Devil Doesn't Bargain

"The devil doesn't bargain. He'll only break your heart again."

The words of the song looped in my head as I slammed my laptop shut, the screen still glowing with the final page of The Devil's Throne. My heart ached for Cillian Vale, the shou who loved so fiercely, so stupidly, that it killed him. He poured his soul into a man who saw him as nothing-a crown prince who wore charm like a mask and cruelty like a crown. Raviel Draven. The devil himself.

"Why didn't you run, Cillian?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "You deserved better than that trash ending."

I opened the novel's Wattpad page and typed a review, my fingers shaking with anger. "This story is a tragedy disguised as romance. Cillian deserved to live, to love someone who didn't shatter him. Raviel's a monster, and the author let him win. 0/10."

The words felt good, like I'd avenged him. I flopped onto my bed, the room spinning from too little sleep and too much emotion. My phone buzzed, but I ignored it, letting the song's lyrics lull me into darkness. "It's useless, don't do this..."

I didn't see the screen glow red. I didn't hear the whisper that slithered through the air, cold as a blade. "You think you can save him? Then try."

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in my room. I was in a gilded cage of a palace, my reflection showing silver hair and blue eyes that weren't mine. Cillian's eyes.

And somewhere in the shadows, I felt him watching. Raviel. The devil who remembered me.

The devil who wouldn't let me go.