Nathaniel paused. “Have you ever thought about trying Viagra?”
“That’s very amusing.” Julian said, then glanced quickly at Val. “And completely untrue.”
She shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“I can prove that it’s a vicious lie.”
“Trust me, not necessary. Look, I want to know more about this”—her gaze flicked uneasily to Nathaniel—“Key to Heaven. Sounds fascinating.”
Julian stroked the key but still looked a little disturbed that his demony manhood had been questioned. “Did I mention that it is solidified power?”
“Uh, yeah, you did. Where did you get it?”
He blinked. “What difference does that make?”
“How do you know it’s really the Key to Heaven? Maybe it’s just an ordinary key that someone sold to you under false pretenses. One of those Antiques Roadshow mishaps.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You amuse me.”
“Goody.”
“It is real. I am certain of its . . . realness.”
Val absently started to pet Reggie, just to see the nervous shift in Julian’s eyes. “I’m just saying that if I’m going to dump my current boyfriend to follow you around like a rock-star groupie, I at least need some sort of reassurance that you’re not just blowing hot air. No demon pun intended.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking for a demonstration of its power?”
Is that what it sounded like she was asking for? “Yes, that’s right. Can you open up a gateway to Heaven to show me? Even if it’s just a tiny, rat-sized one.”
“Squeak!”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
Nathaniel snorted. “See? I knew it.”
Julian glared at him. “I will open a doorway only when the mayor is ready for me to. But the time is nigh. Oh yes, the time is nigh.”
“‘The time is nigh’?” Nathaniel repeated. “Who talks like that?”
Val shot him a look. “So it will definitely be soon. At this party.”
“Yes, very soon.”
She eyed the golden key, feeling a great wave of anxiety wash over her. If only she could hold it in her hand, just for a moment. “Can I touch it? Uh, the key, I mean.”
Julian stared at her so long and hard that she was certain her glamour had slipped and he was looking at the real her—recognizing her from Barlow’s living room—and was seconds away from reaching out to snap her neck like a candy cane. But he didn’t. She still looked like
Skanky the Bad Witch.
Finally he spoke. “I’m not sure that would be wise.”
“Why? Don’t you trust me?”
“Should I?”
She forced a devilish smile to her lips. “Absolutely not.”
He mirrored the expression, then slipped the chain from around his neck and pressed the key into her palm. “Then of course you may touch it, my lovely witch.”
The moment the key touched her skin she could feel its power. She wasn’t magical. She wasn’t even an angel anymore. She was completely human. But she could still feel it humming up and down her arms, filling her with a sense of goodness, and peace, and happiness. Plus, she felt a great sense of ownership. The key was meant for her.
She could run. Right then. Go all Gollum on them and run away with the key in her possession. She looked around the pool to see that more partygoers had arrived. The mayor was now surrounded by four muscular men who seemed to be paying him the attention he desired. The topless girls had put on tight, colorful party clothes. Julian stood in front of Val, and Nathaniel was only a few feet away, his arms crossed, his expression guarded and slightly annoyed.
She wouldn’t get five steps from Julian. There was no chance.
She reluctantly handed the key back to him, feeling ill at having to continue with the façade.
“Nice,” she said. “You’re very lucky to have it. Did you have to kill the previous owner?”
He smiled at the question. “No. But the old bastard doesn’t have more than a couple days left.
I could see the cancer eating away his insides. If I killed him it would have just put him out of his misery . . . so why bother?”
Val clenched her fists at her sides.
“You know who should be a part of this?” Nathaniel glanced around. “Alexa. Maybe she’ll be here later. You seen her around lately, Julian?”
Julian’s expression didn’t change. “No. Haven’t seen her in quite some time. Keeping herself busy in the earthly realm I imagine. Perhaps she’s mistakenly recruiting more useless humans to join the demon ranks.”
Nathaniel opened his mouth, but Julian didn’t let him say anything. “I’m needed elsewhere.”
He slipped the key back over his head and Val saw it fall beneath his shirt. “I look forward to speaking with you later, Claire.”
She nodded and smiled before he breezed away without another word and disappeared inside the mansion.
Nathaniel eyed her. “Can I speak with you over there?” He nodded toward a palm tree away from the growing noise of the party crowd by the pool.
She swallowed. “Sure.”
“Holy crap,” Reggie said after he let out a rat-sized sigh of relief. “Sorry I had to put the bite on you, Val. He was very . . . what’s the word I’m looking for here?”
“Evil?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Full of himself?”