That Old Black Magic by Michelle Rowen

to study the calming waves of the ocean. “I have to get back. He’ll wonder where I’ve gone.”
    “No he won’t. I’ll return you within the same millisecond that you left.”
    This earned him a look. “Really?”
    He nodded. “Or . . . maybe I should return you a hundred years from now. I might not see the future or read minds, but I do have certain abilities. Keeping you away from him at sunset would certainly help break his ties to you, wouldn’t it? He’d be sent directly to the Void if he can’t find a new body to possess in time.”
    There was a veiled threat behind the softly spoken words. He was right. Lucas was in control—he was always in control. He could tear Eden and Darrak apart with only a thought, he had that much power over them.
    Eden struggled to breathe normally. “You brought me here for a reason, so let’s get to it. Enough small talk.”
    He studied her for a moment before nodding. “Fine. When we were last together I told you that you worked for me now. You owe me for how things worked out last time.”
    Lucas had wanted to get his hands on a weapon—a diamond that had been infused with celestial energy called an angelheart. With it he planned to kill his inner beast, the anchor that kept him trapped in Hell. He called that beast Satan. Eden hadn’t met Satan—Lucas’s split personality—but from what she’d heard, she never wanted to. Eden gave him the diamond, but its power had already been spent and it was useless to him.
    To make up for this, she was now his Girl Friday.
    “What do you need me to do?” It would be futile to try to deny him or say no to whatever came next. The best thing for her to do was hear him out and then figure out a way to do it.
    Lucas pulled a small card out of his pocket. “There’s someone I need you to find for me.”
    She took the card from him. “It’s blank.”
    “I know.”
    “Why is it blank?”
    “Because this person has been cloaked from me. The details are written on that card, but I cannot see it. It will remain blank for as long as I’m near it.” His lips thinned. “Which is why I need you.”
    “Okay.” It didn’t make sense to her, but she wasn’t going to argue. She needed to get back to Darrak before sunset. “Why me?”
    “You’re a private investigator. I assume you’ll be able to find a missing person with a little bit of digging and a couple clues. All I do know is that they can be found somewhere in your city.”
    Seemed shaky reasoning at best, but she kept her lips sealed. Lucas would have an arsenal of demons to send out to do his dirty work. Why use her?
    “Why do you want this person?”
    “I want to talk to them.”
    “About what?”
    “That’s my own business.”
    “Just talk?” She looked at him skeptically. “Not torture? Not imprison in Hell? Not use against someone else?”
    He held her gaze steadily. “Just talk.”
    “About what?”
    His jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer her. He pulled a silver chain out of his pocket and put it in her palm. It looked like a charm bracelet without the charms. “You’ll place this on his or her wrist.”
    “And then what?”
    “That’s it.”
    She looked at the chain. “Sounds too simple.”
    “Are you refusing to do this for me?”
    “And if I do?” she asked, then flicked her eyes to meet his. His expression didn’t change.
    “I suggest you don’t.”
    He sounded so pleasant, but the threat was there. This man—this thing —in front of her might not be able to read minds or see the future, but he was the most powerful being she’d ever met. And if she could help it, she’d rather not piss him off anytime soon.
    “When does it have to be done?”
    “Tomorrow. Right after your attempt to remove Darrak’s curse.”
    She looked at him sharply, but bit her tongue. He couldn’t see the future, but he knew way too much about her. It made her extremely nervous.
    “Will you do this for me?” he asked.
    “I can’t believe you’re