Trigger Warnings: Mentions of mental health

No. This can't be right. Even though I've been harboring my suspicions of Kyle ever since he arrived in my sister's life, I would have never expected him to be the type to have any sort of business with the devil himself.

“What… what do you mean?” I stammer.

“It is all very simple, really.” Lucifer shrugs. “The groom owes me. That bastard is very well aware of it, and he has been warned of the consequences if he chooses to diverge from the contract. And, well, since he refuses to listen, I'm paying him a very personal visit.” Lucifer raises an eyebrow.

“But what could he have possibly done? I mean, I knew there was something wrong about him, but not this…”

“That… is a very private matter, babygirl,” he says.

“Will you stop calling me babygirl?” I huff.

“Does it bother you?” He smirks.

“Yes it does.”

“Then I'll keep on doing it.” He glances around the apartment. “Now, since you're going to be my date, you will need the right attire to go with it. Do you –”

“No.” I finally manage to interrupt him instead.

“What?” His grin vanishes in a flash.

“I'm not going anywhere with you until you tell me what the fuck did Kyle do.”

“Like I said.” Lucifer's eyes darken as he growls. “That is a private matter, and not for you mere, pathetic mortal to know.”

“You made it my business when you decided that you need me as your date so you can blend in.” I stand my ground and return his stare.

He suddenly lunges at me and pushes me against the wall. I gasp as the air is knocked out of me, but I still remain firm. He punches his fist through the wall inches away from my face as bits of plaster fly into the air. A cloud of white dust surrounds us as his nostrils flare at me. His stormy gray eyes flash at me with the look of a true madman as a low, guttural sound emits from his throat.

“How dare you speak to me this way?” He snarls. “I can smash you into a bloody pulp of bones and flesh with a flick of my hand. Are you asking to die?”

“What if I am?” I ask as I keep my voice steady. “What if I do want to die because as far as my life is going, it holds no meaning? Like you said, I'm a paranoid woman with anxiety attacks who is so scared of speaking to humans that I resorted to summoning a fucking demon. I am pathetic. So go ahead. Kill me. Maybe I will have a better life in the Afterlife than the one I have.”

Confusion and shock flicker over his face. His cheek twitches as he darts his eyes across mine before the expression on his face softens a little.

“I believe each life has its own meaning,” he finally says, his voice still carrying a load of anger. “Especially yours.”

I scoff in disbelief. “Why do you think that?”

“You were right. I could have asked anyone else to be my date for the wedding and disguise myself as one of the relatives or friends. But you… there is something special about you. No regular person would create the perfect ritual on the first try, even if it was a scam, but you did. Look at you, so confident and sassy with entities, yet so timid with humans. You're something else, Alycia. You're more than any of these other mortals.”

I take a shuddering deep breath. No one has ever said that to me, not even my sister. She doesn't even know of my incident from two years ago, because I've managed to hide it from my entire family. And Lucifer is right. As much as it doesn't make the slightest sense at this point, I don't have a problem in communicating with demons or, in this case, the devil himself.

My problem was with humans.

“Plus,” Lucifer continues, “no one has ever dared to talk to me like that. Well…” he reflects for a few seconds. “Perhaps there are a couple of exceptions, however, all mortals are scared of me. And those who even slightly raised their voice at me… well, let's just say they were immediately disintegrated.”

“So what? I'm your first?” I ask.

“Oh no, I'm not a virgin,” he chuckles.

“That's not what I–”

“I know, I know. And yes, you are the first mortal who has ever spoken to me in that first way. You know why?”

“Why?” I whisper. My heart is thundering in my ears louder than a hundred drums. I wouldn't be surprised if Lucifer can hear me. After all, he is the devil. If he can read my thoughts, he can sense my emotions. And yet, even though my heart is panicking, my mind feels at ease. I'm not scared or terrified of the Prince of Hell.

When I should be really, really scared. The pee-in-your-pants type of fear.

He leans closer to me until his hot breath touches my face with the gentleness of a warm, summer breeze. He smells the opposite of what I had assumed the devil would. The delicious scents of red roses and wine reach my nostrils, and as it flows to my mind, I feel even more confident.

“You're one of a kind, and too priceless to be my next butchered victim. Beside, perhaps a challenge with a feisty thing such as yourself will prove to be a very good thing.”

“Maybe you're right,” I reply. “But like I said, I won't–”

“Yeah, I got that loud and clear.” He steps back, a rush of cool air replacing the former heat. He clears his throat as he rolls his shoulders and straightens his back. “Well… let's just say Kyle has had a few desperate moments of his own.”

“That's not en–”

“I'm not done, babygirl.” Lucifer places his finger against my lips. The touch brings a strangely pleasant scorching sensation, and he smirks when he notices. “Anyway, he signed a contract where it is clearly stated, in large, bloodied letters, that in return for accumulating a filthy amount of wealth, he was not to marry anyone, even his soulmate. Well, besides a female demon which he, of course, has refused to do. Anyway, that's the price he paid to be the rich Mr. CEO that he is today.”

“So by marrying my sister, he is breaking the contract…” I breathe.

“Precisely.” Lucifer claps his hands. “You are a quick learner!”

“Will my sister–”

“I do not intend to harm your sister or anyone other than Mr. CEO unless they step in the way.”

My mind starts to spin with the amount of information that has been dumped on me within the past ten minutes. At this point, I don't know what's happening anymore. First I actually attempted to do a ritual, summoned Lucifer instead of that stupid flower demon or whatever it was called, and now I find out that the man who is about to marry my sister made a blood deal with the devil?

“Well?” Lucifer interrupts my thoughts. “I know that you're wondering about what to do next, but while you were thinking, I was able to discover that you have absolutely nothing decent to wear for the wedding so we're going to need to do a little shopping. I don't need you embarrassing me by wearing a schoolteacher dress with sunflowers and pink color.” He shudders in disgust.

“Damn it, are you going to always interrupt me? And didn’t I ask you to not read my thoughts.” I finally snap at him.

“Are you going to continue being a sassy Chihuahua towards me?” Lucifer grins.

I scoff and roll my eyes before looking away and biting my lip in thought. A few seconds pass before I return my gaze to him.

“Fine. You can be my date for my sister's wedding. As long as you promise to not do anything drastic.”

“I promise,” Lucifer says. His grin spreads wider as his teeth glint at me, which do nothing to comfort my worries. “Now let's find you some good outfits with the right colors.”

“What classifies as the right colors for you?” I raise my eyebrows at him.

“Black. Or blood-red. Those are the only two colors I'm allowing you to wear to this wedding,” he says.

“You really are the devil, huh?” I grumble.

“Took you long enough to figure that out.” He grins. “Now enough dilly-dallying and let's get to work! Because you, babygirl, need a full makeover.”

Is going out with the Devil a good idea? Probably not. Am I scared? Yes. Will I go along with this incredibly risky thing? Absolutely.

After all, my schedule is pretty wide open. And so are my– whoops, I almost let it slip out.

I shake away the thoughts as I follow Lucifer to the door.

Word Count: 1503