A Deal with the Devil

 

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Chapter One - Demons

Chapter One - Demons

 

Devil, demons and fallen angels—though they are different entities, they all mean one thing: evil. Now, why would people be so captivated with them? That’s because they are beautiful, attractive, sometimes even seductive beings. No one would want to be involved with them if they look dreadful, like most people would instinctively assume. They entice people, deceive them and then in the end, devour them.

They fall in three main categories, as mentioned, the devil, demons and the fallen ones or Grigori. There is only one Devil, the ultimate ruler of them all, the bringer of chaos and evil. The demons are his minions: they can be the Great Ones, archdemons that rule over many other legions of demons that belong to the Lesser Ones. The Grigori, obviously, used to be angels, who either sinned or disobeyed God, and therefore were thrown down towards Hell.

People generally despise them, are frightened by them and tend to put extra effort just to stay away from them. Little do they know that they lurk around us—it’s just that, there are other entities that protect us from them, basically because they are evil and they only mean us harm.

Also, people have known stories about how they ruin lives; how they do mischievous things, confusing humans and slowly rendering them mad. They might also have heard about the Faustian contract, a pact made by humans with demons, in which the demon grants his contractor’s wish in exchange for the human soul.

One might ask, just out of curiosity, or maybe just out of the blue, do they show or even have emotions? Of course they do. Other than hatred, jealousy, greed, lust and various others, they may as well feel joy, pity and love. Do people know about those who actually went far for a human’s sake? I believe not.

~O~O~O~O~ 

Satan, the demon of ire or wrath, tapped his fingers impatiently on the arm of his throne, looking somewhat annoyed, his pointed tail snapping back and forth. “Does the Faustian Department have something to report?”

Beelzebub, the demon of gluttony, looked at the demon with glinting red eyes, musing at his fiery red hair. “Satan, do you really think the Lesser Ones will take you seriously in that form?” He smirked, eyeing the older demon’s current childish appearance.

Without even moving, Satan had his tail lashing at the side of Beelzebub’s throne.

“Brothers.” Lucifer, the demon of pride, the leader of the Fallen Ones, sighed. “Satan, I do believe the reports you are expecting from the Department of Faustian Contracts has finally come.”

The elder demon looked down and eyed the two Great Ones below them. “You, two… what might you be here for?”

“Our Lords, the Master has found a probable contractor.”

Mammon, the demon of greed, raised his brows. “This should be interesting.”

Satan snorted. “Well, it should be.”

The dark entity moved around his office. He could feel this strong pull somewhere from above—something that was filled with rage. He licked his lips and smiled. This could be wonderful. Someone has finally fallen down the pits of hell.

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Chapter Two - When Humans Fall

Chapter Two - When Humans Fall

 

She hated being in the orphanage. She hated her fellow orphans. She hated every single bit of it. On the second thought, she loved the nuns. Okay, so maybe just a little bit.

She cursed, and stormed towards her room, with tears in the corner of her eyes. The moment she entered the door, she locked it behind her and pressed her back against it. She flung herself towards her bed and buried her face on the sheets to muffle her loud cries. “Who needs them anyway?! Who needs those damned people anyway!?” In a fit of rage, she rushed towards the table and threw the bible across the room, grabbed the old book she found in the attic of the orphanage and banged it on the desk.

With her arms and hands, she wiped the tears from her face and tried to calm herself. She had done it before, there’s no way she could fail. She gathered all the things she had managed to sneak into her room: a red candle, some smudge sticks, salt, incense, a few chosen herbs and some other materials she got from the nuns’ storage room.

She breathed deeply, trying to bring back those lessons she had read in that book: the meditation and relaxation techniques, and trying to erase all thoughts in her mind and concentrating her energy and attention on her wish. She lit the candle in front of her and then, with her pen, drew inscriptions and unfamiliar words on the paper and finally gathered the book in her arms and read a passage aloud. 

Satan chuckled-though it was more of a gurgle, if someone else heard it, than laughter. He had called the Chief Demon from the Faustian Department earlier, claiming that he should take this human as his contractor. “This should be better than the last one.” He paused. “Though that one is a little unnecessary, I should say she’s ready.”

“Do you mean her doing this spell is a cue?”

“Yes, perhaps, it is. I’ve been eyeing her to do this for a long time. I know she’d do it eventually. When all else fails, she’s going to rely on magic.”

“Magic. The taboo of all things rational.”

“Yes, yes, that one.” The Demon of Wrath waved his tail impatiently, nonchalantly making it fix the collar of his white button-up shirt for him. “And as you have said, this is your cue. Make her spell work. Make her spell your calling.”

The dark entity licked his lips and bowed, “Yes, My Lord.”

Lacey swallowed down her fear as an evilly gleaming dark violet light formed circles at the floor, drew an inverted star and wrote unfamiliar inscriptions. She never thought that her spell would work, and though that wasn’t the result she was expecting, she did feel quite proud.

She felt the humid air circling her, swaying with it the dust and dirt. She even had to shield her face with an arm to keep them from stinging her eyes all the while struggling to see clearly the silhouette that formed in the middle of it all.

The nuns will see this! She thought, alarmed.

No, they won’t. Something-or rather someone-spoke. She looked around, confused. The voice seemed to come from around the room. “I am right here.” It said once again and Lacey almost immediately darted her gaze towards the centre of the pentacle, and saw it: a dark being, with leathery wings spread across her room. Every part of it seemed to be covered with darkness, except for its maliciously glowing red eyes with slits for pupils.

The demon stared at the little, fourteen-year old human girl in front of him for a long time, quite confused. He couldn’t read her at all. She looked like she was devoid of all emotions. The fear he had sensed from her earlier suddenly vanished. The expression on her face was like a blank sheet of paper. Her double-coloured eyes were cold and she was staring back at him. On second thought, he was wrong, because as he continued to observe her more, he could see that she was filled with wrath. He could see inside of her the torrent of deliciously deep-seated ire coursing through her veins. Lord Satan would want to see this one. He thought but quickly took that back as he licked his lips. No, wait. On second thought, maybe I’d keep her for myself. After all... she’s going to be my contractor.

Lacey sighed and muttered. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The demon smiled. Ah, there’s that hint of fear right there again. “I do not necessarily have a name, human. Unless you form a contract with me, you can give me one.”

“A contract?”

“You do want to destroy them all, make them suffer, make them feel that this place is hell.”

He could see her smile but she quickly suppressed it. “Can you do it?”

“I can do anything.”

“Will you help me?” she finally showed him her smile. Sliding one hand down her long dark brown hair, she extended her arm towards him.

Grandly, the dark entity strode near her and knelt, taking her hand and kissing it, making her rapidly retrieve her hand back.

“I will help you, human.”

Getting his point, she let him kiss her hand, even though it hurt. Just then, there was a sharp pain that shot up her arm. She bit her lip and stifled the urge to cry out in pain.

It’s nearly done, human.

Wincing for the last time, she held her hand up to see what the thing had done to it.

I drank a little of your blood and transferred a little of mine to you. That way, I am bound to you as you are bound to me. It smirked. Well, she could tell it was smirking. Your wishes will all be my command, My Lady.

Now that’s what she’s waiting for. Ever since she came to the orphanage, ever since some of the orphans came, her life had been a total misery. She had, at first, sought advice from the nuns, and they, of course, told her to pray to God and wait for His answer.

Now, you don’t have to. The demon spoke in her head.

She shrugged. “I didn’t even pray anyway.”

It laughed. “Tomorrow, in the middle of the day, I shall come for you, and everything won’t have to be the same way as they used to be. You will be happy.”

Just as the demon was about to re-enter the pentacle to return to Hell, Lacey spoke, “Seth.”

It looked back, astonished. “What?”

“Your name,” she announced, grinning. “You will be called Seth.”

“Then Seth it is, My Lady.”

Lacey attended morning classes, as usual, but didn’t really pay attention to what Sister Iris was discussing. “You see here, class, when God created the world, he didn’t just create it for himself. He thought he could create someone to protect and nurture his creation. That’s when man first came.”

She looked around to find out if anyone was actually listening and was surprised to find quite a number of them. There was Zoe. Of course, she’d listen! Talk about being the top in class. There was Rachel, who was, as Lacey observed, only pretending to listen, just so she could show to her friends that she can be like the ‘perfect scorer’ Zoe. And then, there were Gwen and Rika - the girls she thought she could rely on as friends -Jessica, Jasmine and all those other ‘female perfectionists’.

“Class,” the nun put her chalk down and sat on her chair. Apparently, she noticed the tension growing inside the room. “If you have some problems, please, don’t be afraid to tell me. Surely, there’s something we can do-” The series of knocks on the door interrupted her. She glided across the room to see who it was and found her sister on the door. “What is it?”

“Sister Iris, Mother Superior is on her office right now, and she wants to call all of us in to welcome the new orphan.”

“Another one?” she gasped, and looked back at the children. “Class, I’m afraid we’ll have to dismiss class early. Go to your rooms for the time being and then at around ten-thirty, we will all have to work in the kitchen to welcome a new friend.”

Leaving a suddenly enthusiastic class on their own, both nuns scurried down the hallway towards the Mother Superior’s office. The last thing they both heard was Rachel hurrying in front of the class, “Guys, we need to do something for that kid! Guys, listen up!”

Sister Iris sighed. “How was he orphaned?”

“Both his parents died due to the plague.” Sister Aileen quietly answered.

Her older sister did the Sign of the Cross. “Oh, Lord, God, please bless the poor child.”

Sister Iris breathed deeply while her sister knocked, “Mother Superior? Mother Superior, we’re back.”

“Come in.” the old woman’s voice came, and while Sister Aileen closed the door behind her, Sister Iris greeted the Mother Superior and the priests that accompanied the new boy.

Sister Iris stared at the raven-haired child. His dark eyes showed no emotions at all, much like... Lacey? And she could tell that he was greatly traumatized by the sudden events in his life.

“His name is Seth.” The petite priest started. “He lost his family a few days ago and has no other relatives that would want to take care of him.”

“Father Abraham, where is he from?”

“Oh, he used to live in the same neighbourhood as the orphanage. I used to see him playing along the front of their house when he was still young. I used to pass by their place during Sundays.”

Looking around the office, with the two priests and the several other nuns present, the Mother Superior finally smiled. “Now that we’re complete, let’s go and introduce him to the children. I am sure they are eager to meet a new friend.”

Before leaving the room, Sister Iris held the old nun’s shoulder. “There is something I would want to discuss with you about, Mother.”

“It’s Lacey, isn’t it?”

“And the other children. At first I thought it was an ordinary misunderstanding, but things have gotten too far.”

“Who do you think is at fault?”

“I,” Sister Iris faltered. “I don’t want to accuse the any of the children.”

The Mother Superior smiled as reassurance. “No one’s at fault. Besides, they are children. We can fix this Sister Iris, just put your trust in the children. Most importantly, trust in Him. For now, we have to welcome Seth to his new family.”

All of them were present in the dining hall to welcome the new orphan. Like the nuns and priests had taught them for the past few years, they would all sing their welcoming song, cook a feast for the new kid and treat him well, so that he wouldn’t have to feel dejected.

But then, much to most of the children’s disdain, the moment the new child set his eyes on the girl with two-coloured eyes, he began to cling to her like she was some close relative of his.

Welcome, Seth. Lacey greeted, talking to him telepathically.

It’s a pleasure to be here and serve you, My Lady.

Sister Gemma, the youngest of the nuns, walked towards the little boy, surprised to see how hard he gripped Lacey’s skirt, and gently asked him his name and age. “I’m Seth Michaels. I’m eight.”

“Do you know Lacey?”

The boy shook his head but he did answer, “She looks like my big sister.”

The nun’s face softened. “You must miss her, don’t you?” she stood to reassure the other nuns that the child was fine. “Okay then, children, prayer positions, please. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” The priests led the prayer and the nuns guided each and every one of the children, getting them to sit on their respective chairs and reminding them to behave and set a good example for the newcomer. After that, they had a feast: they played games inside and outside the orphanage.

Once Lacey had done eating though, she stood and left, all the while ignoring everyone else, and trying to bear with Seth still clinging to her like a lost child. They sat on the floor, gazing at the view in front of them. Minutes had passed and finally Lacey spoke. “Michaels? What an unusual name.”

“It’s a spin-off from someone’s name some centuries ago. He was one of the people they used to accuse to be involved with demonic possessions.”

“What name was that?”

“Michaelis...” Seth mumbled, “Or something like that. He was an inquisitor and-”

He was interrupted by loud footsteps and some girls calling his name. “Seth! Seth, come on, honey. Don’t be with the witch!”

“They call you a witch?” he smirked.

“It’s an understatement, isn’t it?” Lacey smiled brightly at her little demon. “Shall you demonstrate to me what you can do?”

“Of course, it’s my pleasure, My Lady.”

 

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Chapter Three - Two Birds with One Stone

Chapter Three - Two Birds with One Stone

 

Seth was smiling like a little child who just got candy from his mother, Lacey saw that. He was actually waiting for her to command him something. She was thinking about it for some time. Now that she actually had the power to do something about those pitiful orphans, what would she do to them? Maybe I should’ve made a list? She even thought.

On serious matters My Lady, you can make me do anything to them.

“Break her leg.” She suddenly muttered. It just came out of nowhere.

“Why not just her neck, My Lady? You’re being too soft.” Seth laughed.

“Seth, patience.” Though I have to admit that’s one of the few things I don’t have.

I have to agree on that one, My Lady.

“This is just a test, a mere sample of what you can do for me. After this, maybe we could do much more than what they could imagine.”

You are really just a child, My Lady.

“Yes, yes I am.” She agreed, quite proudly. “Now, will you loosen your grip on my dress and get on with your duty.”

Seth did what his Lady had ordered and got into position... a position Lacey found quite disturbing at first, but surprisingly grew accustomed to it that she didn’t want the little demon to go away. He was sitting on the floor, as usual, but his back was against her side and was pretending to be asleep.

“Seth, there you are!” April’s voice ‘woke’ him up. He looked up to see two average fatty girls looming down towards him and grabbing him on the wrist to literally drag him away from Lacey. “Let’s go play somewhere else. Don’t let Lacey do boring things with you. You should be playing with us, right?”

Lacey looked up to see Violet nodding in fierce agreement at her best friend’s statement. Seth looked back innocently at his master as the two dragged him away. They’re going for the swing. She said to him.

The swing? He looked up in front to see the playground. He instantly got the idea as to what he was going to do.

The two girls let Seth go in first to let him play, but as soon as he reached the tenth count, April called in for a switch. “Madam Violet, you push.”

“Okay.”

Seth got it as his chance. As soon as April sat on the swing and Violet began pushing, he clapped, as though letting them believe he was enjoying their little game, using it as their distraction. He looked up at the tree’s branch where the swing was tied to. He grinned, and the branch snapped, sending April down on the ground with a painful thud and a painfully twisted ankle.

The demon looked back and smiled proudly at his master much like how a child would to his mother when he had accomplished something. April lay on the ground in a heap, crying in pain, calling again and again one of the nuns. Lacey stood near Seth and grasped his shoulders firmly. Well done.

Thank you, My Lady.

Apparently, the elders heard the child’s cries and headed out. Sister Gemma hurried over to April’s aid while Sister Aileen rushed to get the first aid kit from the clinic the moment she saw what the situation was. Sister Iris and Mother Superior stared in horror at the view in front of them: that branch wouldn’t just have broken like that. The children even had their times when two or three of them would sit on the swing at the same time. Mother Superior did the Sign of the Cross and prayed for the poor child’s health while Sister Iris laid her eyes on the other child in front of them. “Lacey, what were you doing all this time?”

“I just arrived, Sister Iris. I went to get some things from my room when they invited him to play and come back for Seth but when I returned, April was on the ground already.”

The priests helped Sister Gemma scoop up the girl and brought her to where Sister Aileen was waiting.

Both nuns sighed. Mother Superior led the other children back in the house, told them to proceed into their respective rooms and returned to where Sister Iris was. They looked at each other and crouched to reach the boy’s level. “For now, we don’t have extra rooms left. The orphanage has been full since last year.” Sister Iris told him soothingly. “But, since you told us Lacey looks like your sister, would you like to sleep in her room for the meantime?”

Seth gave the nun a big smile and went on to grip Lacey’s skirt once more. Taking that as a yes, the nuns let Lacey bring Seth’s luggage up to her room and then show the little demon her own piece of private space.

She ought to take the kid to her room anyway, even after he claimed her to be someone who looked like his ‘sister’, just because he was her personal demon friend. The nuns, innocent as they were, concluded that, as such a ‘young age’ of losing his sister, the boy must have missed her so much.

As they walked down the corridor, passing by closed doors and several playing children on the way, Seth noticed that some of the orphans were glaring at them, particularly at his contractor.

Seems like most of them hate you a lot. He spoke in her mind, which startled her a little. Whether it was his message or his sudden statement that startled her, he didn’t know, but it did amuse him a little bit.

So, you noticed, already? She answered, keeping her face straight. (On the side note, keeping it straight, blank and emotionless was something she had perfected for three years, just so no one would be able to read her feelings and even though everyone would gauge her patience to its limit or even try to make her angry and miserable, she would still look like she wasn’t affected.)

“Do you want me to do something about it?” Seth asked her as they entered her room.

Lacey stayed quiet as she locked the door. “Maybe sometime later, at dinnertime. I have something up in my mind that I would love to try out.”

~O~O~O~O~

“Why does Seth have to stay with her?” One of Zoe’s best friends, Betty, complained. Sister Iris had been wondering, and not really paying attention to the children’s grumbles, how tall the girl could be when she grows up, considering her height right then and there. She even thought she could ban the girl from eating enough sweets, or she’d have weight issues in the future. But then, the nun was brought back to reality when the child made such a statement: “He should have stayed with us or with Nathan or other of the boys but not with that witch!”

Sister Iris sighed heavily, not wanting to admit to herself that it was out of sheer frustration. “It was his choice, children, not mine or the other sisters. If Seth likes to stay with Lacey because he feels he is with his sibling then he has the right to.” She tried to explain in the calmest way possible. The children had all been telling her that Seth should be with them ever since she and the Mother Superior had agreed on letting him stay with Lacey instead. She then noticed how fiercely they tried to oppose the decision. “Children, please be honest with me, what is your problem with Lacey?”

“She’s different from us, Sister Iris!” Betty complained further. “She’s a witch!”

“She is an accursed being!” Nathan agreed vehemently.

The nun did the Sign of the Cross, gasping. “Children, where did you-how can you say that? Lacey is not a witch or an accursed being. She’s-”

“Why are you siding with her?” Nathan blurted. “You’re unfair, Sister! Let’s go, Betty, maybe the witch has put a spell on her. Let’s tell Sister Aileen instead.” He pouted, pulling the taller girl’s hand and dashing out the nun’s room.

Sister Iris thought of stopping them and trying to explain but her body told her not to. She plopped back her on her chair and looked outside the window. “Lord, God, please help the children see your Light.” Before she could continue, someone knocked at her door again. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Sister Iris, we need to talk.” Mother Superior’s voice came.

The younger nun offered the Mother a seat and asked, “What matter are we supposed to talk about, Mother?”

“I have heard some of the children talking about this ‘accursed being’, and I suppose you know of it.”

“I do but I still don’t like to say names. I was still hoping that this whole ‘accursed’ thing is only one of their games but as it turned out, I was horribly wrong. I tried asking them what’s wrong with her but all they said is that she’s-”

“Different. They say that she is not like the rest of them.”

“Mother, what is wrong with having two-coloured eyes? I mean, to me, she’s fine; she’s beautiful. What is wrong when you cannot be the one they expect you to be? I know Lacey is trying her best but she’s just fourteen years old, she cannot possibly live up to the other children’s expectations of her. Calling her ‘weird’ or ‘accursed’ just because she isn’t what they want her to be isn’t their right. I hate to say this, Mother, but I believe they just might destroy her will to live or continue on or-.”

“Calm down, Sister Iris, please.” the old nun caressed the other’s shoulder after realizing that Sister Iris couldn’t hold back her tears.

“How can I calm down, Mother? She’s defenceless against those insults and names.”

“She has God, remember? As long as you teach her the proper way to pray, and impose on her the belief that there is nothing impossible with God, that she can be happy if she just believed in Him, then she would be perfectly fine. I guarantee you that. I had been in her shoes once when I was young but I did survive because of my faith.”

“Oh, Mother Superior, you really know what to say at times like this.”

The old woman smiled brightly at her junior. “Now, come on, you don’t want the children to see those tears now, do you? Go on and call Lacey and Seth for dinner.”

“Yes, Mother Superior.”

~O~O~O~O~

Lacey paced her room quietly, trying to think what things she would do with a demon constantly around her. She stared at her surroundings like she had never stared at it before. It was the same room she’d had for the past six years: the same bed that was big enough for her liking, which she supposed could hold Seth too, a study table with drawers, topped with a lamp, a couple of books and writing materials, all in front of the bed, her big closet on the right side and two shelves right at the top of the table.

With Seth’s luggage suddenly squeezed in her little room, and Seth himself in with her, sitting idly on her bed like a real human, lazy, bratty child, all she could think of was: I guess it will just not be the same anymore.

“You could ask me to punish them all, My Lady. Or maybe we could get the hell out of this place.” Seth spoke, breaking her silence, standing right behind her and holding her shoulders.

Not looking back, Lacey asked, “How come, you can reach my shoulder all of a sudden?” His hands feel warm, almost like a human’s.

“I am a demon, remember? I can be whatever form.” Before Lacey could even turn her head back, Seth put his hand to cover her eyes. “But here’s the deal, My Lady: unless you are old enough, you are not allowed to see this form.” Well, whatever Seth’s form was behind her, she was sure she wouldn’t want to look at it until she was old enough, like he said. Or so she felt like it.

The girl smirked. “Fine, it’s a deal, then.”

Someone’s coming. Seth warned and swiftly resumed his child form.

Before someone could knock at her door, Lacey had it opened already. “Sister Iris?”

“It’s time for dinner, child. Come on, in with a straight line with the other children.”

Lacey turned around excitedly, “Seth, dinner!” It’s our chance.

“Coming, big sister!”

“He really does see you as a sister, doesn’t he?” Sister Iris smiled warmly at the approaching little kid. “I don’t blame him for it.”

“Me too, Sister, me too.” Lacey answered, clasping Seth’s tiny hand in hers. “See those kids right there?” she gestured at the three best friends descending down the stairs before them.

“What about them?”

“That’s Zoe, the one in the rightmost.” Sister Iris surprisingly inserted as she walked beside the two, looking at the tall girl in front.

“Oh, the one with the short hair and freckled face?” Seth innocently added.

And the nun actually found it charming of him. “Yes, yes.” She chuckled. “The tallest girl in the middle is Betty.”

“The fatty one.” He fired again.

“And that on the left is Nathan.” Sister Iris ended quietly.

It’s that one. Lacey finally identified their target. Let him fall down the stairs: horribly fall down the stairs.

Should we kill him?

No, not yet.

Seth looked at her all of sudden. Why?

I’ll tell you after dinner.

I understand, My Lady.

The moment those words were thought, Nathan, the boy who had started the whole ‘accursed being’ game, the one who had told everyone that she was a witch, the one who had been such a jerk he could have just fallen down the freaking stairs a long time ago, did fall horribly, much as Lacey had preferred it to be.

Sister Iris, rather than staring in horror, leaped into action and could have stopped the boy from tumbling down the stairs if only she had been four seconds faster. Several of the children who saw him fall either gasped or screamed or cried, depending on how much they had seen. His two best friends stood, paralyzed, gazing in fright at his slightly deformed body. Actually, he wasn’t actually that deformed, for some reasons that Lacey had to explain sometime later, but his legs were both twisted in an odd angle, twisted in such a way a human body couldn’t have possibly be. And yes, he was unconscious.

On where she stood, Lacey hugged little Seth, pretending to be covering him from such a gruesome sight, but as she faced away from the crowd that formed around the boy’s pathetic body, she smiled evilly, whispering in her little demon’s ear, “You did well, Seth... really, really well.”

“Thank you for the compliment, My Lady. It’s always a pleasure to be of your service.”

“Father Oliver, Father Oliver!” Sister Iris called frantically. The tall priest, along with Father Abraham, on the spur of the moment, almost looked like they flew across the room to bring the boy to the nearest hospital. Sisters Aileen and Iris accompanied the priests while Sister Gemma and the Mother Superior remained to comfort the children.

Sister Iris was frantic, yet she didn’t show that. “Maybe we should use the church’s carriage. If we move fast, he can still be saved.”

“Mother, will he be okay?” Zoe cried, wiping the tears away from her face, trying to keep herself from crying out loud.

The old nun embraced her and the other girl, “Of course, he’ll be fine. Come on, go back to your rooms and pray. Sister Gemma and I will just bring you food in your rooms.” She faced the younger nun, “Sister, get the children who saw the scene to their rooms. We can’t let them be traumatized by that incident. Order the other nuns to be by those children’s sides.”

“Yes, Mother Superior.”

“That turned out pretty nasty.” Lacey muttered, looking at how Seth swung his legs while sitting lazily on her bed. “What do you think? Will he die?”

“Are you concerned, My Lady?”

“No, of course not, why would I? I was just thinking: if he dies now, I wouldn’t have the chance to torture him. I want him to not walk again, what’s that called again-?”

“Be paralyzed?”

“Yes, like that. I want him to see all his friends suffering. I want him to beg for his life-”

“To tremble in fear and then at last, to say it himself that he wishes to die already.”

“Yes, exactly.”

“You, My Lady, are really just a child.”

She laughed. “I know.”

“Lacey, it is dinnertime.” Someone at the door called.

Seth, go open it.

The little demon obeyed and let the nun enter his master’s room. “We have soup tonight and some milk so both of you can grow faster.”

“Thank you, Sister Mary.”

“Don’t forget to pray before eating, okay?”

“I won’t forget, Sister.”

Yes, you won’t, will you? As soon as the nun had left, Seth smirked and glared at the food that had been served. “I don’t drink milk, My Lady, and I don’t necessarily eat.”

“You don’t?” she looked, and the demon shook his head. “Fine, suit yourself.”

“But I do drink wine.”

“We don’t have wine.”

“Yes, we have now.” Seth smiled, and much to the girl’s surprise, he had now, in his hand, a champagne glass with wine in it. “The milk was a little useless, you know. For me, at least.”

She stared at him for quite some time: and it’s not every day she would see an eight-year old child drinking wine. Of course, he was a demon, but still looked and sounded like a child and- and then it struck her. “Now that I’ve been thinking about it,” she smiled at the realization and its perfect timing. “I just realize that I had the best day of my life, and it’s not just that because you came...”

“It’s because we’ve downed two already and we still have more to bring down.” Seth corresponded to his master’s delight. “Well, then, let’s change your glass into something more appropriate to celebrate this occasion.”

“We’ll sure have lots of wonderful days to come.” Lacey raised her champagne glass full of milk. “I believe this is the start of a wonderful relationship, Seth. Cheers?”

“Indeed, My Lady, cheers.”

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Chapter Four - The Bespectacled Sorceress

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