the drama? Like I said, I can take you both. Think of it: no need to conform to Big Boss’s edicts on church dogma, a deluxe suite in the most luxurious circle with a terrific view of the rings of fire, being able to fuck each other… Oops, that sounded crass. My apologies. The ability to make love morning, noon and night. All you have to do is renounce the light and serve me. Nothing major: just the occasional outings to inspire mayhem, tempt a few goody-goodies, start a few wars.”
Marc pivoted, turning away as he grabbed Riona by the wrist, pulling her with him. “Never!”
But Riona drew herself back and faced Satan again. “No, just me. I won’t be part of a package deal. Take it or leave it.”
She held her hand out, ready to shake on it.
Lucifer eyed it with distrust. “I’m not willing to wait for you. If you’re offering your soul, I want the body that comes with it to be done away with immediately. I want you on the next flight out.”
Riona’s eyes flashed to the doors of her closet, and soon, her body followed. How many times over the years had she almost given away that stupid family relic that her deadbeat dad left to her mother? She knew it was worth a pretty penny, but she had never wanted to benefit at all from something that love-and-leave-jerk had given. When she reemerged with the silver dagger’s handle wrapped in a cotton cloth in her hand, she at least took some comfort that the odd gift would benefit Marc.
“I was told the tip is poisoned,” she answered to both Lucifer’s and Marc’s curiosity-filled gazes. “In any case, it’s sharp, and it’s long, and I’ll plunge it in my heart the moment you agree to take my soul in his place.”
Lucifer took the blade for proper scrutiny. He turned it over at the level of his eyes, taking in each minute detail. “My, my, my… Where did you get this?”
“It was my father’s,” Riona replied through gritted teeth. “He’s probably one of your guests. Knocked up my mom, then took off and got himself killed, so I damned well hope you have him slow-roasting on a spit.”
Lucifer’s laugh unnerved her. “Sorry, love. No, he’s not one of my guests, but yes, we’ve met. Well, looks like someone’s got a few high branches in her family tree, hmm? Which just makes this all the sweeter. Deal, I’ll take your soul in place of Marc’s, and you’ll properly dispatch yourself upon execution. I’ll even throw in a little pain-dulling charm as a signing bonus. Now, per forma, there’re three ways to seal the agreement: Sex.”
“Absolutely not,” Riona retorted, her eyes ablaze.
“Two, by contract, which I’m more than willing to do…”
“No doubt you got plenty of lawyers at your disposal,” Marc uttered under his breath.
“Oh, yes, I have a whole collection. But, that takes a few days, so I suggest we go with method three.”
The witch’s eyebrow arched.
Lucifer took Riona’s dagger-bearing hand and scrapped the tip of the blade over the inside of his palm. “A consignment of blood.” He saw her staring, terror-stricken at the dribble of blood that glistened, black, thick and putrid. “Oh, they weren’t lying, love. There’s a poison on this blade, all right. But no cause for alarm; it’s been in my blood for centuries.”
He switched the dagger’s blade and offered it and his bloody right hand. “Let’s get a move on then, yes?”
Looking once more to Marc, trying to tell him with her eyes what she was feeling in her heart, she took a deep long breath, her face falling to the floor. Behind Lucifer, the doorway filled with two bodies, beaten, bloody, and battered.
“Riona?” Ramiel queried when he saw the scene before him.
She was too ashamed to meet his gaze. “Marc’s safe. All we have to do is seal it with blood.”
Jerry, still in Dee’s body, gnashed his teeth. He looked as though he was going to hit something and smash it into dust, using Dee’s superhuman muscles to decimate it. Yet, he stood, unmoving, every muscle taut.
“Angel of Hope, is that you?” Lucifer asked as he too noticed the lurking pair. With a sly sneer, he chuckled and pointed a luxuriously long finger at the celestial being. “Ramiel, you old dog. I always considered you an upfront-and-on-the-table sort of guy. Things have changed, huh? You’ve been holding back quite a bit of information from this one. No wonder her destiny