Page 14 of Signed in Blood

“What did I do to be here; to be cursed to be in hell and in this nightmare?”

“It’s not a curse,” he says after a moment. “It’s not a nightmare. It’s a blessing, and I’m going to grant you peace.”

“You can hear my thoughts?” I question out loud.

“Yes. I can hear every soul’s thoughts,” his voice answers, but this time, from within my mind. As if he’s just whispered it at the shell of my ear. Shivers run down my spine. With a gasp, I back away with the shock and fear, falling down on my ass against the hard stone floor.

“Careful now,” Lucifer warns from where he stands, a handsome smirk pulling at his lips. “You don’t want to hurt yourself.”

“Why am I here?” I question him again, needing to hear the answer.

“I don’t like to repeat myself, but I’ll grant you this one mercy, considering what you’ve been through. I have a deal to offer you.”

I wait with bated breath as I succumb to the terror of this reality.

His reality.

“What deal?” I finally question in a mutter when he’s silent for all too long.

“Well, what do you want?” he asks me in response.

Because I can’t control my impulses—almost like he’s placed a spell on me—I think I can trust him. Surrendering, I plea, “Please help me. I want help to get out of here. I’m so scared,” I beg him, my voice strained. Getting onto all fours, I feel nothing but weak and pathetic.

“Is that all you are?” he questions with a head tilt.

The devil…

In hell.

I’m at his mercy and I feel like nothing at all. “I don’t understand and I’m scared,” I tell him as I struggle to breathe. My head spins. I don’t know how this happened, but I wish I could just go back.

“I’m dead,” I whisper as I think out loud, fully aware it’s the truth now. One that I can’t hide from or pretend doesn’t exist. They did this to me.

I’m dead because of them. Not only did they murder me, they sacrificed me to Lucifer. For what exactly?

The questions I’m feeling pour out of me, one by one. I’m taken into this world of fear and evil, but I’m not dumb enough to know that you should never make a deal with the devil…

Thinking about all of this makes me crack wide open, and I scream, “No!”

“Yes,” Lucifer answers, and I look up at him to find his eyes piercing into me. He’s studying me as if I’m his to experiment with. In a way, I guess I am. What is he going to do with me?

“Aren’t you tired of all that weakness? I need you mad if this is going to work.”

“If what is going to work?” I dare to ask.

“You tell me. You might be scared, but what else are you?” he questions calmly. Completely at odds with the stirring fear that holds me captive.

“I don’t know,” I answer. I can barely think now. Barely understand what he’s asking.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“What?” I question in an exhale.

“Don’t you want revenge?” he asks, and the way he says “revenge” does something to me. Like an aphrodisiac.

“Revenge?” I whisper the word, tasting it, feeling every ounce of its meaning deep within my bones. Goosebumps flow down my shoulders as a chill takes over.

“Yes,” he says, and the S lingers like a hiss.