Aimee and Relly were flipping out, yelling and screaming with all their might, as I just watched everything in the dirt pass as we submerged deeper and deeper into the earth. As panicked as everyone else was, I was offputtingly calm.
Relly screamed about how hurt his mother would be, how lonely his grandparents would be. About everyone he knew. I was so quiet he had almost forgotten I was with them.
Amiee was screaming about pets and her mother going into surgery soon. About school and her friends. She, too, had almost forgotten I was there.
And in unison, Relly and Amiee screamed "And Aeris," As Lucy pointed to me.
"Guess we'll find out what is really the center of the earth, after all. Shit, at this rate, we could nap and wake up in China." I scoffed. "Why are you really taking us? Because I find it hard to believe that it's solely because you find the way I live my life to be interesting, and you took the two people that mean everything to me just because of what they mean to me. I'll bet you'll try to use us as leverage against each other just to get us to do your bidding."
I tried to make my words sting like a snake bite, but I quickly realized there was no point in doing so, Look who I was talking to. Fucking Lucifer. Heartless son of a bitch.
"I'm sorry, but this all just seems-"
"What kind of sick fuck are you?" Relly cut me off to yell. He wasn't letting this go.
"You, young man, have done your fair share of opinionating. Let the lady speak. "
Relly was shaking with anger, as he put his arms around me, burying his face into the back of my neck, as he had always done when hugging me from behind. I had missed this feeling so much, that I took a moment to saver his touch. A moment too long for Lucy, apparently.
"Well?" He wasn't quite as irritated sounding when he spoke to me as he did when speaking to Amiee and Relly.
"Sorry, I was-"
"I know, and your train has lost steam. You know, you're quite easy to read, but hard to predict. And this book has yet to bore me."
"You almost sound fond of her." Relly was starting to sound like a jealous girlfriend.
"You need not know of my fondness of individuals, boy. Silence is a virtue. I suggest you learn it."
I raised an eyebrow, seeing as I couldn't finish a sentence without being interrupted, I spin around to face Relly and press my lips to his cheek, seeing as he was coming down from anger, he would have bitten my lower lip, had I kissed his. Relly froze for a moment and glanced at Amiee to make sure she wasn't bothered by the sudden affection.
She smirked and made a face. You could almost hear her yell "AWWWE" At us. She hadn't seen him and I like this for years. Matter of fact, almost every time she saw us interact, it was over the phone or through text.
I turned back around to face Lucifer. Clearing my throat, I stepped forward, out of Relly's arms. I had to focus, and he wasn't helping.
"This all just seems a bit childish, and redundant. Do you really expect me to believe the story you're trying to sell? I want the real reason why you chose us. And what exactly are you going to have us do? Because I know for a fact that you're going use us as leverage against each other. Who wouldn't try that? What's your plan?"
"You're a smart one, aren't you? Alright, I'll humor you. I did pick you because of the way your life is lived. I chose Relly because I know he's your weakness. I chose Amiee because I know how protective you are of her and that you would die for both of them. But I'm curious as to how you're going to do in the games." He didn't even blink as he spoke.
Relly and Amiee were both angry and in awe at the small bit of a confession I got by just asking whereas they couldn't get a shred of honesty from him.
"What are the games, exactly?" I spoke softly, calmly, and looked him in the eyes, knowing that I once ran from these eyes. But I couldn't afford to be scared of them, now. I shifted my weight to one hip, putting one foot out to the side, crossing my arms across my chest. I looked like I was giving him sass, but I didn't forget my place.
Lucifer looked me up and down, knowing exactly how I meant my words and posture to come across. He smirked, and I'm sure Relly wasn't too thrilled with the tone this conversation was suddenly taking. Lucifer stepped closer to me, almost too close. I can see Relly's fists clench out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored it and kept my focus on Lucifer.
He smirked, making it known he noticed Relly's angry gesture. And to test Relly's limits, he stepped a little closer, his body only an inch from mine. He knew any closer without my permission would be slightly triggering, for me. He looked down to keep eye contact with me. His teeth showed in this smirk, but they were nothing like they were when we had first met. This time, they were neat, even, and white, sans some obvious staining from what I could only assume was coffee or red wine.
"If you have more questions, this would be the time to ask them, Aeris." His voice was velvet when he spoke to just me.
"What exactly are these games, Lucifer?" I tried to speak just as softly, but my mind failed me, seeing as Relly was right there. To be fair, Relly and I weren't even together at this point. He didn't want to be. It's no wonder his mom was so pissed that her son was taken because of me.
"You and everyone else I've selected have to fight. For the freedom of your souls. But at the rate you're going, darling, I just may bend the rules for you. Tell me," He looked up to glance at Relly and Amiee, then back to me. "Why are you so calm when the others are so angry?"
"I'm just not all that angry or taken back by any of this. Just kinda figures that when I try to better my life after some shit that happens, I end up dragged to hell and have to fight to get out. Though," I looked back into his eyes, seeing as at some point my gaze had drifted to the ground, "I don't think I could have expected that it would be any different. I mean, I honestly couldn't expect less than to have to fight my way out of hell. I'd be shocked if you changed rules at the last minute of any match, for any reason. I'm assuming it would be matches and not some Royal Rumble bullshit."
"You really are a smart one." He cupped my chin, leveling his face to mine. "Yes, there will be matches and several stages. Each of you will be fighting more than once. But don't worry. I'll let you get some rest time and training in between the first few. Sometime around your third fight, you'll be fighting nonstop. I'll be picking your armor and weapons. Sorry if you don't like the sound of that. But all is fair in love and war."
With that, he released me. Lucifer stayed close to me, though, and Relly stayed farther away. I couldn't tell if they were staring each other down.
"Does anyone get to fight you?" Relly managed to spit out the words through clenched jaws.
"Maybe," Lucifer patted Relly's shoulder after taking a few steps closer to him. "Only if I feel that you've challenged me for the right reasons."
His words were colder and threatening when he spoke to Relly. They went back and forth for a time, as Amiee slowly made her way to me, half paying attention to what they said, as Relly raised his voice the more he spoke, turning an angry tone to one of pure rage. Lucifer, however, stayed calmer. His voice remained cold and loud enough to be just heard by anyone within 5 feet of him.
Amiee and I were not within that radius. We were about 9 feet away. Amiee threw her arms around me, seeing as I was still taking in the fact that I was so close to the devil, and that he had touched me. Neither of us said a word as the men argued. Turning to my little sister, I twisted my expression into one that said "What the fuck is going on?"
She knew what I meant by it, because she turned to Relly and Lucifer and took in a long breath, getting ready to yell out that they needed to stop before I lost my shit. There's only so much yelling I can handle hearing. But, before she could yell out, we stopped moving. The sinking ground we were on had stopped.
Lucifer put up a hand to shush Relly as lights around us began to flicker on like a prewar underground bomb shelter. The hole above us closed and I can only assume the hospital floor slowly rose back up after we had stepped off it and onto a metal gate floor.
