Welcome to the Kali Sweet Chronicles. Sweet Malice is the fifth book in the Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy series and will be released to retailers in February 2025. I’ll release a chapter twice a month here in my Magic Bites Membership, and I look forward to reading your comments! *Please note that these are UNEDITED and some story elements may change before the official book release in February. Enjoy!
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Sweet Malice, Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy Series
©2024 Misty Evans
Leaving Damon with Kirill was hard, but I had to trust that our resident medical expert could handle the infection, even if it came from an angel. Seeing my boss knocked on his butt and unconscious made my gut cramp and my hackles rise. If Michael had done anything to him…
What will you do? I asked myself. Not only was Michael an archangel, but he also had his sword again, giving him the ultimate power over all of us. What exactly did I think I could do to him? Kill him?
Laughable. I’d scored a couple of hits since I’d known him, but the bottom line was that he could squash me like a bug.
Why hadn’t he?
Frank tagged along as I made my way to the underground parking garage. On the way, we encountered Cole. He fell into step with me. “Where are we going, and why are you carrying a wastebasket?”
“Michael has his sword. I need to get the artifacts out of here immediately.”
“That’s what they were for?” At my nod, he swore and grabbed a set of keys off the pegboard. “He’s coming?” He jabbed a thumb at Frank.
“I can be instrumental,” Frank assured him.
Cole looked at me and rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
As we climbed into one of the Land Rovers, Rad appeared in the doorway. His face was furious, but his eyes were hurt. “No goodbye? You just take off?”
“It’s an emergency.” I adjusted the sword, feeling annoyed and guilty simultaneously. Why did it seem like I was constantly apologizing to him?
Cole slid out of the driver’s seat and threw the keys to him. “You drive, Guitar Boy.”
“That’s more like it!” He sauntered to the SUV, giving me a pointed look.
Cole went to the back and opened the hatch, pawing through an assortment of weapons under the floorboard and coming out with a shotgun. He grabbed several boxes of ammunition made with various metals and a few with hollow points filled with silver and holy water. He tossed the boxes into the backseat. They smacked into Frank, and he flinched, scooting as far from Cole as he could when the War demon climbed in with his new toy.
“Rad should stay here,” I argued.
“Suck it up, buttercup.” Cole slammed two cartridges into the open barrels and closed them with a sharp click. As Rad stuck the keys in the ignition, Cole slapped the back of his seat. “Let’s go.”
We peeled out of the garage, tires squealing. “Where to?” Rad asked.
I closed my eyes against the setting sun as we exited the parking lot and hit the street. “I don’t know yet. Just drive.” Traffic was light. I took a deep breath, reaching out to Lucifer. We need to talk.
Telepathy wasn’t my strong suit, and I had no idea if the king of Hell was paying attention to me or the Institute, but it wasn’t like I could call him on the phone. When there was no response, I added a more earnest appeal. This is important. It can’t wait.
I toyed with the ring on my necklace, wishing it worked both ways—to transport me to the Institute and Hell if need be. Or take me wherever Lucifer was at the moment. My own little version of Lucifer GPS.
There was still no response. Cole and Rad were waiting for more information.
Rad eyed Cole in the rearview. “Since when don’t I have to fight you to drive?”
They were both alphas—territorial and consistently trying to outdo each other. Always intent on proving who was stronger, faster, and more dominant. “He’s anticipating an ambush,” I said before Cole could respond. “He wants to be prepared, and driving takes too much of his focus.”
“Ambush?” Rad glanced around, surveying the road, other drivers, and buildings. “Why would you leave the Institute if you think someone will attack you?”
I pointed at the contents of the can. “The artifacts created a back door for Michael to grab his sword. We had to get them out of there because—”
“Angels are assholes,” Cole supplied. “This whole thing is bullshit. Helping Lucifer raise an angel army? Taking on Michael? Working with either one of them in order to unite Heaven and Earth? In doing so, we eliminate ourselves. What the fuck are we doing, Kali?”
He said ‘we,’ but the underlying connotation was ‘you.’
What was I doing? I wasn’t sure anymore. Seemed I’d become such a pawn of the Institute’s, of Damon’s, I was going against my natural, demonic essence.
Frank spoke up. “How exactly does Lucifer intend to do such a thing?”
“With you—his Fallen army,” I told him.
“Ah. That’s why Michael kidnapped me and the others.”
“Yep.” But I was starting to think that was less about sabotaging Lucifer and more about doing so to me.
With Michael, everything was personal.
“You really think Lucifer stands a chance against him?” Rad asked.
I wasn’t sure about that, either. “I don’t even know why he wants to return to Heaven.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re great to hang around with,” Cole said. When I flicked my gaze to him over my shoulder, he added, “Present company excluded.”
I rubbed my forehead, leaning back against the seat. “Lucifer isn’t answering me.”
“What do you want to do?” Rad asked.
“We need a safe place for those artifacts,” Frank insisted.
“Yeah,” Rad said. “The Institute was that place.”
I couldn’t call Lucifer on my phone, but I could call his witch. “We need Hell.”
Rad slid his gaze to me. “You want me to drive to Hell?”
“Oh, no,” Frank said.
I searched my call log for the number I needed. “I want Lucifer to take them off our hands and secure them there, but he’s off-grid.”
“I can summon him,” Frank offered.
I swiveled, Rad snorted, and Cole ground his teeth together so hard I heard the enamel sheering off. “You don’t summon Lucifer,” I told the demonlogist, “Trust me.”
Frank shrugged, miffed. “Fine. I was only trying to help.”
“Can you summon him?” Cole asked. He saw my shock and shrugged. “What? Might be a good tool to add to our arsenal.”
Frank lost the peevishness and puffed up his chest. “I’ve trapped high-level demons and low-level angels with no problem.”
“Like Lilith?” I asked.
He deflated and had the good sense to be contrite. “I told you I was attempting to summon Michael, but the incantation and ritual had been tampered with. I ended up with her instead.”
Had the ritual been wrong, or were the two of them working together as I’d suspected? “You’re sure Michael didn’t send her in his place?”
Frank thought about that for a whole two seconds. “Not possible. It’s very specific to the demon or angel you’re trying to call.”
“Except you got Lilith rather than Michael. Your logic doesn’t hold water.”
He harrumphed, pushing up his glasses. “You don’t understand. It’s all in the sigils and the Language—language with a capital L.”
“I’m familiar with Enochian.”
“This is something else.” He waved it off as if I were too dumb to get it. “It’s a phraseology style unlike any written language.”
I held up my phone. “Let’s try calling Lucifer’s girlfriend first.”
It rang on the other end three times before Amy answered. “I already said no.”
“Sorry, what?”
Her air magic hummed through the connection. I had the urge to disconnect in case she would hex me somehow. “I won’t have my daughter turned into a social media icon.”
Lucifer must have told her my idea. “The only people who will see the video are the Fallen. I give you my word.”
If it had been any other angel reincarnate, they probably would have laughed. She didn’t because she knew I had protected her and Lucifer several times, most notably from Lilith and Michael over the past year. “I get what you’re trying to do, but you need to understand…”
“I would feel the same way,” I interrupted, “but I’ve looked at this from every angle, and the only way we can raise your army quickly is by putting out a call to them. Even though she’s a baby, she has power beyond anything this world has ever seen. You and Lucifer should be with her when we do it. I think the three of you together will have the most impact. Those Fallen who have no clue who they are or why they’re here won’t be able to resist any more than the ones actively searching for answers.”
The line was quiet for a long moment. Rad continued driving, staying off the interstate but avoiding downtown as well.
“Please think about it,” I asked her. “In the meantime, I need to speak to Lucifer. It’s important, and it can’t wait. I tried reaching out to him mentally but got no reply.”
She gave a humorless chuckle. “No surprise there. He’s with Azaria right now. He’s really struggling with something. I’m not sure what it is—he won’t discuss it with me. Do you know?”
Let’s see… Locating and rehabilitating a hundred thousand Fallen angels? Using his daughter as a promotional piece to draw them in? Fighting with his big brother Michael?“He’s always brooding. Are you sure this isn’t him being him?”
“This is more intense.”
I watched the passing scenery, scanning the darkening sky for any sign of an angel with a sword. The artifacts seemed to pulse inside the waste can, like beacons sending him our whereabouts. “I have no idea, and I wouldn’t bother him unless it were an emergency. Tell him I have a new theory to replace the previous inside mole one.”
“I’m sure I don’t want to know what that’s about.” She sighed. “I’ll let him know, but no promises.”
She hung up.
“Well?” Rad asked.
“Now we wait,” I said.
And pray my new boss doesn’t hang me out to dry.
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What would it be like working for this version of Lucifer?