ACEDIA: Love in Hell

8 - THE INFERNAL COUNCIL!

RUTHIE

I wince a little as Lamia's hands – all four of them – mess with my hair and pull it into several braids. She's very skilled and her fingers are nimble, but she forgets that everyone, demon and human alike, feels pain when their hairs are yanked in bits at a time.

"I'm trying to read, Lamie." I grumble, but she ignores me and adjusts my head so I'm looking straightforward.

"It will hurt less if you do not move." The spider lady insists.

It has been a few short weeks since I died, and I've grown used to life here as Valefar's 'guest'. It feels like every day I'm given a bit more freedom. I explore the castle now, often with Lamia following behind me and explaining things though I already received a tour from Valefar. I also learned about how Hell works. It's its own planet, another dimension I assume? There are seven continents like Earth, but each is named after a sin. There's my home, Sloth. Then there's our neighbor, Greed.

Though we have no actual enemies, Valefar doesn't seem to like the kingdoms ruled by fallen angels. All have a shaky truce with each other, but no one really fights anyway. North is the cold kingdom of Envy, East is Pride, and south is Lust and Wrath. Valefar says he considers Wrath his closest ally, as it is also ruled by a human-turned.

And now I'm going to get to meet them all, because last week the creepy, blind demon Bolfri told Valefar that an "Infernal Council" is to be held.

Apparently that's when the rulers all get together because something important has happened that they all must be made aware of, be it in Heaven, Hell, or Earth. Valefar says they're not held too often and it's usually for very important things. The most recent one was 9/11, when everyone was giddy and hopeful for a third world war. Bastards.

I don't believe anything huge has happened up on Earth since I've been gone. There was tension with a lot of countries, and the political climate in the USA was not fun, but the imps and demons around the castle aren't acting like there's big news anyway. They're apparently confused as to what the purpose of this council is.

We traveled by carriage (they refuse to advance beyond the renaissance for some reason) to a neutral castle between Sloth and Greed, and Valefar mentioned that my being a virgin might be of interest to some of the rulers and I should stay close to him or Lamia at all times.

Valefar hasn't touched me like that since the punishment. I'm a little relieved, but I'm also disappointed. Everything about Valefar still turns me on. I want him bad, but it's still odd that I'm sexually attracted to a demon king who used to be fucking Dracula. I think he's trying to give me some time, which is a terribly kind gesture, but I'm needing it less and less.

Lamia tugs on my hair one more time and then runs her fingers through my locks like a comb. She's braided a layer of my hair on top of the rest like a net, and clasped the ends with gold clips. The dress I wear was made by her, too. It's a simple black dress with off-the-shoulder bishop sleeves, but it sparkles at the bottom of the skirt with the black diamonds sewn in. I noticed each sin seems to have a corresponding color set, and Sloth's is black and grey. I can still add some splashes of color, and Lamia always seems to enjoy putting gold jewelry on me.

"Do I look a bit like a princess?" I ask her as I stand up and do a little spin. "I'm still not sure about being his queen, but I see no problem in looking like I'm royalty for now, right?"

The spider lady smirks, and takes my hand so I spin again. "Ruth Hutchinson, you look exquisite. Valefar will be pleased."

My cheeks turn red, then I clear my throat. "You don't think it'll look like I'm overstepping, right?"