Prologue #2
Felix rubbed his chin as he leaned back in his chair.
“The first thing I would recommend is not calling it a dating app. Otherwise, the stubborn people who need it the most won’t use it.
Of course, there are some who are actively seeking their mates, but others will be resistant to being forced to meet, even if they do end up happier.
I know it sounds crazy, but that is simply how fate works sometimes. ”
“So, I should probably figure out a way to layer a matchmaking spell under something that is a little more benign and user-friendly?”
Felix nodded. “That would be best. Matchmaking spells are tricky, though. I’ve tried to use a few, and they have all ended up backfiring and causing a lot of confusion.
The other Gods of Fate and I have learned that messing with mates, even if you are trying to help, isn’t as simple as it might seem. ”
“Hmm. Perhaps this isn’t a good idea, then.”
Devon nibbled on her lower lip until Braxton reached over to stop her, soothing the swollen flesh with his thumb.
He wanted to forget about the damn dinner and take his mate up to bed, but he reminded himself to behave.
He wouldn’t fuck up Devon’s chance to recruit Seraphina and Felix’s help with her new project.
“I know you won’t give up that easy. If this is something you would like to do, we will find a way to make it work,” Braxton promised.
She smiled at him. “See? This is why I love you.”
His brow rose. “Just because of this?”
Devon leaned against his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “This is just one of the many reasons.”
Seraphina sighed with satisfaction as she rested her head on Felix’s shoulder. “Ah, love is truly life’s greatest reward. You are right. Helping others find the happiness we have discovered with our own mates is indeed a risk worth taking.”
“I’m sure whatever you create would be better than the current spells available. Would this app be something everyone can use?” Felix asked. “Like something that could be found in the app store?”
Devon paused to consider it before answering. “I would prefer to keep the app for the supernaturals living in the Human Realm. We don’t know how the magic might influence humans, but I’m not sure how to limit who has access to it.”
“Simple,” Lucifer declared after he suddenly appeared in the formerly empty throne chair at the head of the table. “All you have to do is send it directly to the people you want to have it. Fuck everyone else.”
The King of Hell was dressed in a set of flowing black robes with red flames on the sleeves and across the bottom hem that matched the bright red streaks in his long black hair.
His glowing eyes were also a mixture of black and red.
The colors swirled in a mesmerizing pattern, which was a distinctive mark of power that even made other gods leery.
“That actually makes sense,” Braxton admitted grudgingly.
Lucifer scowled at him. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.” His frown immediately flipped into a slightly maniacal grin. “Now, what are we sending? Just so you know, body parts don’t ship well unless they are in the right containers.”
“For fuck’s sake, dad,” Braxton grumbled. “We’re about to eat.”
“I was wondering why you haven’t touched the food yet.
Aww, were you waiting for me? How sweet.
” Lucifer waved a hand over the empty plate in front of him, and it was immediately filled with a selection of food instead of serving himself directly from the platters.
“I’m starving. Now, fill me in. What did I miss? And what are we sending?”
Devon scrunched up her nose. “Something a lot less gross than body parts.”
“That’s a shame. There’s plenty of organs and limbs to go around after the skirmish I just dealt with.”
That caught Braxton’s interest. “I was wondering about the influx of souls I felt earlier. What happened? Damn it, Dad. Did you start another war?”
Lucifer waved a hand in the air. “It was a fight, not a war. Barely worth noting. One of the recently freed reapers had some personal business to handle, and I just tagged along. While he was under the sleep curse, his family divided all his assets and property and refused to return it to him. We simply persuaded them to see the error of their ways.”
Braxton snorted. “Yeah, with swords.”
“Of course. It’s just like that famous saying…if something starts to bore you, just kill it quickly and get it over with.”
Devon barely stifled a laugh. “I don’t think that’s a famous saying.”
“It is now.”
Felix laughed. “You never change, Luc.”
“I endeavor not to.”
“I don’t know why you sound so pleased,” Braxton muttered. “That was not a compliment.”
“Why don’t you eat something, Brax. I think you’re getting hangry,” Devon whispered as she rubbed his arm.
She reached for one of the platters, but Braxton immediately took over the task of serving her. He chose a selection of her favorite foods to give her before filling his own plate with a lot less care.
“Thank you, sweetie.”
Braxton scowled. “You never need to thank me, mate.”
Lucifer sent her a fond smile. “My lovely daughter brings me nothing but joy, while you, my son, are a giant pain in my ass.”
Braxton muttered a vicious curse under his breath, making the rest of the table laugh.
“Dad, I’m working on an app that will bring mates together. But we need a way to make it function without it being too obvious that we are matchmaking, or people won’t use it. Do you have any suggestions?”
Lucifer grinned as he snapped his fingers. “I think I have just the thing to help you with that.”
A small object that looked like a broken, rusted teapot appeared in the center of his palm, and he held it out to Devon. Braxton grabbed her hand and pulled it away before she could touch it.
“What is that?”
Lucifer huffed out an impatient breath. “Really, you wound me, son. Would I give you something that would hurt you?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Braxton said without even the slightest hint of hesitation.
A fierce frown settled over Lucifer’s face, then he let out a burst of wild laughter.
The fucking lunatic.
“Okay, fine. You’re totally right. But it’s not like I would ever do anything that would permanently damage you. And I would never hurt my beloved daughter.”
Since Braxton believed him, he relaxed a little. “Why are you giving us a broken teapot?”
Lucifer scoffed. “It’s not a teapot. I forgot, there is a concealing spell on it to prevent people from seeing its true form.”
A few seconds later, the dull-looking teapot transformed into a shiny, gold oil lamp.
Devon gasped. “Oh, my—is that Aladdin’s lamp? Are genie lamps real?”
“Of course, my dear. There are several genie lamps floating around, but this is one of the originals. I…acquired it recently.”
“By acquired, you mean you stole it,” Felix said, clearly amused.
Lucifer flashed him a grin. “Let’s just say it was given to me in exchange for the life of someone who wanted to keep breathing.”
“Genie lamps are imbued with very strong magic,” Seraphina explained.
“They are very difficult to create, so there are not many in existence. Initially, it was one of the oldest and harshest forms of punishment in our world, which was used to imprison only the most dangerous supernaturals before the creation of the Supernatural Prison. While all genie lamps are valuable, the originals were created using source magic. That makes them even more powerful. At least, that is the rumor I heard.”
“It’s true. Right now, this particular lamp is empty. I was going to use it to—” Lucifer coughed, cutting himself off. “Never mind that. I think we can learn a lot if we study it since it’s one of the oldest relics in existence. Perhaps you can get some ideas for your app from what we learn.”
“An app that grants wishes like a genie lamp?” Devon shimmied in her seat. “That would be amazing!”
“A limited number of wishes,” Felix warned. “Genie lamps can cause dangerous repercussions if they aren’t used properly. Magical wishes have the power to alter fate, and people get greedy. So, we have to be very careful. We don’t want wishes starting to turn on people.”
“Right, I’ve seen horror movies about that.” Devon conjured her tablet into her hands and started making notes. “Limiting the number of wishes makes sense to cut down on the chance of things getting screwed up.”
“Don’t they usually say three wishes?” Braxton asked.
Devon nodded thoughtfully. “A lot of the stories use three, so there must be a reason for that. Even if it’s not perfect, three wishes should be enough to give people a chance to find their true mates. After that, whatever happens is up to them.”
“That’s a good idea. But before you become the next Cupid, eat something,” Braxton urged.
Obliging him, Devon set down her tablet and picked up her fork. “I’m curious, is Cupid real?”
“He was, but he was such an annoying prick, someone offed him a long time ago,” Lucifer explained before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth.
“It was kind of deserved,” Seraphina admitted with a shrug.
“He liked to deliberately hook people up with friends of their fated mate before finally bringing the mates together. He liked to cause bitterness and resentment and destroy friendships while lapping up praise for being a celebrated matchmaker.”
Devon scrunched her nose in disgust. “That’s just mean.”
Seraphina nodded. “It really is. That’s probably why he hasn’t been replaced, and the Gods of Fate have taken over most of his duties.”
Felix raised his glass in a silent toast. “But with your new app, you will be lightening our workload a lot. That is something we will all be grateful for.”
“Let’s hope it works,” Devon said with a laugh. “I was thinking maybe we should contact Seneca to see if she’d be interested in joining the project. I know she is basically a dark god now that she’s mated to Killian, but she still has her old witch powers of exceptional luck.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. Adding a touch of luck wouldn’t hurt. That might help ensure the wishes don’t backfire,” Felix commented.
“So, we just need to figure out a way to merge the genie magic with a matchmaking spell and a little luck,” Devon surmised.
“Easy,” Braxton said breezily.
“That is definitely not the word I would use to describe it,” Felix countered.
“It might sound ambitious, but we’ve figured out how to do the impossible before,” Devon pointed out. “If we can make this work, it could change a lot of lives…one wish at a time.”