Deals With the Devil

Date Night With A King

“Hello. My name is Bella, and I’ll be your server this evening. What can I get you to drink?” Bella asked, holding her pen and pad at the ready to get the order of the couple. The restaurant had very few customers, so she did not mind being extra kind to this couple that was clearly on their first date.

“I'll have a Coke, please,” Beth said without glancing at the menu.

“I’ll have the same,” Seth added sweetly. After Bella left, he turned to Beth. “What are you thinking of getting?”

“I don’t know. I’m used to good meat, so I think I will try the steak with loaded mashed potatoes and fresh green beans.”

“Mmm. Sounds good! I am having their famous fried frog legs. None of the cooks in the compound can make them even half as well!”

“I’ll give you some potatoes if you give me a frog leg,” Beth said with a pleading smile. “Please?”

Seth watched her pleading face for a moment before speaking with a smile. “You look kind of cute when you really want something.”

Beth snarled quietly. “Seth,” she warned.

“Okay, Wolfie! I’ll go with you on this one,” Seth said with a grin. “I can tell you’ve been living with the local werewolves.”

Beth froze. “How did you know about them?”

“The same way I know that Molly is a werewolf and you are a human. It’s in my blood to be able to tell.”

Bella came back, forcing Beth to remain quiet. After placing down their drinks and writing down the couple’s order, Bella left with a smile, promising to have their food out shortly. It was time for the game to start, but Seth began before Beth could get a single word out.

“I’ll start since you have already asked a personal question,” Seth said, leaning forward with his elbows resting on the table. “What is your full name?”

“Elizabeth Lykaios. What’s yours?”

“Seth; I don’t have a surname. Lykaios is not your true name. What is?”

Beth paused. “I haven’t told anyone this name for over five years now. That girl is dead, and Elizabeth Lykaios is my true name now. Now, what’s your real name? Seth isn’t the name of any typical King I’ve heard of.”

“I’m not your typical king, but you’re right. Seth isn’t my birth name. Nor is the name-” Seth paused, seeming to struggle to say the name. “-Abaddon. Don’t ask me or any member of my kingdom because we don’t remember it.”

“Abaddon,” Beth murmured, testing out the name.

“Please don’t say his name,” Seth muttered, sounding as if he was holding something back. Then he regained his composure. “What was your birth name? I won’t tell anyone without your permission.”

Beth gave him a soft, thank you smile. “Adira Gibson. Who is this second person whose name I can not say?”

“He’s the demon who possesses me, made me immortal, and crowned me King,” Seth replied simply as if it didn’t matter. Although it took a moment, he waited until Beth got over her surprise before continuing. “What’s your favorite color?”

“You go from telling me that demons exist and you are possessed by one to asking me what my favorite color is!” Beth exclaimed. At Seth’s nod, she rolled her eyes and answered his question. “It honestly depends, but I prefer a combination of red and black. Why do I intrigue you so much? And you can’t say that it’s because of my skill with my weapons.”

“In all honesty, it’s because of how unique you are. It’s unusual for a human to be living with a werewolf pack, let alone be adopted by who I assume to be the Alpha and Luna. And no girl I’ve ever dated is quite as enchanting as you.”

Before Beth could say a word, Seth spoke again. This time, his voice was deeper; much deeper. “You remind me of the boy. You’re able to make amazing bargains that are difficult for even me to pass up. And you have a spark that he has not quite noticed, but it is clear to me.”

“Seth?” Beth asked once he had finished. She reached forward to grab Seth’s hand, but she stopped when he slouched back.

“Sorry. It’s just a minor blackout. I get them from time to time,” Seth said with a smile. He frowned when he saw Beth’s horrified face. “Or not. He spoke to you, didn’t he? What did he say?”

Beth repeated what Abaddon has said slowly and carefully. She still couldn’t believe what she had heard. The only thing that told her everything she heard must be true was Seth’s reaction. He nodded along as she spoke, agreeing with her entirely.

“That sounds like what Abaddon would say. He would mention your uncanny deal making skills,” Seth said with a slight smile. Then he moved on. “My next question is: what is one of the skeletons in your closet?”

“Um…So, Molly and her father found me bleeding out in the forest, but I never told them how I ended up there. The truth is, a man tried to kill me, and that’s why I never want to go back to my human life just in case he finds me again. What is one of the skeletons in your closet?”

“I’ve had at least six first dates in the past five years, but almost all of the girls ran from me when they found out about him. I’m sure that’s why he took over for a moment.”

“I am so sorry, Seth,” Beth said, laying her hand on his. “But it’s a part of who you are.”

“It’s fine. I’m better off without them, but before you ask why, you have to answer my question first. How many dates have you been on in your life?”

“None.” Then, without skipping a beat, she asked her next question. “So, why are you better off without those girls?”

Before Seth could respond, Bella returned with their food. She set the plates down before them before leaving to serve another table. As promised, Beth slid a few bites of her food onto Seth’s plate in exchange for a frog leg. When Beth used her dominant, left hand to eat, Seth raised an eyebrow.

“Hey! You are immortal and possessed by a demon, so you don’t get to complain about me being left handed.”

Beth finished her meal a few minutes before Seth, even though she was savoring every bite. Although the steak was nowhere near as good as the meat she had been eating for the past five years, she truly enjoyed her meal. Excusing herself to the lady’s room, she headed toward the back of the restaurant. But she made a slight detour before returning to the table with a small sheet of paper in her hand.

“Even though I have been distracted by wonderful food, you never did answer my question,” Beth said as she sat back down.

Seth swallowed his last bite of food before speaking. “What was it again?”

“Why were you better off without those girls?”

“Because they never would have made a good Queen of Deals. None of them were very unique and almost all of them agreed to any deal that I came up with. Only one of them even made it to the second date, let alone the wedding ceremony. They all just rolled with the punches,” Seth said with a faint growl. “Why don’t you just roll with the punches?”

“I’ve run with the punches too many times, and it’s gotten me into messes that took me far too long to get out of,” Beth explained as simply as she could, swirling her straw around the little bit of Coke left in her glass. “What is the wedding ceremony? Is it similar to a traditional wedding?”

“Please let me tell her,” Seth whispered so faintly that Beth almost didn’t hear him.

“Abaddon,” Beth said firmly. “I want to make a deal with you.”

“Don’t! He will hold you to it…” Seth started to say before Abaddon took over.

“What is your deal, dearie?”

“You will let Seth explain the wedding ceremony to me, and I promise that I will reveal my biggest secret after the wedding.”

Abaddon considered her offer for only a second before replying. “It is a deal if you reveal this secret during the Vigil. But Seth is not allowed to tell you much about the Vigil; it is the Law”

“I agree to those terms.”

They shook hands. Then Seth slouched back in his seat, his eyes closing. When he came to, he gave Beth a look of defeat.

“You made a deal, didn’t you.”

“Yep! Now you can tell me all about the wedding ceremony.”

“Damn. I’ve never seen anyone make a deal with him that quickly,” Seth said after glancing at the watch on his wrist. “But back to the question. The wedding ceremony starts the same way any other wedding begins; the bride walks down the aisle to the groom, and the rings and vows are normal. Then things turn slightly different. The bride is expected to surprise the compound in some way.

“After a reception party, the bride and groom are escorted to the Marriage Room; a room that has been dedicated to the Vigil. They spend the next twenty-four hours together.” Seth glanced down at his hands. “There are only three possible endings for the Vigil. First, the bride is obviously strong enough and she is crowned Queen of Deals. Second, the bride is not strong enough and the compound removes her.”

“And the third option?” Beth prompted worriedly.

Seth sighed. “The compound is unsure, so the bride and groom are not allowed to be alone together for a month. Then the bride with either be crowned Queen or killed.”

“Huh. That seems a little dramatic, but it is the Law.”

“That is true, my dear. Now, what was your exact deal with Abaddon?”

Beth repeated what their deal was before asking what she decided would be the final question of the evening. “What are we doing next?”

“I was thinking about watching a movie,” Seth said, finishing his Coke. “Are you ready to go?”

Finishing her drink, Beth nodded. After Seth paid for the meal and left a good tip, all in cash, he led Beth out to the limo. But as Beth tried to get inside, she stumbled slightly. Seth caught her with a smirk and whispered in her ear.

“I think you just fell for me.”

“Nope! You fell for me and my trap,” Beth said, giving Seth a quick kiss on the tip of his nose. “That would be three pieces of lead.”

“I don’t think so, little one. That is not what I meant when I said a kiss.”

“You didn’t specify! A kiss is a kiss, whether it’s on the lips or not. So I will be getting three pieces of lead when we get home tonight!”

“Did you know that you can be a royal pain in the ass?”

“Yes, I do. Now, let’s go watch that movie.”