Page 64 of Hell-Bound

“No. I didn’t.”

He nodded and opened the small book, which showed her the first page. But it wasn’t a book at all—it was music—handwritten in dark sharp scrawl.

Unable to control herself, she seized the pages, holding them in her hands with urgent desire. It had been ever so long since she had seen the gorgeous writing of sheet music. Most musicians couldn’t read it, making it painfully uncommon.

“You can read it?” he asked.

Speechless, she nodded, caught up in her own trance.

He spoke purposefully.

“I need you to play it for me.”

Tearing her eyes away from the pages, she responded, “Play it? I can. But—why?”

He lifted his chin.

“As much as I admire your curious spirit, it is a private matter.”

She looked back down at the music, craving. Oh yes, this is what she wanted to play—she wanted to discover the secrets within those notes. What feelings had the composer hidden within?

Wait.

“It’s a message isn’t it. A letter? You need me to play it to find out the meaning.”

There was the subtlest change in his face.

“Yes, in fact. It is. So would you help me?” He cleared his throat. “Please.”

She gaped. The Lord of Hells just saidplease.

Nothing makes sense anymore.

And an idea.

When in hell, do as the Devils do.

“Of coooourse, I’ll help you, Azur,” she crooned, matching his normal patronizing tone. “But as you know, I don’t work for free.”

She smiled mischievously.

Azur gifted her his own wide smile.

“You aretrulyremarkable, my darling. Indeed, I am intrigued. What would you like in exchange?”

Ren felt for the crumpled paper still in her trouser pocket and produced it.

“What does this say?”

He took the page and straightened it, taking a beat to read. As he did, Ren noticed that his breathing began to deepen, and his eyes flashed.

“I agree,” he said without glancing up from the script. “I will reveal what this says if you play me the music.”

The ritual began. The contract appeared, arm cut, and line signed.

“Now play,” he ordered.

She plucked her piccolo from her side and settled the music on his desk. It was a complicated jumble of unstructured notes. She brought her companion to her lips and began the song. She played the first line, a heavy cadence of minor and staccato sounds, but as she moved along, she felt herself lose grip. Lose the time of the song as the pages alighted in fire. Smoke filled the room.

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