never be super close and that was okay, but she was going to be a hell of a great and generous grandmother. Even though the new body she was currently “renting” was yet another lingerie model/aspiring actress.
At least she was consistent.
Eden and Darrak had moved out of the apartment and into a house not too far away from the office. She’d sensed that the neighborhood was right for them. It was a neighborhood full of Others—including a few fairies living in the human world, a couple of werewolves (who liked their privacy), and a white witch who enjoyed gardening at midnight under the stars.
They made the perfect neighbors for a nephilim and her angel-demon husband.
Speaking of werewolves, Andy didn’t turn into a hellhound after that first full moon. Lucas hadn’t changed him permanently. It was one thing to deal with a very large friendly dog one night every month, and another thing altogether to deal with a very large hellhound with an urge to explore the Netherworld.
Darrak shook his head. “So many names to choose from, I’m sure we can find something we both like. How about Bella?”
“Definitely not.”
“Buffy.”
“No.”
“Um . . . how about Crimson? That’s kind of cool. It’s the color of her hair. Or blood.”
“Darrak. No.”
“Elvira?”
“Now you’re just trying to be funny.”
“Well, it’s better than Hope. I mean, gag.”
She grinned and slid her right hand up his arm. “You can take the demon out of Hell . . .”
Darrak waved her off. “Mocking me isn’t nice, you know. I could go back if I wanted to. The whole ‘You’ll be destroyed the moment you enter the Netherworld with all that shiny goodness inside of you’ was probably just to try to scare me off.”
“You’re looking for a vacation spot down there?”
“It would be nice to have the option.”
“What about the other place?” She thrust her thumb heavenward.
Darrak glanced up at the ceiling. “The fifth floor?”
“You could jump sides completely, you know. Be a guardian ang—”
He covered her mouth. “Do not finish that sentence.”
Eden pulled his hand away. “Fine, be that way. Just know that my father has plans for me up there someday. That someday will probably be a very long time from now, but it will happen eventually. And I can solemnly promise you one very important thing, Darrak . . .”
He raised an eyebrow. “And what’s that?”
“I’m taking you with me.”
He cringed. “Are you sure that’s a promise? Sounds more like a threat.”
She laughed. “I think you’d kick ass at playing the harp. It’s just a hunch.”
“I’ve always been musically inclined.” He slid his fingers through her hair. She’d let it go back to its original color—bright red. It was beautiful, actually. She wasn’t really sure why she’d always insisted on covering it under the darker auburn color.
No, that wasn’t exactly true. She knew. She’d been hiding what she really was. Now she didn’t hide. She was proud of what she was, who she was with, what she’d accomplished. And for the first time in her life, the future stretched before her, and she was excited at what was yet to come.
That was definitely progress.
“If there’s one person in the universe I’d be willing to sit on a fluffy cloud for, Eden, it’s definitely you.” Darrak stroked his daughter’s head. “Actually, make that two of you now.”
She shook her head. “Just look at us. We’re . . . a family.”
“I know. I’m looking forward to telling her how her mom and dad met.”
“We’ll take out the scary bits.”
“Nah. I think she’ll enjoy those parts best of all.”
Eden looked at him skeptically. “You don’t really want to name her Elvira, do you?”
His brows drew together, his expression turning pensive. “I’m not sold on it. What about Morticia like from the Addams Family? No, wait . . . Maleficent! That’s perfect. She was the evil queen in Snow White.”
She sighed. “Not in a million years.”
“Mal for short. I’m loving this.”
There was a knock at the door and a nurse entered carrying a large bouquet of pink roses. “Mr. and Mrs. Riley? Where should I put these?”
The room was already full of flowers and balloons and stuffed animals, but Darrak cleared a spot on the table next to Eden’s hospital bed. “Right here’s perfect.”
The nurse left them, and Darrak grabbed the small card attached and read it.
“Who are they from?” Eden asked.
He looked at her bleakly. “Take a wild guess.”
They could be from anyone, but the expression on his face told her all she needed to know. She nodded