Darkness Becomes Her by Lacey Savage

chain to Lillian, but the woman closed her hand over Heidi’s outstretched palm, folding her fingers over the trinket.
    “I knew Varin would recognize this and know what it meant. He was the only one who could get you out of there if things went bad. When bad turned to worse, Varin did for you what he couldn’t do for me. He released you.”
    “He didn’t know you were miserable,” Luke said. “He loved you.”
    Hearing the words sent a spear of jealousy to lance through Heidi’s heart. She struggled to push it aside, knowing whatever had been between Varin and Lillian was over centuries ago.
    “Maybe,” Lillian said. “But holding me prisoner in Hell wasn’t the way to prove it.”
    “He paid for his mistakes repeatedly since then. Isn’t that enough?”
    Lillian’s sad smile broadened. “Perhaps it is. For you. My duty is to destroy every demon who crosses into our world.”
    “Even redeemed demons?” Luke asked, his voice catching on the last word.
    “We’ll see,” Lillian said, turning away. “We’ll see.”
    Heidi watched her disappear into the trees. Sunlight streamed down through the vivid green foliage, glistening grotesquely off the crimson blood that stained the grass and seeped into the dew-moistened earth.
    Heidi turned away. She refused to wonder which of her friends had died that night because of her. It would be hard enough to live with the knowledge that she’d been responsible for two deaths. She didn’t think she could cope if she knew who’d been among the fallen.
    Luke dropped down from the altar. He held Heidi’s hand and waited until she was ready to join him. With one last glance at the spot where the portal had shimmered earlier that night, Heidi sank her toes into the pristine grass that bordered the altar. It had been protected from the battle by a sphere of defensive magic, which had guarded her inert body as she’d slipped into Hell.
    They left the clearing hand in hand, heading in the direction of the parking lot. The farther away from the clearing they got, the more Heidi’s tense muscles relaxed. She paused for a moment and drew a deep breath into her lungs. It smelled of fresh air and sexy male spice, with only a hint of coppery blood to spoil the heady miasma.
    “Baal’s keeping him alive,” Heidi said as they walked toward her red Acura.
    The car was parked at the far edge of the lot. To get to it, they had to stroll past half a dozen other vehicles, including one whose owner -- an elderly lady with snow-white hair -- gaped and crossed herself from the safety of her station wagon as they passed.
    “How do you know?”
    She touched the faint scar on her shoulder. It shimmered and churned, sending a rivulet of sultry agitation to coil into her stomach. “I can feel him. Baal intends to keep the promise he made.”
    “To kill you in front of Varin.” Luke tightened his grip on her hand. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
    “Nor me,” she assured him. “But it’s our only guarantee that Varin will be alive when we go back for him.”
    “You said Baal would send demons after us, and your friend seemed to confirm that. Think we can handle them on our own?”
    Heidi sighed. “With any luck, we won’t have to.”
    She clicked the latch of her trunk open, thankful she’d had the presence of mind to leave the doors unlocked. She’d been in such a hurry the night before that she’d only bothered to turn the key to the off position in the ignition before bolting for the clearing where the Summoners were preparing to open a portal to Luke and Varin.
    She pulled two blankets from among a stack of boxes that contained everything she owned. She’d emptied out her apartment earlier that week, knowing she probably wouldn’t be coming back.
    Unfolding one of the blankets, she shook it out and draped it over Luke’s shoulders, then pulled him to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, enveloping them both in the warmth of the blanket and his body