Page 37 of Midnight with the Devil

“What makes you say that?” Amara asked as she took the mostly empty cup from Diana and turned it over on its saucer to drain the last bits of the tea before she turned it back over and studied the shapes in the cup from the ground-up tea leaves.

“Well…” Diana’s face flooded with heat. “He…we…hooked up last night. And this morning.”

“You ‘hooked up’ with the devil?” Amara chuckled. Diana was amazed that Amara could laugh. She was brave enough to laugh at the devil and the darkness as though she was scared of nothing.

“I did.” Diana folded her hands in her lap and stared at them.

“He didn’t force you?” Amara’s caramel-brown eyes were serious now, all humor gone.

“No. Definitely not. It was totally consensual.” A little too much. She’d been begging him for it.

“And you’re upset because you didn’t want to want him?” Amara tilted her teacup, her eyes studying it once more.

“Yeah. I mean that’s right, isn’t it? I shouldn’t want him. He’s bad, like the ultimate bad boy.”

“He certainly is,” Amara said. She set the cup down and sighed. “But giving yourself to him, wanting him, it gave you the glow.”

“What? But how is that even—” She couldn’t make sense of that.

“When you desired him, what drew you in?” Amara asked.

“Well, it was just him, the way he was smiling, looking at me. And he’d taken me to a romantic place and…” She couldn’t put into words how she’d felt when they’d been close in the pool. The energy between them had been completely electric, like a broken power line falling on a road during a storm. It had been frightening and alluring, and the burn of touching it had nearly killed her, yet she was left wanting more.

“You didn’t want his power—you wantedhim. That’s not the same, you see? You wanted the angel, not the devil.”

“But he’s not an angel anymore, is he?” she asked.

“Course he is. An angel is still an angel, merely a fallen one.”

“Oh…I see.” Diana watched as Amara poured her another cup of tea. “Was my first reading not okay?”

“No, it was fine. This is to calm your nerves. Chamomile will help you relax.”

“Thanks.” Diana drank her new cup of tea.

“Now,” Amara said as she leaned back in her chair, “the tea leaves tell me that you are bound to the dark, but not consumed by it. That is good. You must continue to listen to your instincts. Perhaps being with him is not so bad. It may be your destiny.”

Diana laughed a little incredulously. “Destiny? But I don’t believe in anything like that.”

“Just because you don’t believe doesn’t mean something isn’t true.” Amara’s serious reply made Diana’s heart flutter. She hadn’t believed in the devil or even hell—at least she wasn’t sure if she did or not. Yet Lucien had proven he existed, contrary to her beliefs.

“So you’re saying I should totally give in to the devil and enjoy the ride?”

Amara’s eyes were warm with silent laughter.

“No, no, of course not. Merely listen to yourself, protect yourself, but if something feels right to you, even if society’s rules tell you it might be wrong, trust yourself first. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Ahh.” She took another sip of the velvety tea. A quiet silence settled between them that neither of them seemed quick to break. “Thank you for being here for me. I don’t have anyone else I can talk to about this, you know.”

Amara reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Destiny brought you to my door, and I won’t turn you away.”

“Thanks.” Diana finished her tea and picked up her coat and purse. Her cell phone buzzed, and she checked the messages.

Unknown number: Even your tea leaves are right. You belong to me.

Lucien. There was only one person who could know about her and Amara meeting.

“It’s him,” Amara said, though she was seven feet away and couldn’t see the screen.

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