Lucifer’s Daughter(30)

“Are you sure about this?” questioned Bambi, her beautiful face creased in concern.

My voice said, “Yes,” but my heart cried, “No.” Didn"t matter, it had to be done.





Chapter Seven


I kept looking for signs of Auric as I walked to work beside Bambi. She assured me he followed us, yet I couldn"t sense him.

Good, because that meant I wouldn"t have to tell him to find someone else; but disappointing, because I had this marvelous speech I"d prepared. I kept waiting for him to show up, but instead, David and Christopher walked into the bar not long after I opened it. They looked at their feet, shuffling them sheepishly, not looking me in the face.

I snorted. “Let me guess, you were in on it.”

“We didn"t know it was you,” said David. “We thought Satan"s daughter would be some mean old hag.”

“So, what, you"re not going to kill me because I"m young and pretty?”

“Well, yeah,” said David. “That, and we can"t kill Auric"s girlfriend. It wouldn"t be right.”

I froze for a second. Girlfriend? What had Auric told them?

“When did Auric say I was his girlfriend?” I asked quietly. My heart thumped as it waited for the answer. Not that I cared, because I still had to dump him.

“Just now, outside, when he said to come in and guard you.”

Christopher sighed. “David, my friend, you talk too much. Listen. It"s true that initially we came to this bar because we"d heard Satan"s daughter could be found here, but as soon as Auric realized that you were her, the plan to kill you for his wings got cancelled. Auric cares for you.

It"s why we"re here. He"s asked us to be his eyes and ears inside.”

“And just where is he?”

“Around,” said Christopher, vaguely.

“Great, well, you guys stay here and guard the bar. I"ve got to go out back to do some paperwork.”

A lie–wouldn"t Dad be proud–but I didn"t want them following me when I went outside looking for Auric. I sneaked out the side door into the alley, where I stood for a moment, lost. Where was Auric skulking, anyways?

I scoffed in the face of subtlety. “Auric,” I hollered. I waited impatiently, then called his name again. “Aur–”

A hand clamped down over my mouth, so I naturally sank my teeth into it.



“Ow,” shouted Auric"s gravelly voice. “What did you do that for?”

“Next time, if you don"t want to get hurt, identify yourself before grabbing me,” I said, not feeling the least bit sorry.

“I was trying to keep you quiet so you didn"t announce to the whole world you were out here by yourself.”

“But I"m not by myself, you"re here. Which is why I"m here, to talk to about you being here when you shouldn"t be.”

I loved the confused look he got on his face.

“Listen, Muriel, if you"re trying to tell me to leave, then you can forget it.”

I wanted to ask why he wanted to stay, but of course that"s when the demons from Hell showed up. They jumped down from the roof of the bar, three hulking brutes that spread out around us.

With the mood I was in, they should have sent more.

I heard the snick of Auric"s blade coming out of the sheath, and knowing the demon behind me would be taken care of, or at least kept busy, I smiled at the two facing me.

“Hello, boys, come to play?” I taunted.

The muscle-bound beasts didn"t reply; instead, one moved sideways trying to flank me while the other advanced on me. My head remained blank of spells, and my power dormant. I"d have to actually fight, which suited me just fine. I had a lot of pent-up frustration right now that needed venting.

I didn"t wait for the first demon to reach me. I charged him, my silver blades suddenly in my hands, slashing as I ducked under his swinging fists. I scored two symmetrical slashes on his ribs before I twirled out again and danced back. Smiling ferally at him, I did a quick chant, and suddenly my two daggers glowed a deep red. I"d imbued them with hell fire, which meant the next time I cut, they"d burn and burn and... Well, let"s just say, it took some powerful magic to stop the burning.

Sensing motion behind me, I ducked just as a meaty, clawed fist swung where my head would have been. Pivoting on one foot, I kicked out with the other into the creature"s knee cap, the force of my blow hitting with a loud crack. The demon fell with a cry as his leg collapsed under him.

My jaw dropped for a second. Either I"d gotten stronger overnight, or something weird was going on.



I rolled, instinct suddenly controlling my body, and slashed at the downed demon as he tried to grab me. With a howl, he clutched his burning hand to his chest, and I sprang up. I turned to face my first enemy, only to find Auric battling him. I whirled, looking for more danger, and saw Auric"s initial opponent in two pieces. A decapitation. Nice.