A Match Made in Hell - Calbrina

Chapter 1

Harvey, Theo, Robin and I are currently trying to come up with a game plan against the pagans when all of a sudden I hear a concernedly familiar voice.

"Perhaps I can help," Caliban suggests when he appears at the door frame.

Harvey immediately pipes up with a "What the hell is he doing here?" And while I'm thinking the same thing myself, there seems to be a form of anger in his voice that I don't quite understand.

"Caliban, if this is about the third challenge," I start, walking towards him, but the demon cuts me off.

"I came to make a proposal, away from the courts of Hell. If my queen were to entertain it, I would, in turn, help your friend."

"What do you know about turning someone from stone to flesh?" I don't want to be around him more often than I have to, I tell myself. I get this odd feeling in my stomach after I think that, as though I'm lying, but I know that it's true. 

"I'm made of clay." He says it blatantly, and though I already knew this, it's odd to think about. "There's a spell, a Pygmalion spell that will turn her back into flesh."

"Do you know it?"

"Not by heart, no, I'd have to find it. If you came with me, I could outline my proposal." He starts heading towards me, and I catch the smell of something darkly earthy and citrusy, with a hint of brimstone. This causes my breath to hitch and I internally slap myself. He's my enemy, the man I am working against for the crown, it doesn't matter if he smells like Hell itself or has the face of a seductive sex demon. I hate him.

I consider refusing for a brief moment. Simply saying no and sending him back to Pandemonium, but then my best friend would remain as a statue, so there's really only one possible answer.

"Fine, I'll do it. Let's go."

And within the blink of an eye we are encircled in flames and arrive in the Academy's Library.

—

Caliban and I have been sitting in silence for what feels like an eternity, flipping through page after page until I finally decide to break it.

"Why is it called a Pygmalion spell?"

When I ask this, a confused look crosses his face. "Don't you know the myth of Pygmalion?" when it's clear that I don't, he continues.  "He was a sculptor who carved a woman made of ivory. Pygmalion fell in love with the statue, wished her alive. He made an offering to the gods, promised he would give up his greatest love, sculpting. In exchange, when Pygmalion kissed the statue, she turned to flesh."

I respond with the only words I can muster up, "That's beautiful." There's a tear rolling down my cheek when he finishes telling the story. There's something about it that reminds me of Nick and I, the great sacrifice for your love, only for another to be taken away. But there's a key difference, in that Nick both made the sacrifice for me, and also gave me up.

Caliban asks me "Why are you crying?" in a way that shows he clearly doesn't understand, so I respond with that and quickly change the subject.

He seizes this opportunity to bring up his "proposal". "We could compete against each other to find the third item of the Unholy Regalia, Judas' pieces of silver." Caliban stands up and starts walking towards me as he continues. "Or, we could work together to find them."

"Who would win the throne in that case," I ask, confusion littered all over my face.

"We both would. We could align and rule Hell together."

Now I'm even more confused. "Align," I question.

Caliban says "Get married," so plainly, as if it's the obvious answer.

"Married," I laugh, he can't possibly be serious. "I think we want different things, Caliban."

"Are you certain of that?" At this point I'm completely lost. An hour ago we were enemies, and now he wants to be married for all of eternity?

"A hundred percent. I don't wanna turn Earth into the Tenth Circle of Hell, for starters."

"What if I took that off the table?" He's really pushing this, seemingly convinced that this is the best option for both of us.

"Is this a negotiation? Because if so, I'm still not marrying you, Caliban. A.) I just broke up with my boyfriend–"

"Make me a counter offer then. And I'll give you this spell I just found."

I look down at his hands and see an open book. "Is that it? The Pygmalion spell?"

He shuts it, and once again starts creeping closer to me. "What will you trade me for it, to save your friend and stabilize the realms?"

"Are we seriously having this conversation?" I ask, growing frustrated at the constant back and forth.

"A monarch must know how to compromise."

At this point, I have two options, say no, try to come up with a plan to grab the spell from Caliban, and compete to find Judas' pieces of silver while risking losing, or take the deal, save Roz, defeat the pagans, and get married to a demon made of clay. Unfortunately, one is significantly more efficient than the other and while I do love a good challenge, there are too many things at stake here.

"Well, as you suggested, Earth would be off limits, and there would be no enslavement of anyone."

"But what would we do instead?"

"We'd reform the Hell that already exists, make it better, work with Heaven instead of against it, maybe."

Caliban seems to be shocked by this, doubt seeping through his voice when he replies. "Work with Heaven? Do you think they would do that?"

I don't entirely know how to answer that question, so I decide to ask another one. "Caliban, why do you even want to be King?"

"Same reason you want to be queen... power." There's something in the way he says it, how he looks around before responding, the slight unease peaking through his words, that makes me think that isn't the whole reason. However, it satisfies me enough.

"I need certain things from you in writing first." This causes a slight grin from him, so I quickly follow up with, "And to be clear, our alignment would be political and not romantic."

"Carnal?"

"Not carnal, no."

"But if you just broke up with your boyfriend–"

"Maybe we'll get back together." I'm not sure I believe myself when I say this, but it seems to discourage him, and causes something that looks almost like disappointment. But surely I'm seeing that wrong, there's no way in Heaven that the Prince of Hell would have a crush on me, let alone want to be with me.

However, his next words knock me back a step or two. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion after we cure your friend. Your  heart might have softened towards me by then." And with that, he places the book in my hand and walks away.