The Devil's Tail - The Devil Chronicles Book One - ROUGH DRAFT

Chapter Seventeen

The Reiling dinner table was arranged methodically with ironed placemats and glistening silverware.

Ms. Reiling sat at her spot, rubbing the back of her neck with her elbow on the table, as she leered at the living room. "I really ought to take that tree down."

Leviathan sat from across her, his shoulders slouched, but hands folded in his lap. He worked his mouth around, waiting for the time to pass.

"What do you think? Is it tacky to leave it up this long?"

He jumped, shocked that he was acknowledged at all. "Actually, no. Not at all. I like Christmas trees. It reminds me of my childhood. All the lights and maritime."

She nodded through pursed lips. "Any traditions around the holidays? Religious?"

He smirked. "No, none actually, and only slightly you could say, but not enough for it to count."

Diana grinned. "If it's any bit at all, then I say it counts." She sighed, preparing her lungs to expand. "Marty! John! Dinner's getting cold!" Her voice bellowed, shaking the house.

"Sorry, sorry!" Marty rushed from the bathroom to the table. "I was trying to wash up and –"

Her mother glared. "You literally sat the table for me, and now you want to be late?"

"I said I was sorry." She said, unraveling a napkin to place in her lap.

"Johnathan!"

"Hold on!" he finally appeared, jogging through the kitchen from down the stairs. He planted a kiss on his wife's forehead. "Hello, family." He attempted to sit down before his wife slapped his knee.

"Go get the roast out of the oven, then we'll eat."

"Gosh, you've been sitting here the whole time and haven't gotten it out?"

"No, I was waiting for you," she said, stretching her arms out in front of her. "You'll have to excuse my husband, Levi. He can be a little abrasive and can't follow orders. You know?" John shot a glance back, his eyes zoning in on the strange boy.

Levi offered a futile, baby-like smile before Diana found something else to turn the conversation toward.

"So, how was your first day back? Did you turn in that English report?"

Marty reached over the table, piling her plate high with food as her dad returned with the roast. "Uh, yeah. It was fine. Normal as ever." She stuffed a fork of beef into her mouth.

Her mother groaned. "Shouldn't we thank the meal first, or pray?" She nodded toward Levi. "We do have a guest with us."

She slowly lowered her fork back down. "Right. I guess, uh --?"

John grabbed hold of his wife's hand and bowed his head. "Come on, Marty. You can at least say thanks."

Marty took her father's hand in his and then gripped Levi's. "They're only doing this to impress you."

"It is our first sit down meal with you here, honey," Diana reached over the table and shook Levi's hand gently before wrapping her sweaty fingers around his.

"Thank you, Mom," Marty emphasized, "for this meal. You worked hard for it, making it because Dad's lazy and sexist, but you're also a traditionalist, so I guess it works out okay."

Her mother coughed, locking eyes with her daughter.

"Fine! Thank you for slaving away your time by cooking when we all could have just gotten Chinese takeout. Thank you for letting Levi stay here. Um, thanks for the meal and I hope it nourishes us?" Marty shrugged and withdrew her hand.