Devil's Own Read Online Free Page B

to see what was what. Or he would wait for Niall to stop by Gus’s apartment over the shop and interrogate him good and proper—maybe in bed, with handcuffs. Mmm, yummy ….
    For now, though, he had no choice but to allow Niall to handle his investigation the way he wanted. Because even though he had gotten mixed up with a murder investigation a month ago, Gus was no detective. He sighed sadly but then shook it off and went back to work.
     
     
    “T HANKS FOR seeing me on such short notice,” Niall said to Juliette as he sat down on her couch with tea and cupcakes in front of him.
    “Why wouldn’t I? It’s not like I’m that busy these days. The Emporium runs itself now with Joy in charge. I was sure she wouldn’t want anything to do with witchcraft after… well, you know, after everything that happened.” Juliette cleared her throat and sipped her herbal tea. “But she’s a plucky one, that girl, I must say.”
    The voluptuous woman who could tempt an angel to sin was dressed in a red woolly dress. She was in her early forties, but looked younger. Her eyes were as brown as her frizzy curls, and as warm and inviting as her smile. Today she wore no jewelry or makeup, and it appeared she had just woken up, though it was the afternoon.
    “Glad she’s better than she was when she was found,” Niall agreed. Joy had met up with bad men and gotten into serious trouble. She was, thankfully, on the mend after the horrible ordeals she had faced. Joy was a survivor.
    “So, Mr. Valentine, how may I be of assistance?” Juliette asked, refilling Niall’s cup of tea.
    Niall didn’t beat around the bush. “What can you tell me about Satanism?”
    Juliette’s gaze shot up, surprised. “Satanism? Are you thinking of converting?” From her smile it was obvious she was joking.
    “Ha-ha. Just curious.”
    “A case? Never mind, don’t answer.” Juliette rearranged herself against the cushions of the armchair. “I suppose Gus gave you his version. The evil cult.”
    “Something to that effect, yeah.”
    Juliette nodded. “Gus’s views of Satanism are somewhat, um, warped. He had a bad experience. I’ll leave it to him to share, if he so chooses.” She nibbled on her cupcake. “To put the matter in its simplest form, Satanism is the worship of a divine entity representing chaos, anarchy, and nonconformity. Satan, for example, is not viewed as the ultimate evil, but as the ultimate rebel to order and blind obedience.”
    “Rebellion against the Christian faith?”
    “Faith, church, dogma, the system—you name it, really. But it’s not as clear-cut as all that. There’s a call for spiritualism, even in today’s world. Established major religions don’t seem to offer much to those who value individualism and freedom of will and choice and yet still yearn for a religious setting. Of course, when it comes to devil worship, I suppose magic is the more common element.”
    “Are these people… evil?”
    Juliette smiled, both amused and enigmatic. “Every human being has the potential to be both good and evil. We all retain a grain of each within us. It is up to us which seedling grows to maturity. Through everyday choices the tree blossoms or withers.”
    Niall grinned back. “As nice as that imagery is, I’m more curious about the dangers in this particular faith.”
    Juliette frowned, pensive. “There are many kinds of Satanic groups, and as such the level of threat is also different. For example, theistic satanic cults believe in a specific deity. This, however, can vary from an evil, hedonistic Satan to a rebellious but wise light-bringer like Lucifer. Those two are not to be confused with each other. Atheistic Satanists, on the other hand, view the devil more as a symbol of carnality or an adversarial archetype than an actual god. So you see, Mr. Valentine, it is a bit more complicated than just labeling it evil.”
    “Call me Niall, please.”
    Juliette smiled back and nodded. “Niall.”
    “How