Chapter Eight

 

 

“What are you doing here?” Morgan asked, wary and skeptical. I couldn’t blame him. “And what are those?”

“Cupcakes with an antidote.”

“Oh? Then come right in!”

His false excitement left a sour feeling in my stomach. Would he and Merrick ever trust me again?

“How is Kandy?”

“As in love with me as she ever was.”

“That’s a nice perk, though.”

“Hmm. Right.” Was the door closing as ominous as it sounded? Did Morgan put a little extra effort behind it or was I just supposed to wonder about it?

He’s trying to intimidate you.

Max?

Yes.

Are you here?

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say, I was persuaded to come by and visit.”

“I’m so sorry.”

He smiled and brushed my words out of the air. “Don’t be.”

“My brother has done some soul searching since the two of you talked earlier.”

“He has? You have?”

“He has.”

That a voice I’d never heard before and I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to hear it again or if I wanted to hear it forever and ever amen.

In Kandy’s living room, lounging in the corner of her couch was a man dressed head to toe in black, and more beautiful than Morgan, Merrick, and Max combined. His skin was fair, yet not. His eyes were deep blue, yet not. His smile was blinding in his brilliant cruelness and when he stood to his feet, the three demons in the room bowed their heads.

“Do you know who I am?” he asked.

“Lucifer?”

“Yes. And you are the witch to whom Max is bound?”

“No. I wouldn’t say that.”

“But you are the witch who wishes to be bound to him.”

“I would say that, yes.”

“Even after he said he didn’t want the connection? Even after he said he didn’t like sweets?”

“You know all that?”

“Oh, my dear girl, I know everything.”

That didn’t bode well. “Yes, even after.”

“I admire your gumption and tenacity in trying to get his attention. Max, of the three of them, can be the most stubborn.”

“He has something he wants more.”

“Yes, he has said as much.”

I looked to Max. “I thought you said this kind of thing didn’t happen.”

“He didn’t call this little party together. His brothers did.”

“But why? If Max doesn’t want me, then there’s no use forcing him into anything.”

“I came because I wanted to see you myself. I wanted to meet the three witches who, by whatever design, have managed the impossible. Witches and demons do not usually mate. It is a very rare instance, and yet, there are now three in rather rapid succession.”

“We’re rare witches.”

“Indeed. You do not seem frightened of me. On the surface, at least. Beneath it, however, you are quaking.”

He was right. I was. My stomach was in knots that continued to tighten and unravel in such a way that made me queasy. “It’s not every day you meet up with… with someone such as you.” Even Baba Yaga didn’t measure up. I wonder how they would get along in the same room.

“Not well, dear. Not well. Baba Yaga and I are not on friendly terms,” he said, reading my thoughts. It was getting to be a bit much with multiple people able to get one up on me so often lately.

“So, it’s not just us. Good to know.”

Lucifer chuckled and the dark sound was at once erotic and terrifying.

“Erotic and terrifying. I like that. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it, but I do love it. I think it sums me up perfectly. Now, let’s talk business.”

“What is there to talk about?”

“You want Max and Max wants you.”

“No. He wants his job.”

“He wants both.”

“Why can’t he have it?”

“Like the saying ‘Have your cake and eat it, too’?”

“I guess. Did he design that glamour for you? Or is that how you look?”

“No. No, I look much different than this and yes, he designed it. It’s quite perfect, don’t you think?”

“Yes. He’s good at what he does. Why can’t he keep doing it?”

“Do you know that after a certain amount of time, the demons gain their humanity and cease to remember that they were demons once upon a time?”

“No.”

“They never told you, any of you, did they? They give up a lot when they give in.”

I turned to look at the demons, all three still down on one knee. “Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell us what would happen?”

“You three may answer her. You may rise, as well. Two of you no longer serve me and one of you wishes not to.”

“What do you get for them? Surely, you don’t simply give them up out of the kindness of your heart.”

“I don’t have a heart and what I get out of this is none of your concern.”

“Kandy had a hard enough time knowing I would lose my job when we honored the fact that we were mates. If I had told her that I would no longer be a demon after a certain amount of time, I didn’t think she’d take that well. She felt guilty as it was.”

“How long?”

“Six months to a year.”

I turned back to Lucifer. “When they are no longer demons, you said they wouldn’t remember?”

“Yes. They will believe they have always been humans.”

“Will they have magical ability?”

“Some, but they will not be as powerful as they still are now.”

“What about Morgan’s ability to take Kandy anywhere in the world.”

“No. That will go away as well.”

“She won’t like that,” I said softly.

“So, Max wouldn’t remember what he does, either, would he? What their family has done for however long they’ve been doing it?”

“No. And he is the best I have ever seen.”

There really seemed to be one answer, but would Lucifer go for it? “Is there a way for me to be his mate and for him to keep the family legacy alive?”

“An intriguing question.”

“No, Kyla.”

“I believe she’s talking to me and not you, Max. And I don’t think she’s asking for your permission. Let me think about her offer.”

“She hasn’t offered anything.”

“But she has.”

You are too impulsive, Kyla. You don’t know what you’re doing.

I know I am, and no I don’t, but it’s done.

Your sisters…

I know.

Why?

Because you’re my mate.

You don’t even know me.

That doesn’t matter. You’re my mate and I’m yours. Besides, he said you want me.

I would say he lies, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t have to lie.

“Interesting exchange the two of you are having and I will accept your offer, Kyla. We will arrange the details after you give your sister the antidote to the love potion.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and inhaled a breath of dread. What in the hell had I done? Literally. In Hell? “Thank you.”

I backed out of the room and ran straight into Kaydence. The stricken look on her face told me she’d heard everything and understood exactly what had transpired.

She didn’t say anything, but she took my hand and with solemn steps, we climbed the stairs to Kandy’s room. “How’s she doing?” I asked, just to keep my thoughts moving and to end the silence.

“She’s been doing well. But she’s been sleeping a lot. She really only rouses when Morgan is around.”

“Barry has been sleeping a lot, too. I didn’t know that would be a side effect of the potion.”

“Seems there’s been a lot of not knowing on all our parts about several things.”

“Seems so.”

“Do you know what you’ve done, Ky?” She kept her voice even, though I know she must’ve felt some level of panic. Panic hadn’t set in for me. Not yet. Would it sneak up on me? Or would it jump out from behind a corner and scare the bejeezus out of me?

“Yes. And no.”

“We may never see you again.”

“I know. But wouldn’t you have done the same for Merrick?”

“After I admitted I wanted him? Yes. Though I may have put up a bit more resistance.”

“And Kandy would’ve done the same for Morgan.”

Inside her room, we found Kandy curled in the blankets in the chair in the corner. Her face was turned toward the window and the late afternoon sun brightened her face and turned her blonde hair a brighter shade.

“I hate to disturb her. She looks peaceful.” But I knelt anyway and took her hand in mine. “Kandy? K…?”

Her eyes fluttered, then opened. “Kyla. I didn’t know you were coming over today. Have you seen Morgan?”

“Yes. He’s downstairs.”

“Oh, I so wish to see him.”

“You will. He’ll be up soon. I brought you a cupcake. I made it especially for you.”

“Is it like the one I had before?”

“Sort of. It’s a different flavor, but one I thought you might like.”

From the box I’d brought with me, I took one of the two cupcakes out and handed it over. They looked identical save for the small imprint of my finger in the frosting of the one I’d given Kandy. It was the only way I could tell them apart.

“It smells delicious.”

“It’s pumpkin marshmallow.”

“Oh yum.”

I waited, breath caught in my throat, as she took a bite. I hoped the antidote that Baba Yaga had given me would work. I glanced over my shoulder at Kay, who was perched on the edge of the bed.

“Oh my great Goddess, that is one good cupcake.”

I smiled at Kandy. “You like it, then?”

“I… Oh…” Kandy’s face paled and the glassiness that had taken over her eyes a few days ago, disappeared and her green eyes looked back at me, clear and bright. “What happened to me? Why do I feel so horrible?”

“Love potion,” I weakly admitted, though inside I was thrilled and doing a jig because it worked. Baba Yaga was true to her word and it worked.

“How did I get a love potion?”

“Long story, K. Look, I need to tell you something…”

“Did I do something bad?”

“What? No. Why would you think so?”

“I’m not sure. Just some fuzziness in my brain, like cotton candy. Things seem all sticky.”

“It’ll pass. I think it’s a side effect from the antidote.” Maybe. I hoped. “Everything is fine. You accidentally got hold of a… Crap. Here’s the deal… I created a love potion to get Max’s attention, but he didn’t take it. You did when he gave you the cupcakes I made for him. You thought you loved Max, but then Morgan gave you the last love potion cupcake and you loved him again. With me?” I didn’t wait to see if she’d caught up or not. I just plunged ahead because if I didn’t, Lucifer was going to have to drag me kicking and screaming from the room. “Even though you loved Morgan again, though you didn’t actually ever stop, you were still under the influence of the love potion and I didn’t have a way to help you and then Baba Yaga showed up and really, I was so glad to see her because I didn’t know what the feck to do. She gave me the antidote and here you are. Yourself again.”

“Wow. That was a lot.”

“Yes. But that’s not all of it.”

“It’s not?”

“Nope. And this part is where it gets tricky.”

“It wasn’t tricky before?”

“Not like this.”

Kay knelt on the floor beside me and I was grateful for her nearness, for her familiar scent of sugar cookies. I looked between the two people I loved more than any others and willed the tears forming in my eyes to wait before they fell.

Kay and I took Kandy’s hands in ours.

“You two are starting to scare me.”

I braved a smile. “I don’t mean to, but… Max is my mate, but there are things that… Well, he has a job, you see, and he…”

“Morgan and Merrick had jobs, too.”

“Yes, but Max’s job is different. Max’s job is about family legacy. I mean, really, who knew demons had family legacies, but apparently, they do. Max carries on his. He makes the glamours we see the demons clothed in.”

Kandy’s brow dipped and she made a curious face. “There’s a glamour maker? And it’s Max?”

“Yep. And he doesn’t want to give it up.”

“But he’s your mate.”

“I know. He still doesn’t want to give it up.”

“Is that why he was avoiding you?”

“Yes. It’s one of the reasons.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“Funny you should ask. I made a deal.”

“Okay.”

“With Max’s boss.”

“He has a boss?” It took a few seconds before Kandy’s mind caught up with her words. “Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Oh! Oh, you can’t go making deals with Him.”

“It’s already done.”

Kandy glared at Kaydence, then shoved herself out of the chair, knocking us over in the process. She whirled on me. “This is unacceptable. You are not making a deal with Lucifer.”

“It’s already done.”

“Then undo it.”

“That’s not how this works.”

“It will be. Where is he?” She was a whirlwind. She flipped her hands and snapped her fingers and nudged her boots with her toes. “Hell?”

“Um… No.”

“Then where is he?”

She was dressed in orange stripes trimmed in lace, her hair pulled back from her face, and she stood with sparking eyes with her hands on her hips. She looked like a superhero witch.

“He’s in your living room.”

“Fine.” She flung the bedroom door open and marched out.

Kay and I exchanged shocked looks, then scrambled up from the floor and caught up with Kandy on the stairs. “K… What are you doing?”

“I’m undoing what you’ve done,” she snapped at me.

“You can’t.”

“Watch me.”

“Ah! The witches three. You are all such a sight to behold.”

“Zip it, Luci.”

“Kandy!” Morgan hissed, reaching for her, but she shrugged him off.

“I’ll deal with you later. Letting my sister bargain with her life like that.”

“I didn’t let her.”

“You didn’t stop her. None of you did. And for what? Because Max wants to make suits for demons? I’ll deal with the lot of you.”

“What was in that antidote?” Kay muttered.

“I don’t know,” I muttered back.”

This was a Kandy I’d never seen, and I’d known her all my life. Sure, she’d been difficult with Morgan at first, but they’d been so happy and easy with each other once she accepted her mate was a demon. But this Kandy? This was new. And a little frightening. And way cool.

She turned back to Lucifer with a straight face. He, on the other hand, was grinning, though there was a flicker of wariness and anger in his eyes.

“Let my sister out of the bargain.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t going to happen. She made it. She pays the price for it.”

“Nope.”

“There’s nothing you can say that will change it. You have your mate. As does your other sister. Kyla’s mate refuses to give up his position with me and she made the only other choice possible.”

“You can’t have her.”

“I can. And I will.”

“For how long?”

“Time hadn’t really been decided on yet.”

“Six months.”

“That’s not your choice.”

“Kandy…”

“Ky, I’ve got this.”

But did she tho? I’m not so sure. Lucifer looked as though he wanted to chew her up and spit her out. “Kandy, please. I knew what I was doing. Let’s just let it play out.”

“No. I’m not letting him take you away for us to never see you again. You’re my sister. You’re part of me.”

I glanced at Morgan. “Do something,” I mouthed the words at him when he caught my eye, but the look in his told me he was already trying to do something. He was already working up a plan in his head. His brothers all had that same intenseness.

Max?

You three are trouble, do you know that?

How?

Because you won’t leave well enough alone. You could have just let me go.

But you don’t want that. He said so.

Fine. Yes. I want you. I want to be free of the guilt of letting generations of my family down so I can be your mate, so I can be with you, but not like this.

I don’t think there’s any other way. Oh, and I made you a cupcake.

I told you…

I know. But this is a special one. Behind my back, I flicked my fingers and the cupcake I’d left upstairs, settled into my palm. It was soon gone and over my shoulder, I saw it in Max’s hand. I smiled.

Not that this was the time to eat a cupcake, but maybe soon he would be able to try it.

“Take all of us.”

I turned and tuned back into the conversation at hand. “Wait. What did you just say?”

“I told him to take all of us.”

“No, K…”

“Yes, K.”

“Kaydence!” But she wouldn’t look at me. Instead, she simply shrugged. Had both my sisters lost their collective minds?

“Don’t we need Baba Yaga’s permission or something to do this? Or someone higher up than her?” I was grasping at the proverbial straw, but it was worth a shot.

“It’s your lives and unless you’re waging war on all the good witches and warlocks and magicals, then no. You don’t.”

“Well, damn…”

Lucifer chuckled low and deep and clapped his hands together. “So, all of you for six months. Is that the deal we’re making?”

“Max never loses his job and none of them lose their memories or powers.”

“You were going to lose your memories?” Kandy faced Morgan. “Memories of being a demon?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It didn’t seem important.”

Kandy flipped her hands in the air. “Of course it’s important. No wonder the world is in such chaos. You don’t tell anyone the whole story.”

“Hello! Demons!” Morgan snapped back.

“I don’t suppose I could get a say in this, could I?” Max asked.

“No.”

“Oh, Luci, stop.” Kandy flopped onto the couch, tugging Kay and I down with her. “Let him say something if he wants.”

Lucifer glared at my sister, but she didn’t seem fazed by it. Too be honest, she didn’t seem fazed by much of anything right then.

“I don’t want anyone to pay for the choice I made. It’s not fair to any of them.”

“Seems to me that the choice you made is the reason they’re doing what they’re doing. Honoring this mate thing is more important to them than one single choice you made to not.”

“Luci’s got a point, Max. My sister deserves the same happiness that Kay and I have found with Morgan and Merrick, and if this is the only way she gets that chance, then this is what we’re going to do.”

“How do we know he’ll keep his end of the bargain?” Kay asked.

“You don’t.”

“Not good enough. I want it in writing.”

“I don’t work like that and if you call me Luci one more time, I’ll show you the meaning of the word Hell.”

Kandy shrugged as though she didn’t believe him. Maybe she didn’t. I did, though. His eyes promised retribution. She seemed made of something invincible that she hadn’t been made of before, though, and I could only wish for as strong a spine as hers. Maybe it was chemically induced through the antidote, but whatever it was, it was amazing.

“You can’t take on all of Hell,” Max warned. He looked more and more uncertain and nervous as the conversation progressed. But he didn’t look as though he was willing to change his mind. That was fine. We could deal with a stubborn demon.

I’m not stubborn.

Sure are acting like it.

Because I want my life the way I want it?

Because you don’t see any other possibilities.

Is it just because I’m your mate that you’re doing this?

What other reason would there be?

I don’t know.

I gave him a smile and surprise, surprise, he smiled back. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.