Cast In Blood: Revelations Series Book 1: by Christine Sutton, Lisa Lane, Jaime Johnesee

cage, Demas sat sullenly, his large body almost touching the bars all around him. He moved what looked like an inch, his hoof touching the side of the cage, and a bright electric bolt shot out causing him to convulse and scream out in pain. With every convulsion, his gelatinous skin connected with the metal bars, sending even more volts through his body. Lucy waved her hand again and the television went dark.
    "How long will he be trapped in there?"
    "For eternity, of course. I can tell you that he really hates you, so it's probably best he stay trapped forever."
    "Makes sense." Lenny shrugged.
    "Well, let's get down to business then, shall we? I am offering you a position as a freelancer for Hell. You will be contacted when jobs arise that require your special skillset. I will provide you with an apartment of your own and a company car. You will also get a monthly retainer, as well as payment for each job. How does that sound?"
    "It sounds great, honestly. I do have some questions, though," she said, feeling more comfortable.
    "All right." Lucifer leaned back and laced her fingers together.
    "Can I say no to a job?"
    "You can, but it probably would not be a good idea," Lucifer raised an eyebrow, letting Lenny know she was not pleased at the prospect of being refused. "Lenny, I know your soul and I would never ask you to do anything that would compromise your morals. I do not need your soul sullied by foul deeds."
    "Okay, that sounds fair. Do I have to give my soul away or anything? Am I going to get my own cage here when I die?"
    Lucifer laughed again, but this time it made Lenny feel embarrassed and a little silly.
    "I do not want your soul, my dear. Not that there is anything wrong with your soul. It just doesn't work that way. I don't really make deals like the devils in the movies. The way it works is, if you are a good person and try your best not to be genuinely evil, you get a one-way trip upstairs. If you are a rotten, evil monster that turns your back on Heaven, you come to me. Simple as that."
    "That sounds pretty fair to me. The last thing is, Polly told me that you would give me some information about my real parents."
    "Ah, yes, I have it all right here." She waved the paper from her desk as she spoke.
    "You have a file on me?"
    "Well, a paper at least." Lucy began reading. "Your father was a man named Luther. He was a pure blood shape-shifter born in the year 1865. He worked for a railroad baron named McCarthy as an enforcer and took a liking to McCarthy's daughter, Helena. Of course, McCarthy didn't want his only daughter consorting with the help, much less help that he considered a monster. So Luther did what everyone does when they love someone they can't have: He found a way."
    "Wait, you said 1865? That would make him like one hundred and twenty-four-years-old when I was born."
    "Yes. Shifters live very long lives. You have a lot of years to look forward to, my dear."
    "Great." She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, go on."
    "Well, it seems McCarthy had made a deal himself. He had found a demon willing to help him out with his desire to be rich. In return, the demon wanted to go straight and live a normal life. That life included being the wife of a rich railroad tycoon. She became his ideal spouse and they were actually very happy together. Their daughter, Helena, never knew she was half demon."
    "Whoa, wait. I'm part demon, too?"
    "There's more, Lenny. Do you want me to go on?"
    "Might as well. It can't get any weirder," she said, fearing she might be wrong.
    "Luther decided he could not live without Helena. As was the case with many people during those years, Helena fell ill with tuberculosis. Luther was beside himself with grief at the thought of her death. He called out, issuing a plea to anyone or anything that could or would help him. What answered was a ghula by the name of Amanarit. She took over the weakened, infected body of Helena. In the following years, she murdered Helena's father and mother and ran