Seth and the others the complete truth, I admit that, but I told her everything. Delia wanted this. She chose it.”
Of all the things he could have told me, this was about the last thing I expected. I shook my head. “You’re telling me she chose to be possessed by a demon?”
“Yes.” He tapped the table with an index finger. “That’s what I’m telling you.”
“She chose this?” I just couldn’t believe it.
He looked out the window again. “The problem is Delipitore was not honest with me.”
“Oh, the demon lied to you. Color me shocked.”
“She needs to kill Seth and Levi to finish the ritual.” He met my eyes again, his face stone. “And me.”
“Let me get this straight. She had sex with all five of you during the ritual. Now she has to kill all of you in order to finish the ritual. What does that mean?”
“That will mean that no one will be able to banish her, exorcise her, whatever you want to call it. If she kills the rest of us, the only way to get rid of her will mean killing her, physically, and that will be damned near impossible.”
If someone could have seen my aura at that moment I felt pretty sure it would have been a furious neon red. “You are one arrogant son of a bitch, Blake.”
That brought the smirk back. He started to say something but I cut him off.
“You make a mockery of those boys’ religion. You all but pat me on the head because you think I might be Wiccan. You show off with a few cheap parlor tricks, mock me because you don’t think I’m on the same level as you. I may not have your experience. I haven’t picked out some cheesy name to call myself when I’m alone in a dark room. I may not know physics, but damn it even I know you never summon something you can’t banish .”
He stood in a flurry, slinging his backpack on one shoulder as he grabbed the check and crumpled it in his hand, then stalked to the register. I went out to the parking lot and leaned against my car door to wait for him. His sudden temper seemed to have cooled by the time he joined me.
Blake stood next to me, uncomfortably close, one hand on the roof of my car as he leaned over me. “She lied to me. It’s not the first time a woman’s lied to me.” He tilted his head. “Haven’t you ever been lied to by a lover, Roxanne?”
Cold night air sent a chill through me, making me shiver. He noticed and stepped closer.
I put a little distance between us. “See, the thing is, if you don’t date Satan’s minions, the lies don’t amount to life and death.” I pointed at his chest. “You should make a note of that.”
“Right.” He smiled, the right corner of his mouth going up higher than the left, turning his smile into a smirk. “Note to self. Don’t date Satan’s minions.”
“Do you know how to banish her?” Really hoping he did.
He sighed, and I took that for bad news. “No, I don’t, but I’m working on it.” Then he said something I should have been expecting at this point, but it caught me by surprise. “I want to hire you.”
I answered with an ugly burst of laughter. “You think I’d work for you? Seriously?”
“I know Seth hired you, to do exactly the same thing I want you to do. And I know you’re protecting him, which I also want. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is Seth is a kid who got in over his head. You knew better. Blake, you’re the bad guy here.” I dug my keys out of my pocket and tried, unsuccessfully, to push him away from the driver’s door.
“I can help you figure out how to banish Delipitore, and you can’t let her kill me because that’ll put her one step closer to permanent residence on this plane.”
I didn’t want to hear either one of those things, because they were both true. I walked around to the passenger side. I could open that door and crawl across the seat since he didn’t want to get out of my way.
“Oh, come on, Roxanne. You know you need the money.”
I snapped my head up to glare at him
Of all the things he could have told me, this was about the last thing I expected. I shook my head. “You’re telling me she chose to be possessed by a demon?”
“Yes.” He tapped the table with an index finger. “That’s what I’m telling you.”
“She chose this?” I just couldn’t believe it.
He looked out the window again. “The problem is Delipitore was not honest with me.”
“Oh, the demon lied to you. Color me shocked.”
“She needs to kill Seth and Levi to finish the ritual.” He met my eyes again, his face stone. “And me.”
“Let me get this straight. She had sex with all five of you during the ritual. Now she has to kill all of you in order to finish the ritual. What does that mean?”
“That will mean that no one will be able to banish her, exorcise her, whatever you want to call it. If she kills the rest of us, the only way to get rid of her will mean killing her, physically, and that will be damned near impossible.”
If someone could have seen my aura at that moment I felt pretty sure it would have been a furious neon red. “You are one arrogant son of a bitch, Blake.”
That brought the smirk back. He started to say something but I cut him off.
“You make a mockery of those boys’ religion. You all but pat me on the head because you think I might be Wiccan. You show off with a few cheap parlor tricks, mock me because you don’t think I’m on the same level as you. I may not have your experience. I haven’t picked out some cheesy name to call myself when I’m alone in a dark room. I may not know physics, but damn it even I know you never summon something you can’t banish .”
He stood in a flurry, slinging his backpack on one shoulder as he grabbed the check and crumpled it in his hand, then stalked to the register. I went out to the parking lot and leaned against my car door to wait for him. His sudden temper seemed to have cooled by the time he joined me.
Blake stood next to me, uncomfortably close, one hand on the roof of my car as he leaned over me. “She lied to me. It’s not the first time a woman’s lied to me.” He tilted his head. “Haven’t you ever been lied to by a lover, Roxanne?”
Cold night air sent a chill through me, making me shiver. He noticed and stepped closer.
I put a little distance between us. “See, the thing is, if you don’t date Satan’s minions, the lies don’t amount to life and death.” I pointed at his chest. “You should make a note of that.”
“Right.” He smiled, the right corner of his mouth going up higher than the left, turning his smile into a smirk. “Note to self. Don’t date Satan’s minions.”
“Do you know how to banish her?” Really hoping he did.
He sighed, and I took that for bad news. “No, I don’t, but I’m working on it.” Then he said something I should have been expecting at this point, but it caught me by surprise. “I want to hire you.”
I answered with an ugly burst of laughter. “You think I’d work for you? Seriously?”
“I know Seth hired you, to do exactly the same thing I want you to do. And I know you’re protecting him, which I also want. What’s the difference?”
“The difference is Seth is a kid who got in over his head. You knew better. Blake, you’re the bad guy here.” I dug my keys out of my pocket and tried, unsuccessfully, to push him away from the driver’s door.
“I can help you figure out how to banish Delipitore, and you can’t let her kill me because that’ll put her one step closer to permanent residence on this plane.”
I didn’t want to hear either one of those things, because they were both true. I walked around to the passenger side. I could open that door and crawl across the seat since he didn’t want to get out of my way.
“Oh, come on, Roxanne. You know you need the money.”
I snapped my head up to glare at him
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