Мишель Роуэн - Angel with Attitude

What have I done? she thought with more than a little panic. And is it too late to be having second thoughts?

Uh, yeah.

She glanced at Claire who’d moved into the fetal position on the floor and was sleeping peacefully while sucking on her thumb.

She was going to be zero help.

“I hope you only thought nice thoughts,” Reggie said shakily. “And we get a nice demon.”

“Me, too.”

The flames cut out as quickly as they’d appeared. The wind stopped blowing. The brightness subsided everywhere including from the crystal. The white powder circle lay as if untouched on the carpet.

And from inside the circle Nathaniel looked out at Val with confusion.

Nathaniel?

Hmm, she thought, feeling stunned. Guess I shouldn’t have been thinking about him just a minute ago.

Well, hindsight was always six-six-six, wasn’t it?

Not good.

“Valerie?” he asked after a moment.

“Uh-huh?”

He cleared his throat and absently brushed off his long black jacket. Underneath he wore a black shirt and black pants. Looked to Val like a bit of a theme. Not that she expected to see him appear in a Hawaiian shirt. Not that she expected to see him. Period. But there he was.

He smiled, but it seemed forced, as if he was confused about what just happened. That made two of them. “I was just looking for you at the motel. You weren’t there.”

“No, I’m not.”

His smile faltered. “What’s going on?”

“Um . . .”

Nathaniel finally looked down at the circle he was standing in. He looked at Claire, unconscious in her Wal-Mart robe, clutching the tiny black grimoire, then again at Val with remnants of shadow salt still stuck to her palms. She slipped the crystal into the pocket of her jeans.

His eyes narrowed. “What exactly have you done, Valerie?”

She stared back at him. That was definitely the million-dollar question, wasn’t it?

He attempted to move outside of the circle, but the invisible barrier created by the white powder stopped him with an audible zapping noise. He jerked back with a confused expression on his face. Then he held out his hand and lightly touched the barrier. It shimmered.

Val just watched him in silence and a healthy amount of shock, while absently petting Reggie who still sat on her shoulder. He didn’t complain, but she could have sworn she heard him murmur, “Oooh, baby.”

Nathaniel certainly was an extremely handsome man. Demon. Whatever. She hadn’t been able to observe him at length before.

Tall, dark, and evil.

He stared down at the circle that kept him trapped. Then he looked at Val slowly, his gray-

blue eyes shimmering with an inner fire, and a shiver went down her spine at the intensity of his gaze. Surprisingly, a smile spread across his perfect features.

“So, little angel, now that you have me all to yourself, whatever are you planning to do with me?”

“Hey, do you two know each other already?” Reggie whispered.

“Shhh.” Val stared back at Nathaniel and removed her hand from Reggie, who protested a little. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t mean to summon you in particular.”

He nodded slowly. “I see. Just my lucky day, then?”

“Must be.”

His smile widened. “I’m glad. I was hoping to see you again. I wanted to apologize for my rude behavior last night.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. It’s just . . . I’ve been dealing with some personal issues. I certainly didn’t mean to take any of my . . . frustrations . . . out on a beautiful woman such as yourself.”

It sounds pretty good, she thought. So sincere. So warm and friendly, and delivered in that smooth, deep voice that made her knees feel weak.

Stupid knees.

“You’re lying.”

“Excuse me?” He gave her innocent eyes. “I’m not lying.”

Didn’t Claire say that the summoned demon couldn’t lie? Val was the one who threw the last bit of shadow salt into the circle. She had the crystal safely in her pocket. Didn’t that mean she was in charge now? Well, there was only one way to find out.

“Can I ask you a question, Nathaniel?”

“Of course. Anything you desire.”

“You’ve been summoned against your will and are currently trapped inside that circle there.

Are you angry with me right now?”

“Furious.”

Val’s eyebrows went up.

He frowned deeply.“What . . . I didn’t mean that. Yes, I did. I’m furious right now. I want to—” He clamped a hand over his mouth.

“What?” she prompted, though an unpleasantly cold chill had gone down her spine at his answer. “What do you want to do?”

His eyes narrowed and he lowered his hand from his mouth. “I want to tear you apart.”

“Yikes,” Reggie said. “Are those actual flames in that dude’s eyes?”

Val swallowed hard. He wasn’t lying now. This was the truth and nothing but the truth. But it didn’t change anything. He could be as mad as he wanted to be about this situation—he couldn’t do anything about it.

“You need to let me out of here right now,” Nathaniel said, though his expression hadn’t gotten any friendlier. “You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re in way over your head, little angel. I have given you the opportunity to come with me and you need to realize that it’s for the best. Your best. My best. There is no room for argument. And there is no time for these games. None of this means—”

“Shut up.” His words filled her brain up so much that she couldn’t concentrate. It was like having every TV channel on at the same time with the volume turned up to maximum.

He didn’t say another word.

She began pacing back and forth between the sofa and the bookcase, all eight feet of it.

“Okay, Nathaniel, let’s get something straight. I don’t like you. But I’ve summoned a demon for a reason, and just because the demon I’ve ended up with is you doesn’t change my plans.”

He raised a dark eyebrow, but said nothing.

“I need you to help me find a demon named Julian. I believe you two know each other. He’s stolen something from a friend of mine. Something important. I need to get it back. This is nonnegotiable. There’s no time to waste. I want to leave immediately for wherever you, as a fellow demon, think he might have gone. Once I get the item back, I will release you. After that I don’t want to see you again. Ever. Am I making myself perfectly clear?”

He glared at her. Then nodded his head.

“And don’t even think about trying anything funny. This summoning spell binds you to me.”

She squeezed the crystal in her pocket tightly. “You have to obey me. And as we just proved a minute ago, you can’t lie to me.” The thought almost made her smile. “Got it?”

Another nod, this time slower and even less friendly than before.

“Now, Reggie.” Val pulled him off her shoulder so she could see his furry face. “It’s probably best if you stay here. When Claire wakes up you need to talk things through with her. You have to get her to reverse your spell.”

His little beady eyes got very wide. “Are you kidding me? I know her. I figure she’s got at least another two days before she feels open enough not to turn me into mincemeat. Besides coming with you gives me even more of a chance to prove to her that I’m not just a big loser.

That I’m actually brave and noble. And other crap like that. I’m coming with you guys.”

“No, you are certainly not coming with us.”

“Pleeeaaase?”

Val frowned and moved him closer so she could look him right in his little black eyes. “It’s easier this way. Trust me.”

“Pleeeaaase?” He tickled her with his whiskers that time, and she rubbed her face.