The Devils princess

chapter one

drip.

drip.

drip.

It seemed like it was in slow motion as tears dripped slowly down the woman's face. How many times had she tried to conceive? How many times had she failed? In her eyes it was endless. In reality, it was only five. But it was enough. Enough to cause her an infinite amount of pain.

And that, she said, was what brought her to him. Her husband refused to go. He was a religious man and didn't believe in such things. She was too far gone now to change her mind. Nervously, she'd over-explained to his assistant why she was there. The assistant merely smiled and told her to wait.

Now the woman sat across from him, twiddling her fingers nervously in her lap as her unnecessary explanation tumbled out of her mouth. He knew why she was there. He'd known from the minute he'd gotten word that she was coming and why she was coming. Finally, she lapsed into silence and merely stared at him. It was then that he spoke.

"Eighteen years." He said and watched her face twist in confusion.

"Eighteen? I don't under–..." She trailed into silence again at the look on his face.

"I'll give you eighteen years. After that, on her eighteenth birthday, the girl, and trust me will be a girl. She'll be mine."

The look the woman gave him, told him she thought he was insane. Maybe he was. He stared at her until she let out a quiet sob and then held her hand out. "W-we have a de-deal."

*Age nine*

It was Alyssa's ninth birthday, but that wasn't the exciting part in her opinion. It was the fact that her parents had surprised her with a day trip to the beach. She stared out at the water, fascinated by the way the light sparkled on the water while her father first helped her mother out of the car and then unpacked everything they had brought.

Hours later, after going back and forth between swimming and building sandcastles Alyssa heard what she considered, at her age, to be her favorite sound.

The music of an ice cream truck.

She squealed excitedly and splashed out of the water towards her parents, both of whom sat on towels in the sand, talking quietly." Dad!" Alyssa squealed. He ignored her, continuing his conversation with her mother. "Daaaaadddd," Alyssa said impatiently, tapping his shoulder. Finally, he turned his attention to her.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"Can we get ice cream?" She asked impatiently and he smiled.

"Anything for the birthday girl," He replied, standing up. They made their way over to the line. It seemed to take forever until it was their turn. Her father ordered one cookie and cream ice cream cone for Alyssa and one for her mother. "Here, take this to your mom okay? I'll be there in a minute." He said, handing her both cones, without waiting for a response. She made her way back over to her mother, and turning back, she saw the man in the truck, leaning out of the window talking to her father. For a split second, so quick she was sure she'd imagined it, the man looked up, eyes as red as the paint on their car, and then his gaze was back on her father.

She turned away, immediately wishing she hadn't looked back.

                     *Eight years later*

Alyssa would never forget her ninth birthday. The day she'd seen the man with the red eyes. It was single-handedly one of the worst and the best days of her life. she'd enjoyed spending the day at the beach with her parents, But ever since she'd seen him she's had the sense that she was being followed, watched. A different kind of feeling from when your parent or babysitter watches as you play at the playground. Different from when your friends watch you take the stage as prom queen. It was the kind of feeling you'd get walking home late at night. The kind that made the hairs on your arms stand up. She'd had that feeling ever since that day.

And I hated every second of it.

Sometimes it made her wish that they had never gone to the beach that day. But then she would think of all the fun she'd had and she would regret wishing they'd never gone.

Eighteen.

Today was her eighteenth birthday. It seemed like a lifetime ago she'd only been nine years old. She'd never forgotten what she'd seen that day at the beach. So much had changed since then. She could feel it down in her bones. But somehow today was different than usual. Shaking her head as though to clear it, she ran her hands in her hair and tugged down her metallica t-shirt and looked down at her blue and black sneakers. Yes she could have picked a prettier outfit but she really didn't give a shit. She turned her jeep off and opened the door, getting out staring at the house. The house was white with a dark red roof, the grass was slowly growing tall telling her that her father needed to cut it. Her fears were confirmed as she approached the house. From the outside, she could hear loud, angry voices and the sound of someone sobbing in the background.

Alyssa barely had a chance to reach for the door handle before the door was flung open. The sobbing was louder with the door open. But her view was blocked by a man, she recognized.
And for an instance, she was taken back to that day on the beach with those red eyes. But looking at him now she realized his eyes weren't red at all, they were blue and he wore a cocky smile on his face as though he knew something she didn't.

"It seems the guest of honor has arrived at last." Said the unknown man as he stepped aside, leaving room for her to walk inside.

Hesitantly she stepped over the threshold and walked into the house, the walls to the house had pictures of her and her family, her and her friends. Even pets she had growing up. The house was like any normal house.

The sobs she found were coming from her mother. Both her parents were seated on the couch, her father had his arms around her mother. He was glaring at the man with the kind of hatred she didn't think her father even possessed. Alyssa felt her mouth go dry as the door shut and the man walked back into her view.

"What's going on?" She asked quietly. Her mother's sobs quieted as her father started to speak.

"It has nothing to do with you, Lyss. Our guest was just leaving." He replied, not taking his eyes off the man's face.

"Don't let him lie to you, love. It has everything to do with you." the man said.

"Will somebody just tell me what the hell is going on?" Alyssa demanded, trying to ignore how loud her mother's sobs were getting.

"You know how much we love you right Lyss?" Her dad said, rubbing her mother's back.

"Of course I do but that doesn't explain what's going on or who he is." She said, jerking her head in the man's direction.

"Why don't you let me introduce myself? '' The man suggested.
"Was I talking to you? No, I was talking to my parents. I don't care what you have to say.'' Alyssa snapped.

The man let out a low chuckle." It seems like the two humans haven't taught you any manners." He said.

'These humans' as you call them are my parents and they taught me enough manners." She snapped, turning her green eyes to his blue ones.

He stared at her, his blue eyes bright with amusement. "Well you are something aren't you?" He asked, more to himself, but in the absence of her mother's sobs, which she hadn't realized had stopped, she was able to hear as though he'd spoken it aloud.

Alyssa tore her gaze away from him and looked over at her mother, who still had tears on her face. "Lyss, this is...This is the Devil," her mom said.

"I prefer Lucifer." The man said calmly, though Alyssa didn't miss the annoyance in his tone.

"Don't you think it's a little rude to call people names mom? That's what you always taught me." Alyssa said instantly, completely ignoring the man.

"Well love, it can't be rude if it's true." The man now known as Lucifer answered for her mother. Alyssa scoffed but turning to look at him was the biggest mistake she could make. What had once been blue eyes were now blood red, and black wings ripped through the back of his suit and rose in the air behind him. Alyssa could feel the room start to spin, she didn't have time to scream as her body swayed side to side and she watched through blurry eyes as the man reached towards her. She didn't have time to yell at him not to put a hand on her as her vision started to darken and she could feel her body start to fall.