Synching With the Devil's Son

Chapter 40

Bella's P.O.V.

What did he just say? He's kidding, right? I laugh out loud, not realizing he was such a jokester. But he's not laughing, he's looking at me with trepidation, like he's expecting me to scream and run away. This farce is what he was so worried about telling me? It has to be a joke because there is no such thing as Heaven and Hell. "Seriously?" I deadpan, "you're the Devil?"

He shakes his head. "The Devil's son," he corrects quietly. "To be honest, there is a lot of misconceptions out there about my father. He's not really the monster everyone thinks he is...well, let me refrain. He can be a monster and a total dick, but he's not evil."

"Uh-huh," I say. Should I be concerned about Lucien's sanity? Does he need to go to the doctor or something? Is that why he transferred to such a small town in rural Tennessee? Because he's insane and his doctors told his father to keep him in quiet small communities where nothing noteworthy ever happens? He never seemed insane to me, but what he just said makes me believe he is definitely off his rocker.

"So you think you are the Devil's son, and for some reason you are going to high school in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee?" At his nod I continue. "And why here? Wouldn't the Devil want to partake in all sorts of sins and lecherous behavior? You're not going to get a lot of that here."

He scoffs. "Dad made me come here to 'immerse myself in humanity' as he called it. Thought I was running too wild and needed some boundaries in my life. He threw a dart at a map he has in his office, Pigeon Forge is where it landed."

I'm caught off guard by that, and startle hard as my legs begin to feel numb. "Sorry, the Devil has an office?" I ask incredulously.

He smiles slightly. "Sure. We have to keep track of the souls who are either directly under our care, or soon will be. All their information is stored in his office."

"We?" I ask, grasping onto the non-informative aspect of his story so I don't have to focus on its substance. This cannot be true. There is no such thing as Heaven or Hell, right?

He nods, taking a tentative step toward me. "We. My Dad and I. We rule over the resident demons and people damned to Hell for the way they lived their lives." He looks closely at me to see how I'm handling that piece of information. When I gaze quietly back at him, he continues, "A few months ago he made me come here to learn how to be more empathetic and caring. I was acting out, pissed that my Mom is gone, pissed that my Dad basically ignores me until he decides to interfere with my life, pissed that he expects me to follow in his footsteps. He had the next six months all planned out for me, but what he couldn't plan for was you."

I don't back away when Lucien takes another tentative step toward me. I know he expects me to, but even if what he's telling me is true, I am not afraid of him. He literally saved me last night, pulled me from my terror, cleaned all my wounds, and then scared the bear away. Wait...the scream. That unworldly scream that sent the bear hightailing away from us. Then Lucien carried me back, all the way to camp, while I slept in his arms. Who could do that and not be in agony today? And the hot pot of water...I burned my fingers on the lid, and he didn't use anything to protect himself while carrying it to the clearing where I bathed in the sunlight. I surge toward him and grab his hand, turning it over to look at his palm that should have been blistered but isn't. It is smooth and warm, the skin unblemished. I look up at him to find him staring down at me while I turn his hand over again, looking for any sign of injury. I release his hand and take a step back, trying to assimilate what he's telling me, what I've witnessed for myself and what I believe to be true. Could he actually be the Devil's son?