Chapter 1

The idea had been a good one, to hide out here for a year, using the time given to come up with a new plan. I'd been around far too long to be considered a student, but no one needed to know that detail. Anyone who lay eyes on me would believe it, even though my age far exceeded any human's.

Beside me, my protector's eyes roamed around the large auditorium, letting his hazel gaze fall on each and every single being present. It was his job to assess and observe, but not only that; it was in his nature, and it was more than reassuring. Especially considering the fact that I saw only danger everywhere I looked. Surrounded by demons. I must have been out of my mind to listen to my guardian's suggestion to come here.

"Solomon," I gently nudged his arm and he hummed at me in question without halting in his hawk-like survey of the hall. "I'm beginning to have second thoughts about all this. I mean, look at all these…" I crinkled my nose in disgust when I let my own eyes roam around. Most of the creatures around us were human-like enough, but there were more than a few abominations running around. Like the small black thing that kept darting in between legs, tying people's shoelaces together and running off while giggling. It had come too close for comfort on more than one occasion, and the row of sharp teeth protruding from underneath the glowing red eyes set in ebony made my skin crawl. I was far from delicate, but I had my limits. "Are you sure that coming here was –?"

"–Sorea," his smooth voice reassured me as he finally tore his eyes away from our surroundings. "It'll be fine, you'll be safe here. Don't you trust me?"

The hurt on his features didn't go unnoticed by me, but I also knew he was an expert at feigning any kind of emotion. He was an excellent liar and manipulator, and more than once I'd found myself angry with him for his games. Still, when he looked at me all innocently with that angelic face and that messy silver-white hair, I couldn't help but nod.

"Of course I do."

Solomon and I went way back, and even though he was technically human, he was also a very powerful sorcerer who had found ways to lengthen his lifespan significantly. He'd once told me that he'd been around for over three-hundred years, but there was no way to confirm or dispute his claim. To me, he was simply my guardian, and he'd always been exactly the way he was now. We'd met a little under a hundred years ago, when I'd been lost and was being hunted, alone and abandoned. He'd taken me under his wing, and had been looking after me ever since. Together, we fought for survival every day, always looking for new places to go. And right now, the Devildom was the place to be.

"Look around," Solomon said, indicating the room full of people, or rather, demons. "These people will be your classmates, but there are only a few of them really important to you." I looked at him with interest as he continued. "The seven rulers of Hell, Lord Diavolo himself, and perhaps most important of all; the exchange students from the Celestial Realm, the angels Simeon and Luke." He pointed off to the left, and when my eyes followed his line of sight, they fell on a strangely dressed tanned young man with a wild mane of chocolate brown hair. My own color. He was wearing a sleeveless black top, white cloak with golden lining, and a loose fitting white pants. I didn't see anyone else around him that matched his looks however. Then my eyes caught sight of a small figure standing by the angel's side. By the looks of it, it was either a very young boy or a very short boy. If it hadn't been for the white cap he was wearing, I might have missed him completely. As other people moved around, I saw golden hair emerge from underneath the cap and he too was wearing white with golden lining.

The fact that they were there was a little unnerving to me, and I knew I had to keep a close eye on them without catching their attention. Attention from angels was bad. In fact, any kind of attention was bad.

"Now look over there," Solomon continued and pointed towards the stage at the very back of the auditorium. Atop the stage were seven chairs, the largest and highest in the middle. They almost resembled seats one would find in a courtroom, though more regal and refined, lined with velvet and carvings. In the very middle, up on the highest seat, sat a man wearing a red uniform. His rather unruly auburn hair matched his handsome, though merry young face. On his right hand side sat a somewhat darker looking individual. Dressed in the same uniform, though black, his hair was dark as ebony, as were his eyes. There was a defined shape to his face, with elegant eyebrows and a strong nose. This was the problem with High demons though, they were all too handsome to be deemed human, in a very otherworldly way. There was a reason humans were easily seduced by them. "That is Lord Diavolo in the middle," Solomon explained. I'd momentarily forgotten about him, and he shook me from my reverie. Up on the stage, the two demons rose from their seats, and made their way down. "And beside him is Lucifer, Head of the Council and Lord Diavolo's right hand. It seems they are coming over here to make their acquaintance."

Much to my surprise, he was right. People actually moved aside as they passed, some even bowing their heads respectfully. There were also those who shook hands with the men, and exchanged a few words. The delay in their arrival only made me more nervous, I'd rather got this over with, though at the same time I wanted to run and hide. The palms of my hands started to sweat, and a shiver ran down my spine. These two demons were the only two aware of my situation, and that very fact chilled me to the bone. My life was literally in their hands. I was at their mercy, and I didn't like it one bit. Once again, I questioned Solomon's decision to take me here.

I felt his reassuring touch on the small of my back, letting me know he was right here with me, as always.

As they got closer to us, I noticed Lucifer's hair wasn't entirely black, the strands were lighter near the tips, nor were his eyes as dark as I had thought from that distance. They were black with a red hue, a glow that seemed to reflect the very light in the room. There was no doubt however, that those eyes could kill. There was something entirely seductive about the man purposefully striding over to me, and I swallowed at his presence. Pride and dominance, those were the first two words that popped up in my head.

Lord Diavolo however, smiled brightly at me, a smile that reached bright amber eyes a shade darker than my own. I wasn't sure which was more dangerous; a clearly cold individual or an amicable demon. Talk about a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"You must be Sorea!" Lord Diavolo's voice boomed through the auditorium, and a few heads turned our way. Beside him, Lucifer loudly cleared his throat, at which Diavolo composed himself a little. "Apologies," he said a little more quietly this time, and held out his hand for me to take. I managed to suppress the trembling in my fingers, and placed my hand in his. "Welcome." He bowed to me and placed a chaste kiss on my knuckles. "Solomon, you didn't tell us that she was so lovely. Still as sly as ever, I see."

Lucifer looked far from amused, and I wondered if the prince of Hell was always so… normal.

"We are very pleased to have you here, Sorea," Lord Diavolo said. "If there is anything you need – anything at all, feel free to ask Lucifer. Or Satan, of course." He winked at me, though I didn't understand the reference. "Now if you will please excuse me," Diavolo smiled warmly as he pressed another kiss to my hand. "I must go welcome the angels." He disappeared into the crowd, heading in the direction where Solomon had pointed out the two angels earlier.

"Ooh, don't look so jealous, Lucifer!" Another demon appeared on the scene, shoving Lucifer aside in his haste to get to me.

This one was also dressed in the same uniform as Lucifer, though his shirt underneath was green instead of black. His hair had the strange color of mocha, and his cheeky looking eyes were orange with a hint of caramel. He even smelled sweet. Had I been anywhere else but in an auditorium full of demons, I might have taken the time to appreciate him, as he was without a doubt pretty. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time.

All this attention was becoming a little too much for me, and Solomon anticipated wonderfully.

"Asmodeus!" he greeted the new arrival and stepped up in front of me, blocking the way. "I'm afraid I can't let you get too close." The way he said it made it clear that he meant it, though he expertly covered it up to make it sound like a joke.

Asmodeus giggled and threw up his hands in surrender. "Yes, yes, I know! I'm so excited, I can't wait for them to meet!"

Solomon shot me an apologetic glance over his shoulder, but I could have sworn there was also a hint of guilt. Had I imagined it? There was no time for me to ponder on the matter, because suddenly Lucifer was standing right in front of me, holding out his leather clad hand.

"Please excuse my brother," he smiled down at me, though the gesture was somewhat overshadowed by his impressive height.

I looked down at the hand hovering in invitation for a second longer before finally placing my hand in his. Unlike Diavolo, Lucifer didn't feel the need for theatrics, and he didn't kiss my hand. For which I was glad. Instead, he held it with both his own.

"As you might have guessed already, I am Lucifer, Avatar of Pride and eldest of the seven rulers of Hell. And this one over here is my brother Asmodeus. Fifth in line and the Avatar of Lust."

Yes, I'd learned about the Avatars; the embodiment of the seven sins, each belonging to a brother. The lore was ancient and very true. It only took one simple glance at Asmodeus to know that. He was breathing the very sin from his pores.

"I'm Sorea," I introduced myself.

"Wh –" Asmodeus gasped with an incredulous look at his oldest brother, who for some reason was still holding my hand. "I can't believe you referred to me as this one. How rude!"

Then another emerged from the crowd around us, and this time I was absolutely certain I saw Solomon look guilty. The quizzical frown I threw his way was interrupted by the newcomer's voice.

"At least he didn't ignore you all together," he said moodily. "Not that I see what all the fuss is about."

"Ah, yes," Lucifer smiled, adding a little more pressure to our joined hands. "This is Satan, fourth eldest and Avatar of Wrath."

Satan, who like the others wore his uniform and was equally dashing, had set his green eyes on me. I almost gasped at the intensity with which he was glaring at me, and if I hadn't know any better – since he didn't know me at all – I could have sworn there was resentment in those eyes. His purely golden locks of hair made him resemble an angel more than Simeon did, but the set of his jaw made it obvious that he clearly wasn't. Far from it, most likely. His eyes continued to bore into me and I fought the urge to squirm under his stare.

"I'm sure you've been wanting to meet him, Sorea," Lucifer continued as he finally let go of my hand.

Why would I want to meet him? I tore my eyes away from Satan and looked up at Lucifer in confusion. His dark eyebrows rose when he saw the look on my face, and he glanced at Solomon, who was grinning sheepishly, something I knew him to do whenever he got nervous.

"Surely Solomon has informed you of the details of your arrangement…?"

His question lingered in the air, making me even more confused. What arrangement? What was going on? Suddenly I felt like I was part of a secret everybody was aware of but me, and concern restricted my throat, preventing me from speaking.

"That Satan is to be your betrothed," Lucifer stated.

A gasp fought its way through the constriction in my throat, rendering it almost silent. Shocked, I took a step back. "…What?"

"Apparently, he hasn't," Lucifer set his cold eyes on Solomon.

His voice was suddenly cold as steel, and I realized he had the capacity to whip someone without even touching them. Then he glanced at Satan, who was still staring at me, though the coldness in his eyes was gone to be replaced by mild curiosity.

My eyes shot over to Solomon, while Asmodeus clapped his hands over his mouth dramatically. "Solomon…?" I whispered, barely audible over the murmurs in the large hall.

"Sorea," he started, taking a step towards me. "This is for the best, you have to trust me."

Never in my life had I felt so outraged. The sheer nerve of the man I called my protector. The sense of betrayal that hit me was beyond words.

"Trust you?!" I hissed, my fists clenched at my sides. "You sold me off like a piece of meat."

Only the fact that we were standing in a crowded auditorium prevented me from completely losing it. However, even negative attention was attention, and I needed to stay as far away from it as possible.

"It's not like that, Sorea." He tried to grab my hands, but I slapped them aside.

"I refuse," I stated coldly, pulling myself together. "I'm going home."

I spun on my heels to walk away with my head held high, but Solomon's next words froze me in my tracks.

"And go where, Sorea? You don't have a home. You can have a home here." He was suddenly standing very close to me, and this time I did allow him to take my hands in his. "Think about it," he said softly in that voice that was always so soothing to me. "You'll be safe here, angel," he added with a smile. "For as long as you want."

Now that I had gotten over the initial shock, I saw the reason to his words. He was right. I could stay here forever under pretense that I was tethered to one of the demons, but then what? Would that really make me happy? Besides, the very fact that Solomon and Lucifer had concocted this scheme behind my back was more than infuriating. Or perhaps it had been Diavolo himself. Whichever the case, it was embarrassing.

"You should have told me," I hissed softly.

"And you would have refused to even come here. I know you better than anyone, Sorea, don't forget that."

He was right about that too. I risked a careful glance over my shoulder at the Avatars, though mainly at Satan, who stood observing the interaction between Solomon and myself with a look on his face that bordered amusement. I was supposed to tie myself to this man? This demon? And do what? What exactly were his expectations? Surely he didn't sacrifice himself out of the kindness of his heart. There must be something in it for him, he was a demon after all. What price would I be paying? Was I expected to become his servant? Warm his bed?

The very thought sent a very real chill down my spine. Would I still have my freedom?

Out there, in the human world, there was nothing left for me but more sorrow, more running, but here, at least, I could be safe and make a home. But at what cost?

"I will think about it," I finally said. My voice was firm, though I didn't feel all that confident. "I have an entire year for that, do I not?"

I didn't get much time to let the news sink in, for Solomon was already dragging me back towards the small group of people that were all watching me intently. Embarrassment hit me like an icy wind, but my skin burned rather hot. Though trying hard not to, a quick glance at Satan made me feel even more uneasy. He was watching me with narrowed eyes, looking quite displeased. Was he upset that his bride to be had rejected him so openly in front of his brothers? Without meaning to, my eyes fell to the floor, and I detested myself for looking so submissive. Still, Solomon had put me in an awkward position, and that very feeling was now hanging in the air between us.

"I am confident things will work out, Sorea." Lucifer offered his reassurance, though exactly how much a High Demon's reassurance was worth was a matter of debate. I imagined not a whole lot. "It's unfortunate that Solomon has neglected to inform you, but I am sure he had his reasons. Now," He reached into the inner pocket of his black jacket and conjured up a rectangular device, the size and shape reminding me of a cell phone from the human world. "This is a D.D.D." He held it out to me and I slowly took it from his gloved hand, careful not to brush my fingers against his. "I believe this is referred to as a 'cell phone' in the human world, yes? You can find my brothers and myself in your contact list. Feel free to use it as you wish." He then glanced to his left, where unnoticed by me, someone new had joined the group. "Sorea, this is Beelzebub, sixth born and Avatar of Gluttony."

The newcomer had such a physical presence that my first reaction was to take a step back. He was almost as tall as Lucifer, but nearly twice as wide. There seemed to be nothing but muscle on him. Though I imagined he usually had a pleasant face, he was now looking a bit grumpy. It seemed that this emotion wasn't directed at me however. His bright orange hair and purple eyes only amplified his friendly features, and just like the others, he was very handsome in a very inhuman way.

"Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon." Lucifer said this with a bit of a grim expression, as if he were biting back some form of comment on that fact. "He will look after you for the time being. Once he gets here, he will escort you to your new home, and show you around. My other brothers aren't here at the moment, but...well, we can get to them later. All in good time. You will be staying with us at the House of Lamentation."

I visibly froze at his last statement. Stay with them? Solomon placed a hand on my arm, seemingly afraid I might lose myself again, and quite frankly, he might have been right. They were going to separate me from Solomon, the one person I trusted beyond all others. Instead they were going to lock me up in a house filled with male demons, among which was none other that the Avatar of Lust. As if regular demons weren't dishonorable enough.

Unwillingly, my eyes darted over to Asmodeus, who winked at me with a smile on his face that might have made a human girl grow weak in the knees. Demons weren't known for their kindness and empathy. They greedily took what they wanted, whenever they wanted, and the idea of staying in a house with seven male High Demons was almost more than I could bear. I might even be forced to share a room with Satan.

This could only lead to inevitable trouble.

"Why can't I stay with Solomon?" My voice sounded rather feeble to my own ears, but it might have been due to the pounding of my heart. I looked up at Lucifer, and the answer was clear in his eyes, there was no need for him to say more.

If I was to be betrothed and eventually wedded to Satan, it wouldn't do if I were staying at a different location. We wouldn't be seeing much of each other at all. A part of me understood that Lucifer was attempting to do me a favor by giving me the opportunity to get to know Satan, but judging by the way the blonde demon was looking at me I could tell that neither of us were very pleased with his offer.

An arm snaked around my shoulder, and Solomon leaned in ever to slightly to whisper, "I'm so sorry, Sorea."

And with that, my fate was sealed.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way," Lucifer stated, ignoring my question unabashedly. "Try using your D.D.D. to call Mammon." His handsome features darkened as he added, "He should have been here by now."

The device that Lucifer had given me was still clutched firmly in my hand, and only now that he pointed it out to me, did I notice the vice grip I had on the thing. On the outside I surely looked composed, but inside I was angry, scared and more than a little uneasy. To give my mind something to do other than worry about where I was going to spend the night, I turned on the D.D.D.'s screen and looked for the icon for contacts. It wasn't difficult to find, and the device seemed to work along the same lines as the ones I was used to from the human world.

There weren't many contacts listed, and I'd met most of them during the passed fifteen minutes. My eyes found the name 'Mammon', along with a profile picture. Another handsome demon was staring into the camera, all white careless hair and baby blue eyes, and a cocky grin on his face. The word incorrigible came to mind.

I tapped the dial icon and pressed the device to my ear, feeling a little nervous about boldly calling on a stranger, and a demon at that. It rang a few times before a young sounding voice answered lazily.

"Yoooo."

"Hello, Mammon?"

"Are ya foolin' around?" the voice said with a hint of annoyance. "Who the hell are ya?"

"I'm Sorea, from the human world." I would have preferred telling him I was a human, but that would have been a lie, and so, impossible. This response was bending the truth only a little, something I had become quite adapt at over the years.

"Whaaaa?" Mammon gawked. "A human? Geez, I was gettin' all chilly here thinkin' it was Lucifer again. Ya should've told me right away. So, what business does a human girl got with THE Mammon?"

Had Lucifer not informed him of his task or was he playing dumb?

"You will be in charge of me from now on," I replied, hoping he would understand why exactly I was calling him. He didn't sound at all too bad, but he was still a demon.

"No way!" he exclaimed on the other end. "There's nothin' in it for me. Whaddya even mean by 'be in charge of you'? AAH!" he suddenly shouted and I flinched as the sound reached my ear. "I get it now, you're the other human– the new exchange student!" Apparently it had taken him some time to connect the dots, and I once again wondered why Lucifer would appoint him to me. "G'luck with that, and see ya."

It was easy to tell from the sound of his voice that he was about to hang up, but one look at Lucifer told me that he would be far from happy if that were to happen. "Lucifer called for you," I said quickly, hoping this would change Mammon's mind. Judging by what he had said before about Lucifer, it wasn't difficult to guess that Mammon feared is brother to a certain extent, though how much I had no idea of.

"Pfft, whatever," came the lazy reply. "Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just 'cause you're tryin' to scare me with that name?"

Had I been wrong?

Suddenly, Lucifer was standing beside me with a rather angry frown on his face. "You've got 10 seconds," he spoke into the phone, his voice laced with dark warning. "…9…8…"

"YESSIR!" There was clear panic in Mammon's voice, perhaps even a hint of terror, and I couldn't ignore the concern that welled up inside me.

If even his brothers were frightened of him, did that mean he was truly as evil as the stories presented him to be? What was going to happen to me? Were the smiles he'd offered me this evening nothing but a ruse to make me feel welcome? To trick me into feeling comfortable while he intended to hurt me?

I risked a glance up at his face to find there was a pleasant smile on his lips.

"Sounds like you had a nice chat," he said to me with a certain amount of superiority. "You must be feeling anxious about trusting Mammon, which is only understandable. In fact, I wouldn't put my trust in him if I were you."

Why would he say such a thing? He insists Mammon ought to be the one to take care of me, and yet he clearly doesn't think of his younger brother as trustworthy.

So many things were going through my mind at the same time that I simply couldn't manage to filter them anymore. I was to be separated from Solomon, to be guided by an undependable demon, live in a house filled with male demons, marry one of said demons, and perhaps even be forced to sleep in the same bed. That is, if Lucifer wasn't concocting some sort of devious plan to have me killed, or worse.

I reached for Solomon again, and his hand found mine immediately. He offered me a reassuring squeeze, but this time his reassurance wasn't enough to calm my mind, which was running wild by now. He'd quite literally thrown me into the lion's den, and they all had hungry looks in their eyes. At least, I imagined they did. Especially that look in Asmodeus's caramel eyes was rather disturbing.

My heart was racing as he stepped closer with what felt to me as a predatory gaze. "It's okay, I won't hurt you." His voice was gentle and smooth, but I still took a step back from him. "Come on, don't be shy…"

"Asmodeus!" Solomon warned him as he protectively wrapped an arm around me to shield me from the demon. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I should probably warn you," Satan suddenly chimed in, looking a bit too amused for my liking. "You'd best be wary of Asmodeus's gaze. He can charm and manipulate people and use them to his advantage." His light brows formed a dark arch of careless warning and he shot me a glare. "If you're not careful, he'll charm you. And once you're under his spell, he'll eat you."

"Sorea, he's only teasing you," Solomon said to me, though there was nothing aloof about the look in Satan's eyes.

"Hey," Asmodeus snapped at Satan. "Don't go around saying things like that…" Then he sighed and a sad look crossed over his boyish features. "Regardless…My power doesn't seem to work this time for some reason. I wonder why."

My heart skipped a beat from all its hammering. What if his powers didn't work on me because of what I was? If so, someone was bound to start asking questions eventually.

"Are you done?" Lucifer interrupted with a heavy sigh and a disappointed look on his face. "It seems the idiot has finally arrived."

When I followed Lucifer's line of vision, I noticed someone walking up to us. Someone with tanned skin and fashionably wild, white hair and blue eyes. And he seemed rather upset.

"Hey!" he bellowed at me as soon as he reached our little group, making me flinch. Now it was Mammon that Solomon had to shield me from. "Just who do you think you are, human? You've got a lotta nerve summoning the Great Mammon! I'll wipe that stupid look right off your face!"

"Mammon!" Lucifer didn't need to shout, his name on Lucifer's lips was enough to stop Mammon's ranting.

"Mammon is a masochist," Asmodeus chimes happily, his lashes fluttering. "That's important to remember."

"Indeed," Lucifer continues as he watches Mammon shrink on the spot. "And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother. Mammon, you are going to be in charge of seeing to this human's needs during the entire exchange. I expect your full cooperation."

So, Lucifer hadn't informed him. Just as Solomon hadn't informed me. It only led me to wonder whether Satan had been informed at all, or if he was simply able to control himself a whole lot better than I apparently could. Asmodeus had clearly hinted at knowing about the arrangement, which had to mean that Satan had been informed, unless everyone knew but him. Somehow, that was difficult to imagine. It seemed Mammon had been the only one of the brothers that hadn't been informed of his duties, and judging by the look of appalled shock on his face, he didn't agree either.

"What?!" he exclaimed loudly, making Asmodeus flinch beside him. "Why me?!"

"Mammon…?" The way Mammon's name rolled off Lucifer's tongue was almost too sweet. "Surely you're not going to tell me that you object to this arrangement, do you?" His voice was low, calm and full of danger. His black and red eyes were slowly beginning to shimmer, confirming my suspicion that Lucifer was indeed more than a little wicked.

"Ugh!" Mammon groaned. "I hate you guys! Every last one of ya! Fine!" he quickly gulped as Lucifer's glare intensified. "Fine! I'll do it, okay?!" He seemed more than a little upset, and I honestly couldn't blame him. This was a less than ideal situation for the both of us, though he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life by my side. "All right human, listen up." Mammon took a deep breath and stood in front of me with his hands on his hips, looking a whole lot braver than he had a few seconds ago. "As much as I don't want to look after you, I've got no choice. It's a huge pain in the ass and I'm too important for this kind of thing, but Lucifer told me to do it, so I will. But in return, you better make sure you don't cause me any trouble, got it?!" As he said this, he carefully glanced at his older brother as if worried he might get scolded again, but Lucifer remained silent, though clearly alert.

All the while, Asmodeus was whispering things to Satan, who stood watching the scene with his arms crossed over his chest and a faraway smile on his face. Whatever it was that Asmodeus was humming into his ear, I didn't really want to know, but I imagined it was nothing good. My stomach churned when I reminded myself that I was going to live with these demons, and I wondered whether I would ever feel safe with them, let alone feel at home. I surely missed the feeling of having a place to call home. I hadn't had a home in…decades.

"Oy, you listenin' to me?" Mammon's loud voice awoke me from my deep thoughts, and I realized he was waiting for me to respond.

I shared a look with Solomon, who nodded at me. There was nothing for it but to give in; if Solomon wanted me to do this then I had to trust him, just as he had asked of me. If he asked it of me, I would surrender to his every wish, because he meant so much to me.

"All right," I said to Mammon, who smirked in a disturbingly superior way.

"Good, that's what I want to hear. As long as you do as I say, we won't have any problems. Just be sure you don't forget which one of us is the boss here."

My eyes briefly flicked to Lucifer, seeing Asmodeus snicker behind his back before winking at me playfully. Mammon seemed to notice the exchange, or at least Asmodeus's response to his claims, because he twisted on the spot and addressed Lucifer with flustered cheeks. "I wanna make one thing clear right now: Don't blame me if someone gets eaten, 'cause it ain't my fault."

At that, there was a loud growling noise coming from the left, and to my surprise, it seemed to have come from Beelzebub, who stood there clutching his stomach with a somber look on his face. "Lucifer," he said wistfully. "I'm hungry."

"That's too bad." Lucifer's voice was merciless. "Now behave yourself."

His words caused Beelzebub to lower his eyes in disappointment, but he didn't object. He reminded me of a pouting toddler that had his candy stolen from him. He even made me feel bad for him. There was something altogether innocent about this particular demon, though I also knew that looks could be deceiving. For now however, he seemed to be a gentle giant.

Asmodeus on the other hand, was clearly more mischievous; he was watching me with sparkling eyes that lingered on more than my face alone. This one was trouble, that much was obvious. I made a mental note to stay away from him as much as possible, and to make sure to lock my door.

Beside him, Satan was also assessing me, but at least his eyes didn't travel to places where it didn't belong. Instead there was something about his gaze that made me feel even more uncomfortable. I feared I might burst into flames by the intensity of it, and then something even worse happened; he smiled at me. But it was not a kind smile. It was a smile that told me we both knew that I was in trouble, and he enjoyed this knowledge.

A lump arose in my throat, and I swallowed it down with a fair amount of trouble. This truly was the worst thing that Solomon had ever done to me.

"Sorea," Lucifer continued as Beelzebub continued to pout beside him. "It is Lord Diavolo's dream to bring humans, angels and demons together as friends, and live in harmony. I share this desire with him and you will be the foundation of it. If you do well, you will be rewarded. I understand this evening has been a lot to take in and you might need a moment to let it sink in, so I would like for you to retire for the night. Mammon will see you home. You will find everything you need there." He glanced over his shoulder at Mammon, who sighed heavily, but shot into action nonetheless. He swiftly moved past me and towards the door before I even had a chance to open my mouth.

Again the thought of being forced to share a bed with Satan popped up in my head, and I unintentionally looked his way.

Lucifer must have seen the panic on my face, because he smiled and added calmly, "There is no need for concern, you will have your own room. Rest well."

The relief was most likely visible on my face, but I didn't mind. At least I was allowed to have a room of my own, and a weight fell off my shoulders.

Solomon softly spoke my name and nudged me in the arm, nodding his head at the door through which Mammon disappeared. I only just managed to catch a glimpse of his white hair before he vanished from view. Afraid I might get lost on my very first night in this wretched realm, I mumbled a subdued 'good night' and hurried after him.