That Old Black Magic - By Michelle Rowen Page 0,41
But for a black witch who could level this city, you’re a hell of a softie.”
Her eyebrows raised. “You really think I could level this city?”
“Maybe just the downtown core. Use the CN Tower as a big-ass cigarette and the Rogers Centre like an ashtray. It would be epic.”
Eden got to her feet and held a hand out to him. “Let’s go.”
“Cigarette and ashtray time?”
She shook her head. “See Maksim the wizard time. What happened before with you—it scared the hell out of me.”
His expression wasn’t filled with humor anymore. “Why didn’t you tell me, Eden?”
Her chest felt tight. “This isn’t a good place to discuss this.”
“Damn it, Eden, talk to me.”
She swallowed hard and felt tears burn her eyes. “I was going to tell you.”
“When was that? Before or after I found myself torn into two separate but equally annoying beings of light and dark?”
“We need to see Maksim. It can’t wait till tomorrow, not if you’re feeling like this. Whatever I did earlier triggered something bad.”
Darrak slowly got to his feet, using the security desk to help him up. “How long have you known?”
He was angry with her. She couldn’t very well say she didn’t deserve it. “Two weeks.”
He actually laughed at that, but it sounded bitter and unpleasant. “Two whole weeks? And you figured this out all by yourself?”
Might as well get it all on the table now. “No. Actually, Lucas told me.”
“Oh, this is terrific. Just terrific.” He swore darkly under his breath. “You should have told me, Eden. I should have known it wasn’t just an acorn. The sky is literally falling.”
A spark of anger fought against her guilt. “Why? So you could overreact like this? We’ll figure out what I did to screw you up this morning, Darrak, but this isn’t the end of the world. So you’re part angel. So what?”
Eden went to reach for him, but he shrugged away from her.
“Not the end of the world,” he repeated. “No, to you this is probably great news. I’m not a scum-sucking, bottom-dwelling demon anymore. I’ve been given a little additional sparkle at the edges like a fancy doily. But it doesn’t work that way, Eden. I can’t be both demon and angel. It’s impossible on too many levels to count.”
Eden raked a hand through her hair and paced back a few feet before turning around to face him again. She understood his anger. She’d been wrong to keep this from him for so long. “You can be both. That you’re standing . . . err, leaning . . . right in front of me right now proves that.”
“You just don’t get it, do you? This will destroy me. That—what happened before? It was only a taste test of the pain to come. I’m headed directly for the Void like this, Eden. But, hey, look at the bright side. At least you’ll be rid of me forever.”
She just gaped at him.
“Excuse me,” the security guard piped up from behind them. “You were looking for someone, weren’t you? Something to do with a sweepstakes? What was that name again?”
“Forget it,” Darrak said, his lips twisting into a humorless smile. “Looks like the party’s canceled. Permanently.”
Eden drove immediately to Maksim’s mansion and knocked on the door until her knuckles hurt. The butler finally answered to tell her he wasn’t home. He hadn’t been seen since their meeting with him yesterday, and the butler didn’t know when he’d be back.
“Tell him Eden Riley needs to speak with him as soon as possible,” she said, trying to control the sharp edge of panic in her voice.
So much for wizard intervention.
Darrak had waited in the car. He hadn’t said a word since leaving the office building. She thought for a time he was just being sullen, but then she realized he was dealing with the tearing pain inside of him.
He needed to be comfortable and her apartment was the first place that came to mind. He didn’t resist when she helped him into her bedroom and into bed.
She’d worry about failing Lucas’s task later.
“Tell me what you need,” she asked, stroking the dark hair back from his forehead.
“I need you to cut the angel parts out of me. Stat.”
“Can’t happen.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “Then just leave me to die.”
“Don’t be so damn melodramatic, Darrak. This isn’t that bad.”
His eyes snapped open. “You know, your bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired.”
Eden’s heart twisted to see him in this much pain, but she refused to believe this was