Part six:The wrong devil
1945 Words
EVELYN'S POV
I woke up to the sound of laughter.
My own laughter.
It was strange.
I didn't remember laughing.
I opened my eyes slowly.
The room was dark.
Not normal dark.
The kind of darkness that seemed to stretch forever.
There were no walls.
No ceiling.
No floor.
Just an endless black space.
And then I saw him.
Lucian.
He stood a few feet away from me, watching me with that familiar expression on his face.
Cold.
Calm.
Amused.
I immediately sat up.
"Of course."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Good morning to you too, sweetheart."
I froze.
My eyes narrowed.
"Did you just call me sweetheart?"
He smiled.
"Would you prefer darling?"
"No."
"Love?"
"Absolutely not."
"Pity."
I stared at him.
Something about him felt different.
I couldn't explain what.
He looked exactly like Lucian.
The same dark hair.
The same sharp features.
The same terrifying eyes.
But there was something different about the way he was looking at me.
Lucian always looked at me like I was something he was trying to understand.
This version of him looked like he already understood me.
And worse...
He seemed to be enjoying himself.
I slowly stood.
"Where are my friends?"
"Good morning to you too."
"I already said good morning."
"No, you said 'of course.'"
"Because you're here."
He smiled.
"I'm touched."
"You kidn*pped me."
"Yes."
"You trapped my friends in rooms."
"Yes."
"You locked me inside one too."
"Yes."
"And you're touched?"
"Deeply."
I stared at him.
"You are impossible."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I accept it anyway."
I looked around the room.
"Where are my friends?"
"Still inside their rooms."
My stomach tightened.
"You said we would all be together."
"Did I?"
"Yes."
He thought for a moment.
"Then I must have been feeling unusually generous."
I glared at him.
"You're enjoying this."
"Very much."
I took a step toward him.
"Let them go."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to."
I stared at him.
"That's your reason?"
"It's a very good reason."
"No, it isn't."
He tilted his head.
"It's honest."
I hated that I didn't have an answer to that.
I looked away.
I was still trapped.
My friends were still trapped.
And the Devil was standing in front of me, smiling as if this were some sort of game.
I hated him.
I hated Hell.
I hated that I was beginning to understand his sense of humor.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
I looked back at him.
"Like what?"
"Like you're about to say something rude."
"I was."
He smiled.
"At least you're honest."
"Don't act like you appreciate honesty."
"I appreciate many things."
"Name one."
He pretended to think.
"Me."
I stared at him.
He smiled.
I sighed.
"You're so annoying."
"Only with people I like."
I blinked.
"What?"
He smiled.
"Nothing."
"No. You said-"
"I said nothing, love."
I stared at him.
"Stop calling me that."
"Of course, sweetheart."
I closed my eyes.
"I am going to hit you."
"Violence already?"
"You deserve it."
"Most people say that after knowing me for at least ten minutes."
"I've known you long enough."
"Have you?"
There was something strange in the way he said it.
I opened my eyes.
He was still smiling.
I shook off the feeling.
"Why are you here?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"I'm always here."
"No. Why are you in my room?"
"Maybe I missed you."
I stared at him.
"You kidn*pped me."
"Yes."
"You put me in a prison."
"Yes."
"You tortured me."
"Technically, the room did that."
"You created the room!"
"Details."
"And now you missed me?"
He nodded.
"It has been a difficult few hours."
I stared at him.
Then, despite myself, I laughed.
Only for a second.
But he noticed.
His smile widened.
I immediately stopped.
"What?"
"You laughed."
"I did not."
"You did."
"No."
"I heard you."
"Then you need better hearing."
He took a step closer.
"You should laugh more."
"You should talk less."
"That's never going to happen."
"I figured."
He smiled.
I hated that smile.
Then-
BANG!
The sound echoed through the darkness.
I froze.
The entire room shook.
The man in front of me turned toward the sound.
I stared at him.
"What was that?"
He looked completely calm.
"Nothing."
BANG!
This time, the room shook harder.
I took a step backward.
"That wasn't nothing!"
He shrugged.
"Perhaps the room is settling."
"The room is not settling!"
Another bang echoed through the darkness.
Then a voice thundered from somewhere beyond the room.
"OPEN UP!"
My blood turned cold.
I stared into the darkness.
The man beside me looked toward the sound.
I slowly turned to him.
"What was that?"
He looked at me.
"What was what?"
I stared at him.
"You heard that."
"I did."
"There is someone outside."
"Yes."
My heart began to pound.
"Who?"
He smiled.
"I'm not sure."
Another bang shook the room.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
I flinched.
The voice was deep.
Angry.
Terrifying.
The man standing beside me continued to look completely calm.
I stared at him.
"There is someone outside."
"Yes."
"Who?"
He tilted his head.
"Perhaps someone who wants to come inside."
I stared at him.
"That's not funny."
"I thought it was."
Another violent impact shook the room.
I nearly fell.
The man reached out and caught my arm.
"Careful, sweetheart."
I immediately pulled away.
"Don't call me that!"
He smiled.
"You keep saying that."
"Because you keep doing it!"
"Perhaps I enjoy annoying you."
"Clearly!"
"Then perhaps I should do it more."
"Don't."
"Sweetheart."
I glared at him.
He smiled.
I hated him.
I hated him so much.
From beyond the darkness came another voice.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
I froze.
The man beside me didn't move.
I stared into the darkness.
Then slowly looked at him.
"Who is that?"
He shrugged.
"Someone angry."
"Why are they angry?"
"Perhaps they didn't get what they wanted."
"Who is it?"
He smiled.
"Would you like me to find out?"
"You're not going anywhere."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't trust you."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"I'm hurt."
"You're the Devil."
"That's no reason to be rude."
I stared at him.
"Are you serious?"
"Not usually."
I heard another bang.
This time, the darkness cracked.
A thin line of light appeared in the distance.
I jumped back.
The man beside me looked at the c***k.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I saw it.
He looked concerned.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You don't look like nothing."
"That's a very strange thing to say."
"You know what I mean."
He looked at me.
"Do I?"
I ignored him.
I turned toward the c***k.
"Whoever is out there is trying to get inside."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Perhaps they want to see me."
"Why would anyone want to see you?"
He looked offended.
"I'm very popular."
"You're hated."
"That's still attention."
I stared at him.
"You're ridiculous."
"Thank you."
"Stop saying thank you when I insult you!"
"Why?"
"Because I am insulting you!"
"I know."
I sighed.
Another bang shook the room.
The voice outside became louder.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
The man beside me looked toward the darkness.
I watched him carefully.
"Why aren't you worried?"
"Should I be?"
"There is someone trying to break into the room."
"Perhaps they'll get tired."
"Who is trying to break in?"
He shrugged.
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
He looked at me.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"How can you tell?"
"Because you keep smiling."
He smiled wider.
"Perhaps I have a pleasant personality."
"You don't."
"That's unfortunate."
I folded my arms.
"You know who is outside."
He said nothing.
I took a step closer.
"Who is it?"
He smiled.
"Why are you so curious?"
"Because I'm trapped in a room with you and someone outside is trying to break in!"
"That's fair."
"Who is it?"
He looked toward the darkness.
"Someone unpleasant."
I stared at him.
"More unpleasant than you?"
He looked at me.
"I doubt it."
I almost laughed.
I stopped myself.
He noticed.
"You almost laughed again."
"I did not."
"You did."
"You're imagining things."
"I'm very observant."
"Or very annoying."
"Both can be true."
I shook my head.
Then another bang echoed through the room.
The voice outside shouted again.
"OPEN UP!"
I flinched.
I turned toward the man beside me.
"Why doesn't he just come inside?"
He stared at me.
For the first time, he didn't immediately have a sarcastic answer.
"Perhaps he can't."
I frowned.
"What?"
"Perhaps he can't come inside."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Maybe the door is locked."
"By who?"
He smiled.
"Maybe the room doesn't like him."
"That makes no sense."
"Hell rarely does."
I stared at him.
"You know why he can't enter."
He looked at me.
"Do I?"
"Yes."
"That's a very confident accusation."
"Because you keep acting like you know something."
"Perhaps I do."
"Then tell me."
"Why?"
"Because I asked."
He smiled.
"That is adorable."
I glared at him.
"Don't call me adorable."
"Beautiful?"
"No."
"Gorgeous?"
"Definitely not."
"Stunning?"
I stared at him.
"Are you trying to annoy me?"
"Trying?"
I groaned.
He laughed.
And suddenly, I felt something strange.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Something familiar.
I looked at him again.
He looked exactly like Lucian.
But the way he laughed was different.
The way he smiled was different.
The way he looked at me was different.
I couldn't explain it.
I took a step closer.
He watched me.
"What?"
"Why are you acting strange?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Strange?"
"Yes."
"I'm a demon."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"It answers most questions."
I folded my arms.
"You're acting different."
"Different from what?"
"From Lucian."
His smile paused.
Only for a second.
Then it returned.
"Perhaps he has been hiding his charming side."
I looked toward the darkness.
"Lucian?"
The voice outside answered immediately.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
I froze.
The man beside me froze too.
I slowly turned toward him.
Then toward the darkness.
Then back at him.
My heart began to pound.
The voice outside shouted again.
"OPEN UP!"
I stared at the man standing in front of me.
He was wearing Lucian's face.
The exact same face.
The same eyes.
The same voice.
But suddenly, something felt very wrong.
"Lucian..."
He looked at me.
"Yes, love?"
I froze.
I had heard that word before.
Too many times.
I slowly looked toward the darkness.
The real Lucian was still outside.
Still trying to break into the room.
Still shouting for the door to open.
I turned back toward the man standing in front of me.
"You..."
He tilted his head.
"Yes?"
"You're not Lucian."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then his smile slowly widened.
"No."
My heart began to pound.
The face in front of me began to change.
Lucian's features shifted.
His dark hair changed.
His eyes remained dark.
But the face was no longer Lucian's.
The man standing before me looked almost like him.
But not quite.
Same sharp features.
Same dangerous eyes.
A completely different smile.
More arrogant.
More amused.
More dangerous.
I took a step backward.
"Who are you?"
He looked at me as if he had been waiting for me to ask.
Then he smiled.
"Finally, sweetheart."
I stared at him.
He took a step closer.
"Honestly, I was beginning to worry."
My heart pounded harder.
"Who are you?"
He tilted his head.
"Daemon."
Outside the room, Lucian's voice thundered through the darkness.
"OPEN THE DOOR!"
Daemon glanced toward the sound.
Then looked back at me.
His smile widened.
"Now, where were we, love?"
And for the first time, I understood.
I had never been speaking to Lucian.
Not once.
TO BE CONTINUED...
- Writer
