Michelle Rowen - That Old Black Magic

“Be good to my daughter,” Daniel said. “Or else.”

Darrak couldn’t help but grin. “Yes sir.”

Eden felt a lump form in her throat. “Will I ever see you again?”

Daniel leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “You can count on it.”

Then, within the blink of an eye, Daniel disappeared in a flash of light.

He was gone. She’d met her father for about the same amount of time as he’d been in her presence before. And now he’d gone back to Heaven.

“So,” Darrak said after a quiet moment. “Your father didn’t destroy me.”

She nodded. “I think you’ve been destroyed enough lately.”

“Agreed. And he didn’t beat me up or get out a shotgun when he realized you were pregnant.”

“He handled it like a champ. No shotgun required.” She swallowed hard then, remembering all that had happened. “Will Lucas be okay?”

“He just swallowed enough black magic to choke a hundred hellhounds. I think even somebody like him will need a while to recover from that.”

She looked down at the spot Darrak had stood when she’d thought he was frozen, before he phased both himself and Lucas out of there. “You didn’t kill him.”

“No, and he didn’t kill me. In fact, he saved me.”

“Looks like he saved me, too.” Her eyes widened with surprise as it all sank in. Gratitude flowed through her for the prince who’d deceived her, demanded things from her, and nearly destroyed her. “I knew he wasn’t all bad.”

“He’s my hero,” Darrak said dryly. “However, I’ll still kick his ass if he ever comes anywhere near you again.”

“And that is why I love you so much.” Eden took his face between her hands and kissed him before hugging him tightly against her. “You’re my guardian angel.”

He snorted. “Come on, now, let’s not end this with an insult.”

She smiled. “You don’t have to possess me anymore.”

“We’ll look on those as the good old days. Although, I have to admit I was getting kind of used to living in Eden, my own personal garden of paradise. This is better, though. We can be together because we want to, not because we have to.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Positive.” He frowned. “Aren’t you?”

She pulled away from him and walked to the doorway leading to the hall, her arms crossed. Then she turned to face him. “I–I have a question for you first, Darrak. An important one.”

The certainty in his eyes slipped a little. “What is it?”

Eden studied him carefully. “You promise to answer me honestly?”

He nodded solemnly. “I promise.”

“Okay, now I understand based on how things have gone down before if you need to think about it, but…”

His dark brows drew together. “Eden, what is it? Tell me. What’s the question?”

“I just need to know… will you marry me?”

He stared at her for a long moment before a grin stretched across his handsome face. “Finally a question I know I’m smart enough to answer.”

Ben watched with relief as Eden and Darrak left the house. He and the others had waited outside, pacing, not knowing what to do next.

Sandy was dead. He wished he felt even a bit of sadness over that. He supposed he did. It wasn’t fair. She’d been nice, he knew that hadn’t all been an act from day one. But power had corrupted her swiftly and completely. He wasn’t able to save her. He hadn’t even realized she needed saving until it was too late.

He wanted to talk to Eden, to explain everything. To apologize.

There’d be time for that later. After all he’d been responsible for, maybe it was best if he just faded away into the distance.

Ben turned to leave and found Darrak standing behind him with his arms crossed.

“Did I have a chance to thank you so much for locking me in the office at sunset?” Darrak asked dryly. “Nearly destroyed me, but I’m thinking that might have been your goal.”

“I know you’ll never believe this,” Ben replied tightly, “but it made me realize I was wrong. About everything. I’ve changed. And I’m sorry.”

Darrak studied him carefully. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not just being funny right now.”

Ben shook his head. “I don’t think I could be funny if I tried.”

“I think you’re right about that.” Darrak blinked. “You’re still a member of the Malleus. You have the brand.”

He touched his arm. “I’ve decided to quit. I don’t care if that’s against the rules.”

“Smartest decision you’ve ever made.”

“I’m trying to make more of those.”

“Ditto. Back to the police force?”

“I don’t know yet.” He didn’t. He had no idea where his future would take him. All he knew was that he still had a future.

Darrak nodded. “So was this enough small talk between us to clear the air?”

“More than enough.”

Leena came to Ben’s side. He’d finally removed her cuff while they waited to find out how it all turned out, but she hadn’t left yet or shifted to her werepanther form.

She eyed the demon. “I can’t believe you knocked Eden up, gruesome.”

Darrak eyed her warily and crossed his arms. “Somehow I’m thinking today isn’t going to end up with us all in a big group hug.”

Leena grinned a little. “And here I didn’t think you were that smart.”

“I’ve missed you since you moved out, Leena.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, the apartment doesn’t have that pungent odor of kitty litter to it. And the furniture doesn’t get clawed up anymore.”

Ben expected her to snap back with another insult, but instead she laughed out loud. “I hear you’re half-angel now. Guess you keep that side hidden.”

“As much as inhumanly possible.”

“Take care of Eden,” she said very seriously. “I swear, if I hear you’re being a hellbeast, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“This seems to be a common refrain.” Darrak smiled. “But I honestly wouldn’t put it past you to follow through.”

“Some chaperone I was, anyway. You still got her pregnant.”

“Consider yourself fired. Now, if you’ll excuse me. Both of you.” He left them alone to join Eden, who was talking with her mother by Maksim’s bay window.

“So,” Leena said.

“So.”

“I’m sorry about Sandy.”

Ben shook his head. “Don’t be.”

“Do all your girlfriends end up dead?”

He looked at her sharply. “Nice.”

“It’s not a joke. It’s an important question I need the answer to.”

Ben shook his head. “You and me, it’s not going to happen.”

Leena glared at him. “As if. You’re not my type, Ken doll. I prefer men with more of an edge to them.”

He frowned at her. “I have edge. Lots of edge.”

“Besides…” She waved a hand. “I’m not sticking around this city. I hate the winter. I have big plans.”

“Like what?”

“Traveling. Seeing the country. Going overseas. A werepanther likes to roam, you know. She doesn’t like getting tied down to any one place.”

He couldn’t help but smile at her certainty. “Okay. Then what are you still doing here, werepanther?”

She ran a hand absently through her long black hair. “Well… I just wanted to check something first.”

“What’s that?”

Leena grabbed his shirt, pulled him closer, and kissed him hard on his mouth. It only took him a second before he was returning the kiss with an equal amount of passion as his body, heart, and soul all reacted to her. He was breathless when she finally broke off the kiss.

She bit her bottom lip. “Well, that’s unfortunate.”

Ben found his voice enough to say, “What is?”

She shrugged before giving him a slow, sexy smile. “Looks like you are my type after all. Who knew?”