𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐔𝐒 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯

FIVE

SALAZAR sat on his porch with a cigarette in his mouth thinking over the conversation he had with Sabrina just a few minutes ago. His niece had called him in hysterics, saying that Hilda and Zelda refused to let her remain a normal teen. They wanted her to sign her soul off on her sixteenth birthday just like every other devout witch. The only reason their phone call ended was that Ambrose had taken the phone away from Sabrina.

Salazar remembered the moment he had signed his name into the book, looked in the face of Lucifer Morningstar, and fell apart. It was the day he realized why his father harboured such severe hate for him. Salazar muttered profanities under his breath and tapped off the ash to the floor. The neighbourhood was beginning to wake up, teens and children running out of their houses so they wouldn't be late.

Fathers kissed their wives goodbye while they stayed at home, Salazar sneered thinking how times had hardly changed. Although there was one major difference between now and then, Salazar looked at the cars and buses, times had changed in some aspects.

"My life is like the basketball game we played against Northern, a challenge but the outcome triumphant," A voice muttered off with a gesturing hand in the air and sheet of papers in the other.

Salazar peeked up and straightened his slouched back, eyes alert and mouth curling impishly. His neighbour was a senior in high school whose parents were never home. A very interesting eighteen-year-old high school male. Flicking the cigarette away and straightening out his clothing, Salazar breathed out into his palm and made a face at the smell of smoke that clung to him.

Using his magic to dissipate the smell he fought off a grin when the teen froze the second he noticed him sitting down. Salazar admired him for a moment, eyes trailing down from the top of his fluffy hair to the bottom of his shoes, face pulling into a grin when he flushed five different shades of red.

Steve Harrington, the guy next door, Salazar had to make sure he wasn't drooling. Only irritating thing was that he had a girlfriend, a temporary problem Salazar hummed with a wave to the male.

Salazar swooned when Steve jumped and scrambled to his car, almost having his paper fall to the floor at his haste.

It had been a while since he'd dabbled in normality. Standing when the male drove away Salazar couldn't help the frown on his face, It was the day before Hallow's eve and Salazar could feel magic all along the air. His niece would be celebrating her birthday soon and Halloween would provide the perfect time for Lucifer to fall through the crack between hell and earth.

He flicked the lights on and observed his home, filled to the brim with ancient texts and magic items. On a small counter, an image of him and his deceased familiar Cerberus laid untouched for decades.

Salazar picked up the frame and looked at the old picture with a complicated expression, "I guess I'll have to expect a visit from him."

━

HIS mother had spent the whole morning on edge. It was Salazar's sixteenth birthday and Zelda had spent the day by his side chatting off his ear. Unlike the rest of his siblings who kept away from him, Zelda found joy at his side. His older sister Vesta sneered at him from where she sat eating a fruit.

"Stop that foolish behaviour, Vesta," Their father scoffed from his seat in the outdoor yard.

His mother handed him the registry of familiars from the coven council's hands seeming to shake as she went. Salazar ignored her odd behaviour and collected the book from her arms. Opening it he frowned immediately at the selection they provided, none of the familiars called to him.

Shutting the book, he excused himself saying he wanted to take a walk to finalize his decision. When Zelda begged to follow him he had stated she had to stay and keep by Hilda's side and even with her protests being announced he walked to the dense forest.

Conjuring a bell into his hands, he breathed in deeply and wondered about the look in his mother's eyes. Shaking away his straying thoughts he kept his expression sharp while he came closer to the earth, hand moving the dirt around as he began to speak.

"Spirits of the forest, come forth and seek me a familiar made to be."

The bell rang three times as Salazar drew onto the dirt, forming a circle parted in the middle, a representation of equal haves. A heavy brush of wind flew by carrying the leaves into the air and when Salazar paused to listen carefully there was nothing.

"How grown-up you've become," A voice whispered from behind him, "Already of age."

Salazar snapped his head around eyes flashing in surprise as he lost his balance crashing onto the forest floor. The man before him seemed lost in his thoughts, taking his time to observe Salazar before a grin crossed his features.

"Are you the familiar?" Salazar breathed out in confusion, standing to dust of his trousers.

"Oh no," The man laughed, "No, no, consider me the delivery service."

From the man's arms emerged a pitch-black hound no more than a puppy with sharp ears and coal-black eyes to match.

"This is Cerberus," The man cooed at the hound and settled him into Salazar's arms, "He will serve you well until it's time."

"Wait!" Salazar called out, stopping the man from leaving, "Wait please!"

The man came to a stop but didn't turn around.

"Who are you?" Salazar looked to the animal in his arms, "And why? I do not get it."

"My boy," The man sang. "Such unnecessary questions you have."

When the man disappeared Salazar hid away Cerberus, too fearful to know what having him meant. In a dazed state, Salazar was prepared for his name to be signed in the book of beasts.

The book laid out in front of him, calling to him in silent hushed whispers and when he was handed the knife he didn't hesitate to draw blood and sketch his name on the space provided for his name. When the name "Salazar Innes Spellman" was set into the book he thought everything would be over. Yet, as soon as his name was placed into the book his pooling blood collected back onto the page, rearranging the words. The sky began to bleed red and by his side stood Cerberus, eyes gleaming into the night where a figure emerged.

Salazar Innes Morningstar took its place and the same man who handed him Cerberus stepped into the light provided by the gleaming moon. 

He called himself Lucifer, Lucifer Morningstar.