nearly as black as mine. Trust me, when that happened, the world opened up like nothing I ever could have imagined. All of that power at my fingertips.”

Eden hated to admit it, but she did feel it. That darkness, that power, so much of it, like a bottomless ocean. So addictive, so perfect. It felt right, and that, by far, was the scariest thing of all.

“Don’t listen to her,” Ben growled. “She’s evil.”

Eden narrowed her gaze at him. “Not sure I should listen to you, Ben. You and my mother sent Darrak to Hell.”

“He survived,” Caroline spoke up.

“No thanks to you.”

Ben had the decency to look guilty. “We were wrong, I see that now. But I tried to change things, I tried to make things better.”

“He did,” Leena insisted. “I was being held prisoner by the Malleus and he freed me. Took him long enough, but he did it.”

Eden looked over at her ex-roommate. She had wondered where she’d gone after being chased away by Darrak. “I still have the key you left behind. Never had a chance to check that locker.”

Leena nodded. “Uh, remind me to get that back from you. You know, if we all live through this morning.”

Sandy laughed. “Listen to them, Eden. They’ve all betrayed you in some way. Abandoned you, too, when you needed them the most. You should kill them for what they’ve done to you and Darrak. That’s all it would take for you to give in fully to your magic. You could have whatever you wanted, then.”

All it would take to turn her soul black was to murder any one of the people in this room. But murder wasn’t in Eden’s true nature. Had it been in Sandy’s? Or had Oliver forced her into this?

“Don’t listen to her, Eden,” Caroline said, her voice tight. “You’re better than this. Don’t give in to the darkness. You can fight it.”

Eden’s gaze snapped to the young brunette tied to the chair to her left. “Can I, Mom? Really? Having you on my side is such a nice change from the first thirty years of my life when you treated me like a burden.”

“Oh, get over it, will you?” Caroline snapped. “I made my share of mistakes. So what? You’ve turned into a great woman anyway. So pull your head out of your ass and do something to prove that.”

Eden really hadn’t been expecting an apology so she wasn’t disappointed.

Sandy rolled her eyes. “Let me get started, Eden. You’ll see it isn’t that difficult at all. Let me kill Ben for you.”

Sandy grabbed Ben and energy flowed down her arms. “Good-bye, lover.”

A muffled yell escaped Ben’s throat as he thrashed around in the chair. Whatever Sandy was doing was hurting him badly.

“No!” Eden grabbed hold of the witch, digging her fingers in hard enough to make the witch flinch as she pulled her away from Ben to face her instead.

“Maybe I will kill you after all.” A second later, Sandy’s hands wrapped tightly around Eden’s throat and her dark magic shot through Eden’s body.

Luckily, she’d already put up a shield to protect herself—a shield that was quickly slipping.

Sandy squeezed tighter. “You’re either with me, Eden, or you’re against me.”

“I’m sorry.” Eden gasped for breath. “I guess . . . I’m . . . against you.”

Black magic flowed through her hands and shot like lightning directly into Sandy. Sandy screamed, raised up off the floor so she hung there for a moment, suspended in midair, then she flew backward against the wall.

Her open, glossy eyes stared up at the ceiling.

“Damn it,” Eden said, her voice shaky. “I didn’t mean to . . . to . . .”

“She’s dead,” Ben managed.

Yeah, that. She didn’t mean to do that.

The witch had been too close and Eden’s magic too strong. Not a good combination to allow Sandy to walk away in one piece.

Eden quickly moved around the room to untie all three of the prisoners. Then she moved back from them until her back hit the wall. She needed the support or she thought she might fall down to the floor.

“You did the right thing, honey,” Caroline said. “She was going to kill you. Kill all of us.”

“I know,” she replied softly.

“Are you . . .” Ben began. “Are you okay?”

Eden shook her head. “You all need to get out of here while you still can.”

“Eden . . . your necklace . . .” Leena approached her.

“No. Get out of here. Now! Run!”

After a short hesitation, the three did what she asked without saying another word.

Eden didn’t have to look down at her amulet to have the truth confirmed. She’d gone over the line. She’d killed a mortal with black magic—even if it had been accidental. Even if the witch she’d killed had deserved it. Even if it had been in self-defense.

She’d killed her.

And Eden’s soul was now black.