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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Please visit adriannamorgan.com for more on the Hell Bent and Bound Series!

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 – Give 'em Hell

Chapter 2 – A Demon, a Dog and a Priest

Chapter 3 – No Rest for the Wicked

Chapter 4 – Santeria and Sangrias

Chapter 5 – A Sage Mage

Chapter 6 – Double Trouble

Chapter 7 – Devil Went Down to...Miami?

Chapter 8 – Hell in a Handbasket

Chapter 9 – Return of the Beast

Chapter 10 – Hell Hath No Fury

Prologue

Sometimes I really hated the devil. I sat on the bed with my legs crossed delicately and waited for the morons holding me captive to bring me something to eat. The room itself was not bad; besides the bed, it also held a bucket I assumed was for me to handle personal business, although I didn't think I would use it. No mirror, no vanity. But then again I was being held prisoner. So I guess that meant no amenities.

There was a single window in the basement or backroom or...wherever I was and I could hear the sounds of the Miami nightlife. Cars sped by and I wondered briefly if we were close to a freeway. Although, to be honest, it did not matter. Thankfully, I was alone for the moment. It would have been easy to break out of here if I had my powers, but these bastards had given me alcohol, lots of it. And right now, I could barely think straight, much less break out. The most I could probably do was send a small spell or two for help. And wait. And hope that my father answered.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around my shivering body. These assholes were trying to make me as uncomfortable as they possibly could and right now that meant turning the air conditioner to full blast and freezing my ass off. I could see my breath in the air and I shivered again. What kind of idiots would keep a woman locked up without any food or even water? I wasn't really hungry, but I figured eating would give me something to do until I was rescued or until my father burned them to a crisp. Or at least until he convinced them to let me go.

Here I was, normally so independent, now relying on my father to help me. I closed my eyes and chanted a simple spell, hoping that my captives did not ward the room. I watched, dismayed, when my spell bounced back. I remembered the days when wards weren't so well known. Now you can find almost anything on the internet. Trust me. I checked.

There were some wards that were well known, but I knew spells that could get around those and do what I needed them to do. But right now, I could feel the electrically charged energy around me that let me know someone knew something about warding, but perhaps not enough. I muttered another spell, a more complicated one using the old language and watched it find a crack and slip through in a sizzle of red energy. Now all I had to do was sit back and wait. Daddy would be along shortly, even if I did run away from home.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Helena. Helena Black. And no, you cannot call me Hel. Trust me, I know Hel and that girl needs a serious makeover. I mean drab black hair? In this century? She could definitely do better. But she is Hel, so I guess she should look like it. No pun intended. Actually, yeah, it was intended.

Back to me. If you haven't figured it out yet, my father's the devil. No, really. The actual devil. Lucifer. Satan. Son of Perdition. Yadda, yadda. To me, he is just dad. Of course when he's on earth he doesn't go by 'the devil'; his name is Lucas Black which can lead some to confuse him with Death. But if you saw his flaming red hair and the black eyes, you would know that Death was not staring you in the face. It was something much worse. Besides, everyone knew Death is a woman.

He's not as bad as you would think, but he's like every other father, constantly in my hair. He wants to know where I'm going when I leave home and who I'm dating. The last time I told him about the demon I was in love with, I think he had the poor soul thrown into the pits at Tartarus. Needless to say, I didn't get any more dates for a long time after that.

I know what you're thinking. The book never mentions a daughter. I mean really. Who wrote that book? Yeah, exactly. Do you really believe they would make Satan seem like a nice guy? It's okay though. He's still my father. I wonder if they really knew what he was like or if they just listened to rumors. Tales from angels who were too young to even know him.

And people change, you know, well...demons can change too. He got older, realized that maybe, just maybe, trying to start a rebellion to overthrow your maker wasn't the best idea. I really think the other guy understood. He could have destroyed my father but instead give him job basically running the mailroom.

He really has a job. And it's not all fun and games. Yeah, he has to lead souls into temptation, but like every job, it gets tiring sometimes. Unfortunately, he can't quit. He's kinda stuck. We all are. And when I say 'we' I mean the rest of the Black family.

Let me enlighten you a bit about my family. My mother is Lilith. I won't be surprised if you've never heard of her, but she would be pissed. She likes to remind everyone that she was Adam's first wife and even after she was removed from the Garden, she never officially got a divorce. So, Adam had committed polygamy. I roll my eyes every time she tells this story.

Her version is that Adam wanted some other chick because he wanted her to cook and clean and bear children. And if you've ever had the displeasure of meeting my mother, you would know instantly that cook and clean was not a part of her repertoire. After the fall, she was the first human sent to Hell and I guess she and my father just hit it off. She does a damn good job though of being the devil's wife. She acts like the wife of a politician and is just as underhanded. But I love her. Even if she is a heartless scheming bitch.

My brother managed to escape this lovely life by convincing dad to have recruiting trips. So fucking smart. Dad sends him all over the world to recruit. It's harder than you think to get new arrivals. In order to go to Hell, you've got to believe in Hell. If you don't believe, you don't go. And different religions have different versions of Hell and Heaven and they go there. So, every couple of years to keep up our numbers, my brother pretends to be a televangelist or something and starts recruiting. That's where he is right now. In LA. I think he's doing well on this trip.

Through Luc, I learned about the topside and the different places and things to do on Earth. That gave me the idea to run away. The first time I tried it though, I got it wrong and ended up in Alaska. I lasted about two days before I had to call my dad. Luc found it extremely funny, but my parents were pissed. I don't think they ever really expected me to do it again. Which made it easier when I did. This time I landed in Miami. Lasted for one month before I let these morons capture me. And once again, I had to call my dad.

So, if he is so cool why did I run away? Simple. I am a grown ass demon who has never been on her own because of an overbearing dad and a mom who really doesn't have a maternal mentality. So, whatever my dad says goes, regardless if it makes sense or not. And half of the time, it really doesn't make any sense. But there is no arguing with my dad. He knows everything. Guess he didn't change there.

I cocked an ear as I heard what sounded like screeches and bats outta...well, Hell. I smiled. He was coming after all.

~*~

Chapter 1 – Give 'em Hell

The smell was all wrong. I wrinkled my nose. It wasn't supposed to smell like this. It was supposed to smell fresh. The stale air that stole into my nostrils was not a far cry from the sulfur laden air of my own home. How was I supposed to enjoy running away, if it smelled like home? An old man in a dirty T-shirt stared at me drunkenly. His eyes were red as he continued to stare and scratch his head in confusion. I guess it would be odd to see a woman suddenly appear in an alley dressed in my white Lilly Pulitzer dress and red Jimmy Choo heels.

It wasn't like I was trying to end up here. I thought about Miami and ended up in crap town. I had to transport quickly because I didn't want my dad to know...or follow. Technically, I could have used one of the portals but then my dad would have an idea of where to look for me. Luc had told me that Miami was the place to go. Similar to LA, the weather was just right for a girl like me, but unlike LA, dad wouldn't be monitoring the area. And with all the Voodoo, Santoria and Yaruba practitioners jumbling up the magic trails, it would take a while for dad to realize that I was there even if I had to use my powers.

With a little magic and a lot of luck, I had managed to keep the small travel case, which contained all my clothes and shoes, closed. I had to do as much as possible before I left, because too much use of heavy magic would be sure catch my dad's attention. The case shimmered and I could feel the magic slipping away. I needed to find someplace to relax and let the spell wear off. I really couldn't risk doing too much so soon, so the conjuring I would have to do to rework this spell would definitely ping in Hell.

I looked around at the box-like buildings that surrounded me and clutched my purse. I wasn't afraid, trust me. Growing up in Hell, there were few things that scared me, but I could feel the magic surrounding my purse starting to shimmer as well. I glared at the drunk, allowing my eyes to glow red in the dark alley and he stumbled off.

Ambling over to his bench, I placed my travel case on the chipped paint covering the slats of wood and opened my purse. The little dog inside stirred and I held my breath as he went back to sleep. I sighed. Good. I did not want Orthus to wake up now. It was bad enough that I had run away from home, but I had also stolen one of my dad's hellhounds.

Orthus snorted and rolled over in the confines of the purse. To look at him, you wouldn't see hellhound, but he was enchanted. I made him look like a popular dog here in Miami, a Chihuahua. It had taken a lot of magic to squeeze his six feet into six inches. His paws rested under his chin and I knew he would be pissed if he saw himself now.

He was quite prideful of the foot long claws that graced his body as well as the back spikes and the foot long fangs. Not to mention his two heads. Now, he sported one little head with a spiked collar and his fangs were shrunken to little nubs. He would never hurt me, I knew, but he might wreak havoc on the city in revenge. A pissed off hellhound was no joke.

I noted the lack of trees and the miles; it seemed, of gray after gray after gray. It was all really very dull. If this was all Miami had to offer, I was casting a spell to get my ass to LA. This was crap. I walked along the dirty street, watching cars whiz by and raised my hand to signal a passing cab. I needed to get to a hotel.

The driver barely looked at me before revving his engine and zooming by. I muttered under my breath and smiled in satisfaction as I heard the crash of metal against wood. The driver staggered from the yellow cab now wrapped around a utility pole. He rubbed his head and turned in confusion as he searched for the alligator I had placed in his path. He pulled a slim phone from his pocket and pushed a few buttons before angrily shouting at someone in Spanish.

I walked away with my head held a bit higher. Don't mess with the daughter of the devil. I felt a bit vindicated, but I still needed a place to stay. Near a Laundromat, a few guys leaned on a car. It had a long wide body and the tires seemed far too big for it. Music blared out of the speakers. The first guy, a tall Hispanic, gave me the once over. I narrowed my eyes at him and he smirked at me before sauntering over.

"Mami, you look lost."

I gazed back at him. "Not lost, just looking for a hotel."

He snickered as the other young men joined him. "I got someplace you could rest your pretty little head," he said with a laugh as one of the guys slapped him on the back.

"Yeah," another one piped up, sporting a darker tan. "And I got someplace you could rest your body, too."

I rolled my eyes and they walked around me, circling me like a pack of wolves. I sent out a small energy pulse and watched as they flinched at the scalding air with surrounded me. It was enough of a warning. They walked away slowly, heading back to the car. I focused the energy pulse at the car and watched as the tires slowly melted, then smiled and waggled my fingers as they rushed to the car, a few casting furtive glances in my direction. I feigned innocence and walked away again.

An ad on a billboard caught my eye and I smiled at the picture of the phone held in the young woman's hands, as she boasted about being the nation's fastest. With a snap of my fingers and a few mumbled words, I held an exact replica of the phone the woman had in her hands. I repeated a knowledge spell and allowed the information about the phone to pour into my brain. In seconds, I had turned on the phone's GPS and WiFi and used the internet to locate a hotel. On Miami Beach.

I used a second knowledge spell to translate the Spanish mumblings I could hear from the group. I smiled as I made out the word "bitch". I could sense they were scared. The first guy wanted to come after me because he was convinced that I had something to do with the tires, but the others rightly warned him to stay away. Something about Santeria and Olorishas. I knew what they meant of course and I smiled at him when he looked back at me. Still smiling, I winked at him and snapped my fingers, watching his eyes widen and his mouth drop as I disappeared.

*

The hotel smelled like freedom. It had a welcoming scent that I had come to associate as being far different than home. I walked into the wide lobby, my travel case clutched in one hand and my purse with Orthus hanging from my shoulder. High ceilings adorned with gold filigree and bright white walls greeted me. Swaths of colorful material hung from the ceiling, draping the room. The ocean breeze blew against the curtains and my skin and I shivered.

It was damn cold. The hum of the air conditioner sputtered and stopped as I muttered and casually waved a hand. I smiled. Much better. My heels clicked on the floor as I made my way to the clerk who smiled brightly at me.

"Checking in?"

"Yes." I handed him my ID. He thanked and tapped a few keys on the computer in front of him. I saw the frown on his face. Damn. I didn't have a reservation. I muttered again as he looked up at me.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid you don't have a reservation and we are booked." He slid the card back to me. "I am so very sorry."

"Look again," I said, pushing the ID back to him and adding my credit card to the pile. His eyes widened as he took in the black card. The thickness and weight confirmed its authenticity. It was good being Satan's daughter. I had taken one of the cards Luc used when he was recruiting and it was tied directly to an off shore bank account used by one of my father's newest arrivals. I could spend for years and not use all the money in that account.

The clerk tapped a few keys and nodded his head in conformation. "Here it is. I apologize for not seeing it before." He picked up the cards, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "How many nights?"

I paused. "How many nights can I stay?"

His eyebrows rose slightly and he stared at me in puzzlement. "As many as you like ma'am. You have one of the penthouse suites, so you have as much privacy as you want."

"Is the room cold?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yes ma'am. Your suite has its own central air system so you can control the temperature as much as you want. Even if the hotel loses power, you are on a separate system, so you'll be fine." He fanned himself with a hand, "I know it's hot, but it is summertime. You will feel so much better in your room."

I grimaced and made a mental note to break my central air system as soon as I was settled. He handed my information and credentials back to me and I stuffed them into my purse as he nodded a young man over.

"This is Jose. He will escort you to your room."

The young man nodded and smiled before picking up my travel case. His dark eyes sparkled and his dark hair was brushed away from his face. He was gorgeous. I smiled back and followed him, watching the flex of his tight ass in his pants. I sighed. If they all looked like him here, I was really going to enjoy Miami.

*

Two hours later, I stood in the comfort of the hotel suite. I had succeeded in breaking the air conditioner and concealing it so that any monitoring showed a completely normal system. Already my room was starting to heat up and I knew it was only a matter of time before it felt more like home. The sun poured in through the rows of windows that made up the wall of the living room and I squinted at the bright light that illuminated the open space. I darkened the lens on my sunglasses and applied another layer of sunscreen.

Sunlight had rarely touched my skin and as such made my skin super sensitive. I could literally burn to death if there were enough sunlight. I smiled. It was kinda where the whole vampire burning in the sun myth had come about. A few succubus demons preying on humans got caught in the sun too long and poof—instant flames. Of course that led people to think that vampires were demons even though there is a distinct difference between the species.

The darkened sunglasses afforded me another view of the land outside. So different from home, I thought, watching as the sun glared off the greenish blue water. I wondered how the humans could stand it, such constant brightness keeping the eyes overly stimulated, but Luc had told me that they loved the sun. In fact, that was one of the reasons places like LA and Miami were so sought after. The endless days of summer.

Right now, at home, my views would be of the underground volcanic flows. The heat would be rising off the magma chugging slowly through the lake, the reddish glow cutting through the endless dark. The light from the heated magma would bounce off the walls of the numerous caverns making shadows dance across its surface. Here, the light was in a different direction and the shadows cast were lifeless, boring and dull. But, at least it smelled good.

Orthus stirred from his bed on the couch. I ran to the room service cart and uncovered the silver serving tray that contained the five steaks I had ordered. It was an unspoken apology to him. I grimaced as he stretched and one eyelid opened slowly. He stretched again and I stifled a giggle at his little butt wagging in the air. It was bad that I had put a sleep spell on him, but it was worse that I had changed him into a little lap dog.

He sniffed the air. His sensitive nose took in the aroma of the steaks. As rare as possible as I had requested. I remembered the server's quick look of disgust at the bloody outline of the steak and grinned. He probably thought I was a freak.

Helena? Orthus asked; his mind linked with mine.

"Hey Orthus," I said, quickly moving to the dog.

He looked at the tray in my hand. Mine?

I nodded, watching in satisfaction as he snatched up the meat and began to chew. Good, I thought. Now that he had accepted my apology, he could not retaliate against me for the spells. One of the rules of hell. Even though, technically, he wasn't quite awake before he accepted, he still accepted. A loophole. Another rule of hell. Learn to create them and to exploit them.

He stopped mid chew and looked up at me. Did you somehow become larger? He looked around. And where are we? He slowly started chewing again, his brows drawn together. It is really bright in here.

I shoved another steak under his nose. "Thank you for accepting my apology, Orthus," I mumbled, in case he did not realize.

He stopped chewing again and looked at me suspiciously. What did you do Helena? He swallowed and walked over to look out the window, his small body trotting daintily across the plush carpet. I knew the exact moment he spotted himself. The fur around his neck stood on end and his little body started to quiver. WHAT THE FUCK AM I? HELENA? WHAT DID YOU DO?!

I quickly put a hand to my head. Even telepathically, too much could be rather overwhelming. And right now, Orthus was practically screaming.

Orthus looked at me in disgust. I am calling your father.

I shook my finger at him. "You can't, not until I release you from the spell."

He laughed at me. A spell? It will wear off. And I will be able to use my powers then. And you will be sorry you ever fucked with me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. How dare he threaten me? I was the Princess of Hell. "Well, you can do that, but until the spell wears off, I will parade you around as much as I can. Perhaps, I would even pop in to the Gates and see Cerberus while we're at it." I scooted closer to him. "Honestly, what's a widdle dog like you gonna do about it?" I smiled. "And I am sure big brother Cerberus would love to see you."

You wouldn't, he growled at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Try me. I might even take a detour around heaven just to show you off." I inched even closer and ruffled the fur on the top of his head, smiling when he jerked his head away, his lips raised in a snarl. "Big, bad hellhound looking like a little puppy. I'm sure the angels will love that."

His face blanched for a second before he shook his head, the movement causing the tags on the collar around his neck to tinkle and his face tightened at the sound. He walked along the edge of the couch, his short legs making his pacing movement awkwardly funny. What do you want me to do Helena? You ran away again. You know he's gonna be angry.

I sighed, knowing Orthus was right. Regardless if he called now, or I called later, my dad was going to be mad when he got here. "I will deal with that when the time comes."

Hmmph, he grumped.

"So, you gonna help me or not?" I asked as I sat back on the couch.

He hung his head slightly. I can't get out of this can I?

I shook my head and bit my lips to hold back the grin. He really was adorable as a Chihuahua. His big eyes looked up at me and I resisted the urge to scratch behind his ears.

Fine. He sighed. I'm in. I guess you probably need me to protect you anyway. But when this blows up in your face, I am not the one that will be blamed. He marched over to me and stood near my feet, all five pounds of righteous—well—indignation anyway.

And I am not doing any damn tricks for your entertainment, so don't think that you can ask. He snatched another steak from the tray. And don't think your debt is paid. This is not nearly enough to pay for my mental anguish and pain and suffering. This is far from over. He swallowed and glared at me.

I rolled my eyes before giving him a mock salute. "Yes sir!"

Orthus eyed me menacingly before turning and walking away, his tail high in the air.

Secretly, I wanted to experience the one thing which seemed to send thousands of humans to hell. If I accomplished it, then great. If I didn't, it was no big deal. But I really wanted to see what the big deal was about falling in love. And right now, being on earth, it meant falling in love...with a human.

~*~

Chapter 2 – A Demon, a Dog and a Priest

"OH MY GOD!"

A woman with a large poof of hair made a beeline for me. Her face was bright red and her entire body trembled as she raced towards me. I braced myself and clenched my fists as she approached. I didn't want to have to use a spell first thing in the morning, but I wasn't above hitting below the belt. And if this bitch was intent on bothering me before I was fully awake, I was definitely hitting below the belt.

She reached me and lifted a huge ham of a hand. The air around me crackled as I prepared to zap her and then my mouth dropped open in amazement. She zoomed in on Orthus lying on the pillow next to me.

"YOU ARE SO CUTE!" she exclaimed, overly loud and way too excited. Her hand seemed to swallow his head as she enthusiastically patted him. Orthus growled menacingly and I almost felt sorry for the overbearing human. She smiled, her sparkling white teeth a huge contrast with her super tanned skin. She reached into her handbag and pulled out a plastic baggie filled with dog treats.

I watched, mesmerized as Orthus stopped mid-snarl and sniffed at the baggie. Within seconds she'd pulled out a strip of some sort of meat and given it to him. His eyes rolled back in his head as he gobbled up the treat, greedily asking for more. The woman glanced at me and made baby talk as Orthus licked her hand.

I waved airily at her. Go ahead. Pet him. You could keep him if you want, I wanted to say, but knew Orthus would probably take offense. Instead, I held the cup of coffee I was drinking closer to my mouth and breathed over the cooling brew. Instantly, the coffee heated up turning slightly reddish and I sighed happily. I eyed Orthus, a grin plastered to my face, as the woman finally walked away. He lay on his back, his little legs sprawled open and his tongue hanging out of his mouth. I grabbed my phone and before he could move, I snapped a picture.

He jumped up and eyed me. What was that?

I feigned innocence. What was what?

That, he said, pointing his nose towards my phone. What is that?

It's a phone, I told him reassuringly.

That's it? he asked, suspiciously.

I smiled at him, a toothy grin that raised the fur on his back, I wasn't lying to him at all, I was just omitting that human technology had improved tremendously. That's it.

He eyed me again before lying down, this time on his belly with his legs tucked neatly underneath him. I know you are up to something, he said, before he looked away, his nose tilted snobbishly in the air. I'll have you know, that I won't allow it. Don't cross me Helena.

Smiling, I wrapped the terry cloth robe tighter around my body. The sun beat down on us and heat began to penetrate the thick material. I ignored the looks of the thinly dressed women who sat near me on the beach, as they glanced curiously at my outfit. I sent out an energy pulse to test the wind-blocking shield I had in place, satisfied when it held. A woman walking nearby frowned as she passed me and was blasted with a wall of heat. I shrugged, it was my area, my rules, so my temperature. She fanned herself as she quickly walked back to her lounger.

I dug my toes into the warm sand, my eyes hiding behind my sunglasses as I looked at the white sand where it blended with the blue water made even warmer by the sun. Still I was not about to venture into the deep blue sea as I watched the other sun bathers. It was not my hair or anything quite so vain. It was walking out of the water dripping wet. I shuddered as I thought about air-drying. Not a fan. Literally.

Eyes closed, I went back to enjoying my moment of peace. Suddenly the air shifted as Orthus perked up. I opened one eye blearily. It was poofy hair again. This time she had brought a friend. Or two. I eyed the two little dogs covered in long fur and envied them. All that glorious hair in this Miami sun. They must be so warm. I ignored the heavy panting that accompanied the two white furred creatures, their beady black eyes darting about.

Poofy hair walked over to Orthus. "HELLO!"

I winced, surprised that I was still able to hear the waves hitting the shore.

"SEE LADIES," she said to her dogs, "I TOLD YOU TWO HE WAS HANDSOME." She acknowledged me with a smile. "HE REALLY IS A BEAUTIFUL DOG."

I smiled and leaned back on my lounger, wanting to make it clear that I was not interested in having a conversation with her. She took my silence as confirmation to continue talking and I grimaced resisting the urge to remove her vocal cords. That would definitely put my on dad's radar. Although technically, I didn't have to remove her vocal cords, per se. A grin flashed across my face, seconds before she finally stopped talking. Her eyes bulged and her mouth opened and closed, no sound emitting from her throat. She dropped the leashes of the two dogs and clawed frantically at her neck as her face turned a bright shade of red.

Sighing, I released the spell I had on her throat as her frantic gasping drew unwanted attention to me. She took a deep breath and looked around wildly. I shifted as I tried to make myself a little more comfortable. More and more people were looking my way and I lowered my sunglasses to meet their eyes. Some looked away, but a few had the balls to stare back. I smiled at the ones I recognized; their pictures on the fast-track wall in my dad's office. Fast-track to Hell. The ones so evil that it would take divine intervention to save them. I could tell them to go to hell, but they were already quite on their way. Yup. It would be interesting to see when they arrived.

Poofy hair looked at me and her hands suddenly flew to her face. She raced over to Orthus and snatched up her two little dogs and then looked back at me in horror. "HOW DARE HE DEFILE MY BABY?!" She wailed. "HE IS A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE DOG!"

I looked at Orthus. What did you do?

I smelled her butt. She wanted it, waving it in front of my face like that. He walked back to his little pillow and sat down. I didn't even touch her yet.

That was disgusting. I made a face. You are gross you know, I told him as we both ignored the woman still yelling at Orthus.

I contemplated choking her again, but before I had a chance to, she grabbed Orthus by the collar and leaned into his face.

"YOU ARE A HORRIBLE DOG. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY TO CLEAN MY BABIES BOWLS AFTER THEY ARE FINISHED EATING. STINKING MUTT."

Uh oh. She had gone too far. I grimaced as I watched Orthus' face change. He was a hellhound after all. And right now he was mad.

Mutt? He growled menacingly. Mutt? This time, he projected his thoughts to the woman and her face contorted as she struggled to comprehend the words entering her mind.

I am one of the honored Hellhounds. I am the brother of Cerberus, Guardian of Hell. I am the descendent of a god. My father was one of the original Titans of Greek mythology. Mutt! Be lucky I do not smite you and reduce you to dust! He rose to his full Chihuahua height. Be gone!

He suddenly turned on the woman and barked loudly. She grabbed her two dogs, and tucked them quickly, one under each arm. She started to walk away as Orthus advanced on her, his footsteps quick and dainty as he danced around her legs. He barked again and the woman saw something in his eyes. Her own eyes widened and she tightened her grasp on her dogs. They whined in protest and she ignored them instead, her eyes on Orthus, she ran.

Orthus quickly followed and I leaned back again and closed my eyes. I could hear the shrieking as she tried to move through the soft sand, Orthus close on her heels. I rolled over. The sun was warming my front but now my back was starting to get cold. I fell asleep waiting for Orthus to get back.

*

A shadow fell across me causing me to shiver and I heard Orthus' low growl. Turning, my eyes widened as I looked up at the police officer holding Orthus in a small cage. His face was unsmiling as he held Orthus' struggling body in the small metal contraption.

"Is this your dog ma'am?" he asked his voice deep and gravelly.

I thought about denying Orthus and watched his eyes narrow.

Don't you dare, he warned.

Smiling up at the officer, I bit the inside of my cheek to stop my sharp retort, my eyes narrowed as I glared at the pissed off dog. "Yes. He's mine." I reached for Orthus and frowned when the officer did not release him.

"Did you know that your dog bit someone, ma'am?" His voice sounding like silk over steel, smooth and hard, just like I liked my men. I eyed his firm shoulders through his uniform and looked at the snug fit of his pants. In particular, the way the fabric stretched across the front. His dark skin was a smooth chocolate and his hair was a series of dark waves against his head. Oh my. First the Latino, now this one. Miami had some good looking boys. He cleared his throat and I looked away from the fly of his pants. I couldn't help it, my eyes were drawn. He glared at me and I feigned attention.

"Ma'am. Your dog bit someone." He indicated Orthus, who was lying in the bottom of the cage glaring at me. "This is a serious crime in Miami."

I smiled sweetly at him. "My dog couldn't have possibly bit anyone, Officer."

He arched an eyebrow. "Ma'am, we do have a report made by the victim. She is being attended to by paramedics right now.

I nodded. "I understand, Officer. But perhaps she mixed up the dogs." I smiled sweetly again. "My dog couldn't have done it, I promise you."

He sighed and looked at me. "Ma'am, I am truly sorry. But the law dictates that I take your dog to the county animal services for them to deal with. I can give you the number and you can talk to them." He handed a card to me and then turned to walk away.

Orthus' voice resounded in my head and I rolled my eyes. Helena. Quit fooling around. He sounded desperate and I was getting tired of the game I was playing with the officer anyway.

"Officer," I called out. "I can prove my dog didn't bite anyone."

He stopped and I stole a quick peek at his awesome ass before he turned around. Then I stole an even longer peek at his even more awesome front. He cleared his throat and I looked up guiltily.

"Where's this proof?"

I waved my hand and muttered a quick spell. Orthus cursed and I smiled devilishly. "My dog couldn't have bitten anyone because he has no teeth."

The officer looked at me skeptically, his voice unbelieving. "He has no teeth?"

I nodded. "He is an old dog and was having so many dental problems; I had to get his teeth removed." I smiled as Orthus cursed again. "So you see he couldn't have bitten her. At least not enough to cause her to need the paramedics."

The officer bent down and placed Orthus on the sand. I almost swooned as the elastic fabric of his shirt stretched over his muscles. The envious stares of the women around me bombarded me and it was all I could do not to run my hands over his well-muscled form. They were all watching, but were more focused on Officer Hot than on me.

"Show me." He demanded curtly.

I grinned. I loved a demanding man; they made everything so much more...fun. I rose slowly and pushed up the sleeves on my robe. He was so cute; I almost wished I was wearing the half-naked outfits of the other women at the beach. I reached into the cage and pried open Orthus' mouth, ignoring the string of curses that poured into my mind.

Shut up! I told him as he started another litany of otherworldly language. The constant stream was giving me a headache.

The officer looked at Orthus' empty gums and ran a hand over his head. "I don't know how I missed that," he muttered, his face contrite. "I could have sworn..." He released Orthus from the cage and turned to me. "Ma'am, I apologize," he said as he rose with the empty cage in his hand.

I waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Honest mistake."

He nodded and gave me a slight smile before walking away. I watched his ass until it was out of sight.

Orthus coughed.

I looked over at him. What?

Forgetting something?

I shook my head. Not to my knowledge.

He stared at me. Helena. I am not in the mood.

Fine. I snapped. I waved my hand again and in moments, I heard the snap of his teeth as they popped back into his mouth. I should have given you human teeth, I thought wickedly and watched him grimace at the thought.

Tired of all the interruption, I gathered my things and grabbed Orthus' leash. He looked up at me.

I can walk by myself, you know, he said coldly. Been doing it for centuries now.

I grasped tighter at the leash. Little fucker. I know. But the humans are weird about certain things.

He sighed dramatically and walked away swiftly, forcing me to follow and keep pace with his hurried trots.

We walked up to the front desk and Jose spotted me immediately.

"Ma'am." He acknowledged me and quickly moved to take Orthus and my bags from my hands.

"Thank you." I smiled at him and followed him to the elevators. His long, deft fingers pressed the button to my penthouse suite and I almost salivated as I imagined what else those long, deft fingers could do.

"You seem to be a popular woman," he said, breaking the quiet as the elevator whizzed up to the penthouse suites.

"Sorry?" I asked distractedly, my mind filled with wicked delights involving his long, deft fingers.

"First, you had an officer looking to return your dog and then we had a man asking about your card."

I froze; the air inside the elevator suddenly stifling. "What man? Did you say anything?"

Jose shook his head. "Hotel policy. We don't give out information about our guests, especially to strangers."

The elevator dinged and we walked out onto a small landing.

That was quick.

I nodded at Orthus. It was quick. I didn't think my dad would discover my absence until a few weeks, much less a few days. I looked over at Jose. He stood next to my door with a slight frown.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" His dark eyes were full of concern.

I nodded. "Jose, can you describe the man that was asking about me? Not the officer. The other one."

He nodded. "He was in his 40's I guess, but kind of built. Had short, really black hair and a scar on his face. Said the credit card company told him that the card was on file with our hotel. He didn't look happy when the front desk told him we couldn't help him." Jose chewed on his beautiful bottom lip for a second.

"I lied to him, though," he finally said.

I perked up. "Oh."

He blushed, his dark skin turning a duskier color. "I told him that a man had come in trying to book a room with the card and that we'd reported it to the police as possibly credit card fraud."

I smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."

Jose opened the door and I walked in. He placed my bags onto the couch and I pressed a hundred dollar bill into his hand. "Thank you," I told him.

He blushed again as he walked to the door and then his eyes widened as he saw the bill. "Ay dios mio," he stammered. He looked back at me. "Gracias! Um...thank you, so much," he said almost reverently before he closed the door.

I walked over to the couch and sat heavily. At least it wasn't my father.

Orthus walked over to me and I brushed his head with my hand. He pretended to be upset at the touch, but I knew he was worried.

Is this little outing that important?

I nodded. It's more than a little outing. I am tired of being stuck in that place.

He looked at me. Is Hell really that bad?

I shrugged. You know it's not. But sometimes my parents can be so stubborn about things, I feel confined. I looked back at Orthus. You know how you felt in that little cage?

He nodded.

Well, that's how I've felt at home lately.

He sat and stared at me for a moment. Well, there's only one thing to do then.

My shoulders slumped. I did not want to go home. I was actually having fun and there were things I hadn't done yet. Who knows when I would get another chance?

Orthus walked over to my purse and stuck his head in the bag. I watched curiously as he walked over to me, my phone clutched in his mouth. He dropped it at my feet.

Call home? I asked with a wry grin.

He shook his head. No, you moron. Call your brother.

*

I walked out of the hotel into the Miami heat. My bags were stacked neatly in the trunk of the hired town car and I walked into the blast of the air conditioner.

"Off," I instructed and the driver looked back at me.

"Ma'am?" he asked.

I pointed to the air vent. "Air-conditioner. Off."

"Yes ma'am." He turned around and snapped the AC off. I breathed a sigh of relief as the car immediately started to warm.

Jose stood near the hotel entrance in the same spot he had claimed after he placed my bags into the car. He was holding the envelope I had given him. It contained about five thousand dollars in hundreds, payment for keeping quiet about me. He was pleased, if a bit shocked. He was a good kid and I was secretly happy I didn't get a chance to fuck him. I sighed. It was for the best. Not everyone was destined to end up in hell.

The car quickly drove the few miles to the condo scheduled to be my home for the next month or so. After I had called Luc, he had informed me that indeed, dad was looking for me and since he had already been questioned, he could help me because he was not breaking any rules. He gave me directions to his condo on the beach and instructions on how to open the safe that contained a credit card I could use and even more cash. All I needed to do was a quick spell to change the name on the card and I would be fine.

I patted Orthus absentmindedly and stopped at his annoyed growl.

Sorry, I told him quickly. To be honest, I was determined to treat Orthus better. After all, his quick thinking had allowed me to stay topside for a few more weeks. I smiled. Things were looking up.

The condo came into view and I felt my smile disappear. When I thought condo on South Beach, I thought of glamor and excitement. When I had read magazines or saw billboards of condos on South Beach I saw opulence and elegance. As I looked up at Luc's building, I saw horribly ugliness. The drab gray color and lack of adornments made my mouth turn down in distaste. The hotel I had just checked out of had been so luxurious and nice; I had assumed a neighboring condo would be the same. I was wrong. No matter, at least I had somewhere to stay without prying demons asking around.

I walked into the lobby, the driver on my heels with my bags. I entered the elevator, happy to have my Jimmy's on something other than the dingy brown floor. I pressed the button for my floor and closed my eyes as the elevator groaned. It was worse than I thought.

The door opened onto the sixth floor and I breathed a sigh of relief. There were four condos on my floor. I glanced at the names of the owners on the plates near the door. I owned—Luc owned—both on the left side of the building. One faced the ocean and the other faced the street. The other units were occupied but I was not in the mood to entertain anyone.

I ran through the building schematics in my head. There was a pool on the ninth floor complete with a Jacuzzi and a bar, a fitness club on the second floor and conference rooms, a computer lab, a restaurant and another bar on the first. Floors 3 to 8 were residential. It may not be too bad, I thought, trying not to think of the brown, drab carpet and ugly exterior.

Unlike the other units on this floor, Luc's condo had an automated key code entry instead of actual keys and the door clicked open when I entered the numbers. It was handy but even I had to admit that it made him stand out a bit. I walked into the condo and smiled. I was never happier at my older brother's lavish tastes. Turning back to the driver, I tipped him well and instructed him to deposit my bags on the chocolate brown leather sofa. He walked out as I walked further into the room.

The kitchen near the entrance was decked out with dark marble countertops and beautiful mahogany cabinetry. Off the kitchen were the living and dining room with views of the ocean and on the other side were what I assumed were the bedrooms. I dumped Orthus onto the couch and walked into the wide open room with high ceilings. The floor was covered in dark hardwood and the dark paint and heavy curtains cast the room into shadow. The entire décor reminded me a little of home and I swallowed an almost sniffle.

Orthus stared at me in disgust. You've got to be kidding me.

I barely resisted the urge to kick him. Bastard.

He puffed out his chest. Purebred bastard. And proud of it. He walked over to one of the doors. A little help?

I looked over at him. Help?

He indicated the closed door. Can you open the door? I need to pee.

Have you been here before? I asked suspiciously. How the hell did he know where the bathroom was? I hadn't even opened the door yet to check.

He cocked his head at me. Of course. You haven't? Luc's brought all of us here a time or two. He laughed at my murderous look.

I crossed my arms over my chest. More than bastard. He was a little cocksucker. Do it yourself. I turned on my heel and walked out onto the balcony.

The acrid scent of urine hit me at the same time as his laughter. The little fucker had peed on the floor. I waved my hand, muttered a few words and the smell disappeared. Orthus laughed again as my anger start to rise. Luc had brought everyone here a time or two Orthus had said. But he never thought I might want to visit. A headache started at the base of my skull and I took a few moments to clear my head. I was not going to let this ruin my day. After all, I was here now and it was my home for a while. I bet no one else got to stay that long.

Orthus was paying me back for humiliating him earlier, but it still hurt to know that I had not been invited. I wiped my eyes, pissed at what seemed like tears. Suck it up Helena. You are a big girl. Don't let the little asswipe get you down.

I glared at Orthus who now lay on the hardwood floor on his back, his legs in the air. As if sensing my mood, he immediately rolled over and looking at me, bent and licked his balls. I curled my lip in disgust as I turned away.

Walking back towards the bedrooms, I eyed the three doors stood in front of me. The door closet to the exit was a small bedroom and held a desk with a computer and bookcases lined with books. The next door, revealed a bathroom, the same one Orthus wanted to use. The third door nearest the kitchen was the master bedroom, a huge sprawling room with a ginormous bed sitting in the center of it.

My mouth dropped open. Wow. Then I grinned as I pictured Officer Sexy, Jose and I sprawled onto the huge bed. Oh the fun I could have! Not giving into temptation, I quickly changed my dress and pulled on my swimsuit. I really didn't have to go through all this but if I wanted to pretend to be human, I had to start practicing. It would be rather awkward if I inadvertently used magic in front of a mortal. I gathered my towel and ignored Orthus as I exited the condo.

The bright Miami sunlight greeted me as I walked onto the ninth floor landing. The pool was huge, the clear water sparkling. About thirty people sat around it; drinking, laughing and enjoying the water. A group of about ten were having a barbeque, while the others were just milling around the pool edge.

The water looked quite inviting even though I was not going to swim, although the bubbling Jacuzzi on the side called to me. It was empty and I made a mad dash for the frothy hot water. I sank deeply into the heat and groaned. It was almost like heav—hell. I sighed a little and muttered under my breath, heating the water just a smidge, before pulling my hair up into a messy bun and sinking lower into the water.

I opened my eyes as I felt a presence. The sun had dipped lower in the sky and the air had started to cool. But I was hot as I looked up into the bluest pair of eyes I had ever met. The eyes rested above a straight nose and sensually curved lips. The bottom was just full enough for me to imagine pulling it into my mouth. I licked my lips and watched as the eyes followed my movement. Good. I saw his lips quirk up for a second before he opened his mouth.

"Care if I join you?"

The deep timbre of his voice made me shiver. Oh, if I wasn't already wet, I would've been at that point. I nodded and watched as he removed the towel from his wide shoulders, my mouth dropping open as I took in his body. Forget Officer Sexy. This guy was Sex Incarnate. His broad shoulders tapered to a small waist and his washboard stomach was covered in a light dusting of golden hair that led into the board shorts tied at his waist. There was a bulge that hung fairly low and at that moment, I felt like thanking the man above for small favors.

He sank into the water and winced slightly at the temperature. Normally, I didn't give two shits about anyone else's feelings, but if my comfort might hurt that delicious looking package, I could suffer for a bit. I muttered a few words and the water started to cool. Just a bit. He sighed and sank into the water, his leg brushing against mine under the water.

"Sorry." He smiled at me.

I managed a small smile before turning my head away, careful to keep the drool back. He was definitely a keeper. I ran his face through my mind, comparing it to every face I'd seen on my dad's fast-track arrivals or even the ones who could be potentially fast-track. No match. Damn. I would get the goodie-two-shoes. But unlike Jose, I was not content to let this one end up upstairs. Oh no, he was going down. In more ways than one. There was always the possibility, especially if it was orchestrated by me. I wondered if dad would let me keep my new pet and I almost moaned at the thought of having this one next to me for all eternity.

I felt his eyes on me and I turned towards him. He smiled at me.

"Your hair is getting wet," he said.

I shrugged. "It's okay. Not that big of a deal anyway."

He laughed. "I like a woman who's comfortable enough to let her hair down." He shifted in the water and my eyes fell to his chest. Wow. Did I mention that he had a body? My heart sped up just a tad. This was going to be fun. Perhaps I could get to experience that whole falling in love thing after all. And even if I didn't, it would sure be fun to try. I mean, it was probably a lot easier to fall in love with someone that was this good-looking. I bit my lip at that thought. I had left Hell because of the self-centeredness, but now I was starting to sound exactly like the demons I was fed up with.

A ball sailed over his head and landed with a soft splash in front of me. I wiped the water from my face, my eyes spitting fire.

He leaned over and plucked the ball from the water, smiling apologetically at me, and shook it off before he threw it back at the guys near the grill. He stood half out the water and I watched in envy as the water fell from his back. His shorts, now wet, clung to his ass and hung low. "Hey guys, watch it," he called good naturedly.

"Sorry, Priest." One of the guys yelled back.

My heart stopped. No. No way in hell. Priest? No. I wanted to cry. All the naughty things I wanted to do to him and he was a priest.

"Priest?" I mumbled.

He looked back at me. "Yeah. It's just my name." He leaned over and held out his hand. "I'm Evan. Evan Priest."

I was thoughtful for a moment. Somehow that name sounded awfully familiar and I closed my eyes in concentration. Suddenly my eyes flew open. I smiled as a memory clicked. There was an Evan Priest living across the hall from me. I distinctly remembered his name from the nameplate on the side of the door.

I reached out a wet hand. "Helena." He took my offered hand and shook it, his grip firm and sure. I thought about having those hands running over my naked body and shivered despite the hot water. I silently thanked every demon I knew, running through my list of the fallen. I even included a few angels, just in case. Either way, I was euphoric. This hot hunk of human was my neighbor. Oh, what fun times Sex Incarnate and I were going to have.

~*~

Chapter 3 – No Rest for the Wicked

I adjusted the strap to the itty, bitty and oh, so pretty, Betsy Johnson dress I was wearing. The white, barely there, sundress fell to mid-thigh and set off the red of my hair. It was a killer dress and I was dying to watch Evan's face when he saw me in it. It was one of those dresses I just had to have and I had picked it up earlier in one of the stores along the beach. I smoothed the material across my hips, slipped on a pair of red strappy sandals, and walked out the door.

Moving silently across the hall, I lifted my hand to knock on the door when I heard the feminine laugh from within. Either Sex Incarnate had a girl giggle or he was not alone. I sighed. Never thought he was taken, but it totally made sense. I mean, really? Hot guy like that single? Not a chance in hell. I paused, contemplating whether or not I should introduce myself or run and hide with my tail tucked between my legs.

Yesterday's flirting at the pool came to mind. No taken guy should lead a woman on like that! If he was unavailable, he should have acted like it. Instead, he'd shamelessly flirted with me all evening and even invited me to come over and visit sometime. Two-timing bastard, I thought, a cross look on my face. He was no better than the demons I had left!

I spun on my heels and was about to walk away, when the door slowly opened. Instead of the well-rehearsed, innocent, sex kitten look I had perfected in my bathroom mirror, I met Evan's eyes with a 'oh shit, I'm caught' look.

He stopped in surprise as I stood there. "Hey, we were just coming to visit you!" He opened the door wider and the smell of his manly musk wafted across my nostrils and sent sensations pooling down into my loins. The pool immediately dried up as the opened door revealed the blonde standing behind him.

He waved a hand to indicate the woman next to him. "Helena, this is Bri. She lives next door. Bri, Helena."

The blonde's eyes widened as she took in my attire. I smirked. Yup. Same fucking dress. She narrowed her eyes as she raked me from head to toe.

"Oh my gosh," she gushed. "You are so brave. Wearing those color heels with your hair! It's a wonder the colors don't clash." She put her hand on Evan's arm and laughed sweetly.

Evan laughed. "Well, I think it looks good on her." He cocked his head as he looked at me. "For some reason, red is definitely your color."

I smiled brilliantly at him. "Thank you." Reaching around Evan, I held out my hand to Bri who had apparently forgotten and kept her hand possessively on Evan's arm. She looked annoyed as she had to relinquish her hold and I deftly slipped into the gap left between her and Evan. I almost moaned as my hips brushed against his as I lightly bumped him out of the way. My eyes widened slightly at the electricity which crackled as she shook my hand. Either I was giving off some major mojo or Ms. I-Want-Evan-Too was of the magical inclination. Great. Just what I needed. A damn witch. And judging from the sparks in the air, a pretty accomplished one.

I toned down my magic, drawing it into myself as her eyes narrowed again. So, she'd felt it too. Not good. It meant she was probably stronger than I had anticipated. Hopefully, she would just assume I was another witch or at worst, a demon. I wasn't sure how the witch grapevine worked, but I hoped there weren't any missing persons fliers with my face plastered on them. Being a demon had given me one hell of a poker face and I kept my innocent look as her eyes zoomed in.

Evan looked at the both of us, a frown marring his face. "Are you guys wearing the same dress?" he asked curiously.

"No," I said smoothly at the same time that Bri replied, "yes."

They both looked at me in surprise and Bri's eyes narrowed again. What had once been a Betsy Johnson white, summer frock adorning my hips, was now a white, sheer Gottex swimsuit cover-up. Similar style, but different.

Evan's eyes widened a bit. "Sorry, Helena. It must be the light in this hallway. I could've sworn you two had on the same dress." He laughed at my indignant look and nudged me in the side. "Good thing you're not though. I know how women feel about wearing the same dress to a party."

I looked into his gorgeous face. I knew the feeling as well. Bri's eyes were boring holes the size of Mars into my back and I turned around to face her. She flexed her fingers and for a moment, the air around me zinged, crackling with a purplish tint. I gasped at the intensity of the magic and my nostrils flared.

The little bitch had tried to hex me. Me! She stood there and literally tried to use black magic against me. Hand behind my back, I snapped my fingers, effectively cutting her power supply. She frowned and flexed her fingers again, frustration written on her face.

I wanted to laugh when she realized how futile her efforts were. She was dealing with someone who was raised on black magic. I may have needed a spell to figure out a cell phone, but black magic was ingrained in my soul. She had no idea who she was fucking with.

She held out her hands again but before she could do anything else, Evan broke the silence that was quickly becoming awkward.

"Helena, Bri and I were just going downstairs for a few drinks. Wanna join?"

A tingling sensation resounded in my head as I was about to answer and my mouth almost dropped open. Not only had this crazy bitch tried to hex me but now she was trying to influence me. The word 'no' resounded in my head in Bri's saccharine sweet voice, but years of a telepathic link with the hellhounds had made my mind rather strong.

With ease that I looked into Evan's baby blues eyes. "Of course, a drink does sound nice." I received two rewards for my response. A smile of pure pleasure from Evan and a look of pure hatred from Bri. Life didn't get better than this.

We walked over the elevator and just as I was thinking about tripping over my heels, Bri let out an agonized cry. I looked over and raised a sardonic brow. She lay sprawled on the floor, her leg twisted beneath her. Her ankle was at an odd angle and perspiration dotted her forehead.

Evan rushed to her side before stooping down. "Oh, damn, Bri." he said sympathetically. He held her foot in one hand and looked at me apologetically. "I am so sorry Helena. Can we get a rain check on that drink?" He looked away before I could answer.

I glanced at Bri in time to see the slight smile on her face before she erased it with a grimace. My eyes narrowed and I scanned the air. Sure enough, there was a tinge of purple. The cunning bitch had hexed her own foot and now she had Evan as her own personal nurse. She feigned helplessness, crying out as Evan touched her ankle, then moaned, and wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent down to pick her up. She started crying even before he did anything and buried her face in his chest. Envy burned through me. Dammit! That was my plan. Everything she was doing was what I had wanted to do and had thought about doing a split second before she did.

"Helena, do you think you could get my door?" Evan asked as he shifted the crying woman closer. I swallowed my anger and walked over to his door. I wrenched it open and then turned to wave him through. As he passed, I thought about giving him a goodbye hug simply to feel his body against mine, but before I could, Bri let out another heartfelt moan and Evan hurried past me.

As he walked into the apartment, Bri lifted her head and her eyes met mine. She winked; a triumphant look on her face.

I opened my mouth to ask Evan to stop by later, when Bri moaned again.

"Evan," she sniffed, "do you think I could crash here?" She sniffed again. "I don't want to be alone. My ankle hurts so badly."

Evan nodded. "Of course, you can stay here." He hurried out of the living room muttering something about a pillow and a blanket.

I had the sneaking suspicion that Bri was reading my mind. I conjured a mental picture of Evan in the Jacuzzi yesterday and my eyes narrowed as Bri suddenly flushed and swallowed. I concentrated and closed my mind off. The little bitch was reading my mind. I smiled at her. Two could play that game. Now that I knew about her little trick, I would be careful to make sure I thought nothing but mundane thoughts around her or nothing at all.

Evan came back into the room. He propped the pillow behind Bri's head and covered her with the blanket before he walked over to me.

"Helena, I am so sorry," he apologized again.

I shrugged. "No big deal," I told him with a laugh. "But you owe me."

He smiled at me and reached out to tuck a stray curl of red hair behind my ear. He froze and his hand lingered on my face for a moment. I stared into his eyes and held my breath, my heart beating wildly. He leaned towards me for a fraction of a second. Yes! Yes! Do it. Kiss me. Before he could close the gap and touch his lips to mine, Bri moaned again and the spell was broken.

Evan looked over at his hurt neighbor and sighed. "Perhaps I should call the doctor," he said as he glanced at her ankle peeking from beneath the covers. "It really does look bad."

I threw Bri a disgusted look as I walked out the door. "Perhaps," I said before muttering a quick spell. I smiled as her triumphant look changed to worry. She had something to worry about all right, I thought, then smiled again. Bri started to cough as her face started to become red and flushed. It was going to a good night after all.

*

I woke as soon as the hand touched my front door. My eyes popped open without warning and although my brain had yet to start functioning, I was moving toward the door, the spell already working itself on my lips. Carefully, I peeked through the peephole and almost swooned when I saw Evan.

He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt and looked delicious enough to eat. I smoothed my hand over my hair and stuck my finger in my mouth to smell my breath. With a quick spell, I smelled like a rose and looked like a peach. I opened the door and smiled at him.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," he said with a grin.

I decided to play nice even though I was feeling far from it. "How's Bri?"

He frowned. "It was a weird night. She had a fever and an allergic reaction at the same time. I had to call the ambulance and they took her to the hospital. The nurse called me earlier to tell me she was feeling a lot better and they were going to keep her in the hospital for a few days for observation. I think she's probably going to be on crutches for a while and may not be able to hang out."

Poor Bri, I thought unsympathetically as I batted my eyes at him. That bitch. I moved closer to him and rubbed his arm. "You're a good guy," I told him with a smile.

He smiled back and took his time as he looked me over and I gave him back as good as I got. I took in his blond hair swept back from his face, his blue eyes and dusky pink lips. My eyes dropped to his wide shoulders, down his flat stomach and across the bulge in his jeans. I thought I saw the bulge twitch, but then again, it could have been my imagination. I brought my eyes back to his and smiled.

"Very nice."

He blushed. It was adorable really. A ruddy shade of red that started at the collar of his shirt and moved up his face.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Tonight? Nothing. Why? What's up?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to invite you to a discussion I am having tonight at Miami College."

I raised my eyebrows. Discussion at a college? Pretty fancy stuff. "Ohh, spiffy," I told him with a laugh.

He looked at me and smiled. "Nah, just doing my job. I'm just a glorified teacher." He laughed. "I mean, I work at a college and it is anything but glamorous." He shrugged again. "I'm up for tenure, so I have to hold this open forum discussion."

He cleared his throat and I realized that I hadn't answered him. "I mean, I know it is last minute and all, but you don't have to go if you don't want to."

I rolled my eyes. "Evan, trust me on this. I never do anything I don't want to do." I stressed the 'anything' in case he didn't get the hint. The slow smile on his face told me he did. "I would love to come to your forum tonight," I told him.

He smiled. "Just be prepared because it may be kind of boring."

I laughed. How boring could an open forum discussion at a college be? I held my sarcasm in check. "What's the topic?" I asked. Hopefully, I could Google it or something, so I could at least follow the discussion.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Lucifer and the Disparages between Heaven and Hell." He laughed at my shocked look. "I told you. Boring stuff. It's okay really if you don't want to go."

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I want to go. Honest."

"Alright, suit yourself, but I did warn you." He opened his mouth to say something else and hesitated. Then he winked at me, waved goodbye and walked off towards the elevator.

The man of my dreams was also an expert on hell. What a coincidence.

*

"So, you see, the canonization of the Bible and the political affiliations of the writers at that time relegated Lucifer to the pits of Hell and associated him with evil. But we fail to realize the extent that the early writers of the Bible would go to just to ensure that their beliefs were upheld. John the Baptist in exile writing the book of Revelations is a prime example of how satiric the Bible actually is. We cannot assume it has any basis in reality. In fact, one could argue that it is just a really good story."

I frowned as I watched Evan stride across the stage area. He was still in his jeans but had exchanged the polo for a button up shirt and a jacket. Sans tie, with the sleeves rolled up his forearms. He exuded confidence and power and seemed well in control. He was good. Too good. The only power my father had was in the amount of souls he got in hell. But in order to go to hell, well, you had to believe in hell. And tonight, Evan was doing a damn good job at convincing his audience that hell did not exist.

The auditorium was filled to capacity and the crowd hung on his every word. Even now, they were nodding and jotting down notes. I had to turn this thing around and fast. I bit my lip before I raised my hand. A reporter with unkempt brown hair and round owl glasses turned towards me and jotted some information on a yellow notepad balanced on his lap. A short Asian woman brought the microphone over to me. I watched Evan's face and he smiled encouragingly.

"I understand the justification that the prophets would use their common enemy satirically," I said, "but to claim that hell does not exist is not very good science. You cannot prove that it doesn't exist."

Evan's lips twitched as he looked at me. "Well, I also can't prove it does exist. Some experts claim that hell is more of a state of mind and that death is the release of life, which in itself can be hellish."

I saw heads bobbing in agreement. I wanted to shout, 'hell does exist. I know this because I live there,' but that was probably a bit melodramatic.

"Well, what about the cultural aspects of hell? Many cultures seem to have similar endings for lost and evil souls. Most have their version of hell as a place under the earth where final judgment is passed."

He nodded. "True, but trade and intermarriages between tribes and cultures may have passed on these stories. I am not saying that it is a definite certainty that hell does not exist, I am only saying that many of the descriptors and imagery in the Bible are the result of anger, resentment, overactive imaginations and in some cases, lots of cheap alcohol."

I nodded and sat down, knowing he was right. A lot of it was bullshit, but Hell—true Hell—still existed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the reporter writing furiously.

Evan nodded to the Asian lady and she walked to the front of the room and passed him the microphone. "That's all I have for tonight folks. Remember, Miami College has evening and weekend classes for those of you interested in taking the Occult Studies course with me this summer, even if you are not an enrolled student. Registration ends soon. Thank you all for coming. Have a great night." He started to gather his papers as the audience started to file out.

*

A graduate student sat at a table near the entrance, selling copies of his book. I paid the twenty dollars and purchased a copy. It was a fair size book, not overly ostentatious. The front cover showed the stereotypical red horned creature with the forked tail known as Lucifer. I rolled my eyes. If only my father could see this. He wouldn't find it as funny as I did, but he would be amused.

I flipped the book over and stared at the back cover. Evan's picture was a tiny stamp in the upper corner. Not vain, after all. I glanced at the stage. He was still surrounded by a throng of people and I guessed it would be a while before he was done. I sat down in one of the chairs and waited for him, opening the book and skimming a few pages.

"You know, I could always autograph it." Evan's voice made me jump. I was engrossed in reading his material and did not notice how much time had passed. It was pretty fascinating, and there were surprisingly few inaccuracies, although he was unaware of many aspects of demonology. I looked up. The auditorium was empty except for a few prospective students talking to the college representatives.

I turned to him and smiled. "I may take you up on that offer."

He laughed. "Oh, the woman is feisty. Well, here's another offer," he winked. "Drinks at Scene. It's a local bar near here."

I raised an eyebrow. "A drink and an autograph? Will wonders never cease?"

He laughed again and grabbed my hand. "Come on. I am dying to know how you ended up in Miami."

*

"So tonight I realized something monumental." Evan looked at me through the dim light of the bar. I expected it to be more of a guy hangout, but Scene was pretty decent if I had to use my limited knowledge of human nightlife. It seemed like a typical South Beach club in regards to the loud music and party atmosphere, but it was little off the beaten path, and had a few less people. The bar itself was a two story building that held a bar and pool lounge on the second floor and another bar and a dance floor on the first.

Evan and I were seated at one of the faux granite tables housed on the second floor. I smiled at him. "What did you realize?"

He swirled the drink he had in his hand before he looked at me. "I realize that I don't know much about you at all." He took a sip and I watched the long line of his throat as he swallowed.

"Well, all you had to do was ask," I replied coyly as I took a sip of my drink. It was sweet concoction that summed up what I wanted to do to Evan. Sex on the beach. It was delicious. And the alcohol was starting to go to my head a little bit.

He arched an eyebrow. "Hey, it wasn't for lack of trying, but we always seemed to get interrupted somehow. So, before we get interrupted again, how about you tell me a little about yourself and why you are more knowledgeable in the study of the occult than my actual students."

I smiled at his good humor. "Well, I am originally from a really small island in the Caribbean," I lied. "My brother, Luc owns the condo I'm staying in but right now he is in L.A....on business." I fiddled with my napkin. Normally the lies spewed out my mouth, growing crazier by the second but I didn't want to shock him or scare him off, so I took my time. "My family is in...sales and marketing and we've managed to do well."

He nodded. "Mine too. My parents are more than comfortable. My family got into real estate and got out before the housing bust. So, they made money and still have money. I bought my condo from my parents." He signaled the bartender to get another drink. "So did you study the occult in college, or were you one of those weird kids who looked it up in high school?"

I laughed at that. "No, believe it or not, my family is very religious and we actually have had family discussions on religion and heaven and hell. And because they had money, I had a lot of tutors and access to really obscure stuff growing up. "

He laughed at my pained expression. "Poor baby, sounds like you were tortured."

I rolled my eyes at him. "No, not me. But my parents tortured others." I answered, tongue-in-cheek.

"I like you, Helena," he said as he sobered. "It not often I find a woman I actually want to hang out with. Especially on South Beach."

My lips widened as my smile grew. He reached over and gave my curls a playful tug before he skimmed his fingers across my face.

I closed my eyes for a second and let the sensations course through me. His fingers were surprisingly rough for a professor and I wondered at what he did in his free time to maintain that physique. I felt the heat leave my face as he pulled back and he cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that," he said wryly. "I couldn't resist. Your skin looked so soft."

I looked back at him. I had wanted this man naked and in a bed since I met him and he was apologizing for brushing my face. I smiled. "Hey, no worries. You can touch me anytime." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively.

"You are direct," he said as he ran a hand through his hair, "I like that." The arrival of the bartender stifled our conversation for a moment and he handed me a second drink.

I stared at it and he grinned. "Don't worry. It's not poison."

I squinted down at the liquid. "What is it?"

"Do you trust me?"

I nodded before taking a sip of the drink.

"Good, it's called a Screaming Orgasm."

I barely stopped myself from choking and fanned my face to stop it from flaming. I peeked up at Evan and saw the laughter in his eyes. "Oh, you think you're funny," I said with a smile. I pushed the drink towards him. "Here, you probably need this more than I do." I watched his eyebrows rise at my comment.

He shook his head at me in amusement. "You are an very interesting woman, Helena," he said, his voice sending shivers through me as the alcohol moved steadily through my system.

"Me?" I asked, "How am I interesting?"

He raised his brow again. "Just the way you look for instance," he said and raised a hand to halt my protest. "You have that fiery, red hair and smooth pale skin." He touched my hand lightly and my head swayed a little. "One would expect green eyes to match. But no, yours are almost black."

He indicated my outfit. "You dress like the self-absorbed women out here in South Beach, but you find time to go to a discussion at a local college. And, even participate." He smiled. "That's admirable on so many levels, seeing as how very few people know anything about the occult." He stared into my eyes. "But somehow, I think it's you. You have that spark. That eclectic mix of hot, and sexy and smart." He stopped and took a swallow of the drink in front of him.

"You think I'm hot?" I asked, my increasingly inebriated mind focusing on one word as I took a sip of his drink.

He nodded, "And sexy and smart." He grinned at me.

My heart was pounding and a headache was starting at the base of my skull. I tried to focus on his face for a few seconds and failed, pulling my limp fingers away from his glass.

"You okay?" he asked, with a worried glance.

I nodded at his concerned look.

"No more alcohol," he said laughingly, as he watched my crestfallen look.

"But I thought you wanted me to have a Screaming Orgasm?" I asked coyly, even as my tongue started to feel heavy.

His fingers tightened momentarily around the glass and he swallowed thickly as he leaned forward. His breath tickled my face as he spoke and I inhaled a heady mix of alcohol and mint. "Anytime, you want a screaming orgasm," he said evenly, "call me."

He sat back on his side of the table and I let out a breath. Maybe he wasn't the wisest choice to flirt with when I was feeling a bit tipsy. Because believe me, I was so close to taking him up on his offer.

He looked at my face for a moment and signaled the bartender. A few seconds later, a tall glass of ice cold water stood in front of me.

"Drink this, Helena," he ordered. "Otherwise you are going to get drunk."

I held my head in one hand as I fished out the chunks of ice in the water.

Evan watched with amused expression on his face. "Do you just want me to get another glass of water for you? Without ice?"

I shook my head and turned the glass to my mouth. The cold water bit at my tongue but to be quite honest it was almost refreshing. My lips closed around a piece of ice. Without thinking, I pulled it into my mouth and sucked hard, wincing at the cold burn. Evan inhaled sharply. Curiously, I removed the crystal from my mouth and held it in my hand. It was smooth to the touch and melting quickly.

Reaching out, I touched the tip of my tongue to the clear cube. I licked it a few more times reveling at the sensation against my tongue. Evan growled across the table, but I ignored him. He was probably smarting at my comment. Ice was wonderful. It was a naughty treat that hurt but was still good. I wanted more. I popped the cube back into my mouth and chewed slowly. Then I reached for another.

Quick as lightning, Evan's hand shot out and grabbed the glass away from me. I looked at him puzzled. He cleared his throat. "I thought I saw something floating in the water." I peered into the glass for a minute before Evan walked to the bar and asked for another glass of water. With no ice. He plopped the glass back in front of me and resumed his seat.

"I have a proposition for you Helena," he said as he cleared his throat.

I sat straighter in my chair. This was it. I could barely contain my glee. Evan was going to ask me to spend the night or to go out on a real date. I mean, the sparks had been flying all night. I brushed my curls back from my face and watched him.

He picked up his glass and drank a mouthful before he looked back at me. As my eyes met his, I felt the burn of heat in his gaze. Then it was quickly gone.

"You know a ton about the occult. I could use someone like you to help me with my research. Do you think you would like to be one of my research volunteers?"

My shoulders dropped. A damn research volunteer? What the hell?

"Of course, this means spending more time with me, if you're cool with that." He took my hand in his. "I like you Helena. I really do. And I enjoy spending time with you. I figure this would be a great way for us to...hang out and get to know each other. If you want." He quickly added.

I reassessed the situation. So he didn't ask me out. So I wasn't going home with him for a night filled with passion. But...he admitted he liked me. And...he wanted to spend more time with me. My alcohol soaked brain was coming up with a plan. Before he knew it, he would be begging me to sleep with him. Oh, the wicked things we would do to each other. I smiled at him like I had just been offered a prize. "Of course I would help you." I licked my lips and watched his face. I loved being bad.

~*~

Chapter 4 – Santeria and Sangrias

I walked into the condo and immediately smelled piss. Damn hellhound. Orthus raised one sleepy eye at me, feigning innocence. However, I could tell by the smirk on his face that this latest 'accident' was anything but. He rolled over and eyed me with disdain as I plunked a few groceries on the kitchen table.

How long are we staying here?

I ignored him and waved a hand casually at the mess. Although I knew I should really start practicing to act like a human, I didn't want to do it by cleaning up Orthus' mess.

His nails clicked on the hardwood floors as he followed me to my bedroom.

Helena, how long are we staying here? And how long are you going to keep me trapped in this body? He held a paw out for my inspection and I could see the scorn on his face. You know, I agreed to help you, but I didn't agree to be your pet forever. Tell me how long I have to put up with this shit!

I whirled around and Orthus stopped short. I stooped low enough for him to see my face. "Orthus, quit being a pain in my ass. We will stay here until I accomplish my goals. Simple. And if you try to leave or contact anyone in hell or my dad, I will show everyone how much you liked being a pampered pooch." I grabbed the cellphone from my purse and showed him the picture I had taken at the beach.

His tail stopped wagging and stood ramrod straight. He stared hard at me. Bitch. He looked away and then back into my eyes. You will regret this. And then he walked away.

I rolled my eyes and headed back into the bedroom. Technically, Orthus couldn't do anything until my spell wore off. Because he had agreed to help me and was in close proximity to me, the spell remained in place and strong. The only way to break the spell now was for Orthus to be away from me for an extended period of time or if I released him. Or if my dad released him. Regardless, Orthus had made a deal and it could not be broken.

Walking into the shower, I turned on the spray, allowing the bathroom to steam up. This was the best invention topside. The hot water came pouring out and almost immediately the bathroom started to fog. Today, I was supposed to help Evan. Three times a week, all day, I would be subject to Evan's gorgeous face...and body. In the past week since our agreement, I hadn't seen much of him, but he had let me know he was around by leaving little gifts outside my door.

The first gift was a card with the recipe for a Screaming Orgasm. The second was the lyrics to "Pour Some Sugar on Me," by some band called Def Leppard. The lyrics were followed by flowers, then candy, then edible panties and a package of whipped cream and strawberries. So far, they were all extremely corny gifts, but they were making me want him just a little more each day.

I stepped underneath the hot spray and let my mind wander to Evan. He was unlike the guys I usually dated and I wondered briefly if that was the attraction. Granted he was hot and I had fallen asleep, more than once, wondering what that body would look like naked. And I think I had a pretty good idea. I sighed as the hot water cascaded down my back. If I wanted, I could simply bewitch him and force him to my bedroom and totally take advantage of him. But it would be no fun.

The fun was in the seduction. Though I must admit, I was getting kind of rusty. I rolled my shoulders under the water as I thought back to the bar. There was definitely something there. And something could've happened, had I not gotten tipsy. Damn. I had probably messed up a golden opportunity to get my rocks off. Although, I didn't want to simply have sex, I admitted. I wanted to fall in love.

I smiled wryly. Fall in love. Yeah right. It was probably never going to happen. I had thought myself in love on numerous occasions, but it was so hard to tell when a demon was telling the truth. Actually, it was really hard for a demon to tell the truth. I was tired of the lies and the deceit.

I wanted a few days to feel what love really was. I felt a twinge of conscience as I thought about how someone like Evan would be affected after I left to go back home and I decided to ignore it. No use thinking about 'what ifs', I needed to focus on fulfilling my dreams.

Stepping out of the shower, I quickly toweled off and with a quick wave, my hair dried and hung in delicate ringlets down my back. I threw on a pair of jean and a white lacy button up blouse and a pair of black Louboutins. With red bottoms. I left the bedroom and saw Orthus stretched out by the window in full sun. He lay on his back with his legs spread open. I smiled and he quickly jumped up and ran to the sofa.

Don't forget to fill my water bowl. With the good water. Not the crap from the tap. And I need a steak or two within easy reach.

Obediently, I pulled out a water bottle and filled his bowl. I did not have time to argue with Orthus. I lowered a plate of raw steaks to the lowest shelf in the refrigerator, curling my lip as Orthus licked his. Then I tied Orthus' leash to the door. This way, he was able to open the refrigerator whenever he was ready to eat.

And I want some treats left out.

I stood up. "Don't push it." I grabbed the box of dog treats and dropped it on the floor. "There you go," I said sweetly as I grabbed my purse and walked out the door. I laughed as I heard Orthus cursing in my head.

*

I pushed open the door marked 'Dr. Priest'. The heavy wood moved easily and I cursed softly as I peered inside. Sitting on the couch, carefully thumbing through papers was Bri. Her eyes widened as she saw me walk in the door and then narrowed to little slits.

"What do you want?" she whispered furiously.

I smiled broadly, carefully blocking my mind. The last time I had seen this bitch, she had taken my I-want-Evan-scheme by reading my mind. I was not an idiot. You did not get to fuck me over more than once.

"Sorry, here to see Dr. Priest." I walked further into the room and took in the masculine décor. The furniture was a mixture of classic and contemporary and I was a bit impressed. The couch sat on the left wall and the right side of the room housed a huge wooden desk and a few chairs. Floor to ceiling bookshelves filled the wall. Two windows were in front of me and the bright sun poured into the room. I had learned to ward my eyes and even now, the sun barely burned them anymore. Behind the couch was a corridor that led to a few more doors.

Bri glared at me. "He's not here."

"Hmm," I murmured as I walked around to Evan's desk. I ignored her hiss as I sat in his chair. It smelled like him. It was a heady musk that was essentially all male and all Evan. I looked at the couple in a photo on his desk. The woman sported a mane of golden hair and the man already had a cap of white. He looks just like his father, I thought, leaning closer and seeing Evan's blue eyes.

A pair of arms slid around me. I leaned back into Evan's broad chest. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," he murmured into my ear. "Been getting my gifts?"

I turned around and smiled up at him. "Yes, although some of them were a little...let's say...risqué."

He smiled back and gave me a quick kiss on the nose. "But not inappropriate, I hope?"

I looked thoughtful. "Inappropriate? No. Funny? Corny? Promising? Yes." I winked at him and pushed away. I needed some air. For some reason, I was not the cool, collected Helena when I was around him. I somehow seemed to trip over my tongue or say something that turned the talk to sex.

"So, I'm here to work." I ignored the snort that came from Bri still sitting on the couch as she threw me a look of pure hatred.

Evan looked around. "Oh yeah." He pointed at Bri. "Well, Bri decided to come and help today, so there isn't that much for you to do." He gestured at her leg still in the cast. "I think she is bored sitting at home." He ran a hand through his golden hair. "I still have a couple of meetings to go to, so I won't even be here to talk to you." He smiled and raised my hand to his lips. "Sorry, you came all this way. Perhaps we can take a walk?" He looked at his watch. "Actually, I have a meeting in about ten minutes, it was a last minute thing; I guess I can give you the tour when I get back. Is that okay?"

I shrugged to hide my disappointment. I understood that he was working but I had hoped that we would be able to spend some time together today. "It's okay," I told him and watched him grab a few things off his desk. In a matter of minutes, he was gone, the door banging shut behind him.

"Well, that was just sad to watch."

I squared my shoulders and turned around to face Bri. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" I asked sweetly.

Her face tightened for a moment and then she smiled widely. "I guess your day isn't turning out as planned."

She was right. I kept my face blank as her words hit home. It wasn't turning out as planned. I shrugged. "Didn't have any plans." I lied.

Bri laughed and put down the stack of papers she'd been pretending to look at. "Honey, you're wearing Louboutins. No woman puts those on without a plan." She smiled. "Did I mess up your little work date with Evan?" She laughed again. "You should have seen your face! It was too easy. Too bad, you don't know him like I do." She waved a hand to the stack and grimaced. "I've been doing this for the better part of the year and he still barely notices me."

I rolled my eyes. "Sounds like a personal problem."

Her eyes snapped. "I know what you are."

I held my breath. What did she mean? I checked my ward and found it in place. How had she found out? I nervously looked at the rage brewing in the other woman's eyes.

"I know you're a witch and I know you're not the good kind." She eyed me. "I can tell by your clothes. White witches are always poor. And you are strong. Been doing this awhile?" The air around me shifted and I knew she was testing my powers.

"Even now, you're blocking me. You've figured out my gift of reading minds." She laughed again. "It's okay. It actually makes this easier. He's indifferent, you know."

I looked at her in puzzlement.

Bri smiled at me. "I can read his mind. He's indifferent. He wants to sleep with you one second and the next second, he's thinking about grading papers." She smiled again. "Oh, he'll do the deed, and then move on." She shrugged unapologetically. "Sorry about your luck." She picked up the stack of papers and went back to reading.

My hands ball into fists. She was really starting to get on my nerves. How dare she talk to me like I was a nobody? I was a princess. I wanted to scream and throw my biggest curse at her. I wanted to turn her into a living zombie. I wanted to pull her blonde head from her shoulders and stuff it in the toilet.

Instead, I relaxed and focused on my breathing. If I attacked her here, my dad would know in a heartbeat and I would be back home. I would also lose Evan and probably send him straight into Bri's bed. It hurt to think about it. I smiled at her, although my teeth were so tightly clenched I thought they would break. "Thank you so much for all the wonderful advice. I'll be sure to take it."

She ignored me and I walked out. I was so angry I didn't even think about Evan. Bri's words had started a slow burn in my head and I needed to find an outlet. I seriously thought about going back into the room and showing Bri just how powerful I really was. But what purpose what that serve? It would make you feel better, a traitorous voice said. I ignored the voice. I was going to be in enough trouble when I go back home, the least I could do was enjoy myself while I was here.

But Bri was right. I did have a plan and it did involve Evan and damn, if these shoes weren't starting to hurt. Just a little bit. I thought about casting a spell to switch into a pair of flat shoes, but in all honesty, these shoes were incredible and made my ass in my jeans look phenomenal. I decided to bear the pain for two seconds, and then cast a pain reliever spell. Instantly, my feet felt as if I had on a pair of comfortable flats. I felt better instantly.

I walked into Scene and made my way over to the bar. The bartender recognized me and made his way over with a glass of water. I looked at the glass, "Should I be insulted?"

The bartender laughed. "No, but if you start with this, you can drink a little bit more." He smiled. "It's science, trust me."

I nodded and took a big gulp.

"So, what will it be? Sex on the Beach or the Screaming Orgasm?" He winked at me flirtatiously and I did my best not to wink back.

"Neither," I replied flippantly. "I've had enough of both." He raised an eyebrow and I ignored the look. "What's good here?" I asked as I eyed a menu resting on the table looking at the multitude of drinks.

The bartender cleared his throat. "You should try the Sangria. This is Miami. You need to try a drink with a little Cuban flavor." He winked again.

A Sangria. I liked that. Especially the way it rolled off his tongue. Almost made me want to test how well his tongue rolled. Almost. But as soon as the image of the bartender rolling his tongue popped into my head, so did an image of Evan. Damn it! I wanted to change my mind about falling in love and just sleep with anyone I chose, but I had thought about it for so long, I just had to know. Besides I had already committed to trying it and it seemed as if Evan was behind lucky door number 1.

I looked back at the bartender. "I guess I will try the Sangria."

He nodded his approval. "It's delicious. You'll definitely like it."

I sat back as he walked away and slipped the shoes off my feet. I thought about Bri sitting in Evan's office all self-assured and for a moment, a spell almost flew past my lips. At the last second, I decided she wasn't worth the trouble.

My phone buzzed and I looked at the display. It was Evan. I picked up the phone, eager to hear his voice.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." I could hear the smile in his voice. "I thought you were staying for the tour?"

I shrugged, knowing he could not see me and lied. "I was starting to get a bitch of a headache. Don't know why," I said, thinking of Bri.

"Really, Helena? A headache? Does this have anything to do with Bri?"

I closed my eyes. Damn he was good. "Why would my headache have anything to do with Bri?" It took all I could to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"Helena. What is going on?" Evan sounded confused and I squeezed my eyes tighter still. I could feel the imagined headache start to take root and I took a deep breath.

"Nothing is going on." I lied again. Normally, I didn't give a shit about sparing someone's feelings, but right now, I wanted Evan to like me so much that I was trying to be subtle. I almost laughed out loud. Me, subtle? Dad would be proud.

Evan sighed loudly into the phone. His voice chilled a few degrees. "Helena, I am trying to be patient with you, but if there is one thing I'm not, it's a fool. I can tell you are lying to me and I can tell you are upset about something."

Anger start to build around the headache. How dare he get upset with me? I was the one trying to make something work and was confronted by Bri. Granted, he didn't know that, but that wasn't the point. He should know that Bri was half in love with him; any idiot could see that. He could not pretend that he was not aware of her feelings for him.

"Really Evan? You could tell all that?" I couldn't keep the sarcasm from my voice. "You've known me a little over a week now and you think you have the right to demand anything from me?" My voice shook as my anger grew. I was really pissed off.

"Helena, what is going on with you?" He almost shouted through the phone. I felt his frustration and somehow it made me even angrier. I shouldn't be in a bar at mid-day, alone. I should be hanging out with him. He wanted me; he said it and he knew I wanted him. So why had I let some insignificant witch tell me any differently? I was mad at Evan for not realizing what Bri was up to. I was mad at Bri for getting in the way. But I was more upset at myself for walking away.

I rubbed my aching temples with my hands and stared at the phone. I could hear Evan's breathing and I realized he was still waiting for an answer. My anger at him was starting to cool, but I was far from fine.

"Helena?" His voice was calmer as well. "What are you doing? Are you at home? Do you need me to come over?"

The deep baritone of his voice washed over me and my heart jackhammered in my chest. I was too confused to even think. I honestly didn't know what I wanted from him. I didn't know if I could handle it.

I murmured thanks as the bartender came over and placed a large glass with a pinkish liquid in front of me. Pieces of orange and pineapple swam in the glass and I could smell the intoxicating scent of the alcohol entering my nostrils.

"Hey, I'm fine," I told Evan reassuringly. "I really do have a headache." I said, still massaging my temples. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you. Believe it or not, I have a temper."

He laughed. "It could be because of all that red hair."

I laughed back. "Could be. But really. I'm fine. Just taking a few hours for myself. I'll talk to you tonight." I hung up before he could say anything else to change my mind.

I picked up the glass and put the sweet concoction to my lips. Well, here's to getting smashed and having fun, I said in a silent cheer, before downing the first glass and signaling the bartender to bring another.

*

My head was a cotton ball of fuzziness by the time I drained the last drop of Sangria from my glass and my stomach lurched as a waitress walked by with something fried. I was drunk. Blissfully, wholeheartedly drunk. And not thinking about Evan. Until now. Damn! I could not even drink him out of mind. But it didn't matter. I wasn't cut out for that love thing anyway. Falling in love? No demon worth her salt would even think about saying something like that. And with a human.

I scoffed silently. I was a princess of Hell. I was the princess of Hell. He was so totally beneath me. But now that I think about it, I would like him to be beneath me...and on top of me and maybe even a little spooning action might work. I shook my head and held tight to the table as the room started to spin. It would be really easy to use a spell to clear my head, but I knew from experience that trying to work a spell while drunk was not a good idea. Bad things tended to happen if you weren't careful.

An overwhelming urge to leave came over me and I grabbed my purse. I stood up shakily and managed a few tottering steps before I stumbled into the wood of the bar. Cursing under my breath as a few heads turned my way, I looked at the stairs looming before me. It was like my worst fear come to life. There was no way I was going to be able to make it down those neck breakers without falling. Especially in these shoes.

And I would be so pissed if I broke a heel. Throwing caution to the wind, I removed my Louboutins, shoved them haphazardly into my bag and put a shaky foot on the first stair. As I was about to make my way down, a hand grabbed my arm. Before I could jerk away, the bartender stood in front of me.

"Mami, you left me such a good tip, I can't let you break something." He gestured to the side of the bar near the door. "Take the elevator."

"You have an elevator?" I frowned as he laughed.

"You think we lug all that liquor upstairs ourselves?" He turned me in the direction of the metal box and gave me a little push. "Elevator. And take this." He thrust a bag into my hand. "For, you know," he held his stomach and mimicked the retching that my stomach desperately wanted to oblige.

I mumbled thanks, grabbed the bag and headed in the direction he'd pointed. A few minutes later, still clutching my stomach, I headed out into the warm air of South Beach in the evening time. It was still light out and the streets were starting to come alive. The evening traffic had died down and most of the cars now were interested in finding somewhere to park and party. I followed an unseen force past the rows of hotels and shops. Past the lines of cars that were parked along the street and in parking garages until I reached an area that was covered in trees. The neighborhood looked decent, even if the buildings were drab and the landscaping nonexistent except for the trees.

Against my better judgment, I moved along the cracked walkway, my bare feet crunching on dried leaves long ago fallen from the trees. I moved further along and the trees grew more sparse and the buildings more ominous. I wanted to turn around and run back to the comfort of my condo. After all, even though I was the devil's daughter, right now, I was as vulnerable as I could possibly get. If something were to happen to me, the only way I could get out of it was to call my dad.

I pressed my lips into a firm line. That was not happening. But I continued to move forward. I cursed my feet as they silently carried me past broken homes and cars into the heart of downtown Miami. The smell had changed. It smelled like piss. I wrinkled my nose. The same sulfur laden urine smell of my arrival a few weeks ago.

Why was I still moving? I commanded my feet to stop and felt myself continuing to lurch forward. I was almost like a zombie. I wanted to stop. I wanted to go home. I wanted to lie down in my big Jacuzzi tub in my bathroom and have Evan rub my feet. But instead I was walking into shit-town. I took a deep breath underneath an overpass and almost gagged as the scent of unwashed bodies and urine hit my sensitive stomach.

Suddenly the sangria and fruit I had consumed made its way up my throat. Hunched over, I heaved up the mass which tasted so much better going down and wiped my mouth on my edge of my blouse before walking over to a concrete column. I leaned against the study structure for a second as I caught my breath and looked around vigilantly.

A shadow caught my eye and I turned slowly. An old woman stared at me, her eyes yellowed by liquor and drugs. She snarled, showing cracked, yellowed teeth and lunged for me. I turned and ran, but instead of heading back the way I came, I ran deeper into the bowels of downtown Miami.

My red hair streamed behind me and the heel of one of my shoes poked me in the ribs through my bag. I adjusted the offending shoe and continued running. I don't know when the woman stopped chasing me. I didn't know if I had been in her territory, on her corner or in her paranoia. Regardless, I was tired and hungry and starting to get pissed. The alcohol was still in my system and my stomach still trembled if I thought of food, but so far, I wasn't having any other ill effects from the alcohol. Granted, I was still heading away from South Beach, but I was sure I was taking the scenic route.

I wondered for a moment, if Orthus had placed a spell on me, but I could not detect any of his magic. I couldn't detect any demon magic, but the orange shimmer in the distance did let me know magic was present. I realized that resistance was futile. I was being commanded to go. I bided my time. If Bri was fucking with me, when I got back, she would get to meet the real me. That little witch would not like it when she met my inner demon. You did not get to fuck with the daughter of the devil and get away with it. No. There was a special place in hell for people like that and it involved a lot of torture.

My steps start to slow and I was instantly on guard. Whatever this was, I was nearing the end of it. The intensity that I had felt, the compulsion that had come over me ebbed and I was able to think about going back to South Beach. I was still fairly weak and unable to conjure in my inebriated state, but if I had to, I could whip something up.

The building was in an older area. It was a one story house, barely bigger than my closet with a Spanish tiled roof that was cracked in places and the faux finish on the outside of the house peeling in patches.

I rounded the corner to an outdoor area and saw him. He sat on the ground, a long white robe covering his body. He was thin and his elbows jutted out at a weird angle. He held a cigar in one hand and I watched as he muttered a few words, took a long drag, and blew the smoke with flourish onto the makeshift altar in the built-in grill of the patio.

"I summon you, great spirit. Great Lucifer. I summon you. Hear the cry of your faithful servant. Hear the cry of your loyal servant." He lit a match and the altar went up in flames. I felt the familiar pull towards him, my feet moving despite my resistance.

I closed my eyes. Shit. It was worse than I thought. I was being summoned. I groaned as he noticed me and gave an excited shriek. Damn. This day just kept getting better and better.

~*~

Chapter 5 – A Sage Mage

I was in so much trouble. No. I was in deep shit. The kind so deep, there was no way to dig out of it. I stared at the voodoo practitioner who stared back at me. He reached a trembling hand out to me and I involuntarily stepped back.

"Praise Lucifer!" He threw himself on the ground in front of me and clasped my legs. I resisted the urge to beat him over the head with my purse or a shoe, but I tried desperately to untangle my legs from his hands. He kissed the ground at my feet, his lips against the concrete.

"I am Olorisha Luis Fernandez. I am the humble servant of your master. Please grant my one wish as I have served you faithfully."

I sighed. Olorisha. Much, much worse. Not even voodoo. Santeria. Damn. He was going to be a hard one to get rid of. The Santeria priests were notorious. More than a few demons had become trapped over the eons because of them. Most were also very fanatical, believing wholeheartedly in their religion and that belief fueled their obsessions. Few were actual worshippers of my father and those who were never really admitted it. Like everything else, there was good and there was evil. Some just liked to do their evil in the dark. Or...I looked around. In their backyard.

Of all the demons, with all the luck, I happened to be the closest one the moment he cast his stupid, fucking summoning spell. Now I was stuck. I could carry out his summons and be subjected to whatever weird or unorthodox request he wanted, which would grant my freedom. Or as Princess of Hell, I could summon a lower demon to carry out my sentence for me.

There was only one problem. I could swear the demon to secrecy and even use a spell to bind him, but my dad would know if a demon was summoned from hell and if he asked, that demon would be obliged to answer. Truthfully. Not even my magic could match that of my dad.

I sighed. I stood barefoot, bathed in the light of the city at twilight, with a human clasped to my body. It was similar to a fantasy I had entertained, but it was in a warm hotel room and the human was Evan. Even better, he had not summoned me to fulfill a wish. Like I was a damn genie. I was abruptly brought back to the present by the pinch the Olorisha gave me.

Narrowing my eyes dangerously, I glared at him and he hastily backed away. He surveyed me again as I stared back. He was thin, with a slight paunch around the mid-section and very tanned, his skin tone hinting at an island ancestry; Cuba or Puerto Rico. His dark hair blended in with his skin although his hairline well back past the center of his head. He stood a little taller than my five foot six frame and he looked soft underneath his loose robes.

I raised a brow at his sneakers peeking out from under his clothes. Great. He was a rebel. Hated those. Those were the worst ones to get in hell. For some reason, they did not understand that the struggle was over and that all the people they had killed for their cause had gotten them nothing. Except a stint in hell. They were the ones who wanted you to know that they didn't deserve their fate and that what they were doing was of the utmost importance. Imagine processing a group of them at once. It was horrible.

Refocusing on the Olorisha, I sighed again as he bowed low. His body was taut with excitement. He opened his mouth to speak and I quickly held up a hand to silence him. Alcohol still thrummed through my system although the effect was quickly starting to wear off. I needed water. The only way I could regain some control was to negate the effects of the alcohol. Although I could not release the alcohol from my system, I could dilute it a bit. It would clear my head and allow some reason. Then I could figure out a way to get out of this summoning.

"I am extremely thirsty and my feet hurt. I need water and somewhere to sit before I get into any discussion about any wish granting."

He nodded and ushered me into the house, silently leading me to the couch. The interior was dark and a bit cool. He noted my discomfort and hurriedly turned off the air conditioning, returning with a bottle of water. I sipped the bottled quietly, taking in my surroundings. He wasn't too bad, I noted, but still thought to be wary. I'd heard stories from other demons about how demanding summoners could be.

Many demons had to find a way to grant the request while at the same time killing the human. Making a deal with a demon was already a one-way trip to hell, but if the summoner managed to find salvation—true salvation—before they died, they might be spared. Ensuring that they did not find salvation kept the numbers up and the rooms in hell filled.

Thinking about killing someone, human or not, left a bad taste in my mouth. I was not interested in killing anyone, but I was not to be toyed with. I eyed the man who sat across from me on another couch and was trying not to stare at me. He held a small black object in his hand and I frowned as I stared at it.

"Is that a cell phone?"

He laughed nervously. "No, no," he said quickly. "Remote control for the TV." He hurriedly placed it on the couch behind him.

I continued to frown. Did he think I was an idiot? I knew what a remote control looked like and I also knew what a cell phone looked like. The little bastard was trying to take a picture of me. I muttered a simple spell aware that I was still drunk and watched in satisfaction as he jumped when the cell phone hidden behind his back appeared in front of him. I held my hand out and made a fist, smiling wickedly as his face fell when the phone crumpled into black dust.

"I am not one to be messed with," I said harshly.

He nodded silently, his eyes wide and I wondered if this was his first time doing a summoning. It would explain his excitement at seeing me.

I sat back and waited. The silence stretched between us uncomfortably and the Olorisha swallow visibly. I smiled. I was happy he was afraid, but to be honest, I was scared as well. There was no way out of this without alerting my dad. Or I could refuse the deal, which would allow a damned soul to go free. Who knew what kind of ramifications could result? Forget all that cosmic universe stuff and upsetting the balance. There was no balance. It was just about the numbers. And numbers were down.

"Look," I broke the silence. "What do you want? Someone to love you? You want to put a spell on someone? Cause them to die or something? The lottery? You've discovered you're dying and you want six more years? What is it?"

He opened his mouth wordlessly, surprised at my impatience. I didn't have time to play around. I was trying to enjoy my vacation and a certain sexy neighbor. Right now the Olorisha was cutting into my precious time.

I tapped a foot. "Well, what the hell do you want?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, his bottom lip hanging low as he pouted. "They laugh at me."

I almost rolled my eyes. Almost. "Okay, and?" I prompted.

"I want them to pay."

I almost gagged. I did not kill. It wasn't that I couldn't do it, but when humans died they had such a look of...helplessness that it was painful for me to see. I was no angel but I wasn't going to kill for the thrill of it.

I mimicked his body language and folded my arm across my chest. The Olorisha glanced at my ample chest before he shook his head and glanced somewhere above my head. Yeah buddy, I glared at him, look away.

"I don't kill."

He shook his head, his eyes wide. "I don't want them dead!" he exclaimed. "I want them to see that you are real." He leaned forward suddenly and reached for my arm. I arched an eyebrow and he hastily removed his hand.

"You want me to reveal myself to other humans?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

I shook my head. "That's not how this works." I leaned back against the cushions of the couch. It was quite comfortable in the small house and with the air conditioning off, the temperature was starting to spike. Beads of sweat popped out on the Olorisha's forehead. I wondered if it was the heat of the house or his nervousness that was making him sweat more. After all, he was making a deal with the devil.

"But, you're supposed to do everything I say!"

I smiled at his outburst. "Sorry. Not how this works." I repeated. "You can't wish me to show myself to someone. You summoned me. Only you can see me in my demon form. You have to wish for something that affects you. Money, love, long life." I smiled again. "Well, six more years anyway, but who's counting?"

He fumed as he sat there. Frustration covered his face as his teeth ground together. Oh well. Perhaps he should have thought this through. Although, it was a lie. I could reveal myself to whomever I wanted. Most demons couldn't, but I wasn't most demons. But I wasn't going to reveal myself to a bunch of religious nuts who probably knew I existed and simply wanted nothing to do with this particular Olorisha. I felt a bit sorry for him. He was probably trying really hard to fit in and this was to be his way to garner respect.

Suddenly my pity vanished. He was not going to use me to get his respect. There was a reason a demon did not simply reveal themselves to anyone. It was about survival. If every human knew that demons existed, there was only a matter of time before they discovered how to summon them, and then every demon in hell was potentially at the beck and call of any human willing to risk their souls to summon them.

Humans were a fickle lot. I shuddered as I imagined the lovesick teens, scorned wives, and brokenhearted men who would summon a demon for revenge to later regret it. Wars could wage. Demon against demon. Contrary to popular belief, we could technically die. No. It was a good thing the safeguards were in place.

I stood up. "Look, I would love to help, but I really have to get going." I walked towards the door and saw the stunned look on his face. I guess he expected me to simply grant his wish and then disappear. I shrugged. Nothing was fair. Besides, he really had no idea what he was doing. All he simply had to do was command me and I could not resist. Instead I walked out to the patio and sighed as he followed me. His long robes swished around his feet and my own feet hurt as I walked over the scalloped pavers in the backyard.

The night sounds of Miami were starting to get louder. Cars whizzed by. Dogs barked. TV's blared. Somewhere nearby a car door slammed. A child a few doors down cried. Rather loudly. I looked back at the Olorisha. He had a determined look on his face and I knew that he would take me up on the offer of granting his wish.

"But, don't I—!"

He stopped again as I held up my hand for silence. I could tell he was inexperienced when talking to a demon. It was all about negotiating. Not that I had a lot of experience myself, my dad had kept me guarded from such things, so I only knew the stories. I turned toward him, a tad bit apologetic. He did look rather ridiculous with the long robes and sneakers.

"Seriously, I know this is not the way you wanted this to work out and although I am not obligated to fulfill your wish, after all, you did make a deal. No getting out of that one. Perhaps I will be nice and owe you one, but right now I have other things to do." I waved a hand. Even though I was still not quite sober, using a simple spell to find home shouldn't be too bad.

I may not end up home, but I would be far away from this lunatic. "So good luck and good bye." I muttered a spell, but before I could vanish I saw the shocked look of a brown haired man with round glasses. The reporter from Evan's open forum discussion. And he had just watched me disappear.

*

I stomped into my condo and instantly felt my right foot step in something wet. And yellow. And smelly. I tried to use a spell to clean up Orthus' mess and cursed when the yellow smelly liquid remained on the floor. Orthus raised his head and glared at me.

Really, Helena? You're that drunk that you can't even get rid of a little piss? Princess of Hell. Sheesh! Want me to take care of it? He looked at the mess, his nose wrinkled and twitched and in a moment it had disappeared.

I glared back at him, feet aching and gaze slightly unfocused. "If it were that easy, why the fuck didn't you do that in the first place?" I asked irritably.

More fun watching you get rid of it. He padded over to me. You stink! Where have you been?

I ignored Orthus' question. I had no doubt that I smelled. In fact, there was a good reason why demons didn't mess with spells when drunk. I shuddered as I thought of the swamp water I had ended up in after I had vanished in front of the reporter and the Olorisha. Although the water was nice and warm, it had smelled. And was filled with animals that seemed to want to take a chunk out of me. Until I had shown them differently. Now I had enough alligator skin to cover a couch, make a few curtains and a damn rug. All that was before I had to walk home.

Apparently, no spells and limited funds could only get you so far in Miami and to be honest, it didn't get you very far at all. I glared at Orthus again, put a hand to my aching head and headed to my bedroom, marching straight into the bathroom to toss my shoes into a corner. Quickly running hot water into the tub, I sank my weary body into the water even before it had finished filling.

I sank beneath the suds as if the hot water could remove the past twenty-four hours. I wouldn't have been challenged by Bri, wouldn't have gotten drunk in the bar, wouldn't have been summoned by an Olorisha and my fucking feet would not be hurting right now. Overuse and alcohol was causing my soothing spell to lose its effectiveness and I held my breath as the heat from the water soaked into my bones, then pushed myself free of the water to catch a breath. I scrubbed my hair as I noticed a leaf drift by me in the water and I grimaced, and then plucked another twiggy leaf out of my curls before I stepped out of the tub to towel dry.

Sitting down on my bed, I plugged in my dead cell phone. It whirred to life as it started sucking the electricity it needed to stay operational and I heard a beep. Missed call. I looked at the display. Evan. He had probably called me when I was being led like a damn lamb to the Olorisha. Or it could have been when I was lost in the jungle of the Everglades or wherever it was that I had been. I felt bad about my behavior earlier that day and I knew that I had been a little bit bitchy. I promised myself to call him first thing in the morning.

He didn't give me that chance. As I sat there thinking about what I would say to him, my phone buzzed. Evan. My stomach gave a funny lurch at the thought of him. I picked up the phone and answered it. I was tired and hungry and not at all my usual self. Evan picked up on that right away.

"What are you doing?" He asked without preamble.

"Nothing much." I shrugged knowing he could not see me. "Long day, even longer night so I was planning on going to bed." As much as I hated to admit it, I was too tired to flirt. I would play our little game tomorrow. My feet ached, my head ached, my back ached; places I didn't even know I had, ached. It was all too much for a girl to take on an empty stomach.

Evan vetoed my decision to go to bed. He played his trump card. Even if he didn't know it was a trump card. "Want some dinner? I'm buying."

How was I to say no? I was hungry. Too drunk to use my powers and too tired to go out for food. He had said the magic words. No further debate was necessary and I quickly said yes and hung up. I grabbed a sundress, slipped it over my head, pulled my still wet hair into a ponytail and slipped on a pair of ballet flats. I was too hungry to take the time to dress up and besides, I didn't want to seem desperate. I raced across the hall, and rang the doorbell. Seconds before Evan opened the door, I wondered if he had extended this invite to Bri as well. I hoped not. In the mood I was, seeing she would not be good for her health. Powers or no powers.

Evan opened the door and stared at me. I stared back, taking in the T-shirt and khaki shorts he wore with a pair of flip-flops. He continued to stare and I began to feel a tad bit anxious. My stomach growled and broke his trance. He smiled, a slight curling of his lips as he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room and into his arms. I returned the hug, puzzled and a bit embarrassed at my enthusiastic display, then broke free as my stomach growled again.

Evan laughed. "So it was the offer of food and not me that brought you here."

I smiled at him as he held my hand and dragged me into the living room. We sat on the couch that Bri had occupied a week ago and my fingers dug into the bowl of potato chips that sat on the coffee table in front of us.

Evan stretched his long legs and laid his head on the back of the couch. "Food should be here in about ten minutes." He looked away for a moment and I studied his profile. Sharp and angular. He suddenly looked back at me and I felt myself caught by his blue eyes. Damn this man was good-looking. No wonder Bri was territorial. I would be too. I would be pissing all over his couch, his leg, his car. Anything to let the other bitches know he was mine.

I wondered how long Bri had been working on him and if they had done anything besides hanging out. I didn't want to think about Evan with another woman although I knew that he was obviously not pure. Hell, I wasn't either. Far from it, but I wanted him all to myself.

He reached over to clasp my hands; holding my hands in both of his and brought them up to his lips. The heat of his kiss spread through my hands and down to my stomach. "I'm really sorry I was such as ass," he said apologetically.

I raised an eyebrow. "It's okay. You can be an ass sometimes."

He laughed at my comment. "I don't know if I should take that as an insult or forgiveness." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I'll choose forgiveness." He kissed my hands again. "But I am really sorry. I wanted to spend time with you and I totally forgot that I had meetings that day and that Bri was going to help me."

He shrugged. "I know you don't really like Bri," he seemed to struggle to find the appropriate words. "She can be a...handful sometimes," he said, "although she is not a bad person." He released my hands to rake his through his hair. "I should say this now because I want you to understand. Bri and I almost had a fling once. I knew it wouldn't last and it didn't, but we are still friends."

I said nothing as I listened to his speech. I knew what kind of friend Bri wanted to be. The part about them almost having a fling floored me. I desperately wanted to ask what "almost having a fling" entailed. Before I could open my mouth the doorbell rang. Evan walked over to the door and the smell of Chinese food wafted in. My mouth watered. I was famished. He turned with the food in his hand and I swear it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. Evan was already sexy as sin. But carrying food? Now he was almost too good to be true.

Less than an hour later, I was sprawled on Evan's couch. He sat next to me, his hands massaging my back as I moaned. I had eaten like a glutton in front of him and did not care. Now I was full and although I was sleepy, Evan's hands on my skin was starting to arouse feelings in me best suited for another time. I was about to tell him that I needed to leave when I felt his hands trace the column of my neck. A moment later, his lips kissed the same spot and I started to tremble. I should not be feeling this way towards this human this quickly. He hadn't even kissed me yet and I could already feel the wetness between my legs.

This was different than simple sex. Sex with humans was nothing new for me. Hell sex was not a big deal where I was from. But the feelings that instantly caught fire in me were too deep, too strong for mere sex. His powerful fingers gripped my shoulders as he kissed his way up my neck, across my nape and down the other side to my shoulder. I shivered as he pulled the strap of my sundress off one shoulder and kissed my bare skin. An electric current zinged through me and my stomach clenched.

My fingers lightly touched his hands and he froze.

"Helena?" he whispered. "Are you okay? Is this okay?" He sighed. "I don't want to rush you or make you do anything you don't want."

I shook my head and smiled. "It's okay."

He released the breath he was holding and his lips went back to my neck. "You are so damn beautiful," he whispered against my flesh, causing my nipples to bead. I tilted my head to give him better access and he took it; laving his tongue along my neck and nipping my earlobe between his teeth. He let out an unsteady breath as his hands moved lower and cupped my full breasts.

"Helena? Are you sure about this?"

I nodded quickly. The man was a study in patience. I was practically putty in his arms, where normally I was the aggressor and he was still making sure I wanted him. He was making sure I was comfortable with what we were doing. I was suddenly tired of waiting. I turned in his arms and captured his lips with mine.

He smiled in surprise and then allowed me to deepen the kiss. "Trust you to take charge," he said against my lips.

I smiled back. "You haven't seen anything yet."

He grinned and then looked up in surprise as he suddenly found himself beneath me. My strong thighs held him in place and I leaned over and put my lips back on his. His hands gripped my hips and my heavy breasts fell against his chest.

Without thinking, I leaned up and whipped my dress over my head. Evan's mouth fell open as his lustful gaze travelled up and down my naked body. "You are just full of surprises," he said as he moved his hands involuntarily against my skin.

I reached up and undid the ponytail allowing my hair to swing free. Evan sat up, with me still straddling his lap, and tangled one large hand in my curls. He wrapped the red tresses around his hand and pulled my head back. His lips sought my neck and he trailed kisses down my throat. I was on fire. No human or demon had ever made me burn this way. It was as if he was in my core. He released my hair and I moaned, bereft. In no time, he had discarded his shirt and his pants lay unbuckled and low on his hips.

"Helena," his voice was ragged. "What are you doing to me?"

I shook my head. Me doing something to him? The man was pure sin. Better than chocolate. He had a witch and a demon fighting over him. And he thought I was doing something to him? His hands against my skin pushed all coherent thought from my mind as he cupped my breasts again and I arched my back as he bent his lips to suckle. Oh my. He must have made his mother very happy when he was a nursing baby. He teased and played. He kneaded and bit. And when I thought I could take no more, his hands slipped lower.

He lowered me gently to the couch and draped his body over mine. He looked into my eyes and his blue eyes darken with lust and...something else. He kissed me again, our breaths harsh in the room and my eyes rolled into my head as his hands found my center. He touched my nub and I jerked at the current that passed through me. He laughed, a deep sound that made my stomach clench again and wet the hand covering my mound. He felt the change and his laughter stopped. I reached lower and shoved my hands past the course blond hair on his stomach and into his pants. My hands curled around his hot hardness and he arched his back.

Evan grinned at me, his blue eyes flashing a hunger that I echoed before he slipped a finger into my honeyed heat. I licked my lips at the feeling of fulfillment and his eyes darkened at my obvious pleasure. He pulled his finger away and moved down my body, my hands protesting as his shaft was pulled away beyond my reach. Moments later, his cool tongue touched my center and my hands flew to the back of his head. I wanted to pull him into my core which was quickly heating up. His tongue was slow and sure as it flicked my nub and licked up and down my wet slit. He pulled my nether lips into his mouth and teased me as my hips arched beneath him. I muttered incoherently, my legs wrapped tightly around his broad back.

The fire in my core started to spread out and I knew it was a matter of time before I burst into flames. As if he sensed this, Evan stopped. He crawled up my body and moved back to my lips before thoroughly kissing me. I tasted my juices on his tongue and it made me wetter still. He shoved off his pants and boxer briefs, his moves quick and impatient. I moved to pull his shaft in my hands again and he stopped me, holding my hands high above my head.

"If you touch me right now, this is going to be over very quickly," he warned.

I smiled. "We don't want that."

Evan smiled back before quickly kissing me. "We don't want that. We want this done the right way."

He leaned away from me and reached onto the coffee table for his wallet. He pulled a slim foil packet from the leather, tore it open and within seconds, had rolled the latex down his length. I stretched languidly and watched him as he watched me, enjoying the feeling of power as his eyes glazed. His penis jumped and I bit my lip as I stared at him. His penis was beautiful. It was long and wide and had a thick vein that ran down its length, from the round head to the nest of dense blond hair at the base. His eyes remained a dark blue as he leaned into me and in mere moments was sheathed inside my body. I sighed. My muscles were stretched around the girth of him. I wiggled my ass and he grabbed my hips, stilling my movements. I gave him time and then he started to move.

If I thought the man was good with his mouth, he was a genius with his hips. Evan pulled out slowly before slamming back into me. I cried out helplessly as he repeated the movement again and again. His thrusts became harder and harder, then faster and faster. He held onto my hips and jackhammered my body. The fire had spread throughout my limbs; the heat and the flames licking through my belly and down my thighs. I was so close.

Evan reached between my legs and his nimble fingers flicked against my nub. I cried out my climax; my back arching even as Evan continued to pound in and out of my body. He removed his hand from my engorged clit and held my hips as he pumped. Suddenly he thrust deeply and held his hips still as he poured into me. His heart pounded against mine and I looked up into his eyes, surprised at the tremor of emotion that I could not name.

His arms trembled as he held his weight off my body and he groaned as I pulsed around him before he slowly pulled out. He lay on his back and pulled me over him. He kissed my lips hard as he cupped my ass in one hand.

"Next time, we're doing this right," he promised.

I raised my head, sleepily. "It can't get much better than that," I mumbled.

Evan kissed the top of my head. "Oh, you just wait and see."

I sighed as his hand stroked my head. I could feel him stirring again. I raised my head. "Impossible." Even demons in hell didn't get it up that quickly.

He looked at me and laughed, "Apparently not." He removed the condom and donned a fresh one. "Don't worry baby, I'll do all the work." He lifted me and set me on his shaft, impaling me with his length.

I moaned as he filled me. Sleep vanished as his hands reached up to cup my hips. He trembled inside me and I took that moment to clench my muscles.

"Oh damn, Helena!" he groaned. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his teeth ground together.

I locked my thighs around his hips, and clenched my muscles again. Let him do all the work. I snorted as I watched this beautiful man buck beneath me. Yeah right.

I started to move.

~*~

Chapter 6 – Double Trouble

The heavy arm held me down and prevented me from escaping. I sighed, stretched, and giggled as, even in sleep, Evan's hand curled around my breast. I followed the curve of his fingers with my eyes; the long digits grasping my breast possessively. His muscular leg was thrown over mine and I greedily ran my eyes over his legs, to his thighs and finally his glorious ass. He was magnificent.

I thought back to the night before and grinned even wider. The things I had done to him were probably illegal in this world, but what he'd done to me in return was downright sinful. I felt happy. Sated, sore and tired. But happy. Not a feeling I was used to. Fulfilled, yes, but this giddiness I was feeling was...indescribable. His chest lay against mine, one dusky nipple exposed and I resisted the urge to pinch it. I was becoming a sadist! But he was so pinchable. And biteable. And lickable. I licked my lips and closed my eyes. I could not take much more than this.

I felt the fingers on my breast flex and opened my eyes. Sure enough, his baby blues met mine sleepily.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," I replied with a smile curving my lips.

"Sleep well?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

I narrowed my eyes at him and looked up at the ceiling. "Not as well as I had hoped," I answered playfully. "Had a weird dream. There was this really hot guy and he kept doing stuff to me. Couldn't really hit that REM sleep."

He shifted his hand. "Hot guy, huh?" He licked the side of my breast and I bit the inside of my lip to stop my moan. My traitorous nipple hardened and he chuckled. He licked the tip slowly and then blew on my sensitized flesh. He shifted and his other hand slowly moved down my stomach, stopping a hair's breath away from my clit.

"So what did this hot guy do?"

Before I could answer, Evan's mouth covered my breast. Whatever I had been about to say vanished from my thoughts. The only thing I was focused on was his hot mouth ravishing my tender nipple. The muscles in my stomach clenched and I shuddered as a moan escaped my mouth. His other hand slipped between my legs, his fingers tracing along my slit as he stroked up and down slowly.

"You didn't answer me, Helena. What did this hot guy do? Was it better than this?" He slipped a finger into my heat and I felt the world stop, just for a second. He teased my nipple with his mouth, playfully biting and nibbling. Tension built up in my body and in minutes I had exploded, climaxing over his fingers. He raised his head and moved his soaked fingers to his mouth, licking them clean.

I blushed. I wasn't shy, I was a demon after all, but damn, this man made me feel things that I did not want to feel. Well, I did want to feel them. It was a part of the plan. But was I supposed to feel them this intently. This was torture.

It was more than simply sex. I was no stranger to slaking my carnal urges, but the feelings which threatened to overwhelm me when Evan touched me were new. One moment, I felt as if I couldn't breathe if he didn't touch me and the next I felt I would go crazy if he continued to. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and tried to distract myself.

"My turn," I told him, rolling him over onto his back. I ran my hands over his strong chest. The short blonde hairs that covered his body slipped through my fingers and I leaned forward to kiss his neck. His pulse hammered and I licked his throat which tasted of sweat...and him. My hands found his nipples and I pinched, reveling in his sharp intake of breath.

To soothe my vicious act, I leaned into him and licked the glorious nubs, scraping them gently with my teeth and rolling them around on my tongue. I kissed my way down his stomach and reached his shaft. Long and golden, it stood up proudly. I eyed it closely, marveling at how well it had been used last night.

I ran my fingers lightly over the tip and licked the drops of fluid that clung to my fingers. Evan inhaled as I leaned over his shaft, my breath tickling his sensitive head. I leaned closer and opened my mouth. Just I as was about to engulf the plump head, I changed course and licked the sac nestled at the base. He jerked and I smiled. Payback, I thought.

I caressed the sac with one hand and licked it clean before heading back up and swallowing his thick shaft whole. His body bucked beneath me as I covered his entire length. I was not sweet or gentle. I slurped, sucked, licked and spit. Finally when Evan was gasping beneath my mouth and bucking like a wild horse, I sat on his length.

He flipped me over and pulled me to my hands and knees, his shaft never leaving my heat. He gripped my hips hard and pulled me back onto his shaft, ramming his length into me so forcefully that I gasped as he entered me. He leaned over me, his breath harsh in my ears as he hammered into me and roughly grabbed my breasts.

"Fuck Helena," he groaned. "This is so fucking good."

I could only nod my head in agreement. He pounded me so hard and fast that I could not form words. All I could do was feel. The sensation threatened to overtake me and I opened my mouth to tell him...something...and was surprised at the loud moan. Evan cursed and moved even faster, his hips slapping into mine with a rhythm as old as time. The smell of sex and Evan permeated the room and my insides start to spiral out of control.

He moved his hands from my breast and one reached between my legs to tickle my clit. I did not—could not—hold back. My muscles clamped down on him and milked him as I climaxed again. He shuddered and thrust wildly into me before he came with a loud groan. He poured into me and my muscles sucked every drop from him until he collapsed over me.

"Shit. I am so sorry Helena."

I turned my head to look at him, puzzled. "For what?"

He ran a hand over his face, contrite. "For not protecting you. For taking you so roughly." He rolled over onto his back, his face worried.

"Hey," I touched his cheek lightly. "It was rough, but it was amazing. I liked it. In fact, I think I like it anyway you give it. And in terms of protection? I'm safe and I got it covered." I smiled at him reassuringly.

He reached up and tucked one of my curls behind my ear, his blue eyes drowsy. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Tugging at my arms, he pulled me and I fell against him. His heart hammered in his chest, the rhythm soothing. Seconds later, his arms wrapped tightly around me, he fell asleep.

*

The next time I woke, it was to the smell of pizza. I rolled out of Evan's bed and wrapped the sheet around me, somehow almost self-conscious about my body. I tip-toed to the bathroom, located a bottle of mouthwash, quickly rinsed my mouth and grimaced as I saw my hair. I looked like a damn Raggedy Ann doll. My curls were a mess; flattened in some places, tangled all over and altogether looking like someone who had gotten lost in a jungle somewhere or had spent all night and half the morning making love.

I walked into the living room as Evan set the pizza out on two plates. He poured a couple glasses of wine and looked up as I walked into the room wrapped in the sheet. His eyes darkened as he gazed at me and he cleared his throat before indicating the food. "I was just about to wake you."

I walked over to him and grinned. "Pizza and wine for breakfast. I like."

He looked at me for a moment longer as if wrestling with a question. Suddenly he reached over and dragged me into his arms. His mouth covered mine hotly and I tasted the mint of his mouth as his tongue pushed past my lips. My head whirled as he kissed me and desire flared in my belly. He broke the kiss and held me away from him. The sheet had slipped and my breasts were dangerously close to being exposed. He took a steadying breath and shook his head as if to clear it.

"I promised myself that I would let you eat, but damn it, I want you again." He leaned his head against mine and smiled. "I can't help myself, Helena," he said, before he kissed me lightly.

I splayed my hands on his chest. "Evan. Food."

He laughed. "Yeah, food. But just so we're clear," he winked as he sat down, "I like to eat you."

*

I donned my sundress and ballet flats and peeked into the hall. Evan laughed behind me and I turned around and glared at him.

He kissed me quickly. "You do know that it's only me, you and Bri on this floor, right?"

I narrowed my eyes and he swatted my ass. "Yes, I know, but that doesn't make it any of her business."

I peeked back outside and gauged the distance between his door and mine. Technically, my front door was across from Bri's, so that made things a bit trickier. I looked back at Bri's door and throwing caution to the wind I ran to my condo. As I punched in the key code, the door opened. I hesitated, the hair on the back of my neck tingling.

Did I leave my door unlocked? Did I not close it last night? As long as I closed the door it would automatically lock, but this wasn't the case. I pushed the door open and went inside. Nothing seemed out of place or missing. Luc's plasma TV was still on the wall, the appliances were still in the kitchen. I walked into the bedroom, my purse was still sitting on the bed; wallet and credit cards still inside.

I shrugged and took off my clothes. As much as I loathed rinsing the smell of Evan from my skin, I needed a shower and I needed to brush my teeth. I took a quick shower and washed my hair again, wrapping the long red curls in a towel. I pulled on another sundress and a pair of low sandals. Snapping my fingers, I removed the towel, surprised that my hair was only half dry. Then I remembered the glass of wine at lunch. I was so sex addled that I had drunk alcohol, again. Damn! At least I wasn't drunk this time, but my powers weren't as accurate as they normally were.

The hair on my nape tingled again as I walked back into the living room. Something was definitely wrong. I moved into the kitchen and almost tripped over Orthus' water dish. I looked around in alarm. Where was Orthus? I quickly checked his bedroom and the bathroom before I ran out to the balcony where he loved to bask in the sun. He was not there. My heart beat out an unfamiliar rhythm. It took a moment, but I recognized it as fear. I ran back into the living room and sank onto the couch. Shit. While I was getting pounded by Evan, somehow Orthus had gone missing. That was not good.

I picked up my phone and called Evan. He answered on the first ring.

"Orthus is missing!" I said in a panic before he could say anything.

"Helena! Are you okay? I'll be right over." I heard his front door slam and I quickly moved to open mine. I fell into his arms.  
"Orthus is missing!" I told him, tears threatening to spill down my face. I was too scared to think properly. Orthus needed to be around me. Not that I was overly fond of the little bastard, but he had started to grow on me. And there was an even greater reason for my panicked state.

I wasn't sure how long Orthus had been gone, but if he was not around me, I was not able to control him. If I didn't find him soon, my spell would weaken and he would regain his hellhound powers. That was not a good thing. Not only for me, but for whomever he was around. I hoped that he'd only walked out and was playing a trick on me. I really hoped that he had not been stolen.

"Did you leave your door unlocked?" Evan asked me.

I sniffled and shrugged. "I don't remember last night, but I remember it was open when I got back from your place."

He stopped. "Your door was open or unlocked?"

I thought back. "It was unlocked, but the door was definitely closed." I closed my eyes in fear. Orthus was in little dog form. There was no way he would be able to close the door back if I had left it open. All the windows were closed as were the balcony doors, so there was no breeze to close any doors. Someone had broken into my apartment.

Evan nodded and confirmed my suspicions. "Helena, I think we should call the police. It sounds like someone broke in here." He looked around. "Is anything else missing?"

I shook my head. "I checked already. Nothing is missing except my dog."

Evan looked puzzled. "Why would anyone steal a dog and leave a TV and all these appliances?"

I thought the same thing. My purse had been on the bed. Luc's TV was in plain sight. The only thing the thieves had taken was a hellhound trapped in the body of a Chihuahua. It made no sense. A thought popped into my head. "This building in pretty secure right?" I asked.

He nodded, "Usually."

"And the only people with access to the floors are the ones that live here?" I pressed as the idea started to take shape.

Evan hesitated, "Helena, I don't think anyone on this floor wanted your dog—."

"Not just anyone," I growled, "Bri."

Evan held up a hand and grabbed me as I went to run past him. "Helena, relax." He held me to him. "You don't know that Bri has him."

"Oh, I know," I told him and thought, I could definitely find out. That jealous bitch had taken my dog and she was going to pay. I thought about simply letting Orthus wake up and handle her, but I knew that half the city would suffer if Orthus woke up upset.

Evan continued to hold me as I struggled against him. "Helena!" he said sharply. "Think! If Bri has him and you storm over there with no evidence, she can simply get rid of him and you will never find him." He stroked my back as reason started to creep into my head. "We need to do this right. Call the police and file a report, then watch her. See what she does. Confronting her will do nothing but cause her to harm Orthus if she truly has him."

I nodded and slipped out of his embrace. Oh hell, I was on the verge of having a panic attack. It was supposed to be easy. Stay here for a month, keep Orthus with me, and release him from the spell when we got back. Sometimes things never went according to plan. Right now, one of the original 'weapons of mass destruction' was hidden somewhere in Miami. Without me to calm him.

Evan slipped a hand beneath my hair and massaged my neck. "We'll find him, don't worry."

I looked up at him. "I can't help but worry. You don't understand," I growled helplessly. "He needs me and soon."

Evan looked at me. "Helena. I know he is your pet, but don't worry. Animals can survive much better in the wild than we can."

A hysterical laugh bubbled in me. Oh, Orthus could survive in the world. That wasn't the problem. The problem was would the world be able to survive Orthus? "You don't get it."

"Is Orthus a special needs dog?" he asked seriously.

I thought about it. Does having the ability to destroy half of Miami count as 'special needs'? "Yes," I told Evan. "I have his medication and he needs to take it every twenty-four hours."

Evan's shoulders dropped. "Shit."

I echoed his words silently. Shit.

We called the police. Four hours later—four hours—the officers arrived and took the report. I narrowed my eyes when one officer looked at me condescendingly as he learned that I wasn't sure if I left my door unlocked. He started to say something about this, but changed his mind at the glare both Evan and I leveled on him. He closed his book, wrote a case number on a card and handed it to me.

"Use this as a reference number for the case when you call to check the status."

I frowned. "When I call? Aren't you supposed to keep me informed?"

The officer looked at me and shrugged. "Ma'am, this is a Miami and yours is a non-emergency case. Unfortunately, we are swamped with real cases like murder. I'm sure your dog will show up." He walked away.

Only Evan's hands biting into my shoulders stopped me from hurling Luc's blender at the man's pompous head.

After the police left, I walked over to Bri's apartment. Evan looked at me worriedly and I smiled to reassure him. "I not going to kill her," I told him through clenched teeth. Just hang her upside down outside until blood ran from her eyes.

He nodded and I knocked on Bri's door. She answered the door dressed in a cute little baby doll romper and heels. For early in the afternoon, she was sure dolled up.

"What?" She asked rudely, and then spied Evan. "Um, what are you guys up to?"

Evan smiled at her and put his arm around me. "Someone took Helena's dog today. Broke into her apartment and stole him. He's a special needs dog." He looked hard at Bri. "Did you see anyone hanging around?"

Bri shook her head, her eyes wide.

I sensed her fear, but there was something else. I knew she was lying but I needed to shake her up. "Are you sure?"

She looked over at me. "I said I didn't see anyone!" she snapped.

Evan squeezed my shoulder and looked down at me as I let out a tense breath. "Shit." She was not going to budge and I couldn't press her with Evan at my side.

Evan looked back at Bri. "Thanks a lot Bri. If you hear anything, let us know."

She nodded and closed the door firmly.

I hurried back to my apartment and into the bedroom. I changed into a pair of yoga pants and sneakers. Evan watched me.

"Where are you going?"

"To find my dog," I snarled at him. I was pissed off. I was pissed at Bri for being a lying, jealous bitch. I was pissed at Orthus for allowing himself to be kidnapped. What kind of hellhound allows himself to be captured by a damn witch! And I was pissed at myself. While I was fucking the neighbor, my dad's prize possession was being lifted. I had put no spells in place as a safeguard. I had dragged Orthus here for my own selfish reasons and he was suffering because of it.

Evan reached for me and I backed away. He frowned. "Want me to help?"  
"No thanks," I said, almost glaring at him before muttering under my breath, "you've help a ton already."

He gave me a hard look and walked out. Seconds later, I heard his door slam. I didn't need him. I could do this by myself. It was better anyway. I was sober again; no more alcohol in my system and that meant my powers were back. I closed my eyes and cast a tracking spell. Sure enough, I could see a ghostly version of Bri in my apartment with Orthus. She held a large steak in her hand and the greedy dummy fell for it.

I shook my head. What was up with Orthus and steak? I breathed deeply to relax myself. I only had one shot at this. I couldn't go to the police. What was I to tell them? That I had cast a spell that showed me what had happened in my apartment? I couldn't prove it to them, not without revealing myself and I seriously didn't think Evan would find that very attractive.

Following the ghost version of Bri, I walked into the elevators and pressed the down button. Even the elevator cameras were no help. She had laced the steak with something and Orthus was out before he had even finished eating. She had stuffed the poor dog in a gym bag and wearing her gym clothes had walked onto the elevator. The cameras would only show a woman dressed to go to the gym carrying a gym bag. No suspicion there.

I walked out onto the street, the afternoon sun lighting up South Beach like a lamp. I walked quickly through the nicer areas of South Beach towards North Beach. Here the homes were a bit more run down and there were more apartments than beach condos. The tingling sensation on my nape was back and I looked around. I was being followed. The sun was even lower in the sky and dusk had started to fall.

There was a whisper of footsteps behind me and I looked around. The footsteps stopped. I started moving again, not surprised when the footsteps started moving along with me. I wanted desperately to mutter a spell and find out who was following me, but if it was Bri, I didn't want to lose the element of surprise. I needed to find Orthus and soon. Therefore, I couldn't waste my energy casting spells. I could wait until she got closer and take her out.

I stopped suddenly and pretended I had to tie my shoe. I used my movements to surreptitiously look around. A large wall signaled the entrance to one apartment building and it was easily accessible. I could slip behind it and catch her unawares. I retied my laces and walked on. In the twilight, I slipped behind the wall and doubled back. I caught my stalker by the arm and triumphantly whirled the bitch around.

It was the Olorisha who had summoned me. I stared at his sweaty face. He was obviously not used to sleuthing. "What the fuck do you want?" I asked angrily.

He licked his lips. "I am ready for my wish now."

I stared at him. "Really? Now? How did you find me anyway?"

He looked pleased with himself. "I cast a tracking spell on you."

I frowned. "Tracking spell? To do that you needed something of mine."

"Or something you touched." He smiled. "I used the water bottle you left."

At any other time, I would have admired his ingenuity and tenacity. Right now, they were both getting on my nerve.

"I don't have time for this," I said as I started to walk away.

He looked over at me. "I know who you are."

My footsteps faltered. He did not know me. He could not know me. Every demon in hell was probably out looking for me. My vacation would not be ruined by a glory hungry Santeria priest clamoring for fame. I turned around slowly. "You don't know what you are talking about."

He swallowed nervously but held his ground. "I know who you are; I know your true name."

Sweat break out on my brow. Knowing a demon's true name gave you the ultimate power over them. I would be powerless to avoid his wish and when he was done, I would be cast back into hell. This day was not looking good. "You don't know what you're talking about," I repeated, hoping he would get the hint that I was not one to play with. He didn't get it.

"You can't frighten me." He lifted a bag he held in his hand. "I have everything I need to cast you back, demon."

I sniffed and smelled the distinctive scent of hawthorne, fennel and a mixture of other plants used to protect against demons. If this little weasel knew the right words, he could banish me right on the spot.

"Look," I held my hands up and licked my lips nervously, hoping to placate him somehow. "I am really busy right now."

He looked at me without sympathy.

I tried again. "I am trying to find my neighbor's—well, my dog—and it's not going so well right now." I walked closer to him and he held the bag higher. "He's a special needs dog and needs his medication. I am trying to find him before he dies." I practically wailed, hoping his sense of compassion would kick in.

The Olorisha looked at me skeptically. "You are a demon. You are full of lies. What does a demon want with a dog?"

I held my hands out beseechingly. "I am not lying. When you asked for the wish, did I lie to you?"

He thought about it. "Well, I guess not."

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "I am not here to harm anyone. I just wanted to get away and enjoy a little vacation."

He looked at me again with a frown. "You are one weird demon."

I held my hands in front of me. "Well, I just want to enjoy all life has to offer."

He nodded and put the little bag of herbs into the pocket of his robe. I eyed the pocket wondering if I would be able to grab it before he invoked the banishing spell and shook my head when he laughed.

"You can try, mami, but I can say it faster than you can get my bag. After all, you can't use your powers on me. Not while I have this."

I nodded, not sure what was going to happen next. He answered it for me. "Now we go look for your dog."

I almost groaned. The last thing I needed was this bumbling idiot trying to help me find Orthus. I nodded with a tight smile, for once happy that it was now dark.

He indicated I should lead the way.

I needed to get rid of him. I couldn't put a spell on him to get rid of him, but I could use my powers on myself. I looked at him and before he could thrust his hand into his pocket, grab his bag and invoke the spell, I snapped my fingers and was gone.

I stood outside the condo complex and looked at the cars parked on the street. They looked empty. Hopefully, no one saw my little appearing act and I was still safe. Evan's car was still parked in the same spot as was Bri's and a few other people. A flashy red Camaro was parked behind a nondescript white van. Nothing stirred and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I would have to start all over again with my tracking of Orthus. By now, the Olorisha was probably on his way to find me again and I needed to protect myself from him. I knew a few plants that I could use on him that would give me the advantage, but I had to be physically near him for it to work.

Lost in thought, I started to walk, and tried to pick up Orthus trail. It was fainter this time and required me to focus. In the background, I heard a vehicle start and was irritated at this break in concentration. I shook my head and started again, following the trail back toward the shady apartments. I kept an eye out for the Olorisha and moved quickly through the city streets. In the dark it was difficult to hear the sounds of the footsteps until they were right behind me.

I kept my head forward. We could play this game again. If the Olorisha thought I wouldn't grab his bag of protective herbs this time, he was wrong. I muttered a few words and felt the spell starting to build. This time, I wasn't going to hide and sneak up on him. This time, I was going to confront him and before he could open his mouth, I was going to relieve him of his protection. Then, maybe he would leave me alone.

I wondered if he really knew my true name or if that was a bluff. I was strong enough to keep control over myself for a few seconds if he said my name, which would give me enough time to grab the bag. But invoking my name would actually alert my dad to my whereabouts. I shrugged. It was the lesser of two evils and a risk I had to take. I lightened my footsteps to be able to hear him, but kept walking. His footsteps were getting closer now and more hurried. I knew it was just a matter of time before he invoked my name. It was now or never.

I whirled around ready to grab the bag of protective herbs. A young man stood before me, in a pair of black jeans and a black hoodie. Before I could react to this unexpected face, he reached out a hand and shoved a wet rag over mine. The alcohol fumes shot through my nostrils and the last thing I saw before my eyes closed were the other shapes pouring out of a white van.

~*~

Chapter 7 – Devil Went Down to...Miami?

There was nothing worse than waking up with a pounding headache. Actually there was. Waking up with a pounding headache tied to a bedpost in a cold, dark room was worse. Much worse. I blinked slowly as I looked around. My eyes didn't need to adjust in the dark, but my alcohol-laced brain felt groggy.

I tried to lift my hand and frowned as it remained tied around the bedpost. Awkwardly, I sat on the edge of the bed, body propped up against the headboard. I raised my head and immediately leaned it back against the wall as the room began to sway. The pounding and pain in my head was more than I wanted to deal with at the moment. If I ever got my fucking hands on that damn Olorisha, he would be sorry he ever met the Princess of Hell. Asshole. My mental outburst caused my head to pound even more. Even thinking hurt.

The door slowly opened and I saw five figures. I closed my eyes and groaned softly. That moron. Even after I told him about the rules, he still insisted on showing me off to his little circle jerk of friends. I smiled. Never let them see you sweat. I was not ready to go home and damn it, I wanted a bit more Evan, I thought selfishly. And I needed to find Orthus.

The figures stared at me and whispered among themselves. I noticed that one of the shorter, rounder figures was the one the others seemed to defer to. The leader. I noted the long clothes covering their bodies and sighed. More priests...and priestesses, I amended, as I noticed the curve of a breast.

"Okay. I give. Where is the little prick?"

The figures stopped talking and stared at me in stunned silence. I could feel the tension and the fear in the air.

"Was I not supposed to talk?" I asked irritably. "Well, you're fucked, because I feel like talking." I heard a few gasps at my declaration and a thought tried to pick its way through the maze that was my alcoholic mind.

"Where is he?" I asked again, irritated as my head started to pound anew. I ignored the little tingling in the back of my mind that usually warned if something wasn't right. Of course, something wasn't right. I was tied to a damn bed!

The leader stepped forward, hands held out towards me. In unison, the group started chanting. I stared at them, confused and their voices grew louder. The chanting grew in intensity and my eyes widened as I recognized the Latin words. These morons weren't with the Olorisha, the thought dawned on me suddenly. This was some religious sect who thought I was possessed. They were performing an exorcism.

I kept my face impassive as I tried to figure out a way out of this predicament. They would soon realize that I wasn't a human with a demon spirit trapped inside me and when that happened, I would probably die. Actually, they would try to kill me. If I had to defend myself, it would not bode well for any in this group.

The group moved in behind the leader and their voices continued to chant. I decided to try to find another way out of this situation. I needed time to think. I sighed as I thought about what I was going to do in a few minutes. It wasn't something I liked or even prided myself on, but it was necessary. I closed my eyes and allowed my head to fall forward. I rocked slowly back and forth and started to moan, feeling the change in the air. The group was excited at my antics.

As the excitement continued to mount, I let out a wild groan and started to pant. The group moved closer. I held my body taut as I threw back my head and let out a strangled gasp. The group moved closer still, the leader pulling a bible out of a hidden pocket and making the sign of the cross in the air. I started to tremble, my limbs shaking against the bedpost. My legs twitched and moved sporadically and I started to convulse. Suddenly, I bowed my back and screamed, my head thrown against the headboard and my arms pulling against my bonds. I released a breath and slumped forward.

The group huddled around me; their voices lower this time as they continued to chant. The leader made the sign of the cross again, this time on my forehead, satisfied that the action was not met with screams and did not leave burned flesh. I kept my eyes closed as my head was allowed to fall forward again.

I listened as they left. Finally. I guess they were satisfied with my performance. I really didn't want to overdo it, but I needed them to get out for a few minutes so I could think. I wasn't too sure if the leader really believed me, but I needed to have a plan in case they brought in the big guns, literally. I shivered in the cooling air. It was getting colder in the room. I cocked an ear. The leader wasn't as foolish as I had originally thought. Already, they were cooling the room, just in case. It wouldn't harm me, but it would make it difficult to use my powers if I was too cold to think straight.

I sat formulating a plan when the door slowly opened. A tall young man stood in the doorway. He stared at me and at my hands tied to the post, before hurriedly looking away. I tried to look defeated, to lull him into a false sense of trust, but I could tell he'd been warned to avoid unnecessary contact. He thrust a cup at me, shoving it into my hands awkwardly. It was one of those insulated souvenir cups and contained a long straw. I could feel the warmth of the liquid inside. I could also smell the alcohol. I thanked him as I waited for him to leave. He stood his ground and watched me. Okay. I raised an eyebrow. I guess I was being tested.

I wondered briefly if they had mixed my drink with holy water, but at this point I didn't care. Ingesting holy water didn't do anything to me except give me gas and perhaps a short bout of diarrhea, but even that was not a welcome prospect in my situation. I glanced up at the guy before putting the straw to my mouth and taking a big gulp. The warmth flooded my body and I resisted the urge to smile as the guy stepped back a few feet. I guess the liquid was hotter than it looked. Oops. Oh well. They weren't fooled anyway. Now, they just weren't sure what I was. I obviously hadn't possessed some poor soul because I would have already been sucked back to hell, but I was definitely not human.

I took a few more big sips to stave the chill off my bones and watched as he left the room, before I removed the straw from my mouth. No need to waste it. Who knew how long they were planning on keeping me here? I maneuvered the cup between my legs to steady it and to keep it warm. Already I could feel the effects of the alcohol. I thought about my family and realized that if this group had any common sense, they would kill me the first chance they got. My father would not be happy.

My head started to swim a bit and my body swayed. I muttered a quick chant and watched as my spell bounced off the wall, repelled by the protective spells the group must have put in place. That would explain why they weren't too afraid to be alone with me. They had warded the room. Shit. This was bad. I grimaced and racked my brain. The only spell I knew at this moment that could get around any ward was a call for help. As much as I did not want to, I had to ask my dad for help. I chanted and watched as my spell found a way around the wards protecting the room and disappeared.

In what seemed like mere minutes, I heard the familiar sound of screeching. Followed by screams. The building started to shake and I heard the pounding of running feet in the hallway outside my room. The smell of sulfur and phosphate lingered in the night air. I breathed deeply of home. I felt a familiar sense of foreboding, not due to fear, but because I had given up. I had not shown I could live topside like Luc. I had lost Orthus and I wouldn't get to see Evan again. Damn, that man was good in bed.

The door to my room burst open and the light spilling in from the hallway hurt my eyes. I shut them quickly and looked away. Suddenly the lights were out without a sound. The large figure in the doorway made his way over to me. A long skinny tail curled viciously around his leg, moving as if it had a mind of its own. A pair of slender horns sat amidst a full head of hair. Wide shoulders tapered to a narrow waist and thin hips. The figure moved closer and I felt the rage emanating from it and I recoiled slightly.

"Hello dad."

*

There are some things that a daughter never wants her father to be privy to. Seeing her drugged and tied up was one of those times. I watched my father carefully. The King of Hell paced the tiny back room of a house in the ghetto of Miami. He stopped suddenly, his back stiff and I felt the anger radiating off him.

"I let them off too easily," he bellowed, when he turned around to face me.

I rubbed my raw wrists and smiled wistfully at him. "Dad, it's okay. I'm not really hurt."

He eyed me and I thoughtfully shut my mouth. He may have let my captors go with barely a scratch, okay well, with a few burns and hair missing in random places, but he still had to deal with me.

"Dad," I began, changing tactics. "I want you to know that I am sorry." I looked up at him and felt a tear slide from my eye. He squeezed his eyes shut and walked over to me before he enveloped me in a big hug. I hugged him back, enjoying the feel of his strong body offering support. He pulled back and looked down at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked gruffly.

I nodded and held him tighter when he tried to move away. "No." I raised my head and felt fresh tears slide down my face. "Dad? Am I in a lot of trouble?"

He ruffled my hair and frowned, a heavy sigh leaving his body. "Well, you did leave hell without permission, which is akin to treason, and you did steal from me." He looked around. "Orthus isn't here is he?"

I quickly shook my head. "No, they only grabbed me last night."

My father rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And you don't know where he is?"

"Nope," I answered truthfully. He watched me for a moment and I swallowed thickly. If he wanted to, he could read my mind and discover that Orthus was missing. Then, no matter how many tears I shed, I would never see the topside again. I knew my dad would never resort to such an invasion of privacy and I hardened my resolve, keeping my eyes unwavering. He finally nodded and looked away before he sat heavily on the bed next to me.

"Why did you run away, Helena?"

I stared down at my hands. No matter how old I was, how many centuries passed, I was always Lucifer's daughter. No matter where I went, what demons I tried to befriend, I was always the Princess of Hell first and Helena last. How could I tell my father about all my longings to get away, see the topside and all it had to offer? I would sound like a child, crying for a new toy in a roomful of toys. He would never understand, I knew, but I had to try. His calm was rare and I had to make him see it my way.

"Dad," I began, "You have given me everything imaginable. I have never wanted for food, for clothes, for shelter, but it's not enough to have everything you want."

He stared at me in shock and confusion. "There is something you wanted that I have not given you?"

I waved my hand around. "All of this. I need to be around others."

He snorted. "We are surrounded by more humans in Hell than there are on Earth. You have demons you can talk to; I will make sure some of them—"

"That's just it, Dad!" I burst out. "No one likes me for me. They all cower to you and therefore they befriend me to get in your good graces." My shoulders slumped. "I have no confidantes, no true friends. I have never had a real boyfriend, a real, I-love-you kiss."

"Helena," he placed his hand on mine. "Surely, some of your friends are there because they care for you. What about that young demon I threw into the tar pits? He seemed to really like you."

I scowled at the humiliating memory. "He never spoke to me again. Ever."

He glowered. "Wait till I get my hands on him," he growled menacingly. "The tar pits will seem like a vacation!"

"Dad! Stop it!" I was feeling frustrated. "That's just it! No matter what you do, I can never have a moment where I feel comfortable. I can never let my guard down because I am afraid I am being used."

He waved his hand again. "But Helena. This? This is better than home? No, there must be something more."

"Dad, I am happy." I smiled. "I had never felt this emotion before. Thank you for rescuing me, but I want to stay. At least for a little while longer."

He winced as he looked at me. "I feel almost like I failed you."

I sighed and looked over at the big shoulders drooped silently. "Dad, you have never failed me."

He turned towards me, his face sad as he brushed a strand of hair from my face. "I used to be your most treasured possession. Now you want to get away from me."

I grimaced. "Dad, there is nothing in this world that means more to me than you!" I grabbed his hands. "If I could prove it to you I would! I would never choose anything else over you."

He hugged me again. "I know." He sat back and stood up, all trace of emotion gone from his face. "Now that that's settled, you can stay until your month is up. Then you have to return home."

I looked up bewildered. What just happened? The tingling sensation was back in my head. "Dad, I can stay? No matter what happens?" I asked nervously.

"No matter what happens. But don't forget our deal," he warned with a wink and a smile. "And the tears were a nice touch." He winked again and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Theatrics, I thought, then remembered his words. Deal? We didn't make a deal. I replayed our conversation then groaned. Shit. My own dad had played me. He knew that I had probably met someone and that was why I wanted to stay. I was choosing that other person over him. Which made the other person—my most treasured possession. I closed my eyes. I had just promised my dad Evan's soul.

*

The clock on the wall glared down at me as I opened my eyes. Orthus had been gone for almost two days. Two days without me to stabilize the magic keeping his powers bound. Pretty soon, there was going to be all sorts of strange weather reports around town as Orthus regained his powers. He was not going to be happy. I kept checking the weather waiting for something to happen so I could hopefully pinpoint his location. So far, nothing was reported. Yet.

A knock sounded at the door and I sighed. It was Evan. I could tell by the commanding way he rapped on the wood. I had steadily ignored his calls but I knew it was only a matter of time before he came over. He was determined like that. I didn't bother to get up. I waved a hand and the door unlocked. "It's open, Evan," I called.

He opened the door and looked over at me, his blue eyes somber. "You okay?" He walked over and sat down before he brushed his fingers over my cheek.

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Still can't find Orthus." And I promised your soul to my dad, the King of Hell. I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Evan's gaze burned as he looked at my wrists and the clear outline of the ropes bruised onto my flesh. He lifted an eyebrow.

"I had a slight issue last night."

The eyebrow hitched higher.

"My dad came and took care of it."

His brows knitted. "Your dad was in town?"

I nodded. "Just briefly. He had to fly back this morning."

Evan looked at me and raised a hand. "I'm simply going to pretend that I know what's going on, okay?"

I nodded again and patted his knee. "It might be best." I flopped back against the couch, before I felt Evan's strong arms wrapping around me. I leaned into him as he pulled me into his strong arms.

In Evan's arms I felt safe and loved, but I knew those feelings would not last. The minute he found out who I was—what I was—he would be back in Bri's arms. It was only a matter of time.

"Helena, I'm sorry about last night," he leaned in to breathe against my hair.

I smiled at him. "I know. And I'm sorry too."

"Okay. We're both sorry. But what are we going to do about our little lost dog?"

I had the overwhelming urge to laugh at his statement and wished that Orthus had been able to hear a human refer to him as a 'little dog'. He would have a conniption. I agreed that we needed to find Orthus, but we had no idea where to look. I had an idea last night, but that trail was long gone by now.

"Helena?" Evan's voice broke my musings.

"Well, we can always go across the hall and force Bri to tell us what she did with my dog." I said bitterly.

Evan sighed. "Baby, I really don't think she took Orthus. We confronted her yesterday and she didn't crack."

I patted his knee again, slightly amused by his naiveté although I was secretly glad at the endearment. "Evan, never underestimate the lengths a woman will go to stake a claim on a man. Especially on someone like you."

He frowned. "Helena, I told you that we went on a few dates and it didn't pan out. That was it. We never even slept together."

Instead of helping his cause, Evan's statements were supporting mine. I could now see why the woman had gone as far as she had. To spend all that time working on a guy to have another woman snatch him from under her thumb had to hurt. To be honest, if I had been in her place, I would have done more than steal a damn dog. But she hadn't stolen a mere dog; she had stolen Orthus, a hellhound.

I wished I could trust Bri enough to talk to her woman to woman without her lying to me. I wished I could tell her what Orthus was. But that was too much of a risk. She would never believe me and if she did, she would have every demon hunter in the known world looking for me. I would never have any peace and furthermore, I would never have Evan. She would win. I tried to clear the doomsday prediction from my head. I needed a plan. Something that was foolproof. Something that was guaranteed to help me get a bead on where Orthus might be and with whom. I needed a psychic.

*

I hung up the phone and grinned. I had an appointment in one hour at a local psychic. I had checked her out on the internet and she seemed legitimate. If she had any power, however slight, I could boost it and it would still work. If she could make a prediction about a catastrophe that was about to hit Miami, I could backtrack from there and find Orthus.

I quickly changed into a clean dress, grabbed my purse and sunglasses and walked out into the South Beach, Miami sunshine. The moment I stepped foot outside, I felt the tingling. Damn. What was going to happen now? A man stepped out of the shadows of the building and I knew I had seen him before. Sunlight glinted off his round glasses as he made a beeline for me. Before I could move he stood in front of me.

"Ms. Black?" he asked, clutching a folder.

I nodded, a bit uneasy. "Can I help you?"

He smiled and I tensed instinctively. "Well, if I needed you to, you certainly would be able to, wouldn't you?"

I cocked my head. What was going on? Confidence rolled off him in waves. And I didn't need magic to sense it. He was a bit too at ease.

"I'm sorry, you are?" I asked puzzled.

He passed me a business card. "Mage. Simon Mage. I work for the South Beach Sentinel."

I nodded as I remembered. "You were at Evan Priest's open forum the other night."

He smiled, his teeth a bit stained. "Glad you remembered."

I smiled back tightly. "It wasn't that hard. You were the only reporter there."

He shrugged, "true."

"So what can I help you with, Mr. Mage?" I asked a tad impatiently. "Unfortunately, I have an appointment."

He wiped his palm on his well-worn jeans. "Well, let's just say, I was curious about you after the forum discussion. So I did some digging."

I stared at him. "And?" I knew my dad and I knew Luc. They were good at covering their tracks. So as long as I remained a part of their family, I was safe.

"Well, you seemed legit."

My eyes narrowed. "You said seemed." I felt a bit sick. I remembered now. I had seen him more than once. The other time was at the Olorisha's house. Right before I vanished into thin air.

"Well, Luis had invited me to his house for a grand surprise. Imagine how surprised I was to see you. Then I blinked and you were gone." He put his free hand into his pocket. "So I tracked you down and followed you a bit." He leaned in closer to me.

"Now here is where it gets weird. I'm following Luis and you, and you disappear. Again. But I was recording you this time. And in all the playbacks, you simply...disappear. No video distortion, no editing. And...no you." He rocked back on his heels, satisfied.

I looked at him coldly. "Wow. Good story. And I am supposed to be, what, scared?" I reached out and patted his cheek. "You are too cute." I leaned in as he had a few minutes earlier. "Let me tell you something. When you threaten someone and tell them you have a secret about them, do it in a crowded room full of people." I waved my hand. "Look around. There is no one out here."

He squealed as I grabbed him by the front collar of his shirt and I smiled. "If I had any fear that what you said was true, I could hurt you right now." I released him and reached into his front pocket, pulling out the small tape recorder and stopping it before erasing the digital recording. I handed it back to him.

"Do me a favor. Stay away from me or I will have you arrested for harassment." I gave him one last glare and stalked off.

I headed back into my apartment. I was too upset to visit with the psychic. I knew that my anger could thwart any attempts at finding Orthus. All the negative energy flowing through me right now would throw the spell off. I needed to calm down before I visited her and I knew the one person that could help me right about now.

I walked over to Evan's and knocked on the door. My own version of Sex on the Beach, opened the door, clad in only a towel, body deliciously wet. I took my time looking him over. "If this is how you answer the door, no wonder all the women in this building want you."

He laughed and pulled me inside. "I knew it was you," he said before pushing me against the wall and nuzzling my throat.

I moaned and tipped my head back to give him better access. His teeth scraped across my jaw and neck as he rained kisses and licked at my skin. My hands found his towel and whipped it off his body. Wow, this man was sexy. His shaft was already pointing towards me and I accepted the invitation. My hands stroked the length of him and he groaned as my fingers swirled the drop of pre-cum around his plump head. He pulled my breasts free and pressed them together, his tongue moving from one hardened nipple to the next. The fire start to build as sensations poured through me and I felt like I was on the edge of a cliff. I wanted to fall. I wanted to hurl myself forward, if it meant having Evan.

He pulled the small thong I wore to the side, and hooked one of my legs over his arm before slipping into me. It was heaven. I felt filled as he stretched my walls, his shaft deep in me. His hips flexed and he moved slowly in and out. My breath hitched as he continued to thrust and the pressure, the heat, started building low in my belly. Evan's breathing grew louder as he continued to move and in one powerful thrust, he spilled into me, sending me over the edge. I cried out into his arms as I came crashing down from the cliff.

I stayed sandwiched between Evan and the wall as I tried to catch my breath. The man was good. I patted his butt as he moved away to clean up and returned with a damp cloth for me. I smiled at the feelings coursing through me. I might be well on my way to, dare I say it? Falling in love. I moved towards the door and Evan grabbed my hand.

"Stay."

I smiled. "I'll be right back. If we are going to continue this," I waved a hand at him standing there with the towel once again around his waist, "then I need to get a few things."

He smiled and gave me a quick kiss before I headed out the door. I noticed the note almost immediately. Tearing it off the door, I quickly scanned it. I may be able to help you find him. Bri. Crumpling the piece of paper, I dropped it onto the floor and walked quickly to her apartment, knocking loudly. The door opened and she eyed me before motioning me to come in.

I walked into the condo so like Evan's. The layout, the décor; everything was almost like the one next door. I wondered briefly if that was how Bri and Evan had met. Perhaps she had helped him design his place? I glanced around admiringly. The curtains were drawn and she had a few candles burning. It was very nice.

She gave a tight smile and I clamped down on my thoughts. How could I forget this bitch read minds? She pulled me further into the room and I felt the tingling return. Bri invited me to sit on the couch. I sat, carefully looking around. Something was not right.

"Tea?" she asked. I shook my head, silently willing her to hurry. The tingling continued and I cast furtive glances around the room, expecting to be ambushed at any moment.

"You said you might know where Orthus is?" I asked impatiently.

She nodded. "Someone may have seen something." She glared at me for a minute. "I'm only doing this because Evan mentioned he was a special needs dog when I talked to him earlier." She walked to the kitchen and poured a cup of tea. The delicious aroma wafted around the room, adding to the other smells of the burning candles.

Bri suddenly turned to face me and smiled. I saw the madness in her eyes, but before I could move, she threw the contents of her tea onto one of the candles. The flames flared for a moment and all my energy seemed to leave my body. I felt drained. She started to chant, and I weakly called out to her. She laughed and continued chanting.

Suddenly the door burst open and Evan charged in. I called out to him to stop, knowing in my heart that whatever Bri was doing did not bode well for me, but he grabbed me and tried to lift me off the couch. In a bright burst of light, the couch, the darkened room and Bri's angry screams vanished.

I woke to darkness broken only by the flickering of red on dark walls and heat. The smell of sulfur made the air heavy and the oppressive heat weighed it down even more. My eyes immediately adjusted to the dark, something they had done for centuries. Evan groaned beside me as he woke. He sat up slowly and held a hand to his head. He looked around, confusion on his face.  
"Where are we?" he asked, puzzled.

I smiled almost apologetically. "Welcome to Hell."

~*~

Chapter 8 – Hell in a Handbasket

There were times in the lives of humans and demons when words were not able to describe the overwhelming feeling one was experiencing. The birth of a child, the death of a loved one, being caught with your pants down. This was one of those times. Evan gaped at me, his eyes wide as he took in the cave-like walls and the eerie red glow. My face remained calm. He looked as if he was about to bolt at any moment and I willed him to remain still.

I looked around and tried to picture the room through his eyes. The walls were smooth and slightly damp from the constant heat and humidity. The red glow around us enveloped us like a cocoon and brought a similar warmth and coziness. Far from being a scary environment, it was almost soothing, unless you looked out the lone window and spied the lake of fire below. Like Evan was currently doing. He sucked in a deep breath and I tensed. As much as I didn't want to be here, this was my home and I had a slight bias when it came to showing it off.

He whirled around to face me. "Have you seen this?!" he asked in shock. "There is a lake of fire!" He turned back and peered out, before turning back to me. He swept an arm out the window towards the view. "A lake, Helena. Of lava and fire." He looked back out and muttered under his breath. "A goddamn lake of fire."

I remained tense, anticipating his next question. So far, since I haven't been screaming my head off hysterically like other women would, he would question my calm. Sure enough, his head swiveled towards me. He cocked his head and looked at me in puzzlement.

"Why aren't you freaking out?"

I shrugged, not ready to offer any explanations just yet. He continued to stare at me and I knew I would have to explain shortly, what was going on.

As shocked as Evan was, I was even more so. Bri had managed to send me to home. To Hell. With a simple hex. I scoffed silently. Obviously, not a simple hex, if she managed to banish a full-blood demon. I wondered what she was thinking. If I were human or even a witch, I would be dead in a matter of moments. Only my presence was keeping Evan from being roasted alive. There was a reason only demons lived in hell. We were the only ones who could survive here. Even angels were afraid to visit. My blood started to boil. Bri had wanted me dead. She knew that sending me here would kill me.

Evan cleared his throat and my eyes went back to his. The light from the lake flickered against the walls and provided a momentary distraction.

"Why aren't you freaking out?" he asked again.

I sighed and stood up slowly, brushing imaginary dust from my dress. It was not going to be easy to tell him the truth without him possibly having a mild heart attack. "I'm not freaking out because I know where we are." I told him simply.

He raised his eyebrows. "You know where we are?"

I nodded.

"Okay," he said slowly. "Where are we? How did we get here and how do you know where we are? We're we drugged or something?"

I chuckled. "No, we weren't drugged." I sighed. It would be so easy to lie to him and tell him that we were drugged, that Bri had hit us with something and knocked us out, but my dad had rescued us. It would be so easy to tell that lie. But I couldn't do it. Staring into Evan's face, watching his blue eyes had me sinking further and further into that nameless emotion that was threatening to flare up again.

The truth would be better under these circumstances. "Well, I know where we are because I've lived here all my life and we got here because of Bri and a hex."

One of Evan's brows went up. "A hex?"

I nodded. "Yup. Our little Miss Bri is a witch." And a pretty good one.

"Okay," Evan said again, slowly. "So this is your home and Bri is a witch who sent us here with a spell?"

I smiled at him and nodded again.

"So where exactly is here? I know your parents are loaded, but is this an underground cavern on an island somewhere? Is this an underground volcano? And how are we able to get this close to it in this closed system? We should be roasted alive."

I wanted to laugh. Trust a human to try and analyze the situation. Evan's reasoning wasn't bad. Perhaps, father could build a complex close to a volcano. It could make surface living a bit more comfortable.

"Helena?" Evan's voice called to me. "Where exactly are we?"

I gave up trying to avoid his question. He was determined and after all I did owe him the truth. I shrugged. "We're in Hell."

He looked at me and laughed. "I know you probably want to think of it that way, but I need to know where we are, so I know how long it will take me to get back." He looked back out the window for a moment, and then turned to face me.

My lips twisted into a sad smile. I walked over to him and laid a hand against his cheek. "We. Are. In. Hell."

I raised my hand before he could complete the thought about to erupt from his open mouth. "We are literally in Hell. Not an island somewhere. We are under the earth. In Hell."

Evan stared at me, his mouth hanging open. "No shit?"

I closed my eyes briefly. "No shit," I echoed.

"Wow," he breathed. "That's one for the books. I'm in Hell." He peered out the window again at the red rimmed cloud that hung low beneath the jagged rock. Occasionally, a rock fragment would break off and careen towards the lake before it landed with a soft splash and was sucked down amidst burning flames.

Evan's eyes bored through the back of my head as I walked across the room. I waited for the explosion, knowing this was the calm before the storm.

"Helena? You said that this was your home?" he asked hesitantly, before he paused. He seemed at a loss for words and I couldn't blame him. What would you do if you found out the woman you were fucking was from Hell?

I could feel the question burning in him. I imagined telling him everything he wanted to know and watching him withdraw from me. It was inevitable. Humans were afraid of the unknown. They were afraid of the strange. And they were afraid of the paranormal. I was all three rolled into one neat little package.

And if he didn't run screaming from me, then I should run screaming from him, because he was definitely not normal. I waited for him to ask, delaying as long as possible. If he asked, I would tell him. If he didn't, well, perhaps it was for the best that he didn't know. Perhaps he would not be able to handle it.

Before I could muse any further, a knock sounded on the door. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Evan visibly jumped. It probably had not occurred to him that we were not alone. He eyed the door furtively, and then cast a doubtful look at me. I felt a twinge of hurt at his look. It was not my fault he had to find out this way. If I ever got my hands on Bri, that girl was going to get the ass kicking of her life.

The knock sounded again and panic started to rise in my chest. I was being truthful when I told Evan I knew where we were. In addition to being in Hell, we were in my quarters. In fact, we were in my solar; a kind of cross between a balcony and sunroom. Only three demons had the audacity to visit there; my brother who was currently still in LA, was one. The other two were my parents. Right now, neither one was welcomed.

"Helena?" A voice called and I cringed. It was my dad. At least my mom would have been the lesser of two evils. Literally. She would have taken one look at Evan and probably been tempted to take him for herself. My dad on the other hand, might just kill him.

I avoided looking at Evan as I walked toward the door. I opened it and watched as it flung wide upon my dad's entry. He enveloped me in a bear hug and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You asked me for a month and you are here the next day? With my soul?" He peered at Evan, his long, twisted horns shining dully in the muted light. He was dressed in a suit that fit him to perfection and his long thin tail wound around his legs through the flap skillfully placed in his pants. He rubbed his hands together almost greedily as he looked Evan up and down and I saw Evan barely suppress a shudder before he squared his shoulders and walked over to me, his steps slow and measured.

"Helena," his voice was surprisingly strong. "You haven't introduced us."

My dad's eyes darkened at the slight reprimand from Evan and I cleared my throat. "Evan, this is Lucas Black, the King of Hell." Evan's blue eyes widened as he took in the name. "My dad."

*

For someone who had recently discovered his girlfriend's father was the devil, Evan was taking it pretty well. He paced the large room, his long legs eating up the length as he occasionally turned around to glare at me. I remained still, saddened by his actions but at least I was comfortable. I had changed out of the dress I wore earlier and had slipped into my favorite pair of jeans with a matching hoodie.

I sat curled up in a chair, my bare feet on the warm stone. My heart felt heavy as I watched the man that I admit I was starting to care for. Well, more than care for. It would have been easy to forget just how human Evan really was, except for the fact that we were in Hell and he was taking it all too well.

Finally, Evan walked over to me. He stood in front of me, his hands at his sides. He clenched and relaxed his fists and I wondered how to talk to him. I reached for him and he took a step back. I smiled sardonically. I was expecting the reaction but it still hurt.

"So, were you going to tell me?"

I could pretend that I didn't understand his question, that I had no idea what he was talking about, but I knew. And to be honest, it was a good question. Would I have eventually told him about myself and my family? I decided to tell the truth.

"I don't know."

He nodded. "You were just going to leave. I heard him say that you asked for a month. A month to do what? Stay in Miami? Then you were going to leave, right? Were you just going to leave my bed one morning and disappear forever?" he bit out in a harsh tone.

I remained mute. He was right. I would have probably simply walked away. I would have left his warm embrace, his warm bed—his warm body—and headed home without a backwards glance. But that was then, a voice whispered in the back of my mind; that was before. Before what? I cleared my thoughts and refused to admit to myself what my subconscious was really trying to say.

He glared at my silence, his anger a relief. It made him seem less distant, less aloof. "You were just going to leave, Helena? Really?" He started to pace again. "That is fucking great! Fucking great!" He stopped and glared at me again. "Was I just a cheap fuck for you? A dick you could use? What? The guys down here can't get it up?" His blue eyes were filled with hurt and his lips were thin and white with rage.

I rose from the chair and walked over to him. "Evan," I began, reaching for him again. He recoiled, but the sting was less painful this time. "What do you see when you look at me?"

He shook his head, "What?"

I took a deep breath. "What do you see when you look at me?"

He looked me up and down and my nipples hardened as his eyes traveled my length. "I see you, Helena. A woman." His face clouded. "No, a—whatever you are." He stopped again and cocked his head. "What are you?"

"I am Helena."

He laughed; a short sound with no humor. "Are you like him? Your dad?"

I released the magic holding my horns and tail. In a moment, my red hair was crowned with two small barely noticeable black horns. My wisp thin tail curled and uncurled around my denim clad thighs.

"I guess you are," he said without emotion.

I guess I am.

He stared at me and I started to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. I was not normally so flustered, but I had never felt anything beyond lust before for anyone outside my family, so I was having a hard time getting adjusted.

Evan sighed. A long drawn-out affair that had me wanting to reach for him again. To curl my body around his. To soothe his brow and kiss away his troubles. Whoa. I cautioned myself. What the fuck? I was starting to sound all mushy like the typical human. Yes, I cared about Evan and yes, I did want to fall in love, but did that mean I was going to drone on like some bad television drama? Evan's blue eyes met mine briefly and in an instant, heat flared, for a moment, between us. Bad television drama? Check.

He took a deep breath and walked over to me. "Look, this is just going to take some time for me to get used to." He managed a small smile that did not quite reach his blue eyes. "What are you anyway?"

I looked up at him. He didn't flinch when I reached up to trail a hand down his arm. The room was thick with the tension between us, both the attraction and the hurt and distrust. I needed to tell him what I was to get him to trust me. I had my dad to outwit and my mom to avoid, if I wanted to get Evan out of Hell, alive. But most of all, I wanted Evan's love.

"I'm a demon." I closed my eyes at his quick inhale. There, I said it. No turning back.

"A demon?"

I cracked one eye open to see Evan staring thoughtfully out the window.

"A demon?" he repeated. "But you are not evil."

I smiled. "No." I confirmed.

"But I don't understand. Everything I have learned about demon mythology portrays them as evil."

I wanted to laugh as the geek in Evan reared its head. Under different circumstances it would have been extremely funny.

"Evan, demons are just like humans. There are varying degrees of everything, including evil. I am not good, I can be mischievous and bad, but I am not wicked nor am I evil. So..." I stopped talking to watch him.

He nodded, and then resumed looking out the window. "I'm sorry." he said quietly, running his fingers through his hair. "You must understand that this is a lot to take in."

I nodded, knowing he couldn't see me, but I did not want him stop talking; I wanted him to get everything off his chest.

"But I don't regret meeting you." He shook his head and laughed and my heart started to pound erratically at his words.

"I don't regret anything we did." He turned around and met my eyes, "especially making love. I will never forget or regret that."

He reached for me and I walked into his arms. The hurt of the past few hours faded and a genuine smile covered my face. I greedily drank in his smell, burying my face into his chest. His heart started to pound and I knew that no matter how weird the situation was right now; his feelings for me had not changed.

It would not be too bad. If I were to go back topside with Evan for the rest of the month, we could pick back up where we left off and things would be better because he would know about my powers and I didn't have to hide. I would also have Bri off my back because I could show Evan how wicked she really was. And after a month, if he still was the most important thing to me...well...we could continue our relationship here. We could find some way to work things out.

I felt a twinge of conscience. As long as Evan didn't admit to loving me, I would have to resort to tricking him to get him to Hell. But if he said those words, he would bind himself to me and I could bring him here with the flick of my wrists and a child's spell. I didn't relish either method, but unless I found a way to get out of my deal with my dad, Evan would be a permanent member of Hell in one month.

His hands caressed my back and heat started to pool low in my belly. We couldn't be intimate right now. I needed to keep him from falling in love with me and that meant that I needed to limit our intimacy. I started to pull away, needing to put some distance between us. Evan frowned, but he let go. He stared at me a moment longer and then bent his head and kissed me. My head started to sway as his lips burned mine and all too soon, I broke our contact.

"My dad," I lied, when Evan looked at me questioningly.

He nodded and licked his lips. My eyes followed his tongue as it traced a path over his well-formed lips and I swallowed thickly.

"So," he said, exhaling loudly. "When do we get to go home so we could finish this and find Orthus?"

I grimaced. I had completely forgotten about Orthus. Again. I was a bad dog mommy. Or hellhound mommy. It would be good to get away and get back to the surface. There was only one small problem. I was banished by a spell. I had to wait twenty-four hours before the spell wore off and I could use my own magic to return. I could always ask my dad, but I doubt he would be happy to hear that his own daughter had been bested by a human witch. It would not make him open to any suggestion of leaving Evan topside.

Before I could voice my thoughts, a knock sounded at the door again. This time, Evan didn't jump although he was not happy at the interruption. I quickly walked to the door and flung it open expecting to find my dad. Instead, a letter lay on a tray outside the door. I rolled my eyes. My dad could have communicated with me telepathically like I did with Orthus or he could have summoned me. The man was not only the King of Hell, but also the King of Theatrics. I opened the sealed envelope and quickly read through its contents. Evan and I were being invited to dinner. With my parents. In Hell. This day was not getting any better.

Evan looked over my shoulder. "What's going on?"

I looked into his blue eyes that seemed like the ocean on South Beach. They were warm, calm and serene. "My parents invited us to dinner," I told him, without preamble.

"Oh, that should be nice," he answered slowly.

I arched a brow. If he really thought dinner with demons was going to be nice, he had another thing coming. I didn't know what to say. Perhaps they would be on their best behavior, perhaps not. I knew it would be the latter. After all, I knew my parents.

*

Evan's blue eyes were like the ocean during a hurricane. They were roiling and turbulent and for a moment, when he leveled them on me, they were almost dangerous. True to form, my dad had tried to play matchmaker and now I was seated at the long dinner table between two demons from my father's inner circle. One was the son of my father's right hand and the other was the new Vice President of Marketing. The old Vice President of Marketing had been disposed of in his sleep.

Both men were fairly good-looking. Dark hair, dark eyes, and the rock hard bodies all demons had. But there was nothing spectacular. Evan sat across from me glowering at the two, his fair skin and hair like a beacon of light in the large open room.

VP kept trying to hold my attention with conversation, but unfortunately, even though he was in charge of the creative division, he was not so creative in speech and he was making me sleepy. Junior on the other hand, was taking things literally into his own hands. His hands crept to my thigh under the table and with clenched teeth, I mumbled a quick spell. His hand fell back as the viper in my lap reared its head.

"Helena! Be a good girl." My dad bellowed, his eyes flashing and I swallowed as I removed the snake.

Evan growled and I realized that he must have seen what Junior was up to. He sat between two female demons who were also doing their best to entice him. Since he was paying them no mind, I wasn't too jealous, although I did take a steadying breath when one demoness tripped as she was getting up to leave and fell across his lap, her luscious breasts spilling out of her dress.

Without realizing it, I had muttered a spell so quickly, that in a flash, she was wearing a top that was buttoned to her throat. She looked around the table in confusion, unable to undo my spell. My dad finally took pity on her and changed her dress into something similar to what she was wearing, but with a more demure neckline. She sat back down, but she leaned away from Evan this time. I nodded with satisfaction.

Junior's hand crawled back and this time, tried to make its way down the front of my jeans. I was used to the libido of demon men and had become a pro to all of their tricks. In an instant, his hand was on top of the table, a knife sticking out of the back. He howled in pain and rage as I removed my hand from the blade.

"Helena!" My dad bellowed again, his eyes red and dangerous. "Enough!" He glared at me and I glared back, too pissed to remember proper etiquette. My mom continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

"Dinner is over. Everyone leave!" My father waved a hand and instantly every demon, demoness or otherworldly creature in the room disappeared except for my parents, Evan and me.

I looked over the table at Evan. He was smiling broadly at me. I smiled back, happy he had approved of my handling of the situation.

My mom looked at me and Evan. "Well, now that we gotten that settled, why didn't you simply tell your dad you wanted to be exclusive?"

Evan's mouth gaped at my mom's comments. I shrugged. I guess I should have mentioned that this was a possibility. But my dad had never tried to match me with another demon before, so I honestly didn't think he would now.

"You just sleep with whoever you want?" Evan whispered to me across the table.

I nodded. "Most demons do. Here, it's not that big of a deal."

He looked towards my parents seated at the far end. My dad had his arm around my mom's chair, looking every bit the loving husband. "Even them?"

I nodded, my eyes studying the smooth wood of the table. "Sometimes. They have an unspoken rule. If one gets to do it, so does the other."

Evan nodded slowly. I was suddenly embarrassed by the ways of demons. We didn't bond for life, we didn't mate for love. We did everything as a means of getting ahead. Fulfilling our goals. No demon wanted me because he was in love; I was the king's daughter and although my dad would never die; being a son-in-law for all eternity had its own perks.

Evan leaned back in his chair and picked at the meal in front of him. The long table was covered in food. Demons were known for their appetites for both food and sex and right now the assorted offerings of ham, steak, fish, potatoes and other goodies lay spread before us. Evan's own plate contained a half-eaten steak and potatoes, but he'd stopped eating when he'd realized the matchmaking scheme of my dad's.

"Did you not like the meal, Evan?" my mom asked, her voice dripping syrup. I resisted the urge to groan. My mom was definitely interested. Her long dark hair hung over one shoulder and her thin dress hid very little of her lovely body. She leaned forward slightly and the dress' plunging neckline hinted at her breasts.

"Mom. Mine." I said the two words with a calm I did not feel. I mean, really. My own damn mom.

She straightened and smiled at me. "Okay. Message received loud and clear."

"Maybe next time," Evan chimed in, flirting shamelessly with my mom.

"Don't encourage her," I whispered, "And don't make promises to demons."

He smiled again as he nodded. "You have one crazy family."

I put a hand to my head as I watched my dad. He grinned at the entire exchange. Evan had no idea how crazy my family was. I would have to keep an eye on him to make sure no demons with slick tongues tried to trap or trick him into sex.

"So, Helena. Why did you suddenly show up, even though you asked to stay a few more weeks?" my dad asked, steering the conversation back to safer waters.

I shrugged, unwilling to admit that I had gotten outsmarted by a mere human.

"A witch hexed us."

I closed my eyes and groaned as the words escaped Evan's mouth. Red covered the table as the wine that my dad was swallowing was suddenly spit out.

"Lucas! Really!" My mom admonished, waving her hand and cleaning up the mess. Evan watched her with avid interest.

My dad laughed. His wide shoulders bobbed as he threw his head back in mirth. "A witch hexed you?"

I nodded glumly and glared at Evan. He shrugged and mouthed sorry. I turned back to my dad, who was still chortling.

"It's not even that funny," I said after a few moments.

My dad looked at me. "Helena, you have been a demon for centuries and you let a witch send you back to hell?" He frowned. "That is rather disappointing. This means that I have to continue your training. I have been too lax, allowing you to do what you want. That stops today." He swallowed the rest of the wine in his glass.

I rose from my seat. "But dad, you can't. You promised me a month." I watched Evan's lips tighten at the mention of my last moments with him. "You can't go back on your promise."

My dad looked at me and then at Evan. "Why not? You obviously want to go back on yours."

"What's going on?" Evan asked.

I looked back at him and pleaded silently for him to be silent. I was trying to find a way to get us back topside and to get out of my dad's deal. But I didn't want Evan to think that I did not want him. I didn't want him to think I didn't care.

My dad watched the exchange between us. "She didn't tell you?"

I shook my head at him. "Dad, no. Don't do this."

I looked back at Evan. "It's not what it sounds like."

My dad frowned again. "It's not fair that he doesn't know his fate, Helena. I taught you better than that."

I walked around the table to Evan's side. I grasped his hand. "It is not what it sounds like. Please believe me," I begged.

Evan looked at me and then at my dad in confusion. "What is going on?"

My dad looked and me and shook his head. "You tell him, Helena or I will. You have ten minutes. You tell him and I send you both back for your month. You don't and you both stay. For eternity." He waved his hand and he and my mom disappeared.

"What are you not telling me, Helena?" Evan asked his voice unsure.

I dropped my yes. "I made a promise to my dad in exchange for being allowed one more month on earth."

Evan looked at me. "Okay? What did you offer? Are we not allowed to see each other anymore?"

I sighed. If only.

"Helena? What did you offer in exchange?"

I looked directly into his eyes. "Your soul."

~*~

Chapter 9 – Return of the Beast

So far in trying to be truthful and do something good, I ended up shooting myself in the foot. Evan was not talking to me. Finding out that your girlfriend promised your soul to her demon dad had that effect. My dad was not talking to me. I guess he took offense that I chose a human over him. My mom was not talking to me. Okay, that one was completely irrelevant because my mom and I are not close. But dammit, I was suddenly the social pariah of the season.

My dad sent another letter to let us know that he had lifted the hex. So, it was as simple as picturing my condo and snapping my fingers. Instantly, we were there. Evan gave me a long look before he tensed his shoulders and walked out of my condo and I felt, out of my life. I knew my actions had hurt him, but if he had let me explain, he would have seen that it was the only way that I could help him. If my dad knew I was planning to renege on my deal, he would find some way to trick me into moving up the date or simply revoke my above ground privileges. Either way, I lost. I had to allow him to give me enough time to think of something and a month was plenty of time.

I walked over to the fridge and opened it. Several steaks lay on the bottom shelf, remnants of Orthus' last few meals. I felt a twinge of conscience that he was still missing and slight annoyance. It seemed the longer I stayed around the humans, the more human I started to feel. So far, I had experienced heartache, love and now guilt. When I went back to Hell, I was going to request retraining. Nothing ever came of a demon who had a damn guilty conscience. And I didn't want to simply be bad; I wanted the old Helena back. The I-don't-give-a-shit-about-your-feelings Helena. The I-do-what-I-want Helena. Not this wimp who cared about what happened to everyone around her, including Orthus and Evan.

But until I went back to Hell, I was going to have to deal with this annoying woman who had possessed my body. Right now she had three things to do. Find Orthus. Make things right with Evan and save his soul. And kick the shit out of Ms. I-didn't-do-anything-to-your-dog Bri.

I headed into the bedroom to take a warm shower and change out of my clothes. I eyed the bed that, of late, I had spent so little time in. Before I could make good on my shower promise, my cell phone buzzed. Thinking it was a text message, I flipped it open, surprised to find nothing. Instead, a little icon flashed in the corner. It was the weather alert system I had set up. Quite handy, the icon changed when the weather changed and buzzed to alert me.

The icon beeped steadily before the picture changed into a gray cloud with raindrops. Okay. Now I knew it was going to rain and I could dress accordingly. If I were heading outside. I tossed the phone onto the bed and went into the shower.

Twenty minutes later, I emerged from the warm bathroom, refreshed and in a happier state of mind. My phone buzzed as I neared the bed and I looked at the display. It was the weather icon. Again. This time, instead of a cloud with raindrops, it showed a...tornado? I frowned and scanned the history.

In the past thirty minutes, the weather had changed drastically. There were at least ten updates on the phone. I frowned again and turned on the TV. A somber looking woman stared into the camera, her dark hair whipping about her face. Behind her, a wall of gray obscured the landscape and a loud peal of thunder sounded over her microphone.

"I repeat. We are experiencing an unprecedented amount of rain for the season. So far, this is the first tropical storm that has made it anywhere near us and it is moving fast. Last night it wasn't even on the hurricane charts and now it is expected to hit land in a few days. Very rarely do we see a storm gain strength this quickly. It is expected to hit hurricane strength winds by tonight. Once again, this is a warning for tropical storm Agatha. Stock up on what supplies you can and we're probably going to have a tough time tonight here in Miami."

I switched the TV off. I knew what was happening and it was my worst fear. I moved to the balcony and stared out at the gray squall moving quickly towards land. Orthus was awake. He was regaining his powers. And he was pissed.

I needed to find him and fast. Now that my dad knew where I was, I had no qualms about using additional magic. With a swipe of my hand I cleared the coffee table and filled a bowl with water. I would need it to channel my magic and use it as a scry. Most witches used crystals and candles, but I could get by with water. I placed the bowl of warm water on the table and went to work. I needed additional magical help.

I could have used the psychic I had contacted since she lived in the area, but I decided to let Bri have a taste of her own medicine. I pictured her in my mind. Dirty-blonde hair, hazel eyes and a touch of bitchy. I pictured her strength, seeing it surrounding her like an aura. Purple haze that I imagined flowing into me. I could see the purple diminishing as I drained magic from Bri. Since she took Orthus in the first place, it was only fitting that she helped find him.

The wind picked up outside, howling as it squeezed its way through a crack between the glass doors and the wall. I looked out to sea. The gray had darkened considerably and instead of a separation of sea and sky, it looked like a veil of gray water moving ever closer to land. I had to find Orthus today. Even now, he was getting stronger. I siphoned more of Bri's energy, stopping just in time to avoid her passing out. She deserved to pass out, I thought angrily, thinking of Orthus. But I was not going to dwell on Bri. I had more important things to do.

I swirled a hand through the water, pouring a mixture of my magic and Bri's into it. Instantly the clear water started to change. It became less transparent; an opaque backdrop with a pool of clear water in the center. I started to chant, my voice low in the darkened room. The wind picked up my chant and carried it around the room, effectively infusing my magic as a part of the room.

The noise grew as the wind increased from the quickly approaching storm. I continued chanting, increasing the tempo of my words. Latin was always difficult for me to speak, but I needed the words to be clear in order to be successful. The windows in the condo started to shake. Based on the beach, it was equipped with hurricane shutters and I would have to close them in a moment.

My hair stood on end as magic flowed through every part of me. Every strand of hair helped channel the strength I needed to find Orthus. I pictured his face, his dog form and his hellhound form, not sure which state he could be in at the moment. He may have started to shift back and could be any of a variety of different dog or hellhound combinations.

I pushed harder, allowing more of myself into the bowl. I could feel the strength flowing out of me and although it was not enough to buckle my knees, it was enough to make me take shallow breaths.

Suddenly, I saw him. In the midst of a hurricane, Orthus stood in his full hellhound form. He waved his hand at the ocean and in a moment, the city of Miami lay under the surge of water, powerful enough to break apart concrete, stone, glass and metal. Effectively destroying the city. I cringed and the image changed. Orthus still lay in his Chihuahua form, but much, much larger than the dog I had conjured. His eyes were a smoldering red; a sure sign that he was regaining his hell powers. I looked around the projected room, trying to find a clue to his whereabouts.

My strength start to ebb and I pushed harder. I felt the image getting clearer as I tried to virtually move around the room. The room lay empty. Light blinded me for a moment as it poured through the single window perched high on a wall. The room itself was small with white walls and a simple wooden bed. A wooden desk and chair, along with an armoire completed the room. Nothing to hint at Orthus' whereabouts. I pushed again, projecting outside the room. A long hallway led to a set of steep narrow stairs and descended down into a darkened interior.

The balcony doors suddenly flew open as the wind reached a peak. Startled, I jumped, breaking my concentration and the link to the room. Before the connection in the water was lost, three images flashed into my head; a pair of feet crossed at the ankle and pierced with a nail, a white sandy beach and a stained-glass window of a man holding a quill in one hand and a book in the other with the words, "introduction to a devout life." Then the image was gone.

The first part I knew. It had to be Jesus on the cross. But that in itself posed a few problems. One; was it a real church or was it a cross in someone's home? Granted the building was large and basic enough to be a church, but there was the chance that it was not. Second, if it was a church, there was a big problem. As a demon, I really didn't like churches. I could enter one, but I would not be able to cast any spells or use any of my powers. I would be powerless and defenseless.

The picture of the beach suggested that the church or building in which Orthus was being held was on the beach somewhere. But where? Was he even still in Miami? I hoped he was, but the beach could be anywhere. Bri had powers. She could have sent him to the Caribbean. He would still be able to affect Miami. Especially if he was in the Bahamas or Cuba. Even the Florida Keys.

The last image worried me. I knew very little of saints and popes. I knew the guy probably was one of the two; who else would be etched onto a glass surface? And if it were a saint, then the building I saw was probably a church. Only question? Which church? And how far away was it? I needed some help and I knew just the person to call. Too bad he still wasn't talking to me.

*

"My soul, Helena? Really? My fucking soul? You tell me nothing about yourself but somehow, you promise my soul to your dad?" Evan stared at me, his muscular arms crossed high on his chest. His blue eyes pierced through me.

We sat on the sofa in his living room. Well, I sat on the sofa. Evan sat across from me and watched me suspiciously.

"It's not what you think," I tried to soothe him.

"Not what I think? Did you or did you not promise your dad, the devil, that you will deliver my soul to him in one month?"

I winced at his tone. He was right, of course, but there was more to it than that. I couldn't tell him that I was tricked. And dammit, I shouldn't have to. He should be more trusting of me. Would you have trusted him if the situation were reversed? A little voice in my head asked. Yes, I answered, ignoring the voice as it called me a liar. But it's different. I am trying to save his life and he is being a jackass.

My lips thinned and I leveled a glare on Evan. His lips gave a slight twitch. I could tell he was trying not to smile. Did he think I was a joke? I glared at him again and this time allowed some of my magic to crackle in the air like electricity. His eyes flickered to the lights and the mirth drained from his face. Damn right. Respect the power.

"So unfair," he leaned back; arms still crossed and looked more annoyed than he had before. Good, I thought. Annoyed I could deal with.

"Life's not fair," I answered.

He snorted. "Life's not fair?" He seemed almost livid. "I find out I have one month to live and you sit there and tell me, life's not fair." He raked a hand through his blonde hair. "Did I ask for this Helena? Did I make a deal with the devil? No, that was your doing. And to save yourself, you screwed me over. Thanks a lot, babe."

I didn't like the sarcasm in his tone, but he was right. I had used him and now it was proving difficult to get out of this situation. I was suddenly fed up with everything, with coming here, with meeting Evan. I wished I had stayed home and never came to the surface.

A loud knock broke the strained silence between us. Evan jumped up and walked to the door, his shoulders dropping as he peeked through the peephole.

"Bri," he said as he opened the door wide.

She swept through regally, brushing her hand across Evan's chest, and then stopped when she saw me sitting there. She stared at me and then Evan before a smile covered her face.

"Helena! How good to see you!"

I smiled at her, knowing her overzealous greeting had everything to do with the tension she felt between Evan and me. I also saw the worry in her eyes; she was curious about how I had gotten back. She had sent me away and here I was sitting in Evan's living room.

Evan sighed. "What's up Bri?" He stood near the still open door, unconsciously letting her know she was not truly invited.

"Nothing much. Just being...neighborly." She sat next to me on the couch and patted my cotton covered leg. "Just so you two know; if there is trouble in paradise, I am a really good listener." She smiled.

"I always seem to know what people are going through. Right Helena?"

I grit my teeth. I wanted to be the better woman, or demon or whatever and not let Bri get to me but dammit, she was starting to irk me. With a capital "I".

Evan cleared his throat. "Thanks for the offer, Bri, but this is a private matter between me and Helena and we are trying to get everything sorted out." He indicated the door. "Not trying to be rude or anything, but we were kinda in the middle of something."

Some of my anger at Evan melted away as he opened the door wider for Bri. He was starting to get bonus points in my book.

"Oh, Evan," the pretty blonde pouted. "I only wanted to make sure you were okay." She whined as she walked back towards him.

There was a subtle shift in the air and I could see her magic reaching towards him, a slight purple trailing in the wake. The tendrils pushed into Evan's head and I could almost taste the magic she was using.

I was tired of Bri and her games. Even still she was trying to manipulate Evan and it was getting annoying. I snapped my fingers, putting Evan in a state of stasis. He could see and hear but not move. Bri noticed his unnatural stillness and slowly turned to me.

"I wondered how you got back." Her voice was cold, all trace of warmth and friendliness gone.

I shrugged, not willing to give myself away just yet.

She walked towards me and I rose slowly from the couch. It was about time this confrontation came to a head. She stopped a few feet away and looked me up and down. "Obviously, you are a witch. But not from any coven around here." She eyed me again. "And how did you get back? I banished you to Hell."

Confusion covered her face, but I refused to answer. I wanted to see how far she would go. Let her dig her own grave, so to speak. The time for lies was over. Evan was able to hear every word coming out of her mouth. I wanted her to confess to sending us to Hell and to taking Orthus. Although I could show Evan, it was so much better when Bri fucked herself.

She frowned at me. "What? Some archaic spell you are unwilling to part with? You made a deal with the devil?"

I looked at her. "The question you should be asking Bri, is how did Evan get back? You banished both of us, remember?"

She waved a hand. "Oh, I worked a spell for Evan. I willed him to return, so I knew he was here. You on the other hand should still be in Hell where I sent you." She fingered a ring on her left hand. It was small and old; a dark burnished gold with ruby inlays. I recognized it immediately. She had made a deal. With a demon. That was how she was able to send me to hell. I was that much of a threat to her; she had willingly given up her life to get rid of me. I felt almost sorry for her. Until I realized that she had tried to kill me.

I indicated her ring. "You made a deal."

She stared at me. "What?"

I pointed again to her ring. "You made a deal."

She looked down at the small token on her hand. "What are you talking about?"

"The ring. You made a deal with a demon."

She laughed. "No, I simply traded your dog for the ring and a book of spells."

I stared at her. She really was as dumb as she looked. "Trading one dog for a ring and a book of spells is not an even trade. An item for an item. You were given two things and the person you traded with received one. By default, the second item was your soul." I told her matter-of-factly and her skin paled.

"H-how do you know that?"

I smiled without mirth. "I'm a demon. It's what we do."

Bri squeaked and stumbled back against the chair.

"I knew it. I knew something was off about you." She whispered. "That red hair. That crazy pale skin." She stopped. "Red hair. On a demon." She paled even more as the implication sank in. "You're not...Lilith?" She gasped the name.

I shook my head, knowing my mom would be happy that her reputation was still well known among the covens. And still inspired fear. "No," I answered. "I'm her daughter, Helena. Princess of Hell." I watched in satisfaction as Bri's eyes widened and she fell in a dead faint.

*

"For someone who ran away from home, you sure like to throw that title, 'Princess of Hell', around." Evan rolled his shoulders for the umpteenth time. He had not liked the whole 'stasis' thing.

I sighed, my eyes on Bri who sat across from us, watching me like cornered prey. She stared at me and then at Evan.

"You knew about this?" she asked him, almost accusingly.

Evan nodded. "Didn't know until you sent me to Hell."

Bri paled again and I patted Evan's leg. He glared at me. Apparently, we still had some issues to work out.

"I-I-I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice small, a far cry from the boisterous woman who had entered the room earlier. "I guess that explains how you were able to get back so quickly." She almost whispered.

I nodded. "Yup. And that explains why you wear that ring."

Her gaze flew down to her hand as if she had just remembered the consequences of her action. "I'm really doomed?"

I nodded again. "Basically."

"How many years? Just the six?"

I smiled wryly and nodded. She knew enough of her demonology to know it was only six years after making a deal that you ended up in Hell. Most humans thought it was ten. But she didn't know enough to not get tricked. I felt sorry for her again. She had tried playing in the big leagues and had gotten burned. No way to come back from that. But I wanted to know what had happened to my damn hellhound; I still needed to find Orthus. The wind raged outside and there was still a tropical storm warning, but Evan's condo faced the street, which meant less damage for his place and more for mine.

"Bri, I need some information from you and if you lie to me, you will be in Hell before your six years, do you understand?"

She nodded, no sound emerging from her throat.

I scooted forward on the couch and leaned towards her. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Evan giving me a small smile as he leaned back, arms crossed again.

"Where is my dog? Where is Orthus?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

She spoke the truth. She was too scared to lie to me. But that did not help. "Do you know the name of the demon that you made the deal with? That you gave Orthus to?"

She nodded; her eyes wide. "His name was Azazel."

I groaned. There was no demon named Azazel. That was a common joke among the demons. Azazel, yeah right. Poor girl was an even bigger sucker than I thought. Evan eyed me as I groaned. I shook my head to let him know I would talk to him later. Without Bri. I nodded at Bri and sat back.

"Can I leave?" She asked in a small voice.

I nodded.

She shot out of the chair and raced to the door. She stopped when her hand touched the doorknob. "There really is no way out of this, is there?" She looked back at me. "No way to undo this deal?"

I looked at her. "The only way to undo the deal is to ask or trick the demon you made the deal with to release you." I told her. "It's a lot harder than it sounds."

She smiled at me, a sad twist of her lips. "Good thing I've got six years." She opened the door and in a moment was gone.

I turned to Evan. "I feel bad for her."

He stared at me incredulously. "She sent you—and me—to hell!" He softened. "What about this Azazel character? Do you know who he is? Can you use him to find Orthus?"

I shook my head. "Azazel doesn't exist." Evan's eyes widened. "It's a kind of urban legend among demons. It's a name we use to fuck with humans."

"Knowing a demon's name gives you power over them," Evan said, "so you make up a name. All of you using the same name means you know that it's a joke."

"Exactly." I smiled at Evan's knowledge. So much easier than having to explain everything.

"Okay, so we can't use Azazel, so how do we find Orthus? And it needs to be quick. This storm is starting to pick up."

I nodded. "That's Orthus."

Evan looked at me, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

I had forgotten that I had not told him. "Remember when I said that he was a special needs dog?"  
Evan sighed, "Dammit Helena, did you lie to me again?"

I glared at him. "I did not lie to you. I just didn't explain how special he is." I braced myself for his outburst. "Orthus is a hellhound."

I eyed Evan, surprised that he did not pass out or yell. Instead he sat next to me, almost thoughtful. He ran a hand through his hair. "How did I not figure it out?" he asked quietly. "All the signs were there. I keep blaming you, Helena, but all the signs, the pieces of the puzzle were right there. Your name. Helena Black. Your dog, Orthus. Your brother, Lucas. Either your family was obsessed with the occult, or it was something more."

I patted his knee again. This time, he did not glare at me. "Sometimes we ignore the obvious."

"So, Orthus the hellhound trapped in a Chihuahua's body is regaining his strength. I take it you bound him with a spell?" Evan asked.

"Yup."

"And now the spell is wearing off?"

"Yup."

"And we have to find him and stop him before he destroys the world?"

"Well, not the world," I told him. "Just Miami."

Evan nodded slowly. "Okay, nothing to it. Let's find this damn canine." He looked over at me. "How are we going to find this damn canine?"

I grinned. "I have a few clues." I jumped up, "but we have to go to my place."

Evan stood and shook his head in disbelief before he made a wide, sweeping gesture toward the front door. "Lead the way."

Minutes later, we stood in my living room. The bowl of water still sat on the coffee table. Outside, the Orthus-made storm raged against the glass, the wind making the windows rattle. The ocean view was a solid wall of gray and doom and a chill had started to frost the glass door.

I snapped my fingers and instantly the candles situated around the room flared to life. Evan raised a brow and I shrugged. Hey, sometimes the magic came in handy. I dragged my fingers through the bowl and the images flared to life. Evan watched, transfixed as the cross, the beach and the stained-glass window flashed in the depths of the bowl.

"What the hell is that?"

I smiled. "A scrying bowl. Kinda something psychics use." I paused at the images replayed themselves. Evan watched in fascination. "I can see images from the future as well as the present and the past. Because I am not a true psychic, I can only see glimpses though. Bits and pieces. A psychic would be able to see the images as a movie, I guess, and they would be able to tell us where Orthus is."

Evan waved a hand at the bowl. "A bowl of water is telling us where Orthus is?" He asked skeptically, watching the images continually flashing in the bowl.

"Uh huh," I answered. "I focused on Orthus and used a bit of energy from Bri. I was able to get a few images of where he is."

"Right," Evan said slowly.

I gave him a sharp look. "You were just in Hell. Are you really questioning whether I could see my hellhound in this bowl of water?"

He looked at me and held up a hand in surrender. "Touché. Okay, let's see what we can find out." The images flashed again. "Okay, a cross could be a church."

I nodded. "Yup, I thought that too. And the beach could be a church on the beach. Only problem is which beach and where." We both watched the third image; the stained-glass with the man holding a quill and the parchment.

I looked at Evan. "Any clue?"

He shrugged, "I have no fucking idea." He suddenly brightened. "But I may know someone who does." He pulled out his cellphone from his pocket, flipped through his contacts and dialed the number.

I leaned over his shoulder as he called, and narrowed my eyes as he spun away, his big shoulders blocking the caller ID. A woman answered on the first ring, her voice overjoyed. My brows rose. He shrugged again and described the pictures he needed help with identifying. In less than ten minutes he hung up the phone.

"That was interesting," I said, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

He laughed at me. "An old friend from grad school." He said lightly. "She specializes in old Roman architecture."

"I bet that's not all she specializes in," I muttered, surprised at the depth of my response and the fit of jealousy that had taken over me.

Evan laughed again. "Well, she also happens to be very good at what she does." Before I could respond to that suggestion, he went on. "And she knows the place we are looking for. It's the St. Francis de Salas Catholic Church. And it's not far from here."

I nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. Before I could comment, I felt a presence in the room a split second before a tall dark haired figure appeared before me. Evan quickly shoved me behind him, bravely facing the opponent who had appeared out of thin air. I peeked from around Evan's broad shoulders and took in the handsome demon. He smiled at me toothily and I moved from behind Evan's back.

I waggled my fingers at him. "Hey Luc."

He grinned and made a wide, sweeping gesture at Evan before extending his hand. "Lucas Black. The Second. Prince of Hell. Pleasure to meet you."

~*~

Chapter 10 – Hell Hath no Fury

Evan sat on the couch in my—Luc's—living room. Although he was quiet, questions burned in him. After Luc's whirlwind entrance and subsequent introduction, I had questions of my own. I rounded on my brother, his dark hair blending really well with his overly tanned skin. I smoothed my hand over his brow.

"Who are you supposed to be this time?"

Luc smiled and grabbed a handful of my hair playfully. His deep voice suddenly sounded slightly foreign. "I am Carlos Garcia. My mother was a migrant worker raped by a drunk but chose to keep the baby that the Lord God had placed in her womb. Her faith never wavered and she taught me the teachings of the Bible." He winked at Evan's astonished face and spread his arms wide. "I am here to share the word of God and bring his flock back together, safe into his loving arms. Can I hear an amen?"

"Amen." I answered dryly. I turned to Evan who sat looking a bit shocked.

"What the hell was that?"

I waved at Luc. "He's on a recruiting trip for my father out in L.A. His job is to really lead the flock away from the path of righteousness."

Luc grinned at my explanation.

"He does a good job too."

"Any other family members I should know about?" Evan asked a bit too casually. I could see the strain in his eyes and knew that this day—this week—was proving to be too much for one human to handle.

I shook my head, and the handful of hair that Luc had tugged loose, fell onto my face. I swept it back quickly. "No, no more family members. Just the one idiot brother." I looked back at Luc. "How do you two not know each other? You live across the hall from each other. You haven't met before? "

Evan shrugged. "I haven't been here that long. Less than a year. And you've been gone all that time, am I right?" He asked Luc.

"Yup. Close to a year now." He sighed dramatically. "But I do miss the old girl," he said patting the couch.

I looked over at Evan. "Now you can see whose side of the family he resembles."

Luc raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

I rolled my eyes. "My dad through and through. Theatrics."

Luc laughed and I playfully punched his shoulder. "Now who's into theatrics?" His gaze swept around the room, spying the candles and bowl of water on the table. "You've certainly been busy."

I suddenly felt a bit nervous. "Oh, you know," I answered airily. "Just doing a bit of scrying."

Luc eyed me thoughtfully. "What are you scrying for?" He touched one finger to the still surface of the water in the bowl.

I closed my eyes as the images flared to life. Luc was much better when it came to magic and since he had to use it more often, he was much more practiced.

"Hmm," he said, eyeing the images. "St. Francis de Salas."

I glared at him. "How the hell do you know that?"

He smiled. "It pays to be familiar with the area in which you work...and live." He grinned. "Besides, that church is a favorite of Bri's." He rubbed his hand on his chin. "Had some fun times there in the rectory with her. Or was it the parish house? Or both?" He grinned. "Either way, it was fun times."

I almost swallowed my tongue and I swore I heard Evan's jaw hit the floor. "Are you shitting me?"

Luc laughed. "Hell no. Bri and I, well, let's just say, there were some lonely nights when she needed a friend." He shrugged. "I just happened to be a good friend."

I covered my ears childishly with my hands. "Just stop. Please."

Luc laughed again. "Sure. No problem."

I glanced and Evan and saw that while he wore a smile on his face, he wisely kept his mouth closed. He knew that I still harbored a few ill feelings toward her. "Okay, now that we've confirmed the church. How are we going to get in?"

Luc sprawled onto the couch next to Evan, his brow furrowed. "Why are you trying to get into St. Francis?"

"No reason," I said quickly. Evan frowned and opened his mouth to talk, surprised when no sound came out.

Luc grinned at Evan. "Sorry man. She's always been quick with the spells." He muttered a few words and Evan coughed.

"Don't ever do that again," Evan warned me hoarsely.

I narrowed my eyes and my bastard brother laughed again.

"So, church?" Luc asked, not deterred. "And what's up with you two anyway?"

Evan eyed me as he answered. "We're kinda dating."

Luc waggled his eyebrows. "So it can be you and he and me and Bri." He smiled at his bad rhyme.

I wanted to tell Luc about Bri's deal but decided it was not the time. Besides, perhaps he could help us with the church. "How do you get into churches?" I asked. "I mean, I know how you get into them, but are you able to use your powers?"

Luc shook his head. "Sorry, sis. I get drained simply trying to sustain my looks. All my persuasion comes with the power of my tongue." He waggled his tongue and I rolled my eyes.

Evan moved behind me, his arms wrapping around my shoulders as he led me to the couch. I sat still, sandwiched between my brother and the man I was starting to love.

I waved a hand at Luc's form. "Get rid of that." I told him, annoyed.

He smiled and I watched the magic spread from the white of his teeth, over his cheeks and chin, to his head and then torso. Although still well defined, Luc's skin was decidedly pasty and his red hair shone against his white skin.

"Better?"

I nodded. "Better. But it still does not solve the problem we have about getting into that damn church."

Luc looked at me. "You know if you would stop hiding what it is that you need, perhaps I could help."

I looked at Evan. He nodded slowly to show me he agreed with Luc.

I sighed. He was right. They were both right. I needed all the resources I could find if I wanted to rescue Orthus. I couldn't even enter a church with my full powers. If he was being held against his will, and I suspect that he was, it would have to be a full scale assault. Who knew who might get hurt and what kind of damage might be done. I thought of Orthus. He could become caught up in the excitement and that could speed up his transformation from harmless dog back into hellhound.

Luc cleared his throat. "Waiting."

I took a deep breath. I knew that Luc would think me stupid when he heard what happened.

"Well, I kinda lost something...someone." I stumbled over the words. "It. I lost an it."

Luc looked at me in puzzlement. "Helena. What the hell are you talking about?"  
I suddenly couldn't hold it in any longer. "Your fucking bitch of a girlfriend, Bri, stole Orthus and traded him with a demon. Now we can't find him. We think he's being held in that 'St. Francis' church." I gestured outside. "That storm is Orthus regaining the powers I bound when I transformed him into a dog to bring him to the surface. And dad doesn't know. That I...lost Orthus. If we don't find him, I'm fucked."

Luc's eyes widened as my story came tumbling out. "You are right about one thing," he coughed. "You are fucked."

*

I looked up at the tall imposing building of stone, stucco and Spanish tiles. Storm winds were slightly buffeted by the tall buildings surrounding the church, but I knew the glass and metal of South Beach could not stand up to Orthus for long. A long branch from a coconut tree was ripped free and swept past us, tumbling end over end down the street. It slammed into a car parked on the street. The alarm blared shrilly. I ignored the distractions.

The large wooden double doors of St. Francis seemed particularly heavy and although I knew I was severely weakened, I felt that even at full strength it would have taken more than I had to open them. I placed my hand on the doorknob, surprised and a bit scared when the burning sensation I had felt when I opened a church door a few years ago, felt slightly subdued. Perhaps now I was more tolerant. I watched Luc's face as he got closer and recognized the strain around his eyes. He was in considerably more pain than I felt at the moment.

Evan touched my hand and I let go of the knob. I looked at my hand covered in blisters. Although not that painful, I contorted my face into an expression of pain until I was able to figure out what was happening. Evan pushed open the dark wooden doors easily. We walked beneath the arch with the cross embedded in stone. I dared not touch any of the stone or wood of the entrance as we walked through.

I chose not to give into the fear which wanted me to run back down the steps and past the manicured lawns to refuge. I had never shirked an assignment, never felt fear and for the first time, I felt the grip of the unknown. I willed myself to not think about it. I was fine. As long as I did no harm, I was safe. Even in a church.

A priest looked up as we walked in and we hastily made the sign of the cross. Evan really did. Luc and I made a lopsided 't'. We weren't taking any chances. My strength continued to ebb as soon as my foot crossed the threshold. I waved my hand slightly, not surprised at the slight crackle of red energy that soon disappeared as if it were sucked out of the room. The priest looked around, and for a moment, I feared he had seen my spell. He looked back at us and smiled and I relaxed. I needed to find Orthus and to be honest, fear or not, this priest was not going to stand in my way.

"Welcome to St. Francis." He greeted us warmly.

I nodded and forced a smile, while Evan and Luc echoed the priest's greeting.

"Can I help you with anything?"

I looked at Evan and Luc. Should we tell him that we were trying to find our dog? I debated for a minute, and then decided to just wing it.

"We are looking for my dog. A little Chihuahua?" I held my hands slightly apart to show him how small Orthus was. "He was stolen."

His mouth tightened for a moment and his eyes flickered to a side door. He clasped his hand behind his back and then the smile returned to his face. Evan's breathing was steady, but I knew neither he nor my brother had missed the exchange. We were on the right track. Orthus was obviously still here and based on the priest's response, they had a good idea what he was.

The priest cleared his throat. "We have had a few...guests from another parish visiting us. One did manage to acquire a dog similar to what you describe." He hesitated. "However, we believe that the animal is...sick." He shook his head sadly. "We have decided to terminate the poor creature." He looked back at me, imploringly. "I hope you do understand."

I snarled and almost jumped at him. Only Evan's hand at my wrist stopped me from doing something decidedly foolish.

"We are so sorry and we understand," Luc said in a polished voice. "But Chichi is a part of our family and we would like to see him once last time before he is put down."

The priest did not hesitate. He nodded and said a quick prayer before he closed the bible he held before him. He moved to a door partially hidden near the church entrance. It led to a long winding staircase. He wisely kept quiet, only speaking to remind us to watch a step or offer a prayer for 'Chichi.' Finally, we reached the narrow hallway from my scrying. I could feel the pulse of Orthus' powers. In this place, his Hell powers felt wrong.

I took a step forward, pausing when the priest held onto my sleeve. The man had a terrified look on his face.

"Remember, whatever happens in there, whatever he does, he is sick and does not know what he is doing. Chichi is a good dog and his spirit will soon be free." He released me and fell back as Evan, Luc and I walked down the hall. I opened the door and immediately spotted Orthus. He stood as tall as a Pitbull, his features lopsided and still Chihuahua-like. He growled as we entered, his eyes glowing red. I held my hand out carefully as Evan inhaled sharply. I could tell that Orthus' new look was not endearing him to Evan.

"Orthus. Buddy. It's me. Helena. And Luc." I neared him slowly, dismayed when he backed away.

"She bound his powers before, why can't she do that now?" Evan asked Luc.

Luc answered back, all playfulness gone from his voice. "To bind his powers in the first place took a tremendous amount of power. We don't have that kind of strength in a place like this. He could rip her to shreds before she even has a chance to bind him."

I felt Evan's eyes on me and I gave a quick nod to corroborate Luc's story. I held my hand out to Orthus and although he had stopped backing away, he still eyed me with distrust. A loud crack sounded throughout the room and I looked up at the sky through the lone window. It had started to rain and the water sluiced against the glass. I looked back to Orthus and tried to reach him telepathically.

Orthus. It's me, Helena.

Helena?

I smiled. Orthus' voice sounded confused, but he was in there. He wasn't completely gone...yet.

Hey. We're here to take you home. But you've got to stop this storm. You're about to destroy the city.

Orthus chortled. Destroy the city. Yay!

I grimaced. You can't. You do that and all these souls who have been praying to survive this storm get to go to heaven. Dad would be pissed that you fucked up his numbers. I piled on the guilt and fear and I felt him start to calm down. Luc's shoulders relaxed slightly. He felt it as well.

I used the little strength I had to cast one spell. I gathered a bit of energy from Luc and a lot from Evan. I looked over at Orthus. Sleep. I commanded. He dropped to the floor in a dead faint. The rain beating at the glass started to lighten and in mere moments, the downpour had changed to a light sprinkle. I breathed a sigh of relief as Luc threw open the Plantation shutters and poked his head out. He gave me the thumbs up. I nodded. The storm had stopped.

I smiled at Evan and turned to the door. It opened suddenly and a harried looking woman with two men dressed in priest robes stood before us. They held a vial with a liquid and an open bible. They stared at us with eyes wide in surprise, before the men rushed Evan and Luc while the woman grabbed me by the hair.

"What have you done?"

I twisted from her grip, but she held firm to my long tresses. I spun around, my eyes watering as I felt some of my hair rip loose.

"You have freed the hellhound. He needs to be exorcised." She continued pulling at me and the vial of liquid she held in her hand spilled onto my arm. I screamed as pain shot up my arm. The holy water stung, searing hot but did not cause any serious damage. I glanced at my smoking arm and into the incensed eyes of the woman.

"Demon." She whispered. "Demon! Spawn of Satan!" She twisted, trying to throw the remainder of the liquid onto my face. It hit Luc who was struggling with one man. Instantly his face started to smoke and he blindly held out his hands. His attacker took full advantage and swung. The sound of bone meeting flesh echoed throughout the room.

"They are all demons!" The man shouted. "Kill them all!" He threw a wild punch and it hit me on the side of my head. Instantly, I felt stars as my head started to spin. Evan launched himself at my attacker, landing a punch to the man's face. He cocked his fist to hit him again and was hit by the second man. The blow was so forceful Evan flew across the room. Luc jumped up and grabbed the woman by the waist and threw her off me. I fell to the floor and felt a moment of relief before a hard foot connected with my torso. Evan roared and reached for me.

Luc grabbed one of the men and grappled wildly with him while I clutched my stomach as I rolled on the floor. The boot tried again to kick me and this time, I heard the slap of flesh on flesh as Evan punched him across the room. The woman picked herself up and ran towards Evan who stood near the open window. She tripped over Orthus' sleeping body and fell forward, her outstretched hands pushing Evan through the open window. He screamed my name as he fell.

My heart stopped as I watched him disappear from view. In a rage, I pushed myself from the floor and rushed the woman. I grabbed her by the hair and slammed her into the wall. The wall shook as the woman's body and a piece of plaster fell to the floor. I grabbed one of the men and clawed at his face, giving Luc a chance to deal with the other. I heard a thud as the first man fell to the floor. The second man looked at me and Luc and ran out the door. I leaned out the window and saw Evan lying below, his body at an awkward angle. My heart caught in my throat and I begged the powers that be to allow him to still live. I rushed out the room and down the stairs, leaving my brother to handle Orthus.

I rounded the corner and saw Evan. He looked pale lying against the green of the grass. His eyes were closed and I fell to my knees and cradled his head. I felt, rather than heard, the sizzle of fire and smoke as my dad made his appearance.

"He is mine now."

I held onto Evan as the tears start to flow. He was lost to me. I held on for a few more seconds and cried in earnest as the body I clutched disappeared from my arms.

*

Hell hath no fury. I stormed into my dad's office; my red curls a tangle around my face. He stood as I walked in and the crackle of the fire pit in the stone wall was the only sound in the room. I reached out with my magic; I was surprised at my own audacity to challenge my dad. He raised an eyebrow at me and matched my magic, the crackle of the two intermingling in the smoldering air.

I pushed, too hurt to think about my reckless act. My dad stared coolly at me before my powers suddenly disappeared. I tried to conjure a spell and glared at him as the air remained tinged with light from the pit. Not even a sizzle or crackle of magical energy came from my body. I was completely drained.

I sat down heavily onto the chair in front of my father's desk. He sat as well and stared at me, neither of us talking. He knew what I wanted, of course. He knew why I was there. I wanted Evan. I didn't want him as a soul trapped here, in Hell. I wanted him above ground, back in South Beach and I wanted the vibrant, gorgeous man I had known for a few short weeks...and had come to love.

My dad steepled his hands beneath his chin and watched the emotions cross my face. He held back, when he would have normally berated me for my brashness. Brashness I deserved to be punished for. Any other demon would have paid with their life. For once, I was grateful I was his daughter. In the few short hours since Evan had been here I had not had the strength to seek him out. This was my fault and I had not lived up to my promise. I had not figured out a way to get him out of his deal. My deal.

My guilt over my actions warred with my anger at my dad. I wanted to place all the blame on him but I knew it was not true; I had been too selfish to truly do what I had promised to do. I felt the acid of guilt deep in my stomach. I was starting to feel all too human. It was worrisome. But I would have to deal with it later. Right now I had to deal with my dad. Again.

"You tricked me." It was a statement. My dad knew he did. And he had the grace not to look too happy about it. "You tricked me and lied to me. Your own daughter."

"Yes, I did." He shrugged. "It's what we demons do." he said pointedly. "We are not like humans, no matter how much we fancy them. We are still demons and our goal is still to get as many humans as possible to Hell." He watched my face. "That has always been the game-plan. As my daughter, you know this better than anyone."

I remained impassive, guarding my anger and holding it close to my chest. My temper started to rise to the surface but after my dad had sapped my powers a few minutes ago, I knew better than to give in.

"Why do you want this human so badly?" he asked me. I was completely thrown off guard. I did not expect my dad, the devil, to ask why I was interested in a human. Somehow the information seemed...beneath him.

I shrugged. "I have come to care for him." I answered petulantly as my dad stared at me.

"And does this human care for you?" His dark eyes bored into mine and I almost squirmed under the glare.

I straightened my back and glared back. How dare he question me when he was the one that was at fault? I bit my cheek to hold my tongue in check.

"Helena? I asked you a question." My dad raised his voice slightly. "Does this human care for you?"

"Yes." I bit out.

"And you are sure of this?" He leaned back in his chair and let his hands fall to the table. His high wingback chair blended in with the shadows behind his desk.

I looked at my dad. Why was he giving me the third degree? He knew that Evan and I shared a relationship. Evan had been banished to Hell by a witch. Had dinner with the family and a few demons. Fought religious fanatics to save Orthus with Luc. I was sure Evan didn't go through all of that because he was bored on a Saturday night. "Yes, I'm sure."

My dad nodded. "And that's where your feelings end? At care?"

My breath caught in my throat. I already knew I felt more than caring about Evan. He came unbidden to my mind and I greedily grasped onto the image burning in my head. His blonde hair, tousled and shining in the sun that filtered through his window after we'd made love. His blue eyes staring at me, the calm ocean of South Beach reflected in their depths. His strong hands lifting me onto his hard body. The anger in him as my attacker kicked me. Oh, it was much more than caring. I took a deep breath and looked deeply into my dad's dark eyes.

"I love him." I said simply, finally admitting the truth to myself. I didn't elaborate or wax poetry. That wasn't in my nature. But I could tell my dad knew the depth of my emotions. They were almost bubbling to the surface and I stemmed them back.

"You love him?" He snorted inelegantly. "You are a demon. What do you know of love? And with a human?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I know that if given the chance to be with him than in my own home, I would take it," I retorted. My dad's eyes darkened, but I did not stop. "I know that if given the chance to give him back his life, I would gladly stay in Hell for eternity. An eternity without him."

I breathed out slowly. I had no idea where that statement had come from, but I knew it was true. That was the only way I could keep my promise. Evan deserved more than having his soul stuck here. He was made for the surface. His aura would die here. He needed the sun and the sky and fresh air. I could do without if it meant that he would have his life back. It was the least I could do. I thought about the prospect of living without seeing Evan and my heart felt bereft.

Could I spend an eternity here without him? I knew I would. It would be hard, but that was the price of being...good for a change. Perhaps, I would be allowed to pop up to the surface every once in a while. Or perhaps dad would make my retraining so intense; I would forget about Evan in a few centuries. I steeled myself for his response.

"Hmm." He folded his arms across his chest, the fabric of his shirt stretching across his muscles. His dark red hair was brushed back from his face and his eyes shone like two opals. He stared at me thoughtfully. "I will decide later how you will be punished. For both your disobedience of my orders and for taking my hellhound." He turned away from me and went back to his ledger. I was dismissed.

I walked back to my quarters silently. I stepped out onto the solar where Evan and I had ended up after Bri's banishment spell. I walked over to the window like Evan had done and watched the activity below. Somewhere in all chaos, he was there. He was right now toiling, working, laboring; his punishment for being in Hell. I doubt he thought of me unless it was to curse the day he had ever met me.

For a moment, his bare body glistening with sweat made my mouth water. My stomach muscles clenched and moisture pooled low in my stomach. I pulled myself together. The man was probably being tortured and I was being turned on. I looked at the lake below in disgust and turned away. I moved to my bed, laid my head on my pillow and closed my eyes in exhaustion. I would have to await my dad's decision, whether I liked it or not.

*

The light playful tickling under my nose caused me to sneeze. Sunlight filtered through my closed eyelids and I resisted the urge to roll over, away from the brightness. The sound of laughter, followed by the splashing of waves reached my ears and I frowned. What the hell? It smelled like I was back in South Beach. My eyes flew open at the thought. Evan leaned over me, his fingers caressing my face. I closed my eyes, not wanting the dream to end.

Not a dream. A voice echoed in my head.

My eyes flew open again. Evan grinned at me and leaned in to give me a kiss. Had I heard him in my thoughts? I only shared that link with my family and that included the hellhounds, but no one else. Had I imagined it?

Nope. You did not imagine it. I can totally hear you.

I shot upright. Evan laughed at my expression.

"How-how are you here? And how can you share my link?" I asked bewildered. We were on the beach. All around us tourists and locals played in the water or napped on the sand.

Evan leaned over and touched his lips to mine. He pulled away reluctantly. "Your dad, I suspect. He interrogated me yesterday, asked me how I felt about you and if I cared about you." He looked over at me. "I told him the truth and today, I woke up next to you."

I leaned away from him. "So what was the truth?" I asked. "When he asked if you cared about me, what did you say?"

Evan shrugged. "I told him I did not care about you." He kissed the corner of my mouth, smiling at my frown.

"I told him I loved you. More than life itself," he kissed me again. "And that I would gladly stay in Hell if it meant being near you."

He laughed and pulled me closer to his body, his blue eyes shining at me full of promises. He leaned into me again and captured my lips with his. He probed my mouth and instantly I felt the fire flame between us. His tongue entered my mouth and I opened wider to allow him in as my arms circled his wide shoulders.

I pulled away from his lips with a smile. "Yeah, I said the exact same thing."

~*~

