Olivia Chase, a successful woman who sold her soul to the Devil in exchange for a baby, is offered a second deal of a lifetime after her daughter dies: she must harvest Lucifer a series of souls he claims belong in Hell in trade for her daughter's m...
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Azza sighed. "Lucifer is in Heaven."
I rolled over to look at him. "In Heaven? But he hates it there."
"Yes. he does. There is a price to pay for his deal with the Mistress, however. God could not look away this time."
"He's punishing Lucifer, isn't He?"
"Yes, He is. Lucifer won't be able to come to you for five days."
My eyes went wide. "Five days! But why?"
"Because of the punishment. It will take two days for him to endure and another three to heal."
I gasped, "Heal? Heal from what?"
Azza gazed at me and touched my face. This time, I couldn't resist; I leaned into his reassuring touch as he told me. "God is making the Mistress pluck his wings. He feels it is a fitting punishment for the two of them. Lucifer will endure and heal, but I don't think the Mistress will ever be the same."
"Wait," I gasped, my hand covering my mouth as my eyes watered, "by pluck, do you mean pluck? Like to rip out all the feathers on his wings?"
"Yes."
"Lucifer's enduring this for me? So I could see Deirdre today?"
"Yes."
I didn't know what to do or how to act. My stomach soured, and my dinner would not stay down. I scrambled up and over him to get to the bathroom. Done, I rinsed my mouth and leaned on the counter, putting the usual cold cloth to my neck. I contemplated what to do as I slid to sit on the floor; standing had suddenly become too hard.
"Azza?" I whispered, but somehow, he heard me, watching me from the bed.
"Yeah?"
"What can I do? Can I stop it? Can I offer myself in his place?"
"There is nothing you can do. God will not allow it. He is only interested, right now, in Lucifer. And, you cannot stop it; it has already begun."
I became empty and numb. My tears dried up, and left in their wake was nothing.
He must have sensed something had changed because he came and collected me from the floor and laid me on the bed again. I closed my eyes but still felt him staring down at me.
"Olivia?" It was the first time he used my name.
"Yes?"
"You need to rest, but you'll be more comfortable out of your clothes."
"Okay."
He didn't move. I didn't think he knew quite what to do. I didn't feel like offering to help. "Is it okay if I help you?"
I didn't care, really, but he seemed concerned. "Yes."
He went through the drawers of my dresser, looking for sleep pants and a t-shirt.
