Hello! ❤️

Here's a Christmas Special for you! ❤️ It's not next chapter of my book, but it's related to the story. I thought that for Christmas I might write a memory of how demons spent Christmas once 😉

***

"I can't believe I let you guys talk me into this," said Wrath, looking at the Christmas decorations with disgust. He wanted to tear it all apart. That would be much bigger fun.

"Fifth time in a row." Pride gave him a kiss in the cheek and suddenly Wrath loved Christmas again.

"But I've got to admit, Wrath is right. I fucking hate Christmas." Lust sat in his favorite armchair and gazed at the Christmas tree. "Such a despicable human festivity. All the presents, happiness and fake smiles. It makes me sick just thinking about that. Remember that one Christmas when we slaughtered an entire family? It was like a criminal novel and a good thriller, two in one. Red everywhere, just perfect. You know how it is. Red is the color of Christmas, right?"

Envy and Greed chuckled at something they've whispered about.

"About your hate, Lusty." Envy sat beside him, on armrest. "We were just talking about how you sang a Christmas song while decorating the tree with Missy. It was like, what, an hour ago?"

Lust pointed his finger at her.

"Here, you said it yourself. I endure this torture only for Missy. Sweet Satan, we should unlearn her this stupid human love for Christmas." He sighed, thinking that in the past he would laugh hard if someone told him that he'll be decorating the house for Christmas.

"She's going to be a sweetheart with a father like you," said Greed jokingly.

"I don't curse in her presence." She went to the attic with Sloth and Gluttony to find some more old, useless decorations.

"No, you don't curse," admitted Greed with a mischievous smile on her face. "You only teach her how to manipulate people, to praise Satan, to use others' weak points and let's not forget how she learned the history of Hell thanks to you."

Lust smiled at that memory. She was a smart thirteen-year-old. So eager to acquire knowledge.

"See? I'm a perfect father. Do you think she bought me for Christmas this stupid, sweet cup with inscription about how awesome I am?"

"Honestly now I'm worried. I thought I had a great present for you, but I should have knitted you a sweater with the caption 'I think I'm the best... But I'm not.' Wouldn't it be right on point?" Pride laughed and Lust snapped his fingers, making the garland she just hung, fell on the floor. "Oh no, now you're going to hang it yourself."

"No, no more decorating!" Lust's face was seemingly unhappy. "Forgive me, Pride, can you do it?"

"What will I have in return?"

"My endless love."

She laughed.

"Couldn't you propose something I already don't have?"

"Honestly, stop being so sweet or I'm gonna have to disappear from here and kill some innocent soul to calm my nerves," Envy warned them. "By the way, our most hated daddy left Missy alone again. He went to drink with his buddies. I promise, if he's gonna bring them to our house, I'm gonna kill them painfully."

"And that would be a nice present for Christmas!" Wrath hoped that he'd get a chance to spill some blood before the end of the year.

"Can we play for which one of us gets to kill then?" asked Greed, but she already knew there were no bets. The first one to do it was the winner.

"Shh, guys, she's coming back!" Envy warned them, lurking around the corner of the room.

"Look what I've found!" Missy ran into the room with small figures of beheaded saints.

The other demons looked at the Lust.

"This one's on me," said Sloth and took his favorite spot on the couch. "We had some fun last Christmas with Missy, I thought she got rid of these figures after that."

"She indeed is learning quickly," laughed Greed.

"Are we ready?" Missy clapped her hands. Absence of her biological father on Christmas Day was nothing for her. She hated that man and she was happy while he was gone. "Whoa!" Her eyes got bigger as she noticed that under the Christmas tree there were waiting presents for her. They weren't there when she went to the attic.

Demons had their ways to create and materialize things. They haven't used it much, usually just to change their looks or for fun. Besides, the origins of creating things were hellish. For Missy they weren't dangerous. For strangers? Of course they were.

"You were naughty enough to earn yourself a lot of presents," said Greed. She kneeled beside Missy and corrected the blue ribbon on her hair.

The girl leaned to her as if she was about to unfold a secret.

"Lust said he'll teach me how to properly use a knife next time in our lessons." Greed became pale, but Missy just laughed. "I was just joking. We had a bid on your reaction. I won." She smiled with satisfaction. "Don't worry, I'm naughty sometimes, but not murderous."

"Growing up with demons will have effects on her in the future, you're aware of that, right?" asked Gluttony.

They weren't good and Missy took them as an authority and she followed their example. With that they could even grow themselves a murderer even though they were trying to be careful with teaching Missy. Except Lust. He just had his own way of dealing with her and somehow she would listen to him no matter what.

"Uncle Gluttony, maybe we should start our Christmas dinner already?"

"Okay, she's just too perfect," he laughed, hugging Missy. "Don't you want your presents first?"

"Yeah, I do, but..."

She ran up to Sloth, who was napping. He woke up, when she kneeled and pulled out a big bag, which was laying under the couch. The first present, wrapped in the Christmas paper, she gave to Sloth, who didn't know how to react.

"That's for me?"

He never got anything for Christmas, except for Missy's drawings in previous years.

"Open up," she said and ran to the Wrath.

He was slightly abashed. He wasn't good with children, but Missy was an exception. Even he liked her.

"A pillow!" Sloth yelled and he instantly tried up his new present. "Lovely."

"Yeah, that's... Nice." Wrath opened up his present carefully. "That's... What kind of plant is that?"

"I've heard some people talk about its calming and relaxing abilities, but I don't know how it works." She shrugged, leaving Wrath to discover this mystery for himself.

Pride came closer and leaned, smelling the plant. At once she started laughing.

"That's marihuana, my dear. Where and how have you got it?"

"I took it from Jeremiah." That was her biological father's name.

Pride caught Wrath's arm and she whispered to his ear, "tonight we're gonna see if the demons can get high."

Her lovely voice made Wrath feel the way he would never reveal, but Pride just looked down and smiled, knowing everything already. She took her present from Missy. It was a mirror. How perfectly sweet. Now she can admire herself whenever she goes.

Greed got a necklace. It was some cheap jewelry from a poor stall, but it looked quite nice anyway. For Envy Missy made a friendship bracelet and for Gluttony she bought some cooking tools. Surely, the only way to pay for all of it must have been by stealing something more from her biological father than just marihuana.

She left Lust to be the last one. With a big smile on her face, she gave him the present.

"Maybe you'll go first?" He sat her on his knees and handed a small box.

"Together," she proposed with clearly visible childish blushes.

"Together then." He opened up and looked at a fat book with sadness in his eyes, because he knew what Missy was trying to do.

'How to break demonic curses,' the title said.

"Lady in the antique shop said it's original."

Naively sweet, but it was neither original nor helpful. The thing that kept them in the house wasn't a curse.

"I love it," he said and kissed her in the forehead. "But I see you tricked me. Open up yours."

She got excited again and slowly unpacked the box. Inside was a beautiful blue heart necklace.

"It's perfect for my dress and ribbon!"

Lust helped her wear it and she ran to show it to Greed. For her this necklace was better than anything Greed had.

Pride came to Lust and looked at the book.

"One day she'll have to learn the truth. And accept it."

Lust smirked with bitterness.

"The truth that we're too dangerous for the outside world and for Hell, so we have been put here?"

Pride placed her hand on his arm.

"It was part of our choice too. We can return to Hell whenever we want."

"And take back what's ours?"

"In my opinion it's awfully boring there."

On Earth's surface they could at least entertain themselves with humans. In Hell there were only demons and souls of people who already died.

"It is. That's why we decided to stay here. But maybe it's time to guarantee ourselves more freedom? Wouldn't you like to see other parts of the world?"

"One day." She blinked. "Let's not start the war for now, shall we?"

He chuckled. Like anybody could go for a war against Satan. Even for them it would be stupidity.

"Let's dance!" called Missy and Greed turned the music on.

"Save one dance for me at the end," insisted Lust. Missy sent him a kiss, while trying to make Sloth get up. "I'll be right back," he said to Pride and went to the kitchen for Missy's favorite dessert.

He stopped and looked around with confusion. There was blood on the floor and walls, but he didn't recall killing anybody today.

And so there was only one explanation, even if it seemed impossible.

"Trinonthar, I know it's you. No more games, mind you?" The room came back to its real shape. Demons of deception, they were just so annoying. "But you're not Trinonthar," said Lust, when a tall and pale man appeared in front of him.

He slightly bowed.

"I'm Trinonthar's messenger, Argrimoth."

Lust rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever your name is. What brings you to our house? Death wish maybe? I've killed plenty of demons. Not nearly as fun as killing humans, but I won't be fussy."

"I have a message from Trinonthar. As his representative and most trusted friend, I'm here to tell you that all Hell is laughing at your actions. Seven deadly demons taking a child for their protection? You had your fun for nearly six years, but the time has come to stop that unholy and disgustful precedent. All of you are bringing us shame."

Lust was unmoved. With the overwhelming calmness, he leaned on the table.

"We'll do whatever we please. I haven't heard any remarks from Satan, only from some insignificant representative of a minor demon, whose opinion means nothing to us."

"Trinonthar suspected that answer. I'm here to tell you that there will be consequences. A human child cannot become a demon's child."

Any sign of anger would be thousand times better than the indifference Lust was showing. He knew how it affected others. Inside he felt a lot. Outside? He was calm as one could be.

"Are you threatening us?"

Argrimoth swallowed. Tiny drops of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"I'm just delivering the message."

Lust looked at the cake that Gluttony made for Missy. Strawberry chocolate. Her favorite.

"I have a message for Trinonthar too." He caught a knife that was laying beside the cake and violently stabbed Argrimoth in his stomach. Dark blood flooded his body, while Lust placed hand on his arm and thrust him deeper. "Don't worry, you'll live long enough just to get my message to Trinonthar," he whispered into his ear.

Argrimoth dissolved into thin air, leaving a bloody knife on the floor. Lust peacefully picked it up  and washed it under water. There were more than a few drops of blood on the tiles. Kitchen towels and water did the trick, leaving the floor reasonably clean. Dirty towels and the knife landed in the garbage can, under tons of wiping paper to cover it up.

Lust took out a brand new knife from the kitchen shelf and picked up the cake for Missy. Stepping back into the living room he smiled at the image of thirteen-year-old dancing with awkwardly moving Wrath. She noticed Lust right away and opened her eyes wider at the view of such delicious cake.

In the accompaniment of the music, Lust turned around and placed the cake on the table.

"Merry Christmas," he said as Missy hugged him with the sweetest smile he has ever seen.

***

Merry Christmas to you too! ❤️

A lot of health in this strange period, cheerfulness and joy at the family table, love, gifts and happy memories, prosperity and sweetness, peace, rest and chillout from studies and work, as well as everything that is the best and most enjoyable at Christmas! ❤️❤️❤️

- Caroline ❤️