I freeze like a statue when they finally turn into my hallway. My heart thunders in my chest as I see the devil himself walking toward me. I stop breathing as I wait for him to smite me. Only he doesn’t. He stops no more than three feet in front of me and cocks his head. He looks almostthoughtful. I’m sure he’s thinking of the perfect way to punish me.
So you can imagine how confused I am when he says, “I know you’re there, little boy. How are you hiding from me?” His voice is silky smooth and his tone is one of curiosity and amusement. He isn’t yelling or threatening me. I never in my life would have expected the devil to talk like that. Let alone to me, a boy who is sneaking around his home.
“Speak up, boy. You’ve nothing to fear. A child with the power to conceal himself from the devil is a very special child indeed. Show yourself. I find I’d like to get to know you.” I stare at him, my heart racing. After a moment, he turns to the man standing beside him. I hadn’t even noticed the young man standing next to him, so focused on the devil his-fucking-self. “Belzar, proceed with what we discussed. I expect your report on my desk by the end of your shift.”
“Shift,” he says the word with an amused laugh like it’s some inside joke I don’t understand. “Sure, Boss. Have fun with your new project.” The casual manner in which he speaks to the devil blows my mind. How could anyone ever talk to him like that? Like they’re friends.
The man seems to look right at me before he shakes his head and turns to walk back down the hall he was just in.
“We’re alone now. You can drop the magic. If you continue for much longer, it may seem rude. You wouldn’t want to appear rude, would you?” The side of his lip tilts up and there’s a glint in his eyes.
“I-I don’t kn-now how, Sir,” I stutter. It’s not that I’m afraid, though I guess I am little, but the fact that the devil himself is asking me to do something and I can’t seem to do it… It’s not a feeling I’d like to experience ever again.
“Ahhh. It was a happy accident. Your first time using the power?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And what were you doing before it happened? What were you thinking?” he questions.
Well, fuck. I guess the gig is up, might as well come clean. “I was trying to hide, Sir. I wasn’t supposed to let you catch me.”
“Hmmm. Sneaking into my home? How did you get in here?” He crosses his arms over his chest and my heart stutters.
“No, Sir! I-I didn’t sneak in. I was just… hiding while I was here.” I sigh, even to me that sounds ridiculous. “My mother is a servant in the palace. She brought me to work with her today. But please don’t kill her!” I beg as I hurriedly explain what I’m doing in his home.
Having not been expecting it, I jump when he lets out a deep laugh, the sound echoing off the walls.The devillaughs?What is happening here?
“You must be Mozoth” He chuckles. “Your mother delights in telling me all the stories she tells you at home. She’s a pretty sadistic woman, your mother. She takes great joy in building me up as a boogie man. I’m really not as bad as she makes me out to be, you know.”
He knows me! Well, he knows who I am. He knows my mother very well, it seems. Has everything she’s told me been a lie? My mind races as I recall everything she’s ever said to me. With my concentration no longer on hiding, I feel the moment the magic falls, revealing me to the devil.
“Ahhh. There you are,” he murmurs. “Why, you’re just a little thing. How could you hold such power so young?”
I shrug stupidly, not knowing how the hell to answer that. He laughs again, the sound washing over me like a comforting wave. I’m so confused. I feel like my whole life is a lie. The devil isn’t evil. He’s just like anyone else. Well, he’s obviously better than everyone else, but still. He laughs. He doesn’t strike me in anger as I was expecting. He talks of my mother fondly. What the hell is going on?
“You look like you have as many questions as I do. Come, we shall figure the answers out together.” He holds a hand out toward me and points to the hallway he was walking down earlier with the other man. “It would be better to do this in my office. Can’t let everyone see me beingnice.” He smirks with a knowing look in his eyes.
I can’t help but smile at that. It’s like I’m in on the inside joke. I really like that. I take two steps toward him when he turns and storms down the hallway like a devil on a mission. I run to keep up, reaching his side just as he opens a door and ushers me into his office. I don’t know why I’m surprised he has a real office with a desk and everything. I mean, I guess the devil does more than just torture people.
“Sit,” he offers, not orders. Just another thing to keep my mind all twisted up.
I do take the seat he offers though, I’m not stupid. After we both sit down, he raises his steepled hands to his chin and just stares at me.
“Do it again,” he finally murmurs after long seconds of silence.
I try. Really, I do. I tell myself the same thing I did when it first happened.Don’t let him see me. Don’t let him see me. But it doesn’t work. It must have been a fluke. A one-time thing never to repeat itself.
He continues to just stare at me until there’s a sudden knock at the door. I jump in my seat, not expecting anyone to disturb him in his office. My eyes flicker around the room, instinctively searching for a place to hide. What if whoever it is gets angry that I’m here and hurts me?
“Quick! Conceal yourself! Don’t let them see you,” he hisses before standing to open the door.
Just like when I heard the footsteps and voices approaching me in the hall, I panic. Don’t let them see me is my new life’s motto. I chant the words over and over in my head as I freeze, scarcely daring to breathe as he opens the door to reveal a young woman with long black hair.
“Who are you talking to?” She frowns at him as she pushes past him into his office.
My eyes widen as I take in the beautiful woman. She’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Her skin is a pale white, and her silky sable hair falls down her back like a waterfall. But it’s her black horns that I can’t take my eyes off of. How did she get those? I’ve never seen anyone besides the devil with horns.
“Zofina. Make yourself at home. You always do.” He chuckles.
