by Cindi Madsen
“And I’m guessing right now you’re wondering if I’m telling the truth, but remember those wild dragons you talked about?” I whistled, and when Dad opened his mouth, I held up a finger. “Wait for it…”
The walls trembled, and a giant yellow eye peered in through the vaulted windows. Millie shrieked and Dad jerked, the legs of his chair rocking.
“Technically she’s a wyvern, and she answers to me. Give me some time, and I’ll figure out how to manipulate the greater demons yet,” I continued. “I think it’ll be quite the chess match by the time it’s all said and done.”
Dad’s face had turned bright red, and he was clenching the arms of his chair so tightly his knuckles had gone white.
After what seemed like a never-ending staring match, Dad exhaled and leaned forward, his forearms braced on his knees. “You’ll complete your training and agree to marry Abigor?”
Disgust coated my throat, and I worked to swallow past it. “You let Tristan go back to Earth and give him a chance to live his life, and I’ll do it all.”
To keep my emotions from leaking between the cracks of my internal dam, I bit the inside of my cheek and ran my fingers along the edge of the table. “But could I at least wait until I’m eighteen to marry Abigor? I don’t want to be that girl. Everyone would think I was just knocked up and not actually doing it out of my complete and total devotion to the guy.”
Sarcasm had gotten me through a lot, but this time it left a sour taste in my mouth.
Dad’s eyebrows inched up. “Because that would be impossible, still being a virgin and all, like Abigor thinks he’s getting?”
Heat flooded my cheeks, but I refused to let him shame me for what had been the best moments of my life. “Oh, come on. How many women has he been with?”
“I don’t keep track, but he is quite the ladies’ man. He and Naamah even shacked up for a while. I’m sure that’s why she dislikes you so.”
“Uh, yeah. But I really don’t want the sordid details. That was supposed to be one of those rhetorical questions.” I shook my head. We were getting way off track. “Anyway, those are my terms. You get me. Tristan gets a second chance.”
“You’ll be different—you realize that, right? You’ll want souls even more than you do now. And Tristan won’t be judged lightly. If he screws up, he can still wind up down here. He’ll have to pay for his sins like everyone else. And you probably won’t believe me, but eventually you’ll want him back here, too, along with all the other souls on Earth.”
Dad covered my hand with his. “Lily, I realize I pushed you hard. I thought if I nudged—”
“You had my boyfriend whipped and tortured,” I said. “That’s more than a nudge.”
“I don’t want you to hate me forever.”
“It almost seems like you’re trying to talk me out of this.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “Isn’t this what you wanted all along?”
“I know you think I don’t care. In fact, I tried not to care. But you’re my daughter. I actually felt”—he shuddered as though he’d tasted something vile—“bad when I told the taskmaster to…” He sighed and then placed his hand on my knee. “I want you to be happy. But I also want you to be here by my side. I hoped that one day you’d learn to be both.”
“Well, if you want me to be truly happy, you could always let both me and Tristan go.”
He tilted his head, the scowl making it clear that so wasn’t going to happen.
“Hey, it was worth a shot.” I did my best to mask my anxieties over striking this deal and what it meant for my soul and my future and got back to my point. “You want me here, and I want something in return. If you don’t want me to hate you, all you have to do is give Tristan his life back. My soul for his.”
My heart hammered as I stared at him, waiting for his response, silently pleading he’d take it already.
Dad pressed his mouth into a tight line and gave one sharp nod. He snapped his fingers, and a document and a fountain pen appeared before him.
He slid the page to me.
I’d be a fool to not read it.
At least Dad made it straightforward, without all that legal mumbo-jumbo I’d seen in his other contracts. My soul and agreed betrothal for Tristan’s freedom.
I had him add one more thing: that he or any other demon wouldn’t interfere with Tristan’s life or cause his death. The line wrote itself across the page, and I let the gulp of air I’d held inside of my lungs slowly leak out of me.
My hand shook as I took the pen, a couple drops of ink splatting on the corner of the document.
“Full name please,” Dad said. “Your real one. Not your mother’s.”
The dark ink glided across the page as I signed my name on the dotted line.
Dad pulled a tack out of his suit coat and held it out to me. A quick prick on my thumb and blood pooled. I pressed it to the paper, leaving a smudged fingerprint.
Sharp, icy claws plunged into me, tugging and pulling, almost as if they were scraping out my insides. I gasped, gripping the edge of the table and fighting the urge to scream out in pain.
Then my soul belonged to Hell.
And there was only one thing left to be done.
Fifty
I knew Tristan would fight it, so I’d convinced Dad to let me go in and get him.
All shadows, I crept into his hut. I’d thought I’d already said my last goodbye, and I couldn’t decide whether seeing him again would make it harder or easier.
Harder. Definitely harder.
The light shifted, landing on the winged charm on his otherwise bare chest—he was wearing the necklace I’d given him. In that moment I hoped with everything I had that all the guardian angels in Heaven would protect him during his life on Earth.
I shook him awake. “You need to come with me.”
“Where are we—”
“There’s no time to explain right now. We’ve got to hurry.”
Tristan stepped into his jeans, threw on his shirt, and tugged on his shoes. I laced my fingers through his and led him out into the inky night.
Way too quickly we arrived at the shore of the River Styx. Dad and Grim stood near the boat, their faces illuminated by the lamp Grim was carrying, and Tristan jerked us to an abrupt stop.
“Just trust me.” I tugged on his hand and closed the distance between us and Dad and Grim.
Tristan wrapped a protective arm around me, his muscles coiled tight and prepared for a fight. “What’s going on?”
Dad stepped closer, everything about him magnificent and appalling at the same time. “I’m giving my daughter her greatest wish—well, second greatest. The first one was being able to go with you. I guess I should say congratulations, Tristan Slate, since I wanted her to stay here badly enough to make this deal.”
Tristan’s gaze shot to me, his arm tightening around my shoulders. “You made a deal with him? You said you were going to fight.”
The spot where my heart had unraveled into a messy pile rioted, tugging too many different directions at once. “I did. I fought for you. Now you need to go fight for the both of us.”
Tristan shook his head and backpedaled, towing me along with him. “No. I won’t let you do this.”
“It’s already done.” I gave him a watery smile. “This is what I needed to do to keep my soul—metaphorically speaking, of course. I’ve already fallen so far, and I needed to prove to myself that there was still good inside of me.” I cupped his cheek, and tears clotted my throat. “Plus there’s that whole loving-you thing.”
“Lily, no. Take it back. Undo the deal.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” Dad said. He gestured me away from Tristan and then placed his hand on the center of Tristan’s chest. “This might hurt a little.”
Red light glowed around Dad’s hand. A scream ripped from Tristan’s throat, and he jerked and convulsed like he’d been shocked.
Dad let go, and Tristan fell to the ground, clutching at his chest
and gasping for air.
I dropped onto the ground next to him. “Dad! What was that?”
He tugged at the cuff on his button-down shirt. “Sometimes it takes the body a few minutes to remember how to breathe and what to do with a beating heart.”
I wrapped my arm around Tristan’s and helped him to his feet. “Easy.”
He staggered as I led him to the boat. Then he dug his heels into the ground, fighting against me. “I’m not going.”
“You have to.”
I wasn’t strong enough to fight him, even in his weakened state, and Grim had to help me force him into the boat.
He stood, trying to step out again.
“He’s going to end up dumping himself in the river,” Grim grumbled.
I looked to Dad.
Dad shrugged. “I don’t mind if he falls in.”
“Fine.” The self-loathing sensation was strong, but I’d have time to deal with it after Tristan was safely back on Earth. I summoned handcuffs, slapped one on his wrist, looped the chain through a part of the boat and, with Grim’s help, secured the other cuff.
The metal rattled as Tristan struggled against his restraints. “Don’t do this to me, Lily. I want you out there in the world. You’re supposed to be the one leaving.”
I handed Grim the key to the handcuffs. “Take care of him for me.”
Grim bowed his head. “I swear it.”
I hugged Grim and then squatted in the boat next to Tristan and stared into those muddy green eyes one last time. He was pissed, that much was clear, but what mattered was he’d get another chance at the life he deserved. “Go make a difference for me,” I said.
His eyes glistened, and I noticed his flushed skin. Fully alive looked good on him, and it made me incredibly happy that he’d be out in the world somewhere living and breathing.
“Please don’t do this, Lily,” he pleaded, his voice breaking on my name.
I lost the battle to hold back my tears, and once they began pouring down my cheeks, boy did they come. “I told you. It’s already done.”
I lowered my mouth to his.
Like our first kiss, he didn’t respond for a moment.
Then his lips moved against mine, and he used his legs to haul me closer and deepen the kiss. Our tongues met in a definitive dance as we memorized the touch, taste, and feel of each other one last time.
It took every ounce of self-control I had to pull away, because the thought of never kissing this amazing boy’s lips again was more hellish than Hell.
“I love you,” I said, and he repeated it back, over and over.
The boat swayed as I climbed out, my body on the shore while my heart remained in the boat.
Grim pushed his stick into the river, and I was left standing next to my father, tears streaming down my face as I watched the guy I loved drift away from me forever.
Epilogue
I flipped through the thick bridal magazine, glancing from one beautiful dress to another, and the whole thing struck me as ridiculous.
Dad wasn’t sure whether to take me to Earth to have one last night out on the town and then kill me or if he should let me die of natural causes here in Hell and then finalize the complete takeover of my soul.
I didn’t really like thinking about it.
Another thing I didn’t want to think about? The fact that in one short week, I’d be Abigor’s blushing—or more likely, nauseous—bride.
At least Mom was coming to the wedding. Dad swore a blood oath that she’d have safe passage to and from home.
I tossed the magazine on my bedside table, and it landed with a thud.
Then I heard yelling. I padded to my window and threw it open. Baal was in spider form—ew—waving his hairy legs as he tripped over the words he was shouting at Dad.
Angel? Did he just say an angel was here? In Hell?
One of my flip-flops was next to my bed, but the other took some swearing and frantic searching to find. I rushed out of my room, down the staircase, and burst out the front door of the castle.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose as my gaze landed on Baal. “Change or I swear I’ll conjure up the hugest shoe to squash you.”
He morphed back into person form, which wasn’t much better but still an improvement.
Dad grabbed my shoulder and spun me toward the door. “Why don’t you go inside, Lily?”
“But if something big’s going on—”
“I’m not asking,” he said in that no-nonsense voice that vibrated the bones. “I’m telling.”
I wrapped my hand around the door handle and tugged.
“She should probably stay to hear this, since it involves her,” a deep voice said.
I spun around so fast I nearly lost my balance. Ahadiel strode up the walkway, his sunglasses firmly in place, carrying a sword that made mine look like a sewing needle.
“You’ve come to declare war on us, have you?” Dad asked.
“It turns out someone here wasn’t fairly judged, and I’ve come to take her back.” He lifted his sunglasses, and his gaze locked on to mine.
“Me?” I threw my hand to my chest. “You came here for me?”
“A certain guy on Earth was very adamant about it.” Ahadiel tossed something at me.
It flashed red in the light as it arched through the air, and I whipped up my hand to catch it. I turned my hand, palm up, and uncurled my fingers. Two silver wings folded in the shape of a heart.
Tristan.
As much as it hurt to think about him, I couldn’t make myself stop. Whenever Abigor pulled me in for a good-night kiss, I closed my eyes and thought back to Tristan, imagining him there in my fiancé’s place.
Dad stepped in front of me, blocking my view of the angel. “She and I made a legitimate deal.”
“You robbed her of twelve months on Earth. After she gets those months back, we’ll discuss her soul’s future at judgment.” The angel lifted a hand as Dad opened his mouth to launch his argument. “Don’t bother. The deal was made here, and coercion in Hell, pre-death, is against the code of ethics. Even with all that—even after being near your constant evil influence—she sacrificed herself, and we in Heaven tend to think that counts for something.”
Dad clenched his fists and his jaw, so much loathing in his harsh expression that I was worried on Ahadiel’s behalf. “Then I get Tristan Slate back.”
“No,” I said, desperation filling me as I violently shook my head.
“Nice try,” Ahadiel said. “You’ll find he’s done a lot with his time, too. Enough that you’d lose in court, no problem.”
Rage tightened Dad’s jaw, and I swear a tendril of steam even came out of his nostrils. “That’s why you waited this long, you self-righteous bastard. She made the deal after two and a half months, so I’ll agree to give her that time back. That’s my only offer.”
“I’m sure there’s another deal we can work out.” Ahadiel gestured toward the door. “Somewhere more private?”
With a hand on my back, Dad ushered me inside, the angel trailing behind us. The arguing started the second the door closed behind us.
Dad yelled about his right as a parent; Ahadiel countered by saying that was why he should be extra ashamed of himself.
Dad sneered at Ahadiel. “I should’ve just killed her as soon as she made the deal.”
“You would’ve found out you had to come to Earth to do it.” Ahadiel smiled, flashing a mouthful of blindingly white teeth. “Little blessing ritual we performed on her when she was born. Anyway, we would’ve stepped in before it came to that, so don’t lose sleep over it.”
A picture flew off the wall, and the angel dodged out of the way in a blur, the painting hitting the wall instead. Glass shattered and rained glittery shards on the floor.
The angel turned to me. “Excuse us, Lily. You best give us a few minutes alone to iron out the nitty-gritty details.”
“But it’s my soul. I think I have the—”
“To your room,” Dad boo
med, pointing upstairs. His irises were pitch-black, and the vein in his forehead was pulsating blue. “And close the door behind you.”
Never in my life had he looked so scary. Afraid he’d kill me right here on the spot—well, in theory he couldn’t, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t inflict a boatload of physical pain—I exited the room.
Twenty torturous minutes of trying to eavesdrop later, the door to my bedroom flung open.
No one appeared, so I slowly walked out and peeked down the stairs.
Ahadiel and Dad stood at the bottom. I looked from face to face as I rushed down, trying to figure out what had been decided.
Dad’s hair stuck out in places, his suit was crumpled, and an angry muscle quivered in his cheek. As soon as I hit the landing, he thrust a paper in my face. “Here. Sign this.”
I glanced at Ahadiel, who nodded. “We’ll discuss the stipulations later.”
Scared to push further, I signed and gave the obligatory drop of blood. Coolness pumped through my body, one blessed waved after another, leaving me light-headed and a smidge giddy.
Dad flung his arms around my neck and hugged me tight. “You belong here, and deep down you know it. They’ll ask the impossible of you. I’ll let you be who you are, and I’ll always welcome you back with open arms. You remember that.”
My throat tightened, and I could hardly believe the words that spilled, unbidden, from my mouth. “I’ll miss you, Daddy.”
He pulled back and studied me, his forehead scrunching up as if he couldn’t believe what I’d said either.
I shrugged. “You might be an evil son of a bitch, but you’re my dad, and I love you anyway. I can’t help it.”
Dad’s lips gave a slight tremor that almost passed for a smile. “I’ll see you in a year.”
On the boat ride home, Ahadiel explained that they’d needed time to figure out how to save me without losing Tristan. Since his parents had also buried him several years ago, they had to pull a few strings, and step in and wipe the memory of his death away. They replaced them with false, vague memories of Tristan being with them the whole time.
