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Didn’t you see that?I snapped, an image of the thing I’d seen as Lucifer moved filtering through my mind.The slip in his glamor? He’s not like Neo or even Azazel. He’ll end us and not lose an ounce of sleep over it.
Don’t piss him off. Got it.
Even in this form, Lucifer was huge. He wore a simple white button-down tucked into black slacks and expensive-looking shoes. I tried to ignore how the muscles in his body bunched and shifted with each stride he took toward us, nor notice how much he towered over Sariel and me as he motioned to the door.
How is this what you imagine the Devil looks like in your version of Hell?Sariel asked, lips pursing as we followed Lucifer out the door and into the hallway.
I frowned.I’m positive this is all him. I’ve never really thought about what the Devil would look like.
Mhm.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.You’re not jealous, are you? Because that would be absurd, even for you.
I’m not. He’s just my antithesis.
“If you two are done gossiping like children amongst yourselves,” Lucifer interrupted, “you can join me at the table. We have much to discuss.”
Dinner was a five-course Italian meal served by the staff in Lucifer’s private dining room. We were offered an array of wines that we, unfortunately, declined. Sariel had mentioned something about keeping our wits about us, and I reluctantly agreed that that was a good idea, despite a possiblyfive hundred-year-oldbottle of wine.
After the third course, Lucifer eyed me. “You’re special,” he started, slicing into the meat on his plate. “I just wanted to clarify that you were aware of this before I continued.”
“Who? Me, or her?” Sariel asked.
“Not you. I don’t much care for Azazel’s offspring.”
Sariel nodded, as if accepting that had he not been the offspring in question, he wouldn’t care for Azazel’s offspring either. “I understand.”
Lucifer chuckled. “Though your mother might be who you get your attitude from. She was a spitfire.”
He slid his fork between his lips, and I sighed. Of course he could make eating look sensual.
“What’s so special about Aria?” Sariel asked, ignoring the comment about Penelope. “Why go through this trouble to meet her?”
Lucifer cocked a brow in confusion. “I didn’t go through any trouble. I mentioned that the girl intrigued me to Barimuz. Displaying incredible initiative, as always, he brought her to me.”
I blinked. “So, you didn’t request an audience?”
Lucifer shook his head. “No, I was just curious. But while you’re here… we can discuss some things. How much do you know about your family, Aria?”
I tensed at his line of questioning, my eyes instantly narrowing. “The bare minimum.”
“Hmm. But you’ve met your estranged uncle? What’s his name again? Tyler?” Lucifer pondered aloud.
I gulped. “Yes, I’ve met Tyler.”
Lucifer shook his head. His lips pulled into a frown. “That one is destined for the lower bottom circles of hell.”
“And what are we destined for?” Sariel asked suddenly. “You can weigh our souls.”
“Your soul has been damned by your father. Your only option afterlife is Hell. Whether you end up here, with me, or lower with thepeasantsis why we weigh your soul at the time of your death,” Lucifer explained. “If you were especially naughty, your brain will ruin you before we even get our hands on you. We’ve found that many who claim to be remorseless for their time alive become especially repentant after a few minutes in their own version of Hell.”
“Why are there nine sections if everyone just imagines their own, then?”
“Great question.” He pointed his fork at Sariel. “It’s because some souls can become demons, like Barimuz. When alive, he was particularly popular, and even now, I think you might know who he was if I revealed his identity to you. He came to Hell, impressed me, and I made him a demon whose only purpose was to serve and satisfy me. He’s lived happily ever after in death since.”
Sariel and I cocked our heads in confusion.
“The Nine Circles of Hell are controlled by a few of my trusted friends who defected with me. When souls are weighed, they’re distributed based on their behavior. If the Reaper considers them irredeemable, then they’re mine to deal with; whether I punish them myself or simply leave them to stink in their own shit is up to me. Serial killers, rapists, pedophiles, and tax collectors are mine specifically. Ienjoytoying with them.”
