Authors note: A great song to listen to before or during your reading of this chapter is "The Devil Inside" by Daniel Murphy
"I need to make a deal with the Devil."
The young blonde stood next to the chaise longue across from Lucifer as the music pounded through the club. Despite the several buxom ladies he had seated around him on the couch, the blondes statement caught his attention and his eyes locked onto hers.
"Oh my, well I do love a good deal. Ladies would you mind excusing us for a moment?" The women around him drifted off into the crowd as Lucifer leaned back and assessed the woman in front of him. He motioned for her to take a seat then steepled his fingers. Nothing truly spectacular, she appeared to be in her early twenties, blonde hair that hung down around her face and drifted past her shoulders, dark blue and tired eyes and dressed in a business casual pantsuit. She almost reminded him of another blue eyed blonde he knew… a glint of gold at her throat caught his attention, a simple gold cross hung around her neck. 'Interesting.' Lucifer thought he also caught the quick scent of smoke and mesquite, a little bit like a summer camp fire. It almost reminded him of home. Not quite brimstone, but that smoldering, burning odor that permeated the air.
The woman in turn regarded Lucifer as he stretched his arms out on the back of the couch. So this was the man who claimed to be the devil. She didn't know quite what she had expected. But deep down, she knew this was him. His aura oozed something otherworldly.
"Don't you know my dad frowns upon his followers making deals with his evil son? Some even say making a deal with me damns your soul." He questioned her, indicating with his eyes to her necklace. Her hand raised and covered the small gold cross. "Its a sacrifice I'm willing to make." She lowered her hand. "You must be quite desperate then…" He trailed off and raised his eyebrows. "Grace, my name is Grace." She responded to his implied question. "Hmm, the irony! Well then, tell me Grace, what is it you desire?"
"I want to trade a life for a life. Soul for a soul." Lucifer's eyes widened in surprise briefly before he leaned forward and clapped his hands, smiling at her. "I see, what is it? A man done you wrong, perhaps some revenge for a lover cheating or leaving you. Whatever it is, the details must be juicy. Do spill." Grace pursed her lips and Lucifer got the feeling she was attempting to refrain from rolling her eyes. How curious.
"Hm, it does involve a man, a boy really, but not quite in the sense you're thinking. Do you want to make a deal or not?"
"Right down to business aren't we? No chit chat or building up the ante. Straight to the point, I'm not sure if I'm disappointed in the lack of details or enticed by your persistence." He leaned back and crossed his legs, clasping his hands in his lap. "You do realize what making this deal would mean? Your soul becomes mine. To claim any time I feel like it, till the day you naturally die and then I claim it regardless. I could come for it tomorrow. Its mine for eternity. To burn in the flames of Hell if I so desire. Torture. Maiming. Lots of brimstone yada yada yada, you catch my drift."
"I understand the weight of my choice. My childhood was rooted in a Biblical education. But I figure I can keep praying for him, that maybe he will live to an old age and that his heart will heal and his life belongs to God, or maybe not. Or I can guarantee you a life. The choice is yours." She shrugged. "Oh, a Catholic school girl? You naughty little thing." Lucifer practically purred before his voice became heavier. "How do you know Dad hasn't already 'healed his heart' and your soul isn't damned for a wasted cause." She hesitated, taken back by his sudden change in tone. "I don't. But I prefer to stick with guarantees. There are few things in life that are sure things, but I figure death is one of them. I'd rather die knowing it was worth saving another."
"How cliché." Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Seems to me that you've already forgiven him and moved on, why do you care what happens to his soul? Seems like you have nothing to gain here and everything to lose."
"Some things are worth it." She sighed before holding her hand out towards Lucifer. "You wanna shake on it or do you want to keep asking questions?" Lucifer chuckled lightly. "So impatient."
"Life is short."
"Oh isn't it so?"
Lucifer reached out his hand, stopping inches from hers. "Last chance to change your mind." Without hesitation, Grace closed the gap and gave a firm shake. Lucifer noticed her sleeve slide up revealing gnarled flesh still pink and healing on her right forearm and he could only imagine further up her arm as well. Seeing his eyes widen slightly she withdrew her hand, allowing the sleeve to fall back down. As she stood up, she stepped away then turned back, and in one quick motion, she yanked the chain around her neck breaking the clasp laying her cross down on the table in front of Lucifer. Then turned and walked away without a look back.
Author Note
Hello! After a VERY long hiatus from writing, I've felt inclined to start writing again and had this one sitting in my brain for a while. Music is a huge influencer of my ideas and most of this story stemmed from three different songs. So please leave me a review and I love getting constructive feedback. Thanks for taking a read, chapter 2 and 3 coming soon!