Devilish Love

20. Gate Crash? More Like Date Crash

Chapter 20: Gate Crash? More Like Date Crash

Of course, our 'date' wasn't romantic at all. Grim and I teased each other the whole of dinner. He brought me out to the city of Hell, out of the Palace for my first time, and we sat in a cosy street café. I ordered a mac-and-cheese burger, raindrop cake, and metallic macarons. They sure had weird stuff here.

On the other hand, Grim ordered a beetroot salad and a quinoa salad. I looked at him in disgust. "Why are you eating salad when there are so many other awesome things to try?"

Grim waved the smiling waiter away and then leaned closer, making eye contact. "Kay, when you've lived as long as I have, you will understand that eating healthy food is best for you. Besides, I've tried everything in the world. Do you know how many millennia I have lived for?"

"Well, can't argue with that logic," I muttered. I leaned back and said to him "You can lean away now, yeah?"

Grim chuckled and leaned closer, over the table, putting his face really close to mine. I stuck out my tongue at him and he recoiled. "Gross!" He cried. "I have no desire to touch your saliva."

"My saliva doesn't want to touch your disgusting face anyway," I said defiantly.

He laughed. "So, Kay, where have you been all my life? I love talking to you. I wish I'd met such a good friend earlier."

"Hiding from you, duh," I retorted. "But, Grim, you scared me on Day One of Kayla's Death. You were so serious." He didn't reply to that.

Our food arrived, so I picked up my burger and took a tentative bite. It was really good. Then I realised Grim didn't have a fork or spoon. I put down my burger. "Do you want me to get you cutlery?"

Grim's face broke into a smile. "You're so cute." His expression left me confused. Grim calmly eyed a piece of vegetable, and it floated off the plate into his mouth.

"That's unfair. I want powers like that too," I gasped. Why didn't I get the cool stuff?

"No, you don't. The price to pay is too high," Grim mumbled.

"What price did you pay?"

"Kay, has anyone ever told you you're really inquisitive?"

"Just you. But answer the question, please?"

Grim lifted a shoulder. "I don't exactly regret what I did, but sometimes I do. I don't know, man."

"I'm a woman."

"Whatever!" He lifted his hands in exasperation.

But I was on a roll. A woman's rights roll. "Why can't people say 'oh, woman' instead? Is it a gender bias? A stereotype? Or like when people say man up. Why not woman up? Women are so underrated," I concluded in frustration.

Grim looked shocked. His beetroot slice had dropped back onto the plate. Then, abruptly, he laughed. "Only you would say such a weird thing. Well...I've been around for rather long, and I know it's hard to achieve complete gender equality. But I do believe in it."

"Thank god!" I cried.

Grim smiled. "No, thank the devil. That's what we say here."

I couldn't help thinking that Grim looked hotter when he smiled. But I'd never tell him that. He'd have a field day.

Suddenly, Grim tensed. He didn't do it that obviously, but I had been watching him. Hopefully I hadn't been outrightly staring in a creepy stalker way. He sighed. "Kay, Lucifer just told me his aunts are paying a visit. Guess we should go. We can't offend them, you see, they are ancient spirits."

He got up and offered me a hand. I took it happily. Then darkness rushed in, and when I next opened my eyes, we were at the dining room, the one I had eaten at with stupid King and Lucifer, with golden doors. Grim rolled his eyes at the doors, and muttered a string of words under his breath, before he nodded reluctantly at the door. "Let's go in," he said darkly.

As soon as we entered, I felt the change in temperature. It was weird, though, not cold or hot, exactly. The air was rippling with many different, fluctuating temperatures. Sometimes it felt freezing, and sometimes it was too hot, until I could barely remember to breathe. I didn't like it. I felt uneasy, and goose bumps were creeping up my skin. The dining room was silent and dark. Gloomy. The tables were covered with white tablecloths, and there was nothing on them. The lights were dimmed. And eight shadowy figures stood, their figures illuminated by the light. One stepped forward. It was familiar, so I relaxed slightly.

As if sensing how uncomfortable I was, Grim reached down and patted my shoulder. I was a chicken, maybe. But I was scared then, so I grabbed his hand and held on tight. Grim seemed slightly amused, but he nodded at me as if to say he understood how I was feeling.

Lucifer beckoned to us. "My aunts do not enjoy the light," he said. His voice was stiff and distant again. It was frustrating how he always seemed distant- it was so hard to get him to open up. Now it looked like he had retreated back into his shell. "Come and say, uh, hello."

Grim's shoulders sagged slightly, but he stepped forward confidently, bringing me with him, although I didn't want to go. "Hi. Sadness, Fear, Wrath, Disgust, Jealousy. Sloth."

One of them gave a squeak of anger. "You forgot me!"

Grim turned towards the one who had talked. She was a short stubby figure right at the end, on the left side of the row, and was hunched over. A cape was draped over her. "I didn't forget. I just don't like you," he shrugged. Grim looked at Lucifer. "Now can Kay and I go?"

Lucifer scanned us. He seemed to see me for the first time, and his eyes flicked to our held hands, lingering there for a moment before he returned his gaze to the floor. "Yes," he replied, not looking at us.

I felt a little guilty suddenly. I didn't feel half as scared anymore, because now I knew that the aunts were pretty much just negative emotions. I mean, no wonder the room had felt weird, hot and cold. Take wrath for example- that made the room hot. Sadness would have made it cold. And they were all just as tall as me, except for one, so no intimidation there. But my guilt came about because I had forgotten my mission. To rescue Ajax and to, well, make the Devil love me. I hadn't done anything of the sort yet. I had shirked my duties.

We turned to leave, but one of the aunts spoke. "Tenebris, it's okay if you leave. You are of no consequence. We are here today to see the dead mortal girl."

I pointed my feet to the exit and walked faster. So did Grim, even though his eyes were blazing with anger. Huh. Dead mortal girl. I knew it was me, but I was going to deny it for as long as possible. Hmm. Dead mortal girl...who could that be? There wasn't anyone I knew that was fitted the description, was there? Whoops, guess the aunts couldn't meet her today.

"Bring her here!" The command cut through the air and left a chilling silence in the room after that.

Grim whirled around. So did I. Lucifer met my eyes. His expression was pained. I didn't know what was wrong with him, but I felt that he wasn't in his right mind. It was just a horrible feeling that I felt. Maybe it didn't mean anything...

Grim couldn't contain his anger anymore. "After what you did to me, you want to destroy Kayla too? Greed, haven't you gone too far?"

The one taller than me cackled. "Tenebris, I am Greed. Do you think too far is in my vocabulary?" Grim's eyes burned with hatred. He was shaking all over, his fists clenched. The hand in mine had curled up, too, into a fist.

"Now leave. You are not needed." Another spoke loudly, harshly, in a grating voice. She flicked a finger at Grim and he disappeared. I watched in horror. This was dark magic. She had made the Grim Reaper disappear. That wasn't a small feat.

They all turned to face me as one, and the tall one extended her hand. Creepily, the hand extended all the way to where I was standing. I screamed. We were at least ten metres apart.

"Nice to meet you, Kayla Lee."

How did she know my real name?