Page 5 of Burn for the Devil

“Your moods, Ramone. My moods. We’re fucked. That damn wine was cursed,” Ilya spit out. “I’ve run diagnostic testing.” While Ilya specialized in software writing, he also fancied himself an investigator.

My jaw tightened and then twitched as anger prickled over me while I stared at the demon sitting in front of me.

“What are you saying?” I asked when I was able to speak. What he was suggesting was that we were under the control of another entity. Nothing and no one would tell me what to do—I was already under enough restrictions and wouldn’t allow for any other restraints.

A snapping sound echoed across the room. Ilya’s crystal tumbler displayed a deep crack tracing from the base to the lip. Blood from the palm of his hand trickled between his fingers, mingling with the leaking alcohol. He sat there, allowing the mixture to drip against his thigh. I noted the lack of panic for the immaculate charcoal gray suit he was wearing. It often seemed nothing scared the man more than to mar his appearance, and here he was, ruining his clothes.

“While we were busy fighting and chasing after a dream, someone was working against us.” His eyes glowed red when he noticed the broken cup. “Guilt. We’ll be no better than the lesserdemons if this continues,” he snarled. “Humans are supposed to be merely toys.”

My head buzzed. Blankly, I watched the man stand up and deposit the cracked glass on a tray. He then took a handful of tissues, attempting to clean himself up.

“Matthew knows everything, as much as I do.” Ilya’s mention of the archangel irritated me. It was his own damn fault the divine creature knew anything to begin with. “The curse appears to work in accord with the small matter of a magic source having to choose their mate rather than the other party choosing the source.”

“Kiara switched back and forth between the two of us,” I remarked. “Matthew has yet to darken the doors of my office.”

Ilya scoffed. “I doubt he will.” He then smirked. “She chose me in the end.”

“She’d still be here if she truly had,” I shot back.

He waved his hand at me, dismissing my words. Ilya was the one who’d made a deal with Matthew to manipulate time and send Kiara back to before she’d cursed herself to forget all of us, planting himself front and center for her to choose. The result was Kiara rememberingagain, and the angel gaining east coast territory. It was never a good idea to manipulate history.

There was also the small matter of my little darling slicing her boyfriend’s face from brow to chin, marring the model-like features he wielded like a weapon, after setting his bedroom on fire. She’d left after that, willing her own heart to stop and moving to another plane far out of reach of beings such as us. It filled me with a perverse pleasure, seeing her handiwork on his flesh.

“I don’t know what to do about that,” he said, deep in thought.

As if he had any power over it. “Move on. I have.”

Well, mostly I’d moved on. My gaze wandered to the bouquet at the corner of my desk. Sweeping my arm across the surface, the vase fell into the waste basket with a loud thud. “If you figure anything out, let me know.”

Ilya huffed. “If your bloodsucker best friend gives you the diary or anything else, let me know. I’m certain the disgusting creature will be contacting you with his findings.”

My gaze snapped to his. It was odd Alastair hadn’t mentioned these developments to me, but vampires had their own way of life that operated on the outskirts of my own. He was my friend, but he rarely showed up at our parties.

The demon stood up again, rubbing his pant leg. “Glad I have an excellent laundry service.” He tossed me a withering glance. “Someone should’ve destroyed that damn diary.”

“Why didn’t he?” I asked. I was thankful he hadn’t; I wanted to see it for myself.

Placing a hand on the doorknob, he glanced at me. “His wife objected. We would’ve never have known had Alastair had his way.”

The door shut and I was alone with my thoughts. Was it guilt that caused me to let Kiara go? I’d had deep, strong feelings for her. I was unable to love her the way she deserved and desired, although I’d tried. The love I’d had for my wife Samara had seemed all-consuming, and I would’ve slaughtered babies to keep her safe, had I been present. It was just what couples did for each other in the Second Realm. What I’d felt for Kiara was not that type of love. It was likely I wouldn’t have lied to her as much as I did, if it had been. Neither relationship matched what I felt for Samantha. No, this feeling was entirely new.

Ilya, on the other hand, just may have loved the little flame-girl. I hadn’t spoken to him about it much. I’d uncharacteristically agreed I would take my leave and I then allowed him to exact vengeance, sending me into a sort ofpurgatory state, a soul coma. She’d been promised to him before birth, he’d reminded me. I’d seemed to have forgotten that minor detail in my pursuit and if he’d attempted to remind me, I wouldn’t have listened anyway. Plus, I’d been following my father’s orders.

Events over the past thirty years, since Kiara’s birth, had changed everything and there was nothing I could do about it.

Staring out my office window, I watched cars sitting at traffic lights, the dots of red and green flickering on and off in the darkness. They were merely ants, and I held the magnifying glass. There was no reason they should dictate my actions or the direction my life took. Humans were our playthings, as Ilya had said.

I swiped my suit jacket from the hanger in the closet and closed my office. My executive assistant, Violet, stood up as I pounded down the hallway, pushing away from the front desk. I flicked my wrist, forcing her back down in her seat without touching her. “Stay,” I ordered her. She was the most annoying type of witch—tricky, untrustworthy, and she knew too much. I kept her close where I could watch her easily.

My driver opened the car door, and I slid inside, tapping out a text to my dear friend, Alastair. He should’ve let me know; he should have been the one to deliver the news instead of Ilya. What did he think he would have to gain by withholding such pivotal information? Ilya had a point, if the diary had been destroyed, we would’ve been at even more of a disadvantage.

5

Ramone

The brick facade cleverly hid what was behind closed doors. The club was primarily promoted via word of mouth, turning a blind and well paid-off eye to the many things not accepted by normal society. Hence, it was the perfect place for someone such as myself.

The doors opened and I stepped inside, my arrival anticipated. The energy in the establishment was dark and electric, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation skimming along my skin. It wasn’t my bar in the Second Realm, but it sufficed.

---