I’m a mess; without looking, I know my cheeks are blotchy, and my eyes are lined in red. There’s a knock at the door, and I groan, thinking that it’s the Devil—Lucifer. I’m not sure that man is used to actually speaking with people. He was so short and aggressive with me, I want nothing to do with him. I just want to see Diana and then cease to exist.
I don’t say anything to the person knocking at the door, but they enter anyway. The woman who enters looks so familiar, and I remember her sitting next to me at the fountain on campus. I search through my brain for her name. The first letter on the tip of my tongue when it hits me.
“Kas?”
“Lilith, I didn’t expect to see you here so soon.”
She walks over and sits on top of my bed like she owns the place, and I hold the blanket close to my chest. I haven’t even looked for clothes yet, just immediately sat down on this ridiculously massive bed and started crying my eyes out.
“Oh, none of that. Demon girls don’t cry.”
My head swings in her direction. “Demon?”
“For the nine circles of Hell, he didn’t tell you he made you into a demon?”
“He just said I was in Hell,” I deadpan. I guess I didn’t understand that going to Hell automatically made me a demon. The word itself feels evil, I guess it’s good to encompass everything that Diana thought I was—what I am.
“You have to help me, I have to see my sister.”
Kas sighs. “Listen, having angel siblings sucks ass. I would not recommend it. If you thought they were little goody two-shoes on earth, they only act like bigger assholes once they get to Heaven.”
“But… we left on bad terms. She’s my twin.”
Kas looks at me like she feels sorry for me, but I can’t tell if it’s genuine or not. “I’m sure all of this is hard for you. It’s probably the reason why demons aren’t turned right away. You didn’t get to go through sorting and get the whole spiel about Hell or how it works.”
“What do you mean?” I ask her, furrowing my brows.
“You’re a special case.”
“Why?”
She shrugs her shoulders. “Listen, why don’t you finish having this little sad-girl-party tonight, and first thing tomorrow, I’ll show you around and explain a few things about Hell.”
“There really is no leaving?” I ask her.
She gives me a grin, and when Kas smiles, I feel like she could devour someone whole. “Not right now, but once you figure out how to portal and how to manage your abilities, you should be able to go to any dimension you want.”
“Even Heaven?”
She laughs, a barking sarcastic laugh. “Sweetheart, if you were to portal into Heaven, they would kill you on sight. Listen, Hell isn’t as bad as it seems, especially as a demon. Let me show you around tomorrow and explain some things.”
“Alright,” I reply, sitting up straight and trying to compose myself.
“Make sure you wear some actual clothes,” Kas comments, looking me up and down. “Not that it’s a bad look. I just don’t want to have to deal with any eyeballs being gouged out tomorrow.”
I open my mouth to ask another question because half of what Kas said makes no sense to me, but I shut my mouth instead. I’m going to do what she said, use the rest of the night to grieve, and tomorrow I can ask all the questions I need.
“Okay,” I say softly, and Kas nods her head.
“I’ll be back bright and early—well, as bright as it gets in Hell. Bye!” She shuts the door, and I hear her retreating footsteps down the hall.
With a heavy plop, I fall back into the bed and look at the ceiling, coming to terms with my new life. Diana, Otis, finishing school, Dad, and the killing spree I was on, are all clearly in my past. Apparently, I’m a demon now, and I don’t even know the first thing about who I’m supposed to be or how I’m supposed to act.
Why did he turn me immediately upon arrival, and why am I in such a nice room?I feel completely drained and out of place. I just wish I could go back in time and not argue with Diana. If we had just stuck together, if we never went to Hallowsdeep that night… maybe it wouldn’t have ended this way. I just want to take it all back.
I’d even take back killing Tyler…well, maybe not that.
I focus on breathing in and out, calming my nerves, and not wanting to cry another tear. I sealed my fate with my own actions, and I have to live with it. Diana is in Heaven, which I’m assuming isn’t a bad gig, and I suppose she’ll be happy there. Janice in the apartment next to us will notice we didn’t come home, and hopefully, she’ll adopt Otis.
