Page 109 of Demons & Damnation

“How are you not quite human but not quite wolf?”

“We don’t have access to our full powers until we’re a mum. I can’t shift, I don’t have super speed, a better sense of smell or super strength either. I heal quickly, see better, and have enhanced hearing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Not quite human, not quite wolf.”

Kyla picked up her crisp sandwich and bit into it. As if that broke some kind of seal on the others, everyone reached for food and drink, filling their plates and cups in a comfortable silence.

“Surely then,” Kyla said, finishing her mouthful of crisp sandwich. “We just need to get you pregnant and then boom, you’re all wolfy, right?”

Sam gave Kyla a small smile. “Not quite that simple.”

“Why?”

“Right,” Malcolm said, clapping his hands together. “Sorry, Sam, but I think we have more pressing matters to discuss than your potential babies.”

Kyla raised an eyebrow and looked at her grandad. When he refused to meet her eye contact, she kept quiet, not wanting to press the matter any further. It was clearly a discussion for another day. Or perhaps for her and Dylan later on.

“Yes, of course,” Sam said, picking up her cup of tea. “Sorry, Malcolm.”

He nodded his head once and shared a brief look with Lily, a wordless exchange passing between the two.

“Azazel, Balthazar,” Lily said, turning her attention to them. “I think it’s time for you both to explain what happened just before Lucifer left yesterday.”

Azazel stared across at his brother, not wanting to take the lead on this one. Balthazar glared back at him, cursing him mentally for leaving him to pick up the short straw.

“You heard Lucifer speak about demi-souls,” Balthazar said, his voice quiet. “And obviously the spell I cast for our vacation this year.”

Malcolm narrowed his eyes at the demon, not needing reminding of his transgression.

Balthazar cleared his throat. “Once we recognise our demi-souls, we have to approach them with the truth and ask for their acceptance of our souls. We do this by presenting them with a red rose. They take the rose and are shown all of our...” he took a breath “...all of our wrongdoings. They can choose to accept us, warts and all, or they can reject us.”

“What happens if you’re rejected?” Dylan asked.

Balthazar hesitated for a second before he replied, “We die.”

Kyla’s jaw dropped. “What? Are you serious?”

Balthazar nodded. “In Lucifer’s eyes, if not even our other half wants us, then why would anything else want us?”

She let out a low whistle and shook her head. “That was a risky game you pulled doing that. You knew that though, when you cast the words? That you’d either have your demi-soul or die?” Turning to her gran and grandad, she asked, “Did this happen for you guys? Did you have to give Gran a red rose?”

Malcolm nodded. “Yes, I did. But your gran and I had a good foundation behind us before I even approached the subject. I was very lucky with my timings. Lucifer was otherwise engaged which meant he wasn’t really paying attention to me and what I was up to. If your gran had had the ritual sprung upon her within the first few weeks of meeting, well, I don’t think you’d exist, Marmalade.”

Lily rolled her eyes and tutted at him. “You don’t know that. Stop being so dramatic and trying to scare the poor girl.”

“I still remember the hesitance before you accepted,” Malcolm said. “It was the longest seven seconds of my life.”

Lily sighed. “Are you ever going to let those seven seconds go?”

Malcolm flashed her a toothy grin. “Never.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Kyla said, glancing over at Azazel. “Lucifer gave two red roses. One for you, and one for Balthazar, right?”

Azazel nodded.

“So that means Balthazar has met his?”

Sam coughed and tentatively raised her hand. “That would be me.”

Kyla widened her eyes as her best friend’s words rattled around her head. “What? How long have you known that?”

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