Michelle Rowen - That Old Black Magic

Darrak’s lips curved back from sharp teeth as he glared at Lucas, still unable to speak.

“Not so pretty now, is he?” Lucas said. “Not the man of any girl’s dreams.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I guess I have different dreams than other girls.”

She went directly to this demonic version of Darrak and slid her arms around his thick waist. His skin was hot and very dry, like sand beneath her fingertips. The fire didn’t burn her.

Eden looked up at him. “I love you, Darrak. No matter what.”

His eyes were filled with uncertainty until she said those words, but then clarity filled them. He couldn’t speak while under Lucas’s control, but she didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. He finally believed her. And that made anything that happened today bearable for him.

Even the really bad stuff.

“Disgusting,” Daniel, or rather Oliver said.

“Oh?” Lucas replied. “You don’t approve?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

Eden knew she could say Darrak’s true name and free him from Lucas’s influence and turn him over to her own, but she didn’t. She wasn’t playing tag with another witch here. Lucas had power over Darrak with or without the use of his name.

It wasn’t only Eden’s fate at stake here. It was Darrak’s, her mother’s, Ben’s, and Leena’s. It was even Daniel’s, a father she’d never known, who had no control right now because that control had been stolen from him by an evil human with a big agenda.

Whatever Daniel’s reason for not being around when she grew up, he didn’t deserve this. What had they done to him for a human to take over his body?

That was truly black magic.

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.

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.”