Page 15 of Creature's Vengeance
“The shadows call to you,” Lucifer observed, stroking the light stubble grazing his jaw. “They surround you and Drake. They feel called to service you.”
Service? If this was like some weird kink, I wanted no part of it.
“The shadows don’t want to fuck you,” he laughed, “although that’s intriguing.” He smirked. “They want to serve you. Be led by you. They desire your leadership to punish the wicked.”
Shit. That caught my attention. “Punish the wicked?”
He knew he snared me now. His red eyes changed color to gray and glinted like diamonds. “Oh, yes. You will have the shadows, Drake, and a companion if you choose to accept him.”
“What kind of companion?”
“A spiritual entity. He longs to bond with Drake.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because they are similar. Dark. Twisted. Ruthless.” He shrugged. “Exceptional hunters.”
Okay.
“If you accept this companion, he will help find the last of the men involved with your mother’s murder.”
I froze.
“Yes. I meant it. The entity will help you.”
Fuck. How could I say no to that?
“Will it change me?”
“Not physically. Drake will enter your conscious mind and share it often. The separation will be less. You’ll be closer but also stronger, more attuned to the gifts he possesses.”
“Gifts?”
“Your companion has special abilities. I won’t spoil the surprise.”
Of course not. That would be too easy and transparent for the devil.
He grinned. “You understand. How delightful.”
Not really.
The devil flicked his wrist, snapping a thick piece of parchment in front of my face. It rolled downward from his fingertips, revealing skull and bone-themed nail décor. It hit the ground before curling at the end in front of my boots. Goldenparticles floated above the bloodred ink. A wax seal matched the color in the shape of a ghostly skull.
“What do I have to do? What’s the bargain?”
“You hunt for me. Bring in the bounties I need. The souls of the wicked.”
Uh, okay.
“Like the murderer who shot your mother and Mateo Ruiz, who beat an innocent woman.”
Fuck. He sure knew how to sell himself.
“How will I know which souls are the ones to hunt?”
“That’s why you receive the companion. He’ll guide Drake.”
That made sense. “And his abilities?”
