She blinked furiously, zeroing in on Adriana. Adriana grabbed Kate’s face in her hands and looked into Kate’s grey eyes. “Kate?” she asked. “Kate, can you understand me?”
Kate watched as large tears slid down Adriana’s cheeks. She lifted a hand up and wiped them away, leaving Adriana’s face more wet than before. Adriana pulled Kate into a quick, fierce embrace and sobbed. Kate comforted Adriana by rubbing her hand along Adriana’s back. “I’m okay now,” she said sweetly, calmly.
A voice broke through the silence. “I’m so sorry, Kate. I never meant to let him hurt you.” Kate focused on Rico who sat with his head in his hands. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated.
Kate watched Rico, barely noticing as Donovan and Adriana walked out, leaving the two of them alone. “I’m feeling fine,” Kate said, even though she knew it wouldn’t help.
“You’re not fine, Kate. You almost died. I was too weak to fight him.”
“He was using dark magic, Rico. You couldn’t have done anything more than what you already did, so stop beating yourself up. I saw the look on your face when you mentioned the dark magic, Rico. It’s worse than I ever could have imagined. I know you did the best you could.”
“I could have tried harder,” he said. “I didn’t try hard enough.”
Kate sighed, releasing her frustration and fear in a single exhalation. “Yes you did, Rico. You tried with everything you had. I know it.”
Rico shook his head but never lifted it up. He stayed there, staring at the floor, his dark hair hanging over his eyes, shielding his handsome face from Kate. She could picture him, his cobalt eyes stormy, his full lips pressed together in a straight line of anger and pain. He was everything to her, and she couldn’t stand to hear the pain in his voice, not like this, not when it was something she could fix.
Kate stood up and stepped over the edge of the tub, dripping water onto the floor. She wrapped a towel around her body and walked over to Rico. Kate put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it once. He looked up at her and pulled her into him. His arms wrapped around her waist; his head rested against her stomach. “I can’t lose you,” he mumbled.
“You’ll never lose me,” Kate said. She let her fingers run through his hair, her fingernails traced down the back of his neck. “You’ll never lose me,” she repeated in a whisper.
Rico lifted his head up and pulled his arms away from Kate. He looked into her eyes, his cobalt eyes resigned. “It’s too late,” he said as he wrapped his damp arms around himself. “It doesn’t matter what I say anymore. I can say that I can’t do this but I already have. I can’t stop falling, and I’m tired of making myself try. I’m tired of pretending that I don’t want to be with you. I’m tired of pushing you away.”
“I don’t want you to pretend, Rico.” Kate’s words came out as a whisper, a voice softer than the summer wind. “I never wanted you to.”
Kate shivered once, and Rico’s eyes grew suddenly serious. “Get back in the bathtub,” he ordered. “I’ll stay in here,” he said more gently. “I promise.”
Kate nodded and did as she was told, making him turn around as she got in. She might love watching shows that showed teenagers with babies, but she wasn’t interested in anything that had to do with that kind of silliness. When Kate was completely covered by the steaming water, she allowed Rico to turn around again.
19
Adriana and Donovan were sitting at the kitchen table with mugs of coffee when Kate and Rico walked downstairs. Kate sat down next to them while Rico made her some hot tea with cinnamon. When he lowered the cup in front of her and sat down, Donovan began speaking. “I know a lot about Erik,” he said after taking a sip of his steaming drink. “We worked together, leading the armies. He was one of my clients; he would call me to weaken the humans. He needed them weakened in order to take their souls.” Donovan smirked at Rico, the two sharing a moment. “He expressed a deep interest in dark magic, claiming that Darkness himself would grant it to us in times of need. His was a need for power. He planned to one day take over this planet. He wanted to watch the demons destroy the human race, to claim this planet as our own. In the end, all I saw was his thirst to destroy another planet. I knew he would take this planet and make it into the deathtrap Lilith was. I couldn’t let him do that willingly,” he said as he glanced at Adriana. “I just couldn’t be a part of that.”
Adriana smiled up at Donovan and squeezed his arm.
Donovan turned back to Kate and Rico. “Erik didn’t care about that fact that the demons would eventually destroy Earth. He was focused on destroying the humans, not caring to face the consequences that would soon follow. He did attempt to recruit followers, but most demons don’t want to destroy the human race. Most demons want the freedom to possess humans without the fear of destroying themselves. Needless to say, Erik didn’t gather many followers.
The last day I saw him was the day he went to join Kern. He said that he would follow another leader until the day came that he could lead himself. He claimed that he would use his dark magic to control the demons, to ensure that they did what he wanted. He promised not to control me, if, when the time came, I rose to stand by his side. I never thought that day would come, but I fear that it will come all too soon.”
“What about dark magic?” Rico asked him. “What do you know of it?”
“I know that it has the strength to kill humans and demons alike. It is the only thing, other than an exorcism, that can kill a demon. A demon that possesses and masters dark magic, however, is indestructible. He is essentially omnipotent, a true immortal.”
“I thought that Light and Darkness could kill demons.” Kate interrupted. She leaned forward, taking it all in, hoping to gather something that could help her with her personal problems, like lying about the burning world.
“They can,” Donovan answered. “I didn’t include them because they would almost never kill a human or demon on their own. I know that Darkness would get another to do his bidding, and Light would never kill of his own accord. He would, instead, further protect the ones he loves.”
Kate nodded.
“What if a demon possesses dark magic but doesn’t master it?” Rico asked in an attempt to get everyone back on track.
Donovan shrugged. “Another demon can steal his power.”
Kate blurted, “How does that happen?”
Donovan looked into the eyes of Adriana and Rico before speaking. “I have heard that this is the way but have never seen it done,” he said. “To take another demon’s dark magic, a demon must possess the soul that the dark magic user possesses. He must steal the soul from another demon.”
“Is that even possible?” Adriana asked.
“I’ve never heard of that,” Rico admitted.
“They say that is how it’s done. I don’t know much else about it. I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you any more information. This is all I have.”
Adriana squeezed Donovan’s arm and stood up to kiss his cheek. She ran her fingers through his sandy hair. “You’ve given us all we need, darling. You can leave now,” she said as she turned back to Rico.
“Thank you,” Donovan said as he stood up from the table. He turned and kissed Adriana on the mouth, hard. Kate looked away and blushed, embarrassed at this display of passion. Adriana sat down a moment later, flushed.
“What are we going to do?” Rico asked.
“What do you think we’re going to do, Rico? We’re going to possess Erik’s soul. We have to. Oh, and when I say we, I mean you.”
“Whoa. I’m not possessing any more souls,” Rico said angrily. “What about Donovan? Erik won’t suspect a thing.”
“You’re the only one here that’s an elder demon, Rico. You’re the only one with the strength to do this,” Adriana tried to reason. Her voice rose as she grew upset, afraid for Rico and Donovan both; however, she was less willing to watch her husband die.
“Don’t forget that your innocent husband helped other demons possess souls, Adriana. He should try one for h
imself. I’m done with possessions.” Rico’s voice was hard and firm.
“Look Rico, you’re the only one here that’s possessed humans, period. You possessed them before and after the treaty. You’re the only one who can do this without dying,” Adriana retorted.
“Listen,” Rico began.
“Stop it, both of you,” Kate interrupted. “You’re going around in circles.” Kate stood up, knowing that she needed to command the attention in the room. “This won’t go anywhere if you keep arguing. You both know that. So the first thing we need to do is figure out whether Erik has mastered dark magic. If he’s mastered it then we’re screwed.”
“He hasn’t, Kate,” Adriana said in her matter-of-fact voice. “Couldn’t you tell?”
“Erik’s magic ceased when Adriana ran into him. As soon as he lost focus, the magic stopped doing his bidding,” Rico stated.
“Are you saying that the demon that masters dark magic can use it from anywhere?” Kate asked warily. “Because that’s what it sounds like.”
“Yes,” Rico said as he nodded. “He can use it against a human or demon halfway across the world. He can use it when he is distracted. He can use it no matter what.”
“Wait,” Adrianna interjected. “What if he plans on killing Kern? We won’t have to go after Kern if he does.”
Rico sighed loudly. “Adriana, don’t you hear what you’re saying? If Erik gains the power to