Dinner with The Devil

He was fiddling with his tie, adjusting the tightness. It didn’t matter how loose he made it, he still felt as if a hand was holding his throat.

  He was sat down, at a long wooden dining room table, a bouquet of flowers in the centre, with a single chair at each end. The chairs were surprisingly comfortable, as he remembered from the last time. The room hadn’t changed in fourteen years. The paintings on the walls were still there. He looked straight at the one behind the empty chair, for now, the dragon looked like he was sleeping, but he knew as soon as the fireplace was lit, the dragon would have a menacing gaze.

 His host for the moment was preoccupied. But he had the feeling he was trying to make him sweat. His suit was becoming tighter and the room had the strong fragrance of Lilies.

When he had been here before the smell didn’t bother him. Now it makes him think of funerals. His hand was now twisting his cufflinks. He was becoming aware, that once again, he was having dinner with the Devil.  He heard the strong rapid footsteps. He closed his eyes.

  The Devil was on his way, he walked into the room and Jason sat down, not facing the entrance. He lightened his footsteps, to walk unnoticed.  He came up behind him and rested his pale hands upon his shoulders. His long fingers digging into Jason’s body. Jason looked up, his lips set and his eyes focussed.

  The Devil knew he was scared, when he put his hands on him, his thumb lightly grazed his neck. His pulse was running wild.

‘Did somebody forget their manners? You should stand when your host arrives, Jason,’ said The Devil.

 Jason opened his mouth to speak. The Devil placed his finger on his lips. His unnatural golden eyes piercing into his grey. His cheekbones pronounced from his thin face.  He began to walk away, leaving Jason to shiver from his touch. The Devil’s long hair was tied up, going down the length of his back. When The Devil walked past the fireplace, he clicked his fingers at it, transforming the room. As a warm glow cast over, the paintings came to life. On one side, paintings of people being thrown into Hell. The other side, the Garden of Eden. Jason was right about the Dragon, its dark red eyes looked straight into his soul. When The Devil sat down facing him, he swore he heard the dragon laugh.

 ‘Welcome back Dearie, I presume this isn’t a catch up between old friends,’ said The Devil, as his head rested on his bridged fingers.

‘We aren’t friends, you planned this,’ Jason said, as he planted his hands on the table.

 ‘Planned what? I suppose we aren’t friends if you are to use that tone with me,’ said The Devil as he put his hands down and began to straighten his tie.

 ‘You knew my wife would die and my daughter would be left an orphan before she was 16,’ he said.

 ‘Oh that my dear, I would never plan. I had no reason to take your wife if you remember the deal, I only said I would take you,’ he said looking straight at Jason.  ‘I’m The Devil, not a politician, I do have a little integrity.’

 ‘Says The Devil, who God kicked out of Heaven after an uprising,’ Jason mumbled, The Devil heard him and his face contorted.

 ‘Perhaps Dearie, this will go better with a meal,’ He said as he walked to the mantle place and took down a brass bell and rang it three times.

 The dinner was served, by a pretty girl, her whole body was tense. She placed a plate in front of Jason, he turned down the choice of wine, wanting only water. She placed a single glass of wine in front of The Devil, she bowed her head slightly at him. The dinner roast beef, a crisp brown on the outside, pink on the inside, blood spilling out. The knife slipped through the meat as easily as if it was melted butter. Jason, under the gaze of The Devil, began to eat.

 The Devil had no plate in front of him. All he had was what appeared to be red wine. But the stains on the glass did not appear as if it was. The liquid barely stirred when he brought it to his lips. It tainted his mouth like paint. Jason grimaced and pushed his half eaten food to the side.

 The Devil ran his finger over the rim of the glass, his eyes never looking away from Jason.

‘So why have you come back?’ he said not even looking at Jason.

‘I want to cancel the deal,’ said Jason as he twisted at his wedding band.

The Devil looked at him, a smirk spread across his face before he started to laugh.

 ‘Oh Dearie, aren’t you brave, even I don’t go back on a deal,’ he said standing, as he walked down towards him.

 He shrank back into his seat, his back firmly pressed against the leather of the chair his palms sweating.

  ‘Actually, I don’t think you are brave, I think you are stupid,’ he said as he planted both hands on Jason’s face.

‘Please, I can’t leave my daughter an orphan,’ he said, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

 The Devil tilted his head, and smirked again and bent his face close to Jason’s.

 ‘We made a deal Dearie, I take your life and soul when she is 15 years old,’ he said as he moved his hands to his neck, pressing his thumb down.

‘I don’t want to leave her on her own, she has no one else, it isn’t fair!’ He said.

‘Dearie life isn’t fair, she won’t be the only orphan in the world, I haven’t seen my father since I got kicked out of heaven,’ The Devil’s face softened as he said this, he pulled away from Jason. He pressed his hand to his temple, eyes closed.  Once his back was turned a small smile appeared on his face.

 

A woman wearing black heels and a tight dress walked into the room. Her hair was dark, long and wavy. In her hands was a dark red leather file. She went straight to The Devil barely casting her eyes at Jason.

 ‘Thank you, Lilith, stay.’ He said taking the file from her and placing it on the table, she perched herself next to him. Her eyes watching him as he pulled out papers, sorting them into two different piles.

 Jason’s eyes widened when he saw that one of the papers had his signature. He twitched. When his eyes met Lilith’s her eyes switched from blue to gold.

 She flicked through the paper’s The Devil placed in front of her. Her eyes slowly scanning, her lips pouting slightly. A pen poised in her hand

   ‘Sire, would this help?’ she said as she passed, a piece over, she had circled a small passage. He took it from her and glanced at it.

 

 The King of Hell has right to alter this agreement depending on circumstances, as long as the seller is aware and is in agreement. If the agreement is altered, the right of use of Hellhounds for soul removal is relinquished.

 

  ‘When did I put that there?’ he said as he arched his eyebrows.

 ‘It has been on the contract for a few centuries sire,’ she said slightly bowing her head down.

 ‘I’ve become soft in my old age Lilith, Jason it is your lucky day,’ he said narrowing his eyes at the contact, carefully reading each word.

Jason opened his mouth slightly, his breath stopped cold, he could not believe it. Had he just got lucky with The Devil? He stood up and shook The Devil’s hand.

 ‘Thank you, my daughter isn’t going to be an orphan.’

  Lilith started shrieking with laughter, she wasn’t making any attempt to cover it up. The Devil was smirking and he could even hear the dragon laugh.

The hairs on the back of Jason’s neck tingled, the sweat running down his back felt like ice.   The taste of blood and bile was rising in his throat. The Devil’s hand had left his hand and his pale fingers gripped him by the tie.

‘I never said I was cancelling our agreement dearie, I am just going to change the details. I said I would take you when she was 15, all I am going to do is raise the number,’ he said as narrowed his gaze.  

  Jason’s eyes widened, his pupils enlarged and his mind went straight to his daughter. Who at this moment didn’t know her life was in the process of once again changing. She was probably fast asleep, with her arm around their cat.

  ‘The deal is, I will give you until she is 25, take it or she is an orphan at 15,’ he said removing his hand. He clicked his fingers and a new contract appeared on the table.

Jason snatched the pen from Lilith’s hand and signed.

 

‘Are you really just going to give him ten years with his daughter Sire?’ Lilith said, tilting her head with her finger under her bottom lip.

 The Devil strode over to her and gripped her throat, as he pressed his thumb down across her windpipe. She clawed at his hand while gagging.

    ‘Are you stupid,  you are aren’t you dearie?’ he said as he slammed her down onto the table, ‘I hate demons they just don’t see the bigger picture, I never said I would leave the girl alone, I am going to use her, I think the world is finally ready for a Nephilim,’ he released her throat and walked away leaving her on the table.

  ‘With who?’

‘Who better than myself,’ he said leaving the room.