Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(36)

Stewart gave him a wink. “Well, no wonder the king jumped into bed with you. You really are the complete package, aren’t you? But the female…” Stewart was almost reverent as he turned to Nim. “Nimue, Queen of the Dark Arts, it is an honor to stand in your presence. Have you taken the king under your wing?”

“I have,” Nimue replied.

Stewart practically jumped up and down. “Will he need a mentor as the last one did?”

“Perhaps not a mentor,” Nim said, her eyes thoughtful. “But he has need of the old one all the same.”

Stewart put a clawed hand to his lips and seemed to take the moment in. He was a very dramatic demon. “Are you asking me to do what I think you’re asking me to do?”

“I need your help, Nemcox,” Nimue said formally. “Will you aid me in searching for Merlin Satanspawn?”

Stewart bent on one knee and bowed his head. “I would be honored, great one, to aid you in bringing such darkness into the world once more.”





Chapter Ten





“I don’t like the sound of that,” I whispered to Daniel.

“It is fine, Z,” he assured me. “Nim knows what she’s doing. From what I understand, Merlin isn’t evil per se.”

“Per se? That isn’t exactly ramping up my confidence.” I didn’t want to be the one to unleash darkness on the universe. I’d done that once too often.

Dev squeezed my hand. “What Daniel is trying to say is that Merlin is neither good nor evil. Like most, he’s a combination of both. We simply need to be cautious and never underestimate him. He will do what’s best for Merlin, and we should never forget that. Stewart is sure of himself because he’s been listening to all the demon bedtime stories about Merlin. He’s a legend on the Hell plane. They like to claim him as their own.”

Stewart looked expectantly at Daniel. “Am I supposed to aid the sorceress from this very small, very confined circle? I’m not complaining, of course. It’s a very nice circle. If this is to be my room, then I’m happy for it, though a pillow would be nice.”

Daniel rolled his eyes and I found myself being moved into Dev’s lap. Dev took immediate advantage, pulling me close and tugging my arms around his shoulders. Daniel winked down at us. “Behave yourself,” he said to Dev with a smile. He turned to the demon. “I have no intention of leaving you in the circle, Stewart, but we need to make a few things very clear. If you don’t agree to my terms then we’ll just send you back to the Hell plane.”

Stewart stood up straight and gave Daniel a jaunty salute. “Of course, Your Highness. I’m completely at your beck and call.”

Crossing his arms, Daniel stood just outside the circle. “You will remember, at all times, that you are here to do a job. There will be no side projects.”

“I promise.” The demon was very good at looking sincere. “You have my full attention. Consider my calendar cleared.”

“You’ll follow my instructions.”

“To the letter,” Stewart affirmed. “I’m going to be such a good boy.”

“In return for helping us out, I’ll consider giving you a seat on the new Council,” Daniel offered. Daniel’s plan was to get rid of the Vampire Council and begin a new government that included all the plane’s supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, that included demons as they seemed to be everywhere. Several demons knew about Daniel’s bid for the crown. Luckily they’d been told by Lucifer Morningstar to stay out of the battle or we might have been found out.

Stewart gasped a little. “That’s a position of considerable power, Your Highness. I’m greatly honored by the offer. I will do my utmost to prove your faith in me is deserved.”

Daniel nodded to Nim, who handed him a small package. He turned back to the demon. “We have attempted to follow protocols. This is a gift for you. We know the calling can be…difficult.”

Stewart caught the small package. He played with the bow. “Yes, being ripped through time and space can be unnerving. Tell me, Your Highness, did you choose this yourself?”

“No,” Daniel replied, a little dour.

Stewart smiled brilliantly and made puppy eyes Neil’s way. “I will cherish this forever.”

Neil sent me a disgusted stare. I shrugged back at him. I couldn’t help it if he had really good taste.

Stewart got even more excited when he got the wrapping paper off and saw the Rolex in the box. “This is so thoughtful. Thank you. I won’t ever take it off.”

My vampire sighed as Nim indicated the ritual was complete. She and Christine, who was still wide-eyed, stepped back. There was only one thing left to do. Daniel used the heel of his boot to break the circle, and Stewart was gone in an instant. Faster than my eyes could track him, he was out of the circle and flying across the room. The front door opened and slammed shut.

Daniel had been pushed back by the force of the demon’s escape. He grimaced as he shook his head, glaring at the door. “Well, that went just as I expected. What the hell are we supposed to do now? Don’t tell me to find another demon.”

Shaking her sable curls, Nim stared at the path Stewart had taken. “I certainly didn’t expect that, Daniel. I thought he was quite reasonable for a demon. I didn’t think he would run. I thought he might try to hit on Neil but…”