Thanks to a dare gone wrong, Maggie Brumfield finds out the hard way that Heaven and Hell are real.
Prince Laudon, Lucifer's son and the current ruler of Hell, has locked Maggie into a sinister deal that grants him temporary ownership of her soul...
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MAGGIE'S POV
To no surprise, I can relate to Laudon's distress.
My life has been in shambles from the moment I completed that stupid dare. I, too, have a target on my back, but he already knows this because he's the one who put it there.
"The truth about you..." I repeat his words, desperately trying to make sense of his cryptic responses. "What do you mean by that? And how are we alike? Help me understand."
He shakes his head while removing his cloak, presumably getting more comfortable. "The less you know, the better."
"I can't help you unless you open up to me, Laudon."
"I don't need your help. I just..." His black eyes settle on my face again, his expression softening while a bit of color tints his cheeks. I don't think I've ever seen that happen to him before. "I just need to be near you. Your presence alone has worked wonders on my mood."
"Because I make you feel good," I reply as a fact more so than a question. "Is that why you came here and then asked to stick around for a while?"
"Yes. Does that make you uncomfortable?"
"No, just curious."
"You can ask me anything," he says, then halfway smiles. "Almost anything."
"What would you have done if I had asked you to leave?"
"I don't linger in places where I'm not wanted. Had you asked me to leave, I would have left." He clasps his hands together, averting my gaze once more. "Thank you."
"What for?"
"Allowing me to stay."
Now it's my turn to smile. Whatever happened to him in Hell, it's turned him into a completely different version of himself. This new Laudon is kinder and soft spoken. His aura is warm and way less intimidating. If it weren't for his telltale demon eyes, he'd almost come across as human.
"What do you say we let bygones be bygones for today?" I suggest. Maybe he'll open up after his guard is down and he's feeling more relaxed. "We can pretend our current deal doesn't exist, and we can just sit here and hang out as friends."
"That all sounds very... intimate."
"Wow. I'm scared to ask what your definition of 'hang out' means." I laugh. "What do you and your friends do in Hell to keep yourselves entertained?"
"I have no friends, only followers," he answers grimly. "My entertainment comes from reading and traveling, though sadly, I haven't had the chance to explore your world in the way that I would like. The few times that I've come here, it's mostly been for business, never for pleasure."
