The Human And The Satan

21.

What could be more embarrassing than having seven doctors assigned to look out for your cut? And the fact that every doctor was keenly interested in my injury, made it even more hilarious. I laughed softly, making Satan look at me with his fiery eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Is something funny, human?" He asked me, and I smiled at him.

"I hope you all know I just have a cut on two of my fingers. My fingers didn't fall off my hand. Why are seven doctors here?" I asked him, and the doctors sniggered beside us.

And one look from their King, and they had their eyes casted down. I wonder what made them fear him? Yes, he is intimidating. But until now, he has not given me a single reason to fear him. But then again, Satan was not the same as everyone.

"How many doctors will be appointed for the medical unit is not your decision to make, human. Now get on the examining desk and let the doctors make sure you're fine." Satan said, and I let out a sigh, mentally rolling my eyes.

And his eyes glared at me. He knew I rolled my eyes at him. So, I simply smirked at him. Ha! He can't do anything here, especially about something nobody witnessed. And the fire in his eyes only flared, amusing me. It was funny how I wanted to test his limits and patience. How I wanted to test a lot more things without the fear of consequences.

I mean, he had just hugged me. Because I was overthinking. And yet it made me feel like I had been gifted a stream to call mine. And the pride of messing with him just because he hugged me once was very brave of me. Very brave, indeed.

"It's not a very deep cut, Sire. Though it's still deep. Make sure Kyría doesn't put her hand in water for a few days. I am bandaging her cut for now." One of the blue-skinned doctors said, and I leaned back against the pillows as he started to disinfect my cut. It hurt like hell. Oh, the irony.

"My name is not Kyría. It is Leah Summers." I said after a few seconds of pause and all of them looked at me in amusement and rare curiosity. Like I was a lab rat for them.

"Human, Kyría means Madame. They were referring to you by a title. And they don't need to know your name. Your species is enough of a label for you." Satan said, shifting his attention back to me and I looked at him with shock-filled eyes.

"But I have a name, Satan. A name that holds as much importance as my species does. And Sirs, I would be more than grateful if you could simply call me by my name." I said, my voice rough and low and Satan's fingers clenched at my disobedience.

"Den tha anaféretai me to ónomá tis. I onomasía tis eínai polý pio páno apó esás." Satan's bold voice echoed in the room and all the doctors in the room flinched back from his sudden authoritative voice.

(She will not be referred to by her name. Her designation is way above than you)

I didn't blame them. I blanched back too. The power and authority he had in his aura, made my neck bare in submission. Like a wolf. Like an animal.

"Fysiká, Vasiliá." They said in unison, bowing their heads, and my eyes blinked in curiosity at what they were talking about. (Of course, King)

"Kyría, do you feel any major pain?" They asked me, trying to ease down their fear. And I knew he threatened them not to call me by my name. I let out a sigh, shaking my head.

"I am very fine. It's just a cut. Can I leave for my room now? I am sleepy." I said, and Satan looked at me for an entire minute. Like he does every time I say something. When he nodded his head, I jumped out of bed and got on my feet.

"Thank you for the treatment, doctors. What's the fee?" I asked them and their eyes widened at my question as they looked at Satan for help.

"Um, what fee, Kyría? There's no fee. We are employed under Sire. And he pays us. You don't have to pay us extra." One of them said, and I shook my head.

"But back on earth, doctors charge money for treatments. And when I have money, I should pay you. It's wrong to render a service with no payment at all. Please tell me how many coins I should pay? Because I have no idea of gold coins. We used to trade in currency in my country." I said, and before they could've said anything, Satan decided to speak, as always.

"And this is not your country, human. Medical facilities are free here. You don't pay for your treatment here." He said, making it clear to me that he was done talking about this topic here. I so badly wanted to roll my eyes at his words, but I decided against it. I smiled at him instead.

"Oh. Thank you so much for the treatment. I'll retire for my day now." I said, all set to sleep. I was feeling too sleepy, anyway. But then I was stopped yet again.

"Wait, human. You still have not had your breakfast. I'll have Ajax come here in fifteen minutes. Why don't you munch on fruit till he comes and cooks for you?" He asked me, and I turned around to look at him.

"Or I can simply eat after waking up. Why trouble Sir Ajax for such petty things?"

"It's not a problem when it's his job. When he gets paid for this, human," Satan said, and I let out a sigh. Anyways, I was a little hungry. And I also needed to wash the blood off his kitchen counter and his carpet too.

"No, you don't." He said, reading my mind, and I clenched my eyes shut, walking out the room without a word.

.....

"This is utter bullshit! None of these books have ways to block your thoughts from Satan, from you!" I said, frustrated enough to tug on my hair. I wanted to rip my hair off my scalp and when I let my fingers do the honors, he wrapped his fingers on his wrist and pried my hands off my scalp gently.

Satan kept surprising me.

When he decided to hug me the other day, I knew it was because I had reached the place where pulling me back from my self-destructive thoughts was important. And no matter what people on earth look at him as, or think of him as, he is not even one percent of how they portray him. He is kind to souls who are kind.

But when he held my wrists to stop me from pulling my hair, which I would not have done at all, the emotions I felt that day when he hugged me returned wildly. My eyes shifted to the creature sitting in front of me, dressed in one of his cloaks.

At this point of my life, everything that was happening to me sounded so fictional. Chanting some spells to lure Satan. And I even lured him by one night of chanting when my Aunt had been trying to lure him for years. Then I got stuck in hell, with Satan as my personal caretaker. I made demons as my friends. And a particular one as my bestie— Sir Ajax. Then the ruler of hell, the one everyone fears, hugged me because I was feeling low. And now he was holding my hands because I thought of pulling out of my hair.

"Why do you get riled up so easily, human? Research is not that easy. If it had been, everyone would have been here, on my throne. But they are not, are they?" He asked me and I went quiet. Because he was being ridiculously true. I let out a sigh, leaning back against the wall.

"But it shouldn't be this tough either. Research is meant to interest people. Not to demotivate them. Plus it's tiring. First translate the book into my language and then try to understand it. Why can't you just directly teach me?" I asked him, and he loosened his cloak around his waist, enough to let his cloak hang to his side like a coat. The only difference was that he had no shirt underneath.

I shook my head and focused on the ceiling of his room. Everything about his room was beautiful. Especially his bed. He had a damn bed to sleep on. And here, I slept on the floor. It made my back hurt.

"It is interesting, human. This book explains how supernaturals connect with humans. It shows how relationships between them work. You can read stories of humans and supernaturals being friends, helping each other at times. If you need to learn how to block your thoughts, you need to understand how communication between supernatural creatures and humans works." He said, as if talking to a child, and I looked away from him, embarrassed.

"So, if I asked you a question to find out how communication between a supernatural creature and humans works, would you answer me?" I asked him, and he looked at me for a long time before nodding his head. Almost reluctantly. Like he regretted mentioning his previous few words.

"Ask."

"Why did you hug me the other day?" I asked him, and he raised his eyebrows at me and I mentally facepalmed. Way to sound desperate, Leah, way to sound desperate.

"To help you out?" Was his answer. But it merely came out as a question. I shook my head, licking my lips as they felt dry.

"Why? You could've simply refused to acknowledge my pain. But instead of doing that, you hugged me. You held me until I calmed down. Why?" I asked him and he sucked in a breath. As if my question wasn't what he had expected me to ask. But nothing was unexpected for him. Satan knows everything before it happens.

"Because you are under my care, human. I know it's tough to live in a realm which isn't yours. To live in between creatures that are more dangerous than your kind. I know it's difficult to live in a world where you don't have anyone to call yours. The psychologist told me a little bit of comfort is what you need. And it's my responsibility to make sure you have what you need. I am not promising you luxury, human. I am just promising to give you what it needs for you to stay alive here. And if comfort is that thing, I'll give it to you."

His eyes were on me all this time. As he spoke, he looked at me to make sure I understood that he meant every single word he was saying. And I never felt anyone coming this close to me without moving their feet. His words made him stand so close to me, nobody has ever dared to come. He came this close to me. Just by his words.

"But what if you send me back on earth? I'll still need comfort. What will you do then?" I asked him softly and he looked at me, his eyes swirled with so many emotions in that one moment that I had to blink back.

"Your need to survive is my concern as long as you're in hell. The moment you step back into mortal land, your karma will decide your fate. And after your death, if your karma pushes you into the walls of hell, everything will change. Basilia will no longer be your friend. Ajax won't cook for you. And I..... I won't be comforting you." His words came out slowly, low and I pressed my lips together, my heart beating inside my ribcage loudly.

"So you're comforting this merely out of responsibility?" I asked him and he looked at me for a long time. The fire in his eyes flared.

"Yes. Just out of my responsibility." He responded. And what a liar he was.