Bluffing the Devil(15)

"Are you okay, love?" was the last thing I heard before the lights went out.

Chapter 11



Like a cat on her owner's very favorite black outfit before she leaves the house for an important business meeting, I stretched and rolled and twisted and enjoyed the feel of each of my muscle expanding and contracting across the luscious sheets. Waking up happy was new for me, but not something I would scoff at. I could feel the smile pulling at my cheeks already. I wasn't sure what was making me so happy, but I wasn't going to curse it either. I actually didn't remember falling asleep last night, or dreaming for that matter.

"Well, good morning, kitten. I'm quite pleased to see you are awake and in such a wondrous mood!"

I leapt off the bed in the same cat-like fashion and then pulled the sheet and anything else available to cover my exposed skin. "Rey! What are you doing in my room? How did you even get in here? And where are my clothes?"

"I love to see your bedtime attire, don't be so shy and getting the key was easy," he said with a slight tilt of his head to the Rhea-shaped lump on the floor. "As for what I am doing here, I was checking on you. Stop trying to melt my brain with your anger and relax. Please?"

"She better be alive and unharmed or I will make you wish you were never born," I growled without hesitation.

"Oh my little strawberry, I already wish that almost every day. You don't scare me. We have bigger problems."

"Seriously Rey, did you hurt her?" I tightened my grip on the sheet and blanket toga and scrambled to the floor to check on Rhea. She was covered with a blanket and a pillow had been placed below her head. That saved his life for at least the next minute.

"She's fine. See? I was nice and made her comfy for you. I needed to get in here with you last night without anyone questioning. I saw Rhea heading back to the hotel so I accosted her. It's not a big deal. Now no one realizes you and I were out last night and Rhea got a peaceful night's sleep. All is well in the world. Now, come to the kitchen when you get dressed, I'm starving."

I took my time getting clothes on. Apparently Rey had stripped me before putting me into bed. He didn't know how I sleep, so I guess that was nice, but I also didn't like the thought of a demon seeing me naked. Call me crazy or old-fashioned but I just didn't think that my nudity was for the entire world to see.

I didn't even bother doing anything fancy to my hair. He was lucky I brushed it, to be honest. I threw back on the sweats and t-shirt from the night before and some fuzzy socks and then headed to the kitchen.

Upon arriving, I saw that Rey was in full swing of making breakfast.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Well, the pleasure is all mine, sweet. Coffee? I'm sure you could use a bit," he asked with a twinkle in his eye as he washed dishes. Yeah, like it's not already suspicious that he was cooking something that smelled so delicious, but he was also doing dishes as he worked. Okay, I might be able to tolerate that.

"No, I think I'm all set on the caffeine-rush front, I guess. I am not a wake-up-and-have-coffee sort of girl. You know, I'm high on life and all that. Do you want to tell me just what the hell you are doing here presenting me with French toast, bacon, and coffee at this ungodly hour or do I need to get violent?"

"My goodness, chica. You are becoming so bloodthirsty. I love this side of you, by the way. We will get to that in a moment. But first, finish your breakfast. I have a surprise for you."

"Nah, I'm good. Let's get this over with," I said with a note of finality.

"As you wish," he said. He put down the towel, clicked off the stove reached for my hand, and the kitchen disappeared.

A moment later, I narrowed my eyes and took in the sight before me with as much patience as I could muster.

"Truly? This is where you have to take me? You're joking right? What kind of * monster are you?"

In front of me was something I never wanted to see again in my whole life. Something I had shut out and felt that I had handled. I had gone through the grief process already and used this memory only as a warning. Never drive anywhere in an emotion filled mood.

There, on the ground, was Jamison's lifeless body. Standing above him was someone I'd never seen who lifted Jamison up, and calmly walked away with him. I tried to scream, but I had no voice.

"This is just a vision, you can’t change, or do anything here. Just watch," Rey said in a calm voice.

Then, the person, who I am assuming was God, though he looked nothing like I had always been told God looks like, stopped and appeared to be upset with someone. He shook his head and the other figure, I couldn't see yet, must have shoved him because he stumbled backward and fell to one knee. He stood slowly, got very close to the other person, and spoke, but I couldn't hear his words. Then he calmly walked off into the setting sun with Jamison still in his arms, until I couldn't see him anymore.

There was no floating off to the Heavens or any white light, just a calm walk. I wasn't sure if I should have been happy about that, or still sad. I chose to be happy. If that was, in fact, God, then it meant Jamison was truly in Heaven, and that was definitely something to smile about.

My focus shifted back to the other person and I realized it was the woman from my dream. She looked angry and dejected.

"What is going on here? What kind of a joke is this, Rey? I don't understand why I am seeing this. What is she doing here? What am I doing here?"

"What makes you think this is a joke, sunshine? I am merely showing you what you need to see," he said. I did not miss the hint of sarcasm and tried desperately not to throw it back at him.

"This is an exchange between God and the Devil. They fought over Jamison because if she were able to corrupt him and use him for her side, he would make her stronger. God fought for Jamison and won, you see? Jamison's truly pure soul saved him from her. That means he was going to be made into an angel. That is the only reason she would have wanted him anyway. One sin doesn't give her enough leverage to keep a soul; it must be many sins, many betrayals, many lies," he looked down and the line across his forehead deepened. Sadness fell across his features before he straightened his face and looked back up.

His explanation still confused me, but I had an infinite amount of questions I could use to clear up the situation. Whether or not he would answer them was another problem all together.

"So because Jamison was a good person, she wasn't able to get him, but how could she get you?"

"That is a discussion for another time, churro. Just remember that I am the awful person you think I am, just in demon form now. Let's leave it there, okay?"

"The more I speak to you, the harder it is for me to believe you are this horrible person. Why show me this and tell me that Jamison is, or is going to be, an angel?"

"So you will understand the next thing I must show you a bit better."

He was standing only a few feet from me and slipped his hand around mine and the world faded away again. This time, when we were again corporeal, we were in a strange, tiny room.

I could hear speaking, but couldn't see anyone. The voice was getting angrier by the minute and sounded almost feral.

The door burst open and Devin stalked through the room, slammed his hand on the table I was standing next to, and panted in rage. Behind him, a woman walked through the door calmly.

"If you do as I ask, I will release you," she said with an evil lilt to her voice.

"I can’t do what you are asking me, lady. That is not in my DNA." His beautiful voice was pleading and sincere.

"Then you will die."

"So be it."

She pulled a gun from her purse and shot him in the chest three times. Then she opened her cell phone and made a call, "It's done, time to move."

As she walked out, the woman who I now knew to be the Devil slinked into the room unnoticed. She was always dressed like a model and this time was no exception.

She looked down at Devin and smiled broadly as she leaned down to him. The air in the room shifted, and she was joined by God who again had words with her. I couldn't hear their conversation even though it was going on right in front of me.

"Mortals are not meant to hear what they speak of," Rey explained quietly before I could ask.

Their confrontation went on for some time before the Devil smiled, touched Devin on his forehead, and he rose to stand at her side. The Devil merely tilted her head in a slightly cocky show of victory at God, and walked away with Devin at her side.

"Wait, she won? How can anyone be strong enough to beat God?" My mind immediately started racing. If the Devil won, then that means he's a demon like Rey. Oh my God, I've been having crazy sex dreams about a demon. What would my mother think?

"It's not about winning or losing. Whoever is right, wins. Devin was a bad man in his life. His final act in his life was good, but he did nothing to make the rest right, so he was technically still a tainted soul."