“A favor,” the man repeated, drawing ever closer. He lifted a hand and touched my lips with a finger. “I don’t do favors. I do trades.”
I nodded. “A trade, then.”
Lucifer began to circle me, looking me up and down. “And tell me, witch, what are your powers?”
My mouth was dry as I replied. “Potions. I work with potions. I’m a green witch, just like my parents before me, and their parents before them.”
“Potions,” Lucifer echoed, nodding to himself. “Go on. Tell me what brought you here.”
I licked my lips. “My parents … they were burned at the stake.”
Lucifer clucked his tongue. “How tragic. Those terrible humans. Full of fear and hate. I suppose you want me to send a plague to their village in retaliation.”
“No! I … I just want to be safe. They’ll come after me next. You have to protect me.”
“Ah,” Lucifer nodded sympathetically. “You want to escape your fate. You will very likely join your parents without my intervention, this is true. A young witch like you doesn’t have the experience to escape notice easily, especially before you’ve come into your powers.” He pursed his lips. “Granting life to someone who has no more is a big request, you know. The Fates demand recompense. As do I for intervening on your behalf.”
I lifted my chin. “What would you have? I have some of the rarest ingredients in the world in my par … in my shop. I have a unicorn horn.”
Lucifer laughed and I felt my cheeks burn. “No, no. I don’t trade for trifles. I want something much more valuable than trinkets.” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair back from my forehead. “Your soul should do the trick.”
I stepped back out of his reach. “I’m not a fool. I’m not giving you my soul.”
“Then you will burn.” He closed his eyes and smiled. “I don’t think it will be painless either. I’m sure you heard your parents’ screams? Your skin will start to smolder and blister first, before cracking and leaking blood. Then your skin will crisp and blacken. But it will all take place from the bottom up. You’ll feel the fire do this to you inch by inch as it devours your body. It will be positively excruciating. Or so I hear.”
I swallowed hard, closing my eyes.
“A loan, then,” Lucifer said.
I opened my eyes again to find Lucifer watching me, eyes flat, jaw set. “Since you wish for a longer life, I would take some of your years. That’s only fair. You’re a witch, after all. You’re practically immortal. I’m sure that’s not too much to ask.”
I opened my mouth to reply, then hesitated.
“This is my final offer,” Lucifer said impatiently, tapping his foot.
“How many years?” I whispered.
Lucifer examined his nails. “How many? Hmmm. This is my offer: I will hold on to your soul until you complete 666 tasks for me, of my choosing.”
“666?” I echoed skeptically.
“You should have your soul back within 200 years if you’re as capable as I suspect. That’s not so bad, not when you have practically forever.”
“And my soul will be returned to me when the tasks are completed? No tricks?”
“No tricks.” Lucifer held out a slim hand.
I stared at the hand for a moment before I shook it.
Then I closed my eyes as Lucifer reached out with his hand, slipping it into the center of my chest. I only felt a tingling sensation until he pulled a glowing butterfly out from my chest, so brilliant I could hardly look at it. “Oh, yes. This will do nicely.”
“What does it mean, that he ‘has your soul’?” Auggie asked, frowning.
“I have to do whatever he says. At least 666 times. And when I tried to move after a village burned my shop to the ground? I found I couldn’t move a foot out of the village. Not until Lucifer gave me express permission. I had to plead my case.” I still seethed whenever I thought of that.
“And what of the humans who burned your parents? Did you get your revenge?”
I shook my head. “By the time I memorized enough of my parents’ potions and developed my magic, it was too late for revenge. Their killers were all long dead.”
