King of Hell
Page 14
When I walked in, however, I saw Michael downrange, doing pushups, his wings open and arching across the entire floor. I stopped in my tracks. Did Hell not have a gym? Why must he do this here?
Michael heard me come in, and he popped back up on his feet.
“I knew it,” he said as he sauntered over to me, wings still exposed. “You just can’t stay away, can you? You can feel that white-hot spark between us, too, I can tell.” He winked as he came over to stand next to me, letting one wing drape over my shoulders.
“Don’t be a fucking creep,” I said, walking out from under his wing and over to the safe. I opened it up and pulled out ear and eye protection, a few different pistols, and a box of ammo. I headed over to my lane to set up. Unsurprisingly, Michael was still there. Right by my left elbow, in fact.
I ignored him and loaded up one magazine before racking the slide, ready to begin shooting.
“You know, you don’t need to do all that,” Michael said, leaning up against the lane divider.
“Do all what?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“All this.” He gestured all around him, at the range and my gun specifically. “The gun stuff. It’s not very ladylike. I don’t know if you’re trying to show how cool you are or what, but it’s unattractive. You should go back to knitting.”
“I don’t knit, I crochet,” I mumbled under my breath. Fully aware that he did not have hearing protection on like I did, I aimed downrange and pulled the trigger.
“Ow!” Michael cried out, holding his hands over his ears. “That does not sound as loud on television.”
“You’re an idiot,” I said. “Put some hearing protection on or get the fuck out.”
“No,” he responded sharply. “Come on, sweetheart, you don’t need to try to impress me. I don’t like all this gun stuff. Why don’t you put it down and let me show you a good time?” Michael came up behind me, pressing his body against my back, and stretching his wings forward to wrap around us. He reached forward and put his hand over the barrel of my gun, attempting to lower it down to the table, but instinct kicked in, and I spun around and swung at him with my free hand, catching him on the chin.
“Ouch,” he said. “You really pack a punch, don’t you?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I don’t appreciate getting hit.”
“Well, then stop being a sexist prick.” I lifted my pistol back up and sent a few more rounds downrange, leaving him standing there with his hand over his chin.
I got the impression he still had something stupid to say to me, so I made sure my shots were close enough together that he couldn’t get a word out in between shots. It worked. Hand still over his chin, he folded his wings in and walked out the door.
Finally, I could get some time to myself.
22
Lucifer
I finally found Lilith in one of the torture chambers, next to a familiar-looking iron maiden. The last time I’d seen it was in my throne room with my collection, and it had been in bad shape. Now, the rust had been cleaned off of it, and the hinges had been replaced, allowing the doors to close fully.
Lilith stood beside it, wearing a clingy red dress and black heels, casually filing her nails down. The room was dark, the ground covered in uneven mounds of dirt, and the walls were made of stone. I heard a man screaming from inside the iron maiden.
“I thought the spikes had broken off that thing,” I mused as I strolled into the room.
“I finally got around to fixing it,” she smirked. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed it. Did you know that this guy,” she gestured toward the screams, “owned it when he was alive? Used it regularly. I couldn’t resist.”
I hadn’t even noticed it missing from my ever-growing collection of torture devices in my throne room. It made sense, as my mind had definitely been elsewhere lately. I was glad to see it back in the rotation.
“Lilith, we should probably talk,” I offered as she slapped the side of the iron maiden.
“No need!” she yelled over the sudden loud cry that came from within.
“Lilith!” I bellowed. She stopped, turning to look at me, and the man stopped crying for a moment.
“Really?” Her voice lowered a few octaves, and she had an annoyed look on her face. “Fine.”
She walked out into the hall, and I followed her out, closing the door behind me. Once we were both in the middle of the hallway, Lilith turned to face me.
“I can take a guess what this is about, and it’s probably not about Taco Tuesday,” she said, arms crossed over her chest.
“Are we still doing that?” I asked. “Taco Tuesdays can get old quickly. There are a lot of Tuesdays down here.”
Lilith stared back at me, unamused.
“Alright,” I said, shoving my hands into my pockets. “In all seriousness, I wanted to speak to you about last night.”
“Look, I get it,” she sighed. “I was incredibly drunk, and old habits die hard. I was pretty upset at first, but I decided to stay away from you until I sobered up so that I had a clear head. I had some time to reflect, and I can tell your mind and heart are elsewhere.”
“You can?” I asked, confused. I thought I was playing my cards close to the vest.
“Of course!” she said as if it were obvious. “What with your discovery about Michael and learning about Evelyn’s roots, you’ve had a lot going on.”
“You’re right,” I replied, relaxing a bit. “I definitely have had a lot on my mind.” I felt relieved that Lilith had simply been referring to our recent discovery, and not about any growing connection between Evelyn and myself. “I’m still trying to figure out how to handle all of it.”
“I’m sure!” Lilith replied. “I wish I could be more help, but it’s a sticky situation.”
“It really is,” I said thoughtfully.
“Plus, I’ve been picking up on some vibes between you two. I know she has feelings for you. I’d venture to guess you do too since your heart isn’t made completely of stone. Not yet, anyway.” Lilith chuckled.
Well, apparently, I wasn’t as slick as I thought. Lilith had picked up on it. On the other hand, hearing that Evelyn felt the same way was encouraging. Maybe there really was something to pursue, here.
“I can’t say I’m over it,” she continued, “but I’m getting there. Give me some time. We’ll be just fine. I love you. I always will, you know that.”
I felt relieved. “You’re right,” I admitted with a sigh. “My heart is elsewhere. It’s taken me some time to accept that, but I need to pursue this.”
“It’s weird seeing this side of you,” she chuckled, fiddling with her nail file as she spoke. “I’m not used to it, it’s throwing me off.”
“Yeah, it’s throwing me off, as well.” I paused, tucking my thumbs into my pants pockets. “One thing to consider are these powers of hers. They make me mortal, which makes her a threat. I’m trying to come to terms with that.”
“Well, you need to remember that it isn’t just you.” Lilith looked deep in thought. “It happened at the range with me. It seems that she could make anyone mortal. This could be useful one day as long as no one finds out.”
“Who knows?” I asked, eyes wide and suddenly nervous.
“Stolas knows something happened at the range, but you know him. He doesn’t ask questions, and he certainly doesn’t stay involved enough to even care. He’s a weird bird.” Lilith pondered her options. “The only other one would be Asmodeus. What have you told him?”
“Nothing,” I responded, relieved. “He knew she was an important part of something I was working on. That’s it. He was happy to help, as always. Doesn’t pry.”
“So that’s it, then.” She looked directly at me. “We tell no one. Evelyn tells no one. Your secret is safe. Michael never finds out. We are okay.” She smiled at me, and I was reminded of how much I did love her. She always looked out for me.
“So, what now?” I asked. I was at a loss as to wha
t my next steps would be now that I decided what I wanted.
“Now,” she looked at me as if she couldn’t believe I could be so dense, “you talk to her. Ask her to dinner. Talk about everything. Let it happen organically. Don’t force it. Don’t make it weird.” She laughed and headed back toward the door. “I’m going to go back to play with my new toy now.”
She winked, and walked back into the room, closing the door behind her.
Relieved that Lilith and I were going to be okay, I went to find Asmodeus. I found him in another torture room, prepping for the next day.
“What’s going on here?” I inquired, propping myself against the doorway.
“Level Two drama,” Asmodeus replied casually while he set up his station. “I’m handling it, boss. Don’t you worry.” He was his usual cheery self. I trusted him to handle whatever it was.
“I’m never worried, Asmodeus. Is everything going alright with Evelyn?” I floated the question out there and waited for him to stop and look at me.
“Absolutely, boss.” Asmodeus straightened up and turned to face me, tucking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear, one hand leaning on the table beside him. “She has actually requested for you to meet her at her room tomorrow at 11 am. It seemed important.” He shrugged and turned back to his prep work.
“Thank you. I’ll do that,” I replied as I saw myself out to the hall.
I wondered what Evelyn had up her sleeve for tomorrow. It wasn’t like her to call on me like that. Whatever it was, I could not wait to find out. It had been a long time since I had looked forward to something with this level of anticipation.
23
Lucifer
I stood in front of my closet and began to feel a bit ridiculous. I wasn’t sure what to wear. Was Evelyn simply looking to talk, or was this a more official event? Was I reading too much into this?
I reminded myself that I was the King of Hell and that no one had ever dared question my outfit choices. I decided to play it down the middle, choosing my dark wash jeans and pairing them with a black button-down and a dark gray suit jacket. I dug out my black leather boots from the back of the closet. They weren’t the most comfortable, but they were ideal for those in-between situations when I didn’t want to dress up too much, but sneakers weren’t ideal.
I stepped out into my bedroom and stood in front of the black-framed mirror. I ran my fingers through my hair and decided I had made the right decisions. It was time to go find out what Evelyn had up her sleeve.
Walking through the hall, I started to wonder what was in store for me when I got there. Knowing that she had feelings for me, combined with the awkwardness of our last interaction meant anything could happen. I felt my palms start to sweat from nerves and wondered what was happening to me. I was the King of Hell. I never sweat.
I got to her door, took a deep breath, and knocked twice. I told myself to keep my cool, but when she opened the door, my jaw fell open. She was wearing a gorgeous bright blue dress that looked to be made of a very lightweight material, which draped perfectly over her body. Her black heels brought her face up closer to mine. When I looked back into her eyes, she had a smile on her face.
“Come in,” she said softly as she stepped aside and held the door open for me.
I stepped in and looked around. I had been here before, but I was still taken aback by how cozy and warm her place was. I imagined it was cozier still back in her apartment, where the light could shine through.
Evelyn turned and headed over to her coffee table and picked up her purse, turning back to face me from across the room.
“So, here’s the deal,” she said matter-of-factly. “You took me out to show me how you live your life, right? I’d like to do the same thing here.”
“Okay,” I responded hesitantly. I wasn’t sure what she was getting at. “What did you have in mind?”
“You are going to take me home. We are going to spend the day in the sunlight, getting to know how I live.” She put her hands up, palms facing me. “I know, I know, I’m supposed to be staying down here until we solve this mystery or whatever. But the way I figure it, you’re Lucifer, so I can’t exactly run away, no matter where we go. Let’s spend the day up there together, and when we are done, you can just bring me back here. What do you say?”
I wasn’t planning to leave Hell today, but she seemed to have her mind made up, and she was right. She wouldn’t be able to escape me unless I let her escape, and if this would get me closer to Evelyn, well, I didn’t see a downside to this.
“Alright,” I responded with a shrug. “I’m ready. Where would you like to go?”
“We can start at The Magic Bean. It’s a coffee shop on the corner of 3rd and Elm.” She assumed a take-charge attitude, and I had to admit I liked it.
I stepped closer to her as I put my hand on her shoulder to maintain physical contact. As I did so, her room began to dissolve around us. Evelyn locked her eyes onto mine, and she kept eye contact as her hometown coffee shop materialized before us. She stumbled as she steadied herself on her feet.
“I was so not ready for that!” she exclaimed, eyes wide and looking around in disbelief. “Did you really just… magic us here?! I think I’m a little dizzy.” Evelyn put her hand on her forehead and took a few deep breaths before looking up at the sign over our heads. Sure enough, lit up in neon, were the words The Magic Bean.
“So, you can teleport?” she clarified. “Also, how did no one notice?”
“Oh, humans are blind,” I responded, waving the question off. “They dismiss a lot of things they see when they think it can’t be possible. You’d be surprised what you can get away with if you just act with confidence.”
“So, now what?” I continued. “You’re in charge today, so do we go inside, or…?”
“Yes,” Evelyn chirped as she skipped over to the door and swung it open, holding it open for me to follow. She seemed genuinely happy to be here, and I was still curious to find out what this was all about, so I followed her lead.
We placed our order at the counter, and then she walked directly over to the corner where there were two tattered green cushioned chairs in front of a roaring fireplace. I noticed that scattered throughout the shop, there were several clusters of different-colored chairs with small tables near them, and the other people in the place seemed to be mulling about very leisurely as if they had all day to spend here.
One woman sat in the corner reading a book. A few teenagers were sitting in a small group by the window gossiping and scrolling through their phones. I didn’t see any to-go cups, only large ceramic mugs of different shapes and colors. This wasn’t a store you ran into on the way to work. This was a place you came to when you wanted to relax and socialize. I had noted the slight chill in the air when we arrived, so the fireplace seemed appropriate, though it was not as hot as I’d grown accustomed to.
She gestured for me to take the seat on the right, and then she sat down in the other chair. A small table sat between us, cleared off and ready for our coffee orders.
“So why here?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Of all the coffee shops out there, what makes this place different?”
“Well,” she responded with a playful tone, “this is my coffee shop. This is the place I would come to when I had the morning off. I’d order my drink, sit right here in this chair, and crochet. I love the ambiance of this place, and the people-watching is great. For instance, look at that guy over there.”
She covertly gestured to my left. I turned to look and saw a man wearing a pair of jeans, a jean shirt, and a jean jacket. I smirked. They were all different shades of blue, too.
“Oh, man,” I replied with a chuckle. “That’s dedication to denim right there.”
“There’s more,” Evelyn continued. I could hear in her voice that she was happy to be home. “This window here is the best. It’s a bit late now, but around eight in the morning when people are rushing to work, this view gives you the best entertainment. Plus, the fireplace gets ni
ce and warm. It’s the perfect environment to unwind and escape your world, if only for a little while.”
“It’s a nice place,” I acknowledged. “Why did you bring me here, though? I could have brought their coffee to you in Hell. We could have set you up with the fireplace and everything too. So, why bring me topside for all of this?”
“You showed me a day in your life,” Evelyn responded, leaning forward in her chair and bringing herself closer to me. “I wanted to show you a day in mine.”
“You’re not going to try to teach me how to crochet or anything, are you?” I braced my hands on the armrest as if ready to run.
Evelyn threw her head back and laughed. “God, no. That sounds like a miserable idea!”
Our coffees arrived then, and we sat with our oversized mugs in our hands, enjoying those first few sips. She was staring into the fire, but I was watching her. Seeing her in her element was something quite different. Her face was truly relaxed, and she looked at peace for the first time since I’d met her. That made me realize emotionally what I already knew intellectually, that I was the source of all her stress lately. I started to think I had gone about this all wrong. Did I really need to kidnap her?
Regret set in as I watched her.
After a few moments of blissful silence, Evelyn turned to me. “Want to see something cool?” A mischievous grin slid across her face.
“Sure,” I replied, unable to keep myself from grinning back. “Where are we going?”
“Follow me,” she said quietly, and then stood up and started heading around the corner. I did as I was told and discovered a wooden staircase leading up to a second level. I followed her up the stairs, and the door up top opened up to a rooftop seating area. All around the edges were small tables and chairs, and the center was cleared to become a makeshift dance floor. A band sat on a small, shallow stage up on bar stools, and a few of them had acoustic guitars. There were a few tables occupied, and two couples dancing to the music.