Jessa Slade - The Darkest Night

After the carry-out Chinese dinner and movie—which he admitted was pretty great, especially the music—she hustled him back to the bed. They’d brought up a bunch of votive candles from the bar below, and the lights danced as they sprawled across the mattress.

“Now for dessert.” She tipped him over backwards and undid the button on his jeans.

He let her, then caught her hands. “Wait. I have something for you.”

“That’s what I’m trying to get to.”

“I have something else for you.” He snaked his hand under the pillow and presented the small ribboned box centered on his palm.

Bella sat back on her heels, a small line between her brows. “We’re going to do gifts now? Aren’t gifts for Christmas morning?”

“We’ll make our own traditions,” he said. “Besides, it’s almost midnight.”

She pursed her lips, then hopped up and went to the chest underneath the window. The framed square of night was frosted at the corners, a lovely frame for the snowflakes falling on the other side, a perfect backdrop for his even more lovely flame, Bella.

She returned to kneel on the bed, a wrapped box about as big as his shoe in her lap.

They stared at each other a moment. “You first,” they said at the same time.

Bella smiled. “Ladies first.” She handed over her box.

He started to admire the foil wrapping, but she made an impatient noise, so he tore past the paper. The box inside was plain.

She nibbled her lip. “It was sort of a last-minute thing, obviously. The old guy at the Christkindlmarket knew a guy…”

Fane opened the box and stared down. He whistled. “Snazzy.”

“This guy does custom glass too. A little different, obviously.”

Fane lifted the sunglasses out of the box. “Purple tint on the lenses. The talyan will be jealous. Nice.”

“Shatterproof glass, of course, and glare-proof—which I think will be useful if you’re working with the league—and a lifetime warranty on the black iridium frames.” She smiled, almost shyly. “I had them inscribed…”

He unfolded the sunglasses. Along the inside of the temple piece, etched in gold, it said: Welcome to the dark side. Love, Bella.

He traced his fingertip over her name, feeling the slight serration, sharp and bright. “Perfect. I love it.”

She let out a breath, as if she’d been nervous about his response. “I talked to the guy a little bit, about polarizing and half-silvering and polycrystalline diamond coating, and I was thinking… What if there were glasses to let people see etheric emanations?”

Fane slid on the shades. “If people could see tenebrae, they would freak out. Which would be bad since there’s little the tenebrae like more than a good freak-out.”

“But if people could see the demons, maybe they would know why sometimes the world seems so dark.” She looked down at her clasped hands. “Mirabel would have known she was being stalked, and maybe she would have been able to fight back.”

He pushed the shades to the top of his head. “Maybe you’re right. You should bring it up with the talyan. If ever there was a league willing to try something new, it’s them. They took me in. But let’s save that for the new year.”

She nodded. “My turn?”

He handed over the box, swallowing down the sudden acceleration of his heartbeat. “I hope you… Like you said, it was sort of last minute…”

She untangled the wide ribbon nearly obscuring the box and ran her fingertip over the velvety exterior. She angled a glance at him. “Cyril…”

His pulse shot back toward critical. “Open it.”

She flipped back the lid and gasped.

“It’s not a diamond or anything,” he said hurriedly.

“I wouldn’t be able to see a diamond.” She lifted the ring from the box. “This I can see.”

The ruby glimmered in the candlelight, dancing with its own inner flame. He took the ring from her and slipped it over the middle finger of her left hand.

Not the ring finger. Not yet. But close.

She held out her hand to admire the twinkle. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s a reminder. Every ruby has flaws in its heart. That’s how we know it’s real.”

Her lips quirked. “You’re saying I’m flawed.”

“And real. And I’m hoping you’ll forgive me—and love me—for being the same.”

She leaned forward to kiss him. “Demon and angel.”

“And to all a good night.” He kissed her back. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” she whispered.

And so it was.

abraxas:An angelic-possessed’s blessed weapon.

ahāzum:A gathering of djinn; forbidden since the First Battle.

ascendant:The rise of a demon within a possessed human; refers to the initial incident of possession and subsequent risings.

birnenston:Also, brimstone. A sulfuric compound leached from some demonic emanations interacting with the human realm.

desolator numinis: “Soul cleaver”; a demonic weapon.

djinni:djinn (pl.): Upper echelon of demonkind; fallen angels who are content to stay fallen.

djinn-man:A human possessed by a djinni.

ether:The elemental energy of spiritual and demonic emanations.

feralis:ferales (pl.): Lesser demonic emanation encased in a physical shell of mutated human-realm material. Physically strong, but not so impressive in the brains department.

heshuka: The unknown darkness; from Aramaic.

horde-tenebrae:Blanket term for lesser demonic emanations, including malice, ferales, and salambes. Also, tenebrae .

ichor:A physical by-product of demonic emanations not compatible with the human realm.

league:Isolated clusters of possessed fighters assigned to high-density human-population areas with the mission of reducing demonic activity.

malice:Incorporeal lesser emanation from the demon realm, typically small and animalistic in shape with protohuman intelligence.

mated-talyan bond:The synergistic combination of male and female possessed powers.

reven: The permanent visible epidermal mark left by an ascended demon.

salambe:Highly emanating demonic form from the same subspecies as malice.

solvo:A chemical version of the desolator numinis ; produces opiatelike effects in humans while splitting off the soul.

sphericanum:The realm of angels, separated from the human realm by the gates of heaven. Also used in reference to the ruling body of angelic powers.

symballein: A token, such as an engraved metal disk, that is broken into two pieces and used to establish identity when reunited; from Greek.

talya:talyan (pl.): 1. Sacrificial lamb; a young man (Aramaic). 2. A human, typically male, possessed by a repentant demon.

tenebrae:Blanket term for lesser demonic emanations, including malice, ferales, and salambes. Also, horde-tenebrae.

tenebraeternum:The demon realm, separated from the human realm by the Veil.

teshuva:A repentant demon seeking to return to a state of grace.

Veil:An etheric barrier between the human and demon realms and composed of captured souls.

My thanks to the marvelous author Delilah Marvelle for her priceless feedback. (To wit: “Schwing? Or no schwing?” Schwing, of course!)

Fervent thanks also to Mom (“This one seems a little more sacrilegious.” Which part?) and Sis (“The hero is wearing a skirt?” No! Shirt. Damn typos!) for fearlessly opening any email I send them.