Мишель Роуэн - Something Wicked

And he did want to. He had things to do.

He walked to the bathroom and flicked on the light. Eden’s beautiful face stared back at him in the mirror, and guilt twisted in his gut.

Demons really shouldn’t feel guilt. It was so undemonlike.

He dressed quickly without sneaking a look at Eden’s body. Okay, fine. He wasn’t made of stone. He looked. But it was quick.

Several quick looks. That was all.

He’d never been this attracted to a human female before. He’d had his share of them during his time as an incubus, but Eden was the first woman who had been more than that to him. More than a meal, a snack, a soul to take back to Hell.

He’d rationalized that what he felt for her was only gratitude. She’d had the chance to have him exorcised several times, but she hadn’t — instead choosing to believe he’d changed from his pre-curse days. She’d helped him, risking her own life to save his. Everything she did, even when she grumbled about it, was to help him.

He leaned forward to stare into her beautiful green eyes and felt a tug inside him that indicated what he felt toward her was more than simple gratitude.

Damn.

He shook his head. You are so whipped, buddy. You know that?

Well aware.

It was almost amusing, really.

Besides, it didn’t much matter how Darrak felt about her. Once he’d broken the curse and had his own body back full-time, he’d have to high tail it out of the city. Out of the country. Off the continent. Hell had agents who’d be on his ass the moment he was at full power again and registering on their demon radar. Those demon agents would likely send him on a one-way trip to the Void, deeming him useless as an archdemon now that he was dealing with this pesky humanity issue of his.

Yeah. He’d like to avoid that, pretty please. The Void was an endless nothing where demons went when they were destroyed. Death for demons with no escape clause. He’d also like to avoid being the cause of Eden’s inevitable death if he didn’t find a way to break his curse.

Which was exactly why he was headed out again tonight in this borrowed body.

But before he could leave the apartment, first he had to get past the guard.

Forgoing Eden’s heels for a more comfortable pair of flats, he left the bedroom wearing the same outfit she’d worn earlier. The skirt was a bit on the drafty side.

A small black cat jumped down from the sofa where she’d been curled in a ball. The next moment it shifted into an attractive woman with dark skin and long black hair who was wearing a blue tank top and shorts. She also wore a skeptical expression.

“Didn’t you just get home, Eden?” Leena asked. “And now you’re going back out?”

“Got a date,” Darrak said. It felt very strange to hear Eden’s voice as he spoke.

“A date?” Leena’s eyebrows went up. “With who?”

“Just someone I met earlier.” Darrak shrugged and tried to look coy. The less he said the better. The shapeshifter hated his guts. He wasn’t particularly fond of her in return. If he gave her any reason to believe he was borrowing Eden’s body when she was unconscious, that would so not go over well. To say the least.

In return for free rent in the apartment, Leena had appointed herself Eden’s chaperone — keeping an eye on the dangerous demon in case he was up to no good.

“Okay, Ms. Mysterious. And what about tall, dark, and demonic?”

“I dampened him.” Actually Darrak had dampened Eden so she wouldn’t inadvertently wake up while he was out and about. More of that inconvenient and unfamiliar guilt coursed through him at the thought. “He’d just get in the way of me having a good time, anyhow.”

“You’re right about that.” Leena studied her housemate for a moment before a smile spread across her face. She casually leaned against the laminate counter in the kitchenette. “You are so devious. I love it.”

“A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do.”

“Okay, have fun. I think it’s good that you’re seeing someone else, whoever this mystery man is.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Leena moved toward the refrigerator and opened it so she could grab a can of Coke. “But you should let Darrak know. Maybe it’ll help extinguish that torch he carries for you when he sees once and for all you two can’t be together and you’ve fully accepted that.”

Darrak struggled to keep his expression neutral. “He doesn’t carry a torch for me.”

“Come on. If you really think that, you’re blind. He’s in love with you and you know it.”

“It’s not like that. Trust me.”

Leena held up her hand. “Fine. Stay blind. But that’s why I’m here. Just in case you two want to go at it again, I’m here to make sure you don’t risk your soul for that six-foot piece of chiseled brimstone. I don’t care how good he is in the sack. Stick with humans. They’re way less trouble.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His jaw clenched. “I’ll be back later.”

Leena opened the can and took a sip. “I’ll be here.”

Oh, I know that , Darrak thought darkly, now in a foul mood. But the smile remained plastered on his borrowed face until he stepped outside the apartment and closed the door behind him.

In love with Eden. That particular emotion would be completely negligent and stupid of him. Not to mention entirely hopeless.

Stupid shapeshifters. Always so damn insightful, weren’t they?

Ben Hanson watched Eden leave her apartment and glanced at the clock on his dashboard. It was after twelve thirty.

Instead of getting in her Toyota as she’d done earlier, she hailed a cab. He followed in his car at a discreet distance.

It had been a week and a half since he’d learned the truth — seen it with his own two eyes. After a lifetime of trying to do the right thing, trying to make the world a better place, a mind-set that guided him into a career as a cop, he’d seen that true evil really did exist in the world — and it was worse than any arsonist, murderer, or con man he’d ever faced before.

Demons existed. And one of them currently possessed Eden.

When he’d first met her on a case — Eden occasionally consulted for the police using her psychic abilities — he’d thought they had a connection. Possibly a romantic one. Even after his shaky history in that department — a murdered fiancée didn’t exactly make him a catch without major emotional baggage — he’d thought it might be worth it.

Hadn’t exactly worked out as smoothly as he’d hoped. Eden had chosen to protect the demon instead of allowing Ben to help her. It was clear to him she was in danger — that her soul was in danger.

His arm itched. The brand on his left forearm was of a fleur-de-lis enclosed in a circle. It had been given to him by the Malleus and was still healing. The Malleus was a centuries-old secret organization that fought against the darkness only a small percentage of humans were aware of. They’d seen his potential, so they’d inducted him into their numbers. And the ritual, culminating with the brand, had given Ben certain abilities — to see Others clearly and separate from humans, the extra strength required to fight against them, and the knowledge he needed to defeat them.

And to think, two weeks ago he’d scoffed at horoscopes as being ridiculous mumbo jumbo.

Virgos were naturally skeptical.

He’d done a little research on lots of things in the past week and a half. And most of it still sounded like bullshit to him.

At the moment his assignment for the Malleus was to keep an eye on Eden and report back any unusual activity. He’d do that. And when the moment presented itself to save Eden from the demon who’d taken over her body and her life, he’d do that as well. Without hesitation. Without fear.