They followed the same route they’d come in by, but once they got to the main hallway, they passed through another door and entered a much more elaborate area. Drew tried not to gawk as they traversed the hallways and chambers of the palace. There were intricate tapestries, statues that looked to have been carved from black volcanic rock, and detailed paintings of Hellish landscapes lining the walls. Demons in crisp uniforms were attending to the palace, cleaning and polishing, and completely ignoring Drew and the guard.
They soon arrived outside a door, and the guard knocked. A voice from beyond called, “Enter,” and Drew was led inside a . . . cozy office? Huh.
Lucifer sat behind a large desk, the surface of which was wooden. That seemed odd to Drew, since he’d seen hardly any trees since he’d been here, so he wasn’t sure where they would get timber from? Books and scrolls were spread across the top, which were also made from paper, so maybe there were areas that could sustain a plantation? Though that one scroll looked like some kind of leather. Ew, maybe it was human skin? Oh god, did they have human farms too?
Drew tried to keep his wandering thoughts and fears off his face as he was shuffled in front of the desk. Lucifer was sitting in a high-backed armchair that had been upholstered in a crimson fabric. He nodded at the guard when they saluted and then dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Drew tried not to flinch as the door clicked shut as they left.
Lucifer stared at Drew, and he stood awkwardly, trying to decide what was appropriate here. Did he bow? Should he maintain eye contact or not? Was he supposed to throw himself on the floor and beg for mercy? He kind of wished they’d had etiquette classes in high school for moments like these.
Before he could decide what to do, Lucifer broke the silence. “In all the commotion, I never caught your name.” His presence was still almost suffocating, but his voice was calm, even curious.
“Oh, sorry. Um, it’s Drew, sir. Uh, Drew Phillips.” Drew ducked his head in a little bow but found his body trying to curtsey and he ended up stumbling forward. His feet tangled together, and he pitched over, his forehead smacking against the desk before he landed in a heap on the ground. The carpet beneath his feet was thick and plush, but that didn’t help his head at all. “Ow,” he moaned, clutching at his temple.
A throat cleared and Drew looked up to see Lucifer peering down at him from above the desk. “Are you okay?”
Knowing his face was beet red with embarrassment, Drew scrambled to his feet and nodded. “Sorry. I’m fine!”
Lucifer gestured at his head. “Are you certain? That’s quite the bump.”
“Yes, I’m fine. I swear. Sorry. I’m kind of clumsy.”
“You also apologize a lot.”
“Yes, sorry,” Drew agreed. “Um, I’m Canadian.”
“Ah.” Lucifer nodded in understanding. “So, Drew Phillips, clumsy Canadian—what’s your story and why exactly are you in my domain?”
Drew winced. “It’s kind of a long story.”
“I have time.” He gestured to the chair behind Drew. “Have a seat.”
Sinking into the chair, Drew wondered exactly how he should start. “Uh, so, I was cooking, and I don’t have much luck with cooking, and I accidentally opened a portal to here in my kitchen and my boyfriend and I were sucked through it. We travelled to the Borderlands, and I got us home, but I lost something, so I came back for it.” He said it all in a rush, like ripping off a Band-Aid.
Lucifer just stared at him. “That doesn’t explain the situation as much as you may think. Let’s back up a little bit, shall we?”
Drew nodded. “Oh, sure. Of course.”
“I’m getting the feeling that, despite your obvious power, you’re quite inexperienced at using your magic?” Lucifer said it quite kindly, and that simply made Drew more nervous.
“I only discovered I could do magic a year ago,” he admitted. “Apparently it runs in my family, and my Grammy was quite good at it, but I didn’t know it was something I could do. I’ve been having lessons each week but I’m also doing my MBA, so it’s tricky to find the time.”
Lucifer looked at him blankly. “MBA?”
“Oh, sorry. Master of Business Administration. I go to Vancouver Island University, but not for too much longer. I’m almost finished my degree.”
Another long stare. Drew fidgeted under the scrutiny. “You arefascinating, Drew Phillips,” Lucifer finally said.
“I am?”
“I honestly cannot say I’ve ever met anyone like you.”
Drew frowned at that. “Really?”
Lucifer clasped his hands together and leaned his elbows on the desk. “Really. You have one of the most powerful magical auras I’ve ever encountered. You practically glow with the magic you’re leaking. Then there’s the fact you have a familiar. And yet you’re studying something as banal as business administration.” He looked bewildered. “Why?”
Drew looked down at his hands and picked at a hangnail. He shrugged. “I don’t even know if doing magic pays the bills. And there was no guarantee I’d be any good at it. What if I failed at being a witch and had dropped out of uni before getting my degree?” He looked up, but didn’t meet Lucifer’s gaze, instead looking over his shoulder at a tapestry on the wall. “I worked hard to get the scholarships I needed to go to uni. My aunt and I didn’t have much, and before I accidentally summoned Zach, I was missing more meals than I ate. I’m not going to risk giving away my future livelihood on a whim.”
“Wait. Did you say you summoned someone called Zach?”
