Page 16 of Letters to Satan

Thick fingers grip my jaw and tilt it upwards until I’m staring into his eyes. “Would you care to join me for a stroll, Lucifer?” he asks, his thumb tugging at my chin until my lips pop apart.

I blink in surprise.

Where’s the anger… the boiling temper I was ready to drown in?

He takes a half step backward and offers me his arm, the picture of serenity. My hand loops through the crook of his elbow, gripping on to his thick forearm as I try to figure out what game he’s playing.

Elves openly stare as we wander through the midst of their workspaces, Niklaus as calm as can be. “Why is it,” he mutters, leaning closer so no one else hears, “that any time something happens, you’re always there?”

“Why, I can’t say I know what you mean.”

“First the bicycle room and now this.”

Sneaky thing.

It’s entertaining how he tries to trap me in a lie while keeping his demeanor so impressively nonchalant. Santa has a few tricks up his sleeve, it would seem. A drawn-out, curious sound leaves my throat as I tap my chin. “Bicycle… bicycle… oh, yes, how could I forget? That was the unfortunate accident that got you all hot and naked in front of me yesterday, correct? While I did rather enjoy the show, I’m afraid I wasn’t there for that one.”

Not where he could see me, in any case.

He grunts an unconvinced hum, and I’m absolutely thrilled at this little game of cat and mouse. “And the mess just now was nothing more than a misunderstanding, huh?”

“Luck of the draw, I suppose.” He smirks at my answer as he leads me through a hallway I have yet to explore. The crowd dissipates until it’s only us, surrounded by the soft hum of conversations echoing from the workshop.

“Never thought of the Devil as being particularly lucky,” he muses, pushing into a large wooden door. Bright sunlight reflects off the snow outside and temporarily blinds me as we step into the freezing afternoon.

I shiver at the unexpected cold, then twist up to face him. “Why is that?”

He shrugs, staring off into the distance. “Children are frequently warned about Hell through stories. It’s supposed to be a dreadful place, full of pain and suffering.”

“Run by an evil leader who would not hesitate to end their lives as they sleep, am I right?”

His laugh is nothing more than a huff of air through his nose, and he places his hand over mine and squeezes. “Perhaps.”

“That’s a bit judgmental,” I mutter, and he finally glances down at me with a rueful grin. “Hell is not a terrible place to live. Are demons sometimes… rambunctious? Absolutely. However, I’d argue the things that tarnish Hell’s reputation are circumstances that are completely out of our hands. Even I have my limitations, you know.”

His apprehension has turned to curiosity as he watches me. “I can’t believe you admitted that.”

I turn my head, so he doesn’t catch my grin and how easily it falls into place when I’m with him. “Everyone wants to judge our landscape of fire and brimstone, but how’s that extremity any different from your snow and freezing cold up here?”

Niklaus hums, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I suppose I see your point.”

“Our moral compass might not be as aligned as other creatures, but most demons are no different from anyone else. They’re trying to make a life for themselves with as much happiness as possible. Add in the little tidbit of having to deal with the damned souls of wicked humans, and it adds some stress to the population. Evil souls are admittedly a buzzkill.”

“Oh, I imagine they would be.”

“But what is the alternative, Nik? Who else is going to bear that burden? Holding those souls is animportant part of the balance, and we all recognize that, even if it makes us a bit… testy.”

“Interesting word choice,” he says, and I grin again. We reach an enormous wooden barn, and he twists to face me. The weight of his full attention lands on me, and I can’t help my shiver. “And you?”

“What about me?”

“What happiness are you finding for yourself in life?”

The smirk on my lips falters at his question, but I quickly push it back into place. “Ruling is a full-time gig, as I’m sure you know. Endless responsibilities and never enough time to get them handled. Everyone has an opinion, and they all want to share it. Spare time to gallivant around, trying to find my happiness… well, that’s a luxury I don’t have, Nik.”

His head tilts as he steps into my space, and my back lands against the side of the barn. “You aren’t happy?”

“I never said that. There are just too few hours in the day for me to run in circles chasing silly concepts of happiness and love.”

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