Once he’d stretched out, Cass passed the patchouli oil to Marabella so she could anoint him with the shape of a pentacle. With that completed, Cass unrolled the ancient parchment containing the soul-collector creed, and Marabella chanted the spell that would imprint the code onto Sam and ultimately seal it with her touch. Her voice shook slightly, courtesy of her jittery nerves, but she made it through the long incantation and pressed her hand directly over the pentacle. Brilliant beams of white light shot from her fingertips and shimmered across Sam’s back. A decidedly sexy groan rumbled from him, and he rolled his hips against the velvet. She and Cass shared a glance, both of their eyebrows arching.
“Dude, you’re humping the floor,” Nikki pointed out.
“Maybe you should, uh, let up with the light show before he embarrasses himself.”
Heeding Cass’s advice, she raised her hand, and the glow receded into her palm. Sam sprawled into a motionless, contented slump. Marabella glanced at Sam’s tattoo and noticed it was now intact, its colors even more dazzling than before. She gasped. “I did it! And without turning him into a platyvark!”
“What in the holy goddess’s name is going on here?”
The outraged and frighteningly familiar voice coming from the direction of the stairway made Marabella jolt before freezing in shock. A hot wash of horror released her from her numbed state. She slowly turned her head and locked stares with Domino.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Blood roaring in her ears, Marabella stood and stepped around Sam. “Mom, w-what are you doing here?”
“I believe that’s the question I just asked, Marabella.” Domino’s voice carried the horrible disapproval that always made Marabella shrivel inside and wish she could be the sort of daughter who inspired motherly pride and acceptance.
You have superpowers, damn it. Stop being a spineless ninny. Sucking in a deep breath, she folded her arms in front of her and gave her mom a calm, serene look. “Sam is my familiar. I just finished branding him so he can stop an evil bitch from kidnapping a soul and using it for nefarious purposes that could possibly lead to all of our deaths.” She had no idea if she was anywhere on track with that last, improvised part, but hopefully it’d be enough to convince Domino that what they were doing here was important and necessary.
“He’s a demon, Marabella. What in the world are you thinking?”
“Mom, did you not hear the part about possible death? That trumps Sam’s demon genes.”
Domino appeared far from convinced. If anything, she looked like she was seconds away from fainting. She gripped the rail, her legs visibly wobbling. Terrified her mom was about to take a tumble down the stairs, Marabella rushed to her side and steadied her. “Please come sit down before you pass out.”
“I’m fine,” Domino bit out stubbornly. She straightened and squared her shoulders.
Marabella noticed the glossy papers in her mom’s hand and recognized it as the bid for the redesign at the Alliance headquarters. Domino followed her gaze to the papers and tightened her lips. “You won the bid. I came over here to surprise you with the news and take you out to dinner to celebrate.”
Didn’t it figure her mom would choose tonight of all nights to be spontaneous for the first time in her life? But that didn’t explain how Domino ended up at the top of the stairs without—
Marabella veered her gaze to the box from Charmed Moon before glancing at Nikki. “Did you by any chance forget to lock the door when you came up earlier?”
Nikki’s expression turned sheepish. “Oops.”
Cass stepped forward as Sam struggled into a sitting position. He still looked dazed, and a tiny hitch of a sappy grin played at his mouth. Damn, that white light had really done a number on him.
Cass stopped in front of Domino. “I know all of this has to be a bit of a shock. But Marabella is telling you the truth. This was our only chance to throw a wrench in Pricilla’s plans for world domination. Your daughter should be commended for her unselfish dedication to the security of our universe.”
Wow. Cass was way better at this improvisation stuff.
Domino peered over her tortoise-frame glasses at Cass. “Do I know you?”
Marabella rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mother. You guys had a ten-minute conversation in your office yesterday. How difficult is that to remember?”
Domino adopted a wounded expression. “Is this what having a demon familiar has brought you to? Unnecessary sarcasm and cruelty to your mother?”
A grunt fell from Nikki. “Huh. Human moms are exactly like demon moms. Who knew?”
Ignoring Nikki’s astute observation, Domino continued staring at Marabella like she was an alien masquerading as the daughter she once knew. “Why would you risk losing your status with this foolish stunt?”
Cass cleared her throat. “Not to be rude, but you did catch that part about world domination, right?”
Marabella squeezed Cass’s arm. “I appreciate you sticking up for me, but this is my responsibility. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.” And with that admission, something shifted inside her. “This is my life, Mom. I love you. I really do. But it’s time to respect the decisions I make and trust that once in a while, I do know what I’m doing. Yes, I’m going to mess up sometimes and make mistakes. It’s called being human.” She cocked her head to the side. “Although, technically, I’m also part angel. So maybe that makes me a hugel. Or maybe it’s angman. Who knows? Regardless, it’s time to cut the apron strings and let me spread my wings.” Jeez, that was a serious infraction of mixed metaphors. Mentally shrugging, she decided to let it pass.
“Marabella, you are making no sense whatsoever.” Domino rubbed her forehead wearily. “And what is this nonsense about you being part angel?”
“She means that literally, by the way,” Nikki piped up.
Marabella waited for Nikki to launch into her spiel about pooping babies who smell funny. Fortunately she didn’t, because that would have only thrown Domino right over the edge.
“These insane theories are not funny, Marabella,” Domino whispered in a fierce voice as she slid a furtive glance in Cass’s direction. “Furthermore, it’s the kind of talk that leads to admittance into a psychiatric hospital if you speak it in public.”
“Your daughter isn’t crazy,” Cass assured in that soothing tone she was so proficient at. “Her father—your Sascha—was a full-blood angel.”
Domino glared at Cass. “Now I see. You’re the one responsible for filling Marabella’s head with this nonsense.”
“No, she isn’t,” Marabella insisted firmly. She glanced at Cass. “You’re wasting your breath. My mom will never believe anything we say. She’s too practical minded. If she can’t see something with her own eyes or read solid, documented proof of something’s vital principle, it simply doesn’t exist.”
Cass smiled. “Well, why didn’t you say that to begin with?” Without warning, she grabbed Domino’s arm. In the next second, they both blinked out of sight.
Marabella gaped at the spot where Cass and Domino had been standing. “Where did they—?”
A whoosh of air buffeted Marabella’s face, and suddenly her mom and Cass reappeared. Domino’s features were frozen in a comical and wholly uncharacteristic expression of shock. Cass’s grin was exactly the same as before she’d disappeared. “Voilà, we have a believer.”
Marabella continued to stare at her mom. “Err…where did you take her?”