She's the Devil | ✔

Chapter Seven

Macaria

"You're good at being the devil, but you're a terrible father." I watch as he recoils as if I'd burnt him. But I don't care, I keep going, "When was the last time you checked to see how I was doing? I lost someone too! And while I'm grieving, you start smothering me?"

I jog over to where Xavier lays lifelessly on the floor. I pick up his head gently lifting him so I can hold him. All the while my father just watches with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes.

"I'm not Mel, but you can't force me to choose between you or him." My fingers brush Xavier's dark locks out of his face.

"But the Fates-"

"The Fates are wrong sometimes too. You should know that," I shoot him a look.

Dad sighs, running a hand through his hair roughly, "What if they're right and he destroys you?"

"Let him,"

"You don't even know him!" Dad argues, beginning to pace. The more his anger builds, the colder it gets. I can't feel it, but Xavier can. His full lips begin to turn a light shade of blue.

"I know him better than I know you." I try to think of a way to get Xavier out of here. Maybe one of the demons would help me, a few of them like me.

"That's ridiculous." Dad responds, shoot a glare in my direction. I return it, cradling Xavier in my arms.

Biting my lip, I reply to my father, "I least I know he's not going to make me choose between you or him."

Dad pauses in his pacing. "You don't understand what is at stake here."

"You're playing this game with my life, are you betting his too?"

"He's mortal, I'll probably see his soul down here years from now."

"Can you stop being the devil and be a father?" I snap, shrugging off my jacket. I drape it over Xavier and pray he wakes up soon.

Dad recoils yet again, his boney fingers linking together behind his back as he paces. In the distance, the souls start screaming. Loud enough that the sound echoes off the walls. I used to laugh at that sound. I still feel satisfaction hearing them scream.

Mel always cried, when they started screaming. She was always the softer one. She took more after our mother than I did. It's not surpassing that she choose someone else over the Underworld. Over royalty, over having anything she could ever want. I've always seen myself in my father's throne, something I don't think he's even certain I'm going to take.

He just doesn't understand that I can have Xavier, or someone else if the Fates are wrong, and still rule. Mel chose the Light, because that's who she was. She chose to strip herself of the darkness inside, and I think that was she biggest mistake. But it was her best decision, too. She died on the side she chose.

"As your dad, I don't like the boy. He seems off."

"Because you've tortured him the last two weeks." I remind, stroking his soft hair. He looks at peace when he's sleeping.

Dad chuckles, "Oh, right."

"Stop sending Agmoth after him." I tell my father, rocking back and forth with Xavier. His beauty is almost a form of art.

Dad takes calculated steps towards us, "Agmoth can't get to him, his father's spirit is protecting him."

"Are you sure his father's not an angel?" I question, watching as my Dad steps closer. He kneels down in front of Xavier and I.

"No, a spirit. His father's soul is very strong." My dad waves a hand over Xavier and he gasps, sitting up. Dad steps away.

Xavier doesn't say anything at first, he just looks between my dad and I then around the room. He shivers and rubs his head, "Yeah, a hit to the head. Just what I needed." He mumbles to himself, looking at my hand in his.

"It stopped burning." He states and my dad chuckles, reaching down to pull my hand from Xavier's.

"I may have lifted the spell, but that doesn't give you permission."

Xavier scrambles to his feet with his eyebrows furrowed. He looks beyond comfused and I'm pretty sure he thinks he's lost his mind. By the time this is over, I'm sure he'll wish. Dad leads us down a dark hallway, with Xavier stumbling around behind us.

We walk in darkness for a few more moments before we break through the portal into a dimly lit hallway. Several mirrors line the walls, many leading to different parts of Hell. Xavier stays close to me, looking around in disgust. I imagine he didn't expect this in Hell. Maybe he expected everything to be on fire.

Dad leads us through a portal near the end of the hall, bringing us into the grand dining room. In the middle of the room stands a long and wide mahogany table, seven chairs line each side of the table with one seat at each end. Dad walks to the head of the table, pulling out a chair. He snaps his fingers and an enormous Italian feast appears in front of us. Gluttony and greed, all in one.

My footsteps echo on the marble floor as I make my way to take a seat to the right of my father. Xavier walks beside me, even pulling out my chair for me before taking his next to me. With a quick glance at my father, I see the approval in his eyes. He may be Satan, but he appreciates manners. I'm surprised Xavier is still functioning, but judging by his emotional rollercoaster; he's in shock.

Dad grabs a dish of shrimp scampi, serving himself. I snatch the dish of chicken parm, grabbing a piece while my mouth waters. Of course Dad would make sure there is chicken parm. We have it every time I visit.

"Shouldn't we wait for the other people to show up?" Xavier asks, looking at my dad and I with a frown. Dad chuckles, shaking his head.

"I can invite Agmoth, if you'd like?" He responds to Xavier sarcastically, smiling in a devilish way. Whether Xavier knows Agmoth is the one whose been tormenting him or not, he doesn't agree to invite him.

"There's just all this food..." He mumbles, looking up and down the table. "What do you do with the leftovers?" He asks, taking the dish of chicken parm from me when I offer it to him.

"This is hell, Xavier. We throw it away." I explain, wondering how long it is going to take him to realize that this is real.

"Oh, gluttony." He mumbles, serving himself a piece of chicken parm with a salad. Dad snaps, sending the dish of 'Chicken Alla Diavola' or 'devil's style chicken'. Fittingly his favorite dish.

"See I knew you weren't as stupid as I thought." He teases Xavier.