Welcome to the Kali Sweet Chronicles. Sweet Malice is the fifth book in the Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy series. I release a chapter a week here in my Magic Bites Membership, and I look forward to reading your comments! Enjoy!
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Sweet Malice, Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy Series
©2025 Misty Evans
Unfortunately, she wasn’t.
When Lucifer and I materialized in front of her, holding court in the training center, Tabriss only smiled, glancing at the sword in my hand. “Took you long enough.”
Before he’d transported us here, I’d handed out assignments to each of those in Damon’s office. Everyone had something to do before they met us here to back me up.
My main job was to protect the girl, although I sensed Azaria could do that on her own as long as she could draw on my power. I hefted her on my hip, allowing the magic in the blade to reach for Tabriss and tease her. Her followers drew closer to her, filling the gym with their power and something else.
Malice.
My magic tasted it, and the peppery flavor left a bitter taste on my tongue. Tabriss wanted the sword to eliminate me and Lucifer, and she planned to take Heaven for herself.
Greedy bitch.
Still, I had to admire her ambition, even if her methods were less than admirable for someone of her standing. Was it any different than me wanting to be queen of Hell?
My motives were not about power or revenge, though. I wanted to safeguard those I cared about, and the only way I could do that was to be in charge.
Lucifer spoke before I could. “Michael has deranged your thinking. You are a powerful being, but even with your meager supporters, you will fail.”
“Michael has clarified things for me.” She took a step toward me, holding out a hand. “Give me the sword.”
She assumed my bloodbond with him would force me to do her bidding. He’d no doubt claimed I couldn’t resist, and he had pre-programmed the weapon to respond to her. I acted as if it was tugging away from me.
The grief over losing Volante soared inside me all over again. I had already become accustomed to the whip being back in my life, and now it was as if she had been obliterated a second time.
Clever on Michael’s part to use something I loved against me. He would do the same with all those I cared for—Rad, Damon, Cole, Neve, Di, Maddy…all of them. Even Dru.
Do the unexpected. I was certainly trying. Keeping my enemies off guard was more fun than going at them head-on since most beings—human, demon, or otherwise—tended to dig in their heels when challenged.
Willingly turning the blade over to her was a solid no, but making her think I was on her side would keep her from raising her defenses. “Before I do that,” I said, tightening my grip and thrusting the sharp point into the ground, “I want to cut a deal.”
Lucifer had the good sense to look shocked. Tabriss dropped her hand and shot me a vexed glare. “No deals. The sword is mine.” Her hard eyes flicked to Lucifer and back to me, only now seeming to take in the fact I carried his daughter. “You’ve served your purpose, demon. Hand it over, and I’ll spare your life.”
“Yeah, about that…” The room filled with earth magic as demons began filing in from the entrances and materializing through the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Phew. Vicky had come through.
Next to me, the current queen of Hell shimmered into view, her evil energy adding a thick layer to Azaria’s shield. “Tabriss,” Lilith purred in her sultry voice. “We finally meet.” She sniffed the air, drawing it into her lungs and making a soft mewing sound like the angel’s magic was the best thing she’d sampled in a long time. Maybe ever. “Yes, you’ll do fine. The taste of your blood will be…exquisite on my tongue.”
“What is she…?” The color drained from Tabriss’s face. “What have you done?” she snarled at me. She knew exactly what I’d done—it was written all over her face. “You’ll pay for this.”
Vicky rushed in, falling at Lilith’s feet. “My queen.” She bowed her head and kissed the demon mother’s hand. “I’ve waited so long.”
Lilith peered at me, brows rising in question. I nodded. “Lilith, may I present your most ardent fan—Victoria DeClement. Head of the Satina Arcanum.”
Lilith touched the top of her head. “Witch and vampire, hmm. An interesting combination.”
Especially since the two species didn’t mix or play well together. “A potent hybrid,” I added. Please take her off my hands. “An asset to your plans.”
Lucifer ground his teeth so hard I could hear it.
“No,” Tabriss yelled. “You cannot walk on sacred ground! Where angels stand!”
Lilith flicked her gaze to her, back to me. “You haven’t told her?”
“We were getting to it.”
“Please take me away from here,” Vicky begged. “I wish to serve you and only you.”
Yes, please do. “You can see how powerful she is, my queen,” I said.
“Enough!” Tabriss screamed. “Take your demons and leave now!”
“Leave? Why would she do that?” I grinned. “The party is just getting started.”
Due to the fact Tabriss was my blood slave, I let my magic snap at her like a snarling dog. It demanded her loyalty and obedience—yet she had been working on ways around that. I suspected Salmad had been assisting her with breaking our connection.
Kirill and Yasmine appeared, their archdemon energies filling the space. They were followed by the other vitiums—including Sal. He looked as pale and shocked as Tabriss did and tried to catch her eye as if to apologize as Seraphina, Akimo, and Shayne circled the Fallen.
Damon walked beside Sal, his magic forcing him to stand against her. Otherwise, the mad priest would have joined her ranks.
Idiot.
A second layer of demons—Cole and his Merc soldiers—added a barrier to our flanks.
Lilith drew Vicky off her knees and placed her in a position of honor slightly behind her on her left. “You are outnumbered,” she said to Tabriss. “What are you going to do?”
“Michael and the forces of Heaven are on my side,” Tabriss insisted, her voice echoing in the gym. “Righteousness is on my side.”
The Fallen around her murmured encouragement. However, the way their eyes skittered about, taking in the army I had gathered to shut this down, gave them away. They knew that even with their power, they were sitting ducks.
Several of Lilith’s minions—mouth breathers, oozing pus from various orifices, and sporting too many eyes—raked barbed tails along the ground as they paced closer and closer to the angels. As if fearing their touch might contaminate them, the angels scooted and jostled each other, knocking into their fellow Fallen, disgust evident on their faces.
I raised the sword. “Back down, swear allegiance to Lucifer, and I’ll give you this.”
Again, I’d surprised him. He didn’t react outwardly at my command to Tabriss, but his energy was all over the place. It was unusual for him, but then again, Azaria had upset his world in many ways. His love for her had shaken his standard control and absolute dominance and turned him into putty in her hands. He was off-balance, desiring nothing more than to protect her at all costs.
So…rather than forcing Tabriss and her followers to swear allegiance to me, which was what Lucifer expected, I’d turned the tables. She’d become too much of a constant burr under my ass, anyway, and I was sick of her. Like Vicky, I was hoping to unload her on someone else.
Tabriss sneered. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you want to live. If you attempt to harm any of us, Azaria will raze the entire earth.” I tilted my head at the sleeping child. “I’ve seen it—what she can do. If the prophecy is fulfilled, we’ll get the same outcome. Which happens to be exactly what Michael wants. To wipe the earth of all humans, demons, and you, the Fallen.”
A collective gasp went up. Hunh. They didn’t know. Even Lilith turned that querying expression on me.
Rad entered with Dru, the two of them hauling Frank with them. Di, Maddy, and Neve followed on their heels. Di carried the dog.
Tabriss raised her voice another octave. “You’re lying. Michael loves me.” She pounded a fist against her chest. “He will welcome me and those who follow me into Heaven. We are his chosen!”
A murmur of ascent. Angel power thrummed, their bodies beginning to glow with it.
“So long as you prove your loyalty,” I countered. “That doesn’t sound like love to me—that sounds like manipulation. Plus, it’s a lie. He has no intention of allowing anyone touched by sin to enter his kingdom. That includes every single one of you.” I pulled the sword out of the floor and flashed it at her, its fake yet still beautiful flames flaring higher thanks to Lucifer. “By the way, another tidbit you might not have figured out yet—he’s making plans to repopulate the Earth with his own creations.” I lowered the sword and let the demon in me shine through my eyes. “Guess who he’s chosen to make those babies with?”
Deathly silence descended. Tabriss opened her mouth to retort but snapped it shut. She wanted to believe I was lying, that I was tricking her somehow, but she could see the truth in my black demon eyes.
“Never,” she sneered. “You are evil. You are one of the vices.”
“I know, right? What is he thinking?” I propped the sword against my leg and patted my lower belly. “Makes no sense to me, either, but I’ve already got one in the oven.”
A breeze kicked up. I couldn’t look Rad in the eye. I knew it was all he could do to hold back his chaos from breaking free. I was actually counting on that helping us when the fight broke out.
Because there would be a fight.
“I hate you.” The words came out soft but full of venom. “I’m going to kill you.”
“You’re going to try,” I corrected. “Good luck with that.”
“She’s telling the truth,” Frank yelled from between Cole and Rad. “I’ve seen the prophecies. Everyone touched by sin will be annihilated. That means us, the Fallen.”
Tabriss turned on him, clearing a path of followers as she marched up to him. “You’re lying because you’re on her side.”
He stood his ground, which surprised me. “I’m not. Ask Sal. He’ll confirm what I read.”
She whipped her head to the priest. “Is this true?”
It gutted him to nod. He loved her—I could see it in every breath he took. “I’m sorry.”
With perfect timing, Amy and her companions, including Gabriel, arrived. “I’m not,” she said. “You crossed the wrong witch.”
“Michael!” Tabriss screamed. “I need you!”
But there was no reply from her heavenly boyfriend. “I warded the Institute,” Vicky said, flashing her fangs. “He can’t hear you.”
A momentary pause reigned. Then Tabriss vanished, only to materialize a few feet in front of me. “The sword,” she commanded in her divine voice. It vibrated through the space, shaking the rafters. “Give me the sword.”
Azaria awoke, and the shield intensified. “It won’t make any difference,” I told her, her magic ripping into me like razor blades. “It won’t save you.”
“Maybe not,” she growled, “but it will kill you.”
She tore through Azaria’s defensive barrier as if it were nothing.
And grabbed the sword.
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What do you think will happen next? Find out in the next episode.