She eyed Sandy, currently unconscious. Despite her dark power she was still human, still as fragile as any other. This was her doing. Something had changed Sandy, made her choose the darker path. All Eden knew for sure was that she’d chosen wrong.
But Eden also had magic at her disposal, and she wasn’t going to let anyone she loved be hurt here today. No matter the cost.
Darrak stared down at her as if trying to get her to do something other than stay by his side. He didn’t want to be at Lucas’s mercy. But what had he been thinking to even consider making an attempt on Lucas’s life?
“Do you have something to say?” Lucas approached, his arms crossed. “That’s too bad, because I don’t want to hear it.”
“Tough shit,” Darrak growled.
“Wait.” Lucas frowned. “I didn’t give you permission to speak.”
Darrak pushed Eden out of the way, launched himself forward, and grabbed Lucas by his throat. A split second later, they both vanished in a flash of fire.
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.”