Deal with the Devil

Field Trip

When I woke, I was once again in the plush bed I had grown familiar with. 

The gauzy curtains were pulled open to reveal Lucifer lounging next to the bed. He was positioned comfortably in a large arm chair, his wings no longer present. 

I sat up and met his smoldering gaze, no longer intimidated by him after the intimacy of our afternoon. “Do you ever sleep? Or is watching me enough to recharge?” I stretch out my arms, unsurprised to find myself in his infinite collection of slinky nightgowns. He didn’t answer my question but I saw his eyes heat at the way the thin fabric pulled across my chest. “I’d like my own room.” I figured now was as good a time as any to start making demands. “No.” Lucifer hadn’t even paused to think about it. 

“Why can’t I? Surely the castle had guest rooms and you cannot intend to keep me in your bed forever.” I had prepared a few more convincing points but Lucifer interrupted. “I certainly intend to keep you in my bed forever.” I huffed at his smirk. “You mean until the bond is broken of course. After that you are welcome to visit me in the Realm of the Dead. I am less certain Abaddon keeps bedrooms quite as luxurious as this but perhaps he can accommodate.” I smiled sweetly but Lucifer only grimaced.

 “Wren, what can you tell me about your family?” The fast change of subject startled me. It had been a long time since I had thought of my mother but I often thought of my father. With every demon I hunted down I wondered if they could be kin. I wondered if he was here now, in this realm. 

I chewed my lip while I debated what bits of me to share with Lucifer. Jace I would save for myself. I wouldn't darken his name with an association to me or any demon. “My mother was a high fae from the Unseelie Court. Her magic was stronger than most fairies.” I smiled fondly at her memory, my voice sounding very far away. “She was arranged to marry some High Lord’s son but she fell in love with someone else. They banished her from her realm and she lived on earth.” The story I told excluded Jace’s father and all the romance but he would get the gist. “ After the love of her life died, she told me a story of a drunken night with a demon man who was beautiful. She never knew his name, or if she did, she never told me. 

When I was born, she knew I carried a mix of demon and fae magic that could be deadly. She kept me hidden and taught me to bind my demon deep down so that it wouldn't seep out and poison me. She died defending me from demons that had tried to take me. I’ve spent every day since fighting them.” I thought of how my power ran free now, its own entity, incapable of being bound ever again. Except to Lucifer, apparently.

 I thought of all the good demons that lived and thrived in the city below the mountain, how if I had descended from anyone one of them I might be free to find my own place in the demon realm amongst them. 

But, what ran in my veins was darker, more sinister than even Lucifer could anticipate. 

 I felt him wipe the tear from my cheek that I hadn’t noticed escaped. “As long as you are in my realm, nothing will ever harm you. That is a promise.” I nodded in gratitude, too afraid my voice would betray me if I spoke.  “I think it’s time we pay a visit to the Fae Realm.” My stomach leapt at the thought. I had never visited the Fairy Realm, they were secretive beings with centuries of magic and knowledge hidden from the other realms. Maybe they had more answers for me. 

Mara entered the room a few hours after Lucifer had left to attend to more ‘business’. “So, I hear we are going on a little field trip to the Fae Realm.” The gleam in her eyes told me she had more on her agenda than finding out who bound me to the Devil. “Mara, how I acted yesterday…” I began to apologize for my behavior at the cafe but Mara raised her hands to stop me. “You don’t need to apologize to me Wren. It’s Lucifer who should be doing the apologizing. He should have known the bond was going to affect you like that.” I smiled half-heartedly at her knowing full well that neither of us would be hearing any sort of apology from Lucifer’s lips. 

“If it makes you feel better I heard he destroyed half of the Underworld in a temper tantrum while he was apart from you.” We both smiled at the thought of Lucifer in a temper tantrum but I shuddered at whatever power he unleashed. I reached out and squeezed her hand, happy to have her as my friend. “Now, tell me everything about the Fae Realm.” I begged. 

Mara spoke of her brief and only visit to the Unseelie Court when Lucifer discovered fairies responsible for capturing demons 300 years ago. I let her go on describing the meadows and dark magic and fairy wine of the realm why I couldn't process the idea of being alive for 300 years let alone much, much longer. Tales of Lucifer date back to the beginning of time. Before earth, even before the separation of the realms.