Page 54 of A Chip on Her Shoulder

“This whole mind reading thing is weird.”

“It has its uses, including my ability to have an entire conversation to Belial without you being aware of it.”

“Except now I’m aware of it.”

“You’re unaware of what we were discussing.”

“I’m not going to remember his name by the time he gets back from that errand, will I?”

“Very probably not. Belial is particularly talented at judging a human’s state. He enjoys knowing how much ruin he can bring when he toys with mortals. He’s able to tell even the minor changes, the ones you’re unaware of.” The Devil reached out and touched my forehead. “The toxin is attacking here. It will spread soon enough. Michael?”

The archangels strode in through the door with no sign they’d left so they could laugh at me. “Yes, my brother?”

“How long until her memory is impaired?”

“It will happen soon. She is resilient due to her determination, but she already loses focus. Belial does truly intend to garner favor with her as much as he can. He is masterful in his manipulations.”

The Devil grumbled curses. “I will destroy them all if they hurt her.”

“Yes, you will,” Michael replied, and without another word, both archangels disappeared.

“I don’t know about you, Lucifer, but that sounded rather ominous.”

“Yes, it did,” the Devil agreed.

The headache struck with blinding force, and my world narrowed to the misery of my existence. Much like the relentless waves in a storm-tossed sea, the pain crested, crashed, and surged, eroding away at me. Closing my eyes kept me from drowning, and every sound stabbed at me.

Little remained, save for the knowledge I’d paved my way to some dark hell.

A soft and gentle laugh broke through the agony and calmed the storm, reducing the thundering waves to gentle, soothing ripples.

“Hello, Darlene,” a still and quiet voice whispered to me. “Do not open your eyes quite yet. It is not time.”

Even if I wanted to, I doubted I could disobey Him.

The entire situation flustered me. It was one thing to deal with the Devil, but it was another to deal with Him.

My father would have given anything to be in my shoes, and I would have rather fled back to the general safety of the Devil and his sinful, spot massaging hands.

“Treat me as you would my fallen son, and you will find my presence is not as terrifying for you as you believe.”

Somehow, I had missed the memo He liked playing jokes on wayward mortals. “Are you sure about that? I mean, you’re here to tell me I’m about to go to hell, aren’t you?”

“While you are going to my son’s many hells, it is not for the reason you think. You have not fallen out of my favor.”

“I haven’t?” I blurted. “But why not?”

“Is it so hard for you to believe?”

I considered everything that had led up to the moment I’d been poisoned. “Well, yes.”

“You have not fallen out of my favor because your purpose was never to be a child of my heavens. You are a beloved creation, one born in adversity so you might thrive in adversity, just as my fallen son is beloved for all he is fallen. My fallen son’s domain is full of adversaries you will need to face.”

“Well, that’s one way to put it. He has lava for landscaping. Also, in case you weren’t aware, you have one dysfunctional family.”

While I could not see His face, I felt His smile, and it warmed me from deep within. “Yes, this is the truth. I do not usually interfere this directly, but this is something only I can do, so I will do it. My fallen son will make a mistake in a moment of passion, one thousands of years in the making—and a necessary one, for he grows beyond my original purpose. It is part of his journey, and it will become part of yours.”

“You are a master at being vague,” I complained. “Just tell me what I need to do, as I figure if you’re telling me something is going to happen, I may as well get to it. Have I died from being poisoned yet?”