"In Hell?" I squawk before I can stop myself.
His tail twitches, the fog around us thinning enough that I can make out the bailiff again. "NotHell. Myrealm. Home to my kind, just as this one is yours. Not the fiery wastelands of your fairy stories...not all of it, anyway. You will not miss anything here. No one will know you're gone, and time in this realm will remain precisely where it is until your contract is completed."
"H-how is that..." Surely I'm not understanding properly. Other worlds, creatures who can stop time...maybe I swooned before the Judge and this is all an elaborate hallucination.
"It's all quite simple. We only have to leave between the seconds."
He says that as if it should clear everything up, but it only makes my head spin more.
"Speaking of, our window is closing, so what'll it be?" he asks, producing a long scroll of parchment covered in tiny, indecipherable writing—a contract.
Now that he's mentioned it, I can see the fog lifting more, the dim jail beyond my brother's cell fading into view. The Dealmaker offers a sparkling quill, his keen eyes glowing in an unsettling way.
Oh, to hell with it, I think, taking the quill. I can't imagine there's anything in the demon realm as terrible as being forced into a marriage against my will.
The moment I pen my name on the parchment, the blue fog thickens and swallows the world around me.
The fog parts to reveal a sky clearer than I ever thought possible. A streak of pinkish purple bisects the sky, dipping below distant snow-topped peaks, and glittering above it all, a whole cloud of twinkling stars.
I only realize I’m staring up at the sky open-mouthed when the Dealmaker clears his throat. Still, it’s hard to tear my eyes away. Even on the darkest nights back home, I never dreamed there could be so many stars.
This really is a different world.
“There you are! I was wondering when you’d— Is this her?” The Dealmaker is greeted with an affectionate hug and a kiss that lingers a little too long for comfort. If I didn’t know anybetter, I’d think the auburn-haired woman is human like me, but—
Before I can finish that thought, she takes my hand in hers, squeezing it tight. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I was pretty overwhelmed when I got here, too. But the demon realm isn’t as bad as you might be expecting. I’m Serenity, by the way,” she says, smiling like we’re old friends catching up after a long absence.
“Ingrid,” I murmur, trying to absorb the demon’s estate as Serenity guides me through enormous gates, past a glowing fountain, and into a garden filled with strange flowers that shine like beacons in the moonlight. “Does that mean you’re—“
“Human?” Serenity finishes for me. “Sure am. But I’m also that grumpy guy’s mate…and wife if you want to get technical, I guess.”
The Dealmaker grumbles, one hand slipping possessively over Serenity’s hip.
“Like you, I found myself in a tough spot and needed to make a deal,” she explains.
I shoot a quick glance to the Dealmaker, my brows rising unintentionally.
“Yeah, I know how it looks,” Serenity laughs, nuzzling her head against the demon’s shoulder, the look in her eyes leaving no doubt how enamored she is with him. “But things are different here. Don’t let the rough and scary exteriors of these demons fool you; most of them have more humanity than any of the people in my old village.”
There’s a hardness in her voice when she says that, and the way the Dealmaker’s grip tightens on her makes me wonder what the whole story is there, but right now, I’ve got biggerthings to think about. I’m just looking for a distraction from all of…this.
I’ve got no doubt that Serenity is biased about the demon realm considering she decided to settle here, but her reassurance gives me the tiniest bit of hope that I didn’t make the wrong choice signing that contract instead of marrying the Judge.
Once inside, the couple exchange their goodbyes—which includes another lingering kiss, accompanied by a deep, satisfied growl that makes me avert my eyes—and the Dealmaker leaves his wife to the task of getting me settled.
The walk through the Dealmaker’s stately home is an overwhelming blur, but Serenity assures me I won’t be here for long, so there’s no need to try to learn the layout. Soon, I’m in a guest suite where a drawn bath steams next to an elaborate selection of food. My stomach growls loud enough to startle us both into nervous giggles.
“Help yourself,” she says. “These are all verified human-safe foods, nothing mood-altering or addictive.”
I stop with a slice of bread halfway to my lips. “Is that…something I need to be concerned about?”
“Not here,” she assures me. “And it would be a breach of contract if the other party didn’t properly protect you from that sort of thing.”
My shoulders relax a fraction, but there’s still a knot in my stomach as I nibble at the crust. My hesitation only lasts until that first taste hits my tongue. At that point, my greedy stomach overrides any caution I might have, and it’s all I can do to keep crumbs out of the water as I try to get into the bath while simultaneously stuffing my face.
“I don’t know what stories exist in your land about demons and their kind, but the tales were not charitable in my village. This world is not as frightening as you might expect. It is full of incredible creatures and impossible landscapes. I have only seen a fraction of it, and I hope to spend the rest of my immortal life discovering its wonders.”
I stop scrubbing at a stubborn spot of dirt to frown at her. “Immortal…?” I echo.
