“Belial isn’t just a demon, hon. He’s, like,thedemon. It’s basically another name for Satan.”
“So not a minor legend, then.”
“No. He’s a King of Hell, and one of the original angels that fell from Heaven at the start of creation. It’s said that the only other who rivals his power is Lucifer himself.”
“What about Mephis— Meph—”
“Mephistopheles?”
“Yeah, that.”
“He’s a famous one as well, though he’s more elusive, since he’s not mentioned in most grimoires, and he doesn’t have a rank in the Order. He’s originally known from the Faust legend, which is one of the original tales about a man who makes a deal with the devil.”
“Interesting. And what about Raum?”
“Also powerful. An Earl of Hell, I believe, who can take the form of a crow.” Dan looked at her. “When did you get it in your head to study demonology?”
She shrugged. “I just thought they had cool names.”
“I suppose so. But all four of them are very well known. Unless you want to write about demons, I’d suggest picking something different or you’re going to have to explain the correlation.” He eyed her sidelong. “Where’d you come up with those four in particular?”
“Oh, I must have read them somewhere. I’m not sure.”
She winced, hating lying to him. But she was more convinced than ever that Eva had suffered from a stress-induced hallucination. She would have been more suspicious if Dan had told her those four names were random, little-known demons, or if he’d never heard of them at all. The idea that four legendary demons had teamed up and gone to a nightclub was pushing it.
Likely, they just had very strange parents who had picked awful names for their sons—which wasn’t a big stretch of the imagination considering Asmodeus had told Eva he was raised by his brother. She decided there was no point in worrying Dan about it for now.
She also decided that if her daughter was suffering from stress-induced hallucinations, it might be a good idea to get her some help. She would talk to Eva some more and see if she couldn’t convince her to at least speak to a therapist.
Dan stood suddenly, draining the rest of his mug. “Any more questions for me, babe?”
“Nope, that’s it for now. Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Normally their rainy day activities included at least an hour of cuddling and coffee drinking before they did anything productive. It was one of her favorite parts about being self-employed—making time to be with her family.
Dan was already in the kitchen, topping up his blasphemous sugary coffee. “I’m going out to the studio to try and conquer that damned vulture once and for all.”
When they had first bought the property, they’d converted the old barn next to the house into a workshop. The main room was shared for collaborative projects, and they each had a personal, closed office as well. They had an unwritten rule never to disturb each other’s private spaces, which Jacqui appreciated for those times she needed a little solitude.
“I’ll make breakfast and bring you some.”
“You’re an angel.”
“Love you!” she called out as the door shut.
She chuckled, sipping her coffee. He’d sure taken off fast. He hadn’t even taken the time to grab a shirt, and she’d bet her house he’d gone out in bare feet. Luckily, she knew he had a few sweaters discarded around the studio to wear if he got cold.
Dan had been putting off that silly vulture sculpture for weeks and now suddenly he was all fired up about finishing it. She smiled fondly and shook her head. Her husband was a bit of an enigma at times, but she loved him all the more for it.
Ash flung open the door to their shitty apartment, bracing himself for a confrontation. When he’d hung up the phone, Belial had been lost to a full-blown rage attack. If one was concerned about the preservation of one’s life, Bel in a fit of temper was not something one should stick around to see.
So of course, Ash had left Eva’s house with all due haste to rush home for the show.
But it wasn’t like he had a choice. He hadn’t been kidding when he told Raum and Meph to keep Bel from burning the building down. Because he would.
Except, when he stepped inside, he found Bel in the kitchen with his apron on, cooking. Behind him, Meph was sitting at the table, still wearing his workout gear. It was a harmless scene, and yet the tension in the air was so tangible, it crackled like electricity.
Belial looked up. “Asmodeus. Pleased you could join us.” His voice was flat. Calm.
Ash blinked. This was not what he’d expected. “What—?”
