by Melody Rose
“Yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “You spend so much time with the worst of society, it’s nice to come up here from time to time to remind yourself that not every human is a psychopath. It keeps me balanced.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” I said. “It has to get old after a while.”
“Something like that.” Asmodeus clapped his hands together. “Alright, darling, where to next?”
“You know,” I sighed, “I’m okay. I know tomorrow morning would be better if I had some coffee, but other than that, I think I have everything I need. We can grab that next time, though. I’d like to get back. It’s been a long day, and I could use some sleep.”
“Sounds good to me,” he responded. “Any time you need some retail therapy, you know who to come to.” He winked and smiled at me, took my hand, and we were suddenly outside my door in Hell.
“See you tomorrow!” Asmodeus chirped, as he sauntered away, leaving me with my new makeup, a chocolate shake, and a renewed spirit.
I walked into my room and placed my makeup down on the coffee table. I paced the living room for a moment, absentmindedly sipping on my chocolate shake. What I had seen earlier had crushed me, but I still had feelings for Lucifer that I wasn’t ready to let go of. I didn’t want to leave anything unsaid, or any stone unturned. Until I knew for sure that this wasn’t a feasible option, I decided I would keep moving forward.
With the last of my chocolate shake gone, I went to bed, determined to approach tomorrow with a positive attitude. At the very least, with my new makeup, I would look fabulous.
19
Evelyn
I woke up the next morning excited to start my day off as normally as I could. I brushed my teeth and threw a quick outfit of skinny jeans and a plain white fitted t-shirt together and then dove into my new makeup collection. Feeling absolutely fabulous, I fixed up my hair a bit before starting my coffee maker. A few days without coffee had made me a bit cranky, but one comment to Asmodeus and I had my favorite Dunkin’ Donuts blend on the counter. Six bags, in fact.
Once I had fixed my coffee, I took a few sips, wandered over to my recliner, and snuggled in to continue working on my blanket. I was nearly done. The thick yarn made the blanket come together quickly, and I had been crocheting away lately, trying to chase away the stress of my current situation. Last night’s retail therapy had really put me in a better mood, and I was hoping a finished blanket would be the icing on the cake. In the spirit of moving forward, I decided that I would give this blanket to Lucifer. At least he wouldn’t be able to forget me.
I was casting off the yarn and weaving the ends into my blanket when I heard a familiar knock. The door swung open, and Asmodeus floated in. I didn’t mind him letting himself in, but it was nice knowing there was a lock on my door in case I suddenly changed my mind. To my surprise, he was wearing crisp dark wash jeans and a fitted dark blue t-shirt. I could see his muscles clearly through the thin fabric. This guy was definitely in shape, and it was a nice change to not feel insanely underdressed next to him for once.
“Good morning, sunshine!” he chirped, throwing his arms wide up over his head as he strolled in. He walked through to my bedroom to straighten up my bed.
“Hey.” I smiled at him as I finished weaving the final end of yarn into my now-finished blanket.
“Girl, you look fantastic!” Asmodeus winked at me as he walked past.
“Thanks!” My smile grew. “You did great with the makeup selection, I would have never picked all this out for myself!”
“You know me, always glad to help!” he called over his shoulder with a smirk.
As he flitted around my room straightening up, it suddenly occurred to me that I had an excellent source of information right here in front of me.
“Hey, Asmodeus,” I called as I stood up and walked over to my bedroom doorway. “Do you mind if I pick your brain a bit?” I tried to keep a casual tone in my voice. I wasn’t sure if I was successful.
“Sure, hon, what do you want to know?” He sat down at the foot of my bed and crossed one leg over the other, clasping his hands onto his knee as he gave me his full attention.
I propped myself up on the door frame, arms crossed over my chest. “Lucifer and Lilith. What’s the history with them?”
“Ahh, well, there’s a super long history there,” Asmodeus mused nostalgically, “but the short version is that Lucifer became close to Lilith after she was kicked out of the Garden. Their relationship has changed a lot over time. They’ve been lovers, friends, and partners through the years. I think they’ve let go of the romantic bits, at least for the moment, but they are still excellent work partners, like two peas in a pod.” He arched an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”
I was prepared for this question. “I’ve been spending plenty of time with them both. I was trying to get some insight into how they came to know each other so that I could better understand their dynamic. That’s all. Just curious. I don’t want to make any wrong assumptions or say or do the wrong thing.” I shrugged. “He is the Devil, after all.”
He smiled softly. “I hate the negative connotation of that name. The Devil? Feh! Lucifer is an Archangel. He is innately good and pure, and he is so incredibly misunderstood. I believe if you give him a chance to show you how he can be, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
I chuckled. “That is nice and all, but considering the source, forgive me if I have my doubts.”
“Are you saying you don’t believe me?” Asmodeus clutched his hand to his chest in false shock.
“Oh, I believe that you believe you,” I laughed. “But, I mean, you are a Prince of Hell, you do… unspeakable things to people, and I’m supposed to accept what you are telling me about Lucifer at face value? Innately good and pure, huh? Okay, sure.”
“Well, he is,” Asmodeus relaxed his posture, returning his hand to his lap. “I’m not. I am definitely not. He is. God created him to be exactly that. So, he didn’t exactly follow the rules. That doesn’t change where he comes from, his roots. Believe me, don’t believe me. It’s true.”
“Alright,” I responded. That was a promising answer, although it didn’t make me feel better about what I saw yesterday. “What about Michael? Where does he fit into all of this?”
“Michael?!” Asmodeus chuckled. “Oh, Michael. He and Lucifer have been trying to kill each other for millennia. After enough failed attempts, they both decided to let sleeping dogs lie, and now they pretty much coexist. They do try to steer clear of one another, though. There have been a few spats here and there. I’m sure you noticed the state of the hallway walls. The cracked wall tiles, indentations… ” He smirked at me.
I chuckled. “I noticed that immediately! I did have my suspicions!”
I did find it odd that despite all of my years of being taught that Lucifer was evil and the rest of the Archangels were good, I found myself siding with Lucifer over Michael. Maybe it was because Michael was incredibly narcissistic and definitely a creep. Lucifer seemed genuine and kind, even if his feelings didn’t mimic mine.
“Anyway,” Asmodeus slapped his thighs and pushed himself up off the bed, “you must be hungry. Let’s get a good breakfast in you.”
“That sounds perfect,” I smiled. I was pretty hungry.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to the dining room.” He headed through the doorway into the living room, and I followed, scooping up my blanket and heading out the door with him. I closed the door behind me and quickly caught up to him. When we passed the throne room, I stopped.
“Hold up,” I called out, and I walked inside hesitantly.
“Girl, what do you think you’re doing?” Asmodeus had several pounds of sass in his voice when he turned back to question me, but he did not move or make any effort to stop me.
I walked across the dark gray floor and up the few steps to his throne. With one leery glance over at the enormous three-headed dog-napping right next to it, I placed the blanket gingerly on the seat of the throne. The thickness of the fol
ded blanket would be perfect as a cushion, too, I noticed. The skulls protruded out at odd angles. It could not be even remotely comfortable. I hoped my soft, warm addition would help. With that done, I tiptoed back past the dog and walked back out into the hall. Asmodeus was standing there, one eyebrow raised.
“I thought he’d appreciate it,” I announced.
“Alright,” Asmodeus replied, sounding unconvinced, as we continued to head to the dining room in silence.
The blanket was for more than appreciation, though. Despite what I saw yesterday, I still felt something for Lucifer. I wasn’t going to let my feelings of unrequited love prevent me from giving him a gift.
20
Lucifer
I had already finished my meal when Evelyn walked into the dining hall. She looked stunning. I couldn’t pinpoint what was different about her this morning, but she looked radiant. Her eyes popped, and her brown curls fell down just past her shoulders, making her look somehow both softer and more powerful all at once. Her outfit was simple, jeans and a white shirt, but she didn’t need fancy clothes to capture my attention.
She sat down across from me, tied her hair back off her face quickly and haphazardly, and reached for the coffee pot in front of her. She had not looked at or acknowledged me yet, and I felt an intensely strong urge to explain what happened last night.
“I saw you last night,” I began hesitantly. “I would like to explain what happened.”
She looked up at me. I noticed her eyes weren’t really brown, they had flecks of green in them. She looked back down at her filling coffee mug before I could finish appreciating them. I found myself wanting to see more of them.
“You don’t need to explain,” she said simply, putting the coffee pot back on the table. “I know the two of you have an insanely long history. I’m not questioning it.” She grabbed the creamer before looking up at me again. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything last night.” She acted cavalier about it all, but I thought I detected a hint of sadness in her voice.
“No,” I blurted out. I recomposed myself, bracing my hands on the edge of the table. What was wrong with me? “I mean, no, you didn’t interrupt anything. It wasn’t like that.” I adjusted my seat and dropped my hands back into my lap.
Evelyn looked up at me with a smile. “Whatever it was like, it’s fine by me. Really. It’s okay.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. Why did I feel so awkward? I took a deep breath and forced myself to talk a bit slower. “Yes, Lilith and I do have a long, varied history. However, we have long since settled into a comfortable partnership. I’m not sure where that came from last night. I stopped her. I… It’s not what I want.”
Evelyn looked up at me again. She seemed relieved. I could have sworn I saw tension leave her shoulders. I wondered if she was feeling the same things I was. She picked up her coffee mug, holding it just below her nose and taking an appreciative sniff.
“What do you want?” she asked hesitantly. Her eyes searched mine.
I paused. I wasn’t ready for this question. “All I know is I wished she hadn’t done what she did. It wasn’t reciprocated. That’s all.” I felt a mental wall slam shut into place in my mind. I did not feel like I was ready to discuss my feelings.
“Okay,” she said softly as she slowly sipped her coffee.
I watched her take a few sips, both hands wrapped around her coffee mug. She looked deep in thought, but she wasn’t sharing any of it at the moment.
“What are your plans for today?” I asked as casually as I could.
Evelyn looked up at me. “I was hoping to get in some time at the range. It’d be a nice treat to myself.”
“I’m glad you’re getting some use out of it!” I hadn’t had much opportunity to check it out myself. “It’s about time we created something new that actually got some use.”
“You should go sometime,” she said, putting her coffee down and helping herself to some French toast. “I find it’s an excellent stress reliever.”
“Have you been feeling stressed lately?” Immediately after asking her that question, it dawned on me that being trapped in Hell can’t exactly be therapeutic.
“Umm… Well, I am in Hell,” she said with a chuckle. “Although I will admit, I’m taking advantage of not having to pay to hone my skills. Range time can get expensive.”
“Well, I’m glad we could help out there.” I grinned. I was glad we were having a normal conversation after yesterday’s events.
Evelyn laughed as she started in on her French toast. “Well, if you’re ever stressed,” she said between bites, “let me know. It’ll be fun!”
“I’ll do that,” I replied with a smile.
“Oh, by the way,” Evelyn put her fork down and looked up at me. “I hope you don’t mind. I left a little something in your throne room. It’s just a token of appreciation for making sure I’m comfortable down here. I hope you like it.”
“You did? What is it?” I asked, immediately curious.
“You’ll see,” she said with a grin as she picked her fork back up.
“I’m not used to surprises,” I mused. “Now, I can’t wait to find out what it is.”
“Well, go check it out!” she encouraged, reaching for some bacon as she did.
“I think I will,” I replied with a grin. I stood up and pushed my chair in. “Thank you. Enjoy your breakfast.”
“See you soon!” she called out as I walked out of the room.
As I headed back to my throne room, I thought about Evelyn’s question. What did I want? It’s been a long time since I asked myself that question.
I turned the corner into the room and noticed the blanket immediately. Among the darkness and the cold, hard surfaces, the white blanket stood out. It looked incredibly soft. I walked up to it and noticed it fit perfectly on the seat of my throne. Is it possible this was what I had needed this whole time? A damn seat cushion? Even if she hadn’t told me about the gift, I’d have known immediately that Evelyn had left it. It just had a certain… Evelyn-ness about it.
I reached out and let the fabric run between my fingers. It was even softer than it looked.
Cerberus looked up at me from his curled-up position on the floor.
“What do you think?” I asked him. He blinked back at me.
“I agree, it’s exactly what we needed.” I sat down on the throne, testing it out as a seat cushion. It was absolutely perfect. All of my problems were solved. I looked down at Cerberus.
“She nailed it, Cerbs. All this time, this was the one thing missing.”
I stood up and looked back down at the blanket. It was thoughtful and sweet, and I found the answer to her question right there on my throne.
It was Evelyn. I wanted Evelyn.
21
Evelyn
Breakfast wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I noticed the way he looked at me this morning and was very grateful for the new makeup from my shopping adventure with Asmodeus. It definitely did the trick.
I found myself thinking about Lucifer’s description of what had happened yesterday. He had sounded so apologetic as if he needed me to understand that it was one-sided. So, maybe my feelings weren’t misguided, then… maybe he felt the same way?
As I headed back to my room after a fantastic breakfast of French toast and bacon, I thought back on everything that had just happened. First of all, if Lucifer really did turn Lilith away, maybe we had a shot. Also, if we were really going to give this a good chance, he would have to grant me some freedoms that I hadn’t had since I’d arrived here, mainly letting me return home. And finally, it occurred to me that I could bring him to my town and that perhaps seeing the Devil in my old, familiar surroundings may change my perspective on things. Maybe remind me of what an insane idea being with him would be.
I decided to set up a date for us back home that would answer all of my questions and alleviate my concerns. I hoped Lucifer would be open to it. If I could leave Hell with Asmodeus, I was certain I could do th
e same with Lucifer. Before doing that, though, I knew that a day at the gun range was the perfect solution to help clear my head. I just needed to grab my gun belt out of my closet first.
When I arrived, I walked straight through my bedroom over to my closet doors and swung them open, determined not to waste any time. No sooner had I done that, the telltale knock on my door told me Asmodeus was back.
“So? How was breakfast? Good as usual?” He called out as he sashayed through the living room.
“It was great,” I replied as I reached into my closet for my gun belt.
“And they say they don’t serve breakfast in Hell!” He walked up to me as I rolled my eyes. “Heading to the range?”
“Yep!” I responded as I put on my gun belt. “I’m going over now to let off some steam. Wanna join me?”
“No, thanks,” he replied. He propped himself up on my dresser. “I had some drama down in Level Two last night. It’ll keep a little longer, but I do need to go and handle things.”
It sounded ominous, so I didn’t question him further. I found I truly did not want to know.
“Can you do me a favor, then?” I inquired, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“Sure, doll, what do you need?” Asmodeus asked as he went about hanging my loose clothes on hangers.
“I need for you to get a message to Lucifer. I’d like for him to meet me here after breakfast tomorrow morning. Would you be able to do that for me?” I had been putting my boots on, but now that this question hung in the air, my boots sat forgotten on the floor.
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t question me. “I can absolutely do that, darling. Now, go to the range and have some fun. I’ll bring you some dinner later today.” Asmodeus was all charm and smiles, and I loved his consistency.
I headed over to the range. Now that the targets were made out of paper for me instead of people, it was the most normal thing down here in Hell. I wanted to forget the torture chambers, the sexual tension between myself and the Devil, and everything else down here, if only for a short while. Sending a few rounds down range was the best solution I could come up with.
