I found Malcolm at the food court, and he glared at me. Ignoring his displeasure, I snatched the boarding passes out of his hand, spun around, and beelined for the nearest boarding gate. After a short but sweet discussion with the airport employee, she promised to transfer the tickets to a pair of needy travelers on the devil’s dime.
While I felt bad about subjecting them to the funk of rotting corpses, I wanted to enjoy a flight without battling nausea the entire time.
Malcolm crossed his arms, posing to make every last one of his muscles bulge. “Why did you do that?”
After I got him on the plane, I’d have to recommend he be tested for testosterone poisoning. “We have a charter flight, and we’re leaving now. March, Malcolm. I’ve been promised an undead-free trip, and so help me, if you interfere, I will kill you.”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay. Lead the way.”
Amazing. Miracles could happen. I checked the charter package for our gate information and pointed Malcolm in the appropriate direction.
When we arrived but before I had a chance to pull out our boarding passes, the stewardess smiled and intercepted us. “Please follow me, Miss Mephistopheles, Mr. Stewart. As soon as you’re settled, we’ll be ready for takeoff.”
I followed her, and Malcolm tailed me, muttering curses low enough I doubted he meant for me to hear them. Between his disgruntlement over his plans being thwarted and my escape from the stench of undeath, I liked the way my day was turning out.
A few hours without worrying about corpses seemed like heaven to me.
Unfortunately, hell waited on board, and the Lord of Lies lounged in a leather armchair at a table for four, and judging from the place settings, he meant for me to cozy up with Malcolm on the other side of the table. “Damn it, Satin!”
“Fancy meeting you here, Kanika. What a surprise. Dinner will be served as soon as we reach altitude. Sit, children. Make yourselves comfortable.”
Malcolm laughed, patted my shoulder, and gave me a push towards the table. “You should have insisted on a devil-free flight.”
“You’re right. I should have.” Accepting the inevitable, I sat across from the Lord of Hell, hoping to mitigate some of his influence on Malcolm. “I’m going to make this clear now. This fulfills my requirement to have dinner with you for the next year.”
“Very well, cupcake, but only this once.”
I considered the concession my victory and made myself as comfortable as I could with both the devil and Malcolm watching me. “What do you want?”
“I thought it wise to accompany you to prevent any incidents. You have enemies now, cupcake, and they aren’t all of my making. You’re not used to attention of this caliber, so it falls to me to make sure you live long enough to learn the ropes. Of course, the wise ones want you alive as leverage against me. I’ll be impressing upon certain individuals that attacking my heir will endanger their lives—and compromise their souls. I’ll enjoy tormenting any naughty beings I catch who believe they can get away with hurting you. It’ll keep me from getting bored. I do hate being bored.”
Malcolm sat beside me, leaned over, and whispered, “Under no circumstances should Satan be allowed to become bored.”
“Thank you, Sir Obvious. When he’s bored, he bothers me.”
The devil ignored our murmuring, although he grinned, making it perfectly clear he’d heard us. “I have information for you, Mr. Stewart, and I wish to strike a bargain for it.”
Sucking in a breath, I glanced at Malcolm, who shot me a glare. “For the record, this is entirely your fault,” he muttered.
It probably was. I winced. “I’m sorry.”
Malcolm nudged my foot with his before turning his glare to the devil. “All right, Mephistopheles. What do you want?”
“It’s a two-part bargain.” The Lord of Lies pulled out a thin, long box and set it on the table. “The information I have deals with your clan’s recent activities. You’ll find it useful. In exchange, I’ll require you to wear this.”
Within the box, ‘this’ proved to be a bracelet the match for mine, and I tensed. “I won’t allow it.”
“Don’t worry, cupcake. I don’t have any designs on your Stewart. I won’t be wearing the master bracelet. You will be.”
I’d be wearing it? I lifted my hand to stare at the one I wore, then I graced Malcolm with my sweetest smile. “I’ve changed my mind. Please, continue.”
Malcolm scowled, and Satin laughed. “I thought you’d like that. It seemed fair.”
I waved away the devil’s complaint. “I get it next week.”
“This will resolve the issue your Stewart has been attempting to counter without your knowledge. It’s rather sweet. He’s so awkward. Of course, the curse is hampering his ability to handle the situation like a normal adult, but intent matters. He’s made more headway against the curse’s nature than most. So, this will require him to willingly submit to you, and you’ll have to willingly accept his submission and submit to him as well. It’ll be easiest on you, as you’ve already agreed of your own volition to wear the bracelet.”
I frowned. “What issue?”
“Mephistopheles, is it really necessary to go into the details?” Malcolm asked in a strained voice.
“Yes, it is. I’m assuming the original set was sold without declaration of some of the more nefarious consequences, so it’s mandatory my little cupcake knows exactly what she’s gone and gotten herself into.”
One day, I really would kill the devil, and I’d list his absurd nickname for me as the top reason. “I already know he could kill me if he tried to forcefully use his magic, and that I would begin sensing his emotions.”
“That’s better than I expected, to be honest. The problem is this. The bracelets forge a connection between the master and servant bracelets. The sensing of emotions is the first sign the bond is taking hold. That bond can be quite difficult to break, dependent on the nature of the relationship between the wearers.” The Lord of Lies picked up the pair of bracelets, holding them up and looking them over. “Your nature would ensure a bond on your end, and Stewarts like yours have an unfortunate tendency to obsess over their chosen female. Your Stewart is rather peculiar, as you are not the first female to catch his attention.”
“Caitlin,” I snarled.
“Yes. I do hope she made herself a sandwich. It’d be a pity if she ended up in the hospital. I intend on sending incubi in need of a reward her way, especially ones who are ready to have children. A few children might settle her down a bit—and ruin her plans of clan domination.”
Malcolm grimaced. “And the worst part is, she wouldn’t even say no to a fling with an incubus or three.”
“Three?” I squeaked.
“She’d take as many as she could get her hands on. That’s her nature.” Malcolm shrugged. “Had I realized that was her nature earlier, I would’ve avoided her altogether.”
“It’s part curse, part nature for him, cupcake. You’ll find your Stewart will be loyal to a fault. It’s a birth defect, I’m certain of it. I’d never deliberately design a being with morals the match of a stuffy angel.”
I took the high road and decided against reminding the devil he actually liked angels, especially his brothers. “So, how does this work? What happens if we’re both wearing master bracelets?” The plane’s jets rumbled to life, and I tensed at the vibrations. “What’s the point of suppressing each other at the same time?”
“You wear them with the bonds open, silly girl.” Satin tilted his head back and laughed. “Buckle up, children. I’m a bit more durable than you two are. It’s always wise to take precautions.”
I buckled in just in case the devil wasn’t screwing with us. The liftoff happened without incident, and the Lord of Lies laughed at my relieved sigh. “You’re such a jerk, Lucy.”
“I am. Now, Mr. Stewart, do you agree to my terms?”
Malcolm shook his head. “Not until I hear the rest of your bargain. I’ll decide then.”
“Take note, Kanika. Had he agreed now, he’d be bound to both parts of our bargain. Always find out the entirety of the deal before you agree to anything.”
“Noted.” I nudged Malcolm’s foot with mine. “How’d you know that, anyway?”
“I’ve bargained with devils and demons before. It’s not unusual to run into both types in the business world. The bargains in business are strictly material wealth, however—no risk of souls. It’s taboo to involve spiritual matters in base business dealings. The last time a devil tried it, he was run out of the industry completely; no one would do business or bargain with him. He had to go to Europe. I probably won’t even be alive when the embargo on that idiot’s lifted.”
Huh. Later, I’d have to ask how often he dealt with the forces of hell, and if he had any ideas on how to mitigate my devil problem. “Okay. What’s the second part of the bargain, then?”
Malcolm jabbed me with his foot, and I twisted mine and stepped on his toes with my heel. We engaged in a short but fierce battle beneath the table, which he won by virtue of having bigger feet. I wrinkled my nose, as he held my feet hostage with this shoes, careful not to put too much weight on my toes.
The devil arched a brow at us, turning to Malcolm. “I’ll give you all the information I have on the Stewart clan; this will include developing situations and current news, history, and interesting rumors that might have substance. I’ll also make it clear if the information is reliable or not when I give it to you. In exchange, you’ll vow to withhold from entering into any bargains with another clan.”
“Define clan,” Malcolm ordered.
“Anyone other than me and my chosen negotiator. For the purpose of this agreement, this means you can only bargain with me or Kanika. I may, at my choosing, decide when she will negotiate on my behalf. Furthermore, I ban any transference of your soul in any form. By entering this agreement, you’ll agree that I have overriding ownership of your soul. I’ll swear you’ll retain full will and freedom, and that upon your physical death, your soul will be accounted for per the actions of your uncursed life; all actions of your cursed life will be cleansed. In short, should you not regain ownership of your soul prior to your death, your soul shall be declared suitable for admittance into the heavens.”
On the surface, it was a good deal for Malcolm, and I could see him thinking about it, his eyes narrowed and his expression thoughtful. “How will I know when I’m uncursed?”
No matter what, I wouldn’t flinch at the question—or the meaning behind it. The instant he was uncursed, I knew what Malcolm would want. He’d want to find—or make—that perfect family for the house he’d built despite knowing he might never get what his heart desired.
My role in his life would be long over at that point, no matter what bargains we made, how I involved myself with the Stewart family affairs, and how much I loathed the barriers that would continue to divide us. I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t say a word, and I waited.
“As part of this agreement, the time you learn of your uncursing will be decided by me, and it will only become valid when I notify you in the presence of an angel.”
Malcolm scowled. “And if I should die before notification?”
“Your soul will be cleansed, and you may enter the heavens should you choose.”
“How does this benefit you?” His scowl eased to a more thoughtful frown. “Too much of this benefits me.”
“Until your death, your soul belongs to me and is tallied in my book. In the eyes of the heavens and its angels, you’re my servant. The condition of your soul’s purification and free will will allow you to potentially serve as a negotiator between the heavens and my hells. This would grant you a rather high position in my army.”
I clenched my teeth until my jaw ached before growling, “Don’t—”
“Kanika, it’s my soul.” Malcolm relaxed into his chair, although he still kept my feet pinned with his. “How would this change my status within my clan?”
“It doesn’t, not unless you choose to change your status.”
“What is that supposed to mean? How might my status change?”
The devil laughed. “You’d become the head of your clan; your rank within my armies would give you a more devilish nature, which would mean you would outrank any other Stewart male, living or dead. Despite the addition of a few devilish perks, I would continue to safeguard your soul and protect it from lasting harm. Still, it’d behoove you to maintain some balance on your own. It’ll make the cleansing of your soul easier on you upon your death.”
Malcolm fell quiet, and while we waited for him to speak, the stewardess brought covered dishes, revealing plates of salad garnished with grilled fish. Deep down, I wanted to tell Malcolm no, to reconsider his considering, but I kept quiet.
He was right. It was his soul, and I couldn’t make the decision for him.
“No undeath,” Malcolm stated when the stewardess left.
“Upon your death, your soul will be shepherded properly. You won’t be turned.”
I sighed and picked at my salad, nibbling on a piece of tomato, staring at my plate so I wouldn’t glare at the devil. If I discovered Satin played the bargain wrong, that Malcolm’s soul was at risk, I had one card I could play, one I bet the devil desired.
It would ruin me for the rest of eternity. I could exchange my soul for Malcolm’s. My scales wouldn’t balance, not with how I’d led my life, but it would be a small price to pay. I already had a one-way trip to the hells booked. If I could make the price of passage worthwhile, I could live with that.
I’d already made myself into the devil’s heir, poised to lose everything. Would Malcolm realize the truth? It wasn’t his soul they bargained for, but for mine.
“Indeed,” the Lord of Lies murmured, his expression pleased. “How clever. You’ll keep that thought to yourself.”
I grumbled curses and stabbed at my salad, pushing it around my plate rather than eating it. “Fine.”
Malcolm considered me, his lips curving into a smile. “So there is a trick.”
“Indeed, there is. I am the devil, after all. The Lord of Lies. The Betrayer. The Trickster. Can you figure out the secret of my bargain, Malcolm Findlay Stewart? And if you do, what do you plan to do about it?”
“There are several possibilities,” Malcolm admitted.
“There usually are, but one’s more important than the rest,” the devil conceded.
No kidding. I sighed.
“If I agree until my death, you could prolong my life until you’re satisfied—potentially indefinitely.”
“I’m rather fond of that option.”
I hadn’t even considered it; an extended lifespan didn’t seem like a bad deal to me, although it would prolong my suffering when it came to the devil.
“You could decide against notifying me my curse had been broken.”
Satin pouted. “That’s not fair. You weren’t supposed to figure that one out yet.”
I added another tally to the list of things I hadn’t figured out, although once again, I couldn’t see any bad points about it. If Satin refused to notify Malcolm the curse had been broken, Malcolm’s soul would be safe. No matter what he did in his life, his soul would be cleansed.
It seemed like too good of a deal to me, and I couldn’t figure out what the disadvantage was.
Malcolm released my feet, and I peeked under the table to discover he was stretching out to make himself more comfortable. “If my soul belongs to you, and I’m wearing a master bracelet, you might manipulate me into doing something to Kanika, to which I say no.”
“At no time will I force or manipulate you into cutting off Kanika’s magic. I fully intend on cultivating you as a channel for her talents, but when you give her your power it will be by your choice. I may ask it of you, but it’ll be your choice.”
“You could lock me in stasis until the end of days.”
The devil snorted. “I could, but you’re more useful to me conscious.”
“What am I missing?” Malcolm picked up his fork, and like me, he prodded at his salad rather than eating it. “There’s something else.”
“Take your time.” Satin smiled, smug and satisfied.
It occurred to me Malcolm had come close to the truth, but he hadn’t taken the thought far enough. I supposed it made sense. To him, his soul held the most value. It made sense he wouldn’t worry for mine.
“Don’t underestimate him,” the devil whispered in my ear. “You don’t know his thoughts or his heart.”
Satin’s lips didn’t move, nor did Malcolm seem to hear the devil’s words, so I kept my mouth shut and waited.
For several minutes, Malcolm tortured his salad and shredded his fish. “I have a condition.”
“Speak.”
“My soul can’t be bargained for, used as an incentive for any purpose, or held hostage for another’s.”
“Must you ruin all my fun?”
Malcolm glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “Yes. I won’t let you use me to hurt her.”
Huh. Turned out the devil was right. I set my fork down, leaned back in my chair, and wondered at that.
“Hurting her would defeat my purpose.”
“That leads to another problem. I could end up in the heavens, and she’d be trapped in hell with you for all eternity. That’s unacceptable.”
“You know, strangely enough, I do have the ability to ensure the final destinations of two souls, in this life and the next—and the next, and the next, and the next, for however long I see fit. That, however, would cost you.”
I twitched. “Malcolm, it’s worth pointing out two archangels have confirmed my soul is at no risk from Satin Blabbermouth Liar McSmarty Pants.”
“You’re ruining my fun, too,” the devil complained.
“Then you shouldn’t be trying to bargain away my soul to someone else,” I hissed.
“No bargaining my soul to someone else, either.”
“But what if I want to sell your soul to Kanika? My little cupcake doesn’t have any extra souls yet. You could be her first.”
“Not at the price of hers.”
Satin pouted. “How unfair. Very well. I accept your condition. I won’t use your soul to secure Kanika’s.”
“You won’t use it, period.”
“Absolutely no fun!”
“That’s my condition.”
“I accept. Bargain made?”
“Bargain made,” Malcolm agreed.
“Mark my words, little boy. You’re going to live a long time because of this, and I’ll enjoy tormenting you until the end of days.”
I sighed, expecting nothing else from the Lord of Lies, the most wicked being known to man—or any species with any intellect at all.