Jenna Black - The Devil Inside

I met Adam’s furious glare. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think before I spoke.”

He didn’t say anything, just kept staring at me with those glowing eyes until I had to look away.

I heard him stand, heard him urge Dominic to come with him so they could talk. Their feet passed in front of my field of vision on their way out, but I was too ashamed of myself to look up.

The door closed behind them with a deafening slam.

There was another round of whipping later that night. Only this time, it was Adam’s voice I heard crying out in pain — not even a hint of pleasure — and there were no sex sounds afterward. My guess was that Adam had done penance for keeping that crucial secret. I hoped it was cathartic for Dominic.

I hadn’t bought any PJ’s on my shopping trip, and I wasn’t about to sleep naked in this house, so I curled up in bed fully clothed. I don’t think I’d ever felt so miserable about myself in all my life. My mind kept going over and over how I’d treated Brian and the rift I’d caused between Adam and Dominic. Asking myself when I’d come to be so hateful. Wondering if it was too late for me to change.

I must have drifted off eventually, because the next thing I knew I was in Lugh’s living room — or whatever it was.

I was sitting on the sofa, and Lugh sat on the love seat facing me across the coffee table. His right ankle was propped on his left knee, his arms spread out across the back of the love seat. He’d backed off from last night’s aggressive outfit. Black leather pants and boots seemed to be a uniform for him, but tonight he topped it with a plain black T-shirt. He still looked good enough to eat, but I didn’t feel an unbearable urge to fling myself at him. That was a plus.

My native defensiveness made an appearance, and before he had a chance to speak, I asked, “So are you going to tell me what a miserable bitch I am for what I said to Dominic?”

He smiled faintly. “Should I?”

I sighed. “Probably.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.” His voice was rich and dark as molasses. “You meant well.”

I sank into the sofa and crossed my arms over my chest. “Did I? Adam sure didn’t think so.”

“Adam barely knows you.”

“And you know me better?” Dumb question. He probably knew me better than I knew myself, even though he was a total stranger to me.

He just smiled. “Your technique could use some work, but your heart was in the right place.”

I suddenly remembered something Adam had said, something I hadn’t paid much attention to at the time. If I’d known Lugh had lifted the injunction …

Lugh had lifted the injunction? Just how “I” was this VIP?

“So,” I said, “Adam seems to think you’re worth protecting.”

Lugh slid his ankle off his knee and put both feet on the floor. “As I happen to be inhabiting your body, I should think you’d agree.” He smiled at me. It was a friendly, disarming smile. But I’m not that easy to disarm.

“Wanna tell me who you are?”

“Not particularly. You haven’t shown yourself to be the soul of discretion.”

He scored a hit. I tried not to let it show. “Considering all the shit I’ve gone through because of you, I think I deserve to know anyway. I was almost burned alive last night, if you remember.”

I think I scored on that one, though Lugh’s expression didn’t change much. He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, looking at me as if trying to puzzle me out. His gaze was disconcertingly intense.

“Stop looking at me like that!” I snapped.

One corner of his mouth lifted, but he didn’t let it become a full smile. “I suppose you do have the right to know how high the stakes are.”

I kinda thought the stakes were pretty high already, what with people trying to crispy-critter me, but I kept that opinion to myself.

“I told you I’m a reformer,” Lugh continued.

I made a “keep talking” motion with my hand.

He seemed to brace himself. “I frighten my own people because I have the power to make my reforms come to pass. You see, I’ve just ascended to the throne. I’m their king.”

Well, that was a stunner, no doubt about it. I was possessed by the king of the demons? Hell, I hadn’t even known they had a king. Then I realized he said he’d just ascended to the throne, which suggested that beforehand, he’d been a prince. Named Lugh.

I think for a moment, my heart stopped beating.

Lugh laughed at me. “No, I’m not Lucifer,” he assured me. Either he’d read my mind, or my face gave away my thoughts. “Although I suppose it’s possible some of the mythology is loosely based on me.” I probably didn’t look any less alarmed. He rolled his eyes. “Remember, this is the same mythology that says demons live in the fires of Hell. There have always been segments of the human population who find us frightening and therefore vilify us. That doesn’t make the stories true.”

He had a point. Much as I disliked demons, I’d never subscribed to the hellfire-and-brimstone point of view. There was no reason to change that now. I nodded to indicate I was over my moment of superstitious dread.

“My brothers have taken the first step to start a war of succession,” he continued, “though I suppose if they succeed in killing me, it will not be much of a war.”

“Brothers…” I made the word halfway a question, though I would have liked to come up with something more eloquent and intelligent-sounding.

Lugh nodded. “Two of them. Dougal is the elder and will succeed if something happens to me.” He met my eyes grimly. “My youngest brother is named Raphael.”

Shit on a stick! I swallowed hard. “That would be Raphael, as in the demon Andrew is hosting?”

“So it would seem.”

I frowned. “But if this is a war of succession and Raphael is in on it, why didn’t he just kill you the moment you possessed me? You make it sound like I was too out of it to put up much of a fight.”

“True.” His lip curled in distaste. “Raphael and I have a long history of bad blood. Dougal and I disagree on matters of policy, but with Raphael, it’s always been personal.” The hinges of his jaws stood out in stark relief, like he was grinding his teeth. “I suspect he found the prospect of a swift death…unsatisfying. And I suspect Dougal’s other supporters are rather annoyed with Raphael right now.”

He looked at me and shook his head as he spoke. “I always wondered why there was only one person there on the night I was summoned. I would bet my kingdom Raphael acted on his own to use you as a host. Since Dougal’s quarrel with me is political, not personal, he wouldn’t have let me live a moment longer than he had to. But Raphael is determined to make me suffer first.”

And I thought I had troubles with my brother!

“So if Adam and I can get hold of Andrew, would you be able to cast your brother out of him?”

Lugh smiled at me. “Not unless you’d be so kind as to let me take control when you’re conscious.”

I shuddered.

“But even then, I don’t know if I could do it. Raphael and I are evenly matched. I have no way of knowing who would win if we fought.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “What about me? Can I toss him out on his ear?”

Lugh sighed. “I’m afraid not. You are obviously a very skilled exorcist, but Raphael is beyond you.”

That tweaked my pride. “You never know until you try. I’ve kicked some serious demon ass in my time.”

He looked amused. “I regret to inform you that the vast majority of demons who walk the Mortal Plain are of far less exalted — and less powerful — lineage than Raphael and myself. You have not faced a demon of anywhere near our rank before.”