Devilish Love

7. Spirit Smuggling

Chapter 7: Spirit Smuggling

The two came in, and sat down again. I hurried back to the table and joined them. The atmosphere, though, had suddenly grown tenser. The Devil wasn't even eating anymore. Grim was popping food into his mouth, but a worried line on his forehead told me he was preoccupied too.

"Everything isn't okay, so what's going on?" I asked. Maybe it was suicide, but Ianthe said I couldn't die, so...

The Devil didn't respond. Grim shot me a look. "It's not but we have to deal with it. Shut up, Kayla Marie. Lucifer is worried," he said in a stage whisper. Unfortunately it was loud enough for the Devil to hear it too.

The Devil's eyes flashed and changed to a dark swirling shade of maroon. "I think perhaps I should leave first," he said quietly.

"You still have to bring Kayla Marie to your palace," Grim said. "Without a Royal she cannot enter."

"Can't you bring her?" The Devil asked. "I thought you can enter, too, even though you aren't a Royal."

"Yes, but I have a job to do," he replied pointedly. "Being a Grim Reaper is difficult."

"You chose it," the Devil shrugged.

"Eh, well, yeah. I guess younger me must have liked picking up dead people as a job. Older me, though, kind of thinks younger me was stupid. But older me doesn't exactly regret younger me's decision."

I blinked. I simply couldn't understand Grim.

The Devil rose. Black fabric churned around his lean body as he did so. "Fine," he snapped at Grim. "However, wilt thee pardon me to check on this stinking situation first? Methinks it is my duty to do so."

I wanted to laugh. I had an unfortunate tendency to laugh in bad situations, and this was one of them. With a great effort, I restrained myself.

Grim nodded soberly. "Go ahead, Lucifer." Once the Devil had left, he swooped me into a huge hug and said "I have to go. Business calls. Since I neglected my job for a few hours, I will have to catch up like mad now. Goodbye, Kayla Marie. Until we meet again."

I hugged him back, feeling a little teary. Grim was such a sweet dude! And now he was leaving.

"Will you come back?" I asked in a small voice. Because a part of me hoped that one day, one day I could tell Grim what the Heavenly King was making me do. And the hope that he would understand fluttered in my chest. Hope never dies, you see. You can deny it, suppress it, but a small sliver of hope is always peeking through...whether to taunt you or to raise your spirits.

Grim gave me a slight smile. He was already turning into black mist, but his lips formed the word "Yes."

Ianthe walked over and patted my arm, a flash of blue in my eye's view. "Do not worry, Ma'am. Everything will work out."

Sadly, Ianthe didn't sound like she believed what she was saying. She gave me a watery smile, which I felt bad about. I wondered if her tears were part of her body, in that the water in her tears would be recycled back to her system. After all, her body was made up of water.

"Ianthe," I said. "Do you want to leave this restaurant? Perhaps it's time for a...job change." I don't know what compelled me to say it, but staring into those blue eyes, I knew I had done the right thing.

Her eyes danced with joy, but Ianthe muttered "Ma'am, it simply wouldn't do. You see, I am in a contract with my Missus who owns the restaurant."

"Does she treat you well?"

She shrugged her thin shoulders casually. "Once every ten years, I am given a meal."

"Nope, nope, nope. You are so coming with me," I told her.