The Devil's Angel (Devil Series Book 2) (18 page)

Why?

“You’re looking good,” Julie said to him when Lucien exited the elevator at the Deific.

He glanced down at his black suit. “Too much?”

“Depends on if we’re in my bedroom or not.” She smiled and winked. “You must be here for Eve.”

Lucien glanced around the office. Only a few people were still working. “Yeah. Is she in back?”

“You just missed her.” She chewed on a pen, eyeing him up and down.

“She left?” He tried to keep his voice from rising.

“A couple of minutes ago. She said to tell you she’d meet you at the Mayor’s Ball. If you give me about ten minutes, I can go with you.” The pen twisted in her mouth.

“No, thanks.”

He left the building as quickly as possible. Without being too obvious, he strode through the crowds of people, weaving his way in and out of the masses. The crowd scurried about like rats stuck in a maze. Lucien was always amazed at how busy humans seemed. Maybe it was better that way. If people stopped to see the truth around them, they might be terrified by what they discovered.

Several teenagers, dressed up as the seven dwarfs, shoved each other in front of him. Lucien moved around the rowdy boys. He didn’t care for holidays and never celebrated them. As far as he was concerned, holidays were created as one more distraction to keep humans in the dark from the truth. Somehow, having an event to celebrate made people feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

After several blocks, Lucien finally picked up her scent. She was close. He stepped into an alley. With human eyes no longer on him, he raced through to the other side and up behind the buildings. He should be able to cut her off in a matter of seconds.

Coming around to another alley, Lucien stopped abruptly when an angel gowned in all white with white butterfly-like wings passed by the opening. The image startled at him and, for a brief moment, he wondered if it was in fact a real angel. But then he smelled lilacs.

Lucien fell in step behind Eve, taken in by her appearance.

She wore a long, white, strapless satin gown with folds of silk all around her. Her hair was completely straight and fell to the middle of her back, and a diamond crown graced the top of her head. He couldn’t bring himself to go forward to be with her, afraid he would tarnish her perfect image. Instead, he walked a safe distance behind, never taking his eyes off her.

At the doors to the hotel, she turned around and looked out. Lucien didn’t hide. He stood opposite the street, hands at his side.

“Lucien,” she whispered. The wind carried his name to be heard only by him.

He nodded once in acknowledgment and crossed the road. He kept his eyes locked with hers, unable to look away.

Before he could say anything, she said, “I’m sorry I left. I wasn’t sure if you’d be back.”

“I will always come back.”

“Forgive me?” She batted her eyes at him angelically.

He reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. “How did you become so beautiful?”

He didn’t realize he’d said the words aloud until he saw her lips spread into a smile. “I take it I’m forgiven?”

He remained silent, unable to think of anything else but Eve. It was a peaceful moment for him, standing opposite her—an angel fallen from heaven. Letting his barrier down, he took her small hand in his and traced the veins in her wrist.

“Lucien,” she said, her voice quiet. “Will you escort me in?”

He inhaled deeply, his gaze meeting hers. “I’m not really wearing a costume.”

“I hardly see how that’s a problem. You are a vampire, after all.” She reached up her free hand and brushed his lips with her thumb, as if remembering the fangs.

When he didn’t answer, she said, “I want you with me.”

If that is what she wanted, he would give it to her. He escorted her into the elegant hotel. Several heads turned in their direction, staring with mouths open. They must’ve made a fantastic-looking couple. Him dressed all in black, and she in white.
The Devil and the Angel.

“People can’t stop staring at you,” she said. “But I’m not surprised. You look, dare I say, hot in that suit of yours.”

“I’ve never been called that before.”

“Then I’ll say it more often.”

Lucien led her toward the ballroom, weaving her through the crowded foyer. It made him nervous that so many people were wearing masks.

“So who called you?” Eve asked.

“John.” Lucien froze, remembering the last few hours. The sight of Eve had distracted him.

“Who?”

Lucien pulled her to the side of the room, away from the crowd. “I need to speak with you and Charlie right away. Can you call him and have him meet us out here?”

“Of course. He’s probably already here.” She removed a cell phone from a small, white feather purse and dialed Charlie’s number.

A few minutes later, Charlie walked out of the ballroom and into the foyer where they were standing. He was dressed in green tights with a loose fitting, short sleeve shirt and a thick black belt wrapped around his waist. A small green hat with a feather sticking out the top sat upon his head. Lucien tried really hard not to say anything. Really hard.

When Charlie saw Eve, his mouth dropped. “Eve, you look incredible!”

He took both her hands and kissed her on the cheek.

She smiled warmly at him. “You look great, too.”

Charlie glanced at Lucien. “Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”

Lucien resisted the urge to punch him. “No. Two hours ago I was in the police station killing a vampire.”

Charlie jerked like a plucked guitar string. “How did a vampire get put in jail?”

“He said he was shot with some kind of a strange weapon that blasted electricity into him. It made him confused and disoriented. The cops thought he was a human on drugs.”

Both Charlie and Eve looked at each other.

“You know what weapon I’m talking about, don’t you?” Lucien asked.

Charlie sighed. From behind his back, he withdrew a long pistol-like looking gun and handed to Lucien. “A few years ago, our Australian office invented this. It’s a lot like a taser but shoots out a higher voltage of electricity. They found that a high amount of electricity messes up the make-up of vampires. However, the same blast of electricity will kill a human.”

He paused, a growing look of concern spreading across his face. “As far as I know, none of my men were out last night.”

“It wasn’t a human who shot him, it was another vampire.”

Charlie shook his head. “That’s not possible. We keep a tight inventory on all these guns. We’d know if one was missing.”

“Then you’d better check again, because there’s a vampire out there who has one.”

“I’ll make a few calls now.” Charlie turned to leave.

“Wait! What would happen if Eve was shot with one of these weapons?”

“Lucien?” Eve asked.

Charlie looked at her. “What does Eve have to do with this?”

“Are you serious? This is all about Eve! This wasn’t a random act of vampire on vampire violence. They are here for her, and they’re going to keep coming until they have her. She needs to leave town.”

They were all silent. From inside the ballroom, an orchestra played a hauntingly beautiful tune.

Eve spoke first. “Fine, I’ll leave tomorrow, wherever you want, but give me tonight. Please?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Lucien said.

Charlie folded his arms. "That’s what I’ve been saying."

“One night, you guys, and then tomorrow Charlie can ship me back to New York or maybe one of the other Deific offices. I have nowhere else to go.”

Lucien stared at her, surprised. “You act as if you’re going alone.”

“I will be, won’t I?”

“You won’t be alone, Eve," Lucien said. The thought of Eve by herself with a swarm of vampires hunting after her made him ill. He didn’t care how much magic she knew. "I’ll go with you, but we leave tonight after the ball."

"A few hours only," Charlie said. "No need to press our luck."

"Deal." She looped her arms through Lucien’s and Charlie’s and led them into the ball room.

It had been decorated with old French décor; even the hotel staff were dressed as French courtiers of the 17th century. Candles adorned the room, and white and pink flowers hung from the walls and tables. In the front, a full orchestra band played in harmony, classic pieces to match the time period. It was enough to impress even Lucien who had attended some of the grandest balls in history.

He followed Eve around the room as she stopped to speak with different people. She introduced him as her date. The whole affair felt strange and much too formal for Lucien’s taste. He moved about with a forced smile, trying to be polite and charming. All the while his inner voice screamed to get away.

Very few of the humans he met seemed genuine. Their shifty eyes guarded their secrets well. And they did have secrets—dirty parts of their lives they wanted to keep hidden from others. It was evident by the way they talked themselves up as if they were greater than they really were.

Sitting at a table in the direction Eve was now heading, sat Charlie. Though Charlie annoyed Lucien, at least he was sincere and honest.

Charlie ended a call and stood as they approached.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how radiant you look, Eve.” He turned toward Lucien. “And I forgot to ask you earlier, what are you supposed to be?”

“One guess.” He sat down next to Eve who sat next to Charlie. “And you must be, what, the Jolly Green Giant?”

“Try Robin Hood.”

“Robin Hood was a thief,” said a woman across the table from them. She was dressed like a seductive cat. Next to her was an older man with slicked back gray hair wearing a Zorro mask.

The old man laughed. “Forgive my wife’s bluntness. I’m Arthur. I work in the governor’s office, and this is Olivia.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Charlie, this is Eve, and the man sitting next to her is a vampire.”

Eve snapped a look at Charlie who smiled sarcastically.

“And does the vampire have a name?” Olivia purred.

Lucien hated being here. “Lucien.”

She kept her eyes on him as if he were a yellow canary.

“So tell me more about Robin Hood,” Charlie asked. “I’d love to know how you figure him for a thief.”

“He stole from those who worked hard to be rich and gave it to the lazy, not the poor.”

Charlie laughed. “I’ve got to hear this.”

“Robin Hood felt the rich had too much money, and he thought they should give it to the poor. He stole from hard-working people who obtained their wealth by intelligence, the sweat of their brow, or simply by a strong desire to be successful. Then he gave it to those who wouldn’t work. Sounds like today, doesn’t it?”

“But they weren’t lazy,” Charlie defended. “There were no jobs, and the Sheriff taxed them so greatly that they were unable to afford even food.”

“Then they should have moved somewhere else. We all have the same opportunities. We just have to be willing to work hard for them,” Olivia said.

“I agree with you—to a point,” Lucien said. Charlie looked at him with wide eyes, and Eve lifted her eyebrows, but he continued. “Robin Hood was a thief. He stole what wasn’t his and gave to others who also had no entitlement to the money. However, you don’t know or understand the time period or how the subjects were ruled.”

“And you do?” she asked.

“Better than anyone in this room. A society either flourished or crumbled under a king’s rule. A good, honest ruler lived in a country where everyone was equal, including the king. In this type of rule, it wouldn’t be uncommon to see the king laboring in the field with his own hands. Because of his example, all men alike worked hard to support themselves and those who didn’t work because of, let’s say an illness, had charity given them through the generosity of others.

“In contrast, people who are ruled by a lazy, wicked ruler, such as the Sheriff of Nottingham, also tended to be lazy and expected to be given things that weren’t theirs to begin with. They become a society of thieves as they looked for the shortest and simplest way to obtain wealth. They were merely a reflection of the King himself. So who is the villain? The Sheriff of Nottingham or Robin Hood?”

“Why don’t you tell us?” the old man asked with an amused smile.

“They were both villains, and both deserved nothing better than death.”

Olivia giggled.

“But that’s not entirely true,” Eve said. “There have always been good people to stand up and fight against evil rulers.”

“But you have to look at their reason for fighting. Are they a scorned brother who wants to be king himself thus hiding behind a pretend cause? Or maybe an offended subject seeks revenge against the king under the name of freedom. Now, I do admit there have been a few individuals throughout history who really do want what’s best for mankind. They will suffer, bleed, and die so that their children may live a better life. But I have seen enough history to know that men”—he glanced at Eve—“or women with such admirable qualities come around only once in a great while.”

“I think you see only what you want to see,” Eve said, glaring at him.

Olivia stared coolly at Eve. “I agree with Lucien. Men by nature are selfish, but is that necessarily a bad thing? Take me for example. I received my law degree from Harvard and am known as a high-profile defense attorney. In fact, you may have seen me on the news.”

Charlie rolled his eyes.

She continued, “I defend the worst criminals imaginable and most of the time I help them get off. Do I like what I do? No, but I love the money it brings in.”

Charlie opened his mouth as if to say something, but she held up a silencing hand. “Before you say how horrible that sounds, know this: with the insane amount of money I make, I give over thirty percent of it to various charities. Two of these charities stay in business because of the money I give them every year. So now tell me what I do is wrong.”

The table was quiet. Eve spoke first, “Does that make you feel better?”

“Does
what
make me feel better?”

“You giving your precious money to charity,” Eve replied.