Sandy was dead. He wished he felt even a bit of sadness over that. He supposed he did. It wasn’t fair. She’d been nice, he knew that hadn’t all been an act from day one. But power had corrupted her swiftly and completely. He wasn’t able to save her. He hadn’t even realized she needed saving until it was too late.
He wanted to talk to Eden, to explain everything. To apologize.
There’d be time for that later. After all he’d been responsible for, maybe it was best if he just faded away into the distance.
Ben turned to leave and found Darrak standing behind him with his arms crossed.
“Did I have a chance to thank you so much for locking me in the office at sunset?” Darrak asked dryly. “Nearly destroyed me, but I’m thinking that might have been your goal.”
“I know you’ll never believe this,” Ben replied tightly, “but it made me realize I was wrong. About everything. I’ve changed. And I’m sorry.”
Darrak studied him carefully. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not just being funny right now.”
Ben shook his head. “I don’t think I could be funny if I tried.”
“I think you’re right about that.” Darrak blinked. “You’re still a member of the Malleus. You have the brand.”
He touched his arm. “I’ve decided to quit. I don’t care if that’s against the rules.”
“Smartest decision you’ve ever made.”
“I’m trying to make more of those.”
“Ditto. Back to the police force?”
“I don’t know yet.” He didn’t. He had no idea where his future would take him. All he knew was that he still had a future.
Darrak nodded. “So was this enough small talk between us to clear the air?”
“More than enough.”
Leena came to Ben’s side. He’d finally removed her cuff while they waited to find out how it all turned out, but she hadn’t left yet or shifted to her werepanther form.
She eyed the demon. “I can’t believe you knocked Eden up, gruesome.”
Darrak eyed her warily and crossed his arms. “Somehow I’m thinking today isn’t going to end up with us all in a big group hug.”
Leena grinned a little. “And here I didn’t think you were that smart.”
“I’ve missed you since you moved out, Leena.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, the apartment doesn’t have that pungent odor of kitty litter to it. And the furniture doesn’t get clawed up anymore.”
Ben expected her to snap back with another insult, but instead she laughed out loud. “I hear you’re half-angel now. Guess you keep that side hidden.”
“As much as inhumanly possible.”
“Take care of Eden,” she said very seriously. “I swear, if I hear you’re being a hellbeast, I’m going to kick your ass.”
“This seems to be a common refrain.” Darrak smiled. “But I honestly wouldn’t put it past you to follow through.”
“Some chaperone I was, anyway. You still got her pregnant.”
“Consider yourself fired. Now, if you’ll excuse me. Both of you.” He left them alone to join Eden, who was talking with her mother by Maksim’s bay window.
“So,” Leena said.
“So.”
“I’m sorry about Sandy.”
Ben shook his head. “Don’t be.”
“Do all your girlfriends end up dead?”
He looked at her sharply. “Nice.”
“It’s not a joke. It’s an important question I need the answer to.”
Ben shook his head. “You and me, it’s not going to happen.”
Leena glared at him. “As if. You’re not my type, Ken doll. I prefer men with more of an edge to them.”
He frowned at her. “I have edge. Lots of edge.”
“Besides . . .” She waved a hand. “I’m not sticking around this city. I hate the winter. I have big plans.”
“Like what?”
“Traveling. Seeing the country. Going overseas. A werepanther likes to roam, you know. She doesn’t like getting tied down to any one place.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her certainty. “Okay. Then what are you still doing here, werepanther?”
She ran a hand absently through her long black hair. “Well . . . I just wanted to check something first.”
“What’s that?”
Leena grabbed his shirt, pulled him closer, and kissed him hard on his mouth. It only took him a second before he was returning the kiss with an equal amount of passion as his body, heart, and soul all reacted to her. He was breathless when she finally broke off the kiss.
She bit her bottom lip. “Well, that’s unfortunate.”
Ben found his voice enough to say, “What is?”
She shrugged before giving him a slow, sexy smile. “Looks like you
are
my type after all. Who knew?”
“I have edge.” He grinned before it started to fade. “However, I have no job, no money, and no prospects.”
She laughed and slid her arms around his waist. “
Now
you’re more like the kind of guy I usually date. See? That’s much better than Mr. Shiny-Perfect. Besides, I don’t need your money.”
“No?”
Leena shook her head. “That locker key Eden’s holding on to for me? I have a little bit of sparkle locked up in there. Enough to keep us very comfortable for a few years at the least. You interested?”
He eyed her skeptically. “Is this a treasure obtained through legal means?”
She cocked her head. “Sorry, no. But trust me, nobody will miss it and nobody got hurt.”
He scratched his chin as a smile spread across his face. “Then I think I just might be okay with that.”
Leena smiled and grabbed his shirt to pull him closer for another kiss.
She was a werepanther as well as a beautiful but dangerous woman with a shady past. This was a bit different for an ex-cop and ex-Malleus member. But, as he gave himself completely to her kiss, Ben realized that different was more than okay with him.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Eight months later
“She’s absolutely adorable. And I don’t see any horns at all!”
Andy had shut down the office for the day so he could come to the hospital. He gazed down at his goddaughter.
“No horns,” Eden agreed. Her daughter felt right in her arms. Perfect, actually. And she’d already checked several times. No horns. Or talons. Just ten fingers, ten toes—a beautiful, healthy baby girl.
“Have you decided on a name yet?” Andy asked, glancing at Darrak, who stood by Eden’s bedside amidst a colorful backdrop of bouquets of flowers sent by well-wishers.
“We’re having a bit of trouble agreeing on something,” he admitted. “So we’re open to suggestion.”
Andy was thoughtful for a moment. “Rhonda’s what I call my Porsche. You’re welcome to use that. It’s a very strong name.”
“We’ll add it to the list. Eden wanted Destiny or Hope or Faith, but . . .” He cringed. “I’m just not feeling it.”
That their biggest problem at the moment was what to name their daughter was a very good thing. The last eight months had been virtually without incident other than the chance to get to know each other better.
They got married a couple of months ago in a small ceremony at city hall. Andy attended as their witness and best man. Stanley and Nancy had tied the knot right before them, choosing not to wait for a larger, more complicated and costly ceremony. They were each other’s guests of honor.
After everything they’d been through, Eden couldn’t believe it had all worked out so well.
Not that their lives were full of bliss 24/7. She and Darrak were opposites in so many ways and always would be. They argued and debated over practically everything from where to live, what to eat, and of course, what to name the baby.
But it didn’t matter. Their love for each other still seemed to get bigger with every day that passed. Darrak didn’t have to literally possess her for their bond to be stronger than ever before.
Half-demon and half-angel—the man she loved. The father of her beautiful daughter, which he still insisted was impossible.
But just because something was impossible, didn’t mean it still couldn’t happen. Eden had seen more than enough to know that was the absolute truth.
She’d been a black witch on the very cusp of losing her soul to the darkness forever, but she’d recovered. Being an uncloaked nephilim helped when it came to doing private investigation. She could channel her psychic ability better than before. She wasn’t all-knowing and all-seeing, but it was an edge that worked to her benefit.
Every little bit helped.
Andy left ten minutes later, leaving an armful of flowers behind that they put next to the bouquet sent by Leena and Ben—with a card that said they were currently exploring Italy as part of their world travels.
“I still can’t get over how beautiful she is,” Eden said.
“Of course she’s beautiful. She looks just like her mom.”
She grinned. “She has your eyes.”
“And your hair.”
The baby had ice blue eyes and bright red hair—more like bright red fuzz, anyway.
“Your mother called when you were talking with Andy earlier,” Darrak told her.
“Yeah? And what did she have to say?”
“She’s coming to visit next week to see her granddaughter.”
Eden nodded. She’d made her peace with her mother. Caroline was still a bit neglectful, a bit selfish, but she was still her mother. Even when she’d done stupid things, Eden knew they were to try to help her. For Caroline to try to be a good person. To redeem herself and one day get the chance to go to Heaven.
They’d 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 slowly. “So . . . how is he?”
“He doesn’t go into detail about his health and happiness. All he says is ‘Congratulations.’”
Lucas hadn’t been seen or heard from since he absorbed her black magic and disappeared. Eden knew she was supposed to be afraid of him—he was Lucifer, the Prince of Hell, after all. He was the being responsible for controlling the darkness that threatened the human world. Threatened everything.