a claim for the throne, I’d almost be happy he took the attention off of me.”
Pandora jumps off the counter, shifting into her shadow form, and looks at the herbs. She’s good with potions and is helping me come up with something new. The more potions I have, the better, because we have no idea what we could be dealing with in the upcoming months.
“I still can’t believe I met the devil,” Kristy says and reaches for the tequila. “He looked so…so human.”
“Oddly enough, he acts the most human,” I say, getting the Vesta powder down as Pandora suggested. “Maybe it’s because he actually spends time with them—well, their souls—in Hell. The other angels aren’t very interactive when it comes to humanity.”
“Julian is quite awkward,” Nicole laughs. “I think it’s cute, though.”
“It is, and he’s getting a little better. The more time he spends with me, the more he picks up on all things human. Watching TV helps, depending on the show.”
“Do you have any Devil’s Shoestring?” Naomi asks.
“I should. Not much.” I grab the jar from the cabinet and give it to her. “Will this do?”
“Yes, I only need one small piece.” She unscrews the lid of the jar and takes one two-inch twig out.
“Abby is going to try to sneak me into the ER and get me in for an ultrasound tomorrow,” I tell everyone as I mix more herbs into a bowl, following Pandora’s instructions.
“I expect pictures,” Nicole says.
“And I expect a video of the heartbeat.” Kristy smiles. “And I know you’ve already settled on Elena for the name, but Elena Kristina King sounds wonderful.”
“It has too many ahs in it,” Nicole shoots back. “Elena Nicole sounds much better.”
“That actually does sound nice,” Kristy laughs.
“Are you really going with Elena?” Naomi asks.
“I’m pretty sure. Lucas suggested it, and I really like it. It’s different but not like weird different. And as for the middle name, I have no idea. I wish I knew my mom’s middle name. I have her first name, so it would be neat to give my daughter her middle name.”
“That would be.” Naomi holds her hand over her potion, heating the bowl with magic. “Are you nervous for the ultrasound? You have no idea what to expect when it comes to you.”
“I am a little nervous, though if it’s just Abby in the room, it’ll be fine. I won’t have to worry about altering her memory or anything. What if anatomically, I’m not right on the inside?”
“You are on the outside, so I’d think everything is in place.” Kristy waves her hand up and down my body. “And if not, like you said, you have Abby there to tell you and make sure no one else finds out.”
“Yeah, good points.”
“When tomorrow?” Kristy asks.
“Sunset so Lucas can come.”
“I bet he’s excited.”
“He is,” I say with a smile. “And I am, too.” We go back to drinking and potion making, taking me back to our days at the Academy together. It’s nice to hang out with my friends, and though we’re prepping for demon attacks, we try and keep the conversation light.
I didn’t know how much I needed that until they leave. I walk them to the front door and then go back into the kitchen to finish off the rest of the virgin margarita. Lucas is in there, looking at the potions we made.
“You look happy,” he says, setting down a banishing potion.
“I am. It was nice to hang out with the girls.”
“I’m glad, and it looks like you got a lot accomplished.”
“We did. Most of these are protective potions, but I did have everything I needed for some more truth potion. If the demon is possessing a human whose body is still alive, it might work. I do not think it’ll work on a demon in a dead body, but it won’t hurt to try.”
“That’s a really good idea. We could finally get answers without wasting the time to torture.”
“Right? And Pandora came up with it, so I can’t take credit.” I pick up a bottle and look at the amber-colored liquid. She added a couple extra things that made it almost tasteless, too. It can be a little strong, and if you mix a few drops in someone’s drink, they might think something is wrong with their drink and not finish it.
“It seems like a good thing to have on hand.”
“Oh, for sure. I need to do a better job keeping my witchy cabinets stocked, too. I should have these potions ready