Darker Days (The Darker Agency #1)(92)

Like someone had opened a window on a cool, spring day, the air rushed back and most of the pain faded.

Valefar stood in the middle of the room. He was wearing the same clothing I’d seen him in earlier, along with the same amused expression. Part of me was surprised. Deal or no deal, in the pit of my stomach, I was afraid he’d find a way to weasel out.

“Free your parents.” His voice was even, but something underneath it all gave me the chills. Like the eye of a hurricane. Dormant and waiting to decimate. In that instant, I felt sorry for Meredith. If the look on the demon’s face was any indication, she was screwed.

Grabbing the knife from the floor, I made my way to where Mom and Dad were bound. With a little pressure, the blade sliced the rope like it was cutting through pudding.

I was so focused on freeing my parents that I didn’t notice Dad’s expression. Once his hands were free, he reached for the black crystal on my neck. I’d tucked it under my T-shirt, but in the confusion, it must have slipped out. He tugged it—lightly at first—then harder. The string stayed firmly in place. Like a shackle, I couldn’t help thinking.

“What did you do?” he whispered.

“What I had to.” I turned to Mom and cut through her ropes. She said nothing, looking back and forth between Dad and me with a slightly panicked look on her face.

“We had a deal,” Meredith cried as I stood. My dad was helping my mom off the ground, while Lukas came to stand beside me.

Valefar laughed. “I honored my end of our deal. Are you not free? Did you not have ample opportunity to exact your revenge on the Darker clan?”

Meredith was shaking her head. In fact, her whole body was shaking. There was a good chance she was going into shock. “I—”

“I don’t understand,” Lukas said. “You helped Meredith in 1882 for a favor, but how did you know you would need one? Joseph hadn’t been born yet so you had no way to know he’d go back on his.”

Valefar winked at him. “I make it my business to secure favors whenever possible. Deals. It’s what demons do, boy. You never know when something might come up.”

Meredith ran her hands through her hair and let out a whimper. She was looking at the ground and rocking back and forth. Valefar patted her shoulder and leaned close to whisper in her ear. The witch stiffened, eyes growing wide.

Straightening, the demon flashed us a smarmy grin. “I knew Miss Wells had a tie to the Scotts. The Scotts have a very interesting history with the Darkers. And the Darkers have always been…interesting to me. I freed Meredith from Simon Darker’s earthy prison and arranged for her to get the box. I promised that she would get what she wanted—an opportunity for revenge—and instructed her to ensure Damien opened it. By involving Damien, I surmised it might eventually lead Jessie to seek my aid. When she arrived on my doorstep, it provided me with the opportunity to satisfy the deal Joseph Darker made.”

“That’s so…contrived,” I said.

Valefar turned to me and tipped an imaginary hat. “I’m a demon, Sugar Plum. It’s how we roll.” His grin faded. “You requested my aid in freeing your parents. I have done so as promised. You plan on honoring your end of our deal, correct?”

“What choice do I have?”

“No!” Dad roared. He whirled on Valefar. “Do not do this. I have served you faithfully for the last thousand years. Spare her.”

The demon’s expression darkened. “It is done. And because I like you so much, Jessie, I’m going to throw in an extra gift.”

“Gift?”

“No,” Mom whispered. She was gripping Dad’s hand, face pale.

“You especially will like this one, Klaire Darker. I promise.”

“I want to leave,” Meredith said, voice shaky. “Can I go now?”

“In a moment, dear,” he answered offhandedly and turned to Lukas. “I’m going to free you.”

“But you said—”

“Ahh, very true. Let me rephrase.” He turned to Dad and made a sweeping gesture. “I’m going to let Damien free you.”

Dad hesitated for a moment, gaze lingering on Mom. Watching Valefar and him, I wondered if there wasn’t some kind of boss-employee demon mind-meld thing going on.

Valefar turned to Meredith, who was standing a few feet away. She was still shaking and had a glazed, faraway look in her eyes. “When I met you, you were nothing more than a spoiled, stupid child. I gave you great power and freedom from your oppressive life by supplying you with the spell and suggesting you use it on Lukas Scott.” He circled her. “I then came to your aid once again by freeing you from Simon Darker’s prison and offering to supply the opportunity to get revenge for the wrongs done to you by the Darker family. You were told that Jessie Darker was off limits. You were about to betray me by condemning her to the box. Our agreement is void.”

“She tried to steal Lukas!” Meredith protested. This was a Meredith I was unfamiliar with. Her voice lacked confidence and spite. Instead of the all-powerful witch I’d been so worried about facing, Valefar’s arrival had reduced her to nothing more than a whining child.

“And whose fault is that? I gave you the tools to succeed—you simply failed.” To Dad, he said, “You’ve been loyal, Damien. You will be hard to replace.”