Chapter Text

Part 1: Dealmaker

When I arrived at the hotel, I was exhausted. The past few weeks had been a constant struggle of trying not to be assaulted, killed or otherwise violated on my way from the town I had spawned in, through the fiery wastelands of the Pride ring, to Hell’s capital, Pentagram city. Yesterday I had spent swimming through the sewer system of the city to avoid being attacked and even though I had discovered that my sinner form came with the power of creating and breathing water, I still smelled awful. I was tired, my legs and arms were sore from the long swim and overall I just felt terrible. But finally, I was there.

I tried to straighten my unfamiliarly voluminous hair, took a deep breath and I raised my hand to knock. I hesitated. Could they really help me here? I had only seen their one advert on a TV in a showcase as I passed by, keeping my head down, searching for something to eat so I wouldn’t feel like I was starving anymore. Maybe this place was just as awful as the rest of Hell. They would take advantage of me, exploit me, try to coerce me into selling my soul with the promise of making me feel a little less miserable. Actually, this was the most likely scenario. But I had no energy left. This was my last hope. So I knocked.

Nothing happened. I knocked again, louder. Maybe I should just try to enter? I searched for a doorbell, but couldn’t find one. Just when I had decided to risk it and pull the handle, the door swung open. I looked up.

A young woman - or someone looking like a young woman - was looking at me with wide red eyes. Her long blonde hair was bound by three huge hair ties. For a sinner, she looked surprisingly normal. I couldn’t remember seeing her in the commercial.

“Oh. Hello?” She sounded friendly, but I didn’t trust it.

I took a deep breath. “Hello. Um, I am here because I saw your… the hotel’s commercial. I would like to-”

“You want to check in?” The woman beamed at me. “Absolutely! Wow, that is so wonderful. Come in, come in!”

I blinked, dumbfounded. This was not the reaction I had expected at all. She shooed me inside. The doors opened to a huge double-story parlour dressed in red and gold with rolling staircases leading up. What immediately stuck out to me was one corner of the room with a blue-green colour scheme: With its bar, it looked like it belonged to a very different establishment. The wallpaper and floorboards around the area looked ragged and torn, as though someone had ripped a corner from a shady bar, complete with an unenthusiastic barkeep, and dropped it here. I had only been in Hell for a few months, but I had already learned enough to know that this had to be some strong magic. I wasn’t really surprised though. Only the rich and powerful would own a huge building on top of a hill overseeing the city.

The pale woman showed it all off with one wide swoop of her arm. “Welcome to your new residence, your new home until you check out into Heaven! Let me show you around, come!”

“Sweetie, let her arrive first.” Another woman came up to us. I thought I recognized her from the commercial. She, too, was taller than me, with grey skin, long, flowy white hair and an eyepatch. I eyed the giant X floating above it, a familiar sign to me. Perhaps she had been shot through the eye. I, too, had an X. It was right over my heart, but thankfully, it was only visible in my demon form.

She smiled at me. “Welcome. This whirlwind here is Charlie. I’m Vaggie. So, you want to be redeemed?”

I gave her a small nod. “Yes? Um, I’m Willow. But, um, I don’t have any money. Or… anything, really. I could clean dishes or -”

“Oh no, don’t worry!” Charlie’s eyes sparkled. “We have enough space, you can just stay here for free. We only ask that you participate in our exercises! We meet every morning at 8 for trust falls, and then, after breakfast, we have an activity program until noon. Sundays are off. And at night we like to come together to relax at the bar.”

I could barely keep up. Did they really not want anything? This whole place was free of charge? What was the catch? I opened my mouth.

Charlie gasped. “Oh! I almost forgot, I have to introduce you!”

She swished past me and Vaggie and danced towards the bar. The demon manning the bar had not been granted a fully human body, but looked like a mix of a cat and a bat, wearing an extremely grumpy expression. Next to him, Charlie shone like a beacon. “This is Husk, our lovely bartender. Husk, can you believe we have another guest, so soon after Pentious?”

Husk just gave me a small nod of acknowledgment, then pulled out a bottle of some liquor and took a swig. Okay, this already seemed more like the Hell I had gotten used to. Charlie seemed in no way discouraged by his mood. She waved at someone behind me. I turned around and saw a tall man slithering down the stairs on a snake’s tail while his upper body looked human. The eye on his oversized tophat narrowed.

“What is this racket?” he hissed.

Charlie whipped past me. “Sir Pentious! Meet our new guest, Willow!”

His distrust gave way to astonishment. Now I was the one getting suspicious. Why were they all so surprised? Did they so rarely get new guests? That had to be a bad sign.

Pentious clapped his hands together. “A new guest? Why, welcome, young female! Why did you decide to come here?”

That was certainly an interesting way to be referred to. Before I could answer, Charlie grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me around again, to introduce me to the next resident. How hadn’t I noticed his approach? I craned my neck. A red pinstripe suit framed his slim figure. Were those ears or just an interesting hairdo? The demon was smiling, but unlike Charlie’s smile it didn’t reach his eyes, red in red, with an expression that gave me absolutely nothing.

“This is Alastor!” Charlie slapped a hand on his shoulder. “He is our facility manager, so if you have any questions or want any changes to your room, he will gladly help you out.”

His expression didn’t change, but his eyes scanned me thoroughly, from my filthy hair to my dirty bare feet.

He gave an elaborate bow. “Pleasure to be meeting you.” His voice sounded off, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I forced a smile. “Nice to meet you, too.” It felt wrong to answer this plainly in response to a bow. I did a little curtsy, the inelegant details of which luckily got covered by my long wide dress.

Vaggie chuckled. “Speaking of rooms, we should probably show you yours.”

“Right!” Charlie slapped her hand against her forehead. “Silly me, you look tired. Follow me!”

I followed Charlie and Vaggie up the stairs, feeling Alastor’s gaze on my neck. When we walked past Sir Pentious, he fell in with the group. “Why do you sssmell so bad?” he asked.

Despite my exhausted and overwhelmed state, I managed some annoyance. “Because this is Hell. And I couldn’t exactly get an Uber to take me here.”

“Your room has a bathroom as well,” Charlie happily informed me. “Here!”

She pushed open a door. I hesitantly wandered in. The room was surprisingly nice. It had the same overburdened red and gold aesthetic as the parlour, but it was cosy with a large four-poster bed, a wardrobe and an old bureau. Through a high window the city below looked almost beautiful.

“We’ll let you settle in,” said Vaggie. “Charlie and I will have dinner in two hours, feel free to join us.”

I could only stare. “I… Thank you so much.”

They were all smiling at me, only Sir Pentious’ hat was still squinting with distrust. Vaggie closed the door and I was alone. The silence was almost deafening. It had been eerily silent for long stretches of Hell’s wastelands, but since I had entered the city, I had been surrounded by constant noise. I took in the room that would be my home from now on. A door led to a simple bathroom with a toilet, a sink and an old fashioned golden bathtub. I returned to the main room and sank onto the bed. It was soft and comfortable.

And suddenly, I was crying. I tried to control the sobs, since I didn’t know if anyone could hear me, but there was no holding back the tears streaming down my face. It was all too much. After months of hiding in the sewers, feeling like I was starving, being hit and hit on by humanity's worst, suddenly, I was in a normal hotel room. And in two hours there would be food. Who cared if the redemption thing was real? This was already Heaven.

Exactly two hours later, I arrived downstairs in the parlour. I didn’t know where Charlie and Vaggie would eat, so I thought this would be a good place to start looking. I was freshly scrubbed after showering for half an hour straight, using all the soaps I’d been provided. I had washed my dress in the bathtub and used my water powers to dry it off. Then I had brushed my hair with a brush I’d found and killed the rest of the waiting time by twisting it into elaborate braids. Now, I felt much better, but that couldn’t distract me from how incredibly hungry I was.

I looked around. The parlour was empty except for Husk at the bar. I made some tentative steps in his direction, but before I made it there, Charlie peeked around a corner. “Ah, Willow! This way!”

I followed her through a short corridor and a set of swing doors. Immediately, I was hit by a heavenly smell. My stomach clenched and my mouth watered. Stovetops, ovens and sinks lined the walls of the kitchen, all looking grand in red and gold yet old and in disrepair, like most of the hotel. On a kitchen island stood a tiny woman, watching over a number of boiling pots and pans. But Charlie pulled me into an adjacent room. It was an extravagant dining hall with a massive long table in the middle, set for four. Vaggie was putting down cutlery, yet she looked up to give me a welcoming smile.

“Come, come, sit!” Charlie pushed me down into one of the seats, then disappeared back into the kitchen. I was too hungry to complain about the rough treatment or ask any questions. With food so close I could no longer focus on anything else. Vaggie poured me a glass of water. Even though water was the one thing I was not short of, I smiled and took a sip.

Then, finally, Charlie reappeared, followed by the small woman, carrying large terrines of tender roasted beef, dark brown sauce, fluffy mashed potatoes adorned with fresh green chive. I swallowed hard and willed the others to hurry. When the first food landed on someone else’s plate, I started shovelling a mountain onto my own and as soon as Vaggie had lifted her fork, I dug in. Either the food was the best I’d ever eaten or I had just forgotten what food even was, either way it was delicious. I tried to force myself to eat slowly, but with little success.

Only when I was full did I manage to slow down and take in my surroundings properly. The other three had held up a casual conversation that hadn’t registered at all, but when they saw me watching them, Charlie turned to me. “How did you like it?”

“It was to die for, thank you so much.” I turned towards the woman I hadn’t met yet. She was so small, she had to stand on her chair to reach her plate. “Hi. I’m so sorry, I haven’t introduced myself, how rude of me. I’m Willow. Thank you for cooking for me.”

The young woman smiled and replied in a high-pitched voice: “Hi! I’m Niffty. You are the first Lady resident, how exciting.”

I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re not a guest?”

She shook her head and giggled. “No, I clean and I cook.”

“Niffty and Husk are our hotel staff,” Vaggie explained. “Husk tends the bar, and Niffty is our housekeeper.”

“Alastor forced me to be here,” Niffty said with a smile.

My eyes widened.

“Don’t worry,” Charlie said around a mouth full of potatoes, “she loves it here.”

Niffty nodded enthusiastically. “I like being forced.” She stabbed her beef.

Noted. Niffty was weird. “What about the other guests? When do they eat?”

“Oh, Angel usually eats at his job or out in town. You’ll meet him tomorrow. Pentious lets his egg bois do the cooking for him and Husk orders take-out,” Vaggie explained.

Wait. That was it? Two residents, two staff members, and then apparently Vaggie and Charlie as the owners. That… was not a lot.

“And… Alastor?” I asked, trying not to let my concern show.

“Who knows,” Vaggie said darkly. “Just the other day I found him eating the flesh right off a mouldy deer carcass.”

“I’m sorry, what ?” That came out of absolute nowhere. I had seen some very questionable eating habits here in Hell and apparently there was a whole quarter of this city owned by cannibals, but from our short interaction, Alastor had seemed so civilised!

“Well, he sometimes cooks for himself,” Charlie hurried to say. “He cooked for us, too, once!”

Vaggie smiled briefly at Charlie’s optimism, but when she turned back to me, her face was serious. “Don’t trust him.”

“Why not?” I asked warily.

Vaggie’s gaze softened. “You’re new here in Hell, right? He is the Radio Demon. He might smile all the time, but he is a deal maker, an Overlord, a killer.”

An Overlord? Really? All I knew about Overlords thus far was that they owned a significant amount of souls through deals, which fuelled their powers. The people ruling the cities were Overlords and usually, they weren’t nice.

This was a good reminder. I should trust no one. Charlie and Vaggie might have been kind to me, much more than the rest of Hell, but I did have sinners be kind to me before, only to then try to drag me into some dark corner. Just because that hadn’t happened here yet didn’t mean it never would. I had to find out more. I knew too little about this hotel, its residents, all of Hell.

“So, did Alastor create that bar section?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“Yes, he phased it into the hotel!” Charlie waved her fork around. “Don’t listen to Vaggie, she’s just being extra careful. Al has been incredibly helpful since he arrived. Sure, he wants to see everyone fail, but he doesn’t do anything to hurt the cause. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Vaggie didn’t look convinced. “I would still be weary, sweetie. We don’t know what he hides behind that smile.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, at precisely 8 am, I arrived at the parlour. There was an old-fashioned alarm clock in my room, but I had been so scared I would miss it, that I had woken up two hours before my alarm. Thus, I had had plenty of time to get even more anxious.

When I came down the stairs, three people were already there. Charlie was running around without clear objective, Vaggie in tow. Alastor sat on the couch behind them, legs crossed, hands neatly folded in his lap. In the crook of his elbow rested some sort of cane. He really was always smiling, wasn’t he? A powerful Overlord and killer who ate his meat raw and mouldy. Huh.

The others hadn’t arrived yet. Hesitantly, I came over. “Good morning. What’s that for?” I pointed at the makeshift podium in the middle of the room.

Charlie peeled glue off her fingers. “For the trust falls! But we will have a little introduction round first. Ah!”

I followed her gaze and saw the other residents coming in. The only new one was a person whose gender I couldn’t immediately tell, with lots of long spindly limbs.

“Ohhh!” they said in what I perceived as a high-pitched male voice. “Is that a new recruit?”

Charlie nodded enthusiastically. “It is! Angel, let me introduce you. Willow, this is Angel Dust, he was our very first guest.”

I smiled. “Hi.” The first one? And he was still here? Had there been others in between that were redeemed? I sincerely hoped so.

“You’re still here,” Sir Pentious greeted me, almost surprised.

“Sure.” Not even the exorcist army could pull me back out of here.

“Today, we will start off by playing Two-Truths-One-Lie.” Charlie beamed. Immediately, a collective groan came from Husk, Angel and Pentious and I honestly couldn’t blame them. While not the worst icebreaker game, it certainly wasn’t the best either. “I’ll start. I’m Charlie! I love to sing, I love blueberry muffins with lemon frosting and I once shoplifted a pack of bubblegum from a shop in Downtown.”

While I was still trying to sort my thoughts, weighing the odds of this apparently very sweet girl stealing something against how suspiciously specific the story was, Angel Dust scoffed. “Sweetpie. We all know you’d never steal anythin’.”

She smiled brightly. “Is that what you all think?”

“Yep,” Husk said curtly.

“Of course, sweetie.” Vaggie said patiently.

Pentious just nodded, Alastor stayed silent and so did I.

“That is correct!” Charlie flashed two thumbs up. “You are so good at this! Who wants to go next?”

“Oh, let me.” Angel grinned mischievously. At least he looked like he was having fun. “I think this game is stupid, I wanna do it with Mr. Fancy over there, I am currently sober.”

Vaggie rolled her eyes, but Charlie nodded and looked at the others expectantly.

“There is no way you’re sober,” Pentious hissed.

“You wanna fuck Alastor?” Husk lifted a feathered brow. “Fuckin’ really ?”

“You don’t think this game is stupid, do you?” Charlie asked hopefully. “Willow, what do you think?”

I really didn’t want to make any assumptions. I looked at Angel Dust, who was sizing me up with a lopsided grin bearing a gleaming golden tooth. “I… um, from the other’s comments… no, I really don’t know.”

Angel rolled his eyes. Hmpf. I was trying my best not to make unkind assumptions and this was the gratitude? I already disliked Angel Dust. In fact, I didn’t like any of these people, except Charlie and maybe Vaggie. But if I wanted to stay here, in the relative safety of the hotel, I had no choice but to get along with them. I pressed my lips together. For the following rounds I played along, but I didn’t guess right a single time.

Finally, it was my turn. The whole crew was looking at me with looks ranging from passive interest to mild annoyance to Charlie’s absurd enthusiasm.

I straightened and took a deep breath: “I was killed by someone stabbing me in the chest and then pushing me into the icy lake. Before I came to the hotel, I used to make money as a street magician a few cities over. And I have absolutely no idea why I ended up in Hell.”

“You don’t know why you’re in Hell?” Pentious repeated incredulously.

“Could be the lie,” Vaggie pondered.

Angel shook his head. “Nah. The first story’s too specific. I say she wasn’t killed that way. I don’t see any X and also, who would kill her? If she’s as innocent as she claims.”

“I still think that’s the lie. She must know,” Vaggie decided. “Everyone knows.”

Pentious squinted at me. “I’m with Angel Dust.”

“Niffty?” Charlie asked.

“She’s not a street magician!” The little maid sounded almost offended.

I nodded. “That’s true. I survived by taking money off double-dead people. There were surprisingly many.”

“Wait. So you really don’t know why you’re in Hell?” Vaggie asked.

I nodded again. “No clue. I didn’t steal off dead people while alive. I never stole anything. I never killed, I even took the spiders outside instead of squashing them. I was kind to everyone I met, like…” I noticed how I had become louder and tried to push down my growing agitation. “Whatever. I’m hoping I can unearth my flaws here, make up for them and zip up to Heaven.”

Everyone stared at me.

“You’re weird,” Angel said finally.

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks. Who’s next?” The only one who hadn’t said anything yet was Alastor. I looked at him.

He waved me off. “Oh, I’m just here for the entertainment.”

Entertainment? I couldn’t really see how us playing cringey icebreaker games would be entertaining and also wasn’t particularly thrilled to be seen as such. I wasn’t a zoo animal.

“Actually, why not?” Charlie looked excited. “Come, Alastor, why don’t you tell us your two truths and one lie?”

Alastor seemed to consider it for a moment, then he shrugged. “Hm, fine. Let me think… Oh, yes!” His smile widened into a toothy grin and he sat up straighter. “I have a lovely piano with a unique set of keys. You see, whenever I happen to kill a composer, I take one of his keyes. A bit sentimental, I know. What else… ah, I remember a fun little story. There is a quaint club in Downtown which sells excellent rye. Once, the bartender tried to give me the bottom shelf leftovers instead, so I had him taste the swill with his windpipe.”

The room had gone eerily quiet. Even Charlie’s energy had dissipated. Only Niffty was smiling and kicking her legs as though she’d heard the stories before.

“Hm…” Alastor tapped his chin. “Ah, yes. One time, Rosie - she is the ruler of Cannibal Town, an absolute darling - had a suitor, another Overlord, who wouldn’t accept her rejection. I took care of it for her. Unbeknownst to him, I burned down his district, and when he got desperate, clamouring to keep his grasp on his souls, I tricked him into a deal, then I chained weights to his ankles and dumped him in the swamp. He has been sinking since. When the wind blows just right, I can hear his screams.”

You could have heard a pin drop. Alastor’s smile was bursting at the seams, looking pleased. I swallowed hard. So this was what Vaggie had meant when she had said not to trust him. An Overlord indeed.

“Well,” Alastor said and the smile was in his voice, too. His voice, which, as I identified now, sounded like he was talking over an old radio. The Radio Demon, Vaggie had called him. “What do you guess?”

“Um…” Charlie tried to smile and failed. “That last part sounds awfully violent, I’m sure that’s the lie, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think there’s a piano in your room, so maybe that one?” Vaggie seemed unimpressed, but not happy either.

Alastor rolled his eyes. “I didn’t take it with me, of course. I’m not sure these worm-infested floors could even support its weight.”

Angel let out a low whistle. “So that one is true! Damn.”

“I think there’s truth in all of them,” I said quietly and without looking at the Overlord. “You just swapped out a simple fact in one of them. Perhaps it wasn’t rye but another kind of drink or you didn’t dump that Overlord in a swamp but in a lake.”

Another silence followed my words.

“So?” Vaggie asked after a moment. “Which one is it?”

But Alastor just kept on smiling.

“Aaaaanyway.” Charlie got up and clapped her hands together, forcing the excitement back onto her face. “Time for trust falls! Everyone! Get up!”

With more or less enthusiasm the residents got up and assembled in front of the podium. Only the Radio Demon stayed put. Well, in retrospect it made sense that the Overlord and patron of the place wasn’t forced to partake in these ridiculous games with the rest of us.

Without prompting, Angel elegantly climbed the stairs to the podium and posed at the front, grinning. “I don’t know my exact body count, but I can say with confidence that it is in the four digits.”

Did he mean this as the number of people he’d killed or he’d slept with? Thus far both options seemed equally plausible.

He turned around and threw himself off the stage like a crowd surfing singer. Before I knew what was happening, he’d been caught by Pentious, Charlie and Vaggie, the tall crowd.

Niffty went up next and I was apparently not the only one mildly horrified to learn that she had built an artwork with dead bugs that was currently approaching four feet in height. Still, she was caught by Husk who gently put her down. She seemed almost disappointed.

Next, Sir Pentious told his story. When he turned around on the podium, closing his eyes and folding his arms to dramatically fall backwards off the stage, I tried to move forward but suddenly felt a hand on my arm. I was held back by Husk’s soft but strong paws. Angel grabbed both Vaggie and Charlie, and Sir Pentious plummeted head first onto the parquette. I yelped and he screamed, and Husk, Angel and Niffty burst out laughing. Even Vaggie let out an amused snort, but after a stern look from Charlie, she pressed her lips together.

“Guys!” Charlie complained. “Don’t be so mean to the poor man!”

But the three only laughed even louder.

“You backstabbing buffoons!” Pentious dragged himself up. “Disloyal dingbats!”

“You should’ve seen yourself!” Angel was gasping for air. “You fell like a sack of bricks!”

“That hurt!” Pentious squealed.

“Pain! Nya-hahaha!” Niffty was bouncing like a rubber ball.

“Really guys, that’s not funny -” Charlie tried but nobody was listening.

“I will take revenge!” Pentious vowed and suddenly, he produced a steampunk looking gun from his jacket, aiming it straight at Angel, who dove behind a couch with a giggle.

I quickly followed Angel’s example and peered over the backrest.

“Hey!” Vaggie snapped to attention. “What did I say? No. Weapons!” She tried to grab the gun, but Pentious held it out of her reach, not noticing Husk coming up from behind. He snatched the weapon from Pentious’ hand.

“Bastard!” Pentious threw himself at Husk.

With a mix of horror and fascination, I watched Angel join the fight and the three of them roll around the floor, laughing and shouting insults. Vaggie was trying to break them up physically and Charlie with words. Neither approach was successful. Niffty used the opportunity to climb the podium and hurled herself face first into the midst of the chaos. “Pain!”

What the Hell was this madness? I looked around for anyone normal and my gaze landed on Alastor. He hadn’t moved at all, still sitting cross-legged on the opposite couch, with his cane (a microphone?) resting on his lap, seemingly having a blast. Our eyes met and his narrowed as the smile reached them for the first time. I tentatively approached and sat down next to him. “Is it always like this?” I asked quietly.

“Isn’t it entertaining?” He didn’t bother to lower his voice.

I watched Angel pummel Pentious, trying to see it from Alastor’s perspective. “I guess. If my one chance at redemption wasn’t depending on this…” I made a sweeping gesture. “...circus.”

“Ha! Redemption doesn’t exist. This whole hotel venture is doomed to fail. That’s what makes it so entertaining.”

“If you say so.” I leaned back and we watched the battle in silence. Oh, what had my life (death?) become?

Chapter Text

Time flew. Every morning I got up at 7, had breakfast with the others, before shuffling over to the parlour to await whatever lesson Charlie had cooked up that day. If my first lesson last week hadn’t been enough of an indication, it soon became clear that although she poured her whole heart into her project, she didn’t have much of a plan - or a psychology degree. But even if she had, it was clear what the other residents needed was more than a couple of trust exercises and some lessons on good deeds. And I had no idea what it was that I needed. But they put up with Charlie’s antics with begrudging respect and so did I. At least this way I got to know the people a bit better that I would be living with for the foreseeable future.

Most of them weren’t actually that bad. Charlie and Vaggie seemed to be genuinely nice people. Every day after the exercises I went to eat with them and our conversations were the best I’d had since I died. I was especially fond of Charlie's enthusiasm. I had almost fallen off my chair when I’d learned in casual conversation that she was the daughter of Lucifer. The literal princess of all of Hell !

Niffty often joined us for lunch. She was a great cook and her bubbly personality never failed to lighten my mood, but it didn’t take me long to suspect that there was something seriously wrong with her. The enthusiasm she put into killing all the little bugs roaming around the hotel was disturbing and I got the feeling that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Usually, I spent my afternoons in the parlour, watching the news on the only TV the hotel seemed to own. It was so old that sometimes, I had to give it a good smack to get it to work. Some of the others looked at me with raised eyebrows when they saw me sitting there for hours, but I didn’t pay them any mind. Until now, surviving in Hell had meant swimming through sewers and mugging dead bodies. Here in the hotel though, where the basics were covered, survival was ensured by understanding how Hell worked and the best and safest way to do so was by watching TV.

In the evenings, I would usually force myself to socialise with whoever happened to be in the parlour, in the hopes of connecting with my new housemates. On most days, this was Husk dutifully tending the bar. We never spoke much, but I soon came to enjoy his calm presence. We would just sip our drinks in comfortable silence, his some very strong liquor, mine some fruity mocktail or a lemonade. The first time I had ordered that he had raised his eyebrows, but after a few visits, whenever he saw me come down the stairs, he started mixing something delicious.

I didn’t like spending time in my room. It felt vast and empty and it was eerily quiet, but for the wails and screams the wind sometimes carried up from the city below my window.

One day, after a sleepless night of listening to distant sounds of torture, I decided I had to do something about this. I remembered Charlie saying I could ask the facility manager about requests. So far, Alastor had been a big creepy mystery in the distance, but he wouldn’t kill me for asking for window insulation, right? I had almost fallen asleep in front of the TV, waiting for the Radio Demon to pass through, when Alastor strode into the parlour, hands behind his back, carrying his microphone in the crook of his elbow.

I turned off the TV and gave myself a little push. “Excuse me, Alastor, Sir?”

His head snapped around. “Yes?”

A wide grin was plastered to his face. Was he being friendly? Or was he annoyed by me? Urgh, why was he so hard to read? “Um, Charlie said you could help me? I have a request for my room. Two, actually.”

“Why, of course! What is it that you require?” He sounded positively chipper.

I sighed inwardly with relief. “Well, it’s a little silent and empty in there. I would love something to play music on, maybe a CD player or cassette player, or…” Did he know what Spotify was? He didn’t look like he owned a smartphone.

“Hm. And your second request?” His smile was unmoving.

“A clock.”

He inclined his head. “Every room is equipped with an alarm clock.”

I bit my lip. “But it is so quiet. I’d like a real clock. One that ticks.”

“Consider it done, my dear.” With that, he dissolved into shadows.

I blinked. My… dear? Hm. That was easy and surprisingly nice. I relaxed.

“Anything else?”

I jumped. Alastor had reappeared behind me.

“Um…” Could I ask for more? “Well… this one might sound really weird, but could I have a pool?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing fancy!” I hurried to add. “I just… My sinner form…” I spread my webbed fingers. “Just… think giant fishbowl. But I understand if that’s too much to ask.”

He waved me off. “Ah, that’s nothing to worry about, sweetheart. It’s a very bizarre request, but I’m happy to oblige.”

I smiled. “Okay, thanks!” This was almost too good to be true.

Alastor disappeared again and didn’t return, so I made my way upstairs.

I opened my door and was greeted by a literal giant fishbowl in the middle of my room. About three metres in diameter, it took up most of the space now, stabilised by curved red and golden beams. It was woefully empty. To be fair, I hadn’t asked for water.

I weighed my options. I could fill it using my limited powers or I could haul bucket after bucket of water from the bathroom. Or I could ask Alastor again.

Hell no. Water powers it was. I sighed. This would take me hours. Man, just how powerful was Alastor?

Having admired my fishbowl sufficiently, I looked around for the other additions. A giant grandfather clock, made of elegant dark wood with intricate carvings stood opposite my bed. Every second, its large pendulum gave a comforting tock. Nice. But the best thing was my new music player: A beautiful gramophone. I smiled. How fitting for someone old fashioned like Alastor. I stroked over the gramophone’s carved wood, made from the same mahogany as the clock. Its golden metal horn gleamed in the afternoon light. It was placed on a shelf holding a collection of records. How nice of him. Next to the gramophone, another new item had appeared, one I hadn’t requested: A small radio, similar to the ones scattered throughout the entire hotel. I had never seen any of them switched on.

I flipped through the records. At first glance, I recognised none of them. From the covers I placed the music to be something old and jazzy. He really could have given me a broader selection. Was this what he liked to listen to? Intrigued, I picked a record and put it on the turntable. I looked for the on switch, but found a crank instead. Huh. I wound up the gramophone and gently lowered the needle onto the record. Jazz, just like I had thought. Well, not quite my style, but any music was better than silence and maybe I could learn a bit more about Alastor through this.

To the upbeat tune of saxophones, I climbed onto my bed to peer over the edge of the fishbowl. I sighed. Time to get to work. Oh well, it wasn’t like I had anything better to do.

Four hours later, the bowl was finally filled to the brim with clear fresh water. The records had only lasted half of that time, so I had tried to turn on the radio instead, but it had refused to produce anything other than static, giving me the strange feeling that Alastor was watching me.

I had promised Charlie I would cook today, so I went downstairs to the kitchen, only to find Alastor already at the stove. “So, what do you think?” he asked without looking up.

I smiled cautiously. “You took ‘fishbowl’ very literally. I love the gramophone, it has so much style. Is that your favourite music you put there?”

His smile widened as he turned around. “Indeed it is.”

“Thank you, it’s lovely. What are you cooking?”

“Jambalaya.” He lifted the lid of his pot to present his work. It looked like some kind of stew.

“Hm, never heard of it.”

“It’s an old recipe from my mother.”

Alastor had a mother? As soon as I had had the thought I knew it was stupid. Of course he had one. Everyone did. Still, it was a strange thought, mostly because I couldn’t imagine him as a child.

“Try it.” He thrust a spoon into my hand.

I hesitated. He didn’t look like a cannibal but…

Static fizzled. “Is there a problem, my aquatic fellow?”

“Please just tell me nobody had to die for this.”

His smile widened. “Everyone down here is dead already, my dear. But don’t you worry, the only creature that experienced pain for this dish is the chicken.”

That was certainly a way to put it. I decided not to overthink that and dunked the spoon in. Oh, spicy! But the heat didn’t drown out the other flavours. I nodded. “A good recipe, your mother knows what she’s doing.”

“She did. You can help yourself to a bowl, if you like.”

“Ah, I would love to.” I smiled apologetically. “But I told Charlie I would cook tonight…”

“Well, consider it an appetizer then!”

I was confused. He seemed so… normal. It was a stark contrast to the stories he’d told during two-truths-one-lie and everything Vaggie had said. “Yeah, sure!”

I watched him portion the food and we sat down at the kitchen table. Silence fell as we ate. It was fascinating how he managed to eat without losing his smile.

“So,” he started conversationally, “what music do you usually listen to?”

“Hm.” I swallowed quickly. “Honestly, mostly just whatever is on the radio. Pop, some rock. Also a lot of classical music, you know, Beethoven, Vivaldi…”

“How delightfully boring.”

I frowned. His music included classical, too! And as though Jazz was more interesting than Rock. But I didn’t say anything.

When my bowl was empty, I set to work at the stove. Alastor remained seated at the table, legs crossed, and I could feel him watching me by the way his static bristled up the tiny hairs at the back of my neck.

“I’m making a dish of my mother’s, too,” I said to break the silence. “You can probably tell by my accent, I’m a Kiwi, so I’ll -”

“I thought those were birds, not water creatures,” he interrupted. “And I placed your accent in New Zealand.”

“What? Oh. No, I didn’t mean my sinner form. We call ourselves Kiwis, we people from NZ.”

“I see! So you’re making a traditional New Zealand dish?”

I nodded. “Minced meat pie.”

It wasn’t easy. Though the fridge seemed to contain about every ingredient I could think of, even Hell didn’t seem to stock Marmite. Objectively, I couldn’t really blame them, but it was still disappointing.

I found some mysterious minced meat of unknown origin. Charlie wouldn’t have anything human in her fridge, would she?

I glanced at Alastor. “Do you know who bought this?” Alastor gave me a knowing smile. “Let me see.” With a fork he picked up a lump and popped it into his mouth. I couldn’t help but stare.

“Beef,” he said confidently. “How disappointing.”

“Okay…” I didn’t have any choice but to trust him, did I? I decided not to think about the implications of the second part of his assessment and dumped the content of the box into a hot pan. I tried to substitute the missing seasonings as I went and while the mixture was simmering, I made the pastry. While alive, I had usually bought ready-made puff pastry, but my grandmother had taught me how to make it myself.

“Are you indigenous?” Alastor asked. “As a ‘Kiwi’, I mean, not a sea creature.”

I shook my head. “European descent. Mostly British, got some Irish and German in there. You? I can’t place your accent, I’d say American and obviously old-fashioned, but could also be a British variant.”

“It’s Transatlantic, my dear!” He grinned from ear to ear - which was quite impressive considering the placement of what I assumed to be his ears. “Every respectable entertainer uses Transatlantic. It broadens one’s audience.”

That wasn’t really an answer to my question. I let it slide. “So… you’re not only putting on a smile and a radio filter all the time, you’re also constantly using a fake accent? Or have you been using it for so long that it became natural?”

I prepared a pie tin with the finished pastry.

Alastor chuckled. “What matters is how we present ourselves. Our attitude, our words, even our smile decides who we are. You have arrived in a brand new place, my dear. Decide who you want to be.”

I said nothing. I knew who I was. I liked who I was. But was that even me still? I looked at the ghostly white hands with the greenish tint pouring the contents of the pan into the tin. They weren’t mine. Neither was the kitchen I was cooking in or the room I was sleeping in. My job, my hobbies, my friends, my family, they were all gone. Instead I was spending my days at some very twisted form of group therapy and the rest of the time I was waiting for something to happen, for this nightmare to finally be over.

I shook my head. Alastor was right. I should see this as an opportunity, a chance to start anew. I put the pie in the oven and turned around, forcing a smile. “You’re right.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Of course I am. Call me when the food is ready.” He patted me on the head and left.

Chapter Text

I was singing along to music in my room, as I tidied up. At this point, I knew the lyrics to all the records I had found under my new gramophone. I had been correct in assuming that most of them were jazz, and I had grown to appreciate it, but there was also some musical theatre in there, as well as some opera and classical music. Not all of it was from Alastor’s assumed time, too, as I recognised some of the songs and could date them to later decades.

I absolutely adored the gramophone and was basically playing music all the time I was in my room. I had considered trying to get my hands on some more records, but for now I was content listening to those I had on repeat and singing along.

At this moment, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile” was playing. It was from a musical I hadn’t seen before, and although the song was short, I enjoyed the swing in it.

The song had just gotten to the second time the titular line was sung, when another voice suddenly cut above mine; a full tenor with a lovely vibrato and an undeniable radio sound on top. I startled and broke off, but Alastor kept on singing with the record, and before I could even turn around, he came dancing into view, his own smile not even dropping while he sang. My heart was still slowing down from the start, but he waved at me to continue. I hesitated, but his energy was infectious, and so I joined back in for the final few lines. I thought our voices created a nice harmony.

But before the next song could start, I took the needle off the record. “What are you doing in my room?”

“I heard you sing as I passed by and I couldn’t resist. I see you enjoy my records.”

“You could have at least knocked. And it's not like I have other records to enjoy. But yes, your selection is growing on me. Is this song your life’s motto?”

“If you’re not smiling, you’re clearly doing something wrong,” he said, grinning mischievously. “Then you’d have to either change the situation or your attitude. Care for an encore?”

“Sure, why not?”

Alastor picked up the needle and gently placed it back somewhere on the still spinning record. The first few chords played and I immediately recognised the song. Obviously, Alastor did as well, as he started singing right on the first note. I tentatively joined in and watched him dance around my room. Despite the little space between bed, fishbowl and shelves, he looked quite elegant in his steps and jumps and every time he faced me, his eyes found mine, telling me to join in.

I didn’t think I had ever seen him having this much fun before. So despite the fact that I was still a little put off from him just appearing in my room, I couldn’t help but smile and as the song went on, my singing got more bold. He danced past me and took my hand, spinning me around. A little surprised, I let him, feeling my hair and dress flow around me.

“Can you dance?” he asked me, when the song ended.

I nodded. “I used to do standard and latin. Nothing professional, but I had a studio I used to go to a lot. I especially love the Viennese waltz.”

His eyes glinted. “Lovely!” He strolled over to the gramophone and changed the record. Jazz music started playing instead of musical theatre. Alastor took my right hand with his left and pulled me close with his other hand at my back. I was surprised how hot his hands were. Not just his hands, I could feel the heat from his body across the distance between us. He grinned down on me and waited.

“Wait, what are we even dancing?” Was this a Cha Cha or a Disco Fox?

“Foxtrot of course!”

Aha. Could I still remember how that one worked? Well, I was about to find out.

I put my hand on his shoulder and already I was pushed forward. I tripped over my feet at first, but soon fell into step. Alastor led me across the room, starting with basic steps, but as soon as I got a little comfortable, he pushed us straight into a spin, which I miraculously nailed, then pulled me back in just to immediately push us into another spin. As the song progressed, he led me through more and more figures, some I remembered from my lessons, some I had never done before, some I executed gracefully, some I failed spectacularly, but I was having fun. I couldn’t stop grinning and when the next song began, I expectantly got back into position. But when he started, it wasn’t Foxtrot.

I stumbled. “Wait, what’s that?”

He beamed at me. “Charleston!”

“Never heard of it. Sounds like a person or city, not a dance. What the Hell are you doing with your feet?”

“I’ll teach you. But let us go to my room. I have more space.”

He held the door open for me and I followed him one story up. I was curious; I hadn’t seen his room before. How did he furnish it? Would it be stuffed or minimalistic? What items were important to him or was it just a pretty standard hotel room?

He opened the door and the first thing I saw was a swamp-like forest. The hotel room just faded out like the parlour downstairs did into the bar and the wooden floorboards were replaced by damp moss. A table and chair were nested between low bushes and gnarly trees.

I was impressed. “Wow.”

He gestured for me to enter and I did, taking in the rest of the room. The part that still belonged to the hotel was stylishly furnished with a bunch of shelves, a desk, a single bed and even a fireplace with two comfortable armchairs in front of it, shining with green fire. The shelves were filled with books and no less than three radios from different time periods, but the most interesting part was the skeletons. Multiple animal skulls were artistically displayed on the walls. One of them looked suspiciously human. I wanted to take a closer look, read the titles of the books, but Alastor had already taken out a record from one of the shelves and put it on a gramophone similar to mine.

He grabbed my hands and pulled me into the much larger centre of the room. “Right. Charleston.”

Over the next few hours, I learned not only the basics of 1920s Charleston, but of two more swing dances. I had trouble keeping up with his energy, and soon my arms and legs were aching, but I didn’t mind. The dances gave the jazz music a whole new dimension and it was fun to get spun around again and again. I couldn’t stop smiling.

When my knees were finally about to give in, he took the needle off the record. Exhausted, I wiped my sweaty hands on my dress. Quite generous that he hadn’t commented on that, but to be fair, his hands were incredibly warm, so it was kind of his fault.

He took a bottle and two glasses from a cabinet and gestured for me to sit down in one of the armchairs. I fell into the cushions and sighed approvingly. A nice armchair, though a little too big for my size. He handed me a glass with a golden liquid. It smelled sweet but alcoholic.

“I don’t really drink,” I admitted.

He just shrugged and held out his glass. I didn’t want to be impolite, so I clinked mine against his and took a sip as he did. It was some kind of honey mead, quite drinkable.

Alastor grinned. “You’re an acceptable dance partner.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wow! Such compliment.”

He chuckled. “It was fun nonetheless. It’s been a while since I last got to dance. I used to frequent the clubs downtown, they have live music.”

“I’ve never been out dancing, really, only at the studio,” I admitted. I smiled. I hadn’t really left the hotel since my arrival. With Vaggie’s strictly enforced weapons ban, I was relatively safe here, but I couldn’t stay inside for literally ever. Also, I was starting to feel a little caged in. “If you like, we could go out together some time!”

“Hm.” He nodded. “In that case, your dance steps need more refinement. I gladly volunteer as a tutor. Your first lesson is tomorrow at 9pm.”

With that he finished the rest of his drink and got up. I took this as my cue to leave, so I downed my drink, too, feeling it burn in my throat, and repressed a cough.

When the door fell shut behind me, I sighed. My face hurt. I touched my cheeks and only now I realised that I had been smiling the entire time.

Back in my room, the rational part of my brain turned back on. This wasn’t good. What had I just gotten myself into? Regular dance lessons with an Overlord? And I had offered to go out with him, leaving the safety of the hotel and basically making myself fully dependent on his questionable protection.

I didn’t know enough about him to make such a decision. Watching TV had taught me quite a lot, but about him I still only knew what Vaggie had told me - and the disturbing stories he’d told himself, painting a much darker image than what our evening just now would let on. What had he said? He collected piano keys of composers he killed? What if he collected the dancing shoes of his dance partners, too?

Determined, I headed to the bar. Husk was absentmindedly rearranging bottles on the shelves. When I came over, he acknowledged me with a nod and started preparing a mocktail for me. I forced myself to wait until I had the colourful glass in front of me, then I took a deep breath. “Husk… can you tell me more about Alastor?”

Husk’s hands stilled.

“Vaggie said he was the one to suggest you as a bartender, so I suspect you two have known each other for a while? I need to know what his deal is.”

He looked at me as though I were an alien. “‘Suggest’ is one way to put it.” He leaned back, crossing his arms. “He’s forcin’ me. He owns my soul, alongside Niffty's and thousands of others.”

I stared at him. “Oh.”

Husk smiled grimly. “I see he’s already got ya fooled. He’s a master manipulator. You can’t trust ‘im as far as you can throw yourself. He’s a ruthless killer who doesn't care about no one.”

I bit my lip. Of course. He was an Overlord. One didn’t become an Overlord of Hell by being anything other than the most ruthless of sinners. Still, knowing and understanding were two different things. And the evening I’d just had, the fun I’d had… He hadn’t wronged me at all - no. That wasn’t even true. He had just appeared in my room without knocking. He had pushed me around without asking. He had been dismissive and patronising. But he had also been incredibly charming and complimenting and his upbeat persona had done the rest.

Manipulators obviously seemed charming, otherwise they wouldn’t be very successful. And of course he had been decent towards me, I had provided him with entertainment and hadn’t opposed him in any way; he’d had no reason not to be.

My struggle seemed to have been written across my face, because Husk leaned closer. “Whenever you need a reminder of just the type of person he is, tune a radio into frequency 66.6.”

Before I could ask for further explanation, he grabbed a bottle and moved to the other side of the bar to drink in silence.

Deep in thought, I finished my mocktail, then returned to my room. I looked at the beautiful radio Alastor had provided me with. Hesitantly, I turned it on. Static sounded and again the hair on the back of my neck raised as I got the feeling Alastor was in the room with me. I tuned in the frequency.

And then I could hear it. Screaming. Bone-chilling wails of agony from a multitude of different people, all blended together to a constant scream. It was terrifying and my stomach heaved. I turned off the radio, fighting the urge to be sick. Alastor’s victims.

Husk was right. This was a very good illustrator of who Alastor really was. The Radio Demon. I had thought the name came just from his whole stick with the voice and his mic, but this was a more likely explanation.

I shivered. Had I really been dancing with the man who had evoked all those screams? I could still feel his hot hands in mine, hear his laugh. I hugged myself. Oh, just why was I in Hell?

I needed comfort. I climbed on my bed and pulled myself over the edge into my fishbowl. The water closed around me like a warm hug. Oh how I wished it were a real hug. I had missed my friends and family a lot during my first few weeks in Hell, before all thoughts had been consumed by survival, but now this longing returned with full force. Never while being alive had I felt so alone.

I spent the entirety of the following day agonizing over whether or not I should go to the proposed dance lessons. I probably shouldn’t. But then again I was in Hell. Nobody here was good company. And I couldn’t spend all the time alone in my room, swimming laps in my fishbowl. I had had fun the other night, so why shouldn’t I have fun again?

So at 9pm sharp I knocked on Alastor’s door, my heart beating in my throat. The door swung open, but Alastor wasn’t standing behind it. He just came from the swamp his room morphed into and when he saw me, his smile widened. “Ah yes.” He came closer. “My, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I hesitated, then decided to go with the truth. “I heard your broadcast.”

“Ah! Well, what do you think?”

“Uh…” Perhaps, honesty wasn’t the best choice after all. But really, he already knew what I was thinking. “It wasn’t for me, I’m afraid.”

He laughed and I was fascinated to hear it accompanied by the sound of canned laughter. It made it sound… fake.

“Anyway. Shall we?” He patted me on the head, then went to turn on the music.

I sighed inwardly, pushing all thoughts of screams from my mind and put on a smile. For the next few hours I would think of swing dances and nothing else.

Chapter Text

I was sitting at the bar, staring at the colourful mocktail in front of me. The glass was still full.

For the past hour I’d tried to work up the courage to address Husk, who was as always leaning against the bar, rolling a bottle in his paw. I felt cold. Did I really want to bring it up again? For the dozenth time, the events of that morning played off in my head.

Charlie had happily proclaimed that it was show-and-tell-day. I hadn’t really had anything to show, as everything I owned, even my phone, had been provided to me by Charlie, and thus I had been happy when Angel volunteered to start. He’d shown us a film of his that he was very proud of, the content of which, due to his profession as a porn star, hadn’t exactly been to my liking, and the violent nature of the film had shocked everyone except Niffty. Alastor had disappeared the moment the word ‘TV’ had been uttered. When Husk started to criticise the film’s ‘plot’, he and Angel had got into a fight. He’d claimed that Angel was just upholding a facade and he could see right through it. It hadn’t been the first time I’d seen those two bicker, but then Husk had suddenly included the rest of us in his angry rant, and how he could see through us as well. And while I’d still been in awe about how spot on his analyses of the others were, pointing out their flaws and insecurities, things I had barely suspected, he had turned to me.

And Willow , he’d said, waving broadly in my direction. She’s a sheltered kitten wallowing in self-pity, who thinks she’s better than us.

She thinks she’s better than us. It stung. Unfortunately, if I was being honest, Husk wasn’t wrong with the first part of his analysis, but the second part… I had protested, but nobody had listened. And before I could push the subject, Angel had got a call from his boss and left in a rush and a pretty bad mood, momentarily making me forget the bombshell Husk had just dropped. Frustrated that her lesson got interrupted by the Vees, Charlie had decided to follow Angel to ask Valentino to let him spend more time at the hotel, and while Vaggie was supportive of the idea I had communicated my doubts. Considering everything I’d seen on TV, Valentino didn’t seem like the most reasonable guy and I felt like a talk with Angel beforehand might have been a good idea, but Charlie wouldn’t listen. Once she left, the rest of the crew had dispelled, leaving me alone with Husk, and my thoughts had returned to his earlier words. Determined to immediately clarify everything, I had approached him, but when he’d pushed an already prepared mocktail over to me, the words had died in my throat.

She thinks she’s better than us.

I stirred my drink. It was lukewarm by now. Maybe I should just leave it be. Husk had said those words in anger. Maybe he didn’t mean them. Maybe I was overreacting.

Husk shot me a look, then sighed. “Okay, kid. What’s up? You’re always quiet, but today you look miserable as sin.”

I took a deep breath, then held it. No, I couldn’t leave this unsaid. “Do you really think I believe myself above you all?”

He stilled. For once, he wasn’t wearing a scowl. Instead, he looked at me with pity. “You’re a good kid. I’m sure you think you don’t believe that. But don’t you think you should be in Heaven while we deserve to be here?”

“No!” Oh man. “I… look. Yes, I don’t think I deserve to be in Hell. But that doesn’t mean I think any of you should be! Fact is, I don’t know you guys. I don’t know what got you into Hell. It would be very presumptuous of me to say you deserve to be here or in Heaven.”

Husk raised a brow then chuckled. “Trust me, we’re all down here for a reason. And that includes you, kid. One day you’ll find out yours.”

My reason. I looked back at my mocktail. He was right. I hadn’t actively thought about it, but now it hit me. I didn’t truly think it was my fault I was in Hell. This was an accident. Some sort of bureaucratic error. But that was delusional. There had to be a reason I was here and I couldn’t keep on deflecting the blame.

It was my fault.

The ball of ice in my stomach grew, grasping at my chest. Husk was right. Yes, I had tried to socialise with the others, but I hadn’t really tried to connect. Maybe this was my flaw. This… arrogance? Maybe I should try to be more proactive in connecting with them? But if I did so with the goal of redemption, would it even still count? Urgh, why was this so hard?

“Did I break ya?”

I gave Husk a lopsided grin. “Sorry. A lot to think about.”

Whatever. I liked Husk. I wanted him to like me, too. Who cared if my reasons for that were morally right or wrong? I straightened. “I wish I could get along with you all better. It’s just hard for me, because we’re all very different people.” I hesitated, grabbing my glass tighter. “I hope you can still give me a chance.”

Husk chuckled. “Sure kid. I enjoy your quiet company when you get your lame drinks.” He tapped my mocktail with a claw.

“Hey!” I complained, but I was smiling. I already felt lighter. “You mixed together, like, ten things, how is that lame compared to a single shot of liquor?”

Before he could answer, Charlie came bolting through the front door. Her eyes were swollen and tears were streaming down her cheeks. Instinctively, I jumped off my chair. “Charlie! What happened?”

“I…” She fell to her knees, hands pressed to her face. “I messed up!”

My heart nearly stopped. “How? Is Angel okay?”

She looked up at me, her lip quivering. “You were right! I shouldn’t have gone.”

The ice around my chest returned. “What do you mean? Charlie!”

But she just shook her head and new tears welled up in her eyes. I looked around for help, but Husk had disappeared.

“Come, come.” I pulled her to her feet and led her to the couch, grabbed a blanket and tightly tucked her in. She let it happen, still sobbing silently, burying her face in her arms. Heaven, I had never seen her this distraught! I started to feel scared. Where was Angel?

“Do you really not want to tell what happened?” I asked carefully.

“I…” She took a stuttering breath. “I don’t know. You were right about Angel’s boss. He… he’s a bad man.”

“Of course he is,” I said gently. “He’s an Overlord.”

I had watched enough TV to know who was the sponsor - if just not to say pimp - of porn star Angel Dust. Valentino, one of the Vees alongside Vox, who owned the television medium, and Velvette, who controlled social media. I had heard the screams of Alastor’s victims and I had no reason to believe the other Overlords were kinder. But Angel had always seemed so proud of and content with his job that I had taken his word for it. Apparently, I had been wrong.

“I guess.” Charlie sniffed. “But you know I believe there is good inside everyone. Just the way he treated Angel…” She buried her head between her legs again.

I patted her on the back. I wanted to believe that, too. And maybe it was true. But… “You can’t save everyone. You have to pick your battles. Overlords actively hurt other sinners. You need to judge them on that. Not on what you wish were true.”

The hypocrisy of my words wasn’t lost on me, but I pushed my dance teacher from my mind. This was about Charlie and Valentino.

“I know.” Charlie’s voice was small. “Do you think he’ll forgive me? Angel?”

I still didn’t know what exactly had happened. “I’m sure he will.”

She gave me a wobbly smile. “Thank you, Willow.”

At that moment, Husk reappeared, Vaggie in tow. He returned to the bar, while Vaggie came over to us. She sat down next to her girlfriend and pulled her into a tight hug. Charlie pressed her face to Vaggie’s chest. Suddenly feeling like a very awkward third wheel, I gave Vaggie a nod, brought her a box of tissues and then retreated to my room to calm down in my fishbowl. What a morning.

When I returned to the parlour hours later, I thought things might have calmed down, but the opposite was the case. From what I could gather, Angel had returned only to immediately storm out again due to something Husk had done - whatever that was. Vaggie had then kicked Husk out to make sure Angel returned safely.

Poor Angel. After what Charlie had told me, I could only assume the worst. And when the doors finally opened and Angel Dust and Husk came home, my assumptions were confirmed by Angel’s black eye.

But to my surprise the two of them were laughing and when Charlie ran up to Angel, hugging him tight and giving a tearful apology, he smiled. “It’s fine. I get it. Thanks… for carin’ about me.”

Charlie dissolved into sobs, but I felt a wave of relief as Husk and Angel retreated to the bar and Vaggie soothed her girlfriend. Despite his black eye, Angel looked relaxed and it seemed like the ice between him and Husk had melted away.

I smiled. It felt like everyone had gotten closer today. That called for a celebration! But saying it like that would really make it awkward. “Guys,” I said, “I just realised, it’s been a month since I came here. I didn’t get to do my show and tell this morning, so how about I show off my cooking skills for a joint dinner and then tell you a little about the meal?”

Charlie, whose sobs had just started to ebb off, burst out into more tears, mumbling something along the lines of “That is so sweet, Vaggie, look how they’re getting along!” Vaggie gave me a crooked smile, Husk grinned at me and Angel gave me four thumbs up.

My smile widened. Maybe I could be friends with them after all.

I was busy stirring two saucepans at the same time, when Alastor came sauntering in.

“No need to cook,” I told him. “I’m making dinner for all of us tonight, to celebrate my first month here.”

He nodded. “So I’ve heard. What are you making?”

I opened my mouth, when it hit me like a brick wall. My gaze travelled from what looked like his ears to the antlers between them and back to his expectant smile. I swallowed. “Uh… roast venison.”

He didn’t skip a beat. “Tasty! You should prepare dinner more often.”

I relaxed. Man, I felt stupid both for cooking deer and for thinking it would bother him. Hadn’t Vaggie once said she’d seen him eat a whole deer raw?

He grinned. “Though I didn’t expect you to indulge my cannibalism.”

Dammit. So it didn’t go unnoticed after all. “Is it really cannibalism though?” I asked carefully. “I mean, you’re not an actual deer, right?”

He chuckled. “It’s just as much cannibalism as when I snack on any sinner. Admittedly, deer taste better than human dishes, unless it is Rosie who prepares them, her skill cannot be understated.”

I tried my absolute best to hide my disbelief. Seeing how Alastor had jumped on the deer thing I shouldn’t give him more openings to my discomfort. So I just nodded and tried to change the topic. “I see. How was your day? Were you out? You weren’t around.”

He completely ignored my feeble attempt. “Have you tried human meat? Or…” He looked me up and down. “Eel? Sheatfish? What kind of demon are you?”

I jumped onto the second question. “Not sure, honestly.” I had actually thought about that a lot. I looked mostly human and had kept my body shape from when I was alive, but I had turned ghostly white with a blue-green hue. My hair had turned longer and was made of massive locks that took hours to control, in a deep seaweed green. I had human hands and feet, but with webbing between the fingers and toes. There were some scales on my body, too, but only in little patches. “Maybe I’m a siren? Is that a thing? Not all sinners are animal-demons after all. Or maybe-” It sizzled loudly behind me and I whirled around to see the sauce bubbling over the edge of the pan. Hastily, I turned off the stove and tried to control the flood.

“So? Have you tried it?”

He really wouldn’t let the topic go, would he? I stalled by cleaning up the mess and pouring the sauce into the roasting pan I had prepared. Well, I just had to find a topic he would rather talk about. “I was wondering, do you do any radio shows? Except for, you know, what’s running on loop on 66.6.” Dammit! Now I had given him an even better topic to make me uncomfortable with!

“I used to! I had my stellar return a while ago, but I haven’t done a show since. I should get back into it.”

Phew! Distraction successful. “Fascinating! What do you usually do on your show?”

He flicked his wrist. “Oh, a bit of everything. I can show you my studio, if you like.”

Oh, that would actually be interesting! “Sure!”

He gestured for me to follow.

What, now? “Uh… one minute!” I put the roast in the oven and put on a timer on my phone.

I followed him up to the top floor of the hotel. Gosh, what was I getting myself into again? He had just admitted to being a cannibal! What if he decided to find out what kind of animal my sinner form was inspired by the same way he’d figured out what kind of minced meat was in the fridge? But he wouldn’t eat his dance partner, would he? Surely, Charlie would disapprove?

At the end of a corridor, a door had been sloppily slapped into the outside wall. It opened up to the abyss. Red steel beams protruded from the outside wall, forming a criss-crossed timber structure up to Alastor’s radio tower. “Uhhh…”

Without pause he climbed outside, balancing on one beam and holding on to another with one of his hands. When he saw my face, his smile widened. “Now, now, you wanted to see my tower, didn’t you?”

“I kind of expected at least a ladder… Don’t know why, I guess I forgot I’m in Hell for a second. Do you really do this climb every time?”

He shook his head, chuckling. “Of course not! I usually shadow-walk there, but you can’t do that, so follow me!” And without waiting for a reply, he ascended along the metal beams that were holding the tower up against the hotel wall.

I held on to the doorframe with both hands and looked down. The ground was so far away! I swallowed. But what could realistically happen? If I fell it would hurt, sure, but I couldn’t die (again). I wouldn’t even be permanently injured. So, apart from the possibility of excruciating pain, this climb really wasn’t dangerous at all, right? I bit my lip and crept out onto the beam. Just don’t look down. I shuffled forward, making sure to always have at least one hand on the support beam.

“My, if you go any slower, you’ll go backwards!”

I looked up and saw Alastor sitting on a beam further up, one leg pulled up, one swinging casually back and forth. He was holding on to a beam with one hand, the other was propped up on his pulled up leg, chin in hand. He couldn’t have looked more relaxed if he’d tried.

I huffed and increased my speed.

When I finally arrived at the entrance to the tower, a trap door in the floor, ice cold sweat stuck my dress to my back and my hands were slippery. Alastor took my hand and helped me up, then casually wiped his hand on his coat. Fair.

It took a while for my legs to regain the ability to stand and for my heart to stop drumming in my ears, but Alastor was already moving on.

“So, what do you think?” He spread out his arms, proudly presenting the tower.

I tried to ignore the lingering panic and looked around. It was surprisingly cosy in here. Everything was painted in a red hue from the ominous light shining through the windows. The room was dominated by a u-shaped desk, laden with buttons and dials. Next to the radio equipment, the desk was littered with paper and pens, as well as a coffee mug with the words “oh deer!” written on it. I barely suppressed a laugh at that. I hadn’t taken Alastor for one to make self-deprecating jokes, but it didn’t surprise me either.

“Nice studio!” I said honestly, ignoring the antlered coat rack. “So how does all this work? What are all the dials for?” I gestured towards the desk.

Alastor swished past me. “Ah, well, they control what is broadcasted, on which frequency, and so on. This dial for example allows me to control the volume of the broadcast, so I can fade in or out.”

He continued to explain what each single dial and lever did, which speaker was connected to what and what the little lights meant, avidly pointing as he talked. I nodded and listened intently, trying to remember as much as possible. He was obviously very enthusiastic about this and it really was in my best interest to be on the Radio Demon’s good side. The more he liked me, the less likely I was to be in his way. Or his dinner. And it was interesting to learn about the mechanics of radio.

After a while, I allowed myself to look at him instead of the desk for a moment. His smile seemed more genuine than usual. Less sharp, less threatening. His voice usually got less radio static, when he was being sincere - or what I suspected him being sincere - but right now it had the opposite effect. His voice sounded more like I heard it through an old-fashioned radio than ever and his passionate speech was backed up by pre-recorded ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s at appropriate moments. Somehow, he was pretty adorable when in his broadcasting mindset.

Wait, what? This was an evil Overlord, what the Hell was I thinking?

I forced myself to concentrate. “Okay, let me repeat. This dial controls volume, here you can record, this - no, this gives the frequency. And - wait, where is your mic?”

He waved his hand and his cane appeared. “I can broadcast from anywhere I like!”

I nodded. “Cool!”

“So,” he folded his hands over his microphone, and looked at me with an expectant smile under gleaming eyes. “Do you have any questions?”

How could I get back down to the hotel without breaking my neck?

“How did you become a radio host?” I asked. “What kind of education do you need for that?”

He leaned back against the desk. “Well, I graduated from High School at age 16. That was in 1914. It hadn’t been easy, considering I’m mixed race and the schools were very stuck up, but my mother made sure I received higher education. During that time, I helped with the money by delivering newspapers. Soon, I found a more lucrative side hustle, but my interest in the news industry persisted. So, after military service, I applied for an apprentice position at a news station. They had just started a radio branch a few years ago and the medium fascinated me much more than the written format, so I moved there.”

I listened, fascinated. I hadn’t expected him to reveal so much about his previous life! I just couldn’t imagine him as a teenager, getting up at 5am to deliver newspapers before going to school, where he probably learned to write and calculate on one of those small blackboards.

“How long was your apprenticeship?” I asked to keep him talking.

“Normally, it takes three years. The first months you go through all the departments, learn the basics. Then you work as an assistant for the next two years, which in my case meant I couldn’t broadcast alone and couldn’t make any decisions on the program. But after three months, they had to hire me full-time due to an unfortunate sudden staff shortage.”

I had been fully relaxed and comfortable in this fascinating conversation, when something about the way he said ‘unfortunate’ rang my alarm bells and I felt an icy cold chill run up my spine. I didn’t want to ask, but I probably should. “How… how did it come to this sudden shortage?”

His demeanour shifted, almost like he also just realised where we were and who he was talking to. When he answered, his voice was back to its usual level of filter, but his smile didn’t falter. “Smart girl.”

I wished I hadn’t been so smart, or at least hadn’t shown it. The last thing I needed was for the Radio Demon to consider me a threat. Then again, it wasn’t like I could do anything with this information.

Since I’d already breached the topic, I might as well find out more. “So… who did you, you know… kill? Your co-workers would have been way too obvious, right?”

He seemed impressed. “I killed the supervisor in another shift and the manager of the company. This led to two men moving up the chain, unfortunately leaving my shift without a supervisor. I was good at my job, so they promoted me prematurely.”

How could he say this so conversationally? I tried to stay conversational as well. “Smart. Were those the first people you killed?”

He shook his head and laughed. “No, no. I had to find a more effective way to sponsor my high school education than delivering newspapers, remember?”

Damn. Since he finished school at 16, this meant he’d killed for the first time when he was still a child.

His grin widened at my obvious discomfort. Better change the subject. “Is this shorthand?” I pointed at a set of handwritten notes on the desk. They were neat but elaborate, wavy and unintelligible to me.

He allowed the change in topic. “Yes, it is. It’s a shame people don’t learn it anymore nowadays.”

I couldn’t stop the remark. “Sure, grandpa.”

His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t seem mad. Thank God.

He leaned against the desk, his head tilted to the side. “Any final questions?”

I racked my brain. Anything else I could ask him? The question was formulated so openly, I could relate it to any topic we’d talked about, from ‘how does shorthand work’ to ‘who was the first person you killed and how did that help you finance high school’, but then I had another idea. I didn’t have a job. ‘Show and tell day’ had just shown me how I didn’t really have anything. And Alastor’s explanations had been surprisingly interesting… “Do you, maybe… need an apprentice? For your show, I mean. I’d really like to learn more about radio. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you to take your spot.”

He laughed and I was glad I had dared to make that joke. “I will think about it. Now out, sweetheart, before your dish turns to coal.”

The next day, after our daily lessons (Charlie had given us a surprisingly decent lecture on boundaries), I went up to Alastor’s room. Not for another dance lesson, though I had had quite a few of them by now, but for my first day of work. Alastor had offered to pay me 12 bucks per hour if I assisted him with his broadcast. Time to find out what that would entail.

Apparently, it meant I had to climb up to the radio tower again. And not just once. I had just arrived, when Alastor sent me back down to get his notes from his room and coffee from the kitchen, as though I was an underpaid intern. Shuffling along the red beams, shivering, with my heart beating in my chest and a backpack heavy on my shoulders, I was already regretting my afterlife’s choices. I could hear Alastor’s voice through the closed trapdoor. He had already started broadcasting. As quietly as possible, I rolled onto the tower floor, and took a few shaky breaths, hoping they wouldn’t get picked up by his microphone, before dragging myself to my feet and gently setting the requested items down on Alastor’s desk. I waited patiently until he muted his microphone for a musical intermission, before saying: “Couldn’t you just as easily have conjured up that coffee?”

He poured the fruits of my hard work into his ‘Oh Deer!’ mug and took a sip. “Of course! But not the notes, my dear. And materialised coffee simply isn’t as good as a freshly brewed cup.”

“Just admit it, you enjoy ordering me around,” I grumbled.

“Now, now.” He gave me a vicious grin and a pat on the head. “See those records? Dust them off for me, will you? Then get one ready for the next intermission. And don’t mess up the order, they’re sorted.”

“Could you stop patting me? It’s patronising.”

He just turned the dials and was back on air. I shook my head and sat down to silently pull out brimstone coated records. He could do that with a snap of his fingers, too. Why had he even hired me?

But I wasn’t actually mad. Yes, this wasn’t the job I had imagined for myself, nowhere close to what I had had when I was alive, but at least I was doing something , I would get paid to do it, and I didn’t have to literally or figuratively sell my soul for it. And while dusting off records wasn’t the most interesting job, I got to listen to Alastor’s broadcast while doing so. He could talk without breaks, telling stories about happenings in Pentagram City, gossip, major events and small ones, news and anecdotes. Everything smoothly flowed from one topic to the next without any outside input. It was great!

As I listened, I noticed that despite the increased radio filter on his voice, added sound effects and slightly clearer diction, he didn’t talk much differently than he normally did. The same accent, the same inflections, the same chipper persona. I would have liked to say he was the same on air as he was off air, but I suspected it was the other way around. I just never got to see his off air persona. The real him.

He pulled me out of my thoughts by gesturing for me to hand him a record. I had the perfect one ready, with lyrics matching the sentiment of his last topic. I got an approving nod. He turned the dials, then leaned back and kicked up his legs, refilling his mug. “Ah, I do admit, I missed this.”

“You are very entertaining,” I admitted and his grin widened.

He leaned forwards and turned on a small old-fashioned TV. It was so understated I had completely missed it until now. That made it the second TV in this hotel.

“What are you looking for?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m just curious if Vox is already preparing a response.”

Vox. I had seen him talk shit about Alastor on TV a couple of times. Within the past hour, Alastor had returned the favour and then some.

“You guys have beef?” I asked.

“He does. It’s fun to watch him get worked up.”

Was that so? “Sure it’s a one-way thing?”

He looked like he wanted to say yes, but then reconsidered. “There might be some personal resentment on my end,” he admitted. “But that makes it all the more satisfying.”

I opened my mouth for a reply.

“Be a good girl and get me some more coffee, will you? Afterwards I want you to scan the TV for any responses, not just from Vox himself.” With a snap of his fingers, a pair of old-fashioned headphones appeared for me, plugged into the tiny TV, then he turned the dials and was back on air. I rolled my eyes.

Chapter Text

For the first time since I had arrived at the hotel, I decided to venture out. After two weeks of working for Alastor, he had paid me with a pack of cash and finally I had some money to myself to do some shopping.

But the moment the front door closed behind me, all my anxieties came rushing back. My heart was beating in my throat and I clutched my hands together tightly. I watched the sinners closely as I passed them by, expecting any second to be tackled, randomly shot or set on fire. This was also my first time exploring Pentagram City, as I had swam through the canalisation last time. I was anxiously clutching my phone, Hell Maps showing me the way downtown.

When after half an hour nothing had happened yet, I started to relax a little. I was just strolling, minding my own business, and so were most other sinners. All I had to do was to leap out of the way of the occasional car and change the side of the road every now and then to avoid creepy trenchcoat demons. And I found that at least these parts of the city had a strange beauty to them in their wild architecture and the decor. Even the creepy eyes settled into the cracks of the city’s cafés and bars added to the aesthetic.

I arrived at a record shop with only three people having offered to pay me for sexual services along the way and they had all backed off when I had politely declined. Quite a pleasant stroll! The store was owned by someone who looked like they lived, breathed and killed the 70s, but flicking through their records I discovered that they had music from all kinds of genres and time periods. I picked out three modern pop and rock records with the songs that used to play on the radio back when I was alive and concerned with mundane tasks like doing the dishes or driving to work. On my way to the checkout, I couldn’t resist adding a new jazz record to my pile. Proudly, I handed over my hard earned cash and left the store carrying a bag with my new prized possessions.

My next objective proved to be a bit more tricky. While there were many more bookstores than record shops, their contents turned out to be catered to… specific interests. I browsed through entire book stores consisting purely of erotic fiction, and not the romantic kind. I found books giving detailed instructions on how to dismember someone, how to build a molotov cocktail and a cookbook on the one hundred best ways to prepare human flesh. I briefly considered buying the latter for Alastor, then shuddered, appalled at my own thoughts, and hurriedly left the store. In the end, I managed to find four novels that looked decent enough and I even dug up one of the educational books I’d been looking for: Shorthand.

On my way back, a stationary shop caught my attention. I hesitated, biting my lip, before dipping in to get a sketchbook and a set of graphite pens.

I had almost left the entertainment district, smiling from the successful trip, when a sudden flash of blue lightning in my peripheral vision had me whipping my head around. A person was standing where the lightning had struck and I didn’t need two seconds to recognise him. Clad in a blue pinstripe suit with a flatscreen TV for a head: It was Vox, leader of the Vees. And he was coming straight at me with a wide sharp smile.

Fighting down panic, I tried my best to keep my face neutral. What did he want from me? What should I do? This was an Overlord!

I took a deep breath. Just don’t be a threat. Play dumb. Smile. When you’re not smiling, you're doing something wrong. Either change the situation or your attitude.

So when Vox came to a halt before me, I smiled innocently, as though I didn’t know him. “Good afternoon! Can I help you, Sir?”

“Good afternoon, Hell citizen.” His voice was calm and charming. “You are new to the city, aren’t you? I haven’t seen you around and,” he chuckled, “I see everything.”

“Kind of,” I said honestly. “I’ve been staying at the Hazbin Hotel for the past two months.”

“The Hazbin Hotel? Fascinating! How is it, is it worth a stay?” He was trying to sound casual, but I could hear the excited static in his voice, not dissimilar to how Alastor sounded when something piqued his interest.

Aha. That’s what he wanted from me. Information about the hotel. I didn't drop my smile. “I’d say so, yes.”

“Really? Perhaps I should book a stay! Care to tell me more?”

“There isn’t much to tell, really.” I laughed and hoped it didn’t sound too fake. “The rooms are pretty nice. Very beautiful decor. And everyone has their own bathroom. It has a large kitchen and even a bar.” Most of that information had already been part of the commercial I’d seen.

Vox’s smile was still filling his entire screen. “That sounds very nice. But what about the people? How many other guests are there? How about that lovely lady running the hotel? And her, um… manager?”

“Uh…”

Before I could think of an answer, Vox put an arm around my shoulders and I fought the urge to duck away.

“You know what?” Vox said. “See that café over there? I’ll buy you a drink. I’m sure you have time.”

It was pretty clear that I couldn’t say no. So I tried to make it look like I was happy about the offer. I smiled brightly. “Really? Sure, I have some time! That is very kind of you!”

Some surprise and scepsis flashed over his flat face, before his own smile returned. “Perfect. Well then, what is your name, young lady?” He started pushing me towards the café, his arm still around my shoulders. I hated it.

“Willow.”

“What a lovely name.”

Inside the café, he let go of me and pulled out a chair for me. I sat down, still trying to control my pulse and keep up my smile. When the waitress saw Vox, she came straight over to take our orders. I ordered something small in the hopes of getting out of here as quickly as possible. I realised that nobody at the hotel knew where I was. Why hadn’t I told anyone where I was going? Why didn’t I have one of those emergency buttons that called the police? Or Alastor?

Vox leaned on the table, making me focus again. “Well then. The Princess of Hell running a hotel and the Radio Demon helping her. Tell me:” His smile disappeared and was replaced by a cold stare. His left eye started swirling red. “Why is he there? Does he have a deal with the little Miss Morningstar?”

I didn’t even have time to look away. For a split second, realisation of what was happening buzzed through my mind. He was hypnotising me! But then my thoughts were overrun by a wave of static. My panic was gone and so was any apprehension. This was just a casual conversation! Of course I would tell Vox everything. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell Vox precisely what he was looking for. Information on Charlie and Alastor.

Alastor. A zap of opposing static rippled through the surging wave, interrupting its steady flow and my thoughts broke through the surface.

“I… don’t know,” I said truthfully. My thoughts were scattered, it was as though I was swimming in a rough ocean, but I managed to stay afloat. Could he sense that his hypnosis wasn’t working as intended?

Vox’s eyes narrowed. “Then find out. Understood?”

I wanted to nod. The hypnosis told me to. But I could refuse. Yet then he would know it wasn’t working. And who knew what would happen then. So I kept smiling and nodded.

His shark-like grin returned, and his eye was still swirling. “Good. You will forget I asked you this. You will think you’re trying to find out for your own curiosity. Got it?”

I nodded again. “Of course.”

“Perfect.” His eye stopped buzzing and immediately, the waves in my mind ebbed.

I frowned as though I wasn’t quite sure what had just happened and blinked a few times, before restoring my smile. His grin widened. It seemed like he didn’t know I tricked him. Perfect.

Hours later, I threw open the front doors to the hotel and stormed in. Husk was behind the bar, as always, Angel was sitting on a bar stool, drink in hand, and Alastor sat in his favourite armchair, reading a newsletter. With a wide grin, I brandished my phone. “You guys will not believe what just happened.”

“Oh yeah?” Angel said, not sounding impressed. Husk just looked bored and Alastor’s expression didn’t change, but at least he had the decency to lower his newspaper.

I ignored the lacklustre reactions. “Guess who just paid for my chocolate cake?” I made a meaningful pause, staring into vacant faces. “It was Vox! Entertainment district Overlord, head of the Vees?”

Now I had everyone’s attention.

“What’d he want from ya?” Angel asked suspiciously. “In exchange for pastries on his company credit card?”

“Oh, he wanted information about the hotel. He was really charming, invited me out to a café. I pretended I had no idea who he was or what he wanted from me. Then he tried to hypnotise me, but it didn’t really work.”

Alastor neatly folded his newspaper, grinning mischievously. “Of course not. Do you think I’d make it that easy for Vox to get his eyes and ears in here? How did he react when he found out I’d blocked your mind?”

“Huh.” I smiled. “I thought it was you. Having both yours and Vox’s static in my head, I felt like I was being microwaved. But he doesn’t know you did anything. I pretended his hypnosis was working, so now he believes I’ll tell him everything about Charlie and the hotel.”

I was almost convinced Alastor looked impressed at that. Well, I had more. I unlocked my phone and held it out. “And look at this!”

Angel snatched the phone from my hand and looked at the screen. His eyes widened. “Wow. That’s, uh…” He smiled, but there was a flicker of worry in his eyes.

Husk looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, clearly looking impressed. “You’re not going, right?”

“No, that’d be suicide - metaphorically. If I ran into your boss there, Angel, I might punch him and that would cost me.”

“Where aren't you going?” Alastor had shadow-walked up to me. I took back my phone and showed him the screen. He looked at it with some distaste, then bent down at the hip and adjusted his monocle to read the tiny writing: An exclusive invitation to a party at Vee tower. It had popped up on my phone after Vox had tapped it with his sharp claw.

“Hm… May I?” Without waiting for an answer, Alastor gingerly took my phone, looking disgusted.

Smiling inwardly, I turned back around to Husk and Angel. “Still, I thought it was funny.”

Angel didn’t look amused. “I’m just glad you’re okay, hon. That could’ve easily gone south. The Vees are a nasty bunch.”

I blinked. A warm fuzzy feeling spread through my chest. Angel cared.

“Willow.”

I turned my attention back to Alastor. Had he ever addressed me with my name before? He looked me dead in the eyes. “Would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?”

My brain did not compute. Angel and Husk were faster in their reactions:

“ What ?”

“The Hell?!”

I stared.

Alastor handed me back my phone. He had zoomed in on a section of the invitation. ‘All guests may bring a spouse, lover or escort to this all-night event of the year!’

“So, what do you say?” Alastor asked, smiling brightly.

“Uh… Anything to mess with the Vees, huh?” My smile was shaky.

“I’m so fuckin’ confused right now.” Angel said. 

“Naturally,” Alastor said, and it was unclear if it was a response to me or Angel.

My thoughts were racing. An Overlord party? Alone, this would have been too dangerous, but with Alastor at my side… maybe this could be fun! “I mean… if I can count on your protection?”

There was a burst of canned laughter. “Of course. I’d never let anyone lay a finger on my beau .”

Angel had finally caught on. “You gonna crash their party?”

“Uh, and how the fuck do you wanna convince them?” Husk interjected. He pointed at Alastor. “They’ll never believe you ’d get a girlfriend.”

Alastor raised a brow. “Why not?”

Husk let out an exasperated sigh.

“Well, Vox will know you’re just doing it to get into his party.” I grinned. “But he thinks I’m an idiot. I’ll just have to play the oblivious little girl. Sure, he can still kick us out, but Vox won’t be the one checking invitations at the door, right? I’m sure I can convince a bouncer I believe you to truly be my loving boyfriend.” I winked.

“You’re ready to make an ass outta yourself to make him look double-smart?” Husk asked incredulously.

I shrugged. “Why not? I have no honour to defend, especially not in front of the Vees.”

“Right! Then we have a date.” With that, Alastor turned on his heel and sauntered towards the staircase.

A week later, I waited for Alastor in the downstairs parlour, nervously twisting a lock around my finger. In the wake of the euphoria of having tricked Vox, pretending to be Alastor’s girlfriend to get into his party had sounded like a great idea. Now, at the evening of the event, I was not so sure anymore.

I was not alone in the hall. The whole crew was there to watch us leave, as word had gotten around quickly. The only one missing was Angel, who had been forced by his boss to attend the party himself. I was a little nervous about seeing them. I knew there was nothing I could do about the situation Angel was trapped in and I didn’t want to get myself into trouble by saying or doing something stupid. Like setting the moth demon’s wings on fire.

Alastor came down the grand staircase and I was surprised to see that instead of his normal coat he was wearing a pinstripe suit with elegant coattails. I, too, had put on my best dress, but it was nowhere near formal wear.

“I feel underdressed,” I greeted him.

“Hm.” He eyed me from head to toe. “You are. Allow me to fix that.”

Without waiting for me to actually allow anything he snapped his fingers. I could feel fabric brushing against my skin, heard it rustle, and when I looked down I was wearing a jaunty white dress with red little bows and embroidery. It looked good on me, though the skirt was a bit shorter than I’d usually go with. I liked it, but it felt like quite an invasion of personal space. I didn’t dare complain.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Charlie asked anxiously. 

Alastor waved her off. “Don’t worry, sweetheart! Your little guest will be perfectly safe with me. Shall we?”

He offered his arm and I nervously accepted. It wasn’t like touching him was new, we’d been dancing a lot after all, but walking like this was different.

We made our way towards the entertainment district, walking in silence. Alastor set a brisk pace, so fast that I almost had to jog to keep up. It was a very different experience from last time I’d walked into town. Any sinner coming our way hurried to change sides, ducking into alleys if necessary. Not a single person dared to approach us, but I could feel their stares like daggers. Alastor didn’t seem bothered. He casually twirled his cane as we strode down the sidewalks, ignoring the other sinners and instead admiring the architecture.

When we got to the center of the entertainment district, the streets became more crowded, neon lights advertising a wide range of establishments, from bars and strip clubs to casinos and brothels. And then, there it was: Vee tower. I looked up at the bright neon Vs in awe, as we got in line with a whole host of other guests of all shapes and sizes clad in fancy outfits.

I groaned. “Urgh, waiting. I hate waiting.”

Alastor chuckled.

In the end we didn’t have to wait that long. After about ten minutes, we reached the door. But it was long enough to dial up my anxiety. I took a deep breath. “Showtime,” I whispered, then put on a happy smile.

The bouncer was a bear. Not just by his massive size, but his sinner form was a literal grizzly bear. He looked down on us with a permanent frown. “Invi-”

He stopped mid-word and his round eyes widened in shock, as he recognised Alastor.

I showed him the invitation on my phone. “Um, hi,” I said with my girliest voice. “Here is my invitation. I met Mr. Vox a week ago personally and he graciously invited me over. I still can’t believe it. This is all a little overwhelming, so I brought my boyfriend.”

I leaned my head against Alastor’s shoulder, still smiling excitedly and held up my phone in the bouncer’s face. I could feel Alastor tense. Oh. Only now did I realise that we hadn’t really discussed how we would sell our act. What a ginormous oversight.

The bouncer finally found his voice. “Uh…”

How clever.

Alastor lifted his free hand, shedding his discomfort, and waved at the bouncer. “That’s right. I’m just here for my lovely girlfriend.” He radiated amusement.

I could still see the gears turning in the bouncer’s head. The people in line behind us shuffled impatiently.

I turned my happy expression into one of concern. “Is everything alright, Sir? Is there something wrong with my invitation? I didn’t get it by mail or something, Mr. Vox just touched his finger against my phone, there was an electric bolt and it appeared.”

“It’s a valid invitation,” Alastor said, ever the chipper showman. “Vox invited her. She can bring a partner. I’m her partner. Now, let us in, would you? You’re keeping up the line.”

Slowly, the bouncer nodded and stepped aside.

“Thank you!” I said brightly and, clinging to Alastor’s arm, I followed him inside.

The noise hit me like a wall. Bright lights flickered across the room, in blue and purple, reflecting on numerous screens all over the walls. This, in addition to the furniture and the loud electronic music made it feel like I had entered a weird hybrid of an 80s club and an electronics store. Adding to the blaring of the music was the noise of dozens of sinners carrying on loud conversations. Every now and then, laughter cut across the room. I already hated it and clung closer to Alastor, not just to keep our cover.

Luckily, he was probably the best one to stick close to when easily overwhelmed by large groups of people, as the crowd parted readily to let the Radio Demon pass through. Heads turned as he went by and sinners lowered their voices, sticking their heads together when Alastor wasn’t looking.

I forced the excited smile back onto my face, trying to relax. I was safe with him, I should look the part.

Alastor took us straight to the bar. “What would you like, sweetheart?” he asked.

Dammit, I didn’t want to drink. Luckily that was right in my ballpark as the innocent girl. I smiled up at him, still clinging to his arm. “A lemonade.”

He barely cocked an eyebrow, then turned to the bartender. “Your top shelf rye and a lemonade, please.”

The bartender stared at him. “The Radio Demon? Who the fuck invited you?”

“I was invited and brought him along,” I said with the same sweet voice.

Alastor just smiled.

“Uh…” With slow gestures, he poured the drinks and handed them over. Alastor took both and turned around enthusiastically, without paying the bartender any more attention, and guided me through the crowd. The couch in the middle of the room he approached was occupied by a group of chatting sinners, but they jumped up the second they saw Alastor coming at them. He sank into the now empty cushions elegantly, and I took a seat right next to him, our legs nearly touching. I took my lemonade from him and held it tightly between both hands. I suddenly envied Alastor for his effortless smile. I was on edge. Part of me was elated. We had actually made it in! And the looks of the bouncer and bartender had been priceless. But now I was here and didn’t know what to do. Heaven, why had we not discussed this more?

Before I could work myself up too much, Vox came barging through the crowd. It opened for him just as readily as it had done for Alastor, and he came to a halt in front of the couch, scowling down on us. Contrary to our last interaction, he looked terrifying with that livid expression, curled fists and electricity sparking around him, but still I felt less scared than last time. Pushing away all my thoughts, I sprang back into action. I dialled up my smile, set down my lemonade onto the low glass table between the couches and stood up, making sure to use Alastor’s leg to push myself up. Alastor stayed put.

Ignoring all warning signs I held out a hand to the Overlord. “Mr. Vox! It’s so good to see you again. Thank you so much for the invitation. This all looks absolutely stunning, such a great party! May I introduce you to my boyfriend?” I gestured to Alastor, ignoring the way Vox was already glaring at him. “I admit I was a little intimidated by the idea of going here all alone, knowing nobody but you - and I was sure you’d be busy - and he graciously offered to accompany me. Isn’t that so nice of him?”

Vox didn’t even look at me once. “What the fuck are you playing at, freak? Get the fuck out of my tower!”

I tried to look appropriately shocked. “Do you two know each other?”

But the two weren’t paying me any attention. Alastor didn’t even get up, but gave Vox a dashing smile. “You were sloppy, old pal. Trying to get your eyes into the hotel using a new sinner? Sweetheart, tell our gracious host since when we’re a couple.”

“Um, he… he asked me out the same day I met you, Mr. Vox, Sir,” I said, looking as confused as I possibly could. “Why? Did I do something wrong?”

Vox was still ignoring me, missing all the effort I put into my physical performance. How unfortunate.

“You fucking asshole,” Vox growled. “Get. Out. Now!”

“Oh, but I’m just here to support my lovely girlfriend.” Now Alastor got up in one smooth motion, slinging an arm around my waist and pulling me forcefully against him, but his eyes stayed on Vox.

For the first time, Vox’s eyes briefly moved over to me. I gave him a confused and apologetic smile, while resting my hand on the arm around me.

“Out,” Vox repeated. “Or do I have to escalate this?”

Alastor laughed. “Don’t worry, we’re leaving. This party is a bore anyway. Come along, darling!” His arm still around my waist, he directed me towards the exit. Even more heads turned, as a considerable number of sinners had heard the commotion. I forced myself to look straight ahead and keep in my laughter.

We left the tower and when we disappeared between the neighbouring buildings, Alastor snickered. “You were brilliant.”

I finally allowed myself to properly relax and my sweet smile turned into a broad grin. “Thanks! This was surprisingly fun, though pretty short. I didn’t even get to drink my lemonade.”

“Lemonade, really?”

I shrugged. “Seemed harmless enough. I don’t drink much and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to order a Virgin Colada for me.”

He chuckled. “You can order anything you like. Actually, I didn’t get to drink my Whiskey either. Shall we go to a different establishment to celebrate?”

Why not? “Sure.”

He changed our direction. He still had his arm around me.

“Um, shall we stop the charade then?” I asked. “Or keep it up, while we’re still in public?”

“We can retire the act.” He dropped his arm, but offered it to me to link with. I accepted. “It has fulfilled its purpose, hasn’t it?”

“I guess… I mean, Vox has his cameras everywhere, it’s not unlikely he’ll see us. And he doesn’t know I played him, too, thus far he thinks you played us both. We can let him in on that or not, I’m fine either way.”

“Ha! Well, if you’re happy to be remembered as a fool, I’ll gladly take all the credit.”

I rolled my eyes. Easy for someone of his power to say. When you were a powerless little newbie like me, it was best to fly under the radar, stay a pawn. Also, it had been fun to play this game of pretend and I was a little disappointed it had ended so quickly. So when we arrived at our destination, I put on my sweet smile once more.

Alastor had taken me to a club. There was a bouncer, too, but no line, and he seemed to know Alastor, as they exchanged nods and he let us in without a word. He did look me up and down though with a curious expression on his face. Alastor gave no explanation and I just smiled.

Inside, the club was held in muted pinks and dark browns. Instead of loud obnoxious party music, a live band was performing a jazzy tune on saxophones and keyboards. A motley collection of sinners clad in tasteful old-timey evening attire was laughing and moving on the dance floor. Others were lounging in plush armchairs sipping their drinks and - to my dismay - smoking. Everyone was smoking. The room was filled with a dense cloud of cigarette smoke. I coughed. Great. Well, at least I couldn’t develop lung cancer down here.

Again, Alastor took me to the bar first. The bartender, a guy looking like a human panther, opened his green eyes wide. “Alastor! How long has it been? I was convinced you’d died before I heard your broadcast again. Where’ve you been?”

He flicked his wrist. “Ah, I just took some time off. I got bored of the ever same daily trott.”

The bartender shrugged. “Don’t we all? Anyway, what can I get ya? The usual?”

“Yes. And a Virgin Colada for my girlfriend, if you please.”

The panther sinner’s eyes widened for a moment, then he smirked. “Ah, so that’s what happened. You had a midlife crisis and got yourself a younger woman.”

Wow, it really seemed that way, didn’t it? I had to bite my tongue in order not to laugh and tried my hardest to slap an offended look onto my face instead.

Alastor’s eyes turned black and it was as though all the light had been sucked from his surroundings. “A-ha. I don’t think I’ve quite heard you. Would you say that again, please?” Despite his friendly words, his tone was chilling, static crackling. Some guests at the bar spun around in apprehension.

A shiver ran down my spine and I had to fight the urge to back away from Alastor. Instead, I just stood very still.

The bartender had stopped grinning, too. “No, Sir, I didn’t say anything.”

And just like that the darkness disappeared. “Just what I thought.”

The bartender made our drinks in silence. Alastor took them and handed me my mocktail. It had a little umbrella in it. He led us to an empty couch and fell down into the cushions. Again, I took a seat next to him so our legs almost touched, but this time it took a lot more force of will. His demonstration of power had scared me. I had forgotten I was posing as the girlfriend of an unpredictable force of nature.

“Smile, my dear!” Alastor’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Pretty bad air in here,” I said as an excuse for my frown, while putting on my sweet smile again.

He inclined his head. “I suppose. But a club wouldn’t be the same without the aroma.”

“Well, I’m glad my country banned smoking in clubs two decades ago,” I mumbled, but leaned back. Just relax . I took a sip from my mocktail and despite my stuffy nose it tasted delicious, although it was missing the certain something of Husk’s creations.

Before I could gather the courage to make further conversation, a group of three women came up to the table. They were all mostly human and dressed in glitter flapper dresses. One was wearing a decorative frill hat, one showed off large hoop earrings and the third had antennae like some kind of insect.

“Alastor?” The hat wearing woman hid her mouth behind a manicured hand. “Such a surprise. We haven’t seen you here in ages!”

“I know, I know, I’ve been absent for a while, don’t you worry about it, now that I have returned.” Alastor sounded almost irritated.

The three ladies uninvitedly took their seats opposite to us. The one with antennae got out a pack of cigarettes and offered them around. I politely declined and was not happy when Alastor took one.

“You know they’re not good for your voice,” I said quietly, trying to find an argument he would care about.

“Who’s your companion tonight?” the woman said. “I don’t think we’ve seen her here before, have we?”

The other two ladies shook their heads in unison.

I decided to let Alastor do the talking since he seemed to know these people. And they hadn’t even addressed me!

He took a long drag of his cigarette and blew his smoke away from me before answering. “This lovely lady is Willow, my plus one for tonight.”

“Your plus one? How come?”

“Oh, I’ve been giving her dance lessons and she wants to put that practice to the test.”

Did I now? I was a little amused that Alastor didn’t seem quite as committed to the boyfriend bit after that comment from the bartender.

“Oh really?” The three ladies finally turned their heads in my direction.

I hesitated. “I mean, he’s not wrong.”

“And since when are you giving out dance lessons, Alastor, did you change careers while you were gone?”

Alastor laughed, accompanied by the sound of canned laughter. “Heavens, no! She’d just be pretty useless as a girlfriend if she couldn’t dance.”

Ah, so he was still committed!

The three ladies exchanged excited looks. Huh. Somehow I got the feeling that they would spread the news faster than all of Vox’ party combined.

“I can dance,” I interjected, a little offended. “I’m just not as well versed in 1920s American style dances.”

“What time are you from? You look young.” Suddenly, these ladies were looking very curious, and I could already see the gossip form in their heads.

“I just died young,” I said. I didn’t have to confirm the bartender’s assumption about my age. While it was somewhat funny, I didn’t need everyone to think I was going out with my great-grandpa. And, based on Alastor’s reaction, he felt the same way.

“She’s from New Zealand, so her lack of dance education can be forgiven,” Alastor said with a wave of his hand holding the cigarette. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we shall dance.”

With that, he dumped the butt of his cigarette into the ashtray and offered me his hand. I got up, gave the women a little curtsy, then allowed Alastor to pull me onto the dance floor. I was nervous. This would be my first time dancing out like that and I didn’t feel like my Charleston was up to it. But it couldn’t be in Alastor’s interest to embarass me. I tried to listen to the music and looked around at the other couples to grasp what we were dancing, then I was already pushed into the first steps.

It worked better than I thought! Alastor went easier on me than he did when we danced alone in his room and the music had a nice simple rhythm. While he was somewhat considerate of me, he didn’t extend the same courtesy to our neighbours. He spun us around, smiling brightly, as though we were the only ones in the room. Many a couple had to jump out of our way, but somehow, he managed to avoid any collisions. Dancing alongside other people was exciting and their energy was infectious. I spun around and around, my hair flowing, and my new dress flitting against my legs. Alastor’s warm hands pushed and guided me through the laughing crowd, all while he was smiling and smiling.

And I couldn’t stop grinning.

It was much later when we were finally heading home. I was exhausted, but also buzzing with energy. I was walking barefoot on blistered feet, swinging my dancing shoes back and forth.

“Did you have fun, too?” I asked Alastor. “It’s difficult to tell since you’re always smiling.”

He gave me a side glance; we were again walking with linked arms. “If I wasn’t, do you think we would still be here?”

“Fair point.”

We kept walking in silence for a while. As the hotel came into view, I raised my voice again. “Thank you for tonight. I really had a great time. I know you just did it for yourself, but I’m still grateful.” I chuckled. “And I got the experience of having a boyfriend. Sort of. Didn’t think I ever would, aro-ace as I-”

We rounded a corner and crashed into a sinner. I stumbled and Alastor had to stagger a step back.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed. “Sorry!”

The sinner had fallen on his butt and now looked up angrily. “Watch where you’re going, assholes!”

Alastor’s smile didn’t falter. I could see the realisation in the sinner’s eyes, as his scowl turned into an expression of fear. He opened his mouth again, but didn’t get to speak. Green energy filled the air in front of us and I heard a loud scream. When the cloud disappeared, the sinner was gone and the street had a new pothole.

I was stunned, staring at the spot where that poor soul had disappeared.

Alastor dusted off his coat, then offered me his arm once more.

I crossed my arms, refusing to accept it. “That was unnecessary.”

His smile widened menacingly, but he didn’t respond. I wanted to press the subject, but didn’t dare speak up further.

Alastor lowered his arm and we walked the rest of our way back to the hotel in tense silence.

Chapter Text

The next morning, when I came downstairs for our daily exercises, I was surprised to find Angel Dust already there. When he saw me, he jumped up from the couch he had been lounging on and came straight at me. I blinked in surprise. Angel didn’t usually approach me like that.

“I’ve got some hot gossip for ya, sea girly,” he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Oh yeah?”

He grinned. “Seems like your little stunt with Al yesterday really rubbed Vox the wrong way.”

My smile grew. “Really? Nice, glad to hear our short-lived visit was worth something.”

“Oh, it was worth it alright. Apparently you chose the best way possible to offend that little fucker. Sad that I missed you two last night, but when Vox came up to me ‘n’ Val, he was fuming . According to Val he’s super horny for Mr. Hot’n’Creepy and is now glitching out on the fact that someone else got him.”

I blinked. “Wait, what? Vox has a crush on Al?”

“Apparently, yeah.” Angel fell back onto the couch, kicking his long legs up.

“Huh, that’s… interesting.” Suddenly, Alastor’s idea to pose as my boyfriend got a very different connotation. Had he done this on purpose, knowing it would make Vox mad, in addition to crashing his party? “Does Alastor know?”

Angel shrugged. “Dunno. Can’t say what goes on in that weird mind of his.”

I nodded slowly, then turned around. “I have to find out. Be back in a minute!”

I ran upstairs and knocked on Alastor’s door. It immediately swung open. Alastor sat in one of the armchairs in front of the eerily glowing fireplace, drinking a cup of tea and reading a newspaper. He grinned at me. “Ah! Isn’t this the time Charlie usually pesters you with ridiculous lessons?”

I just flicked my wrist dismissively in the same manner Alastor often did and entered. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. “Angel just told me something interesting. Did you know Vox had a crush on you?”

He blinked slowly. “Now that is interesting.”

I approached and sat down in the armchair across from him. “So you didn’t know.”

He slowly folded his newspaper. “Well, Rosie said… But that was decades ago. Did Angel Dust say anything specific?”

“Just that apparently he is livid that you have a girlfriend now. It’s word of mouth though, so take it with a grain of salt, especially because the mouths are attached to a porn star and a pimp.”

“Hm… Very interesting.”

It was fascinating to watch as his grin slowly reached his eyes. It made him look darker than before. This smile promised twisted pain. “Would you care to be my girlfriend for a bit longer?”

I raised an eyebrow. “What are you planning?”

“I’m not sure yet! But this will be so much fun.”

I bit my lip. It was true that Vox’s party had been fun and dancing at the club after as well. It had given me a sense of control, being able to get one over on a powerful Overlord.

But was it right? I felt like ever since I had arrived in Hell my actions had gotten worse and worse instead of better. What about redemption and my plan to get into Heaven? Was this bad? This fun would come at the expense of a truly terrible person, but at the same time I would be fuelling the games of a supposedly just as terrible person. Yeah, for the sake of redemption I should probably say no to Alastor. But who knew what would actually get me into Heaven?

Alastor drummed his claws on his microphone. “Time is a valuable resource, my dear.”

I sighed. “Eff it, I’m in. But if we do decide to make this a thing, we should lay down some rules. In fact: We should make a deal.”

“Ha! What ?” He leaned forward, slowly folding his newspaper. “I’m listening!”

“No soul deal, of course,” I hurried to say. “As if. No, I mean a binding deal, where we lay down and agree to a specific set of rules and obligations for both of us. This ensures both our loyalty and that no boundaries are crossed.”

There was a short silence. “And what would you get out of that deal?”

Huh. I just didn’t want to be ditched at one of Vox’s events when Alastor got bored of the spiel. But he wouldn’t ask what I wanted in return, if he wasn’t willing to offer more.

I studied his face. Although I had gotten better at reading his eyes, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking right now. How much could I ask of him? “Um… Protection. I want insurance, especially since this deal will put me in harm's way. Right now I am living a pretty comfortable afterlife, all things considered, but Vox, one of the most powerful Overlords, is already pissed at me. I need your promise to always protect me from harm.”

He raised an eyebrow. “For as long as you’re living here, you’re under my protection anyway, my scaly friend. I won’t let Vox hurt my little project.”

“Yeah, but what if you get bored of your ‘project’? I need something more tangible.”

“Hm.” He shrugged. “Fair enough.” He jumped to his feet, suddenly enthusiastic, and strode over to his desk. He unearthed a thick leather-bound notebook from one of the drawers and opened it, then flipped through the pages until he found an empty one. Using a fountain pen, he started writing.

I furrowed my brow, apprehension rising. “Uh… what are you doing?”

“Writing our contract, of course!” He straightened and held out the notebook and pen to me. “Sign here, please.”

I drew away from the pen as if just touching it would forfeit my soul. “Woah, slow down there! I need to read that first! At least three times!”

He grinned, inclining his head. “It was worth a try.” He handed me the book.

I read it over, my thoughts racing. Heaven, why had I brought this up? Was I crazy? Signing a deal with an Overlord? I tried to focus on the content, although it was hard to concentrate with his watchful gaze on me.

At least he hadn’t written anything about selling my soul, but the contract was still much more strict than what I had thought of when proposing the deal: The contractee will pretend to be in a happy relationship with the contractor whenever anyone who isn’t an official resident or staff member of the Hazbin Hotel is present. She will do as he says regarding everything about him or his work. In return, the contractor will protect the contractee from any physical third party harm .

“That’s quite a lot,” I finally said. “It basically means I’ll have to keep up an act 24/7. And does that mean you could order me to kill someone, if they interfere with your work?”

“Well…” He grinned mischievously.

I shook my head. “We need to add boundaries. And this section…” I snatched the pen from his hand and crossed out the middle sentence. “...needs to go. I will not do everything you say.”

He rolled his eyes. “You are such a killjoy. Go on then.”

I snorted. “Yeah, sorry for not being stupid.”

Then I added another paragraph to the contract: The contractee’s and contractor’s boundaries regarding touch and distribution of misinformation with the aim of keeping up the act are to be respected and need to be discussed and updated verbally.

I handed the book back to Alastor, who adjusted his monocle to read it over.

“Very well.” He grinned. “I’m flattered you can think of so many ways I’d exploit you. Don’t worry, darling, I just want to have some fun with Vox.” He took the pen and signed his name in elegant letters before handing both back to me.

I read over the whole contract again. Now, the only thing still sticking out to me was one phrase: third party harm. He could still erase me from existence at any moment. Was I ready to accept that this wouldn’t change? I considered crossing out the ‘third party’, but I knew he’d never allow it. So I nodded. “Okay. One last question: When does the contract end?”

“Whenever we want. We agree to end the deal and it does.”

I shook my head. “No, I want the option to get out without needing your permission. You can implement a day’s notice.”

He gave me a long look. Then he shrugged. “Fine. It’s all in good fun anyways.” He snapped his fingers and another paragraph appeared above his signature.

I read over everything one final time, then brought up the pen. I hesitated, the tip of the pen hovering over the thin line. Should I really do this? Was this a terrible idea? I’d brought it up, but he’d been suspiciously willing to go along with it.

Alastor chuckled. “Is there a problem, dear?”

I swallowed hard. Whatever. I could end this contract at any time, I wasn’t selling my soul, and these few lines could grant me an Overlord’s protection.

So I signed my name, next to his.

He took back the notebook and held out a hand, his fingers looking longer than usual. The spindly claws were gleaming in a sickly shade of green. “Deal?”

I looked up at his manic grin. “Deal.” I shook his hand.

A power took hold of my insides. Wind whirled around the room, blowing my hair and dress, but also my heart and soul, as I felt my demon form emerge. Sharp, pointed incisors pierced my lips, my hair moved up into a frizzy cloud and light green scales grew all over my body.

I looked up from our entwined hands and gasped. Alastor’s antlers were spanning the entirety of his room, wide and branched. His eyes were black, his red irises shining with neon green radio dials for pupils. He looked stretched, suddenly a whole head taller, and the air around him seemed to suck up any light except for the green of his magic and the red glow of his eyes. I had seen glimpses of his demon form before, but this… This was both impressive and frightening.

Then, suddenly, it was over. The wind subsided, the colours returned to normal, but Alastor kept my hand firmly clasped. “Stay like this,” he said. “I want to see you.”

I blinked in surprise. I tried to hold on to that feeling I just had, this strange sizzle of power and wild flutter in my soul, as he studied me closely. I suddenly felt strangely self-conscious about my appearance. Did he like my scales and wild hair? I had barely seen myself in my demon form. It had only come out twice, back when I was still on the run.

Alastor’s eyes found the X above my chest. He had an X, too, in his demon form, I realised. Right in the center of his forehead. Had he been stabbed, too? Shot?

He let go of my hand and my demon form disappeared, alongside his. He fell back into his armchair and waved for me to take a seat as well. I did. Suddenly, I felt very tired. Fear crept under my skin. What if he had tricked me somehow? What if I had just sold my soul after all? Should I have let Charlie read over the contract? Or, better yet, Vaggie?

“Why were you killed?” Alastor asked.

I tried to focus. “Huh? I don’t know. It’s a great mystery to me. Perhaps someone was on a rampage? I didn’t see them. The only plausible reason I can come up with is plain old bad luck.”

He nodded slowly, but didn’t look convinced.

“You don’t think so?” I asked.

“Well, X marks the spot. It means that the knife was driven with specific intent.”

“Huh.” My gaze darted back to his forehead. So we’d both been murdered, it seemed. “Could I have been confused with someone else, maybe?”

Alastor sighed, his smile exasperated. “That is, unfortunately, very possible, my dear.”

“Huh,” I repeated. It had been a while since I had thought about who might have killed me. Well, in the end it didn’t make a difference. I was still dead and still in Hell trying to redeem-

I jumped up. “Shoot! The exercise!”

Alastor chuckled.

Chapter Text

Part 2: Dealliance

The reactions to my deal with Alastor were very mixed. Of course I had been late to Charlie’s lesson and I had seen no reason to hide what had kept me up. When I finished my brief summary of what our deal would entail, stressing that I did not sell my soul, I turned to Angel first: “If you can find out anything else about what might annoy him through your boss, that would be great. As long as it doesn’t put you in danger, of course.”

Angel waved me off, a bright grin on his face. “I’ll be fine, don’t ya worry ‘bout me, sea girly. You really think I’d miss out on the chance to give the Vees back some shit? And in such a hilarious way, too? Nah, you bet your ass I’ll tell you everythin’ I find out.”

I grinned. “Thanks, Angel!”

“Sure thing, hon.”

Huh. Seemed like I had finally earned some of Angel’s respect. But he had become calmer in general, I had noticed. I smiled. I was glad he was settling in.

Charlie looked at me in concern. “I guess… if it makes you happy? It’s a harmless deal, right?”

But Vaggie wasn’t having it. “Willow, what did I say about not trusting him? That was reckless!”

I squared my shoulders. Protection in exchange for some games similar to Vox’s party. It still seemed like a good deal. “It was my idea and I made sure that I can end that deal any time. And if I do end up regretting it one day, you can say you told me so.”

Husk’s reaction, however, was the worst. He looked at me with grave disappointment and suddenly I felt incredibly guilty. He hadn’t even said anything, still I felt the strong pull to apologise.

I didn’t. This was my choice. I hadn’t done anything bad and I wasn’t hurting anyone. Except for Vox’s feelings, hopefully.

At least Niffty didn’t seem to mind. She just giggled and handed me a bracelet made of interwoven bug legs. Telling myself it was just keratin, I put it on.

The days passed by and it was as though the deal never happened. I went to Charlie’s exercises, I worked at the radio tower and some nights Alastor would appear in my room and ask me if I’d like a dance lesson.

But just a few days later, Angel eagerly reported back to me. Apparently, Valentino had ranted about not being invited to Vox’s and Velvette’s dinner plans for the night. Angel named the location and I went upstairs to ask Alastor out on our first dinner date.

A few hours later we left the hotel. Today Alastor hadn’t made the effort to change his outfit, but he had magicked me a new dress. And this time, we were prepared. Alastor had rolled his eyes, but I had sat him down and discussed boundaries with him anyway. It had been incredibly awkward and I had the feeling that I’d probably not been thorough enough, but it was a start. And this was just a dinner date! What was the worst that could happen?

The restaurant was downtown. The area was surprisingly clean, at least by Hell’s standards, and busy. The locale was located on a little hill, surrounded by dead red grass and had an orange colour palette. We entered through a set of double doors and immediately I was hit with an amazing smell, a mixture of savoury and sweet. The atmosphere was pleasant, soft music was playing from somewhere and the guests were conversing in a comfortably low murmur.

We were quickly seated by a waitress in a beautiful dress. The table was set with numerous knives, forks, spoons and glasses. A dark red vase was decorating the yellow table cloth, holding a single black rose, flickering in the light of numerous black candles. Alastor pulled out a chair for me and I saw his eyes flicker over to a table a few rows over. I followed his gaze, not moving my head either, and saw them. As Angel had promised, Vox and Velvette were sitting at a similar table, their first course already in front of them. They hadn’t spotted us yet, but while I was still watching, carefully taking my seat, Vox turned his flat head. When his gaze landed on the unmistakable shape of the Radio Demon, the glass of red wine in his hand stopped halfway to his mouth. I looked back at Alastor, just in time to see his smile widen.

The waitress handed us the menu, then looked at Alastor expectantly. He ordered a bottle of some fancy sounding wine for the two of us and the waitress hurried off to return not even a minute later. The perks of being with an Overlord.

“Well then,” Alastor raised his glass and looked me in the eyes. “To my lovely girlfriend.”

“To a long and happy relationship,” I said, exaggeratedly batting my lashes.

Our glasses clinked together and I took a sip, trying to ignore the bitterness of the taste. I didn’t like wine. But it had style.

I had thought I would have to keep glancing over at the Vees from the corner of my eye, but it turned out that wasn’t necessary. Already, I could hear Vox’s raised voice over the general murmur of the other guests and though I couldn’t understand what he was saying, the tone spoke for itself. I could hear Velvette, too, firm, annoyed.

I buried my face in the menu to hide my smile. We had just arrived and this was already very entertaining. But when I saw the offers, my smile froze. They had a long list of very delicious sounding options, but also…

I leaned over to Alastor. “If you order anything that contains human body parts, I will have serious trouble…”

Staying in character, I wanted to say. But to my alarm I found that I couldn’t. The words got stuck in my chest, held back by some kind of force. The deal. I had to stay in character. I couldn’t even admit it was a character while we were out. I had known there would be a way to enforce our deal, but it was still scary.

Alastor still seemed to know what I had wanted to say. He chuckled, but didn’t respond.

I ordered a full three course meal and so did Alastor, luckily without any human flesh content. As the waitress hurried off, I put my hand on the table, palm up. He looked at it, raising an eyebrow. I just smiled sweetly. He laid his hand on mine and I closed my fingers around his. As usual it was warm to the point of being hot. Still, neither of us had acknowledged the Vee’s presence.

“Anyway,” I said to feign a natural conversation, “you were about to tell me how you defeated that Overlord with the drug empire before we came in.”

“Ah, yes. He had quite the technological security, you see, but if you get to the right people, you can walk right past those…”

Listening to Alastor’s stories was everything from fascinating over hilarious to terrifying and disgusting, but also incredibly insightful. With every story he told me, I learned a bit more about him.

While he was talking, he absentmindedly started playing with my fingers, which was more distracting than I would have thought, as the sharp tips of his talons were a constant tickling of danger. At the same time, it felt surprisingly nice, like the gentle stroke of graphite pens.

A sneaky look over to Vox and Velvette revealed them getting their second course. Vox hadn’t finished his first one and Velvette looked like she was about to ask the waiter to put up a paravent between our two tables. I grinned.

Our food arrived and we fell silent as we dug in. I dared another glance towards the Vees. Velvette had her pretty dollface propped up on one hand, her whole expression radiating annoyance. Vox wasn’t paying her any attention. He was looking straight over to us, his hand with his wine glass shaking, his left eye buzzing hypnotically. I looked away quickly.

By the time our second course arrived, I was slightly tipsy. The waitress kept refilling our wine glasses and I felt compelled to keep drinking. I looked over at Alastor’s main course, a tender steak with dark brown sauce and an array of vegetables. I felt a little bold. “That looks delicious. Can I try some of that, darling?”

“Sure, go ahead.” He gestured with his fork.

I kept smiling at him, waiting for the penny to drop. He had done such a great job, pulling out the chair for me, ordering the wine, even my invitation to hold hands he’d understood immediately. Surely he hadn’t forgotten that we were supposed to be on a romantic date? But he didn’t seem to catch on.

“I don’t have a steak knife, darling ,” I hinted with my sweetest voice.

His eyebrows shot up, then his grin widened. “Of course.”

He cut off a piece and before he could do anything stupid, like place it on my plate or ask me to take it or anything, I leaned forward, cutlery demonstratively set aside, and looked at him expectantly. I could practically see the gears turning quickly behind his eyes. To his credit, it didn’t take that long. With just the slightest shift in his expression, he balanced a piece of carrot and broccoli on the fork behind the steak and held it up. Not breaking eye contact, I took it with my mouth. From the Vee’s table I could hear glass breaking followed by an exasperated: “Oh, for fuck’s sake, Vox.”

Satisfied, I retreated to my side of the table and politely dabbed my mouth with my napkin. Now I just had to repeat that with dessert and I could call this a successful date.

But it didn’t get to that. Perhaps it was because Alastor had just remembered why we were here, perhaps he didn’t like being upstaged by me in this little game, but with his free hand Alastor reached out and used a long finger to lift up my chin, then leaned forward and before I had time to prepare, he kissed me on the mouth.

And there it was, my reluctance to discuss specifics kicking me in the butt. I had forgotten that Alastor had absolutely no problem doing anything and everything if it gave him what he wanted - in this case a furious TV demon.

I could feel Alastor’s smile on my lips, frozen for a second before the pull of the deal on my soul flicked my brain back on. I closed my eyes and cupped his face. I had no idea how to do this and how it was supposed to feel, but I hoped it looked convincing.

There was another crash, then I could hear someone whooshing past me. Alastor drew back and I opened my eyes to see his smug face still only inches from mine. He was looking past me, following Vox with his eyes. A door fell shut behind me. Alastor let go of me and for the first time tonight, he fully looked over to the Vee’s table. Velvette was sitting alone, meeting the Radio Demon’s grin with an eyeroll and a middle finger. I followed his gaze, then made a show of frowning at him, as though I was displeased by him looking at another woman. It couldn’t hurt to pepper in some jealousy.

The waitress brought our dessert and we finished our meal.

As far as first kisses went, this wasn’t the worst way it could have gone.

Chapter Text

From now on, my schedule was packed. Between the exercises with Charlie, dance lessons, radio work and occasional ‘dates’ with Alastor whenever he or Angel found a good opportunity, time to myself became rare.

The little time I had to myself I usually spent sketching. It had been one of my favourite pastimes while alive; I had sketched almost every day, everything from the birds outside my window to overflowing rubbish bins in the city centre. In fact, I had been sketching when someone had thrust a knife in my heart. Because of this, I had been somewhat hesitant to pick up a sketchpad again, even though I knew that was stupid. I didn’t know why I’d been killed, but it surely wasn’t because someone didn’t like my doodles.

But after my newly bought sketchpad had been lying around for a week, I had forced myself to start again, and after filling the first couple of pages with my gramophone, Niffty and the Pentagram City skyline, I was back in the flow. 

When I was too tired to draw, I floated around in my fishbowl. However, I had started wearing a light dress while doing so, because Alastor had made it a habit to appear in my room at any time he liked - despite me telling him not to - and I didn’t want him to catch me naked. Not because I was worried about hungry gazes, but because he might get tempted to literally take a bite out of me, as I had once told him jokingly. I wasn’t tempted before, but I sure am now , he had said. Do you taste like fish or seafood? I had laughed, but quickly changed topics.

I had also started to learn shorthand. Although that skill would make my work at the radio tower a lot easier, that wasn’t my motivation for learning it. No, I wanted to be able to read Alastor’s notes and I didn’t want him to know that I could.

So when I saw shadows pooling from the corner of my eyes, I quickly covered my notes with my latest drawing (a very excited Charlie) and closed the book on shorthand. I had wrapped it in a false cover, some sappy romance novel, to make sure Alastor wouldn’t choose to browse.

“Al, I told you, please knock,” I said when the shadow morphed into the deer demon.

He smiled and ignored me, as usual. “Care to dance?”

Our dance lessons weren’t on a regular schedule, unlike my radio work, but I never minded him asking.

“Sure!” I got up, careful not to slip any notes from my sketchbook, then I hesitated. “But… maybe we could do something different for a change? Maybe a waltz?”

He inclined his head and raised an eyebrow. “A waltz, really? How old are you?”

“A century younger than you. But I like the waltz, I told you it was my favourite dance, especially the Viennese one.”

“Ha! You have some questionable taste, my dear.” He shook his head. “No, no, no, we’re not doing a waltz. I might just fall asleep.”

I furrowed my brow, feeling mildly insulted. “There is a lot you can do there!” I sighed. “Fine. Then maybe a Latin dance? Rumba?”

“ Or I could teach you Lindy Hop.”

I frowned. Why did we always have to do what he wanted?

“Hm.” Alastor shrugged. “Then I suppose I shall return to my notes for my broadcast tomorrow.” He turned to leave.

For a moment I considered being stubborn. But to what end? I sighed. “Lindy Hop, you say?”

In his side profile, I could see his smile widen. “Lovely.”

And the next thing I knew, swing music was already playing and I was pulled into the centre of my room.

At this point, I knew so many swing dances, this one wasn’t that much of a challenge. As we danced, I could feel the stress of the day fall away and all thoughts of exercises and shorthand were pushed from my mind.

“You’re a fast learner,” Alastor admitted.

I grinned. “Wow, was that an actual compliment? I feel so honoured!”

He rolled his eyes. “Spare me your sarcasm, sweetheart.”

He paused and cracked his neck in both directions to an unnatural degree, making me cringe.

“Stiff neck?” I asked.

“Hm. I may have lain in some unfortunate position last night.”

“I could give you a massage,” I offered a little hesitant, not really expecting a yes. I was still unsure how he felt about being touched when it wasn’t in the context of dancing.

“Hm.” He looked me over, taking a moment to think. “Go ahead.”

I hid my surprise and gestured for him to turn around and sit on the edge of my bed. “Okay. Um, I think you should take off your coat.”

He shrugged it off and revealed a long sleeved pink shirt and some kind of self-made posture corrector underneath, which explained the black cross usually visible across his chest.

“You should probably take that strappy thing off, too,” I said, but he shook his head.

I shrugged and sat down cross legged behind him on the matrace. I gently lay my hands on his shoulders. Once again I was marvelling at the heat radiating off him, as though he wanted to best Hell in temperature. Slowly, I started massaging his shoulders, increasing my grip as I grew more confident. I pressed my palms into his back and worked my way down his spine, jumping over the black straps, then back up, pressing my thumbs into the muscles of his neck. All the while he sat completely still. In the silence of the room I could hear only our breaths and the clock I had requested. I couldn’t really tell if it was helping, but at least he didn’t seem to hate it.

I worked my way up his neck. Without the barrier of his shirt, his skin seemed even hotter. Maybe I had just turned extremely cold as a byproduct of dying in a lake. Hopefully, he didn’t mind it. I used my fingertips to massage up his neck, then gently scratched back down. He stirred.

“Oh, sorry, shall I not do that?” I asked.

“Quite the contrary, do that again.”

I shifted my position, propping myself up on one hand and stroking the nails of the other up and down his neck.

“Don’t be so careful, dear!”

I smiled and increased the pressure and since my way down was blocked by his shirt, I moved up, raking my nails through the short shaven stubble on the back of his head. I had to admit, I was enjoying this more than I thought. It had been months since I had last been close to another person, in a relaxed situation like this, and it was nice to feel another’s skin, hair.

Alastor made an approving humming noise, layered with static.

I let my hand move further up, my fingers entangling in his hair, ruffling his usually straight cut. I curiously eyed his antlers. What would they feel like? More like wood or like bone? And would I finally find out whether those hair peaks were ears? I tried not to show my intentions, as I casually worked my way there. My fingers brushed one of his antlers. It was slightly uneven and hard like wood. I tried to find where it sprouted from his head. When I traced its base with my nail, he stirred again.

I halted. “Sorry.”

“Sweetheart, if I wanted you to stop, you’d know.”

I relaxed. “Okay. Just please don’t bite off my fingers if I make a mistake.”

He chuckled.

I continued scratching between his antlers, moving to the other side. When I passed the second antler, I tried tracing it again. He stirred, but now I recognized that it was pleasure, not discomfort. I smiled, gently pressing my nail against the base and he leaned into it. My smile widened. This was adorable! I repeated the process at the other antler and he hummed appreciatively, static crackling.

Then I moved further outwards - and finally got my answer. Under long fluffy hair I hit skin. Ears! At their base, his hair was thicker and softer, more like cat fur than human hair. It felt nice to sink my fingertips into. I found the connection between ear and head. The ear curved slightly outward, creating a small dip. Since it had worked so well around the antlers, I ran my nail along the base. The reaction was much stronger than anticipated. He made a noise somewhere between surprise and a sigh, overlaid with radio static of course, as he hunched his shoulders and leaned into the touch.

My smile turned into a full on grin and I was glad he was facing the other way. I started scratching along his ear, slowly moving up and was delighted to see his ear lower. I didn’t know it could do that! Of course not, I hadn’t even known they were ears in the first place. Right at the bottom, where the ear curved around to a very fluffy inside, seemed to be an especially nice spot. I watched his ear bend all the way back as I scratched, while the tension left Alastor’s shoulders. I stayed there, only slightly altering my patterns, until the ear slowly went back up, which I understood as my signal to move over to the other ear. He turned his head in anticipation, but I was confident now. I scratched the area around it first, lifting a finger to tickle the ear, then I slowly made my way through the fur, finding the base of his ear. I could feel his anticipation, but I just gently stroked the spot.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I bit my lip to suppress a giggle. “Patience.”

I kept teasing him, tickling the base of his ear, taking delight in the softness of this fur, tempted to drag this out. But I didn’t want to risk the safety of my fingers, so I finally dug my nail in and started scratching. He leaned further back, radiating content static noise. I scratched down and watched the ear dip until it almost lay flat. As it slowly came back up, I scooted closer to be able to take my weight off my second hand and buried both in his hair, scratching behind both ears simultaneously, the back of his head, around the antlers and back to the curve of his ears. His head dropped forward and he slowly sank against my chest.

It felt like no time had passed, but when I finally dropped my hands, my fingers were aching. Alastor was now fully leaning against me with his head down. I could feel the intense heat of his body through his shirt and my dress. I couldn’t resist. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tight.

He tensed.

Quickly, I let go of him and moved back. He got up and took a couple of steps into the room, then he picked up his coat and slipped back into it, carefully closing the buttons, all without looking at me. Had I pushed too far? Or was this just as big of a deal for him as it was for me? Were we… friends? Better not let him think about it too much.

I put on a nonchalant grin, jumped off the bed and walked around him to face him. “And, did it help?”

His smile was just as placid. He cracked his neck again, making me cringe. “Apparently so. Fascinating.”

“Well, great! In that case, you’re fit for a waltz, right?”

Now he chuckled and I could feel the tension in the room dissipate. “I admire your optimism.”

He put on swing music. That persistent bastard.

Chapter Text

“I have some information you will find rather interesting.”

I looked up from my sketchbook, ready to scold Alastor for appearing in my room without knocking again, but to my surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. It took me a moment to realise that my radio had turned itself on. So he was broadcasting, not talking to m-

“Willow, dear, meet me downtown. Wailing Road, two blocks south of the Heaven embassy.”

So he was talking to me! Was this his version of a phone call, a private broadcast? Well, I couldn’t really answer. I thought about it. Did I want to go all the way downtown for some mysterious piece of information he could have just given me at any other time? He surely seemed convinced I’d come. I sighed. Fine. I hoped that ‘information’ was worth it.

I no longer felt scared leaving the hotel, but I stayed vigilant. Luckily, with the help of Hell Maps I had no trouble finding Wailing Road, but it was quite a long walk. I was wondering whether Alastor would actually still be there, but when I arrived he was leaning against a wall in the empty street, checking his bowtie in a window. He smiled at me. “That was fast.”

“Fast? This walk took forever! Couldn’t you just have told me once you were back at the hotel?”

“That would have been an unnecessary detour.”

“Detour from what?”

“The little trip we’ll be going on.”

I furrowed my brow. “Trip? What are you talking about? What did you find out?”

His smile widened. “Oh, the information isn’t for free, my dear.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Okay? Fine, what do you want? Another massage? A dance?”

He chuckled. “I think you misunderstand. I’d like to propose a deal.”

I scoffed. “Are you serious? Okay, then keep your info. Can’t believe I walked all the way over here for nothing.”

His smile didn’t falter. “Are you sure?” He started slowly circling me, so I had to spin to keep looking at him and in a sing-sang voice he added: “I know who killed youuuu.”

I almost tripped over my own feet. “You what? How?” I frowned. “You really want to withhold that from me?”

He flicked his wrist, still circling me. “No, I don’t want to keep it from you! I want you to know, my dear! But getting this information took some time and effort. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for your soul, it won’t even be anywhere near as big as the deal we already have. Just a very simple, itty-bitty deal.”

I sighed. Of course. He was a dealmaker and not. my. friend. “What’s the deal?”

“Something very small, all I want is a lie from you. You’re already lying about me all the time, aren’t you, with our deal? Now, I just want a specific lie from you, at a time of my choosing, one lie you have to tell and stick to, that’s all.”

I stopped spinning. Now, I was annoyed. “Don’t even bother trying to make this sound harmless. I’m not stupid. That is way too unspecific. A lie? For all I know it could be ‘no, Charlie, I swear Alastor didn’t murder your girlfriend’. And that is probably still a tame option.”

He also stopped walking. “Very well. I know that you won’t change your mind, so let me reconsider.”

“Well, you could just tell me this critical information about my very own person from the goodness of your heart.”

He laughed. I stared at him and waited for the canned laughter to die down after he was already done.

“Oh, you’re serious,” he said. “Well, you are enjoyable to be around. I suppose I can bring down the price a little. How about… a piece of information in return? That’s fair, is it not?”

“Depends. What do you want to know?” I didn’t know anything of importance, did I?

He didn’t answer my question. “Do we have a deal?”

I sighed. I didn’t really have any secrets, apart from me learning shorthand. But surrendering that secret wouldn’t be the end of the world. “Okay, fine.”

He held out his hand once more and I took it. Other than last time, there was no creepy energy, no demon form to emerge, only a light green glow around our locked hands. He grinned. “Well then! What I want to know is: What do you think of me?”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Me. I need to know your thoughts and feelings about my person.”

Oh shit.

I tried my very best to keep my cool. Why did he want to know this? Control. It couldn’t be anything else. He wanted to know how much I trusted him, if I actually liked him or just tried to play him like he tried to play me. And I had to answer. Already I could feel the pull of the deal grab the words from my chest. I hurried to keep ahead of them. “Well… I think you are - how do you put it - enjoyable to be around.” The deal kept pulling. “Okay! I like you. A lot. You are funny and entertaining, a great dance teacher and singing companion. I love your puns and snide remarks and how upbeat and energetic you are.” I took a deep breath and fought the heat creeping into my cheeks. But apparently I wasn’t done yet as the pull was still there. “I know you don’t care about me. I think you are using me - or trying to do so, but I don’t feel used.” There was one more thing the deal was coercing out of me and I didn’t know what it was, until the words had passed my lips. “But knowing that you don’t feel the same way about me still makes me sad.”

I pressed my lips together and wished the ground beneath my feet would open up and swallow me. I hadn’t wanted him to know. My thoughts were mine. The only thing that truly belonged to me. Well, at least I seemed to have been reasonably good at hiding them, or he needn’t have to ask.

“Interesting!” Alastor’s smile widened. “Good to hear our deal didn’t do anything funny to your hormones.” He waved his hands dismissively, but I thought I detected some relief in his posture.

“Oh, don’t worry,” I reassured him. “My brain isn’t wired that way. I’m aro-ace. So, that was my information. What do you have? Who killed me?”

He straightened. “Very well. You were killed by a little group of assassins from Hell. They are imps. Sinners can hire them to travel to earth and kill for them.”

My eyes widened. I didn’t know which part of that shocked me the most: That murderers could keep killing people on earth after landing in Hell or that one of them had paid someone to kill me specifically .

“Are you sure?” I finally said.

“Not fully, but it is a good guess. The X above your chest. I told you it meant you were killed with intent. Its shape and size tell me other things, too. You probably noticed how it looks different from the one Charlie’s girlfriend has over her missing eye. Hers means she was injured with an angelic weapon here in Hell. Yours means you were injured with a demonic weapon on earth.”

Immediately, my eyes were drawn to his forehead. “And yours?”

He raised an eyebrow and for a moment I didn’t think he would answer. “A human weapon on earth. I was shot.”

Interesting. Why? How? Must have been an excellent marksman, right in the forehead. But I knew Alastor wouldn’t share any more than that, if he even knew himself. So I focussed back on my own X. “A demonic weapon you say?”

“Yes. Of course it is possible one of those made its way to earth and a human used it to randomly kill you. But considering you didn’t even see the attacker and how he still managed to hit your heart between your ribs I’d say someone professional makes sense. Which makes I.M.P. our most likely suspect. So, are you ready for a little excursion?”

I nodded slowly. I didn’t know how to feel about this. Had someone really hired an imp to kill me? I had to find out. “Is that why we met here?”

“Oh no, I was just passing by here anyway and didn’t feel like heading back to the hotel first. Their office is in Imp City, a few hundred miles out.”

Well, thanks. “Okay, so a road trip! Why not? Uh, how do we get there? Shall we ask Charlie to borrow her car?”

He chuckled. “No need for that!” And with a snap of his fingers, a very nice, very old black car appeared on the side of the road. I grinned. He sure was handy sometimes. But when I got into the passenger seat and closed the door, he stuck his head through the window. “Wrong side, my dear.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t drive.”

My mouth fell open. “You what ?”

“I can’t drive,” he repeated, pulling his head back, his ears grazing the top of the window. “So you will have to ‘take the wheel’, I’m afraid.”

I got out, still staring.

“What?” he asked.

“Well, I didn’t think there was anything you couldn't do. You really don’t know how to drive a car?”

“There are many things I can’t do,” he said dismissively, but I could see in his posture that I had hit a nerve. “I can’t drive a locomotive either, or sail a boat, pottery, masonry, blow glass or make the calculations necessary for building a bridge.”

“Can you ride a bike?”

“Of course I can ride a bike!”

I giggled. “All good, all good, it’s not like cars were that common back in your time and when did you ever need it in Hell? But if I’m to drive, I’m sorry, you have to give me a more modern car. I love this one, but I don’t think I know how to drive it. It looks like you might have to turn on the engine from the outside with a crank.”

He looked like he was about to comment on me laughing about his inability to drive the car if I couldn’t do it either, but then decided to leave it. “Fair enough.”

He snapped his fingers again and the car morphed into a red 1940s Ford Super Deluxe Coupé. I grinned. “Perfect.”

We got in and I put the car in first gear. I started slow, since even though I technically knew how to drive this car, it was missing many of the amenities my car had. And it was designed for driving on the right side of the road, not the left. Not that anyone here cared about the rule of the road, but it was still strange to sit on the other side.

Soon though I had settled in and Alastor made sure to remove any obstacles from the road using his shadows, be it rocks, fire or other sinners not getting out of my - fully abiding to road rules - way. Once we had left Pentagram City behind, I sped up and Alastor could lean back, as the roads got less crowded, with only the occasional crater or monster to avoid.

“This is the moment I would turn on the radio, when I was still alive,” I said. “Alas, the best broadcaster of Pentagram City is off the air and going on a road trip right now.”

Alastor chuckled, then turned on the radio and tuned it into a frequency I hadn’t tried yet. Jazz music started playing. “We’ll have to settle for the second best then.”

I grinned. “How tragic.”

The next miles felt like a road trip out of a movie. We were singing along to the songs (because of course they included some of Alastor’s favourites, which were some of my first records), the red sky and the wide road looked almost pretty and it was just us. Even driving the car felt familiar. I almost forgot we were in Hell.

But the closer we got to our destination, the more nervous I got. Would I really be about to meet the person who had killed me? Find out who had paid them for it?

When the city appeared in our view, as we drove around a hill, I stopped singing and when we passed the sign welcoming us to Imp City, I turned off the radio. Of course this car didn’t have a navigation system, but it turned out I.M.P had an entry on Hell Maps. Alastor navigated me through the streets, gingerly holding the phone for me, oozing contempt. It was fascinating to see a city with such a different population. There were some imps and hellhounds in Pentagram City, but they disappeared in the swarm of sinners. Here, it was rare to see a sinner crossing the street. Luckily, the imps were a bit more concerned about being killed by cars and thus mostly stayed off my path, with only the occasional intervention from Alastor’s shadow powers. 

I parked the car opposite a large office building. I swallowed. My hands were shaking slightly. Alastor had already unfolded himself from the car seat and opened the door for me. I followed his quick stride across the parking lot in front of the building, through a set of squeaking sliding doors and into an old elevator. If Alastor weren’t there, I’d have taken the stairs, worried to get stuck halfway up. Ironic, since he would also have taken the stairs if I wasn’t there, I realised. Or shadow-walked up. But the elevator miraculously arrived on the top floor without issues.

The assassins’ door had a large sign on it that was obviously drawn by hand and had about three spelling errors on it. We entered and came into a small lobby with a bored-looking hellhound in a tight black crop top behind a desk. Alastor picked up his mic and walked up to her in large strides. I followed, my hands knotted together tightly. I felt sick.

The hellhound didn’t even bother to look up from her phone. “Hello, welcome to I.M.P,” she drawled without any enthusiasm. “So you want someone dead?”

Alastor chuckled. “Heavens, no. Everyone I wanted dead on Earth I took care of years before my own demise. And then in Hell, I killed them again.”

The receptionist did not even raise a brow at that. “And you?”

I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to kill anyone, either. I’m here, because apparently, one of your assassins killed me. And I want to know who gave the order.”

Now she seemed interested. “Oh. Yeah, sorry about that. Let me call the boss, see if he remembers you.” She leaned back and shouted: “Boss? Got a client! Sorta.”

My heartbeat was hammering in my ears. Was I really about to meet the one who killed me?

An office door was pushed open with force and out came an imp, two heads shorter than me, in a tailcoat and with long curved horns. He grinned. “Ah, finally some work. Who we gotta kill for you? A colleague? A lover? An ex-husband? Someone stole your horse? C’mon, talk to me.”

I glanced at Alastor. He gave me an encouraging nod.

So I gave myself a little push. “Uhm… I don’t want you to kill anyone. I’m here because you killed me .”

The imp stared at me. He looked a little stupefied, like it took him longer to process than it should. “Huh,” he said finally. “Don’t think I remember you. Might have been M’n’M. Are you here to take revenge? Cause it’s in our terms of service that we’re not liable.”

Somehow this sentiment helped me be less nervous. “Well, thanks,” I said sarcastically. “I didn’t sign those terms. And I don’t want revenge, that doesn’t help, just find out who did it, okay? Because I have no idea why anyone would literally pay to see me dead.”

The imp shrugged, unimpressed. “Some of the reasons are quite petty, not gonna lie. But sorry, I can’t tell you, lady, don’t think our clients would like it if their targets came back to haunt them, you know?”

Great. This would be a piece of work. Was this really the guy who killed me? Sure, I was an easy target, but he seemed like he couldn’t even find the trigger on a gun.

He looked at Alastor. “And who are you, standing there all smiles? Her bodyguard?”

Alastor’s grin widened. “Her boyfriend, actually, and I will make sure she gets what we came here for. I sort of promised.”

The imp’s eyes widened. “I know your voice, you are that radio dude! I listen to your show, man, it’s hilarious. Can I get an autograph?” He pulled a crumpled photo of a horse from his inside pocket and held it up to Alastor’s face like Rafiki from the Lion King presenting the new prince to Pride Land.

I could basically feel how the recognition fuelled Alastor’s ego, his static sounding almost like a purr. I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help a smile.

“Why, of course!” He conjured an elegant fountain pen and took the photo, but then paused, wearing a mischievous grin. “If you tell us who ordered the hit on her…”

“Oh, sure, yeah, I’m not gonna stand in the way of a fuckin’ overlord . Tell me your name or somethin’ so I can have Moxxie find the right file.”

“Willow… Taylor,” I said. It was the first time since arriving in Hell that I said my last name. I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that Alastor knew it now. “I was stabbed in the chest and pushed into a lake on a cold winter day. I was drawing.”

“Oh!” He slapped a hand to his forehead. “Fuck! Oh. Yeah, I remember you now. Wow, yeah, no need for the file, that was a weird one. Uh, sorry for the lake part, I slipped on the ice when I stabbed you and couldn’t be bothered to fish you out again.”

So he had really killed me. Those hands had driven a knife through my heart. And suddenly, I felt anger bubble up in my chest. My hands clenched into fists and through gritted teeth I said: “Well, ‘sorry’ doesn’t help. You tore me from my life. My friends, my family, my job, everything that was dear to me. For money.”

He nodded. “U-hu, exactly that. And a fuckton of money, let me tell ya.”

I could feel my demon form rise to the surface, but suddenly, a hot hand was gently placed on my shoulder.

“Why so much money?” Alastor asked. “Who wanted to see her dead?”

The imp’s gaze moved up to Alastor. “Well that’s the thing. Usually, sinners just come in or phone, okay? But this hit came in by mail. A fancy lookin’ envelope, heavy paper, the language all posh. I’d say it was some demon royalty who wanted to kill you, but they could just do it themselves. Honestly, we were a little hesitant on accepting, but they promised, like, so much money, so yeah. Sorry about that.”

My anger had been replaced by disbelief. “Someone rich and fancy wanted me dead and paid a huge sum? What?”

The imp shook his head and hopped onto the receptionist desk. “Not just someone rich. Royalty. The paper looked more expensive than my car. Like an Ars Goetia or something.”

“But… why? Are you sure it was me you were supposed to kill, not someone else?”

“Hey, we are professionals,” the imp said, offended. “And with that amount of money we made double sure we got the right target. The name is Blitz, by the way. The o is silent.”

“Very professional, slipping on ice,” I said coldly.

“Uh… well, we got the job done, didn’t we?”

“So someone wanted to kill you specifically.” Alastor brought the conversation back on track. “And if it truly was a hellborn, not a sinner, they didn’t want revenge. They wanted you here.”

“But then why didn’t anyone approach me yet? I spent months walking through Hell aimlessly. And why did they know I would end up in Hell? Do they know what I did wrong in life?”

Blitz-silent-o shrugged. “Well, the Ars Goetia have some crazy powers, maybe they saw a prophecy in their breakfast egg or something.”

I just glared at him.

“Interesting,” Alastor said and his tone was eerily sinister. “ Very interesting.”

“Okay, so are you happy now?” Blitz asked. “If there’s nobody you want us to off, I can get back to Bethany Ghostfucker. Season 6 just came out.”

“We are done, thank you,” Alastor said.

I shook my head. “Not quite.”

The imp raised an eyebrow in expectation and my palm smacked hard across his cheek. His head flew around. “Ouch! What the fuck?”

“Don’t say you didn’t deserve it.” I crossed my arms.

Alastor signed the photo and tucked it into Blitz’ breast pocket. “Have a good day!”

Together, we left the office.

I needed a hug. Badly. I felt exhausted and not from the four hour drive. I had gotten used to life in Hell. Sometimes I was even happy here. But being reminded of my death also reminded me of everything I had lost. I missed my friends and family so incredibly much. I felt the urge to ask Alastor for a hug. No. He wasn’t a friend, I reminded myself.

I sank into the driver's seat and started the engine without a word and braced myself for the four hour drive back to the hotel. Maybe I should ask Charlie for a hug later. She was sure to hug me without question, hold me for hours if I needed it. I didn’t want to ask, but I should just do it.

Alastor, on the other hand, seemed unaffected. He turned the radio back on, but didn’t sing along either. He stayed silent, seemingly lost in thought, and I was happy about it.

When we finally reached the outskirts of Pentagram City, it was late at night and I still felt like crying. We avoided the city centre and I parked next to the hotel. I looked up to the dark windows where my room was. The thought of going there, alone, was unbearable. Charlie was probably asleep. I knew she wouldn’t mind me waking her up. But…

Alastor opened the passenger’s door.

I spoke. “Would you like to come up to my room for a bit? I could give you another massage.”

He turned around with a raised eyebrow. “You already paid me in information, my dear.”

I shrugged as casually as I could. “Not everything has to be transactional.” I cringed inwardly. This was the epitome of transactional. A massage for him so I wouldn’t be alone.

He contemplated it for a moment, then shrugged. “Fair enough.”

He opened the car door for me, then followed me into the hotel. The parlour was empty, even Husk had gone to bed. I could feel the tiredness creeping into my mind, too, and I suppressed a yawn.

Up in my room, Alastor leaned his microphone against the gramophone, then dissolved into shadows and reappeared sprawled out on my bed, while I hung up my jacket.

I put my hands on my hips. “No shoes on my bed sheets!”

“Now, now, do you want to sound like my mother?” But he scooted over to the edge and took them off. From them emerged a pair of hoofs. Huh.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Was she the type of person you would want to sound like?”

“I do think you would have liked her.”

I took off my own shoes and fell onto the covers. “Can we lie down for the massage? I’m tired.”

“That was my intention.” He took one of my pillows and lay down on his stomach. He folded his arms on the pillow and rested his head on them.

I lay down next to him on my side and tentatively extended a hand. My fingers grazed his neck. He didn’t react, only a quiet hum of static filled the room as I started pressing small circles into his skin. Already, I could feel myself calm down. His hair brushed against my fingers, as I gently worked my way up, stroking through the stubble at the back of his head. What a ridiculous haircut, yet somehow he pulled it off. I reached the top of his head, feeling his hair between my fingers, but resisted the urge to reach for the fur at the base of his ears or around his antlers. 

I tickled the tip of his ear and it twitched. I stifled a giggle.

“What are you doing, sweetheart?” His voice was muffled from the pillow.

I grinned. “Teasing you,” I said honestly.

“I’m not sure I like your attitude.”

Now I really giggled. “Well, you’ll have to deal with it.” I tickled his other ear and delighted at the twitch.

“Stop that!”

“Sorry.”

I returned to massaging his head, working my way to his ears. The hum of static grew louder as I reached their base, and I watched his ear dip back under my fingers.

I could feel my eyes get heavy. Who cared if my death had been ordered by a deadly sin or been a random stab by a rampaging maniac? I was here now and I was fine. With Alastor next to me radiating heat and his fur under my fingers it was as though I was lying next to a fireplace, stroking a cat.

Slowly, the static died down. All I could hear was the ticking of my clock and Alastor’s steady breaths. Somewhere in the distance, a siren was wailing.

I closed my eyes. Just a little rest.

—----------------------

Bonus:

“Now slowly let go of the clutch pedal, while at the same time just as slowly pressing the gas pedal, so you feel the engine connect with the wheels.”

The car gave a little jump, then died.

“How the Heaven is one supposed to feel an engine connecting?” Alastor asked. As always when he was annoyed, his voice was overlaid with more static than usual.

I shrugged, comfortably leaning back in the passenger seat. “I don’t know how better to describe it. It’s a pull, the car is almost starting to move, you know?”

He stared at me and I stared back at him.

“I don’t see why I have to learn this,” Alastor complained.

I smiled. “Because it’s entertaining!”

His eyes narrowed.

“What?” I asked innocently. “Don’t like tasting your own medicine? Now let’s try this again.”

Chapter Text

I woke up disoriented. The light was on and I was wearing my dress instead of my nightgown. There was no blanket covering me either.

Slowly, the events of the previous day came back to me. The long drives, I.M.P., meeting my murderer. Finding out my murder had been ordered by some kind of royalty. Coming back to the hotel and asking Alastor to stay with me in exchange for another head massage. I must have fallen asleep.

I looked around and couldn’t believe my eyes. Alastor was still here. He hadn’t moved, his hair was a mess from my hands and he seemed sound asleep. I smiled. Too bad that I couldn’t see his face. Did he keep smiling in his sleep? I assumed so. Hell would freeze over before he dropped that smile.

I decided to let him sleep, so I quickly turned off my alarm before it could ring in a few minutes. I yawned silently. I didn't get nearly enough sleep tonight.

Careful not to rustle the sheets too much, I got up and went to take a quick shower. Afterwards, I felt a bit more awake.

Alastor was still asleep when I returned. My gaze landed on his microphone that was leaning against my gramophone. I hesitated. He’d stored a significant portion of his powers in it, hadn’t he? How much would he kill me, if I…

I nervously reached out and touched the red casing. Nothing exploded. I stroked down the casing, following its shape. It was cool to the touch, painted metal. I tapped the mic.

Alastor stirred and I nearly jumped up to the ceiling. Quickly, I moved some steps away and grabbed my comb.

“Good morning!” I said and started brushing my hair, hoping it would cover my shaking hands.

He sat up, blinking, his smile a little wobbly but undeniably there. “Did I fall asleep?” He sounded astonished.

I chuckled. “We both did. It was a long day. It’s morning now, I have to go to the exercises in a moment. Hopefully I can squeeze in a short breakfast before that. I’m starving.”

He rubbed his eyes, then plucked his monocle off the pillow. He cracked his neck. “I need another massage. I haven’t slept this uncomfortably in years.”

Oh. Somehow I had hoped he’d feel refreshed. But then again, neither did I. “Maybe just take off your coat next time,” I suggested. “And that posture corrector of yours.”

He didn’t respond, but slipped into his shoes and got up. I handed him my comb wordlessly.

We left my room, just as Angel Dust left his across from mine. “Woah!” He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “So, you two are really a thing now, huh?”

I was glad we had decided not to lie to those who already knew about our pretend relationship. “Nah. It was just a long day yesterday and we fell asleep.”

“So you slept in the same bed? And you didn’t fuck?” He put two hands on his hips and crossed his other two arms over his chest. He looked from me to Alastor and back. “Are you gay?”

Alastor laughed. “Don’t get your hopes up, my effeminate friend.”

I grinned. “You like guys, Angel, and you don’t sleep with every man you meet, do you?”

Angel wiggled his eyebrows.

I quickly kept talking. “Okay, bad example. I’m just saying, you can share a bed with someone and not have sex with them, regardless of sexuality. Shocking discovery, I know.”

He shrugged. “Sure you can . But you’re both hot, what’s stoppin’ you?”

I rolled my eyes. “We’re ace, Angel.”

From the corner of my eyes I saw Alastor’s head snap around to face me. I quickly back-paddled. “Or, I mean I’m ace, sorry, sorry.”

Dammit. I hadn’t meant to accidentally out him. Alastor said nothing, but Angel’s eyebrows rose higher.

“Oh, really?” Angel asked. “That explains so much. Are you aro, too?”

“I am.” And so was Alastor, wasn’t he? This was actually the first time I was really thinking about it. I would have liked to study Alastor’s face, but I forced myself to keep my eyes on Angel. Why had I assumed Alastor to be aro-ace? I didn’t truly know him. He could be anything. For all I knew he could - no. Just yesterday he’d clearly been relieved when I told him I wasn’t interested. Whatever way his brain might be wired attraction-wise, I was safe.

“Ah, gotcha,” Angel said. “You also on your way downstairs?”

I nodded, but Alastor shook his head.

“See you later then, Al,” I said, smiling apologetically. He gave us a small wave before sauntering off.

“So is he kinda your first boyfriend?” Angel asked halfway down the hallway. “Or did it take ya a few rounds to figure out what you’re into - or rather not into?”

I snorted. “Shockingly, yes, the Radio Demon can be considered my first boyfriend.”

Angel turned around and walked backwards to look at me properly. “So, like, you’ve never even been kissed?”

“Well, technically he was my first kiss, too. Don’t tell him that.”

Angel bit his lower lip and winked. “Oooh, jucy! With tongue? Gimme the details!”

“Ew, Angel!” I slapped his arm.

He laughed. “We really are two very different people.”

“You don’t say.” I stopped walking halfway down the stairs. “What the Heaven is going on here?”

Husk, Niffty and Pentious were already in the parlour, watching Charlie from a safe distance. Her hair was a mess, her eyes red and she was frantically pacing in front of colourful drawings and messy notes pinned to the walls while mumbling to herself. Red string connected the notes seemingly at random, but forming some potentially accidental pentagrams.

Husk waved us over. “No idea,” he said. “She's been like this since I came down.”

“Sweetie?” Vaggie had come down the stairs behind us, still dressed in her nightgown. “You, uh… you good?”

“Nope! No, not really!” She laughed nervously. “I've been up all night trying to find out why the hotel isn’t working! We’ve done trust falls. We’ve tried sharing our feelings. We only have a couple months left before the angels come!”

She broke out into maniacal laughter and I caught a glimpse of her demon form. I was startled, but her horns were gone within a second.

Vaggie put her hands on Charlie’s shoulders. “Maybe it’s time to ask your dad.”

Charlie groaned.

Lucifer. The literal devil. What would he be like? I pictured someone tall, dark, scary… Wait, I was picturing Alastor. I looked Charlie over. Lucifer was her father. How evil could he be?

Then I remembered what the imp had said yesterday. Royalty had ordered my death. Lucifer was the King of Hell. What if he …

So I watched double anxiously, as Charlie finally dialled his number. It rang for a long time, before Charlie jerked. “Hey, dad…”

I couldn’t hear his side of the call, but from Charlie's side I could see it wasn’t going well. At least I thought so, until she hung up. “Well,” Charlie said, “we have an hour until he gets here.”

My mouth fell open. An hour? A mere hour until the King of Hell himself showed up?

Vaggie was immediately in soldier-mode: “Okay, people! Lucifer is on his way, so we are gonna get this place presentable and we are going to make an amazing impression.”

We stared at her.

“Vamonos!”

And off we went.

Niffty and Pentious rushed to the kitchen to bake some cookies, Angel offered his help with decorations, so I decided the best thing to do would be to tidy up a little. Niffty was doing a good job, but this hotel was simply too big for one such small woman and Hell always found its way back in. So I used my water powers to sweep the parlour and then all the corridors in the upstairs hallways. On my way back down I quickly dipped into my room to change into the nice 1920s dress Alastor had made for me for our party at Vee-tower. If I was to meet the King of Hell, I should damn well look my best!

When I returned to the others, the parlour had been… transformed. Was it a good transformation? Well, between the sexual innuendos in the welcoming posters, Pentious and Angel fighting over the cookies and the few stray balloons and paper streamers floating around… not really. Oh well, I shouldn’t have left them alone, but now it was too late. I positioned myself between Angel and Pentious and gave both a warning glare.

Alastor had also reappeared. The lack of sleep we’d had tonight didn’t show on his face at all, but he seemed unexpectedly tense. Oh. This would be the first time I’d see him interact with someone more powerful than him, right? Was that the reason for the glare in his eyes?

Charlie took a deep breath. “It’s showtime!” She opened the door and was promptly swept into a crushing hug.

“Charlieeee!” the King of Hell exclaimed, squeezing his daughter even harder.

“Hi… Dad… Good to see you, too, Dad…”

He let go of her just as abruptly and brushed past her into the room, enthusiastically greeting the pets.

I watched him, stunned. This short man with the ridiculously large tophat, dancing with the little dragons, was Lucifer, the literal King of Hell? The guy was even smaller than me and he looked so… normal! I scolded myself for the thought. I had been living with Alastor for four months, I should know that first impressions could be deceiving.

Lucifer looked around, rather unimpressed, until he saw the bar area Alastor had added.

“Oh!” he exclaimed in disgust. “What in the unholy Hell is that ?”

That was the moment Alastor stepped in. “Just some of the renovations we had done. Adds a bit of colour , don’t you think?” His smile was iron.

Only now did Lucifer acknowledge his (or any of our) presence. “And you are?” he asked, frowning.

Alastor shadow-walked up behind him. “Alastor!” He grabbed the cane Lucifer was holding - it had an apple on top - and shook it so vehemently that the whole King of Hell was shaking with it. “Pleasure to be meeting you, Sir, quite a pleasure. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

Despite the pleasantries it was immediately obvious that he didn’t respect the King one bit and his follow-up sentence proved me right: “You are much shorter in real life!”

I bit the inside of my mouth in order not to bark out a laugh. But it couldn’t be smart to antagonise the literal Devil. Why was Alastor challenging the most powerful being in all of Hell like this?

And Lucifer wasn’t having it. He snapped back and already I saw all our hopes for this visit go down the drain.

When I heard Alastor swear for the first time, I decided to step in. “Alastor, darling…”

Both their heads snapped around and suddenly I had the attention of the King of Hell. My blood froze. If he was the one who had ordered my assassination, this would be the moment I’d find out. But his face was blank. He didn’t recognise me. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. 

“Not now, sweetheart,” Alastor snapped.

“Actually, Alfred, listen to your… girlfriend?” Lucifer shot me a look of pity. He put an arm around Charlie, who looked concerned. “Why don’t you introduce me, apple pie?”

Alastor looked daggers at me. Charlie slapped her hand to her forehead. “Of course! This is Willow, one of our guests.”

For the second time in my life I curtsied. “Your highness. It’s such a pleasure to meet you!” I said as honestly as possible. For the moment, I had to push any thoughts of assassinations from my mind and focus fully on Charlie’s mission. After all, redemption was also still my end goal. And for that we needed Lucifer’s help. So I added: “I hope you like what we’ve done with the hotel.”

Charlie took the opportunity to try and make peace. “Without Alastor , we wouldn’t have been able to pretty it up this much!”

Alastor jumped at the opportunity. “Charlie has a very unique vision. I am happy to fulfil her bizarre requests.” He possessively put a claw on Charlie’s shoulder.

While Charlie looked delighted at this unexpected compliment, Lucifer looked appalled. I stifled a groan. Couldn’t Alastor stop it for, like, two seconds?

I opened my mouth, but Husk pulled me back. “Let ‘em go at it,” he whispered. “You don’t wanna be in the middle of that when it explodes.”

I turned towards him. “And what if Alastor ruins it all?”

Husk sighed, but a grin was tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Sorry, kid, but I don’t think you can defuse that bomb.”

I threw a worried glance at Alastor. His grin was sharp as a hyaena’s.

“Cookie?” Angel handed me one and Pentious hissed at him.

Reluctantly, I accepted the cookie and retreated to the bar to watch the chaos unfold alongside the others from a safe distance. Admittedly, it was quite entertaining when I pushed aside my worries. When the two of them broke out into song, with Charlie their unknowing play ball, Husk handed out drinks to all of us, the widest grin on his face. Of course, he enjoyed Alastor not having the definite upper hand for once. I was vibing along to Lucifer’s surprisingly catchy song that Alastor had successfully hijacked, when-

Bam!

The doors to the hotel flew open and I almost spilled popcorn all over the freshly sweeped floor. Everyone’s heads spun around, even of the two arguing idiots. A small lady with the energy of a firework exhibition burst in to introduce herself as Mimzy and shower everyone in confetti. Flabbergasted, I looked at Charlie and Alastor, as those two usually had the most idea of what was going on, but Charlie looked stunned and I had never seen Alastor look so thrown off his game. 

“Why is everybody gawkin?” the woman, Mimzy, asked. “Is it ‘cause I’m adorable?”

“Mimzy!” Alastor had regained his composure very quickly.

“Alastor! Sweety, dollface, so good to see you! How’ve you been? Good? Good.”

She pulled him into a tight hug and my mouth fell open. I had never seen Alastor hug anyone , and I had seen him greet a lot of people. Heaven, he’d never even hugged me! I squinted at her.

“Oh, how nice! So, you two know each other?” Charlie asked, obviously happy that Mimzy’s sudden entrance had put an end to her father’s and manager’s squabble.

“Yeah, we go way back, ran in the same circles when we were alive!” Mimzy was happy to explain. “You know, this one used to frequent the club I used to perform. He’s the only one I knew who could pound whiskey like a sailor then keep up with me on the dance floor.”

She knew him from when they had been alive? Considering how sparingly he handed out information about that time, I was surprised he’d let her live. Suddenly I realised how little I knew about him.

While she and Alastor continued their banter in an amicable way, a plan formed in my head. If I could catch Mimzy without Alastor present, I could ask her everything about him! I didn’t even have to be direct, just ask her where she was from and such like and I would get more info than ever!

“Oh my stars!” Mimzy squealed, gaze zeroing in on Lucifer. He seemed to have completely zoned out, the conversation apparently not interesting enough to keep his attention. When Mimzy suddenly approached him, he looked like he’d just been cornered by a rabid animal and wanted to disappear to the moon. I felt a strange comradery with the King of Hell.

Luckily for him Alastor had no intention of letting Lucifer have any conversation with her.

“Sweetheart,” he addressed me, not a hint of his annoyance at me from earlier left in his voice. “Why don’t you help Mimzy settle in? I’ll be back before you know it.”

Huh! I hadn’t thought he’d help me so much in my quest.

So while Charlie followed her girlfriend and her - apparently two - dads up the stairs, I showed Mimzy the bar. Husk’s smile was gone; in fact he seemed to be in an exceptionally bad mood since her arrival. Not a good sign.

“So, uh, you and Alastor are like… what? Friends?” Angel asked, the doubt written clearly across his face.

“Well, that’s your word, not mine,” Mimzy said, “but I think it fits! Why so surprised?”

“Well, I just didn’t know he had any of those. He’s been here a while and is still a big, creepy mystery.” He looked at me. “To most of us, at least.”

I shrugged. “Oh, feel free to include me there. I’ve met quite a few of his acquaintances, but no actual friends. When did you two meet?”

She chuckled. “Oh, that was way back in ‘19 or ‘20. We reunited in Hell in, like, ‘34? Funny how he, too, bit the dust early. Never found out, how.”

He was shot. How come I knew more than her in this regard? I opened my mouth for more questions, but Mimzy turned the conversation around.

“And you?” She quirked up an eyebrow. “Alastor called you sweetheart, what was that about?”

Angel smirked. I sighed inwardly, feeling the pull of the deal. I would have preferred to leave the topic untouched, but I supposed it had been inevitable. I smiled sweetly. “I’m his girlfriend.”

Mimzy nearly dropped her glass. “ Really ?”

“Yeah, we’ve been going out for three months.”

I was hoping she would leave it at that. Of course I had no such luck.

“No way.” She looked me up and down. “You little thing?”

Coming from a woman half my size that was quite the statement, but I knew what she was getting at. Well, I might have to play along, but I didn’t have to pretend to be naive around her. I shrugged. “You seem to know him better than me. Why do you think he wants me?”

She shook her head. “I’m confused. In all our years he’d never had a lady. Or a man. And you look like such a sweet innocent thing…” Her eyes widened. “Ahhh. Oh! I get it. I didn’t think he had any need for a token partner.”

“Not a token partner!” I huffed, offended.

“Is that so?” Mimzy asked. She still looked incredulous. “So how’s it like dating that tall, handsome, creepy man?”

Before I could think of an answer, she added: “How can I imagine sex with him?”

Angel next to me broke out into laughter, while I tried to hide my annoyance. With every passing minute I liked Mimzy less and less.

I put on a sweet smile. “Well, you close your eyes. You think of a place you like, imagine Alastor there as well as yourself and then you can get creative.”

Angel laughed harder, but Mimzy was not amused. “That’s not funny, girly, you know what I mean.”

Of course I did. But I had made it part of our deal, that any details on our actual and supposed private lives had to be discussed beforehand and neither of us had even thought of a question like this, which was pretty stupid in hindsight. This was Hell after all, the only reason nobody had asked inappropriate questions before was because nobody dared to do so in the presence of Alastor.

I continued to smile. “I’m afraid that will remain my secret. If you really want to know, ask Al himself and see if he does anything other than laugh.”

Before Mimzy could answer, a loud crash made us all jump. Someone was banging at the door and not with their fists.

“Mimzy!” someone yelled. “We know you’re in there, you lousy bitch!”

All our heads snapped towards her.

“Oh, shit.” Mimzy took cover behind the bar.

Before any of us could do anything else, a bright portal opened and Lucifer, Charlie and Vaggie stepped through it into the lobby.

“What’s going on?” Charlie asked, concerned.

Mimzy grinned awkwardly. “I may be in trouble with some loan sharks, I may or may not have stolen fifty grand from… And I may have stolen a car… and crashed it… into the loan shark’s girlfriend, but that bitch had it coming!”

So my instinct to trust Husk here had been correct. Great. I didn’t even have time for an exasperated sigh, as all Hell broke loose. Fireballs careened through the windows, upsetting poor Niffty, and I quickly took cover behind the bar, next to the cowering Mimzy. She flashed me an unconvincingly apologetic grin. I just narrowed my eyes at her in return. I would have to have a strongly worded conversation with Al about his choice in friends.

Vaggie’s voice cut across the chaos. “All of you, get a safe distance. I’ll take care of this.”

I dared a look across the bar to see her grabbing her spear tighter. But then, shadows pooled next to her and Alastor manifested. He looked sinister. “No, my dear, leave it to me. It’s time I remind everyone why I am here.”

Mimzy next to me stood up, all concern gone. “Urgh, finally. Took ya long enough!”

Ah. That’s why she was here. Seriously? If she needed Alastor to fix her problems, couldn’t she have given him a call instead of coming here and ruining the entire parlour? Poor Niffty in Pentious’ arms looked like she was about to cry, holding on to shards of window glass.

I shot Mimzy another angry look she completely ignored and thus almost missed Alastor rushing out the door, carried by shadows, and turning into his full demon form.

Oh shit. I had thought I knew his demon form. But this was something else. Within seconds he grew to the size of a dinosaur, his antlers spanning further than I could see. I ran up to the door and watched in horror as his shadows tore through the group of loan sharks, crushing them, picking them up and ripping them apart limb from limb. One of them tried to run away, but Alastor plucked him from the ground like a flower and swallowed him whole.

All the while his laughter cut across the chaos, unearthly and maniacal.

How could this be the same man who I’d woken up next to just a few hours ago?

“Who wants popcorn?” Angel returned from the kitchen, a bowl in each hand.

Husk grinned and pulled over a table and some chairs. I hesitated, as Pentious joined the two, setting Niffty down on the table. They didn’t seem shocked by Alastor’s transformation at all.

Pentious waved me over. “Come, come, dear!”

“Why so hesitant?” Angel smirked. “Don’t wanna watch ya man eat someone else?”

I gave myself a push and took a seat next to them, trying to hide my shock. “Oh no,” I lied. “I was just scared you made the popcorn salted.”

“It is salted.”

“Urgh! Perhaps I should ask Al for his leftovers instead.”

Angel chuckled, but when I looked back through the broken double-doors, I could feel my stomach sink. I wasn’t scared - stupid as that may have been - but I didn’t like seeing the man who had spent the night sleeping next to me creating a massacre. I didn’t want him to be a bad person, even though I knew he was.

Take a good, long look at it. This is the real him. Don’t forget it.

Chapter Text

After that eventful day, all I wanted to do was relax in my fishbowl. Lucifer had promised Charlie a meeting with Heaven and we had spent the rest of the day fixing the hotel with the help of Alastor’s minions, while Charlie was off planning the meeting. Now I was hovering in the water, eyes closed, but once again sleep evaded me. My thoughts were going in circles. I had met Lucifer, the King and most powerful being in all of Hell and we hadn’t even exchanged two sentences. He had disappeared, before I could properly introduce myself, let alone ask any questions about potential kill orders. Alastor had also vanished, right after setting us up with repair assistance.

My thoughts took a few extra loops around him tearing his way through the loan sharks and telling Mimzy to leave afterwards. There had been no warmth in his voice as he had talked to his supposed friend. Just like I had expected, Mimzy was nothing more than an old acquaintance, someone ‘entertaining’, but without any attachment. Just like I was?

I swam a loop to shake off the thought.

And Charlie would get to meet with Heaven. This was both exciting and scary. After all, it was Heaven that decided if we had a chance to get in, didn’t it? Did it? Did we know?

I filled my lungs with water and released a steady stream of air bubbles.

Bang!

My eyes flew open and I turned into my demon form for a split second from the fright. The distorted image of Alastor was smiling at me, knuckles raised to the wall of my fishbowl. Thank God I was wearing a dress. I swam to the surface and leaned on the edge, looking down on him. “When will you finally learn to knock?”

“I did just now, didn’t I?” He took a step back to avoid getting wet.

“The door , Alastor. What’s up? I’m tired. It’s been a wild day.”

“I’m in need of some distraction.”

Only now did I notice that above his smile his eyes were filled with a cold fire. It was like the radio dials of his pupils were shimmering just beneath the surface of his glowing red irises.

I rolled my eyes. I was still disappointed by his loan shark escapades. “Did Lucifer get to you that much? Or are you mad at Mimzy?”

As I was speaking, the look in his eyes got more pronounced, the radio dials rising to the surface, but he kept his demon form at bay. He didn’t look at me, but inspected his flawless claws instead. “A bit of both.”

Liar. I had studied him long enough to know it. He was fuming with rage and it wasn’t because of Lucifer or Mimzy, at least not directly. There was something else that he didn’t want me to know about, but it affected him too much to fully hide it.

My disappointment and annoyance about him not knocking again gave way to curiosity. But I couldn’t ask him what was up. Not now that he was on the brink of explosion.

“Okay,” I said gently, pulling myself over the edge of my fishbowl, drying myself off with my powers and landing on my bed. “What kind of distraction do you have in mind? Something to relax? I could give you a massage again. Or something more energetic? We could go to your room to dance.”

He shook his head.”A-ha, no. We’re going out!”

I sat down on the bed. “What? Now? Al, I am super tired! We got, like, three hours of sleep last night and today I swept the entire hotel floors! Twice !”

“Then I will have to go out alone.” He turned around.

I groaned. “Alright, fine! But I will skip work tomorrow and you’ll still pay me.”

“What was that about non-transactional kindness?”

I glared at him.

Alastor rolled his eyes. “Fine, it’s a deal.”

When I left the bathroom, dressed in one of my clubwear dresses and with my hair done, Alastor was lying on the bed, chin resting on his wrist, and kicking his legs. He was trying so hard to hide the simmering darkness that was etched into his smile and turned his eyes even colder than usual.

I swallowed and forced myself to smile. “Shall we?”

“Of course.” He slid off the bed, offered me his arm and off we went. When we opened the hotel doors, we were welcomed by acid rain pouring down.

“You know what,” I said. “Let’s take the car. We have one now. And I’m tired. If someone sets it on fire while parked, you can just make a new one.”

Alastor shrugged and magicked an umbrella for us to safely reach the car. We got in and I turned on the windscreen wipers.

Our drive was eerily quiet but for the patter of the rain on the windshield. Only a few masochistic sinners were out in the acid and the cars were few and far between. Alastor was quiet, too, except for the directions he was giving me.

“I think there’s something we need to discuss,” I said to break the silence.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.” I considered how to pitch the topic, then decided to prank Alastor a little. “We need to discuss how we have sex.”

His head whipped around and static feedback screeched. “I’m sorry, what ?”

I giggled. “Mimzy asked about our sexlife earlier. I told her it’s none of her business, but we might want to agree on a response to these kinds of questions.”

His static reduced. “Ah. Yes, I suppose that was an oversight on our end. Hm.” He tapped his chin. “We should invoke our friend Angel Dust’s aid. He might know what would upset Vox the most.”

“Heaven, Vox looks like he might be into some freaky stuff. Not sure I want to be associated with any of that.”

Alastor chuckled.

“And I’m not sure I want to discuss kinks with Angel, so let’s make something up. Concerning power dynamics, I'm assuming you’d be a top?”

“Of course,” Alastor said.

“Okay, I can work with that.”

“Marvellous. Let’s invoke Angel Dust’s aid in another way then. Do instruct him to share some story he’d allegedly heard you tell.”

“Will do.”

This situation was so absurd I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Alastor asked.

“Oh, I just never thought that I, as an ace person, would ever spend this much time pondering sex positions.”

He didn’t respond, not even with a chuckle or static crackle. The longer the silence dragged on, the more certain I got that he had no idea what I was talking about. Oh dear. He didn’t know, did he?

We pulled up outside the club, just as another car cut us off and took our parking space. Alastor snapped his fingers and the car including its driver were thrown in the air by a shadow tendril snapping from the ground. It landed a few blocks down, wheels in the air.

“Hey!” I shouted. “You’ve got to stop doing that!”

Alastor flicked his wrist dismissively. “Ah, he will be fine.”

I opened my mouth for a retort, then reconsidered. Instead, I made a fist and smacked him on the arm as hard as I could.

“Ouch!” He rubbed the spot and looked at me in surprise.

I just flicked my wrist. “Ah, you will be fine.”

His eyes narrowed and I knew I had gotten my point across. He was still rubbing his arm. Well, my hand also hurt and I didn’t feel the least bit bad about it.

I parked in the now empty space.

The club was more crowded than the ones we usually went to. There were fewer tables and more bars and the music was coming from a sound station instead of a live band. As usual, Alastor took me to the bar first. “Your best rye and a Gin Fizz, please.”

I frowned. He knew I didn’t like alcohol.

When we got our drinks, he downed his whiskey in one big gulp, then looked at me expectantly. “Let’s dance.”

I eyed my glass. It was much smaller than my usual drinks, not quite a shot in size, but something I could drink fast. Nothing to nurse for half an hour while conversing. Ah, that’s why he had ordered this for me today. I sighed inwardly, smiled and said: “One minute, darling.”

I took a sip. The lemon and sugar balanced out the bitterness decently.

Alastor drummed his claws on the bar. “I see, this will take a moment.” He turned back to the barkeeper. “Another whiskey, please.”

He finished his second drink before I could finish my Gin Fizz, and once I set down my glass for the final time, he grabbed my hand and manoeuvred me onto the dance floor. I tried to pull all my remaining energy reserves and keep up with his moves.

But after just two dances he handed me off to someone else and continued dancing with their previous dance partner. It wasn’t unusual for him to have a couple of dances with other women, but tonight he only came back to check on me every once in a while and I increasingly felt like I should have stayed home. Why had he even bothered to drag me out of my comfy fishbowl?

The more time passed, the more drunk people got and the bolder they got, especially with Alastor out of earshot. When after a number of inappropriate comments, someone finally groped me, I had had enough. I fled the creepy ferret demon’s presence and fought my way towards Alastor, who was having an animated conversation at the bar, a whiskey sitting in front of him.

I felt the deal force my smile. “Darling? I’m getting a little tired, can we go home please?”

Stupid deal. Happy relationship, my ass. I hoped he could see how fed up I really was.

He looked at me like he had forgotten I was even here. “Ah, not yet. Find yourself a seat to rest.”

Asshole. I opened my mouth but none of the things I wanted to say made it past the deal. Wow. So that’s why he had worded the contract like that. He’d cursed me to keep my mouth shut if I was upset with him. “Do you mind if I head home by myself then?” At least that I could say.

Now I had his attention. His grin lost some of its edge. “I would mind, actually. Come on, one more dance.”

Seriously? I could feel the shackles of the deal grow heavy. How could I firmly tell him no without turning this into an argument that I wasn’t allowed to get into while pretending?

He finished the remainder of his drink, then jumped off his seat - and stumbled. I leaped forward and caught him by the elbows, but he had already found his balance again. I furrowed my brow. His cheeks were tinted a soft pink.

“Alastor?” I asked seriously. My anger, at least for the moment, was gone.

He finally really looked at me. His grin no longer reached his eyes and his gaze was fuzzy. How many drinks had he had? Mimzy had said Al could pound whiskey like a sailor and still dance solidly. If that was the case, I wondered if he’d downed a whole barrel tonight.

He sighed and with a twirl of his hand, his cane appeared.

I offered him my arm. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Despite the support of my arm and his cane he had trouble walking straight. I steered us outside. The rain had stopped. Only some pools of acid in the potholes and on the sidewalk remained, as well as drips of it running from leaking downpipes. By some miracle, our car was still there and intact. Alastor let go of me and opened the driver’s door for me.

Without the rain and coming straight from the lively club, the silence was deafening. Alastor was quiet, too. He was staring out the window, claws burrowed into the leather of his seat.

I bit my lip. Should I ask? Just a couple months ago I wouldn’t have dared. I wouldn’t have noticed his mood. But now I did. I figured it was worth the risk. “Al,” I broke the silence, “what is it really you were needing distraction from?”

He didn’t turn around, but a faint red glow from the corners of my eyes showed me that he was watching me through the reflection in the window. “Whatever do you mean, my dear?” His voice was chipper, but his words slightly slurred.

“Come on. I don’t think you’d get plastered over Lucifer calling you a bellhop. What’s going on?”

The red glow of his gaze flared up at the mention of Lucifer and I had trouble focussing on the road.

I didn’t think he would answer. But then he did and his tone was dark. “It’s… not him directly. It’s what he represents. That this pathetic little man has the power to ruin… I don’t have my full… There’s something I need to do. I have to… get this done.”

He turned his full body to me, the cold fire now burning bright in his eyes, his smile maniacal. “It’s tearing at me. And then Husk dared to bring it up!”

His antlers grew and the car filled with darkness and crackling static. 

“Al!” I almost drove into an oncoming car.

In a blink, Alastor’s demon form disappeared. He sat up straight and his ears perked up. He had said more than he’d wanted. “Don’t bother asking Husk for details. He’s soulbound to stay quiet.”

But he knew something. Interesting. Even more interesting that there was something to know. Something Alastor needed to do, something tearing at him - his soul, maybe? And what did Lucifer have to do with any of that? Did the hotel play a role? Charlie? I had so many questions but I knew I wouldn’t get answers to any of them today.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, as fear rose up in my chest. I already knew too much. If he was silencing Husk through his soul deal, what would he do to me if I found out?

I felt his sharp gaze, so I gave him a crooked smile. “I know I shouldn’t wish for you to succeed, Radio Demon Overlord. But I wish for you to feel better.”

He didn’t respond.

We didn’t say another word until we arrived at the hotel. When Alastor got out he tripped and almost fell onto the muddy driveway. I hurried to get out and put an arm around his waist. He allowed me to help him get up to his room, where I sat him onto the bed. He fell backwards with a sigh. When he didn’t move for a solid ten seconds, I carefully took off his shoes and helped him fully onto the mattress, then draped the blanket over him. “Good night, Al.” I magically filled the empty carafe on his nightstand with fresh water. “Don’t forget to drink loads of water.”

I was almost out the door when he spoke up. “Willow?”

“Yeah?”

He hesitated. “Good night.”

I smiled and silently closed the door.

Minutes later I fell onto my own bed. I was exhausted, but as soon as I closed my eyes, the conversation in the car came rushing back. It’s tearing at me . His tone had been raw, almost desperate. Who or what was powerful enough to invoke that kind of distress in the Radio Demon? Before my inner eye, I saw Alastor devour those loan sharks, swallow them whole… He was a monster. And still I couldn’t bring myself to be scared of him, to stay away.

I stared at the pitch black ceiling, listening to the dark tocks of the clock. This was going to be another long night.

Chapter Text

My mood didn’t improve the following days. I still spent hours each night staring at the ceiling, my thoughts meandering from Charlie and the upcoming meeting with Heaven to wondering who had killed me. And I was thinking about Alastor. He hadn’t mentioned our conversation in the car again, and I couldn’t help but hope he had been too drunk to remember. If he did, would he try to silence me with a deal? Would he threaten to throw me out of the hotel? Or would he just… kill me?

It was all a bit much. And on top of that, a series of anniversaries was coming up that were very special to me: My grandfathers had had their birthdays just two days apart and every year my whole family would take the week off to come together to celebrate and eat mountains of pavlova. Even when my mother’s father had died a few years back, we still all met up, eating cake in his name. I had always thought that if there was an afterlife, we would all reunite there to eat pavlova again. But they would have to do so without me.

On the day of his birthday, I tried to make myself feel better by baking a pavlova for the hotel, going ham on all the fruits the fridge had to offer, but if anything it made me feel worse. Everyone was out today, only Charlie briefly stopped by to eat a piece and declare how amazing it was, before rushing back to her preparations for her meeting with Heaven.

I went up to my room and slumped onto my bed. For a while I simply stared off into nothingness, before taking out my sketchpad. I flipped through the pages. Most of my drawings were of Hell. I had a lovely drawing of Charlie laughing. I had captured Angel and Husk conversing at the bar, Husk was smiling and Angel looked fully relaxed. But tonight I flipped past them.

There it was. Home. My apartment and my childhood house. The park I used to walk through after work. My friends. My parents. My siblings. Myself.

What were they up to right now? Were they all together again, eating pavlova in my grandfather’s name? In my name? Were they laughing like we had together or were they still mourning my death? Were they thinking of me at all on this day?

My eyes started to burn and an invisible hand closed around my chest. I missed them so much! And I might never, ever see them again, for all of eternity.

My vision became blurry as tears threatened to spill over.

“My, you look happy.”

I startled and whirled around, the first tears falling. Alastor had appeared behind me, smiling mischievously.

And as though someone had flipped a switch, my sadness turned into red hot rage. I screamed. “Fucking knock !”

He looked genuinely surprised. “Oho, you are in a very-”

“Don’t you dare! I’ve had enough of you belittling me. You’ll leave, right now!”

He just raised an eyebrow. “-bad mood tonight.”

I forced my voice to become steady. “I said out.”

“Ha! Do you really expect me to take orders?” He sounded incredulous.

I wasn’t having it. “I expect you to show basic respect. You keep on ignoring my requests, patronising me, disrespecting my feelings, but not tonight. Get. Out.”

He chuckled. “Oh, I can do whatever I want.”

My hands curled into fists. “Yeah, that’s right. ‘cause you’re a powerful Overlord who can do whatever and doesn’t care about anyone or anything. Well, I don’t care either. Good night.” With that I turned my back to him and clawed my fingers into my sketchpad, fully intending to ignore him.

Slowly, his attitude turned less cheerful. “Why should I care?”

I threw up my arms and faced him again, my intentions straight out the window. “I don’t know? Maybe because somewhere deep in your heart you like me a little bit? At least enough to respect my simple request of knocking ?”

“What is your problem?” Radio static crackled with each word. “You are quite simply overreacting.”

“You just don’t want to admit that you are in the wrong, you stubborn Bambi!” I was shouting again. “You always push and push and do whatever, because you are an egocentric psychopath, but there has to be some part of you that knows you’re being stupid!”

His eyes turned into slits and he took a step towards me. “Watch what you’re saying, sweetheart.”

I got up. Standing on my bed I was taller than him, a rare situation. I looked him square in the eyes. “Why? Because it’s hurtful and I should be mindful of that even though you never are? Or because you’ll hurt me ? Real classy.”

He rolled his eyes. “Is that so? Do you have any inkling just how tiresome you are with your high-and-mighty morals? ‘Alastor, you can’t do this! Alastor, stop that!’”

I was momentarily thrown off by his impression of me. His Kiwi accent was spot on and he even got close to my voice range, but it was all filtered through increasingly angry radio static.

Alastor kept talking, his voice getting louder. “And all those rules you inflict upon yourself, expecting me to be considerate. As if a single drink or a smoke lowered your chances at this fairytale concept of redemption!”

“The only thing ruining my chance at redemption is you! Spending time, having a deal with you !”

“Then why do you keep this deal?” His grin was more of a snarl than a smile.

“Why do you ? And if you want me to keep it, you should stop being so stubborn and compromise!”

“Now you sound like my mother.”

“Well, good! Maybe you should have listened to her more!” I was nearly screaming again.

His eyes turned black and his ears snapped back, something I’d never seen them do on their own. “Don’t you dare go there.”

“Me? You were the one to bring her up!”

My ears started hurting from the static feedback echoing through the room. I wished I could do something in return, but flooding my own room wasn’t helpful on any level.

“This is laughable,” Alastor said snidely, his ears flat against his head. “Why am I even still talking to you?”

“I don’t know, why are you?”

There was a short silence.

“You know what?” I said. “Fine. You won’t leave, then I will.”

I dropped my sketchpad onto the bed and swished past him out the door, leaving him alone in my room.

I stormed up to the bar and collapsed onto a bar stool. “Give me something ridiculously sweet.”

Husk raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay?” I snapped.

He was undisturbed. “No, that’s why I asked.”

I sighed and tried to compose myself. “Sorry. I’m just… really mad right now. It’s not your fault.”

Husk started pulling out bottles. “Then whose is it?”

“Bloody Alastor’s. Look, I put up with his bullshit most of the time, but sometimes I just can’t, okay?”

He frowned. “What did he do?”

“Ah, nothing big, just appeared in my room without knocking for the millionth time and I snapped. And then that idiot is too stubborn to admit to any fault and arguing with him is like arguing with a hollow drywall!”

Husk set a glass down in front of me and leaned on the bar. “Wait. He was arguing with you?”

“I… yeah.” My anger slowly turned to confusion.

“Huh.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “What? Why do you sound alarmed? Should I be alarmed? It was just a little fight, I don’t think he’d punish me for it - or would he?”

“No, no, if he’d want to punish you he'd have done so already. But that’s my point. How does he normally react when someone makes him angry? And when have you ever seen him argue?”

I had to think about that. “Well… he either doesn’t address it at all… or he unleashes his full power on the other person and then goes back to his day… I think the only other time I’ve seen him argue was with Lucifer.”

“Yeah, cause he knows he can’t unleash his fury on him, since the King of Hell is way too powerful. The only times I’ve ever seen Alastor not just destroy someone was when that simply wasn’t an option.”

I frowned. “But he could. He made sure our deal exempts him from no harm to me.”

“That’s why I’m surprised.”

I took my drink and leaned back. Maybe he didn’t want to destroy the illusion he had built up for me? I could call off our deal any moment I liked. But it wasn’t like he needed this deal. And he had basically tried to taunt me into giving up on it just now.

I took a sip of my mocktail. It really was unbearably sweet. Already I felt less angry. Maybe I shouldn’t have shouted at Al like that - No. No, he absolutely deserved it.

I sighed. “Well, let’s see how tomorrow will be. Most likely he’ll just pretend it never happened. And honestly, so will I.”

Husk was silent for a moment. Then he groaned. “Be careful, yeah? I know you like that guy, but he’s still a monster. Just because he didn’t kill you today doesn’t mean he ain’t gonna do it tomorrow. Now he doesn’t own your soul, but last time I spoke up… well, let’s say he wasn’t as generous.”

I looked up, eyes wide. “Oh. I’m sorry.” I hesitated. “What did you do?”

“Nothin’ I can talk about.”

Oh. I remembered Alastor’s words from when he was drunk in the car: He’s soulbound to stay quiet . Was this the same thing? I bit my lip. “Husk… do you hate me, for being… for spending…” I had to be honest. “for liking Alastor?”

I held my breath, my hands tight around my glass. He looked at me, his eyes sad. “I don’t hate you, kid. Doesn’t mean I don’t hate it . You’re naive, Willow. Any emotions you invest in him are totally wasted. And sooner or later, one way or the other, he’ll crush you. This fight of yours should’ve shown you that, but I sense it didn’t.”

Guilty, I looked away. “I know. But…”

What if the reason he had engaged in this argument with me was because he did care? That he couldn’t just nuke me because he didn’t want to? What if he had felt bad for upsetting me and that’s why he tried so hard to downplay his actions?

I shook my head. No! Dangerous thoughts. Husk was right, I was naive. “I’ll try to put in more distance.”

I was still mad at Alastor. At least for the moment, distance wouldn’t be difficult.

It seemed like Alastor was also still mad, or he simply had a lot to do, but he didn’t approach me in the following days, not to dance or sing, not for a massage. The only time I got to see him was when I went up to his tower to hand in my work, which at this point mainly consisted of writing summaries of anything useful, interesting or funny I could find in other media. I had started jotting down ideas for jokes or storylines for him, too, and had smiled like an idiot all day when I had heard him use one of them while listening to his broadcast. But that was before our fight. Now my radio stayed turned off.

I had enough to do without him. Charlie was a jittery spinning top, swirling through the hallways, and when Lucifer’s call finally came, it got even worse. He had managed to arrange a meeting with Heaven for Charlie and Vaggie in a week’s time and from that moment on, it was all Charlie was talking about.

Everyone tried to help her as best as they could: Sir Pentious tried encouraging speeches, Angel distracted her with little pranks, Husk soothed her with breathing exercises and a drink, Vaggie tried long hugs and I listened to every iteration of her presentation on why sinners could and should be redeemed, trying to give as much feedback as was helpful without sending her into another spiral. Even Alastor helped by providing her with any equipment she asked for, no matter how modern or unnecessary it was. Only Niffty didn’t really help, unless the artwork of broken glass pieces and dead bugs hanging from Charlie’s and Vaggie’s door frame one day was her way of contributing.

On the day of the meeting I barricaded myself in my room in an attempt to evade Charlie’s last minute preparations. At breakfast, she had bounced up and down like a rubber ball, while also looking as though she was about to throw up, and Vaggie had seemed like she had been contemplating jumping out the next window. The nervousness was infectious and I felt like a rubber band about to snap.

Because of that, I almost jumped out of my skin, when I heard a loud crash minutes before the portal to Heaven was supposed to open. Quickly, I jumped off my bed and sprinted downstairs.

The answer to the crash was a hole in the outer wall of the hotel and the culprit seemed to be a woman I hadn’t seen before. A new guest? Considering she introduced herself by blowing up our wall, I was apprehensive.

Charlie didn’t seem to care. She waved at me, when she saw me coming down the stairs. “Willow! Angel’s friend Cherri is taking you all out for drinks!”

I raised my brows. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeh, apparently.” The woman counted a stack of money that I was pretty sure wasn’t hers. My eyes widened. “An Aussie?”

I had her attention. “A Kiwi! Come ‘ere little bird!” She pulled me into a quick hug before turning back to Angel.

Charlie was taking deep breaths like Husk had told her to. I smiled at her. “I’m sure you can do this. I have faith in you!”

“Thanks.” Charlie frowned. “But what if I -”

I wiggled my finger. “Nuh, uh, uh! Don’t even say that, sweetheart.”

She smiled. “You sound like Al.”

I furrowed my brow. “Do I?” Not something I currently wanted to hear.

“It’s a compliment, it’s cute - there!”

The portal. I couldn’t help but stare. Through the oval ring of light I could see it: Heaven. It wasn’t much, just a bridge and a glimpse of the golden gates, but the colours! Everything was light and pastelle!

Charlie grabbed Vaggie and pushed her through the portal before she could protest, then, with a final wave, she vanished.

I swallowed hard. All our fates now rested in her glitterglue-speckled hands. Well, that was nothing new, I supposed.

“Alright then, folks, let’s funkin’ go!” Cherri pumped her fist, then confidently marched towards the exit, Angel in tow, followed, somewhat reluctantly, by Husk.

“Are you coming, Miss Willow?” Sir Pentious had picked up Niffty, who was buzzing with excitement.

I sighed. I could use some distraction. “Yup. Sure.”

The club we went to was very different from the ones I frequented with Alastor. It was much more akin to the party at Vee tower. Fluorescent lights were flashing, electronic music was beating and the air was thick with some kind of smoke biting my nose. Cherri started the evening off by ordering a shot for everyone from the suspicious stack of cash, which I gingerly accepted. Tonight I was out with the crew. I was going to fit in. I wasn’t going to be a killjoy.

And I was having fun at first. I listened to Angel and Cherri share wild stories and they laughed at my remarks. A few shots in, the alcohol started to get to my head and the noise and people no longer made me uncomfortable. With some amusement I watched Sir Pentious trying and failing to impress Cherri.

“So,” Cherri said, handing me another shot. “Where’re you from?”

“I lived an hour from Auckland. Had an apartment there, drove to work in the city.”

“How exciting,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “So what gotcha here, tax fraud?” She grinned.

I rolled my eyes. “No. Still no idea. But I figured out who killed me at last.”

Pentious took his eyes off Cherri for a moment. “You did?”

I nodded. “An imp. Apparently, someone paid to have me assassinated, from here in Hell.”

Cherri’s eye widened. “Woah, sick! Any idea, who?”

Demon royalty. Somehow I didn’t feel like telling her that. It sounded so stupid, as if any hellborn would care about me. So I shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Wild.” She leaned back, grinning. “And here I thought you were boring.”

I huffed.

Angel chuckled. “We like our boring Willow, don’t we, Husk?”

Husk hummed in agreement. I narrowed my eyes at them.

Somehow, it was Niffty who came to my aid: “Come on, she’s not boring!” The little woman was trying and failing to climb onto a bar stool. “Alastor likes her, so she can’t be.”

I snorted. Great, I was interesting by association. I helped Niffty onto the stool.

“What?” Angel grinned. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Well…” I could feel the deal again, pulling at my chest. Why did I still subject myself to this again? Wasn’t I mad at Al? Didn’t I want to put in more distance? I put on a smile. “Of course not. I just… I don’t want him to be the reason why I’m not ‘boring’.”

I purposefully wasn’t looking at Husk, but I could almost feel his raised brows in my neck. I suddenly felt sick and couldn’t say if it was from the alcohol, the smoke-filled air - which was definitely something else than the cigarette smoke I’d reluctantly gotten used to - or the pull of the deal. I got up.

“‘Kay, I’m lost,” Cherri said. “What’s she got to do with the radio guy?”

The world started to spin. “I’m… I’m sorry, I think I’ll nip outside, get some fresh air.”

“You okay, kid?” Husk asked.

I turned towards him and gave him a genuine smile. “Yeah. I’ll just need a minute.”

He nodded. “I’ll come lookin’ for ya if you take too long.”

“Thanks, Husk.”

I stumbled outside and took a deep breath. The air in Pentagram City was never clean, but right now it felt like the best thing ever. It was still cool and spicy from the last acid rain and I enjoyed the prickly wind on my face. I closed my eyes and took another refreshing breath. It was quieter here, too.

I decided to take a little walk around the block to clear my head. Now that I’d gotten up, the alcohol was rushing to my brain. Great. I shouldn’t have gone along with the drinking. Now I was reminded how I hated the feeling. I had done something I hated, just to fit in - no, because Alastor had called me annoying for my ‘rules’. I groaned. Awesome, here I was trying to create distance and I was still doing things because of him.

Well, at least I could still walk straight. I walked slowly, my fingers grazing along the rough bricks of the buildings. And as I calmed down my head cleared and for the first time in weeks my mind was quiet. No spiral, no thoughts. Perhaps I should just head home and finally sleep.

Suddenly, I felt a pull at my hair. I yelped as I was jerked back, but then a hand covered my mouth. A slimy, cold claw. I yelped again, but the sound was muffled. I felt a body against my back. And a knife against my side. I froze, my eyes wide, feeling my heartbeat gallop. A hoarse, deep voice sounded right into my ear. “Your money, bitch. And you’d better hurry.”

I was still frozen in shock. Tears of fear pooled in my eyes. The knife was pressed closer and I felt a sharp pain. “I said, hurry, bitch!”

My mind sprang into action. He couldn’t kill me. I was already dead. But he could hurt me. And this was Hell. He would. He definitely would. Would he still if I did what he wanted? What would he do to me? What should I do? Oh, Heaven, what should I do?

“Don’t ignore me!”

He couldn’t kill me, he couldn’t kill me, he couldn’t -

I could feel him shift and the knife jerked. Red hot pain shot up my side and exploded behind my eyes. I screamed through his hand, grabbed into the inner pocket of my dress, pulling out my neatly concealed wallet. He let go of my mouth to take it and I caught a glimpse of scaly green skin. I opened my mouth to shout, in the desperate hope Husk might hear me.

Bones cracked. I flinched, but I was fine. The pressure in my back disappeared. The knife fell to the ground with a metallic sound. I whirled around. A sinner - my attacker - stared at me. He had scaled arms and the snout of a crocodile, but the eyes staring at me in shock were human. A shadow tendril extruded from his chest.

Then he was thrust into the air and I averted my eyes as the shadow ripped him in half.

“Alastor!” I shouted. “Stop that!”

“Why, is that a way to thank your saviour?” He stepped around a corner into my view and inclined his head.

I dried my face from the stray tears that had spilled and breathed fast to keep up with my still racing heart. “I’m sorry. Thank you.” Never had I been more glad to see him. “Really. Thank you.”

“Of course, my dear.” His smile widened.

“How did you find me?”

“It’s my part of our deal to protect you from harm, sweetheart, remember?”

Oh. Right. So I didn’t actually have to thank him. He hadn’t come to save me for any kind of altruism, he was forced to do so. Sobering. “Of course,” I lied. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

He rolled his eyes. “Haven’t you noticed the deal coercing words out of you? It tells me when you’re in danger and pulls me in the right direction. I was on the other side of town so it took me a moment.”

Huh. That was helpful, but it also meant he basically had a tracker on me, at least as long as I was in danger, which honestly wasn’t seldom here in Hell.

I could suddenly feel the tiredness rushing back and I stumbled. He caught me at the shoulder. “My dear, are you drunk?”

“Tired. But also, yes. I regret all my afterlife’s choices.”

He looked me up and down. His gaze landed on my waist. “And do you intend to do anything about that?”

I touched my side and my fingers came away red. The spot where the mugger’s knife had pierced my skin still burned, but I was so full of adrenaline, I barely noticed. “I probably should, shouldn’t I?”

Were there any doctors in Hell? Probably, but were those the kind you wanted to work on you?

“Allow me.” Without waiting for permission, he pressed his fingers to the wound. I flinched as the pressure sent a sudden shock of pain through my body, but then the pain eased and finally disappeared. He withdrew his hand and I touched my side through the cut in my dress. My skin was fully healed. Impressive!

“Thank you.” I was slowly feeling more like myself again, just a very tipsy version.

I produced some water to wash the blood off my fingers. He licked the blood off his.

“Al!” I shouted, appalled.

“Hm, tasty! Not like fish, but very sweet. And I can taste the alcohol, sweetheart, I thought you didn’t like it?”

“Peer pressure. Al, that’s weird.”

He grinned. “You don’t look half as uncomfortable as you usually do around the topic.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ve just been attacked, that feels like the more relevant thing at the moment. I’m tipsy. And, you know, I guess there is a factor of diminishing returns here.”

He laughed. “How unfortunate. Well, you look like you’re about to pass out, I’ll take you back to the hotel.”

“Wait, I need to tell Husk I’m fine and where I’m going!”

He inclined his head. “Seriously? Very well, I will inform him.”

I raised my brows at him. “Will you?”

“Of course.”

I hesitated. Could I trust him? I didn’t have the energy to go back on my own. I sighed. “Thank you.”

He wrapped an arm around my waist and together we walked back to the hotel, where he took me up to my room. Charlie and Vaggie had not yet returned. I fell onto the covers of my bed and watched the ceiling spin. Alastor turned off the lights.

“Al?” I asked, already dozing off.

“Hm?”

“Would you have helped me, if not for our deal?”

“Of course not! How should I have known you were in danger, my aquatic troublemaker?”

He closed the door behind himself and just a few minutes later I was sound asleep.

Chapter Text

“Well, shit.”

Of all the outcomes I had anticipated from Vaggie’s and Charlie’s meeting with Heaven, this was by far the worst.

When I had arrived downstairs for the daily exercises, fully rested for the first time in weeks and only with a mild hangover from the previous night, Charlie had been nowhere to be found and Vaggie had told us with a face full of storm clouds how the meeting had gone.

“Let me get this straight,” I said, trying to stay calm. “If Charlie doesn’t come up with a brilliant plan, we’ll all be exterminated in… what was it? Four weeks?”

“Adam said a month,” Vaggie repeated darkly. “But I’m sure she’ll make a plan. She always does.”

“Yeah, and how many of her plans have worked out thus far?” Husk growled.

I frowned. “Come on! You know she’s trying her absolute best.”

Tense silence followed. Then Angel spoke. “And the angels don’t know what gets you into Heaven? That’s just stupid. Who does know then, hm? Who decides?”

Really, why didn’t they want redemption to be possible? Shouldn’t they be all for people improving, people being good? Politics. Somehow, I felt like the reason was politics, which was very disappointing. This was Heaven after all, shouldn’t they be above that?

Vaggie shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe some higher ups? Above the seraphim are the archangels and then the Prince of Heaven. But I’ve never seen them, let alone spoken to any of them.”

“Yeah, cause you were also an angel,” Husk mused. “Still can’t wrap my head around that.”

Me neither. It had hit me completely out of left field. A former exorcist. If Vaggie had hidden this so well… What more was Charlie hiding?

I took a deep breath. This was not the time to question my allies.

“Wait, doesn’t that make you a fallen angel?” Pentious asked. He had been preoccupied with stroking Keekee, Charlie’s cat, but now he looked up. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but if an angel can fall, doesn’t that conversely mean redemption must be possible?”

Huh. He wasn’t wrong. If angels could fall, demons could rise, right? But Vaggie had been an exorcist, not a winner. Not a human. Did that count?

“Doesn’t matter.” Husk ripped me from my thoughts. “If we’re all dead in a month.”

I looked around from one grim face to the next. I sighed. “Anyone want ice cream?”

I fled the dark mood of the hotel, ready to buy out an entire barrel of ice cream. The mugger from yesterday was still fresh in my mind, so I decided to take the car to get to the city. Going by car wasn’t exactly safe, but much safer than going by foot. And it was faster, too. Ice cream was only half as good when you drank it at room temperature.

But when I pulled back up the driveway a little while later, my trunk filled with a wide array of ice cream flavours ranging from bloodberry to coal-cookies and cream, I passed Alastor and Charlie leaving the dark gates of the hotel grounds. Confused, I parked the car and was about to open the hotel door, when it was opened from the inside by Vaggie. She looked back at the other residents in the parlour. “I’m going to go learn how we can fight back. But when I come home… Well I’ll understand if none of you are here.”

She turned, looked at me in surprise, gave me a halfhearted smile, then left.

“Uh…” I looked at the others. “What did I miss?”

“Well…” Angel came up to me and started digging through my shopping bags. “Alastor and Charlie are out to recruit an army and Vaggie wants to learn how to fight angels, which is apparently what will be happening in a month, so… Oh, is that vanilla fudge?” He pulled out a pot of ice cream.

I just stared at him. “I beg your pardon?”

“Yeah.” Husk came up to me, as well, patting me on the shoulder. “That’s the situation.”

Fighting angels? What?

There was a moment of silence as we all looked at each other. I didn’t have to fight. I could leave. I was informed enough by now to make a living somehow. I didn’t have to stay here and risk my afterlife.

But then what? Go on like this forever? Afraid of the next extermination, afraid of everyone around me? Feeling forever guilty? No more chance at redemption?

“Okay, soooo-a…” Angel said, taking out a scoop of vanilla fudge. “How are we gonna do this?”

Husk scowled. “Well, this hotel has no chance to withstand angels. It couldn’t even withstand a bunch a loan sharks.”

“Then let’s fortify it!” Pentious sprang to action. “Make it a glorious fortress. Reinforce the walls! Barricade the windows! Erect dams and trenches! I will make a fortification plan at once!”

Husk rolled his eyes, but his voice sounded amused. “Okay, slow down there. I’ll grab some planks to barricade the windows.”

“I guess I’ll go find a hammer and some nails then.” Angel shrugged.

They looked at me.

I lifted my shopping bags. “Ice cream first?”

In the evening I fell into bed exhausted. Every muscle in my body ached from the work of the day. But I was in a much better mood than I thought I would be, knowing that in just one month I might end up permanently erased. Vaggie had actually found a way to fight the angels and Charlie and Alastor had returned from their trip with a bunch of hungry cannibals ready to gnaw their way through an angel army. Not quite what I had expected, but they seemed determined and deadly, so what more could we wish for?

There was a knock on my door. I rolled onto my side to look at it. Who could that be? I doubted Niffty had time for room service, considering she had had to roll out several dozen beds for the platoon of cannibals temporarily moving in. Statistically, it was either Charlie or Vaggie. Did they need something else from me? I groaned. “Yes?”

The door opened and Alastor entered. Oh. Wow. That was… Immediately, a flood of thoughts and feelings swamped my system, but I tried to hold them all back. The last thing I should do right now was make this a big deal. So I just smiled. “Al!”

He took me in with one look. “You look pathetic.”

That put an immediate damper on my excitement. I rolled my eyes and fell onto my back again. “Why, thank you. Do come in, but I won’t lift another finger today.”

His face appeared above me, a little closer than I’d liked. I extended an arm and pushed him further away at the forehead.

“Well, now you already broke that resolution.”

I rolled my eyes again, but he didn’t seem to mind. Quite the contrary, he was oozing energy, something was bubbling right under the surface, carefully concealed by his smile. I hadn’t seen it earlier, as we’d been busy processing cannibal soldiers, but now it became apparent.

I sat up. “What’s up?”

“Whatever do you mean?” He was pacing my room, his step more bouncy than usual.

“You look like it’s your birthday.”

He grinned. “Oh, that. Yes, I admit I’m in the mood to celebrate. But apparently you make a lousy companion tonight.”

“I don’t think anyone here is up to celebrate tonight,” I pointed out. “Maybe Niffty. She seems unbothered by the thought of imminent absolute obliteration. And her physical contribution today was … let’s say at least not counterproductive.”

“Oh, I already celebrated with Niffty. But she passed out mid-sentence, so I dropped her in bed and came here.”

“I’m also about to pass out mid-sentence.” But that was a lie. His simple act of knocking had given me a boost of energy. I felt like I should probably examine the implications of that at some point.

“Yes, that wouldn’t surprise me.” He flopped onto the bed next to me, resting his head on his wrist and kicking his legs.

“Then why are you still here? Is there something you want to share with me?”

He paused, his legs stopping mid-swing. “I… suppose I do. Hm.”

I propped myself up on one elbow to look at him properly. “So? What is it?”

He was silent for a moment. “I don’t think you could appreciate what I want to share.”

“Ooookay? So you came here to share something, but you don’t actually want to share it?”

“I… suppose…” He blinked slowly, as some kind of realisation set in.

Then, something behind his eyes fell shut. I couldn’t place it, his expression didn’t really change, but suddenly there was a distance between us. A distance that had always been there and that I hadn’t even noticed slowly disappearing, until this very moment where it returned.

“I see you aren’t entertaining tonight.” He got up. “Well, I won’t disturb you any longer. Sweet dreams!” He turned around.

“Wait! Sorry, I didn’t mean to be this cranky. I’m actually really happy you came to visit. We can celebrate, you don’t have to tell me what it’s about, I’m just going to assume the worst as usual.” I chuckled. “We could put on some music, sing a little?”

“No, no, you get your rest, so you and your merry group of friends don’t die next month.” He wiggled his fingers, grabbed his microphone and left through the door.

I was left alone in my room, staring at the closed door, wondering if I had just missed something important.

Chapter Text

Part 3: Dealbond

I didn’t see Alastor much the next few weeks. Instead of exercises in the mornings and radio work in the afternoons, I spent the whole day training with the other residents and the small army of cannibals Charlie and Alastor had brought with them. Vaggie explained to us where to hit and how to move, then we paired up and practised with non-angelic weapons. The first time I was handed a gun, I felt incredibly uneasy. I had done some shooting at county fairs, but this was something else entirely. However, it turned out shooting paper hearts had made me a surprisingly decent marksman with a rifle.

“Impressive work, soldier,” Sir Pentious congratulated me. “A good shot.”

“Thank you.” I smiled at him and he returned it shyly.

Pentious turned around to get back to his own practice.

“Pentious?”

“Yessss?”

“If you want to ask Cherri out, just be honest about it. You’re a good man and your combat skills and inventions are impressive, you’ve shown as much the past weeks. I can see her being impressed. Give it an honest shot!”

His face flushed bright pink and he hurried off.

Our training sessions were regularly observed by a number of Voxtech drones. I asked Charlie if we should do something against them, but she said Alastor had advised her to leave them up. I wasn’t sure if that meant he was confident or if it was just part of his entertainment to have Vox watch.

Alastor himself didn’t participate in any of the training. Sometimes he watched us as well, sometimes he was out, but I didn’t manage to get a hold of him. In the evenings after the training I was exhausted, yet I still tried to catch Alastor from time to time for some distraction. However, he never seemed to be there and I started to wonder if he was avoiding me. I kept thinking back to that evening, to the subtle shift in his expression. What had that been about? What had he wanted to celebrate? And why had he suddenly not wanted to anymore? I just couldn’t make sense of it. Had I done something wrong? Had I ruined this thing we had, whatever it was?

The last evening before the battle came way too fast. Vaggie went over the plan with us one more time. Most of the crew would be fighting on the ground. Alastor would be stationed on the hotel roof. He would create a shield for us and handle Adam, our biggest threat. I would be stationed on the balcony as a sniper, with two knives as backup. I really hoped I wouldn’t need those. Despite the training, my hand-to-hand combat skills were abysmal beyond repair.

At night, we all came together at the bar; even Cherri Bomb joined us. I was exhausted, I was scared, but I was also strangely happy to be here, as I laughed at Angel’s jokes, clinked glasses with Pentious and traded eyerolls with Husk. Alastor’s and Niffty’s laugh cut through the room and I spotted them up in the gallery. My eyes met Alastor’s and I smiled. He winked.

Very late at night, the party finally dispersed. I went up to my room and sat down on the bed. Suddenly, the hotel felt very cold and empty and I shivered, as the anticipation of the following day came rushing back with full force. My chest contracted. Was I really ready for this? Everyone else seemed to be, but I was not cut out for this! Had I not come to this hotel specifically to be safe? I couldn’t just leave these people, my friends, alone. Still, I was scared senseless. And when push came to shove - would I be able to actually shoot? To… kill?

I got back up. I didn’t even think about it, didn’t change back into my day dress, didn’t really take in the corridors as I hurried towards Alastor’s room and knocked.

To my surprise, the door swung open almost immediately. Only the fireplace illuminated the room in an eerie green glow. Alastor stood in the doorframe, looking at me with a tired smile and small eyes.

“Sorry,” I said quietly. “I’m terrified. Can… Can I sleep here tonight?”

He seemed hesitant. I tried to see if the distance in his eyes was still there, but it was too dark to read the intricacies of his expression.

“Please?” I added.

“Very well.” He stepped out of the frame to make way for me, then gestured towards the bed. It didn’t look used, the sheets neatly made, but when I tentatively sat down the mattress was warm. Alastor dissolved into shadows and reappeared on the bed. Only now did I realise that he wasn’t wearing his usual suit. Instead, he was covered in plain black trousers and a dark red pinstripe longarm silk shirt with collar, buttoned down with black silk buttons.

I lay down facing him and he draped his blanket over me.

“Don’t you need one?” I asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “I won’t be sharing it.”

“Not what I meant. Don’t you need it?”

“I don’t sleep much anyway.” With a snap of his fingers, the fireplace went dark.

For a moment, we lay in silence. It felt weird, being here. The room felt different, the mattress had a different hardness and the light from outside painted different mosaics on the walls. Everything smelled like Alastor. But at least it distracted me from tomorrow.

I wasn’t just scared for myself. I was scared for everyone here, even the cannibals. Even Alastor, though I knew he would be fine.

Wait… “Al, can I even participate in the battle tomorrow? I will be in constant danger. How will you focus on our shield and Adam, if you have to protect me? Shall we pause the deal?”

“No need.” The radiostatic of his voice crackled leisurely. “I only need to protect you from third party harm. You are bringing this danger on to yourself, willingly and knowingly. That is exempt from our deal, have you forgotten?”

“Oh. Right.” I was silent for a moment. “You are not in the least bit worried, are you?”

The dimmed down laughter of a very sleepy canned audience filled the room. “Why should I be? I will win. We will fend them off. I get to kill the first man and a host of angels. Sounds like a splendid day to me.”

“And if any of us die?”

“That would be your problem, my dear, wouldn’t it?”

Ouch. I fought down the hurt. I didn’t want to dwell on it, not now. “Are you never scared?” I asked. “Or… sad?”

He was silent and for a moment I wondered if he’d fallen asleep despite his claims.

“Of course I am.” Surprised, I noticed the static was dimmed down, and I could hear his voice nearly unfiltered. “But I would never submit to such low emotions.”

“They aren’t low,” I argued. “Fear keeps us alive. And sadness keeps us human.”

“Power keeps me alive. And humanity is a myth.”

“Is that really what you believe? Or just what you tell yourself?”

He didn’t answer.

I sighed as my thoughts returned to the upcoming day. “I don’t want to kill angels,” I whispered.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to kill anyone!”

“ Anyone ?”

“Yes! Well…” That wasn’t quite true. “Okay, maybe there are a few people I would like to kill. Some dictators on earth, you know, maybe a terrorist leader. Adam. But I won’t be the one killing him. I’ll shoot at soldiers, who are just doing their job, with lives, hopes, dreams… Sure, what they are doing is wrong, but everyone down here has done bad things. I mean… look at you.”

This time his chuckle was his own. “Well, if it helps you and your silly little moral squabbles, you are acting in self defence. Charlie tried to talk to Heaven and they didn’t listen. You didn’t choose this fight any more than them.”

I sighed. “I know.”

“You should sleep, sweetheart. You won’t be of any help to your little friends if you fall asleep on the battlefield.”

I sighed again. “Yeah. Good night, Alastor.”

“Good night, Willow.”

Chapter Text

My hands were shaking. My throat was dry. My stomach was a block of ice, scrunched up to the size of a walnut. I was standing on the balcony of the hotel. I was wearing sturdy trousers and a long sleeved shirt. My hair was tied up in a tight bun. My rifle was loaded with angelic bullets. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

And then the sky opened with a searing bright light and the exorcists broke through.

Charlie’s scream cut through the silence. “Fire!”

The world exploded, as Pentious’ cannons shot golden beams up at the approaching army, hundreds of angels, a wave of black and silver, their spears and swords gleaming.

I let out a whimper. Then the angels were there and I had to act. Without thinking I raised my gun and shot.

Everything was drowned out by the noise. Wings beating, guns firing, cannibals screaming. The sky darkened as Alastor’s shield engulfed us, trapping a selection of angels here with us - or us with them. I saw them through the crosshairs of my weapon, their black wings and halos gleaming in the eery light of the cannonfire. Sometimes I missed. Sometimes I hit. I hit wings and legs and arms. And chests. I saw them yelp or scream. I saw them fall. But I wasn’t there anymore. It was as though I was watching myself through water, a cold observer.

Suddenly, the sky lightened. I looked up to see Alastor’s shield fall apart. And then I saw Adam. I hadn’t seen him before, but he was instantly recognisable. He flew towards the roof to meet Alastor and a pang of fear broke through the shell that had formed around my mind. He would be fine. He had to be.

This moment of inattention proved to be fatal. An exorcist had spotted me on the balcony and I wasn’t fast enough. I fired, but missed and then she was above me, stabbing down her spear. I cried out in terror and leapt aside, dropping the rifle. She landed next to me, her mask a cold scowl, grabbing her spear with both hands. As she thrusted it again, I ducked, my hands frantically searching for the daggers in my belt. The exorcist swung for me a third time, I couldn't get out of the way. The spearhead pierced my shoulder and pain exploded behind my eyes. I screamed, but finally my hands had found the daggers and I pulled them out thrashing at the spear, trying to keep the angel away from me. But my combat skills were pathetic. Again, her spear hit me, cutting my arm. Blood was rushing in my ears and my hands holding the daggers were shaking. With every attack I had to retreat further, until I was backed up against the hotel wall. The back of her spear hit the dagger from my hand.

I couldn’t win. She would kill me.

Tears started to blur my vision, making it even harder to escape the hits. “Please!” I screamed out in terror, knowing it was futile but unable to help myself. “Don’t kill me!”

“You’re already dead, bitch.”

She raised her spear, ready to strike. I held out my hands, trying to shield as much of my body as possible, even though it wouldn’t save me. She lunged forward - but then she stopped. Wideeyed, I saw how her mask glitched, eyes and mouth shifting. A scream escaped her and she dropped her spear to pull at her mask.

I had to seize this last chance. I hurtled past her and towards the railing. Turning around, I saw the exorcist throwing aside her mask. Grey eyes stared at me, her mouth a thin line. I had only one choice.

I jumped, throwing myself over the railing.

I fell.

Wind rushed past me and I pressed my mouth shut not to scream. It felt like I’d left my insides behind as I was tumbling down. The ground was rushing up at me and I braced for the impact. What I had imagined all those times climbing up to the radio tower was about to come true. But other than an exorcist blade, this fall wouldn’t kill me. It would just really, really, really -

The ground slammed into me. For a moment, all I knew was pain. Then everything went black.

Pain. I screamed.

“It’s okay, it’s okay! Dad! Dad, quickly!”

Footsteps. Then a hand. For a moment the pain increased, searing through me like fire. I screamed again. And then it was gone. I breathed in sharply and raggedly. “Al!”

But it wasn’t Alastor. When I opened my eyes, I saw Lucifer looking at me, eyebrows drawn. “You okay there, buddy?”

I was lying on the ground, my head and limbs pointing in awkward directions. Carefully, I sat up. Nothing was broken anymore. Lucifer had healed me, I realised, just like Alastor had when I’d been poked with a knife weeks ago. “I… yeah, I think so.” My voice sounded a bit wobbly.

Why was I okay? How in Hell had I survived the exorcist? She had been about to kill me and then her mask… She’d been just as surprised as I was. I couldn’t make sense of it. But it didn’t matter. I was still here, that was all that counted. I smiled weakly. “Thank you.”

“No worries.” Lucifer shrugged.

I couldn’t help but stare at him. I’d been healed by the Devil! He looked so casual right now, in nothing but a shirt, sleeves rolled up, and a vest. No coat, no hat. His smile was weary, but surprisingly warm.

I tore my eyes away and looked around. The area around me was a wasteland, the ground filled with rubble. I was covered in brimstone dust. Behind Lucifer were Vaggie, holding Keekee, Angel Dust with his little pig and Charlie, all covered in cuts and bruises, their expressions somber. Only Niffty was waving at me. She was covered in golden blood from head to toe. In the distance I could see Husk and Cherri pulling a cannibal lady from the rubble.

“What happened?” I asked incredulously. “Where’s Alastor? And Pentious?”

Charlie hugged herself and nobody looked at me. Finally, it was Lucifer who answered me. “They’re gone. Adam killed them.”

I stared at him, as my chest started to fill with cold. Dead? No. It couldn’t be. Not like this. Not when I hadn’t even been there to say goodbye.

“It’s true,” Angel said, his voice flat. “I’m sorry, sweetpea. Adam zapped Pentious right outta the sky. Alastor… we’re not sure. He just disappeared after fightin’ Adam.”

No. No, I wasn’t willing to believe it. Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Come on,” Vaggie said, her voice rough. “We need to check if we find any more injured cannibals. We’ve sent everyone else home. And we need to clean up this place. Vox’ drones are still here and soon the reporters will be. We need to stay strong.” She offered me her hand.

She was right. Of course. I wiped my eyes and took her hand. I couldn’t believe I could walk, not after that fall. But I was still in some pain. My shoulder and my arm, where the angelic spear had hit me, still burned.

“Sorry, Maple,” Charlie’s dad said with an awkward smile, following my gaze. “That was angelic steel, nothing I can do about that I’m afraid. It’ll heal, but it might scar.”

That was the least of my worries. 

“We’ll clean our wounds as soon as we have bathrooms again,” Vaggie said. Out of all the others she looked the most beaten up. Her hand was heavily and haphazardly bandaged. “First the cannibals. Then the reporters. Then the hotel.”

The hotel. It was gone. My, what the Heaven had happened while I was out?

Husk came running up to us. “Reporters. They’re here.”

The next hours went by in a blur. Cameras in my face. Cannibals under rubble. Countless questions. Pain in my arm and shoulder. Lucifer wielding Keekee like a misshaped wand, constructing pillars from nothing. I just felt numb. From what I could gather, we had won. Adam was dead and the remaining exorcists had retreated. Extermination day was cancelled. But I couldn't feel joy. Too many sinners had died. Pentious. I hadn’t even noticed how much he’d grown on me, but thinking about him now hurt. His awkward laugh, his dramatic speeches. His care for Niffty.

And Alastor. He couldn’t be dead. Not so easily. Nobody had seen him die. Fear had wrapped itself around my heart, residing right next to the pain of losing Pentious. I couldn’t believe just how much the thought of losing him hurt. Did I really care so much about him? I shouldn’t. Any emotions you invest in him are wasted , Husk had once said.

Husk. If Alastor died, he was a free man, wasn’t he? Yes, for Husk’s sake I should be hoping Alastor really was dead. I should probably hope so for thousands of souls’ sake. But I wanted him to be alive, I willed it with all my soul and Husk must have been very aware of that. So I couldn’t ask him, even though he was the one person here who must have known. Him and Niffty, but Niffty wasn’t exactly a reliable source of information.

So I searched for him with nothing but foolish hope. With each bit of rubble we cleared up, each new pillar constructed, my hopes dwindled. I found the remains of Alastor’s radio tower. It had struck the ground a few hundred meters away from the base of the hotel. All the windows were broken and the trapdoor, which was now at a low angle to the ground, was open. I squeezed inside, my heart pounding, my angelic wounds hurting, but the room was deserted. No lights were glowing. The radio was off. I hugged myself and blinked rapidly in order not to cry. There were still drones everywhere and I didn’t want Vox to see - wait. Vox. Our game with Vox! It wasn’t just Niffty and Husk who had a deal with Alastor. So did I! And if it was still working…

I had to wait for the reporters to leave before I could test it out. In the deepest hour of the night we went to sleep in the new shell of the hotel, where Lucifer had conjured up an array of beds, and when we woke up the next morning, the reporters were gone. All day I anxiously bided my time while I was painting the new walls, until finally Angel went to help Husk with the new bar, leaving Cherri to tend to the windowsills by herself. I abandoned my wall and approached her quickly.

“Um, Cherri?” I asked. I still didn’t really know this woman. “Can you do me a favour?” 

“Uh, depends? What’d ya want?” Her tone was not unfriendly.

I took a deep breath. “Could you ask me if I have a boyfriend? Please?”

She furrowed her brow. “Why? I ain’t gonna date you, if that’s what you’re askin’.”

“No, no, just ask me, please.”

“Ooookay, fine. You got a boyfriend?”

I summoned all my willpower to say no, while at the same time hoping I couldn’t.

“I… I do.” I smiled brightly. “I do, yes. Phew. Man. Okay, thank you so much!”

“Uh…”

“Just ignore me. You are the best, Cherri!” A wave of relief washed over me. He was alive! Wherever he was, our deal was still on. I didn’t know where he was, by now we had turned over every stone on the hotel grounds. All I could do was wait and hope he would return. Still, I felt light and had to stop myself from grinning like an idiot. Immediately, I was overcome by guilt. Pentious was still gone. And Husk was still enslaved. Man, I really had chosen the worst possible person to get attached to.

The hotel was done. What would have taken months without Lucifer’s help, had taken only a few days. And the results were incredible. The new hotel was taller, had more rooms, and everything was in tip-top condition. Under some pressure from his subjects, the King had reluctantly phased the bar section back into the much grander parlour. He had also added some new features to the hotel, such as a set of swimming pools in the basement (equipped with two full shelves of rubber ducks for some reason) and a lounge behind the parlour, which included a table football game, an air hockey plate and a table tennis table next to a bunch of couches and a fancy new flatscreen TV.

All in all, we had really outdone ourselves with the decor, only slightly undermined by Lucifer sneaking in oodles of circus decor into every room. On the top floor, the one previously owned by Vaggie and Charlie, he had created a suite for himself. When Charlie had asked him to move in, he hadn’t even waited for her to finish the sentence, before shouting ‘absolutely!’ and dancing off to find Keekee. His daughter and her girlfriend were now residing on the second to top floor.

As a final act, we hung up a portrait of Sir Pentious in the brand new parlour. Lucifer had done his best to create a stunning painting portraying our friend as gloriously as he would have liked. I had to blink tears from my eyes. Oh, how I missed him.

“Everyone!” Vaggie stood to attention in front of the portrait and saluted. So did I, and everyone around me. Charlie, Angel, Husk, Niffty, Cherri and Lucifer. For a minute, we were all silent, tributing his sacrifice. Charlie sniffed.

“Come here.” Vaggie lowered her hand and opened her arms for her girlfriend.

Charlie gave a wobbly smile. “Group hug?”

How could we say no? Some were more enthusiastic, such as Lucifer, others, like Husk, more hesitant, but we all obliged.

I missed the shadows pooling. And suddenly, in our midst, stood Alastor, looking unscathed and wearing a bright smile.

Charlie squeaked in excitement. Angel shouted with joy. Niffty giggled and jumped up and down. Husk growled and Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Not this guy!”

I gaped at him.

Charlie threw her arms around Alastor, Angel patted him on the back and even Vaggie gave him a short hug. Niffty was hanging onto his legs.

And I just flung myself past Charlie, wrapping my arms around Alastor’s shoulders, burying my face against his chest.

He flinched. “Now, now.” He patted me on the back, then pushed me away from his chest.

“Al! Oh em gee , I’m so glad you’re okay!” Charlie squealed, also letting go of him and jumping up and down like Niffty.

The familiar sound of canned laughter filled the new parlour. “Of course, sweetheart! I wouldn’t leave you without your steadfast hotelier.”

The wave of relief was followed by anger. “Where were you? It’s been days! I was worried sick!”

I looked him up and down. He looked perfectly fine. The entire rest of us still had bandages in some places, where angelic steel had cut us. Vaggie’s one hand was still unusable and my arm and shoulder burned whenever I moved them.

Again, he laughed, accompanied by a laugh track. “Don’t be silly. I simply needed some time to improve this.” He waved his hand and his microphone appeared. It looked slightly different with a new coat of red paint.

Alastor looked around, his eyes narrowing. “I appreciate what you’ve done with the place, but you could have refrained from the tacky circus decor.”

A quick look at Lucifer revealed his scowl. Ah, yes. Nothing better than having two insanely powerful roommates who hated each other.

Charlie seemed completely oblivious. “How about we celebrate your return? Dad has been making amazing pancakes for us the past few days! Then we’re all ready for the reopening of the hotel tomorrow.”

For the first time, Alastor acknowledged Lucifer’s presence. His eyes narrowed but he didn’t skip a beat. “Of course, Charlie, dear. But how about I make us some roast with croquettes, that is more fitting for a celebration, don’t you think?”

I rolled my eyes. Unbelievable, how I could go from distraught to over the moon happy to mad to annoyed this quickly.

Chapter Text

I was exhausted. The new hotel had opened its doors to the public not two hours ago and since then I’d been running around the shiny new parlour, greeting guests, answering questions and handing out keys. Far more people had come than I had expected. Sure, the extermination, especially Niffty killing Adam, had been broadcasted by Voxtech drones all across Hell and created quite the buzz, but while I had expected more reporters and curious onlookers, I hadn’t thought it would change sinners' opinions on redemption.

In any case, I was happy for Charlie. The princess was running around with a smile that rivalled Alastor’s in size, buzzing from excitement. Vaggie didn’t look quite as happy. She’d already had to break up three smaller brawls, which wasn’t surprising considering the mass of sinners. Husk was trying his best to serve all the customers at the bar, Angel lending him four hands, and every once in a while I could hear the loud crash of broken glass.

I looked up to the gallery. Alastor was leaning on the balustrade, watching the chaos with a wide grin. Of course. His cast of entertainment had just grown exponentially. When he caught my gaze, he gave me a wink. I rolled my eyes.

“So, where’s the catch?”

I turned towards the sinner that had addressed me. Of course. He was wearing a blue headset with the unmistakable red logo of a radio wave on it. While Lucifer had put up a protection around the place to forbid Overlords from entering (begrudgingly making an exception for Alastor), nothing was stopping their employees from getting in. And their questions were the most obnoxious.

I put on a smile. “There is no catch. The only thing standing between you and redemption - is yourself. Here, we will help you work on yourself, to get past that.”

“And it’s for free? No rent, free food, no hidden fees?”

I sighed. “Yep, exactly. Only condition is that you participate in Charlie’s exercises. Like she mentioned in her speech earlier.”

“But -”

I caught a glimpse of Charlie over his shoulder, waving both arms to get my attention. Relieved, I excused myself and hurried over. 

“Ah, Willow!” Charlie beamed when I approached. “Could you do me a favour? Get Alastor to put on some music, yes? And can you find Dad and ask him to create a dance floor for us?”

Lucifer had disappeared wordlessly the second the number of people in the hotel had passed twenty.

I nodded. “Sure! But be prepared to listen to nothing but Jazz all evening.”

I fought my way towards the staircase. It was cordoned off with red rope and Cherri blocked the way to everyone who wasn’t an official resident.

She was currently berating a woman with feathers for hair. “If you wanna see the upstairs, sign up for Charlie’s program, mate! It’s not that hard to understand, dimwit!”

When she saw me, she smiled and rolled her eye. “Nightmare, innit?”

I grinned. I was glad she had moved in. “Yeah. Let me up?”

Cherri opened the rope for me and I ascended the stairs. Due to Cherri’s hard eye, the gallery wasn’t nearly as full as the downstairs parlour and lounge. Alastor watched me approach.

“And?” I asked. “Having fun?”

“Oh, absolutely.” There was another loud crash downstairs, followed by a shout from Husk. “This is the most entertaining chaos since the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.”

I briefly wondered whether Alastor had fought in World War I. He’d said before he’d done military service after school, which could have been around that time. But this wasn’t the right moment to ask. Instead I said: “Charlie would like to increase the chaos even more. Could you put on some music? And have you seen Lucifer? He’s supposed to magic a dance floor.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Lucifer, but his smile widened. “Oh, I will gladly underscore this circus with some fitting tunes.”

He snapped his fingers and from everywhere around us jazz music started playing, overlaid by a faint blanket of static as though we were inside a giant radio. Then he waved his hand and a surge of shadows rose in the far off area of the parlour, quickly shoving away sinners so they were stumbling and falling over one another, until a round area of about twenty steps in diameter was cleared. Another snap surrounded the circle with red rope, leaving entrances every few meters. Charlie looked up to us and raised her thumbs in approval, before pulling a slightly appalled looking Vaggie onto the shiny new dance floor. I wasn’t surprised to see that they were going with the more modern version of club dancing instead of any actual swing dancing.

“Shall we join them?” I asked Alastor.

He hesitated for a split second. “Of course!” He offered me his arm and I followed him down the stairs. A sinner holding a brand new hotel room key walked past us, looking at us with a mix of fear and fascination. Oh.

I pulled Alastor down so I could speak quietly. “I just realised that everyone checking in tonight can be considered an official resident. Not sure if it’s smart to let them all in on our deal.”

“Hm, agreed. Let’s treat them as outsiders for now, shall we? Did you tell Angel’s friend or our short, notably absent Highness about it?”

“Not yet. Maybe Angel told Cherri or Charlie Lucifer, I don’t know. But I trust them enough, they can know.” My gaze fell onto Mimzy who was lazing about on one of the few couches scattered across the room. “Her, on the other hand, I don’t trust,” I added.

Alastor followed my gaze and his smile widened. “Mimzy!” He strode towards her, pulling me along before I could complain. “What a pleasant surprise!”

When she saw Alastor, she jumped up and pulled him into a tight hug. I frowned. Last time I’d seen the two together, Mimzy had angrily stormed off after Alastor had told her to leave the hotel. But apparently, both had completely forgotten about that interaction.

“How’ve you been?” Mimzy asked him, then her gaze fell onto me. “She's still your, uh… girlfriend?”

“Why the surprise?” Alastor elegantly took a seat on the couch opposite to Mimzy, its former occupants having taken flight the second he’d neared.

I had the sudden strangely jealous urge to sit on his lap to block their communication. I didn’t like Mimzy and I didn’t like that Alastor seemed to have forgiven her for the damage she’d brought to the hotel. But this was still an absurd reaction. I took a seat next to him and contented myself with glaring at her.

And of course she offered him a cigarette. She didn’t bother to offer me one. Not that I’d taken it, but it still felt rude.

“So,” Mimzy started with a grin. “You battled the first man and failed. How’s that?”

I could feel Alastor tense where my leg touched his, but of course his smile didn’t falter.

“Came here to insult me, did you?” he asked.

She giggled. “Ah, you know me, Alastor, a lady can’t resist the temptation. It didn’t hurt ya’ ego, did it?”

Oh, it definitely did. Ever since he’d returned, Angel, Cherri and even Vaggie had taken great joy in reminding Alastor of his defeat at the hands of Adam, and though he always tried to laugh it off and turn the conversation around, I could see the rage and contempt in his eyes.

This time was no different. He took a long drag of his cigarette, blowing the smoke away from me. But while I usually thought it good for his character to be taken down a peg or two, I now felt the urge to defend Alastor.

But before I could do so, Mimzy had already moved on. “I’m just teasin’. Anyway, guess who I met the other day.”

I leaned back and watched in silence as the two conversed. Mimzy didn’t bother to address me a single time and they talked about people I didn’t know from times I hadn’t even been born yet. I wondered whether this was better or worse than being caught between the hordes of sinners and Vox’s employees questioning me.

Alastor leaned back, switched his cigarette to his other hand and rested the now free arm on the backrest behind me. Nah, sitting here was fine.

“Well then.” Mimzy dumped the butt of her cigarette in the ashtray and jumped up. “You’ve got to dance with me, Alastor, show me you still got it!”
He chuckled, but I could feel him tense once more. “I’m afraid the first dance of the evening belongs to my lovely plus one. But I’m sure she will excuse me afterwards, right?” He looked at me.

Well, at least he kind of asked! After being successfully ignored by Mimzy, it was surprisingly validating. “Of course, darling!”

Relieved, I jumped up and pulled Alastor with me before Mimzy got a chance to get another annoying word in.

The dance floor had filled up a lot by now, but as I had expected, most sinners were partaking in the more or less elegant form of club dancing. I saw Angel and Husk on the other side of the dance floor and Husk laughed as Angel spun him around.

Of course, Alastor didn’t let the sway of modern dancers affect him and started us off with some Charleston. Oh, how I had missed this! The music, the rhythm, the movement, the feel of my dress and hair floating around me, Alastor guiding me across the floor… Immediately, my mood improved drastically.

“I get the feeling that you don’t particularly like the gal,” Alastor said conversationally.

“Mimzy?” I asked in surprise. “Yeah… I can’t even say that it’s because she put my friends in danger. This is Hell and basically everyone in this hotel, including those I call friends, have been mean to another resident at some point. But… there is something about her…” I couldn’t really pinpoint it myself.

“Are you fine with me taking her up on that dance?”

I blinked. He had no reason to ask this. He knew I wasn’t going to end our deal over something small like that. I squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Al, I really appreciate it. But it’s fine, go and have fun, just maybe don’t take her back to me afterwards.”

His smile softened, then he took us for a final spin and returned me to our couch to pick up Mimzy. I watched the two of them as they danced and I was impressed by how they somehow managed to make it work despite the colossal height difference.

Charlie appeared from the crowd. She looked exhausted, a number of curls had escaped from her ponytail, but her smile was euphoric. “Ninety-seven new guests! Can you believe that?”

Oh no. “That’s a lot! Um… are we equipped to handle that?”

Charlie waved me off. “Ah, I’m sure it will be fine!”

Of course it wasn’t fine. When I came downstairs the next morning for our daily exercises, I was immediately overwhelmed. The parlour was packed. There were sinners lounging on the couches, crouching on the floor, sitting on tables, one was even hanging from the chandelier. The room was a mess, and so was poor Niffty. Her eye was red and she looked like she hadn’t slept at all. Even now, she was trying her best to clean up, feverishly sweeping up broken glass, but right as she did, a woman hanging over a couch armrest spit her chewing gum right onto the floor. Niffty made a noise like a hissing mantis.

“Ey!” Cherri punched the responsible sinner so she fell backwards off the couch. “You’re a guest ‘ere, mate, leave it!”

Despite the crazy situation, I had to smile. Cherri had only scoffed at Charlie thus far and reiterated countless times that she was just here for Angel, but I had suspected she’d started to care and it was nice to see some proof.

Angel was currently trying to keep a sinner from ramming his horns into another person. Husk was nowhere to be seen.

“Okay everyone!” Charlie shouted over the general noise. She stood atop her trust fall podium and was visibly upset. “Calm down, please! We’re… calm down, okay? We’re… we’re starting with a little - quiet, please! - with an introduction! Uh…”

Nobody listened.

“Attention!” Vaggie shouted. “Everyone who isn’t quiet in ten seconds will leave this room immediately! And those who don’t leave by themselves will be made to.” The end of her spear clacked to the ground menacingly.

The sinners calmed down a little and directed their attention towards the stage.

“Thank you,” Charlie said, her smile a little strained. “Um… welcome! I am so excited that so many of you have decided to come here! I hope your first night here was good.”

I saw some sinners yawn.

“So, introductions!” Charlie continued. “If everyone could come onto the stage one at a time and introduce themself with their name and one fun fact about them, please? I’ll start! I’m Charlie, and I love to sing. Angel?”

We didn’t even get through the hotel staff and all previous guests before the first brawls started up again at the back of the room. Then, the first new guests came onto the stage and such charming fun facts as one sinner being able to drink beer through his nose came to light. One guy simply explained to us in great detail the gruesome way hyenas gave birth. I fought down my growing aversion. This wasn’t new and nothing was as gruesome as what Alastor had shared back on my first day. I just had to get to know these new guests, get used to them. They would change, like Angel and Pentious had.

But after two dozen introductions, even Vaggie’s gleaming spear wouldn’t keep the sinners quiet and Charlie looked like she was about to cry.

Vaggie sighed. “Willow, could you get Alastor, please? We need help.”

I nodded and scooted off. I was glad to close the door behind me. It was obvious that this wasn’t working and I doubted Alastor could do anything about it.

I didn’t know where he currently was, so I tried his room first. Nobody answered my knock and I was about to turn around again, when the door swung open. I entered, and to my surprise I saw Alastor lying on his bed, propped up on his elbows to see who was knocking.

“Did I wake you up?” I asked.

He shook his head vehemently. “Oh no, I was simply relaxing. What are you here for? Avoiding the chaos?”

“Honestly, I’m surprised you are avoiding the chaos. Isn’t this precisely the entertainment you’re here for?”

For some reason, this seemed to hit a nerve. His eyes narrowed. “I’m not avoiding it, I simply wasn’t in the mood.”

Very believable. Was something going on that I was missing? Unfortunately, I had more important problems right now. “Charlie needs you downstairs. The chaos is getting out of control and she needs her manager.”

There was a crackling of static I couldn’t identify, but Alastor’s smile was bright. “Of course! Let me clean up the mess our little princess has gotten herself into.”

He got up, conjured his microphone and I followed him out the room and down the stairs.

The apocalypse was still ongoing. Alastor took it all in with one look, then grew to ten times his usual size, snatched the loudest sinner from across the room and popped them into his mouth.

Silence fell, as everyone’s attention turned to the Radio Demon. Alastor shrank back to his usual size and gave Charlie a wave, then moved to sit down in his favourite armchair. Charlie looked horrified and opened her mouth to say something, but Vaggie put a hand on her arm and shook her head.

The rest of the exercise went by without any major incidents. Sure, most sinners didn’t take anything Charlie did seriously, but that was nothing new.

When we were finally dismissed, I wanted to join Husk at the bar for a quiet shared drink, but three other sinners had had the same idea and thus nothing about it was quiet. I finished my drink quickly and briefly considered watching some TV in the lounge, but of course it was also occupied. I noticed that the brand new flatscreen TV had been replaced by the same old box we used to have. I rolled my eyes at Alastor.

I gave up and retreated to my room, but not long after, Cherri knocked at my door. “Willow! Wanna come up to Lucifer’s with us? Husk’s gonna deal us some cards, Charlie allowed it under the condition that the only stakes are lollies.” She rolled her eyes.

I blinked. Lucifer’s? We were going to play cards with the Devil in his suite? I hadn’t really had time to talk to him much. He spent most of his time in his rooms, but he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy, surprisingly. Plus, he’d healed me from being double-dead.

Curious, I followed Cherri up the stairs and to the penthouse floor. Without knocking, Cherri opened the apple-shaped double-doors. With some apprehension, I stepped through them into a vast living room. I looked around. Red velvety couches were scattered across the room around low glass tables. They looked old and worn. Old-fashioned cabinets lined the walls and a giant golden chandelier hung from the ceiling. Everything looked centuries older than the brand new hotel. Had he phased his apartment into the hotel, like Alastor had done with the bar? The King’s quarters looked surprisingly cosy, yet there was something a little off about the room, as though stuff had been very recently shuffled around.

My gaze landed on Lucifer. The King had his back to us and was carefully rummaging through a cabinet. Despite his efforts, a rubber duck wearing a laurel wreath fell out and squeaked as it landed on his shoe.

“Oh, hehe.” Lucifer picked it up and stuffed the very yellow Ceasar back into the cabinet, then walked over to the table with a bottle of apple liquor and some glasses. “Uh, sit down, Cheryl, Olive.”

“Um, it’s Willow.” I tentatively took a seat. The couch jodeled. Frowning, I picked up the pillow to unearth another rubber duck. It wore a cute little hat and had one wing extended to its beak, as if it were shouting something.

“Sorry,” Lucifer said with an embarrassed smile. “I, uh, don’t really get visitors.”

I carefully placed the duck on the table. I felt strangely observed by the yellow creature, so I turned it around. Now it was looking at the King. Lucifer cleared his throat. I had rarely seen someone look that uncomfortable.

He was saved by Charlie and Vaggie arriving with snacks and not a minute later Angel and Husk stalked in. I was happy to see the crew reunited, only the absence of Pentious became so much more apparent. I pushed the thought away, focussing on the other missing member instead. “Where’s Niffty?”

“Alastor said he put her to bed,” Charlie explained. “Apparently she’s exhausted, the poor girl.”

No wonder after how the day had gone thus far. “And Al himself?” I asked. Immediately, Lucifer’s eyes narrowed.

Vaggie grinned. “Said he’d love to beat us all, but he’s got better things to do.”

I rolled my eyes.

Husk dealt out our cards and we got to playing. I had never played Poker before and I soon had to find out that I was not at all good at it. Angel was wiping the floor with us, and I could see Husk’s impressed glances. Even more surprising to me was how bad Lucifer was at the game, even worse than me. The only one undermatching him was his daughter. Their kinship was becoming increasingly apparent.

The more we played, the more relaxed everyone got, until Angel was having a shouting match with the King of Hell, who was accusing him and Cherri of cheating - I was pretty sure he was correct in his assumption - while Angel’s friend was hanging over the armrest laughing.

“Okay, enough!” Vaggie got up. “Time to get dinner and see if the new guests left any part of the Hotel intact.” She held out a hand to Charlie. “Come on, sweetie.”

As everyone was leaving, I seized my chance. The last couple of days I had been preoccupied with rebuilding efforts and filled with worry for Alastor. Now that everything was fine again, at least for Hell standards, I remembered that there was something important I had wanted to ask the King of Hell, back when he first visited.

So I waited for the others to leave, before approaching Lucifer again. He was stacking the bowls and glasses on the table to a dangerous looking tower which he tried to balance in his arms.

“Um, Sir?” I bit my lip nervously. “You are in contact with a lot of, how to say, demon royalty, am I right?”

He blinked and shifted the tower to properly look at me. “Well… if I have to, yes.”

I nodded. “Okay. Uh, this might be a strange question, but… do you know anyone who might have wanted me dead? On earth, I mean?”

He furrowed his brow. “You? You’re a sinner, right? A normal dead human?”

“Yes.” Wait. Was I maybe not-? No. Of course I was human, what the Hell else should I have been? I had parents and siblings to whom my kinship was non negotiable.

“Huh.” He shrugged. “Hellborn demons don’t usually have vendettas against humans. Why should they? They live in a different realm.”

I hugged myself. “I know. But someone ordered my murder and according to my assassin, it was demon royalty.”

His eyes widened. “You talked to the person who killed you? My, I keep forgetting how awful this place is!” He shuddered. “Well, did you do anything while alive? I don’t know, did you deal with, like, satanic objects, were part of a cult, involved in religion in any way?”

I shook my head. “I was just a regular person, going to work, doing my job… went to church for important holidays, but not much else. You probably won’t believe me, but I wasn’t even a bad person. At least I don’t think so. I still have no idea why I ended up in Hell.”

He gave me a toothy grin. “You do seem refreshingly decent. Sorry, Hazel, I can’t think of anyone who’d want to assassinate a regular old human.”

My shoulders sagged. “Okay. Well, thank you anyway.”

I went back to my room and climbed into my fishbowl. I was frustrated. If even the Devil himself had no idea who had me killed and why, who else could I ask? Did I just have to live with not knowing forever?

Well, forever was a very long time. I had decades to figure this all out.

By the end of the week, half of the guests had already left. I knew I should have felt bad for Charlie, but honestly, I was relieved. We were severely underprepared for this. Yes, one day this hotel should be full of people, but before that we needed more staff, a couple of therapists and at least some proof that redemption was actually possible. For now, I was glad to have some peace and quiet back.

I used the free time to finally ask Alastor for a dance lesson. Except for our brief dance at the hotel’s reopening, we hadn’t been dancing since… well, actually since that night out after Lucifer’s appearance, where Alastor had got drunk. And we hadn’t really talked in nearly as long. This week, I had only seen him briefly when I handed in my work, since Alastor had resumed his broadcasts, and when he came by to follow my request of replacing my fishbowl and gramophone which hadn’t survived the extermination.

But when I finally found him, sprawled out behind his desk in his tower, he sent me away, claiming to be busy. And the same happened the following Tuesday after work, Friday when we cooked dinner together and Sunday morning, when Charlie declared that she would skip the exercises today to give us some time off.

But in the evening, as I was getting comfortable in my room, picking out a book I hadn’t read yet, there was a knock at my door and Alastor entered.

I smiled. “Hey! Finally managed to stop by? Guests keeping you that busy?”

He chuckled and closed the door behind him. “Charlie’s little project is becoming quite a handful. It’s been entertaining, but I must admit I prefer to watch the more… intimate chaos of a smaller cast.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I miss the freetime. I miss you! Ready for a dance?”

He shook his head. “Oh, I won’t make you get up again. But you don’t need your hands to read, do you?”

“You want a massage?”

He grinned.

I rolled my eyes with a smile, then put a pillow on my crossed legs and patted it. “Come and lie down.”

He leaned his microphone against my gramophone and took off his coat. I furrowed my brow. “Say, Al… did you change the design of your mic?”

He grinned. “Indeed, some small changes.”

He held it out to me to take a closer look. I was taken aback. Since when was he so casual about his cane? Didn’t he store a huge sum of his power in it? I looked at him in surprise and for a moment I thought I saw the same surprise in his eyes.

I took the cane. It was surprisingly heavy, the metal smooth, still warm from Alastor’s touch, but getting cooler by the second. It was still a simple design, but the base of the microphone was a bit bigger than before and the shape of the casing looked a bit more pointed.

Before I could say anything, Alastor had already snatched the cane from my grasp again and instead of leaning it back against my furniture, he dematerialised it. He looked towards the door and I could hear his hesitation in the static surrounding us. Was he thinking about leaving again? Why?

But then he dissolved into shadows and reappeared on my bed, lying on his back, his head on the pillow on my lap. He closed his eyes as I buried my hand in his hair.

For a while, I just listened to the content static and watched his ears twitch as I tickled them. Should I ask him about that hesitation? We also hadn’t talked about what had happened that day he came in to celebrate something. But no. Not now, when we finally had some time to relax after everything that had happened. I released a long breath, then picked up my novel with my free hand to read.

There was a knock at the door. I furrowed my brow. “Yes?”

The door opened and I blinked in surprise. I had expected Charlie or anyone of the old crew, but in the doorframe stood one of the remaining new guests: Baxter. He was short, not much taller than Niffty, his skin a dark blue with lighter fins on his head. A little yellow light shone from a drop at the end of an antenna sprouting from his forehead. I had noticed him early on in the crowd because he was a sea creature like me, but I had quickly learned that his most outstanding attribute was his obnoxiousness. Right now, he was brandishing a clipboard and an elegant fountain pen.

My fingers stilled in Alastor’s hair. He didn’t open his eyes.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked.

Baxter pushed up his round glasses. “I am here to disprove the hypothesis that redemption is possible and for this cause I need to ask you a few questions.” He unscrewed the cap of the pen. “You are Willow, correct?”

I was already annoyed. “Yeah.”

“Do I understand correctly that this is your earthly name you kept?”

“Yeah, I didn’t really see a reason not to. What are you doing? Is this an interview? Can’t you do this at a normal time of day? And maybe not in my private room?”

Baxter noted something down. “It won’t take long. You’ve been a resident at this hotel since…?”

I stared at him in disbelief. Alastor poked my leg. He didn’t seem in the least bit concerned or annoyed by the intruder. I continued my head massage. “Fine. You have five minutes. I’ve been here for seven months now.”

“Aha. And you came here to redeem yourself?”

“Yes. I came for redemption and stayed because I grew to like the people here.”

“I see. You say you like the people here. You are in a romantic and sexual relationship with the Radio Demon?”

I raised my brows. “You know that’s him, right?” I pointed at Alastor’s head in my lap. “You are aware he can hear you?”

“I am currently questioning you, Miss. So, are you?”

“I don’t see how that helps you with your hypothesis.”

“You don’t have to see that, I am the genius here, not you. Answer my question, woman!”

I sighed in annoyance. “Yes, he is my boyfriend.”

He noted another thing down. “Mhm. How often do you have sex?”

“Oh my god!” I dug my nails into Al’s scalp. “Seriously? Why is that always the first - like, really, how is that going to help your hypothesis?”

Baxter seemed unfazed by my outbreak. “Your relationships could have an influence on your chance of redemption. When you have sex with an Overlord, that might lessen your chances.”

Yeah, real genius. I was very much aware, how my choice to spend time with Al could prevent me from getting into Heaven. But this was ridiculous.

“Oh yeah?” I said. “Do you have a formula for that? Each time I have sex with him it counts as a negative twenty to my chances at getting redeemed? And if it were you it’d just be a negative five? Can I then balance that out by having sex with a really good person, like Charlie? Or would that give me a minus for cheating?”

Alastor chuckled. He still hadn’t opened his eyes.

Baxter opened his mouth for an answer, but I didn’t give him time. “Get out.”

He ignored me. “What is your worst and best trait and how would you rank yourself amongst your fellow guests?”

I sighed. “One day, I will tell someone to get out and they will actually do it. That day I will be very, very happy.”

Alastor finally opened his eyes. He sat up and the next second, my room was filled with darkness only illuminated by the familiar eerie green and red glow. And as Alastor spoke, his voice was dangerous. “You’ve overstayed your welcome, fish.”

For the first time, Baxter looked actually affected. He hunched his shoulders, pressing his clipboard to his chest. “Okay, fine, I’ll finish my interview another time.” And he hurried off.

Alastor lay back down with a cackle. “I hope that put him off knocking on my door.”

Baxter started his next attempt right the following day, but this time, Angel was the victim. The two of us, Husk and Cherri were playing Poker again, this time in the lounge as the flood of guests had somewhat ebbed off. Vaggie and Charlie were out on a romantic date and Lucifer…

“I asked him.” Cherri shrugged. “When he finally opened the door, he said he’d be there in five.”

“That was half an hour ago, by the way.” Angel supplied.

“Answer the question, Mr. Dust!” Baxter clicked his fountain pen on his clipboard impatiently. “I assume this is not your earthly name. What is it and why did you change it?”

“Should I go and knock again?” I asked.

Angel shrugged. “If ya willing to run up there again, feel free.”

Baxter shoved his tiny self between me and Angel. “Are you currently in any romantic and or sexual relationships?”

Angel snorted. “Uh, you do know what my job is, right?”

“Yes, we will come to that. The question was directed towards personal relationships.”

“Um…” Angel looked taken aback. “I mean…” He gave Husk a side glance. “Nah, Val would freak.”

“Are you a bad boy?” Niffty, who had joined our little group despite her hands being too small to even hold the cards, was staring at Baxter, eye wide.

He frowned, leaving Angel alone for a moment. “What?”

I used this chance to escape the conversation and go look for Lucifer.

Halfway up the stairs, I started to regret it. Why didn’t we have an elevator in this building? I should ask Lucifer to add one. No, I should ask Al, he’d be livid otherwise.

It took three knocks before the door was opened. However, Lucifer looked like he was ready to go out, he even wore his large hat.

“Are you coming to the game or not?” I was confused. “If not, that’s perfectly fine, just Cherri said you had wanted to.”

“No, no, I’m coming! I just… lemme just…” He hesitated.

Was he nervous? The King of Hell, nervous to come down for a card game? He hadn’t seemed nervous while we played last time, not after the beginning where I’d sat on the yodelling duck. No, this wasn’t nervousness. Anxiety? Poor guy.

I gave him a warm smile. “I’d really like you to join us. It will be fun, just us, Cherri, Husk, Angel and the little Niffty.”

“Um… yeah, sure, lead the way.”

And so it happened that the Devil was following me down the stairs. I slowed down when we reached the lounge to give him a second to take in the room. Baxter had joined the table, his clipboard exchanged for playing cards and a somewhat grumpy expression on his face. The latter might have come because of Niffty staring intensely at him. I grinned.

And thus began a new routine. Every day after the exercises, Husk dealt us some cards in the lounge. The group of players was changing every day, only Lucifer promised to show up every time. In the beginning, I had to pick him up from his apartment a number of times, but one day I met him on my way up the stairs and from then on, he arrived on his own. Those games were the only times I saw Lucifer, unless Charlie dragged him out for a joint dinner.

We had just finished a round with Cherri and Niffty - who was so unpredictable she sometimes won by sheer confusion - when Alastor entered the lounge. I leaned over. “Al! Do you want to join in?”

“Oh, Hell no,” muttered Lucifer.

“I’m out,” grumbled Husk.

I ignored them.

Alastor came over, smiling at me. “Oh, I’d love to beat you all, but not tonight.”

I nodded, disappointed. “Shall I come by later?”

He waved his hand. “You keep playing your games.”

I watched him saunter up the stairs, a hollow feeling in my stomach. Was he avoiding me? He seemed the same when I was at work, but he rarely came by and we hadn’t been out since the extermination. Was this still about whatever had happened that night he came to celebrate? Things hadn’t been quite the same since, even before the extermination. Or was I just imagining things?

“Urgh,” Lucifer said once Alastor was out of sight. “Pretentious asshole.”

I said nothing.

“Why do you like him so much?” the King asked.

“Because they’re together!” Niffty readily supplied. “Hehe, I love them as a couple.”

I rolled my eyes. Thanks, Niff. Had she not understood our deal or did she simply choose to ship us?

“Really?” Lucifer looked disgusted. “I thought I’d misinterpreted when I first came to visit. Or, you know, you’d broken up since.”

“Oh, yeah!” Cherri looked at me. “You told me you had a boyfriend in the weirdest way possible. That’s him?”

I hesitated. I didn’t have to lie, but Alastor hadn’t wanted the Devil to know. I put on my acting smile. “Yep!”

“But, like…” Lucifer seemed to be searching for arguments. “But the power imbalance!”

This came so unexpected I barked out a laugh. “Power imbalance? Really?”

Husk snorted.

To my great amusement, Lucifer didn’t catch the sarcasm. “I mean, isn’t he, like, a hundred years older than you?”

That was his main concern? “Ah, I don’t think age is a problem here,” I said, still grinning widely. “We are both consenting adults after all. Sure, he may have more life - and afterlife - experience than me, but he is just a powerful Overlord owning tens of thousands of souls while I arrived in Hell less than a year ago.”

Lucifer’s eyes were wide open and so was his mouth. He’d dropped some cards on the table, open for everyone to see.

I couldn’t help but carry on in the same casual tone. “Also, I have a stable job working as his assistant and I can live rent free in this hotel that he manages and has near total control over. So I really don’t see how there could be any power imbalance in this relationship.”

By this point, even Husk was chuckling, though I knew how much he hated my friendship with Al. Lucifer, however, looked mortified.

I forced myself to calm down. “Don’t worry. I am very much aware of all that. You can’t question my sanity any more than I do myself.”

Chapter Text

I climbed the beams to Alastor’s radio tower to hand in today’s work. He had slapped his new tower to the side of the hotel, where it stuck out like a sore thumb. Unsurprisingly, Lucifer hadn’t been happy about it. At first I had thought it was simply because it ruined his intricate symmetrical hotel design, but the first time I had made my way up, I’d noticed Alastor had placed his tower right in front of Lucifer’s living room window, so it was neatly in the way of his view.

Of course Alastor hadn’t added a ladder or anything and climbing up the now even higher beams was terrifying, especially after my recent fall. I did have a nice view of Lucifer in his living room though, playing with rubber ducks. It was confusing yet strangely adorable.

I made it safely to the new trapdoor and pulled myself up onto the floor. I groaned. Why didn’t this ever get any easier?

“Now, that’s a surprise.”

Startled, I got to my feet. Alastor was sitting at his new desk, which looked exactly like the old one, his feet kicked up, a cup of coffee in his hands.

I furrowed my brow. “I can only return that sentiment. I was just gonna drop off these.” I waved with today’s research. It had revealed, among other things, that today the Overlords of Pentagram City would come together for an important post-extermination meeting. “I thought you were at Carmilla’s.”

“Ah.” He waved his hand. “I didn’t feel like it was worth my time.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Not worth your time? It’s an Overlord meeting! After the exterminations! The entirety of Hell saw you getting your ass kicked by Adam, don’t you think showing up would be kinda important?”

He shrugged, but I was watching him closely now. He wasn’t unbothered. Of course not. He knew I was right, he agreed. But for some reason he still wasn’t going. Why? Was he ashamed of losing to Adam? Was he afraid to face the Overlords, to face the Vees? It didn’t add up. He wasn’t afraid of anything !

He rolled his eyes. “I can see your pretty mind working.” Suddenly, his smile widened. “I have an idea. Why don’t you go in my stead?”

I blinked. “I’m sorry, what ?”

He set his feet onto the ground and leaned towards me. “You heard me. You must admit, it’s a great move. I don’t have to go, I get my point across, and I still find out everything they are discussing. It’s brilliant!”

I still couldn’t believe it. “But… me ? They’ll squash me like a bug!”

He waved me off. “They won’t. And if they do try to hurt you, I’d feel it and hold up my end of our silly little deal.”

Right. I sighed. I could say no. After all, why should I care if the Radio Demon lost his influence among the Overlords? Well, I did actually have a legitimate reason to care. He was, for better or for worse, the guardian of this hotel. It was in our interest that he kept his position of power. And honestly, when would I ever have a chance like this again? Being on the same level as an Overlord? That would be epic!

I sighed. “I guess you won’t tell me the real reason you won’t go yourself?”

He grinned, but there was no humour in it. “Of course not.”

I nodded. “Didn’t think so.” I crossed my arms. “Fine. Assuming I go. Why would they let me in? Even if some of them have heard of your ‘girlfriend’ before, that’s no reason to allow me into their meeting.”

He hesitated, then his gaze darted over to his microphone, propped up against the desk. I sucked in a breath.

He chuckled. “Ah, your quick mind again. I don’t think I have to threaten you, right?”

I shook my head, my eyes fixed on the microphone.

“Of course not.” He straightened and reached for it. For a moment, his claws tightened around the cane, then he held it out to me, his smile wide, but edged.

Carefully, I extended a hand and took it. The metal was cool under my fingers and again I was surprised by its weight.

He let go and leaned back, his eyes watchful, but his tone was chipper. “Well then! Off you go, or you’ll be late!”

As I turned around, I could still feel his gaze in the static charged air.

I was running late. I rushed through Pentagram City’s streets driving my car above any reasonable limit (that obviously didn’t exist anyway) while trying to absorb Alastor’s instructions he was giving me over the car’s radio. By some miracle, when I pulled up at Carmine Enterprises HQ, I was still on time. Heart beating against my ribs, I turned off the car’s radio. Now I was on my own.

I took the microphone from the passenger’s seat. It didn’t look special. Just a metal cane with a mic on top. But knowing its power, it certainly felt special to hold it. I didn’t know how to carry this thing. With Alastor, it always looked so natural, but every position I could think of seemed incredibly awkward. In the end, I carried it in front of me like a sceptre, secured in both hands, feeling like a waitress carrying an oversized sparkler-studded birthday cake.

I buried my growing panic and walked up to one of the elevators outside the building. I gave the camera above it a smile and an Alastor-like wave. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the elevator doors opened. I took a deep breath and entered. 

I was up within seconds and exited, right as the elevator opposite to mine opened and a truly giant dinosaur-like sinner squeezed out. I knew her from TV. I gave her a friendly nod, though I’d much rather have retreated back into the elevator. It was hard to read her expression as her face wasn’t quite human, but I took her to be perplexed, as her gaze flickered from my face to the microphone in my hands and back. She didn’t seem to recognise me, so maybe my ‘relationship’ with Alastor wasn’t quite as known as I’d thought.

Manifesting as much confidence as I could, I oriented myself according to Alastor’s descriptions and marched into the meeting room.

Half the seats around the table were already occupied. As instructed by Alastor, I paid only one of the Overlords special attention: Zestial, a spider demon. I had heard about him on TV a couple of times, the oldest and arguably most powerful Overlord of Pentagram City, perhaps of all of Hell. I could feel it. He had an aura of power, something ancient and dark that filled the entire room and made me want to curl up into a tiny ball and cower in fear. But I couldn’t. Instead, I looked him square in his four glowing green eyes, smiled and bowed. “Good afternoon, Zestial. Alastor sends his regards.”

An icy shiver went down my spine, as the pupil-less eyes took me in.

“Is that so?” His voice was like an ancient whisper.

I didn’t answer, just desperately tried to keep up my smile, my hands tight around the cane as though it was my lifeline, as I looked for the other face I was supposed to find. Rosie.

I was very curious to meet her. She was Alastor’s friend - at least he seemed to be very fond of her when he talked about her - and she had been the one volunteering her souls for Charlie’s cause to defend the hotel, as she was the ruler of Cannibal Town. Because of this, I already had a deceptively high opinion of her, even though I’d never met her - and despite her being an Overlord.

There she was, sitting at the other end of the table, already eyeing me - and the cane in my hands - with curiosity. She looked friendly, a bit like my great aunt in her old-timey dress and quaint hat. Only her eyes were, like all cannibals’, black voids. Still, it was much easier smiling at her than Zestial.

“Rosie,” I said, curtsying. “Do you mind?” I pointed at the seat next to her.

She nodded with raised brows. I took a seat. “Hi. I’m Willow. I’m here to represent Alastor, as he has more important matters to attend to. He sends his regards and wishes you well.”

“Oh, really?” Rosie looked me up and down. It was immediately apparent that she didn’t believe a word of what I was saying. But that was fine, as long as she believed that it was Al who’d sent me. She was on our side, he’d said. We needed her.

I nodded. “He’d like to come by for dinner some time, if you may.”

Now she smiled. “Of course. He’s always welcome.”

Oh, she was really likable. On a whim, I added: “Charlie also sends her regards. Your help with the extermination was invaluable.”

She put a delicate hand to her chest. “Oh, that warms my heart! Please tell her she is also invited for dinner if she likes. I’ll prepare Mr. Henderson for her, he makes a delicious steak.”

If she’d intended to make me squirm, she would have to try again. At this point, discussions of cannibalism needed to be much more graphic to still get a reaction out of me. Just two days ago, Al had contemplated adding me to a bouillabaisse, pondering aloud which spices would harmonise and whether or not to add my eyes. So I answered with a bright smile. “I’ll pass it along, thank you!”

Before we could continue our conversation, I was distracted by an increasingly intense smell, like someone had spilled a whole bottle of some smokey perfume. The scent was vaguely familiar to me for some reason.

Rosie’s brow furrowed and due to her missing pupils it took me a second to realise she was looking at something behind me. I turned around and immediately jerked back, as my face was brushing a furry white collar. Valentino, the final Overlord in the Vee trio that I hadn’t met yet, was leaning down and grinning right in my face. Heaven, what was it with Overlords and their lack of understanding of personal space?

I tried my very best not to show my utter distaste for everything about him. I gave him a nod. “Mr. Valentino. Please back off, I’m taken.”

He chuckled and it felt like the sound was touching my skin. I felt icky.

“So I’ve heard”, he said with a grin. “The Radio Demon, hm? Tell me: What do you do to satisfy someone like him?”

I suppressed a sigh. That question again. I smiled. “Oh, he loves my minced meat and cheese pie. Steak always works, too. Alternatively just anything raw, really. Add to that a good wine or some rye and he’s happy.”

Valentino blinked in confusion, as it seemed to take him a moment to find the double-meaning in his question. “No, I mean in bed, bonita .”

Before I could find an alternative interpretation of that clarification, we got interrupted by Valentino’s colleagues. Great. All three Vees in one room. When Velvette saw me, she groaned and it filled me with a deep satisfaction. Vox was of course livid. “You? What the fuck?”

I smiled at him. “I’m representing my boyfriend tonight. He’s got better things to do than deal with saps like you. His words, not mine.”

Vox’s left eye started swirling hypnotically, but I didn’t even look away. With Alastor’s microphone firmly in my grasp, he had no access to my mind. I could basically see Alastor sitting in his tower, a cup of tea in his hands, having the time of his life listening to the transmission from his microphone of a radio.

“Better things?” Vox growled. “That fucking pretentious piece of-”

“Silence!” Another Overlord had entered. She, too, had assisted us in the angel attack and she, too, had never personally appeared at the hotel. Carmilla Carmine. She graced everyone around the now full table with a stern look and at least for the moment everyone was silent, although Vox’s eye was still swirling angrily.

Carmilla nodded towards a younger looking woman who looked related to her and she turned on a presentation. Ah. The first step on the agenda was already very interesting. In large red letters was written just one word: Lucifer .

With a grave look, Carmilla folded her large hands behind her back. “Things have changed dramatically. Our order has been challenged. And I don’t just mean our order as Overlords. I mean the entire order of Hell.”

A tense silence fell. Then Zeezi, the dinosaur Overlord, snorted. “Yeah, we’re fucked. We’re fucked from multiple sides. We’ve awoken the dragon from below and invoked the wrath of the angels from above.”

Velvette cackled. “Well, we know whose fault that is.” She looked at me and everyone’s gaze followed. Great. I was here to listen, not to defend Charlie’s decisions! To my surprise, Zestial came to my aid: “Attacking the angels was thy idea, was it not, Velvette?”

She snorted. “Yeah, but you all didn’t want to go with our plan, so you fucked it up. Had you given us the lead, Heaven would be gone and the Devil none the wiser.”

Zeezi rolled her eyes. “As if you could have-”

“Silence!” Carmilla slammed her fist on the table. “We’ll get to the failed extermination and its ramifications in time, but we need to talk about the biggest threat first. Lucifer. He’s been gone for centuries, allowing us to mold this city the way we wanted to. Now he’s returned and we have to make sure he doesn’t get any ideas concerning our city.”

“Why should he be interested?” Velvette didn’t even look up from her phone. “He came back for his daughter, we all saw it on TV. He doesn’t give a shit how we run things.”

“Insolent child.” Zestial’s voice was like a hiss. “I remember an age when the Dragon descended upon these lands, whensoever our ambitions did swell too greatly. The desolation wrought by the exterminations doth pale in comparison to the ruin which the Devil brought upon us.”

Really ? Sure, I had seen Lucifer fight Adam in the replays of the extermination day on TV - since I had been unconscious during the actual fight - and I knew how powerful he had to be. But it was still difficult to imagine the man I’d seen line up rubber ducks by colour on a sideboard earlier today transforming into a giant dragon and raining down fire on Pentagram City.

“So we keep him distracted,” another Overlord interjected, a guy in a grey suit with a skull for a head and a mane of blue flames. I didn’t know much about him, he wasn’t on TV a lot.

Vox laughed. “Of course. How do you keep the Devil distracted?”

“Does anyone know what he’s into?” Valentino leaned back in his seat with a leer. “What did his ex-wife look like exactly? I’m sure I own someone tall and blonde.” His red gaze fell onto me. “Or we send her.”

I couldn’t help but do a double-take. “ Excuse me?”

Valentino was unfazed. “You already live at that hotel, don’t you?”

“May I remind you that I’m taken ? Besides, I’m neither tall nor blonde.”

“Well, what can you tell us about him? I’m sure you know something that might turn him on.”

I furrowed my brow. I’d noticed he was still wearing his wedding ring. But I wouldn’t share that information with them. And I didn’t need them to know I’d been beating him at Poker the past few weeks either. What could I tell them that would make them stop asking questions?

Rosie came to my aid. “I agree with Zestial that Lucifer is a danger we shouldn’t underestimate. But Velvette isn’t wrong in saying that he’s currently occupied with the Hazbin Hotel. As far as I can tell he doesn’t seem to intend to leave it any time soon. As long as we leave the hotel be, we can do as we please. Am I not right, Willow?”

I hesitated. What would Alastor say? He’d probably want me to agree with Rosie. “Yes. Lucifer and Charlie are preoccupied with Alastor’s hotel.”

The reserved Overlord shook his head and blue sparks flew to all sides. “The hotel is a problem in itself. The little princess has managed to anger Heaven. Lucifer is one thing, but if this hotel is allowed to continue, the exorcists will make all of us pay for her stupid antics.”

Vox leaned on the table. “Agreed. And do we really want to leave the Morningstars in the hands of that fucking guy?” He pointed at the microphone in my lap.

Zeezi agreed. “This whole thing started when the Princess opened that hotel. Not even a week after, the extermination deadline was halved. And where did the angels attack first? Her hotel.”

“Exactly,” Vox said. “As absurd as that redemption idea is, the angels don’t like it. If we want to keep Heaven off our backs, that hotel and its ‘manager’ need to go down.”

Oh. I liked that conclusion way less. I really didn’t want to say anything else, but it seemed like I had to. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t Charlie who got the extermination timeline cut. Someone… An exorcist was killed. That’s what set Heaven off.”

I tried not to look at Carmilla. I didn’t want to make her an enemy, especially not after her help with the extermination. But I also had to divert from the hotel.

Vox growled. “They fucking need to go down.”

Zeezi laughed. “Sure, Vox. But didn’t we just establish that we need to quarantine Lucifer there? We can’t take any action against the hotel while the King of Hell is there.”

“And the Radio Demon,” the reserved Overlord added. “We wouldn’t want to make him our enemy, too.”

Vox waved him off. “That freak is no match for us. He lost that fight against the first man.”

I snorted. Vox’s flat head snapped around. “What?”

“Come on. Do you really think you - any of you - are anywhere close to rivalling Adam in power? Charlie - Lucifer’s daughter - was nearly killed by Adam. Alastor fought him one on one and lived . That’s how you should look at this. So if I were you, I wouldn’t try to anger him.” I didn’t feel nearly as confident as I hoped I sounded. I always believed Alastor to be among the most powerful of Overlords, but did I really know? He used to be, at least according to what everyone said. But he’d been gone for seven years. And who knew what losing to Adam actually meant. My hands tightened around the cane in my hands. Why hadn’t Alastor wanted to go to this meeting himself?

“Mayhaps we should confer upon this matter at a different hour?” The sudden sound of Zestial’s voice nearly made me jump off my seat.

“Yes.” Carmilla sighed. “We do find ourselves with a conundrum here. The hotel is an issue, I agree, yet as long as Lucifer - and Alastor - reside there, we have to hold back and observe.” She gave her daughter a nod and she changed the slide. “Next on our list is the rise of a minor Overlord in the Doomsday district…”

The other Overlords didn’t seem happy to move on, but it was clear they knew Carmilla was right. I leaned back and watched them as they discussed what to do concerning the upcoming potential competition. I felt weary. I had known that Alastor wasn’t just a manager but also a protector of the place and I had considered that having Lucifer there was an additional help. But never had I been so glad to have them with us.

When the meeting was finally over, I was exhausted, even though I had spent most of it listening.

“Well, it was nice to meet you!” Rosie smiled at me. “Tell Alastor my regards and he really needs to come by, we have so much to talk about.”

I nodded. “I will.”

I followed her out of the room and intended to stick with her until I reached my car, but before I could set foot in the elevator, Carmilla called me back. “Willow? Can we talk to you for a moment?”

My heart jumped and I took a deep breath before turning around, wearing a smile. “Of course.”

I followed her into a different room. It was furnished with some couches and desks and had a nice view of the city below. Only Carmilla and, to my dismay, Zestial were here.

Carmilla closed the door behind me, and it felt like a trap snapping shut.

“Can we talk privately?” She gave the microphone in my hands a pointed look.

I had to make a split-second decision. And like all those months ago with Vox, I decided to pretend.

“No problem.” I held up the mic. It didn’t have any buttons or dials. I confidently tapped its base, then looked up and smiled. “Yes?”

I saw their stern faces, felt Zestial’s aura weigh down on me, and already regretted my decision. Why hadn’t I just said I couldn't do that? Lying to the most powerful Overlords like that, was I mad?

Carmilla’s face softened. “Alright Willow. It’s just us three now. You can be honest. We have the power to help you. Do you have a deal with the Radio Demon? Is he using you? Is that why you’re here?”

I blinked. Not what I thought would happen. I was pretty sure they weren’t worried about my well-being, but I pretended to buy it. “Thank you, I appreciate the concern. But I wasn’t forced to come here. When Alastor asked me to represent him today, how could I have said no?”

Zestial and Carmilla shared a look. Man, I wished I knew what they were thinking!

"Why? He doth not seem the sort to place such trust in another."

I shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him, I’m afraid. I do think it makes sense to send your significant other though.”

Carmilla furrowed her brow.

“He’s my boyfriend,” I explained. “You know, the non-committal kind of relationship that isn’t a marriage?”

“Yes, we know what you mean.” She sounded annoyed. “It’s just… unexpected. Well, if that’s the case, you surely know more about him, don’t you? Where has he been? He’s been gone for seven years. A man like him doesn’t just disappear like that. The only way we wouldn’t have heard of him anywhere in the Pride Ring, is if he’d become a hermit.”

I snorted. “Yeah, sounds likely.”

“You can keep your sarcasm. That’s precisely my point. Where did he go? Were you with him?”

That was a valid question. I’d always assumed he’d just left Pentagram City for a while for a change of wallpaper. But Carmilla insinuated he’d left the Pride Ring, Lucifer’s domain. That wasn’t possible. Sinners couldn’t go to the other rings of Hell. And the alternative…

I focussed on my answer. Usually, I pretended to know less than I actually did. Maybe it was time to go the other direction. I smiled. “I’m sure you’d like to know. But I won’t be the one to tell you.”

Carmilla’s expression soured.

"What manner of matters doth he attend to at this time, if I may inquire?" Zestial interjected.

“Well, he’s got a hotel to manage that holds the Devil and his daughter,” I said.

“Hm.” Carmilla crossed her arms. “I hope he knows what he’s gotten himself into there. And the same goes for you, little Willow.”

I smiled even though I wanted to run. “Of course.”

When I exited the elevator, my legs felt like jelly. I barely made it back to my car. My hands around the microphone were shaking. But I’d done it! As I was driving back to the hotel my pulse slowly calmed down and I was flooded by a wave of euphoria. I had sat in an Overlord meeting, successfully deflected most questions about Alastor, learned some interesting things and fooled some of them once again. Oh, and I’d annoyed all the Vees at once. My smile was so wide it hurt.

My success gave me a new boost of confidence. I was carrying Al’s mic, an item of enormous power. It would be wasteful, no, neglectful not to try out if I could tap into that. But I had to do it in a way he wouldn’t notice. He could still hear everything I did, currently just the hum of the engine, but he couldn't see me. I slowed down and looked out the windows for something I could try to direct Alastor’s power at.

In a twisted version of luck, I was suddenly presented with the perfect opportunity. A few streets down, a car pulled out from a side street and stopped right on the crossing, blocking my way. I had to hit the brakes hard. Hissing in annoyance, I tried to back up, but another car had pulled up behind me. In the rear mirror I saw the driver’s door open. Another sinner had gotten out of the first car. He was walking towards me with a grin, raising a pistol.

Alarmed, I grabbed the cane from the passenger seat, focussed on the car on the crossing in front of me and imagined a shadow tendril flicking it out of the way. I snapped the fingers of my free hand like I’d seen Alastor do so countless times. For a split second nothing happened and I imagined how ridiculous I must have looked right now, but then the car flew into the air, overturning twice before landing on its back on the side street, the roof caving in. I was staring at the shadow curling from the street in just as much surprise as the other sinner.

I had to act. Wiping any surprise from my face, I hit the gas. As I sped past the sinner, tyres screeching, I gave him a manic grin and a wave with Alastor’s cane, feeling like a very powerful Overlord.

I had just parked the car, when shadows pooled outside and Alastor opened the driver’s door for me. He was giving me his brightest smile. “So Carmilla was wondering where I’ve been after all.” He sounded very pleased.

I rolled my eyes. “I shouldn’t have pretended you couldn’t hear. Maybe I should have buried your mic under a pillow or something instead.”

Static fizzled. “I appreciate your quick wit in my favour.”

I grinned. “Why, thank you! That was almost a real thank you and a compliment, too!”

He just held out a hand. I took it and got out of the car. When I let go, he gave me an unimpressed stare and continued to hold out his hand. Oh. Of course. I handed him his microphone. He inspected it closely, almost lovingly, then, seemingly satisfied, offered me his arm and led me back inside.

“So,” I started. “Where have you been?”

He side-eyed me. “Up in my tower, listening to the Overlord’s entertaining antics.”

“You know what I mean. Those seven years that you were gone. Did you leave the Pride Ring?”

He laughed, but there was too much canned audience backing it up for me to take it at all seriously. “Zestial and Carmilla have no idea what they are talking about.”

I was not ready to let this go yet. “That’s not an answer. Al, come on, we’re friends, right?”

He looked taken aback, then rolled his eyes. “Fine. It’s true, I wasn’t in Pride. But frankly, I’m glad to be back.”

Where could he have been that was worse than here? I didn’t really know much about the other rings, as I didn’t think they were important to my afterlife. And the alternative… Could he really have been in Heaven? What a silly thought. I’d only had a very short glimpse of Heaven through the portal that took Charlie and Vaggie there, but just from that I knew Alastor would look absolutely ridiculous between all those pastel colours and cotton candy clouds.

But when Charlie had gone to her meeting, Vaggie had been allowed to come along. Sure, it turned out she was a fallen angel, not a sinner, but Saint Peter guarding the golden gates hadn’t known that and he and the Seraphim had still allowed her in.

“How did you get out of Pride?” I asked.

His eyes narrowed and he stopped, turning towards me. “What do you think would happen if sinners knew a way out?”

I narrowed my eyes. “Al, I know you would thrive off that chaos.”

“But you wouldn’t. So be glad that I’m not sharing this information.”

He continued towards the hotel.

I sighed and let him pull me along. “Fine.”

When we reached the door to my room, Alastor let go of me.

“Would you like to come in?” I asked. “You haven’t given me a dance lesson in forever. Or we could sing a little?”

He shook his head. “Not tonight, my dear.”

I furrowed my brow. “Do you have another appointment?”

He chuckled. “I don’t have to spend all my time with you, sweetheart, do I?”

I rolled my eyes. “Hardly. If I wasn’t working for you, I would barely see you these days.”

I became serious. “I know a lot is going on with all those new guests, the new hotel, Lucifer… I don’t know if anything happened that night when you came to celebrate something, but I miss you, Al. I miss our dance lessons, I miss going out.”

He said nothing, just smiled at me, his head inclined.

I sighed. “Good night, Alastor.”

I went into my room and closed the door behind me.

Chapter Text

“Come downstairs, my aquatic friend, we’re going out!”

I looked up at my radio in surprise. What, now? It was late in the evening and I was already in bed. But since I had just told Alastor two days ago how I missed our evenings I couldn’t really say no. So with a wistful sigh I left the comfortable warmth of my bed and some time later I arrived downstairs. Alastor was already waiting at the door, greeting me with a wide grin. “There you are. Why do women always take so long to get ready?”

I glared at him. “If you want me to cut my hair short, just say so directly.”

He chuckled. “Heavens, no! I’d rather wait then.” He offered me his arm.

I blinked, taken aback. A compliment? From him? Huh, I’d take it!

I accepted his arm and let him lead me into town, leaving the car at the hotel. As always, sinners jumped out of the way when they saw Alastor, but more often than not there was curiosity mixed in with the fear, an interest that hadn’t been there before. Alastor’s defeat at the hands of Adam had been broadcasted all across Hell. But he didn’t seem to mind the nosy glances. He just sauntered along, admiring the architecture, occasionally pointing out details to me, but I knew he was faking his nonchalance. I knew how fragile his ego was. Well, a little humbling would do him good.

“Is there a specific reason we’re going out tonight?” I asked.

“Our friend Angel Dust informed me that his boss and a certain Television Demon will be out hitting the town. And since you’ve already represented me at a meeting, I thought it fitting to take you to the Overlord’s little exclusive club. It’s very pretentious, I usually avoid it.”

An exclusive club? Just for Overlords? What would that be like?

The club didn’t look very fancy from the outside. Just a dark red wall somewhere downtown with no windows. There was no bouncer either and no line. Golden letters proclaimed the establishment to be “The Sovereign Circle”. Alastor let go of my arm to open the door for me.

I entered and when my eyes got used to the dim light, I gawked. Everything was held in dark velvety reds and gleaming golds. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, lush carpets lined the floor, extravagant couches were scattered across the sprawling room.

With a hand on my lower back, Alastor navigated me towards the bar. I looked around, eyes wide. Every single person here was an Overlord, or directly invited by one. I recognised Zeezi from the meeting, as well as Carmilla’s two daughters, but there were other Overlords, too, who I’d heard of every now and then. Still, the club wasn’t nearly as full as the ones we usually went to. And nobody jumped to make space for Alastor. Some greeted him with a nod or a wave, one or two even came up to him for a handshake, but it was obvious that he wasn’t feared here as he was elsewhere. Maybe that was the real reason he didn’t like coming here.

The reasons for our outing tonight were lounging on a large couch in the middle of the room. Valentino was wearing an outfit that barely counted as clothing, not much more than fishnets and what looked like a fluffy coat. He had a cigar in one hand, its smoke curling into little hearts, and a drink in the other. A third arm lay around a woman with bunny ears who was leaning against his chest, and the fourth around Vox. The TV Demon had his feet kicked up onto the low table in front of them, scrolling through his phone while sipping on a glass of whiskey.

I leaned towards Alastor. “Should I go and say Hi? Since we’re basically colleagues now that I’ve been at their meeting?”

He chuckled. “Of course, go ahead. I will acquire drinks for us. Nojito?”

“Sure, sounds good!”

I watched him saunter towards the bar, then made my way across the room. When I neared the two Vees, I did start to feel a bit nervous. I didn’t feel nearly as safe as I usually did when I was out with Alastor. But now I had committed to it, so I put on a smile. “Good evening, gentlemen! Such a surprise!”

Vox crushed his glass with his metallic claws, spilling whiskey all over his legs. “Oh, this asshole !”

Valentino stayed calm. He looked me up and down with a leer. “Hello, Bonita . Did you come to join us?”

He opened his arm with the drink and pushed Vox a little to the side to make space between them. Everything in me recoiled from the idea, but I tried to hide my disgust. “A kind offer, but Alastor would disapprove.”

“He can come along, too.” Valentino shrugged.

Now I had to fight back a laugh. Vox looked appalled.

“I’ll let him know,” I said. “What a quaint little club! I didn’t even know this place existed. Any drinks you can recommend?”

“Do I look like a bartender to you?” Vox asked, his voice sizzling.

I tried to keep my innocent face. “No, but I value your opinion, since I know you quite well by now! Funny, how often we end up at the same place, isn’t it?”

Valentino furrowed his brow. “Are you stupid?”

I just shrugged. “I’ll let you decide. Have a good evening!”

I quickly walked away, glad to leave the two behind again, aiming for an empty couch in the area. Alastor was still at the bar. Apparently, he had to wait in line. What a foreign concept to him! I bit back another giggle.

I sat down to wait and was soon approached by one of the lesser known Overlords. I could immediately tell that he was pretty new to the club, as he put a lot of emphasis on his station, wearing a black suit with golden stitching and a tophat that rivalled Sir Pentious’ in size. I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of my serpentine friend. The Overlord took a seat next to me. “Good evening, young lady. You’re new here, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “So are you, right?”

“Oh, I’ve been here for some… a little time! Do you come from another city? What is your area?”

What was he talking about? Oh. Did he think I was a new Overlord? I grinned. “Ah, I come from the waters of Hubris City.”

That wasn’t even a lie. I had spent about a month in Hubris before coming to Pentagram City, as the town had a river running through it.

“Impressive,” he said. “Why did you decide to leave your domain? Trying your luck in the capital? It’s a hard zone here.”

I shrugged. “Hubris wasn’t doing it for me - which sounds like something entirely different than what I’m trying to say. Who names these places?”

He chuckled. “Indeed, hubris isn’t a helpful character trait, but someone like you can allow herself some pride.” He leaned forward and patted my leg.

I immediately moved a foot further away, but before I could say anything, I was distracted by the sudden darkness surrounding us. The Overlord looked around in confusion, I looked for Alastor. He approached with a polite smile, drinks in hand, but his eyes were icy cold. The Overlord’s eyes widened. “Alastor! You, here?”

“You will not touch my girlfriend.” Alastor’s voice was calm. A chill ran up my spine.

The stranger flinched, but didn’t run. “Relax, I promise not to take her away from you.”

I wanted to protest that I wasn’t something to be given or taken, but I got thrown off as Alastor burst out laughing and a whole studio audience joined in. “Don’t flatter yourself! Did you truly believe you could win her?” He laughed again and I had rarely heard him so genuinely amused. “Why would someone like her ever choose someone like you? When she has me ?” He barked out another laugh, then his voice turned serious once more. “No, no, no, no. I’m telling you to back off, because she doesn’t like being patted.”

I fought hard to keep my eyebrows from wandering all the way up my forehead and past my hairline. What kind of outburst was that? Was he really that sure of our friendship, a friendship he had never actually acknowledged? A friendship he had never bothered to maintain?

When Alastor turned to me, I molded my face to the best mask I could muster.

“Thanks, darling,” I said, “But I can take good care of myself.”

He chuckled. “No, you can’t. You’re terrible at saying no. Shall we?” He handed me my glass.

I gave a sharp nod to the other Overlord, who was still staring at Alastor, mouth slightly ajar, arms raised in a display of both defiance and fear.

I followed Alastor to an empty couch near the Vees. “Sure I can say no. It just took me a while to get used to having to enforce each ‘No’ with threats and sometimes violence. Don’t think that would have been necessary here though. He thought I’m an Overlord.” I laughed. Then I had an idea. “We had quite an interesting conversation going though,” I lied.

He seemed unfazed. “Unlikely.”

Where did he get that confidence from? Or was he overcompensating because he wasn’t actually sure of my loyalty at all?

We sat down and Alastor put an arm around me. I leaned against him.

“So,” he said. “I hear you got our Highness out of his loft?” He sounded casual, but I could hear a smidge of disapproval in his voice.

“Uh, yeah, Poker. Well, technically, that was Cherri, but I helped him, uh, settle in.”

“Hm.” He took a sip of his drink.

“You don’t like that I spend time with him?” I assessed.

“I dislike him. Of course I don’t.”

“Well, I like him. He’s a genuinely good guy. He was the one who saved me after the extermination, by the way. When you were gone. I got injured falling off a balcony. Yeah, you never asked. Lucifer healed me.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why did you fall off a balcony?” he asked, apparently overhearing my calling out his lack of interest.

I sat up straight and crossed my arms, almost spilling my Nojito. “An angel attacked me. In fact, she almost killed me. But then…” I furrowed my brow. With everything else that had been going on, I had almost forgotten that weird moment during the fight. “Her mask started glitching. She screamed and had to take it off. That gave me enough time to hurl myself off the balcony, as I preferred the ground to angelic steel.”

He inclined his head. “It glitched? Was it damaged?”

“No, at least not from what I could see. I certainly didn’t damage it with my tiny knives.”

“Hm. Interesting.” He looked lost in thoughts for a moment, then he shrugged and finished his drink.

Perhaps it was better to let the topic go. I didn’t want to think of the exterminations on our first night out again and I didn’t want to fight either - especially not since my abilities to do so were limited by our deal while we were in public. So I put on a smile. “Ready for a dance?”

Music was playing from speakers and while most of it wasn’t jazz, every now and then a song came up that allowed swing dancing.

“Of course.” He pulled me onto the dance floor and off we went.

As we danced, all my thoughts concerning exorcists and Alastor’s strange behaviour got pushed to the back of my mind. All that counted was the movement of my feet, Alastor’s hands guiding me and the golden lights spinning around me. And perhaps the occasional glimpse of an angry flatscreen TV.

The song ended far too quickly and was replaced by a Latin guitar.

“Another reason I usually avoid going here,” Alasor said, as he took me back to our couch.

I raised an eyebrow. “I know a very easy solution to that problem: You could start dancing in more different styles. This would be a perfect Cha Cha. And, who knows, the next one might be… a Viennese waltz?”

He chuckled. “Why waste my time on a stiff and boring dance, if I could get another drink instead? Shall we-”

He was cut off by a familiar voice: “Alastor! My, what a lovely surprise. I haven’t seen you here in such a long time!”

Rosie! My gaze found her across the room, wearing an elegant evening dress, her hands pressed to her heart as if seeing Alastor was too much for her to take. I smiled. She quickly made her way towards us. Alastor had spotted her, too, and when she got close, he got up to greet her. Surprised, I followed suit. He never extended such politeness!

“Rosie.” He bowed.

“So good to see you, my dear!” she said. “And if that isn’t young Willow. Your, uh… girlfriend?”

I curtsied. “Indeed. Good to see you again.”

Alastor put his arm around me. “Rosie, shall we go somewhere private?”

She raised a delicate eyebrow. “Surely!”

She led the way and we followed her into a private room adjacent to the bar. When the door fell shut behind us, Alastor turned to me. “Let’s exempt her from the deal, shall we?”

I looked at him in surprise. “Okay, sure.”

“Wonderful!” He let go of me and fell onto a couch. I took a seat next to him, but at a normal distance. Rosie sat down in an armchair, now both eyebrows raised to her hairline. “What kind of deal are we talking about?”

“Oh, not a soul deal!” Alastor and I said simultaneously and I had to laugh.

“We’re simply playing a little game with Vox,” Alastor explained with a wide grin.

“Really? Why a girlfriend?”

He flicked his wrist. “Apparently, it’s that simple to upset that walking picturebox. Very entertaining, really. And she can dance, her acting skills are decent and people tend to underestimate her.”

I bopped his shoulder. “ Decent acting skills? Charming as always.” How refreshing to drop the mask outside of the hotel!

Rosie chuckled. “I see. Since when? You never told me, Alastor! I must admit, I feel a bit miffed!” But her tone was lighthearted.

“Hm.” He tapped his chin. “Six months? Nearing seven, I think.”

My eyes widened. Really, that long already? Alastor seemed surprised, too.

Rosie smiled and nodded slowly. “I see, I see.” She put a hand on Alastor’s knee. “Be a darling and get us some drinks, yes?”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed but his smile didn’t waver. “Of course.”

He got up and disappeared from the room. Immediately, Rosie turned to me. “So, what did you get out of that deal? Since you didn’t sell your soul, I’m assuming he offered you something in return for your little game?”

I nodded. “It’s a mutually beneficial deal. Sure, his terms are probably better than mine, but considering our vastly different starting positions, I’d say I got quite the win. Especially since most things that are my part of the bargain are actually quite fun.”

“Really?” She smacked her lips. “I’d think a young thing like you would get bored by us old folks.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get me started. People don’t even know when I died, yet they still keep assuming I’m much younger.” Something else came to mind and I grinned. “Oh, one guy called me Alastor’s midlife-crisis-bit once, that was hilarious.”

Rosie giggled. “Ah, poor Alastor. Did that person survive?”

“At least while I was there, yes. It was our first outing, too. But I wouldn’t be surprised if that person had miraculously turned up dead by now.”

She giggled again. “He can be very petty at times, doesn’t he?”

I leaned forward. “Right! He’s got such an ego , man…”

Now she laughed. “Oh, he does. I suppose it comes with being as smart and powerful as he is.”

“So are you and you don’t strike me as the kind of person who’d smite a sinner for taking your preferred parking spot.”

Rosie giggled, a delicate hand pressed to her mouth.

I really liked her. She was so easy to talk to! I wasn’t sure if it was smart to share all of that with her, but if Alastor trusted her enough to leave me alone with her, I assumed I was mostly safe.

“Why were you so surprised when I introduced myself as his girlfriend?” I asked. “It can’t just have been the age.”

“Well, it’s obvious he isn’t interested in romantic relationships, isn’t it? I’ve known him for decades now and he might say he just hasn’t found the right lady yet, but come on.”

I grinned so wide, it hurt. “Right? That’s what I’ve been thinking! He’s totally ace!”

“And the poor lad doesn’t even know what that means.”

“I am a little surprised that you know, honestly. Aren’t you from his time period?”

“Oh honey, just because we didn’t have the words for it back then doesn’t mean those people didn’t exist. In our time, Alastor would simply have been called a confirmed Bachelor, although most people would have assumed he was secretly gay. But I wouldn’t call him that, it’s rarely been used in a kind way.”

“I can imagine. Man, I am so glad to have grown up in a time and country where being gay or ace was mostly not a problem - I am aro-ace, too, you know.”

“How lovely! Then you two are perfect for each other. You know, I have long since thought he needs a woman in his life, to make sure he eats enough and ensure he keeps his living quarters tidy.”

I burst out laughing. “Oh, I don’t think he needs my help with that.”

“With what?” Alastor had appeared in the doorframe, carefully juggling three glasses. I looked at him and for some reason I had to laugh harder. Rosie opposite me chuckled, too.

“What?” Alastor repeated.

My sides started to hurt from laughter.

“Oh, nothing, dear,” Rosie said, still chuckling. “Come and sit down. Thank you for the drinks.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed, but he came over and set down our drinks. I still couldn’t stop laughing.

Alastor looked at me through slitted eyes, just a thin stripe of glowing red.

“I don’t remember the last time someone laughed at you consequence free, Alastor,” Rosie teased. “Apart from little old me, of course.”

“Who says it’s consequence free? I’ll make her pay for it later.”

The threat didn’t manage to quiet me, but I bit my lip and forced down any further giggles. “Sure thing, Al. Thanks for the drink.”

He sat down, still glaring at both of us.

Rosie took a sip from her Sherri, then leaned back and smiled at Alastor. “Now. What has happened since we last saw each other? Give me all the details.”

The next half hour the two friends updated each other on their lives. To my surprise, I wasn’t relegated to listening though, as Rosie made an effort to include me in the conversation. I was disappointed when two drinks later, Rosie got up and said her good-byes. “The district doesn’t run itself, sadly. It was lovely to see you two, come by for dinner soon!”

We followed her back to the main room. The Vees had since disappeared, but Jazz music was still playing and there was decent space on the dance floor.

I turned to Alastor. “Dance?”

“Of course!”

He led me back onto the dance floor and I eagerly got into position, looking forward to at least an hour of dancing. But a few dances in, I realised something was off. For a start, Alastor’s hand was unusually sweaty. Normally it was me who got hot from the dancing and Alastor being a walking furnace. And it wasn’t just his hand. Once I was looking for it, I could see how his hair stuck to his head. His cheeks were slightly flushed, too. Then I noticed how he wasn’t placing his steps as precisely as he usually did. Was he tipsy? But how, he didn’t have that much to drink at all! I wished I could hear his static to get a hint, but it got smothered by the music and the chatter of the other guests. And I couldn’t really ask him either, not in this club full of Overlords.

I tried to hide my worry. This couldn’t be good. I sighed inwardly. I didn’t want this evening to end already, but I had to do something. “Al, I’m really tired. It’s super hot in here, too. Let’s go home, okay?”

He didn’t even try to fight me on that. “Of course, my dear.”

Alastor led me off the dancefloor and out into the cool night air. He wasn’t quite walking straight. I furrowed my brow and inconspicuously looked around. The streets were deserted, not a soul in sight. “Al, is everything okay? You’re weird tonight - well, you’ve been weird for a while, but especially tonight.”

He waved me off. “Ah, it’s nothing, I just might have slightly overdone it with the drinks. Would you care to join me for some reading, once we’ve returned?”

I sighed. “I’d love to. But… you know you can talk to me, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “Stop with that look, sweetheart. If you continue to be a killjoy, I’ll read my book by myself.”

I pressed my mouth shut. “Fine, you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t say anything else. No need to be mean about it.”

He patted my hand resting on our linked arms. “I’m sorry, my dear.”

I smiled at the apology, but I knew better than to praise him for it.

When we arrived at the hotel he gave me a warm smile. “Go fetch yourself a book while I freshen up.” With that, he dissolved into shadows.

Chapter Text

I got up from Alastor’s armchair, dropping the book I’d been reading since returning from our outing, and jumped onto his bed to ask a very important question: “Have you ever, like, cut yourself with those sharp teeth of yours? I mean, if you accidentally bite your tongue with those things, you’d bite it right off, wouldn’t you?”

Alastor, lying on his back, legs crossed and kicked up against the wall, lowered the book he was reading to his chest to look up at me with raised eyebrows. “Was that a serious question?”

“Dead serious.”

He chuckled. “Well, if you insist. Yes, in the beginning I did sometimes get to taste my own blood, but not anymore. No, I never bit off my tongue.”

“M-hm…” I nodded slowly.

He inclined his head, spreading his hair across the blanket. It was still damp from his shower or bath. “Any more ludicrous questions?”

“Hm…” I tapped my chin. “Yes, actually! How often do you hit your ears when stepping through a low archway?”

He drew his eyebrows together. “Same answer. A few times in the beginning, not now.”

“And in your demon form, did you ever forget the size of your antlers and get stuck in a doorway because of it?”

“Ha! Heavens, no!”

“Does your shirt get caught on your antlers, when you pull it over your head?”

This time, his chuckle was accompanied by a canned audience. “Every single time, my dear.”

I giggled.

“How about you?” he asked. “Ever get caught in doors with that ridiculously long hair of yours?”

“Absolutely. Also - and don’t tell the others - it sometimes falls into the pot while cooking. It’s so massive, even hair ties aren’t enough. Maybe I should-”

“Don’t cut it.”

I grinned. “Fine. How did you get your haircut? Did you arrive with it in Hell?”

“I did, but it’s no different from when I was alive.”

“You chose this haircut?”

His eyes narrowed. “Yes, and?”

I giggled again. “Nothing. Don’t cut it. So did you basically look the same while alive? Except for, you know, ears and antlers?”

“And colours, teeth, hoofs and fur, yes.”

Fur? “What colour was your hair before?”

He rolled his eyes. “Why do you care? It’s red now.”

“Just curiosity! Come on, Al!”

He sighed. “Some sort of brown. Darker than my skin. Lighter than my mother’s.”

Oho! A snippet about his family, what a rare treat! I tried to jump on that as casually as possible, since he was currently so ready to share. “Did you look a lot like your mum? Or more like your dad? Cause I looked exactly like my dad while my brother and sister went after my mum,” I added to make it less of a questioning and more of an exchange. It seemed to work.

“People used to say I got my mother’s eyes and smile. Colourwise, I was a mix. The rest must have been my father.”

“Must have been?” I asked.

“Oh, I didn’t bother examining him in that much detail when I killed him. He certainly doesn’t share my voice.” Suddenly, he jumped to action, excitedly dropping the book and sitting up. “Would you like to hear him? You’ll have to listen closely, but he has a very distinctive scream.”

My head snapped around to the unassuming radios on the shelves and a chill went up my spine. “Ah. I see. Thank you, but I'll pass.”

His ears drooped ever so slightly.

I gave him a weary smile. So Alastor hadn’t grown up with his father. Why had he killed him? Revenge, maybe? How could I ask so he wouldn’t just give me a non-answer?

I ventured a guess into the dark. “Did he hurt your mum?”

He looked genuinely taken aback, stilling in his motion. “My father?” Slowly, he leaned back on his elbows, his grin dimmed down to a placid smile. The filter on his voice was dialled down as well and I could almost hear his real voice, when he continued. “Yes. Leaving your housewife alone with a two-year-old is very hurtful, I’d assume.”

“I’m sorry. That must’ve been hard for you and your mother.”

“Why are you sorry? This has nothing to do with you. And it’s ancient history, I have long since made him pay. No need to dwell on it!” His voice was chipper again, but his whole posture betrayed his words.

Heaven, I really wanted to know more! What was his mother like? How did he grow up? If she had been a housewife before her husband - partner? - had left her, how had she made money? Had Alastor been an illegitimate child? Nowadays that didn’t matter, but back in his time…

“How about those webs?” Alastor asked. “Are they ever in the way?”

I blinked. “What?”

He snatched my hand and spread my fingers apart so the webbing became visible.

“Oh. That.”

He had returned to the stupid questions. I reluctantly allowed it. “Not much,” I said. “They’re stretchy and fold nicely. I can still hold pens or, you know, your hand.” I interlaced my fingers with his. “How about your claws? Ever accidentally rip something?”

“Sometimes.” He stroked the claw of his thumb down the back of my hand and I enjoyed the sensation, until he increased the pressure and sharp pain shot through me.

“Ouch!” I pulled my hand back. Blood was welling up at the small cut. “I was saying accidentally, not purposefully!”

He grinned mischievously. “I’m sorry, my dear.”

I snorted. “No, you’re not.”

He shrugged. “And you’re not actually angry.”

I rolled my eyes. “Not if you heal that immediately. It burns.”

I held out my hand once more. He took it. “Oho! Do you mind if I have a taste?”

“Really, Al?” 

He continued to grin at me. Pre-extermination me would never have agreed to this, but present-me was pretty desensitised to blood and gore and cannibalism and such. I sighed. “Fine.”

His eyes lit up, then he brought my hand to his face and licked the blood from the cut.

“Alastor! That's not what I meant and you know it!”

He grinned. “Hm. Tasty!” He stroked over the cut and the wound closed.

I brought my hand to my chest, half appalled by his action, half appalled that I hadn’t hated it. In fact, I’d kind of enjoyed it.

It seemed like he could sense I was really getting upset, even though I hoped he didn’t know why. “I’ll stop the teasing.”

“Thank you.”

He leaned back. “One more question.” He sounded thoughtful. “What’s this ‘ace’ people keep mentioning? You said you were one, too, alongside an arrow for some reason.”

Oh. I bit back a laugh. “Aro, not arrow. This has nothing to do with being a pro at archery.” I hesitated. I hadn’t thought of ever getting into the position to explain my sexuality - or, potentially, his own - to him. “Well, it just means… you know how some people are straight, others are gay and some people don’t care about gender? Aromantic people just don’t like anyone romantically and asexual people would rather eat cake than have sex. Aro and ace are just shortened versions of these words. And I’m both.”

Wow, it was strange to talk about this to him. Of course he’d been living in Hell for the past century, so he’d probably become as desensitised to the topic of sex as I had to cannibalism, but he was still an old-fashioned guy and I was pretty sure he’d never had discussions like this while alive. If he’d ever partook in a talk like this at all.

His eyes narrowed. “Mhm. So that’s why you agreed to this deal with me. You’re not looking for a real partner.”

I laughed. “Wow, that sounds like you consider yourself the second best option, Al! What’s that even supposed to mean, ‘real partner’?”

“Ha! I’m not second best anything. I’m either at the top or not interested.”

“And what is it here?” I asked. “In the world of romance?”

His laugh was accompanied by an audience. “Once I’ll find a lady who is interesting enough to be worth my attention, I’ll be the best lover.”

My eyebrows nearly disappeared in my hairline. “Mhm, sure.”

“What?”

I bit my lip. It wasn’t really my place to assume his sexuality. But I at least had to get him thinking. It was for him to decide what to make of that. “I mean… you’re, what, 130 years old? And you’ve met thousands of people in that time, right? Are you saying Mimzy isn’t interesting? Rosie?” I chuckled. “I?”

He rolled his eyes.

I continued. “Of course just because someone’s interesting, doesn’t mean you fall in love with them. That’s not how it works, I hear. But if after 130 years and countless interesting women you’re still waiting… Is it really them or are you maybe just… like me?”

He was silent for a moment, a low level of tense static telling me he was thinking. Then he shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, I don’t get attached in any form.”

With that, he put a pillow on my lap and lay back down, picking up his book again. I smiled. No attachment. Yeah, sure.

With a sigh, I started playing with his ears. “Tilt that book, I want to read along.”

He chuckled. “Am I not interesting enough?”

I grinned. “Obviously not. I’m not attracted to you, so consequently you’re boring, isn’t that what you said?”

“Careful, or I’ll bite off your finger, see how that tastes.”

He tilted the book.

I only realised I’d fallen asleep when I woke up from Alastor moving, but it felt like it had been hours. I had sunken onto my back and my legs were stiff from their cross-legged position. Still, I wasn’t awake enough to do anything about it. I felt the mattress move and my legs got cold as the pillow was taken away. I felt the soft touch of a blanket being lowered onto me. The light falling through my eyelids dimmed to leave only a light green glow. The mattress sunk in as Alastor lay down, too. I smiled and stretched my aching legs and soon my thoughts drifted off again.

But I had barely fallen back asleep, when the movement of the mattress woke me up once more. I opened my eyes a slit wide and in the dim red light I saw the silhouette of Alastor quietly moving across the room. At first I thought he might need the bathroom, but then he put on his coat over his pyjamas and checked his appearance in a mirror, before dissolving into shadows.

I sat up, frowning. Where was he going? He couldn’t travel far in his shadow form. Why sneak out like this? I bit my lip. Would it be a break of trust if I followed him? No, he was the Radio Demon and knowing what he was up to was the best for my own safety as well as that of my friends.

I got up and slipped out of the room. Alastor was nowhere to be seen. Where could he have gone? He wasn’t going to leave the hotel in his pyjamas, right?

I took the service stairway down, a small winding staircase leading to a corridor between kitchen and parlour. From here I could peek into both without being out in a wide open space.

To my surprise I saw Alastor sitting at the bar, legs crossed, a drink in hand, talking with Husk. I had never seen them chat before.

I tried to listen in and was surprised to hear Husk say my name. Instinctively, I moved closer to the wall. Were they talking about me? Probably. It was unlikely that they knew another Willow or had a chat about very specific flora.

“Well, if it's not her, is it Charlie then?” Husk asked.

“Ha! I have other reasons that keep me up at night than the ladies, Husker. I was in need of a drink, that’s it.”

“Mhm, sure. Those ‘other reasons’ usually leave you more… murdery than thoughtful. And you’re still on that first drink.”

Alastor’s pose shifted and I guessed he was as uncomfortable with Husk’s ability to see right through someone as I usually was. Right now, I was cheering for it.

“Fair enough. I’ve found myself with an aggravating question. You, my friend, and dear Niffty have to obey me. I know I can rely on Charlie’s foolish unwavering belief in ‘humanity’. The guests don’t matter and the King is a known obstacle. The Princess’ ill-humoured girlfriend is also easy to play. But I can’t get a fix on Willow. I need to know whether I can trust her.”

I could feel my heart beating in my throat, making it hard to swallow. My fingers were icy cold. Lucifer, an obstacle. Husk and Niffty, obeying. Easy to play. I hated this side of him. And he knew. That’s why he didn’t know if he could trust me.

Husk leaned onto the bar, setting aside his bottle. “Uh-huh. And why do you need to? Just don’t rely on her, like you do with Lucifer ‘n’ Vaggie.”

The cold crept up my arms and turned my naked feet stiff. Yes. That was the right question. Why was I different to Vaggie or Lucifer? Was I different?

But Alastor wasn’t so easily baited. “That’s not of your concern, Husker. But she’s your friend, isn’t she? So tell me, what is her stance?”

“You probably know her better than me,” Husk said. He didn’t look Alastor in the eyes.

“Well, I know she likes me for some reason, despite disapproving of everything I do. She certainly trusts me to some degree, as she’s literally asleep in my bed right now.”

Husk raised a feathered eyebrow.

“No, I have it on good authority that it has nothing to do with that…” Alastor waved his hand. “…pesky romance that tends to cloud people’s judgement.”

Husk rolled his eyes. “I know, Willow’s been pretty open ‘bout her sexuality.”

Static crackled impatiently. “Et tu, Husker?”

“What?”

“Never mind. But what is the explanation for this paradox? Is she just not as clever as I give her credit for? Or is she playing me?”

My mouth fell open. Me? Playing him ? He was the one manipulating me! Or trying to, at least. I was just… Well, honestly, I really just wasn’t as clever as he thought. Ouch. I swallowed hard, as a sinking feeling in my stomach was added to my racing heartbeat.

Husk snorted. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re as clever as people think.”

Alastor snapped to attention. “Careful, Husker.”

Husk was quiet and his ears dropped in apprehension.

Alastor leaned forward. “Right then, out with it! What is it that you know?”

Despite his obvious fear, Husk hesitated. “I can’t say, boss. I ain't gonna betray her like that.”

A wave of fondness for Husk rolled over me, followed by the familiar feeling of guilt. He was standing up for me to the man who owned his soul.

“Well, I need to know. So you’ll tell me.” Alastor gestured with his fingers and Husk gasped, eyes widening.

My heart skipped a beat. I had to do something! I couldn’t let him hurt my friend. But what could I reasonably achieve? My icy fingers curled into fists, as I fought with myself.

But whatever Alastor had done, it seemed to force Husk to answer, like I had been forced to talk back when I had agreed to that stupid information deal.

“Yes, you can trust her, boss,” Husk said through gritted teeth. “Feelings aren’t bound by logic, and not just romantic ones. I dunno why she likes you in particular, I guess it’s ‘cause you make her happy with that dancin’ and goin’ out and, well, lettin’ her sleep in your room . She knows you’re a piece of shit, but… I think she’s never known betrayal, so she’s choosing to hope you won’t stab her in the back. I know you’ll be the one to teach her heart what her head already knows and I detest you for it.”

Chapter Text

I slipped back under the covers and anxiously waited for Alastor’s return. I really hadn’t wanted to go back here after what I’d just seen, but I didn’t want him to get suspicious.

I felt sick. Why hadn’t I stepped in when Alastor had threatened Husk? How in Hell could I just stand idly by as he hurt him? What kind of person did that make me?

I had to do something. Alastor was right, I didn’t approve of anything he did. I should start putting my foot down. At first I had been rightfully scared to do so, but by now I knew I could argue with him without being in immediate danger. I had simply become comfortable doing nothing.

But how to approach this? I couldn’t just straight up tell Alastor to free all his souls and stop eating people. He’d just laugh at me and ask what had suddenly gotten into me. Or worse, he’d drop our deal and despite everything I really didn’t want to lose him.

With my eyes closed I didn’t see shadows pooling, but the faint sizzle of static announced Alastor’s presence. I tried to continue to breathe calmly. I heard fabric rustle, the clack of his hooves, then the mattress moved and the static grew closer. I could feel him watching me.

When I couldn’t take the suspense any longer, I opened my eyes. He was hovering over me, his glowing eyes and smile the only light in the room, but he backed up when he saw I was awake.

“Why’re you up?” I asked, my voice hopefully convincingly sleepy.

“I told you, I don’t sleep much.”

“Hm. Why?”

“A sharp mind like mine doesn’t like being silenced.”

“Mhm. Did you jus’ indirectly call me stupid?”

The familiar sound of canned laughter filled the room, but he didn’t respond.

I decided to get more direct. “Why were you staring at me?”

“You snore, did you know that?”

“Hm.” I knew that wasn’t it, because I hadn’t been sleeping just now. Great, now he was also lying to me.

“Why are you awake?” he asked. “Did I wake you?”

“No, don’t worry,” I hurried to say. Then, I had an idea. “I had a nightmare.”

He huffed. “The one time the mind can’t be controlled. Unfortunate.”

I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me right now. “You were in my dream, you know. And you were hurting Husk.”

He didn’t answer.

“Give Husk his soul back. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t deserve this.”

He blinked slowly. “And… why would I do that?”

I sighed. “Well, I’d say because it’s the right thing to do, but since that won’t work… to do me a favour?”

“A favour?” He sat up and his eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me. That’s what this is all about? The deal, everything? You think if you get me to like you, I’ll change my ways. Well, that’s not how this works, sweetheart.”

I sat up, mouth wide open. “Wait, what ? I… Alastor, you know I want you to be good, I’ve never been secretive about that! But I didn’t become your friend for this, if that’s what you’re insinuating. I did so, despite all that, despite what you can be like and against better judgement. That’s why I feel guilty! That’s why I asked you to free Husk, not the other way around!”

His eyes narrowed and his static started to crackle faintly. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to live with how things are, my scaly friend, because I don’t intend to change.”

Anger bubbled up inside me, fuelled by the conversation I’d just overheard, on top of months of guilt. “That’s what I’ve been doing the entire time! Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch my best friend hurt the people I care about? I hate that I always end up accepting anything you do. I just can’t keep doing this! If you keep hurting my friends, I’ll… I’ll have to drop our deal.”

Static had picked up while I was talking. Despite the dim light I could see the tension in his shoulders. I knew I was just confirming his suspicions. “Well, do it then. You can end the deal any time.”

Really? He was willing to push me away just like that? I turned on the lights to properly see his face. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want to! I-” I huffed. “Tell me something, yeah? Why would it be so terrible if you did do something for me? Or just something selfless for once?”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

He was silent except for the increasingly angry static.

“I’ll tell you what this is about,” I said with sudden clarity. “You’re scared. You’re scared, ‘cause you started to like me and you don’t know how to deal with that. That’s why you’re questioning my motives when I asked you for a favour just now. That’s why you’ve been so reclusive in the past months. You want to trust me and that’s scaring you, so you’re trying to figure out if you can. Only you already do! I went to an Overlord meeting for you. You gave me your microphone. You fell asleep with my hands in your hair.”

Just like that first time we’d fought, his ears had shifted back. I raked my shaking hands through my hair.

He opened his mouth to respond so I quickly kept talking: “So yes, of course you can rely on me. When it comes to yourself and to us I will always be there for-”

“That’s enough!” He slipped off the bed. “Leave.” His voice was dangerously calm and barely understandable through a thick layer of static.

“Really?” I got up, too. Here I was, opening my heart to him and that was his response? “Asshole!” In just three steps I was across the room and pushed him against the chest.

Static feedback screeched as he staggered backwards, his hands flying up, clawing at the fabric over his chest. His eyes glitched, flickering from black to red and for a second his antlers grew to twice their normal size.

The shock let my anger evaporate. “What the- are you okay? Gosh, I’m sorry!” I hadn’t pushed him that hard, not even close! Could it be a trick to get me to drop the topic? No, he’d never feign weakness.

Blinking, he got the glitching under control and the static died down. He dropped his hands and his gaze focussed on me. He was still smiling. “It’s nothing. You just surprised me.”

“That’s how you react to a surprise push? What’s going on?”

Canned laughter sounded. “I told you, it’s nothing! You should go.”

My gaze travelled to his chest and back up to his mask of a grin.

“Wait.” Some things clicked into place. “You’re hurt!” It made so much sense! That’s why he never wanted to dance, missed the meeting and why he hadn’t been up to his usual wits tonight. The bloody idiot was in pain! His lack of an immediate response was enough of a confirmation. I furrowed my brow. “Was it Adam? He hurt you with his angelic sword or something, right?”

His eyes narrowed, then he gave up the pretense. “It was a fucking electric guitar, not a sword. Can you imagine how demeaning that is?” He took a deep breath and his smile widened. “But don’t you worry, it will pass.”

“It’s been weeks! My wound has long since healed, the literal hole in Vaggie’s hand has disappeared and you can’t even dance a Charleston without stepping on my feet! Have you been to a doctor?”

His eyes narrowed and I groaned. “Of course you haven’t.”

He rolled his eyes. “Congratulations, you’ve figured it out. Yes, I’m injured and it’s not getting better, in fact, it’s been getting worse by the day. I think some shrapnel of angelic metal might be preventing my healing.”

My eyes widened. “You’ve been running around with a splinter of an electric guitar stuck in your chest? For weeks ?”

“Well, since now you know, you might as well take it out for me.”

My jaw dropped. “Me? Al, I’m not a doctor!”

“You don’t need to be. Just open the stitches and wash the splinter out with your little water powers.”

I took a step back and shook my head. “What? No! That sounds horrible!”

“You wanted someone to take a look, didn’t you? So take an actual look. I can’t do it myself.” With the snap of his fingers, he produced a pair of scissors.

I shook my head violently. Hell no! “I don’t want to hurt you!”

He grinned sharply. “Really? No wish to punish me for what I’m doing to Husk?”

If he was trying to goad me into helping him with this it wasn’t working. “In that case, I shouldn’t help you at all.”

His hand tightened around the scissors. “You just said you’d always be there for me.” His voice was low.

Ouch. I looked at him and he looked at me.

I snatched the scissors from his hand. “Bathroom.”

He followed me and I directed him to sit down at the edge of his bathtub. He undid the silk buttons of his pyjama top and shrugged it off, revealing bandages haphazardly wrapped around his chest, the ends of which were tugged in carelessly at the bottom.

He eyed me closely. “Go on, then!”

I took a deep breath and started unwrapping the bandages. Under a few layers, a red vertical spot became more and more pronounced.

Then the final round of bandages came off and I drew in a sharp breath. Right on his chest, in between reddish-grey fur, gaped a long, jagged wound. Dark red blood had seeped through the rough stitches holding the cut together. I was speechless.

He chuckled joylessly.

I shook my head and looked up at him. “This looks terrible . And incredibly painful! How are you still standing?”

He just shrugged.

I raised the scissors, then hesitated. “Don’t you want to take some pain meds before we start? Here in Hell it shouldn’t be difficult to get some stuff that will knock you out clean. I could quickly head out, find a vending machine…”

He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Sure?”

“Stop stalling!”

I swallowed hard, then pulled myself together and cut through the stitches.

He didn’t say anything, just smiled up at me placidly, but his hands clawed into the edge of the tub.

More blood seeped out the cut. I put away the bloody scissors and placed my hands on each side of the cut. Biting my lip in concentration, I carefully pushed the wound open to look inside.

A snap of static cracked, loud as thunder. I fought the instinct to apologize. He’d known this would happen. I conjured up a splash of water to wash away the blood. He didn’t move.

And then I could see them. Dozens of golden shards, each smaller than the head of a pin, gleamed at me, glistening with blood, stuck in his flesh. I groaned. “Not a shard. It’s a whole minefield! No wonder you’re not healing.”

“Well, get them out then.”

I laughed dryly. “Yeah, sure. Tweezers?”

He released a hand from the edge of the tub to conjure some and I could see the marks he’d left in the metal. Again, I fought down an apology. Instead I took the tweezers and set to work, using my other hand to hold open the wound, washing away more blood whenever necessary. It coloured the white fur on his stomach pink and darkened his trousers.

Even though I worked as fast as I could I was soon standing in a pool of red water. The static had become deafening. The only thing louder than the thundering cracks was my heartbeat in my ears. I could feel his tense muscles under my fingers as I worked and when I briefly looked at his face, his eyes were glitching again, flickering between red and black, radio dials turning. His grin was a grimace.

I pressed my lips shut and continued, trying to keep my hands from shaking, until finally I could find no more gold. “Done! I’m done! Um, needle?”

He didn’t answer nor did he conjure anything, just pointed at a shelf, his claws pressing into his palm, adding more red to the puddle below.

I hurried over, found a round needle and some string and rushed back. With my shaking hands it took me several tries to get the string through the loop and every second felt like an eternity. I forced myself to be diligent as I pulled the needle through his skin, again and again, until finally the wound was closed.

“Done!” I dried him off with my powers and grabbed a new set of bandages from the same shelf. I noticed a bottle of painkillers, too, half empty from the looks of it, but it seemed like the kind of stuff to kill a migraine, not cover the pain of near open heart surgery.

Alastor looked eerily pale. I tied the bandage and as soon as I let go, he got up, swaying.

“Careful!” I cried out, trying to offer support, but he walked right past me back to his room, where he pulled a bottle of whiskey from his cabinet and downed it all in one go.

“Heaven!”

“Not here, Willow.” His voice was dark, rough. It sounded like a radio was cutting in and out. “Not here.” He sank onto his bed, legs hanging off the edge.

My heart ached. I couldn’t find it in me to be mad right now. I remembered Husk, remembered the screams on the radio, remembered our fight a mere hour ago, but it all seemed so far away. He deserved to be in pain, yet I couldn’t bear it. I used the blanket he was lying on to pull him fully onto the bed, then wrapped him up in it as best as I could. His eyes were closed but to my disbelief he was still smiling.

I sat down on the bed next to him, pulled out my phone and texted Angel to get me some strong pain meds for my period. The first time I’d gotten my period in Hell, I wondered why that was still a thing, suspecting - and later having confirmed - that you couldn't have kids when you were dead. But once the cramps set in, it all became clear. Why would they take away any pain in Hell?

Angel texted me back a hug and a heart and promised to bring some to my room in a bit.

I looked back at Alastor. His face was glistening with sweat. I pressed the back of my hand to his cheek. He was burning up, much more than usual. I got a small wet towel from the bathroom and placed it on his forehead. He stirred but didn’t open his eyes.

I got up silently and snuck back to my room, where I washed off any blood and changed into a clean nightgown. I had just laid down, when Angel knocked.

“Come in!” I called.

He entered. “Ah, you really don’t look good, hun.”

I gave him a weak smile. No surprise there after the night I’d just had. “Yeah…”

He handed me a small bottle. “Be careful with it, will ya? It’s strong stuff.”

“Of course. Thank you, Angel.”

“No worries. I hope you feel better soon, toots.”

A pang of guilt for the lie shot through me. “Thank you.”

He grinned, then left me alone. I waited three minutes, before I slipped back out of my room, returning to Alastor’s.

What I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. Apparently, while I had been gone, Alastor had fallen asleep - or passed out.

And he wasn’t smiling.

It was as though I had stumbled in on him naked. No, much worse. I couldn't help but stare. He looked so serious, a line between his eyes betraying the pain. He looked younger. Vulnerable.

I pressed my lips together, snuck over to his bedside table and put down the meds in addition to a large decanter of water.

I hesitated. He didn’t want me to see him like this, I was sure of it. I had done everything I could, way more than anyone could expect of me. I should probably leave him alone.

I touched the towel on his head. It was hot. I sighed silently. This would be a long night.

“Willow. Sleepyhead.” Something poked my nose.

“Hmm?” I rolled onto my back and heard shuffling fabric.

A claw tipped my nose a second time.

“Stop that,” I mumbled.

“Well, how should I wake you up?” Alastor’s voice was chipper. “How do you wake someone up without them losing a limb in the process?”

Blinking, I opened my eyes to see Alastor hovering over me. Never had I thought I would be this happy to see that creepy glowing grin.

“Get up or you will be late to Charlie’s ridiculous exercises. That would put the princess in a bad mood and we don’t want that, do we?”

“I told Angel I got wiped out by my period, so he’d probably tell her that.” I looked over to the bedside table. The decanter was empty and the bottle was missing. Had he taken the pills? At least he looked like he was back to his normal self. He was wearing his usual coat again. Including the posture corrector, that madman. 

“How is your chest?” I asked.

His smile developed an edge that told me he didn’t want to dwell on it. Well, he had to tell me, after what I’d done for him.

“Much better. You got all the splinters out, it seems, I could heal it up quite well after my rest. A few more days and some downtime and I should be like new.” He hesitated. “Thank you, Willow.”

I smiled. “Glad you are feeling better.”

I yawned and stretched. I had fallen asleep on his bed with my back pressed against the headrest and now my muscles felt stiff. I got up. “I should go let the other’s know I’m fine.”

Alastor joined me wordlessly, briefly stopping by my room so I could get changed.

We could hear Charlie before the parlour came into view. She sounded even more excited than normal. Had something happened?

We walked out onto the gallery.

Alastor stopped dead in his tracks. “ Fuck .”

My blood froze and my head snapped towards him. He looked terrifying, but not in the way I was used to. The air around him was dark, the radio dials of his eyes surfacing, but his ears had dropped in a way I’d never seen before. I followed his gaze.

Down in the parlour all guests had gathered for today’s lessons. The trust fall podium was set up as well as a bunch of stacks of toy blocks for some reason. But everyone was staring at Charlie - and at the tall, ethereally beautiful woman hugging her. The family likeness was indisputable. This could only be one person.

Lilith.

Chapter Text

Part 4: Dealbreaker

“Willow! Alastor!” Charlie waved at us with both arms, looking like a small windmill. “Come, come! Ah, I’m so excited for you to meet my mom !”

So it really was Lilith, the Queen of Hell. She was stunning. Her hair was blonde and long like Charlie’s, but it was flowing almost as though she was underwater. Her heart-shaped face had a rosy colour and when she looked up at us, her plum-coloured lips curled into a radiant smile, as her clear violet eyes met mine. If I hadn’t just seen Alastor’s reaction, all I would have done was stare open-mouthed. But now I looked back at my friend instead. He appeared like his usual self. Ears perked up, a placid smile on his face.

“Come on!” Charlie called.

I opened my mouth, but Alastor swingingly grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the stairs. “Don’t let the princess wait, my dear!”

I furrowed my brow. We descended and Alastor pushed me towards Charlie. The Queen of Hell towered over me, even taller than her daughter, but she bent down to greet me, still smiling. “Willow, is it? Lilith, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Um, thanks. Nice to meet you, too, your Highness.” I curtsied and for the first time didn’t feel stupid doing so.

“Yes,” Charlie confirmed, “Willow is our third official guest! And this is Alastor, our facility manager! He graciously offered to help run the hotel and he’s been incredible, I really don’t think I could have done this without him.”

“Really?” Lilith’s gaze fell onto the Radio Demon and her smile widened. “Well then, thank you , good Sir.”

Alastor’s own smile didn’t falter. “Her wish is my command.”

“Aww!” Charlie wrapped her arms around Alastor. He hugged her back, not taking his eyes off the Queen. Charlie let him go just as quickly and took her mother’s hand, pulling her away. “Anyway, mom, let me show you around!”

The Queen followed her and it looked almost like she was floating. I was unable to take my eyes off her. And I wasn’t the only one. Everyone was gawking.

Still, I managed to step next to my group. Angel let out a low whistle. “Damn, Charlie’s mom is smokin’ !”

Cherri nodded, impressed. “She’s hot!”

“So tall!” Niffty gawked.

“She… is not what I expected from the Queen of Hell,” Baxter summarised my feelings.

I watched Charlie showing off the bar to her mom. Vaggie followed them, a loving smile on her face. Husk had not left his place behind the bar and he was the only one not greeting the Queen with a smile. Bold of him. Lilith skillfully ignored his sour look and greeted him, too, with a wide and dashing smile. I managed to tear my gaze away and look around. The other guests were still gawking. Alastor, however, had his claws so tight around the top of his mic, he was leaving dents in the carefully polished casing.

Charlie sucked in air and I focussed back on her.

“Oh! I have an idea!” She turned around and grinned at all the sinners in the room. “This needs to be celebrated! Yes, a party! All of you are invited! Oh!” She started jumping up and down. “I know! We need decorations! And a karaoke station! And games! And… How long does it take to organise a circus? Maybe I should-”

She was cut off by an incredulous shout. “ Lilith ?!”

Lucifer. He had appeared in the gallery, just like Al and I had earlier, and he didn’t try to hide his shock. His eyes were wide, his mouth open and his cane slowly rolled off the gallery and hit the ground below, clattering. Lilith looked up and their eyes met. For the first time, the Queen’s smile dimmed.

It was Angel who broke the tense silence. “Awkward…”

Charlie attempted a laugh. “Um, hi, dad! Look, mom is back! She heard of the hotel and wanted to see how I’m doing!”

Lilith went to pick up his cane. “It’s good to see you, Lucifer. You look well.”

“Yeah… you look… wonderful. As always.” Lucifer’s voice was hoarse.

Lilith laughed and it was the sound of bells chiming.

Vaggie cleared her throat. “Anyway… I think we’ll dismiss lessons for today, right, sweetie? Why don’t you take your mom up and show her our quarters?”

“Um, yes, good idea.” Charlie was still trying to regain her balance. “Oh! We also need a place for you to stay…”

Lucifer’s eyes widened in what I could only describe as absolute terror.

“Well, there are two suites below ours, aren't there?” Vaggie suggested. “I’m sure Alastor won’t mind the company.”

Something told me he very much would. What I didn’t know was why. He hated Lucifer because of his powers and his influence on Charlie. It made sense that he would feel similarly about the Queen of Hell. But his very first reaction to her hadn’t been hatred. When I’d seen his ears drop before, he’d reminded me of a hissing cat. This, however, had been a little bunny cowering from a barking dog.

Lucifer seemed to have regained some control over his face and vocal cords. “Where were you?”

Lilith slowly moved her attention back to her ex husband. “It has been a few centuries since that was your concern, Lu.” She didn’t sound cold, just a bit tired. “I was on vacation. I needed a break and I needed some time to think.”

She turned to Charlie. “I’m sorry I didn’t call, my love. But as I can see, you’ve done wonderfully in my absence!” She pulled her daughter into a warm hug.

Charlie held her tight and pressed her face against her shoulder. “It’s… it’s fine, mom. You’re here now. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, my love.”

“Aww,” Angel said in a low voice. Niffty was teary-eyed. But I was watching Lucifer, who looked like a kicked puppy, and Alastor, whose ears twitched like he was fighting hard to keep them perked up.

Lilith seemed to be lovely. I was happy for Charlie to finally have her back. Yet I couldn’t shake this deep feeling of dread that had made its way into my chest.

Charlie wanted to give her mother a tour of the hotel and literally every single guest tagged along. The only one absent from the cloud of people following the pair was Alastor, even Lucifer trotted behind, looking like a puppy left out in the rain, even his hat flapping down. I felt incredibly sorry for him. So while the happy chatter of Charlie and the pearly laughter of the Queen filled the corridor, I fell in line with the Devil. “Are you okay?”

He startled and gave a choked yelp.

I smiled apologetically. “Sorry.”

“Ah, no, no need, um… yeah, of course, of course, I’m doing fine.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sure? I can only imagine what a shock this must be.”

“Well…” He seemed torn, then it burst out of him. “It’s just been years, you know? Decades even, since I last saw her. And sure, you’d think two centuries would be enough to… you know, get over someone, but… yeah…” He ended lame.

That really was a long time to be hung up on someone. Then again… “You’re, what, 6000 years old? And you’ve been together with her for nearly as long? Two Hundred years is nothing in comparison.”

“ She seems fine,” he said with sudden indignation.

Fair point. I would have betted quite a lot of money that Lilith had broken up with him and not the other way around.

I gave him an encouraging smile. “You’re both here, and that makes Charlie so happy. And, hey, it won’t change anything about our wonderful Poker nights!” I chuckled. “I promise not to invite your ex. And if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where my room is.”

He smiled back. “Appreciated. And, um, I appreciate your concern, too, Daisy.”

It probably wasn’t the right time to tell him that he’d somehow moved even further away from my actual name. “Any time.”

In the evening, Charlie insisted on inviting us all to a grande dinner. I was a few minutes late, so all the seats near Charlie and the Queen were already occupied. I wasn’t unhappy about it, but apparently, Alastor had saved a seat for me next to him, right opposite to Lilith. I was surprised to see he’d chosen to sit that close to her. Lucifer had decidedly taken a seat at the exact opposite end of the table and looked like he wanted to disappear into his hat. I’d rather have sat with him.

But Niffty had cooked up a lovely three course meal and when she started us off with a delicious pumpkin soup I forgot my contempt.

“So, Willow,” Lilith addressed me, dapping her lips with a purple handkerchief. “I’ve heard that everyone’s room here is individually furnished! Such a wonderful idea, I’m sure it makes everyone feel really at home. Baxter just told me about his room, what does yours look like?”

I shrugged. “Not very interesting. Just a bed, some shelves… oh, and the giant fishbowl.”

She drew her eyebrows together. “Giant fishbowl?”

I laughed. “Yeah, exactly that. Alastor made it for me, as I’m some kind of sea creature.”

She chuckled. “But you’re not a goldfish . Are you being mean to the guests, Mr. Hotel Manager?”

Alastor bared his teeth. “Just carrying out requests.”

“He’s right,” I jumped to his aid. “I told him to make me something like a giant fishbowl and he decided to take it literally. I love it, it was the first thing that made me grin since arriving in Hell.”

Lilith raised a delicate eyebrow. “Really? Being made fun of was the first thing to make you smile?”

I blinked. “I… Well, that’s not how I took it.”

“It seems a little condescending to me - no offense, Sir.” She gave Alastor an apologetic smile.

“None taken.” Alastor’s smile was wide as always. “In fact, thank you for the compliment.”

Lilith laughed. “You should probably stay away from this one, Willow.”

Cherri, a few seats down, snorted. “Too late for that.”

Lilith frowned. “How so?”

Alastor answered before I could. “She’s mine.”

I furrowed my brow at him. “I’m my own person, thank you very much, that sounds like you own my soul, which you don’t.”

I could feel the anger from yesterday night bubble back up. What did he mean, I was his? He’d taunted me to give up on our deal and had answered my declaration of loyalty with kicking me out! But that was between me and Alastor and not a dinner table discussion. I turned towards the Queen. “What he’s so charmingly trying to convey is that I’m his girlfriend.”

She blinked in surprise. “Really? Treat her well, then!”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed. “Is that an order, your majesty ?”

Lilith chuckled. “Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

I furrowed my brow. What was going on here? They acted like they didn’t know each other, but there had to be history here. No way would Alastor react this agitated… this afraid of a stranger, even if it was the Queen of Hell.

Lilith had returned her attention to her meal. “Ah, this soup is delicious, but really spicy! Could I get a glass of water, please?”

Charlie immediately jumped off her seat, but before she could run to the kitchen, Alastor had already snapped his fingers and an elegant decanter filled with water appeared on the table.

“Thank you, Sir.” The Queen poured herself a glass.

I gave Alastor a side glance. That was unusually generous, especially after the subtle hostility I’d just seen on display. But he just returned to his meal, seemingly without a care in the world. When he caught my gaze, he shrugged. “I don’t think it’s all that spicy.”

I chuckled. “Of course, I’ve tasted your jambalaya.”

As Niffty dished up the second course, the conversation took other routes, and I started to relax. Lilith was funny, kind and made sure to include everyone in the conversation. And she remembered my name correctly! Talk about low bars… The whole conversation revolved around her, all eyes this side of the table turned towards her, and Charlie was beaming the entire time like a Christmas light installation in a pretentious suburban front yard.

When Alastor’s shoe bumped against mine, I thought it was an accident and moved my foot, but then his shoe bumped mine again and stayed there. I gave him a look, but he was fully focussed on Charlie and her mother. I nudged his foot, but got no response. Hm. Was he trying to tell me something? Or… was he looking for comfort? I decided to just leave it for now and tried not to get distracted by the soft pressure.

“I’m just here to test my hypothesis,” Baxter was currently explaining to Lilith. He took out his clipboard and pushed up his glasses and for a moment I thought he’d start asking her all the awkward questions he’d been pestering the rest of us with. He had even tried with Lucifer one Poker night and it had been hilarious, but at least he’d had the self-preservation to wait until he was sure the King wouldn’t just turn into a shark and bite his head off. Sadly, he just wanted to present his current findings. “I’ve been busy collecting substantial data, but I admit I haven’t yet come to a definitive conclusion. I cannot deny that some of the guests have made what could be considered progress, depending on the terms Heaven sets, which aren’t fully known. However, I need a wider array of data for a clearer result.”

Lilith just nodded. Was she as annoyed by his pseudoscience as I was?

“Buuuut, see how he couldn’t prove redemption to be impossible?” Charlie interjected. “I see that as a clear sign! It’s just a question of time, right, mom?”

Lilith looked at her daughter and something in her face made me pause.

“Mom?” Charlie repeated, when the silence started to stretch.

The Queen sighed and put down her cutlery. Her face was somber. “Charlie, I love your enthusiasm, I really do. You’re a dreamer, like your father, and that’s lovely. It’s why I fell in love with him all those centuries ago. But…”

She seemed to be searching for the right words. Charlie’s smile had dropped and she looked at her mother with concern. Vaggie had also caught on.

The Queen stroked her daughter’s cheek. “My love, I don’t think it matters whether redemption is possible or not. Heaven isn’t what you think it is. This place, Hell, this is home. And it isn’t worth less than the place up there. These people? They are your subjects. Don’t give them up to the enemy. We don’t need to get our people into Heaven. We need to make them strong, inspire them, show Heaven that we don’t need them. That we’re just as strong as them.”

The happy chatter along the rest of the table suddenly felt grossly out of place.

Charlie’s lower lip had started to quiver. “What are you saying, mom?”

Lilith sighed again. “I’m sorry, love. What I’m saying is… you need to stop this idea. This Hazbin Hotel… needs to be closed.”

Chapter Text

It took a few moments for the news to make their way across the long table, but soon there was silence. And then Lucifer’s shout: “You cannot be serious!”

Lilith looked actually surprised and she wasn’t the only one. Everyone looked at the King, but he didn’t disappear back into his hat. Instead, he was standing, hands curled into fists. “Do you have any idea how long and hard Charlie has been working on this? This hotel is our daughter’s dream! Why would you want to take that from her?”

“Not just Charlie’s dream!” I interjected. I didn’t want to be inspired, I wanted to be reunited with my grandfather! “What about our dreams?” I gestured at the table of staring sinners.

Charlie looked absolutely devastated, her eyes starting to shimmer with tears.

Lilith sighed. “I don’t want to take anything away from her. Or any of you.” She gave me a quick glance. “That’s why it’s so hard for me to say this.” She turned back to Charlie. “I know you’ve been working so hard on this project. It’s my fault for not being there to provide guidance before you started. But this isn’t the right way to help our people.”

“Shouldn’t they be allowed to decide that for themselves?” Lucifer objected. “You can’t decide for the sinners what’s best for them!”

Now Lilith furrowed her brow. “Since when do you care about the sinners? Wasn’t it your stance that they’re all awful?”

“Charlie showed me that I was wrong!” Lucifer was shaking in anger. Horns had pierced his scalp and a black spiked tail sharply flicked behind him. “There’s good in… some of them. They can change. I don’t like Heaven, but if they want to get there… Angel Dust deserves to go. Cherri does, and Maple and even the little freaky one. And it’s all thanks to our wonderful daughter! All of this…” He gestured towards the table of staring sinners. “... is because of her!”

“Dad…” A tear escaped Charlie’s eyes and rolled down her pale face.

“I…” Lilith sighed again. “Yes, I see that. And it fills me with so much pride.” She took her daughter's hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry for everyone here.” Her gaze wandered around the table, looking at each sinner in turn. Not one could hold her heavy gaze. I probably would have looked away, too, if it wasn’t for Alastor’s foot still touching mine, suddenly giving me a feeling of safety.

“But if you truly want to help these sinners, if you people truly want a better life, it’s not in Heaven. It isn’t redemption. It is rising up against the angels.”

Silence followed her words. Even Alastor’s static was quiet. Then, Charlie shook her head. Tears were gleaming in her eyes, but her expression was firm. “No, mom. I think you’re wrong. I will continue my project. This hotel belongs to dad and I am an adult. You can’t stop me.”

For a moment, Lilith looked as though she wanted to protest, but then she nodded. “Of course, love. You don’t need my approval.”

Charlie pressed her lips together and nodded. “Will you still stay? Maybe you’ll change your mind, like dad did.”

Lilith smiled a soft and sad smile. “Sure, my love. I won't leave.”

The following day, Lilith observed our exercises. Had I felt stupid before falling backwards off the trust fall podium, it increased dramatically now that the Queen of Hell furrowed her delicate brow at each strange confession. Then Charlie started her exercise of the day, which was another session on boundaries. She handed us each a cute outline of ourselves she’d drawn in black glitter marker and had us colour in places we were okay being touched in green and tabu zones in red.

I could practically feel Charlie’s nervousness under her mother’s critical gaze, as she stumbled over her words at least five times during the explanation. I focussed on the cute outline. Charlie had drawn my entire hair as well.

I was pretty sure I’d done that exercise in primary school once. However, while this was no issue for me, I could see especially Angel struggling.

“It’s not that I don’t know,” he explained to me in a low voice. “It’s just… I dunno, hard to admit, I guess.”

Cherri, on the other hand, was chewing on the back of her red marker, frowning like she’d never really thought about any of this.

Husk leaned over to us. “You don’t have to show anyone,” he told Angel. “Jus’ do it for yourself.”

I caught a glimpse of his paper. His entire shape was crudely filled in with red, from the tip of his ears to the span of his wings. Only around his paws was a blotch of white.

Niffty jumped up and proudly waved with her paper. “I’m done!”

Charlie beamed. “Oh? May I see?”

The little gremlin thrust it into Charlie’s hands. Her brow furrowed. “That’s, uh… um, could you explain that to the group, Niffty?”

I suppressed a giggle. She had carefully coloured in her shape in swirls of green and red. There was some random purple in there, too.

“It’s not pretty?” Niffty’s smile dropped.

“No, no, it is!” Charlie hurried to say. “Just, hm…”

“Why don’t you let her thrive in her chaos?” Lilith interrupted. “You see how happy she is? Why try to change that?”

I gave her an irritated look, feeling the immediate urge to come to Charlie’s aid. “Because everyone needs to know when they’re being taken advantage of!”

“Nobody hurts me,” Niffty said decidedly. “Alastor’d eat them.”

“Well, he would have to know you’ve been hurt for that, right?” I said. Thanks, Niff, for deflating my argument. “Also, not everybody can have Alastor as their patron.”

“I’m sure he takes great care of people’s boundaries,” Lilith said sarcastically.

Good point. I squinted at her. Was that just a good guess, or…? She did know him, didn’t she? But why were they pretending like they didn’t?

“How would he colour this thing?” Cherri mused. Her paper was still empty.

Angel snorted. “Well, he’d nuke you if you’d so much as poke his arm, so…”

Husk furrowed his brow. “Are you kiddin’? He’s got no boundaries at all! Niffty’s crawlin’ all over him!”

I shook my head. “It’s power-dependent for him. Took me a while to figure it out. He’s fine with touch if he feels in control. Otherwise he needs clear communication to be comfy.”

Everyone looked at me in surprise.

“I mean… he’d never admit that, but… yeah.”

This time, Charlie came to my aid. “See, Willow brought up another good point! Physical boundaries can change depending on the situation and also the people we’re with! That’s what the next part of today’s exercise is about! Who is allowed to touch you and how far?”

After the exercises, I went to search for Alastor. We needed to talk about our fight, about Lilith and about that wound of his. As mad as I still was, I needed to make sure he was really healing.

When I knocked at his door, it swung open, but when I entered I didn’t see him. I furrowed my brow, but then I saw him coming from the swamp. He greeted me with a wide smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. His static had an edge to it.

“How are you doing?” I asked him.

He inclined his head. “Splendid as always, since when are you asking?”

He was lying.

“Since I know you have a gaping cut down your chest!”

“Ah, that.” He waved me off. “It’s fine.”

“Show me.”

“Why? I told you, I healed it up,” he said curtly.

“You would tell me the same if it was still terrible. I could also smack you in the chest again, but I’d rather just take a look.”

Something flickered in his eyes and I guessed he also remembered our fight, but he didn’t mention it. “If I show you the scar, will you never talk of this again?”

“Deal.”

Without further resistance he took off his coat. I watched as he unclipped his posture corrector, took off his tie and pulled his shirt over his head. I had to smile when it indeed briefly got stuck on his antlers.

Alastor opened his arms. “There. Are you satisfied, my insistent friend?”

I became serious. His chest was no longer wrapped in bandages and I couldn’t see any blood either. A long, ragged scar crossed his reddish-grey chest down to his white stomach. It was mostly covered by fur.

“May I?” I asked.

He sighed. “If you must.”

I stepped towards him and raised a hand. Carefully, I pushed the fur apart to look at the cut. I was immediately distracted. Last time, I had been too consumed by the horror of the situation, by all the blood and my task to pull tiny splinters from his flesh, to notice how soft his fur was. I felt the urge to pet him like a cat, but if I did, he’d probably smack my hand like one. I focussed on the cut. It really was mostly healed. It still looked a little red, but it was fully closed and didn’t feel hotter to the touch than the rest of him. I hadn’t done a great job stitching him up though. The scar was bumpy and irregular. I followed it with a finger from top to bottom. I could feel Alastor tense under my touch.

“Sorry.” I took a step back. “Yep, I’m satisfied.”

He picked up his shirt and pulled it over his head. I had to smile again, as his ears flopped back up once freed from the fabric. I looked him in the eyes. “Glad to see you’re really okay.”

“Of course. Have some trust, my dear.”

Trust. How fitting. I took a deep breath. “About that night-”

He interrupted me. “I think you deserve some reward for your aid in my healing. I understand that it wasn’t exactly your area of expertise, so let me pay you back.”

“I - huh? I mean… thank you, I guess.” I was thrown off. That was a first! “But you don’t have to. You’re my friend, of course I helped.”

His ears twitched at my words. “I’m afraid I must insist.”

“Well… What did you have in mind?”

“What would you say to a massage?”

“Oh?” My eyes widened.

“Lay down, my friend!” He materialised cross legged on his bed and patted the mattress next to his knee.

Well, how could I refuse? I bit back the words I’d been about to say and sat down next to him. “Sure. Only…” I laughed. “I don’t actually like the type of massage I give you.”

He inclined his head. “Is that so? Well, in that case you got unlucky, I’m afraid.”

“You can still treat me. It’s not even difficult.” I held out my hand to him.

He raised an eyebrow. “What am I supposed to do with that, bite it?”

“No! Well…” In a flash, the memory of him licking the blood from my hand came back. The thought was shockingly exciting.

Of course he caught my hesitation. “Well?”

“Nothing. What I meant was that I like how it feels when you play with my fingers like you sometimes do when you’re bored while we’re out. You can go up my arm, too.”

He shrugged. “I don’t see the appeal, but very well.”

I tried not to be disappointed that he didn’t press about my hesitation. As he took my hand, I closed my eyes. He started running his claws over the back of my hand, my palm, each finger, then up my arm to the strap of my dress resting on my shoulder. I could feel goosebumps on my skin and a shiver down my spine. I smiled.

But before I could even start to relax and enjoy myself, the static filling the room tensed. “How do you do this for hours?” Alastor asked. “I’m already bored.”

I opened my eyes to roll them at him. “That fast?”

He shrugged.

I sighed. “Read a book then, that’s what I do when massaging you.”

“I’m not in the mood to read.” His smile turned into a grin. “But I do have an idea how to make this more interesting.”

His talon stopped on my palm and its point pressed into my skin, not quite enough to pierce it, but of course I knew what he was getting at. I bit my lip. This was the moment to scold him for teasing me again and to tell him to get a book.

He raised an eyebrow as he didn’t get the expected reaction. Studying my face, he punctured my skin. When I flinched his grin widened. Yet I still didn’t pull away. What if I just let him do it? I couldn’t deny that I was curious.

He pressed the soft part of his finger into my palm and a drop of blood welled from the tiny mark and ran down his claw. I could feel my heart beat fast against my ribs. Was I really okay with this? Did I really want this?

“For some astonishing reason you haven’t yelled at me yet, so you might just as well say yes or that goes to waste,” Alastor said.

I pushed aside my doubts. I nodded. “Alright, go ahead.”

A flash of surprise passed over his eyes, as though despite his confidence he hadn’t actually believed I’d agree. Well, I hadn’t thought so either.

I closed my eyes as he brought my hand up to his smile. Then I felt the soft touch of his tongue tickling my palm. It was a different sensation to the stroke of his talons, but no less pleasant. His finger passed over the prick and the slight sting disappeared, but his talons continued their way across my hand and without warning he scratched its back. Again I flinched and drew in a sharp breath, but I knew what would happen next. He licked along the cut leaving a tingling trail, then his claws moved on up my arm. My heart was beating fast. I could feel the gentle stroke of his talons so much more clearly, my senses heightened by the anticipation of sudden pain. I didn’t like the sting of each cut, but it got drowned out by the warmth that was growing under my skin.

He made his way back down from my shoulder to my hand, and suddenly his smile closed around the side of my index finger, a warm, soft touch, almost a kiss. Sharp teeth grazed my skin, sending a feeling similar to his talons through my nerves, but also setting me on even higher alert.

I opened my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. He was still studying me closely and there was a dark glow in his eyes. Something dangerous. But I wasn’t in any more danger than I was at any other point in his presence. I nodded.

He bit me. The pain was fiercer than the shallow cuts. I jolted, but he kept my hand in a steady grasp. As the pain faded I could feel his lips again and my blood hot on my skin. He sucked it up, an entirely new sensation, and I could feel a flutter in my chest. I closed my eyes again as he moved on, his teeth trailing across my hand, until they found the soft webbing between my thumb and index finger and I was once again surprised by sharp pain. I breathed through it, the sound of my quick breaths mixing with the soothing tock of my clock and the blanket of expectant static.

Whenever my punctured skin didn’t give any more blood, he moved on to the next finger. Once he was done with the last one, he lowered my hand. I opened my eyes once more. He grinned at me and there was blood on his teeth. My blood.

I wasn’t ready to face reality. I wasn’t willing to stop and think. I wanted more. Keeping his gaze, I used my free hand to brush my hair to one side and inclined my head, bearing my neck.

“Really?” His surprise was audible.

“One time offer.” I didn’t sound quite like myself.

Alastor’s grin widened, then he let go of my hand, his fingers stroking up my arm to grab my shoulder. I closed my eyes as he came closer. I could feel the heat of his body, then his smile on the soft skin of my neck. First, it was just his lips, stroking my skin, getting me accustomed to the touch, and it was fire in my veins. But as he moved up and down my neck, testing the skin, his teeth grazing the curve, anticipation and apprehension were building simultaneously. Then the movement stopped and I could feel his teeth denting my skin like a row of sharp knives. My hands curled to fists in the blanket and I stopped breathing. He could probably feel my pulse with his lips, going fast. And with a jolt I realised what he was actually getting out of this. He was enjoying my fear, the control, the power. My blood was just a tasty bonus.

But before I could form any opinion on this his teeth pierced my skin. I actually yelped from this new level of pain, but his talons dug into my shoulders, keeping me in place. And the pain ebbed off and was overtaken by the sensation of his smile pressing against me, sucking at my skin, his tongue finding the dip above my collar bone. I lifted my arms and buried my hands in his hair, pressing his head to my neck. He pushed me down, and I fell back readily, his smile not leaving my skin. Sheets rustled as he braced himself on his elbows either side of me.

He bit me again, this time a little further up the neck, with no warning. I hissed and dug my nails into his scalp, grabbing his hair. He chuckled and licked up the side of my neck along the vein, tasting my pulse, and a sigh slipped from my throat. Immediately he did the same thing again and though I didn’t know if he did it for me or because he liked my reaction, I smiled.

I felt talons brush aside the hair on the other side of my neck, running down the line from my ear to the strap of my dress on my shoulder, followed by the soft touch of his lips. I scratched my nails up his scalp, holding on to him. He brushed his lips over my neck and down to my shoulder, nibbled at my collar bone, then his hand came up and pushed my shoulder into the mattress. I knew what was going to happen. When his teeth sank into my skin, I groaned, as my body had already half forgotten how it hurt. I dug my nails into his head, waiting for the pain to ebb and the warmth to return, but this time, Alastor didn’t let go. I hissed, as the pain grew stronger. I pulled at his hair. A whimper escaped my lips. I could hear his joy in the static filling the air.

“Al, stop!”

I could feel his reluctance. But he let go and healed me, then pressed his lips to my neck again to feel my rushing pulse.

I was suddenly extremely tired. I opened my eyes and blinked away my stupor. Alastor drew back and sat down next to me, one leg pulled up to his chest. He looked almost scarily normal, except for a smear of blood running from his smile to his chin.

I didn’t know what to say. I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. My arms and neck were still tingling and in some places faintly burning. I looked at my hands. Smears of red stained my greenish skin. I could only assume how my shoulders looked.

“You have some table manners,” I said jokingly, mostly to push through the incredible awkwardness that was building inside me. “Leaving leftovers.”

He grinned and pushed me back down, then started to systematically lick up the remaining blood. I closed my eyes once more and raked my hands through his hair, taking a moment to scratch the spot behind his ears he particularly liked and was rewarded with a purr of static.

“Now I feel like this was more of a reward for you than for me,” I mused when he drew back.

He laughed. “It was more thrilling than expected.” He wiped blood from his chin and licked it off his fingers. “You’re really tasty.”

I had to force myself to look him in the eyes, to fight that voice in my head that was screaming ‘Oh my God , what the Heaven did I do, am I insane ?!’. It wasn’t reasonable. I had enjoyed myself. Nobody had been hurt - well, I had been, but that was beside the point. I had enjoyed being hurt. Oh God, was I a masochist? Was that even possible being asexual? Well, he sure pulled off combining being a sadist with being ace.

Alastor gave me a toothy grin. “Be aware that I’m holding back so much teasing right now.”

I bopped his arm, unable to manage a smart retort. He chuckled. He seemed in a much better mood than when I had come in.

“I do have one question, however,” he said conversationally. “Was that really a one time offer?”

I sighed. “Probably not - but no promises!”

His grin widened and I couldn’t help but smile. Ah, why couldn’t he always be like this? 

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring up our fight, not after this . I decided to count his “reward” as an apology and let it slide, one final time.

“What now?” he asked. “Ready for a dance?”

I grinned. “If my circulation allows me with the blood loss I-”

There was a knock on the door. A delicate knock. Alastor’s eyes narrowed.

“Just pretend you’re not here,” I whispered.

He dissolved into shadows and reappeared at the door. Like I had expected, Lilith was behind it.

“I have a guest,” Alastor said instead of a greeting.

Lilith blinked, then she smiled sweetly. “Really?”

She looked past him and found me sitting on the bed. I fought the reflex to check my arms and neck for drops of blood. Hopefully, Al had been thorough. She gave me a smile. “Ah, hello Willow. I just wanted to pay my floormate a little visit, say hello. Dear Charlie didn’t give me a second to breathe!” She laughed.

I smiled back. “Um, hi. Sure?”

She turned back to Alastor. “Can we have a word?”

“Of course,” he replied without pause. “Willow, darling, I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone dancing.”

I furrowed my brow. “Okay? Just come by later.”

I watched as the door fell shut behind him and the Queen. Hm. I didn’t like this. What did she want from him? I somehow felt the urge to go back inside, not to leave him alone with her. Or was I seeing things? I really had to talk to him about this, ask him what was up.

Finally, I turned around and went back downstairs. In my room, I took a very long, very cold shower. I examined my arms. No marks, no stains. But I could still feel his teeth on my skin.

Decidedly, I put on music and sang along while tidying up as I waited for Alastor.

He didn’t come.

Chapter Text

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t have left Alastor alone with Lilith the night before. Even though they both acted like they didn’t know each other - and what reason did they have to lie - I couldn’t forget the strange way they talked to each other and the fear I had seen in Alastor’s eyes.

I tried to tell myself that he was okay. There could have been a number of reasons Alastor didn’t show up after their talk, ranging from him also having trouble dealing with our last interaction to simply not being in the mood for a dance.

Yet when I didn’t see him the following day, the worry hardened to a tight knot in my stomach. After the exercises, I completed my radio work and went up to Alastor’s tower to deliver it. I silently opened the trap door, in case he was on air as he often was during this time, but I didn’t hear anything. Perhaps he wasn’t there. I climbed up.

He was there. He was standing at his desk, hands firmly planted on the wood, his head down and immediately I could feel something was wrong.

“Hey,” I said softly. “Al? Is everything okay?”

He didn’t respond, but his talons had clawed marks into the desk. I took that as a definite no. I took a careful step closer. He wasn’t wearing his coat and his bowtie was hanging loosely around his neck.

“What’s up? Did something happen?”

Finally he acknowledged my presence and turned around. His smile looked stitched and the static surrounding us was uncomfortably thick. “No broadcast tonight. I’m afraid, I’m not in the mood.”

“Yeah, I can see that. What’s wrong, you’re worrying me.”

“That means you should leave.”

I blinked. “Are you sure? You can talk to me, you know?”

His eyes narrowed and his grin turned into a snarl, but I had noticed something else. There were marks on his neck, dark spots on his grey skin that was usually covered by his collar. They hadn’t been there last time, when I’d checked on his chest scar. My eyes widened in shock. Had he been hurt again? Lilith ? But why? How ?

“Al,” I said quietly. “What happened there?” I reached up to touch the spots.

“No!” He caught my hand, nearly crushing my fingers.

I flinched. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Oh, you meant .” His eyes glowed in the sudden darkness. “I don’t need your sympathy, little girl. I spend time with you solely because you’re entertaining and right now you’re not.”

His words stung like a slap to the face. I scrambled for words. “As if you-”

“You will leave my tower instantly and never pester me with such questions again.” Alastor bent down until his face was mere inches from mine. He tightened his painful grip on my hand as his antlers twisted and grew. “Or I will rip out your tongue and bury you in the swamp. Understood?”

I just stared at him, stared into those scary eyes that I had thought I knew so well. But I was looking into a dark abyss. And for the first time in many months I was afraid.

I whirled around and bolted from the room. I slid down the beams, nearly falling twice, as tears were already streaming down my face, making it hard to see. I didn’t stop running until I reached my room and curled up on my bed. I was shaking violently, my heart was racing, my breath between the sobs frantic. I hugged my legs tightly and pressed my face to my knees.

That was it. Here it was, the moment where my decisions finally caught up with me. Husk had been right. I’d known this would happen. Alastor was a psychopath and he only put up with me as long as it was to his benefit. Now his true feelings towards me were out.

A painful sob tore itself from my chest. I still felt cold from the fright, yet hot from crying at the same time.

No. He didn’t deserve my tears. I tried to compose myself, pressing my lips together and wiping my face ferociously with the hem of my dress. He’d wanted to scare me, to hurt me. I shouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

I tried to take deep breaths. Each one quivered, but less so than the last one. And as I slowly calmed down, so did my thoughts. And the image of Alastor towering over me was replaced by other memories: How he’d thanked me after I healed him. His apologies for teasing me. Those genuine smiles he gave me. That fear in his posture when I told him I’d be there for him. Alastor did care about me. He could deny it all he liked, he could threaten to put me in the ground, but I knew better.

Or did he just want me to believe that, because it was helpful to him? I groaned. Not those thoughts again! I’d thought I’d put those worries behind me!

But in the end it didn’t really matter, did it? He’d just threatened to kill me, there was no coming back from that! I should end our deal right now and find myself some real friends.

Only… It was obvious that he’d been in distress. That didn’t excuse his behaviour, but it explained it. If he’d acted out of fear I could maybe forgive him. If he apologised. Which would never happen.

Well, or it had just been his mask slipping in a moment of distress. But how would I know?

I realised I’d been vacantly staring at the wall for several minutes. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Great, my crying had left dozens of tiny bruise marks under my eyes. I would have to buy makeup to hide that.

I changed into a light dress and climbed into my fishbowl to calm down. After a while, my heartbeat slowed and I could feel my muscles relaxing. This wasn’t the end of the world. I could deal with-

There was a knock on my door. Alastor. I knew the way he knocked by now. Immediately, all the anger and hurt bubbled back up. What did he want? Did it matter? No, actually not. I rose to the surface and called: “No!”

Silence. Then another knock.

“No!” I called louder, but still calmly, just in case he hadn’t heard me the first time. But I knew he had. He just didn’t know what to do now. I stifled a surprised laugh as I realised that I had never answered ‘no’ to his knock before. Sometimes I’d said ‘One minute!’ so I could get ready, but I had always at least heard him out before telling him I was too tired or not in the mood for whatever he wanted that time. Wow. What did that say about me?

“Willow?” he asked, having the audacity to sound surprised.

“No,” I repeated.

Silence again. My thoughts were racing, trying to find the right words for when he would inevitably open the door anyway, the right reaction. Should I just ignore him? Tell him to leave? Or maybe hear him out after all? Maybe…

The door stayed closed. Oh. Immediately I could feel my anger dim down.

No. I called the image of him towering over me back before my eyes, recalled the threat in his voice and my determination returned. Yes, I could forgive him. But he’d have to work to make this right. No saving from muggers, no wounds of his, no thrilling “reward” would make me just put this to rest.

For the entire evening I anxiously waited for Alastor to return, to knock, barge in or simply materialise in my room, anything to make me comply with what he wanted. But the evening turned to night. And he never came.

Chapter Text

The next day, I forged a plan. Well, if he didn’t want me to be his friend, then I wouldn’t be. No dancing, no singing, no joint cooking, no massages. No hanging out in my room because he was bored. But I wouldn’t make a scene about it. He thrived on chaos and anger. I wouldn’t give that to him.

So I made sure not to show my hurt to anyone. I participated in today’s exercises, trying my best to ignore Lilith’s comments. It seemed like Lilith had finally accepted Charlie’s decision and instead of criticising her every move, she had now started giving advice. While Charlie was over the moon about this, I didn’t trust Lilith one bit. Besides, her constant interjections, correct as they may have been, were incredibly annoying.

In the afternoon, I spent three hours compiling the gossip of the day for Alastor’s show, just like I did every day. I made suggestions, I highlighted interesting parts. But I didn’t make a single snarky remark in the side notes, no inside jokes.

When the time came to hand in my work, my heart was racing. I wasn’t ready to face him. Maybe I could just slip the notes under the door to his room? Or just not hand it in at all? It wasn’t like I was under any kind of work contract. But no, I didn’t want to be guided by fear. I wouldn't give him any kind of control over me.

So I went up to his tower. My hands slippery from sweat, I almost slid off the metal timber-frame. My heart skipped a beat and I hugged the beam tightly. Seriously, why hadn’t that idiot installed a ladder yet? He easily could have, with the new hotel! Did he like seeing me struggle? The anger gave me the confidence boost I needed to finish the rest of the way and face him.

When I opened the trapdoor, I half expected him to look like yesterday, in his demon form, clothes ruffled. But no. He was on air, his voice cheerful, his suit and tie immaculate, his smile bright. His collar obstructed the view of his neck. Had he really been hurt by Lilith or had I been seeing things? Was he in danger? Should I talk to Charlie, or maybe Lilith herself, to - no. He’d said I shouldn’t worry about him, so I wouldn’t. At least not for now.

I silently placed my notes on his desk. He gave me a smile and a nod. I returned the nod, not the smile and turned around. He caught my wrist and I winced. When I looked at him, I saw his raised eyebrows. Hm. Was he playing dumb or was he actually stupid? I freed my hand and left.

Days passed. I kept myself busy with my work and Charlie’s exercises and instead of spending my evenings dancing, I read and painted, alone.

It didn’t take Alastor long to catch on that something was wrong. He tried to get my attention numerous times, but I managed to avoid him. Until finally, one evening, he caught me in the lounge. Angel was kindly modelling for my current drawing, even though he’d been disappointed when I’d told him to please keep his clothes on.

Alastor stopped right in front of me, blocking my view of my model. “Are you ignoring me?”

I didn’t say anything. Answering that question with ‘yes’ was about the same amount of stupid as answering ‘yes’ to ‘are you sleeping?’. I tilted my sketchpad and started shading Angel’s eyes.

Angel must have thought we were looking like an old married couple bickering. He didn’t know what had transpired. And my behaviour might have seemed petty, but I knew that for Alastor, not getting the attention he wanted was about the worst punishment and therefore exactly what he deserved right now.

He narrowed his eyes. “Stop that! It’s irritating.”

I switched to a softer pencil.

“Willow…” His tone was dark, threatening, but I didn’t pay him any mind. Oh, he could bury me in the swamp alright, that would give him my attention. But it wouldn’t be the type of attention he wanted.

It was funny, I realised. Nothing was better at showing me that he did care about me than him angrily staring me down. He could force me to do anything, but I’d hate him for it, so he didn’t do it. I almost smiled victoriously, but I kept my face even.

In the end he had two choices: Swallow his pride and apologise or walk away and pretend like he didn’t need me anyway. Of course he decided on the second option. I waited until he was most definitely gone, before I looked up and acknowledged Angel’s smirk.

“Filing for divorce?” he asked.

I sighed. “Something like that.”

“Oooh, what’s the tea?”

“Honestly… not sure I can explain.”

“Try me.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, he… crossed a line.”

Immediately, Angel’s expression shifted from amused to worried. “I hope he didn’t hurt ya, toots?”

I shook my head. “No, no, not really. Not physically. He just said something that was really not okay. And… he scared me. Don’t worry, I’m okay, just… disappointed.”

Angel relaxed. “I see. Soo, you broke up?” He grinned at my glare. “The deal, I mean.”

I shook my head slowly. “I know this should have been a dealbreaker, but… well, it’s Hell and this is the bloody Radio Demon. I can forgive him. But for once he’s got to earn it.”

“Oho! Well, that’s gonna be fun to watch.”

Despite myself, I had to grin. “Yeah, honestly. It’s going to be one Hell of a ride.”

I couldn’t have been more right. That night, Alastor knocked at my door. I considered just not responding at all, but he knew I was in here.

“No!” I called.

There was a moment of silence, then he opened the door anyway. Immediately, rage bubbled up inside my chest. “Back to not respecting my privacy, are we?”

“Well, what am I supposed to do?” He sounded just as angry. “You keep ignoring me.”

I forced my voice to stay level. “Alastor, do you really think I’ll just gloss over the fact that you threatened to kill me ? I won't just pretend like nothing happened. This is your mess to fix. And if you can’t figure out how by yourself, feel free to ask… literally anyone. I’m sure even Baxter could give you the answer.”

“Why don’t you just tell me?” His voice was thick with static. “Shall I give you a massage, make you a Pavlova, what do you want?”

I couldn't believe it. He couldn’t actually be that stupid. He just didn’t want to admit guilt, so he wouldn’t apologise. Ah, why was he so frustrating? He was obviously unhappy with the state of our relationship, couldn’t he just swallow his pride for once? I groaned. “Get out.”

His eyes were blazing. “Very well.”

He picked up his mic and left, pulling the door shut behind him.

I was not happy.

Alastor didn’t approach me again. It was almost like he’d decided that he was going to match my energy by ignoring me, too. As the days passed, my fury slowly turned more and more into sadness. I missed him, his stupid jokes, his commentary, his energy. Was this just going to be the new status quo? But, like me, he hadn’t dropped our deal. That must have accounted for something, right?

I tried to cheer myself up by gathering people for a card game. Ever since Lilith showed up, our poker nights had gotten rare, and I decided to do something about that.

Cherri and Angel were immediately up for it. Husk happily agreed to deal. I couldn’t find Charlie and Vaggie, but I found Baxter in his room, where Niffty was in the process of draping him from head to toe in bug-leg-art. He seemed happy to be rescued.

Lastly, I went up to ask Lucifer with Angel and Cherri in tow. It took him surprisingly long to open.

“Poker?” Cherri asked when he finally stuck his head out the door.

“I-uh…” I could see opposing thoughts raging war on his face. “I don’t know, I’m not sure I’m in the mood. Y-you know, because, uh, it gets a bit frustrating to lose all the time.”

I frowned. Losing had never bothered him before. Was he hiding something? Or was he hiding from Lilith? I realised I hadn’t seen him downstairs in a while… 

“C’mon, you’re not even losing that consistently anymore,” Cherri argued.

Angel smiled a toothy grin. “I’m sure we can find a way to spice things up. We could play strip-poker! Loser drops an item of clothing.”

I gave him a death-glare.

But Lucifer’s gaze brightened, distracted from whatever had been on his mind. “Oh, that sounds fun!”

He’d probably think differently, if Charlie were part of the game.

Cherri shrugged. “Yeah, why not. With his track record Lucifer’s gonna be naked in, like, ten minutes, I ain’t passing on a chance to see the King of Hell’s crown jewels.”

I huffed. “Cherri, do you see how many layers Luce is wearing? Coat, vest, boots, socks, trousers, shirt and even a hat! Do you know what I’m wearing?” I gestured toward myself. “A dress and shoes! That’s literally it!”

Cherri shrugged, took out some bubble gum and popped it into her mouth. “Well, it’s not my fault you're unprepared.”

“I can take off two things for each loss,” the devil offered.

I sighed. “Thanks, Luce. You all head downstairs, I’ll stop by my room to get changed.”

When I joined the rest in the lounge, wearing tights, socks, a three layer dress, a shirt, a coat, gloves and a hat, Angel was pitching the idea to the rest.

Baxter took out his clipboard and pushed up his glasses. “It could reveal new data.” He missed Niffty's hungry gaze.

Husk groaned.

“What?” Cherri asked. “You’re the dealer, you’re safe.”

Angel blinked like he’d miscalculated something.

“Well, that’s not my…” Husk started, then he shook his head. “Yeah, alright, why not.”

“Husk, please give me good cards,” I joked.

He rolled his eyes and started dealing. Either Husk was really cheating in my favour, or I just got lucky, but many rounds later I was still sweating in my coat. Everyone else was in varying stages of undress, with Angel - who I suspected to lose on purpose - being fully naked except for his boots and Lucifer - who was just still terrible at this game - wearing nothing but a pair of bright yellow undies decorated with outlines of rubber ducks. They didn’t seem to mind the occasional guest passing through the lounge.

The door opened and of all people, Alastor walked in. He looked like he was just going to pass through, but when his gaze fell onto our group, he came to quite the abrupt halt and there was a screech of static. His gaze wandered from one person to the next. When it fell onto Lucifer, lounging on the couch, he looked him up and down. “It’s a miracle you managed to keep a wife for that long.”

The Devil nearly fell off the couch. “ Excuse me?!”

“Apology accepted,” Alastor said cheerfully.

I frowned. “Al, could you just not be mean, at least once ?”

Angel turned around to Alastor. “Smiles! Wanna join in?”

He was spared a response to either of us by the sudden arrival of Charlie and Vaggie. Lucifer gave a high pitched yelp and dived behind the couch, but his daughter wasn’t looking at him anyway. She seemed angry . Her eyes had turned red and her horns protruded from her forehead, a tail was flicking agitatedly. 

Vaggie looked just as livid. “It’s too dangerous, Charlie!”

“It’s just a party, Vaggie!” Charlie’s voice quivered. “I’ve been planning this for a month! I even booked an imp circus, I can’t just cancel-”

“The Overlords want this hotel gone!” Vaggie was shouting now. “They’re just waiting for an opportunity to destroy everything we've built. And they’ve been eerily quiet the past weeks, that can’t bode well!”

I followed the fight with increasing concern. I hadn’t known Charlie was still planning that party she’d announced the day Lilith arrived. And since when did Vaggie have a problem with that? Since when did she have a problem with anything Charlie did? And how did she know about the other Overlord’s plans? I hadn’t told her what was discussed at the meeting I attended. Alastor?

“I can take care of my hotel!” Charlie’s eyes were blazing. “This party is for my mom . Who I haven’t seen in seven years !”

“Well, and whose fault is that, hm? Not yours and certainly not mine!” Vaggie’s hands were curled into shaking fists.

Her girlfriend staggered a step back. “Why would you… Don’t insinuate… Do you expect me not to forgive her, when I’ve forgiven you ?”

Vaggie stared at her. When she spoke, her voice was eerily calm. “I understand. Well, have fun with your party.” With that, she stormed off, hair crackling behind her, and threw the door shut. Moments later, Charlie dissolved into tears.

We were all still trying to catch our bearings, yet everyone from Baxter over Angel, who was still naked, to Lucifer, who had scrambled into his clothes, dived to somehow comfort her, but before we were anywhere close to her, the door behind her opened and Lilith came in, looking worried. She immediately rushed to her daughter’s side. “Oh, my love, what happened? Are you okay?”

Charlie fell into her mother’s arms and sobbed against her chest. The Queen stroked her back.

“I…” Charlie got cut off by a hiccup. “I just had a fight with Vaggie!”

“Oh no, my poor baby! Why, was she mean to you?” Lilith asked in a low voice.

“N-no… I mean, yes? I don’t know what happened! I was just talking about… about the party and how this is all so difficult to plan and she got really mad for some reason…” She sniffed. “M-maybe she is right and it’s too dangerous. Maybe I shouldn’t throw the party after all.” She looked devastated.

“Now, now, my dear.” Alastor stepped past Lucifer, who looked like he’d been about to say something, and patted Charlie on the head. “You know this hotel is under my protection. As if I’d allow that walking picture box or any of those other dimwits to come in here and ruin my project!” He chuckled. “A party sounds delightfully entertaining! Don’t you worry, sweetheart, I’ll provide you with everything you need. Ball pit, bouncy castle, your wish is my command. You want a circus? I’ll get you one, if I have to kill the ringleader to do so.”

Charlie hiccuped and rubbed the tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Al. You are the best.”

Lucifer looked like a deflated balloon. Once again, I felt sorry for him. I should be happy that Charlie had so many people to comfort her, that Alastor made the effort to cheer her up and support her like that, yet it felt strangely coordinated.

Wait, was that what had happened that evening? Had Lilith seen how Alastor treated everyone, thus came in, threatened and hurt him so he’d behave? Could she do that? Would she do something like that? It was hard to believe, seeing how she held Charlie in a gentle embrace.

I sighed inwardly. I just couldn’t stop caring about Alastor. But what could I reasonably do? He would just threaten to rip out my tongue again if I tried talking about it. Charlie wouldn’t believe any of it. And I couldn’t really just confront Lilith with my suspicions. Best case, she'd shrug them off, worst case, she’d coordinate something against me, too. Lucifer perhaps? I saw his crushed look. No, he had enough to deal with.

I tried to focus on Charlie. One issue at a time. “Is there some way we can help?”

All three finally acknowledged the rest of us. I intently avoided Alastor’s gaze and focussed on Charlie and her mum.

Lilith furrowed her delicate brow. “Angel Dust, why are you naked? Lu, you’re wearing your shirt inside-out.”

Charlie ignored her. “Could you maybe talk to Vaggie?” Her eyes were still shiny with tears.

“I’ll do that,” Husk hummed.

“Thank you.” Charlie sniffed. “You’re the best.”

It got even harder to convince Lucifer to join our card games after that. In general, I had the feeling he was getting worse. And not just him. There had been a constant drop out of guests after that initial wave left, but it had been usually about one per week. Now, I noticed our group shrinking at a much greater rate. I wasn’t the only one to notice. Charlie increased her efforts, sometimes going as far as inviting us all out for dinner, which kind of felt like bribery. But when she asked the remaining guests, nobody could tell her a reason. I, for one, saw a very glaring correlation, but I couldn’t find it in me to tell her.

After one such disappointing morning of exercises, I went to join Husk at the bar, hoping our silent coexistence would cheer me up. However, it seemed like today he was preoccupied with his own thoughts. My glass was empty for a total of two minutes before he noticed and asked me for a refill.

“Is everything okay, Husk?” I asked.

“Hm? Yeah, sure.”

I raised my brows. “Really? I know you’re usually the one listening to other people’s complaints, but I don’t mind if you come to me for a change. My drinks just aren’t as good.”

He chuckled. “Appreciated.” Then he groaned. “Well… you can keep a secret, right?”

I blinked. “Sure.”

“A’ight.” He took out a glass and poured himself a whiskey. “It’s… Angel.”

“Oh?”

“Mh. I can’t help but notice… He keeps saying things… Ah, fuck it, I know he’s into me.”

I fought hard to keep my jaw from dropping all the way to the table. Sure, I, too, had suspected, but somehow I hadn’t thought… well, if I’d figured it out, of course Husk had as well.

“And… now you’re worried it might ruin your friendship? Or…” I caught his gaze and there was a seldom insecurity in it. I failed to keep my jaw up. “Wait. You like him, too?” I exclaimed.

“Shhhhh!” He growled at me, then took a large gulp of whiskey. “It doesn't matter, okay? Angel don’t need no lover. Not with what he goes through every day. Maybe one day, when he’s out of that contract… But before that he’ll be redeemed - no matter the shit Charlie’s mother spouts - while I’ll stay here.”

It took a moment for all that to sink in. “Why?” I asked finally. “Why won’t you get to Heaven? That little speech there would be enough for me to send you right up.”

He gave me one of his rare smiles. “Thanks, kid. But redeeming Angel is one thing. Me… I did things you don’t wanna know.”

I was still convinced that Husk had one of the best chances at redemption, but it wasn’t worth arguing about. “Okay, so do I understand this correctly that you are avoiding Angel’s advances, because you’re afraid a relationship wouldn’t be healthy for him right now?”

Husk shrugged uncomfortably. “Pretty much, yeah. And I hate it. You wanted to know what’s on my mind, now you do.” He finished his drink.

“Hm.” I nodded. “I get it. Very noble of you.”

He snorted.

“I mean it! And… you’re probably right. It can’t be easy to get into a healthy relationship while still being in an abusive one. But at the same time… If there is someone who could guide him into one, it’d be you. And this is Hell. If we find true connection… shouldn’t we hold on to that?”

He was silent as he contemplated my answer, stroking the rim of his glass. Finally, he looked me in the eyes. “You mean like you and Alastor?”

I felt like he’d dumped a bucket of ice water on me. “I…”

Husk chuckled. “Sorry, kid. I know you two had a fight. Why didn’t you tell me?”

I furrowed my brow. “Yeah, well… I didn’t feel like getting a bunch of ‘I-told-you-so’s. How did you find out? Angel? Or were we just very obvious in our angry stares?”

Husk raised a feathered brow. “No, Alastor told me.”

I blinked. “What? Really ?”

Husk snorted. “Yup. ‘cause he wanted to know what to do now.”

I laughed in surprise. “Really?” I repeated. “He asked for advice ? Heavens, he must be desperate!” So he knew it was on him to make this right and he was intending to fix it. That sure was some news! I couldn’t help but smile.

“Apparently.” Husk sounded amused. “Especially since he forgot to forbid me from tellin’ you about it. So of course I had to do just that.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “And, did you tell him to get over himself and apologise?”

He looked me straight in the eyes. “No. I told him if he really cared about you, he should end your stupid deal and get as far away from you as possible.”

I blinked. “Oh.” Would Alastor do that? Should he do that? Maybe… But I didn’t want him to. And… maybe I was being too optimistic, but despite him threatening to dismember me, the fact he was asking Husk for advice made me feel more than ever like we could be actual friends. Husk must have been able to see the struggle on my face. He sighed. “I know I’m fightin’ a lost cause here. But I admit, him comin’ up to me at the bar at two in the bloody mornin’ to ask for advice was… new.”

I tried to hide how much I was cheering inside. “Anyway, thank you for telling me. And thank you for your trust with your thoughts about Angel.”

He gave me a lopsided grin. “I appreciate you listenin’.”

I smiled. “Any time.”

So Alastor was working on an apology. I couldn’t think of anything else, when I went up to his tower to hand in my work later that day. It had been quite fruitless, just like the last couple of days. News were slow, almost eerily so. No news from the Vees, no squabbles between greater Overlords, only small scale turf-wars and the arrival of some new sinners who’d been notable on Earth. I would have liked to know Alastor’s opinion on that, but opening such a conversation seemed too far out from the cold professional vibe I was trying to portray. At least he hadn’t commented yet on my shorter summaries.

Alastor greeted me with a wide smile. He wasn’t currently on air, a record was being broadcasted. I handed him the notes.

“Thank you, my dear!”

That was much more cheerful than the last few days! What was he up to?

“I have another job for you today!”

Huh. Not what I’d expected. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely! See, dear Charlie asked me to cook dinner tonight, yet there are more stories to be told on the broadcast.”

I furrowed my brow. “Soo… you want me to cook instead of you?”

He laughed. “Heavens, no! You are my radio apprentice, not my sous-chef. No, no, no. I’d like you to cover my shift.” He placed his fingertips on a stack of notes right in the center of the desk.

My eyes widened. “What? Me? On air ?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you are slow today. Yes. You. On air. I taught you everything, you’ve been listening for months, you’ll be passable.”

“Uh… I mean… Now ?” I scrambled to find a brain cell that wasn’t screaming with stage fright.

He chuckled. “Yes, sweetheart! Or dinner will be late.”

I bit my lip. My stomach had contracted to the size of a hazelnut and my heart was racing, but I had to admit I was also intrigued. Could I do this? It was a challenge for sure! “Okay? I can try.”

He jumped up. “Wonderful! Take a seat then, read through the notes and I’ll expect you on air when that record is done.”

He got up and pushed his mic into my hands. “Dinner is at 8. Bring this with you.” And with that, he dissolved into shadows. 

I stood there petrified for a moment, clutching the metal cane, then I rushed to the desk. My gaze flew over the notes. They were written in the normal alphabet; he didn’t know I was quite decent at reading his shorthand by now. He’d jotted down two stories I’d brought up the day before.

I checked the buttons and dials, going through their individual usage.

The record clicked. I took a deep breath, wiped my sweaty hands on my dress, then picked up the mic and with a push of a button I was live.

When I turned off all the equipment at quarter to eight, I couldn’t remember a single word of what I had said. I was exhausted, my hands were shaking, my dress stuck to my back from sweat, yet I felt exhilarated. I’d done it! Over an hour of being on air and I hadn’t been lost once! Sure, I couldn’t say if a single sentence I’d said made sense, but still!

I leaned back for a moment so my heartbeat could calm down before heading downstairs for dinner. I felt proud. What would Alastor say to my qualities as a radio host? He’d surely listened in while cooking. He must have some tremendous trust in my abilities if he let me moderate his show.

Wait. I sat up. Why did he let me? This wasn’t because of cooking arrangements. I’d been so overwhelmed by the prospect of moderating that I didn’t have time to think! This had been a strategy.

I rolled the microphone cane between my fingers. He’d shown enormous trust by giving it to me, by giving me control of his show, his mic, his tower. Was this… his attempt at making amends? Well, it was working! I was grinning like it was Christmas, my birthday and grandfather-pavlova-week all in one.

Wait, no. I tried to shake off the giddiness. I couldn’t get carried away by this. He was trying to buy his way out of an apology. By demonstrating his trust. Did that help make me less angry at him? Yes. But I still needed to hear that apology.

An apology.

I focussed on those words, until my resolution was firm. Then I allowed myself to smile again. In any case, I appreciated the trust and I was still proud of myself. I got up and made my way downstairs. Man, I was starving!

But then my gaze fell through Lucifer’s living room window. Immediately, my euphoria was pushed aside. The King was sitting on the floor in front of his coffee table by the couch, his arms folded on the polished surface. His head rested on his arms, motionless, as he stared off into the distance.

Oh. This wasn’t good.

I reluctantly let go of the beam with one hand and focussed. A splash of water shot from my outstretched palm and hit his window, where it ran down in a pathetic drizzle. He didn’t move. I repeated the effort, and this time, a satisfying splash sounded as the water hit the glass. Lucifer blinked and looked up in confusion. He saw the water running down his window, then his gaze found me. I tried to convey my worry with my face, mouthing are you okay?

He managed a smile and waved me off. I raised a brow. He kept up his pretense for a few more moments, then his head sank onto his arms again, face down. Thought so.

I quickly made my way back inside and decidedly walked one story up to knock on his door. No reaction. I knocked again. “Luce?” I called.

Again, nothing. Hm. I didn’t want to force him if he didn’t want to talk, but I decided to give it one final try.

As I raised my hand for a third knock, the door was opened. “Come in.”

I followed him into the living room, where he pushed a yellow wave of duckies off the couch. “Take a seat, take a seat.” His gaze fell onto Alastor’s mic that I was still carrying. “Did he forget that?”

“No, he, um, lent it to me.” I put it down on the couch behind me, burying the mic under a pillow between a duck in pyjamas and one in lederhosen. The latter one smelled intensely like pretzels.

I turned back around and took a deep breath. “Luce… what’s wrong?”

He looked at me for a moment, then he sighed and sank onto the opposite couch, not bothering to sweep away the ducks, making them squeak. “Please don’t tell Charlie, yeah? Or your boyfriend or Lilith.”

“I won’t say a word to anyone,” I promised.

He nodded. “Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Well… I’m kind of all over the place. I can’t remember things, not even your name. And I… I can barely leave this suite sometimes. Y’know, it’s not that I don’t want, just… What's the point? I’m just so useless .”

He rubbed his face with both hands before falling against the backrest of the couch. He attempted an unconvincing dismissive shrug. “When I saw how you all fought for Char Char’s dream, when together you won against the exorcists, I thought for the first time in forever that I found a dream I could believe in. And I thought Charlie needed me, you know? There was actually a point to me… existing . But I was wrong. She doesn’t need me. None of you do.”

I didn’t know what to say. I’d had my suspicions concerning Lucifer’s mental state, but I hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

“Of course she needs you,” I finally managed to say.

He shook his head, a sad smile on his lips. “No. She’s been fine without me for decades. She’s got her mom. And… that radio guy is a much better dad to her than I could ever be.”

My eyes widened. “What? No! You love her. Unconditionally. That is the most important thing you can give to a daughter. I can assure you, because I am one myself. And other than those two, you actually believe in her dream. That is super important!”

He sighed. “Yet they’re both better at helping her achieve it. I… just make her sad. Alastor is right. It would be better if I wasn’t here.”

I was struggling for words. Although I had so much to say to him, right now I couldn’t put my thoughts in order. “I’m sorry,” I said finally. “I can’t even begin to imagine how that must feel.”

He tried a smile. “Nah, it’s fine, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, uh…”

“Willow. Are you sure-”

“Actually, I’ve got something for you!” He jumped up and over the backrest of the couch, causing a cascade of ducks to tumble off the cushions. Before I could say anything else, he disappeared into a neighbouring room. When he returned, he was grinning. He came up to me and held out both hands.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Is that… a kiwi-bird-duckie ?”

He nodded feverishly. “Yeah! Squeeze it.”

I took the little fat brown duck with the unusual beak and tentatively gave it a squeeze. It started singing my national anthem in a polka remix, instruments sounding from all around me. I laughed. “That’s amazing, thank you!”

His smile widened. “Glad you like it.”

“I really do! You’re so inventive!”

For some reason, that made his smile disappear again. “I guess… thanks.”

I, too, became serious. “Don’t give up hope, okay? You are wanted and appreciated here. However terrible today may feel, tomorrow can be better.” I had an idea. “Whenever you think of me, you can think of that. Because do you know what the willow is associated with in the bible?”

“Hope,” Lucifer said quietly. “And rebirth.”

I smiled. “Exactly - well, I’m not sure how the second part fits in this scenario, but you get the idea.” I paused. “Hey, would you like to join us for dinner?”

Lucifer shook his head and got up. “No, not tonight. But… Thank you for stopping by.”

I got up as well, at the very last moment remembering to grab the mic, and followed him to the door. “Any time. And you can always call me, okay?”

He smiled. “Appreciated. Have a good night, Willow.”

I smiled back. “Good night, Luce. Thank you again for the cute kiwi bird. See you tomorrow!”

With a final wave, he pulled the door shut behind me.

I stayed quiet during dinner. Alastor complimented my broadcast, but all I gave him in return was a short thank you. My thoughts stayed with Lucifer. I could feel my heart heavy in my chest. Hopefully, I had managed to make him feel at least a little bit less sad.

The next day, when I went downstairs for the exercises, I found Charlie crying on the trust fall podium. Lilith was holding her, humming softly in an angelic tone. Vaggie squeezed her girlfriend’s shoulder and Angel and Cherri were trying to cheer her up with comforting words. The other guests had already scattered.

I immediately jumped up onto the podium. “Charlie! Oh no, what happened?”

I got no reply. After a moment it was Cherri who answered me. “It’s Lucifer. He… left.”

My heart sank. “ What ? What do you mean, left?”

Charlie’s sobs became louder and she buried her face in her mother’s hair.

Cherri shrugged uncomfortably. “Exactly that. He’s gone. His whole story of the hotel is empty, his suite shifted back to where it came from. Not a single duckie to be found.”

I had to think of the adorable kiwi-bird-duck sitting in my room and my stomach turned to ice. Had that been… a good-bye present?

Charlie let out a truly heart-wrenching sound. “I… I don’t understand,” she sobbed. “Why did he leave me?”

I knew why. My gaze shifted to Lilith. Her expression was one of heartbreak and concern. But I didn’t believe it one bit. She’d wanted him to leave. And while I hadn’t seen her say a single bad thing to his face, she was also the one who made him leave. Feeding in his insecurities, his depression. Here she was consoling her daughter while being responsible for her pain.

Well, Alastor was at fault, too. Only now did I notice him in the back with Niffty, teary-eyed, standing on his shoulder and holding on to his ears. He was watching the scene, hands folded on his mic, smiling like he always did, and anger bubbled up inside of me. How dare he? When it had been him and Lucifer bickering, that had been fine, but this had been beating a man while he was down. Despite everything, I had expected him to be better.

But as I glared at him, I noticed how his smile wasn’t reaching his eyes. I thought he’d be happy to see Lucifer finally gone. But now, as he watched Charlie cry her heart out, I could tell that he looked undeniably sad.

Well, now it was too late for regrets. The King of Hell was gone.

Chapter Text

With Lucifer gone, the hotel lost some of its warmth. Gone were all poker nights, gone were pancake breakfasts and gone was Charlie’s unfailing smile. She tried calling him at least twice a day, but he wouldn’t pick up. I tried to call him, too. I was led straight to an overly cheerful voice mail telling me the King of Hell was sadly not available and to leave a message after the quack. I didn’t leave any message. I was sure he’d turned off his phone and wouldn’t turn it back on for the foreseeable future.

It was frustrating, but the worst thing was that Lilith was still around. Had I disliked her before, had I now developed a seething hatred for the Queen of Hell. I wasn’t even sure if it was fully justified. I still hadn’t actually seen her do anything despicable. Yet she was the reason Charlie had lost her smile, it was because of her that the guests left the hotel in droves and she was the one who had hurt Alastor. I didn’t have a single proof, but I was sure of it.

I had to get away from it all. So I took my car and drove to the city center to distract myself on a day out. I hadn’t really left the hotel since my falling out with Alastor and in addition to all those other reasons I missed seeing people who were only a little miserable.

I spent the afternoon strolling through different stores, filling up my art supply and stocking up my book collection, but then I spent a bit too long deciding whether to also get ink markers or not, and when I left the store, my car was on fire. For a while, I just watched the burning display, bags heavy in my hands. Damn, I would have to carry those home by foot. Well, it had been bound to happen eventually. This was Hell after all. For a moment I regretted not being on speaking terms with Alastor so he could pick me up. But it wasn’t like I could have given him a call. Stupid grandpa, refusing to use modern technology, yet I was the one ‘imposing unnecessary rules’ onto myself?

I sighed. No, I wouldn’t get annoyed, I wouldn’t get mad, I’d just enjoy a semi-nice walk home and admire the architecture.

I didn’t get far. It wasn’t a side alley I was walking down, it wasn’t a quiet day or late at night. There were countless sinners watching, as a group of three jumped from a van and attacked me. I screamed and jumped back, but the first man, a broad sinner with a wolf’s snout, grabbed my arm and claws dug deep into my skin. I screamed again, this time from pain, and my bags clattered to the ground as I hit his paw, but the second man, a very tall imp with a broken horn, snatched my other arm. Together, they started pulling me towards the van.

“Let go of me!” I screamed and a number of bystanders turned their heads. But nobody intervened. One girl took out her phone and started filming.

I kept on screaming, hoping anyone would care, digging my heels into the cracks of the pavement, throwing myself backwards to get away, but to no avail. The third sinner pushed me from behind and I almost fell. The wolf-sinner picked me up and lifted me into the van. I sank my teeth into the nearest part of him and he growled, but all I tasted was sweaty fur. I was thrown onto the filthy floor of the van, hitting my shoulder painfully, then the door was shut and it was dark. Not a second later we were moving.

I scrambled to a sitting position. “How dare you?” I shouted, my throat already sore from all my screaming. “Let me go! Right now or my boyfriend will rip off your heads!”

No response.

“I’m under the Radio Demon’s protection and he will tear you apart!”

The van didn’t slow down.

I pulled up my legs and hugged them with my arms. My hand touched something warm and sticky. Blood from where the wolf’s claws had cut me. What did they want from me? They weren’t muggers, they didn’t search me for money. They took me. Did they want information? Was this about the hotel? Alastor? Or was the motivation simpler? Did they want to sell me? My hair? Did they want my body, to eat me, or to…

The van came to a screeching halt and I fell over once again. The door was opened and before I could react I was dragged out. The imp pulled me along, almost wrenching my arm from its socket as I struggled to get to my feet. My legs scraped over the rough concrete of a warehouse floor. Then I was pulled up and I screamed again as pain shot through my arm. I blinked against lights dancing in my eyes and felt rope being tied around my ankles, pressed against some metal, and my hands were dragged above my head and tightly bound to bars. Then they let go and I was hanging from my wrists.

Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain, but the room slowly came back into focus. The hall was dimly lit by some flickering neon lamps, reflecting in the hard eyes of my kidnappers. The three of them made way for a fourth person. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her. She was smaller than the others, but her teeth were sharp and she wore spikes around her wrists and ankles.

She typed something into her phone, then her yellow eyes met mine. “So, Willow. Good to meet you. We can make this easy. We just want you to answer a few questions, yes? Then you can be on your way.”

Never. Nobody who tied someone up like this intended to make things easy. My heart was racing, my head pounding, my throat dry, yet I managed to smile. “Sure. I’d advise to be quick, before Alastor shows up.”

She barked an ugly laugh. “Your sugar daddy doesn’t know where you are, sweetie. And I’ve put up defences. So give up your delusions.”

My smile didn’t falter. She didn’t know about our deal.

She spat on the floor, then came closer. “I just need you to tell me everything about the hotel. The princess. The King. The Queen. Who’s currently living there? Who’s protecting the place?”

Why did they want to know? They couldn't be planning an attack, just the four of them? Were they working for someone? I couldn’t dwell on those questions.

I knew they wouldn’t believe me, but I tried anyway. “Charlie leads the hotel. The Devil, the Mother of Demons and the Radio Demon are all supporting and protecting her mission. We’re more than twenty guests learning and improving. Now let me go, before-”

I didn’t even see her move, but I was cut off by searing pain. I screamed and for a moment the world became blurry before my eyes. I blinked, but the burning pain stayed right across my chest. A flipknife had appeared in the woman’s hand and its blade was dripping red blood. “We’ll try that again. The princes, the King, the Queen. The hotel.”

Despite the pain, I tried to keep up my smile. “I… told you. I live with them, they protect-”

The wolf sinner stepped next to his leader and this time I saw the knife coming, but there was nothing I could do about it. The pain was hot and sharp, this time on my wrist. I could feel blood trickling down my arm. “Why should I lie to you? They’re all there, it’s common knowledge-”

Another cut, across my stomach. I flinched, trying to curl up into a ball, but my shackles didn’t let me. My smile was a grimace. “You’re wasting… your time.” I had to force out the words. “Alastor will…”

Oh, Alastor. We still had our deal! Where was he?

I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I couldn’t say if I was screaming or crying, but I felt that my face was wet from tears like my body was wet from blood. Again and again a new burst of searing pain pulled me back to, before sending me back to the dark. I couldn’t say if I’d been here for minutes or days. The pain seemed endless. Time was standing still.

Finally, I was brought back to by a thundering sound. The imp screamed in fear. A wall of the warehouse building came crashing down and through the rubble broke a monster.

All the light was sucked from the room. The loud crackle of radio static filled the air. A hand, the size of a car, reached into the room and picked up the three henchmen. They screamed in terror, hacking at the claws with their bloody knives, but within seconds they were caught between the teeth of a giant smile, as a head with antlers spanning the entire hall followed the arm.

The world was going in and out of focus as I fought to stay conscious. The eyes of the leader widened in shock. The Radio Demon reached for her, but she brought up her arms and a shield of spiky yellow energy held them off. Soul energy. She was a small Overlord!

Static cracked. Black shadow tendrils coiled across the floor slashing at the shield. The woman’s demon form came out. Spikes grew on her shaved head, her teeth grew and her eyes turned into glowing slits.

But she was no match for the Radio Demon. She screamed as her shield broke, then she threw up her arms and a wave of sizzling energy carried her from the building, the demon hot on her heels.

But then he hesitated. He turned his head and his giant glowing red eyes fixed on me, radio dials turning. I wanted to shout, to call his name, but I couldn’t find the strength.

His shadow tendrils abandoned their search for the other Overlord and instead snaked towards me. They cut through the bonds tying me to the bars and I fell, but a giant hand caught me and picked me up.

Then we were moving. I hung limp between his fingers, unable to think, unable to feel relief, as the darkness grasped at the edge of my mind. Did I even have any blood left in me? Was I dying?

I was lowered, I was lying in someone’s arms. I saw light. The hotel?

“What the Hell?” Husk’s voice.

“Shit! Willow!” Angel.

“Oh my gosh!” Charlie’s voice was shrill.

“Oh, shit…” Baxter?

I was lowered onto a couch. I barely felt the cushions over the pain.

“Husk, Baxter, Angel, out.” Alastor’s voice was barely comprehensible through the static.

“What? Why? What happened to her?”

“I’m a scientist, I could-”

Alastor cut them off. “Husker, take them out!”

I heard protests, steps, then a door.

Hot hands on my skin. The fabric of my dress ripped. And then, finally, the pain eased. It wasn’t sudden like when Lucifer had healed me from my balcony fall, but gradual, cut after cut. It felt like it took forever. I was moved around, my arms lifted, my head turned to one side then the other. A few more cuts disappeared.

Then it was over. The pain was gone and all that was left was a visceral exhaustion and a bone-deep cold that even Alastor’s hot hands couldn’t dispel.

I tried to blink the world back into focus, but I was too weak.

“Take her to her room,” Alastor ordered. “I’ve got some unfinished business.”

No! I tried to snatch his coat, but he was already gone and my arm fell to the ground.

Charlie stepped into my narrow field of vision. Her eyes were wide and she had her hands pressed to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, Willow, what happened? Here.” She laid a soft hand on my chest and I could feel a bit of energy and warmth return to my body. Not enough to sit up, but enough to look around properly - and I stared directly into the wide eye of Niffty. I couldn’t believe it. Was she crying? Cherri looked almost as worried as Charlie. Vaggie stepped next to them and put a blanket over me.

“Can we come back in?” Angel called from the lounge. “Seriously, what’s going on there? Is Willow okay?”

“Yes!” I called and was surprised to find that, despite sounding like I’d smoked a whole pack of cigarettes at once, my voice was carrying.

The door opened and the boys hurried over. I was surprised to find even Baxter looking worried. Seeing all their concerned faces gave me back more warmth than Charlie’s energy or Alastor’s powers ever could.

“How come you’re all down here?” I croaked.

“Husk noticed Alastor storming out, he informed Angel, Angel told Charlie, Charlie everyone else,” Vaggie explained. “The six of us decided to wait here. Bax joined for ‘research purposes’. We didn’t know it was about you though.”

“What happened?” Charlie repeated, her eyes still full of worry.

I didn’t want to think about it. The second I let my thoughts wander, the memories returned and it was as though the pain came back with them. I blinked against the flood of images and feelings. “I was taken… some smaller Overlord… they wanted information on… the hotel, Lucifer, Lilith.” I shivered. “I don’t remember… I don’t know what I told them. They cut…” My breath quickened.

“It’s okay, toots,” Angel put a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not there anymore. You’re here with us, you’re safe, yeah? Just look at me and breathe.”

I gave him a weak smile and tried to get my heartbeat under control. “Yeah. Thanks. I just need to rest.”

“I’ll take you to your room.” Angel carefully picked me up, wrapped in the blanket, making sure with his second set of arms that my head and arms weren’t dangling. The whole group followed us up the stairs and into my room, where Angel gently put me down on the covers of my bed.

“Thank you,” I wanted to say, but it came out only as a whisper.

“Of course, fishy.”

“Do you need anything else?” Cherri asked.

I couldn’t even think straight. “No. Just rest.”

“Alright, then let’s give her some space!” Vaggie ushered the others towards the door.

I didn’t want to be alone! I could already feel the cold creep in again. “Wait! Can someone stay? Until I’m asleep?”

“Of course!” Charlie turned around and sat down at the edge of the bed. Grateful, I closed my eyes.

I woke up from a dreamless sleep to Baxter and Angel bickering. Charlie tried to shush them. For a moment I was confused. What were they all doing here? Then it all came rushing back. Immediately, I was wide awake. I gasped and sat up.

The bickering stopped and numerous sets of eyes stared at me. They had all stayed. Charlie was still sitting on the edge of my bed, legs pulled up. Vaggie was leaning against the shelf, reading one of my books. A stack of books next to Cherri suggested she’d done something similar. Husk had sat down on the floor with a bottle while Angel was playing with my gramophone and Baxter had climbed into the fishbowl. Niffty had started making little chains from stray green hairs around the room.

“Oh my Gosh, so, so, sorry!” Charlie’s eyes were wide. “Did we wake you up?”

“How are you feeling?” Husk asked, his voice soft.

“Better.” In fact, physically, I felt perfectly fine. Nothing hurt, not even a slight prick. I was still exhausted, but not to the degree from earlier. Nothing a good night’s sleep wouldn’t fix.

It was absurd. Yes, the contrast had been even more stark when Lucifer had healed me after my fall from the balcony, but back then I’d barely had time to register the pain. It had just been one indescribable surge when I hit the ground and then another one when I woke up. Now, the memory of the pain was burned into my mind. The fear, the horror, the despair -

“Why is this book on shorthand titled ‘Love in Purgatory - Till Extermination does us Part’?” Baxter asked.

I was thrown off. “What?”

He waved with the top book of his pile. I understood and despite my situation a laugh escaped my throat. “Oh. I wrapped it in a different cover so Alastor wouldn’t know I’m trying to learn it.”

Alastor. Where was he? Still punishing my assaulter? Why had it taken him so long to get to me? Had it taken him long? The pain had been so intense, every second had felt like eternity. And the wannabe Overlord had said something about wards… it must have taken him precious seconds to get through those. Oh, I wanted to see him so badly!

I lowered my gaze - and was immediately distracted. My arms were covered in dried blood. I looked further down and saw the same smears on my naked chest disappearing below the cover. It was surreal. I suddenly had to think of the last time my arms had been stained with blood - unbelievable that this even was a recurring thing - and how different that situation had been. I’d felt excited, safe, happy. Loved. Now, all I felt was horror.

I tore my thoughts away, forcing myself to smile. “I think I need a shower.”

“Nah.” Angel winked. “Red suits you.”

I had to smile at the joke. “You think? And my ripped dress is also the latest fashion?”

“It was already pretty slashed when you arrived,” Cherri explained. “Alastor had to rip the rest to find all your cuts.”

Ah, yes. I had a vague memory of that. I grinned. “Kinda cute that he kicked the boys out for that.” Though Angel had probably seen more unclothed women than all of us ladies combined.

Vaggie furrowed her brow in disbelief. “Nothing about that situation was cute! Alastor licked your blood off his fingers en-passent .”

I just shrugged. I was way past that. “Anyway, thank you all so much for staying with me. I’ll take a shower and then get a bit more rest. I should be back to my normal self in no time.”

One after the other, the group left the room. Before she closed the door, Charlie whirled back inside and gave me a tight hug. I smiled and held her close and already I could feel a bit more warmth return to my bones.

In the bathroom, I peeled the remains of my dress off my body, then stepped into the shower. I watched the pink water go down the drain. Only after minutes of staring did I start to wash myself, and I didn’t stop until not a single red drop was left in the water. Even this bit of effort had left me drained, but I was confident that I would recover after a good night’s sleep. I dried myself off, put on a new nightgown and went back to bed, throwing aside the bloody blanket and crawling under my warm covers instead. I had forgotten to turn off the lights. Oh well, I couldn’t be bothered to get up again.

I was about to fall asleep, when someone knocked at my door. Alastor’s knock. Immediately, I was awake again. I sat up. “Come in!”

Alastor entered. He looked his usual self, a soft smile on his face. He closed the door and leaned against it, hands folded on his microphone. “How are you feeling?”

I gave him a crooked smile. “Alright. I’ll get there. The others have been doting on me all day. But I expect it’ll take a while for me to… get over this.” I took a deep breath. “Thank you for getting me out of there. I assume you left again to finish up the punishment?”

He inclined his head. “Precisely. A new addition to my auditory collection.”

I nodded. For once, I wasn’t mad about it. I wasn’t sure when I would be able to feel any kind of empathy towards my kidnappers. “Good. Again, thank you. Could you please turn off the lights on your way out?”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you still mad at me? Didn’t I just save you from a very nasty situation?”

I sighed. “You had to do that. It’s part of our deal.”

Static crackled and his ears shifted back. “I didn’t have to stitch you back together.”

That was true. I knew what he was getting at. But I was always just interpreting and I’d had enough of that. “Is there something you want to say to me?”

The silence was only filled with increasingly angry static.

I nodded. “I thought so. Thank you for stopping by and asking if I’m okay.” I closed my eyes and laid back down.

“What do you want from me?” His voice was dark.

“Didn’t I tell you to ask someone else?” I answered without opening my eyes.

Static cracked. “I asked Charlie. She then sang at me for two minutes about how ‘fixing a relationship starts with sorry’.”

I couldn’t help but snort a giggle.

“Well, fine!” he said angrily. “I’m sorry. Are you happy now?”

I opened my eyes. “You must know that’s not how it works.” I was so extremely exhausted. Why did this have to happen to me? Why was I even in Hell? Why was I even dead ? And why did I have to invest so many emotions in that stupid stubborn deer man angrily staring me down? “I’m tired, Al. You know how I feel about you. I want to forgive you. You don’t have to make this so hard.”

He was silent for a moment, then he turned around and left without another word.

As I closed my eyes again, I finally allowed the tears to flow. 

Chapter Text

That night, I woke up three times from nightmares. I was back in that warehouse and every time I jolted awake, the pain was almost real. In the morning, I was drenched in sweat and only barely rested. And then someone who I really didn’t want to see knocked on my door. But I couldn’t really send the Queen of Hell away, could I?

“Oh Willow, I just heard what happened to you,” Lilith said, her delicate eyebrows drawn together with worry. “How terrible! I heard dear Alastor healed you, do you need some energy to recover?”

I really wanted to say no, but I felt terrible. Also, I didn’t want Lilith to know how much I’d grown to dislike her. “That would be kind, thank you.”

She approached my bed and her warm fingers circled my wrist. Within seconds I felt better. It was as though I’d slept for days. I smiled against my will.

She sat down on the edge of my bed. Her eyebrows were still drawn together in worry, but it had a different quality now. She looked thoughtful. “Young lady, may I ask you a personal question?”

Hell, no! I bit my lip. “Okay?”

“See… I couldn’t help but notice that your relationship with Alastor isn’t in the best state right now. Why do you still keep up your deal?”

I furrowed my brow. “What deal? I never said anything about a deal.”

“I’m sorry, Alastor told me about it. I understand it’s private, but the guests are also aware, right?”

Why would Alastor tell her? Why not tell me he told her? Because we weren’t on speaking terms? Well, there was no reason to deny it. I didn’t have to lie to her, after all. “You’re right, it’s private. I’m sorry, but I don’t see how my friendship with Alastor is any of your concern.”

She smiled apologetically, but I didn’t buy it. When you spent your days with Alastor, you got good at recognising fake smiles. “Of course. I’m just curious. And… worried.”

I raised my brows. “Worried?”

She bit her perfect lip. “Well… You are a very good person, Willow. I can see how you care about everyone here. Charlie speaks oh so highly of you! But Alastor… is not that. I’ve heard what he did to you, and I am so, so sorry. You don’t deserve that. Yet you are still keeping this deal and now that he saved you - because he had to, mind you - I’m afraid you will forgive him. Please tell me you won’t.”

I couldn’t believe it. How dare she? She didn’t know me! I had never confided in her about any of this! It wasn’t her place to comment, even less so to criticise! I pressed my lips together, fighting the impulse to throw all the suspicions I had about her in her face. It wouldn’t do any good! I drew together all the acting skills I’d honed these past months pretending to be Alastor’s unassuming girlfriend and put on a sweet smile. “Aww, thank you, Lilith. It’s so kind of you to look out for me like that! But I love Alastor. And eventually, I will forgive him.”

It was the first time I was saying it like this. But it felt right.

Lilith nodded. “I understand. Thank you for your honesty. I truly hope you won’t regret this.” It sounded almost like a threat wrapped in fake concern. God, I hated her.

Charlie had given me the day off, but I still went to her exercises that day. I didn’t want to be alone and the faster I got back into my normal rhythm, the better. That turned out to be more difficult than I would have thought, as everyone treated me like a raw egg, especially Charlie and Vaggie. So I started a little argument with Angel and luckily he got the hint and from then on pretended like nothing happened.

Afterwards, I ordered take-out for lunch with Husk and Cherri, before begrudgingly going back to my room to write up my radio work for the day. I put on music on my gramophone to keep out the silence and got to work.

It was curious. I had kind of expected to see my kidnapping on the news. Not because I was that important, but Alastor rampaging through the city as a giant monster and crushing an upcoming Overlord did seem at least worth a sidenote. Yet I didn’t find a single hint of the incident. Sure, Vox, who controlled most media, wouldn’t want to hype Alastor up like that, but not even in the independent newspaper? 

The music abruptly stopped. I startled, then looked up and saw Alastor leaning against the gramophone table, gently putting the needle down. Ah, so after not accepting a no after knocking he was back to just appearing in my room? I opened my mouth to scold him, but he beat me to it. “I fucked up.”

What? Hearing him say it so bluntly, so vulgarly since he almost never swore, was jarring. But it wasn’t just that which made the words die in my throat. His gaze fixed on me was unusually serious and his lips were curved into just the hint of a smile. My chest contracted and I gave him my full attention. Was this the moment?

“I know you hope I’d feel remorse for the people I’ve killed,” he started. “For the Overlords I’ve enslaved. But I don’t.”

He paused, as though he was expecting me to interrupt him, but I didn’t. He was building up to a ‘but’ and I couldn't tell if it would be a good one, but I wanted to hear it.

He continued. “That you care about me despite that, that you’ll be there for me like you promised, is hard to believe. I understand that it’s true. I also know that I don’t deserve that.”

Again he paused. I was still quiet. I didn’t know what to say. He looked and sounded so sincere. It took me a moment to notice why. No radio filter. I had heard his true voice now and then in short words or phrases, but never had he spoken this long without it.

“You were right that night. I care about you and… it’s terrifying, because that’s very rare. Except… it’s not just you. I want Niffty to be safe. Even Angel Dust. I want to stab Valentino and pin him to a wall like a pierced butterfly for what he’s doing to him. I feel bad for keeping Husk bound. I want redemption to be possible so Charlie will be happy. I want you to achieve your goal and get into Heaven, where you deserve to be.”

He took a deep breath. “Except, I don’t. Because I don’t want to lose you. I shouldn’t have threatened you. I’m sorry.”

Sharp pain blossomed in my chest and tears welled up in my eyes. I got up and opened my mouth, but before I could say the words I’d been waiting so desperately to say, he held up a hand. “That being said…”

And within an instant his smile widened, and when he continued, the radio filter was back. “You know, my dear, if you insist on ignoring me, you’re not really holding up your end of our deal, are you? Yet I was forced to head all the way across town, because you got yourself kidnapped! So I want to end our deal. I’ll find someone else to entertain me.”

What? Never had I experienced such mental whiplash. I stared at him, stared at that familiar placid smile and tried to puzzle together the pieces. Husk’s words came to mind: I told him if he really cared about you, he should end your stupid deal and get as far away from you as possible . Was that what was happening? No. It didn’t fit. Not with this abrupt shift in tone. After hearing his true voice, those last words hadn’t even sounded like his own-

Oh.

And suddenly, with the force of a wrecking ball, I understood. “Lilith…”

It was the first thing I managed to say since he arrived. He inclined his head, still smiling. A perfect, unassuming, reactionless statue. But I knew I was right.

Nobody could stop me now. I dashed past him out of the room. I was fuming. My whole body was shaking with rage. I took two steps at once as I sprinted up the stairs, past a very surprised looking Charlie. Reaching Lilith’s door, I simply barged in.

I hadn’t been inside Lilith’s quarters before, but I didn’t take in the delicate decor or the high end furniture. Lilith was sitting on a red velvety couch, legs crossed, but my sudden entrance actually startled her to the point of dropping the book she was reading. It landed face down on the violet carpet.

“Willow!” Her surprise was audible. “What in… Are you okay?”

Her brows furrowed with worry, but I wasn’t having it. “You will take back that order you gave Alastor right now or I’ll tell Charlie what a cruel and manipulative bitch you are!”

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open, but there was not a smidge of confusion on her face. If I’d needed any more proof, this was it. I watched as she tried to salvage the situation. She pressed a hand to her pearl white chest. “Oh Willow, what happened to you? What kind of torture you must have endured at the hands of those kidnappers! It’s understandable that you’re confused. I-”

She broke off and looked behind me. Before I could turn, I could already feel tense static in my neck. Alastor stepped next to me and held out his cane to block me from getting any closer to Lilith - or the other way around. He didn’t look at me.

“Alastor,” Lilith said accusingly, “what did you do to poor Willow?”

“Don’t you dare!” I screamed so loud that my throat hurt. Never before had I been this beside me. “I know you own his soul! And you will let him go this instant .”

Lilith looked at me in shock for a moment longer. Then her features hardened. “I see.” In one elegant motion she stood up and suddenly, I was no longer looking at a beautiful Queen. Towering over me, violet eyes hard as gemstone, was a Goddess. The Mother of Demons. With a wave of her hand, the door to her apartment fell shut and locked with an audible click. Alastor’s ears dropped and his static disappeared. And just like that, my rage turned into cold fear.

Yet Alastor took a step forward and when he spoke his voice was threatening. “You will not hurt her.”

The Goddess shook her beautiful head. “Of course not. Who do you think I am? Alastor, stop this nonsense. Come over here and take a seat.”

And he did. With stiff steps, like a puppet on strings, he stalked over to her and sat down on the velvety couch.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. Nothing was scarier than seeing Alastor heeling to her command. No resistance, not even a word of complaint. Husk always swore like a sailor when Alastor forced him to do anything. Was Lilith that strong? Or was he… that broken?

Despite my heart beating in my throat, I stood my ground. “Let him go.”

“Why? He owns thousands of souls. Isn’t he forcing Husk to work for him at this hotel? Isn’t he forcing Niffty to clean here? Why do you judge me for keeping his soul?”

She had a point. Of course she did. But I’d been mulling over such thoughts for months. She couldn’t throw me off like that.

“I am judging him for it. But that doesn’t give you the right to do the same thing. And you will let him go, right now, or I’ll call Charlie.”

Lilith shook her head. “What do you think would happen if I let him go, hm? Do you think he’d stay at this hotel? No, he would abandon you all and find his entertainment without confinement.”

I wasn’t going to be baited. “Don’t try to manipulate me. It’s not working. You were the one sending Alastor here in the first place, right? So it’s you forcing Husk and Niffty to be here. You sent him to keep the hotel under control, and when it wasn’t working, you came here yourself. Not to help, but to sabotage. And somehow you still managed to make Charlie believe that you want what’s best for her. You manipulate and use Alastor to push people apart, to ruin everyone’s lives, all so the hotel fails. I know you’re the reason Lucifer left. It’s because of you that the guests are leaving, too.”

Lilith sighed. “You should have minded your own business.”

“This is my business! Not just because Al is my friend. Charlie’s goal is my goal. I want to get into Heaven! You are actively working against my goals just as much as Charlie’s or Alastor’s. There was just nothing I could do about it, but now-”

“Now,” the Goddess interrupted, “you’ll make a deal with me.”

“No!” Alastor, who had portrayed a surprising calmness, legs crossed and placid smile, now clawed his talons into Lilith’s couch, his eyes glowing red slits. “You won’t take her!”

She’s mine . His possessive statement the night Lilith arrived suddenly got a very different connotation. I ignored him, focusing on Lilith. “I won’t sell my soul to you.”

She actually laughed. “Oh no! What should I do with a simple soul like yours? It’s worth nothing! No, all you have to do is promise me not to tell Charlie - or anyone - anything you know or suspect about me and my motives. Then you can walk out of my suite you so rudely barged into and we pretend this awkward situation never happened.”

I just shook my head in disbelief. How could I have been so stupid? Why had I come here? I should have gone straight to Charlie.

I marched towards the door and yanked at it. “Let me out! You can’t lock me in here forever. I won’t make any kind of deal with you, so save us the time!”

She sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. I’m sorry, Willow. I don’t want to cause you distress. But you leave me no choice.”

Alastor looked like he was struggling against invisible bonds, just barely still sitting on the couch. “If you hurt her, I will make you pay for it!”

Lilith rolled her eyes. “Sure. But don’t worry, I told you I won’t hurt her.” She turned her head and looked Alastor straight in the eyes. “You will.”

He recoiled. “What?”

“You heard me. This is important. She needs to make this deal with me. By any means necessary.”

He looked at me and for the first time our eyes met. I forgot to breathe as the realisation of what Lilith had said slowly sank in. I took a step back. No. She couldn’t… She wouldn’t… That was evil .

Alastor’s ears were flat against his head and his voice was crackling with static. “If you make me do this, I promise, I will find a way to make you suffer tenfold over.” He was shaking, I didn’t know if it was from the strain of fighting the command or from anger and fear. “I will make you regret to ever have struck a deal with me and ensure every day that never forget-”

The Goddess laughed. “Really? Since when do you have issues inflicting pain? This is a walk in the park for you! Go on. Now.”

As though pulled by invisible chains, Alastor got up. “Willow.” His voice was tense. “I… can’t…” He was sweating. Every step of his seemed like he was walking through syrup. Static was crackling like thunder. But every painful step took him closer to me.

My heart was racing, my throat dry. What would he do to me? Was he wondering the same thing? Would his shadows slice me? Or would he do it the old-fashioned way? Against my will, my gaze fell onto those sharp claws. The warehouse came back to my mind, the unbearable pain. I was terrified.

But that didn’t even matter. I forced my gaze back to his eyes and underneath the ticking radio dials I saw his anguish. I couldn’t do this to him.

I staggered backwards. “Okay! I’ll do it! I’ll promise not to tell anyone. Just… stop torturing us!”

Lilith held up a hand and Alastor stopped dead in his tracks. I could feel his gaze. I knew he didn’t want me to make this deal. But I also knew he didn’t want to hurt me. I saw no other way.

The rage returned to my chest, turning the cold inside me burning hot. “You monster .”

Lilith sighed. “I told you to stay away from him. It’s not my fault you decided to care for someone you know you shouldn’t.”

She held out a slender hand and, shaking like leaves in the wind, I took it.

Purple energy engulfed us, picking up our hair, and for a moment I could see Lilith’s demon form: Sharp incisors, purple lines across her face and arms like a spiderweb, her hair wild and curled.

Then it was done. The energy subsided, Lilith let go of my hand and I stumbled back. The door sprang open with a click.

I hugged myself. “Charlie will be so, so disappointed.”

For the first time, I thought I saw a crack in Lilith’s porcelain facade. “I know. She’s too much like her father. But one day, when our people are truly free, she’ll understand.”

“ I don’t understand,” I whispered, voice trembling with contempt.

“That’s why you don’t belong here. You’re one of them . But your friend does. He’d have done the same. Only his goals are much less altruistic than mine.”

She sank onto her couch and rubbed her temples. “I’m exhausted. Alastor, take her outside. Oh, and you can restore that silly deal you two have, if you like. I see it was a mistake to try and take it from you, Willow, I’m sorry.”

With that, she picked her book off the floor, not giving us another look. I stared at her, fear, rage and contempt tied to a hard knot in my stomach. Alastor took me by the elbow and ushered me out the door. For the first time ever, his hand was cold.

Once the door fell shut behind us, he let go of me. I sagged against the wall, as suddenly all energy had left me. 

“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I didn’t think this through. I shouldn’t have confronted her, I should have made a plan… told Charlie…” I wiped my face and my hands came away wet. I was crying.

“Yes,” he said softly. “But we can’t change that now, can we?”

I shook my head, looking down.

He straightened. “Well then, smile my dear! I think it goes without saying that I take back breaking off our deal. I don’t think we need to renew it with another handshake, but… how about a hug?”

He didn’t have to ask twice. I flung myself at him, buried my face against his chest and held him tight. His arms closed around me and the familiar warmth and smell allowed me to relax. Slowly, his static returned to its usual quiet hum.

He chuckled. “You’re getting my coat wet with your tears, sweetheart.”

I snorted and looked up at him with a smile. I had stopped crying. “Water powers, remember?” With a wave of my hand, all traces of my tears were gone.

He grinned at me. “Of course, how silly of me. Distraction?”

I smiled. “Dancing?”

He raised a brow. “If you’re still capable. You haven’t had a lesson in a while.”

“Ey!” I bopped him, then reluctantly let him go. “I don’t forget stuff that fast. I’m not a goldfish.”

“Are you sure? That bowl in your room says something else.”

I rolled my eyes and followed him into his room. I watched him, as he picked out a record and carefully placed it on his gramophone. My mind was still spinning, a cascade of moments. Alastor’s apology, Lilith’s demon form, Alastor coming towards me, intent on torturing me like his master commanded, his plea not to hurt me… It was too much to process.

So when music started playing and he took my hand, I just pushed all of those thoughts away and as I spun around the room, I slowly managed to relax.

“Not bad,” Alastor admitted. “I’m running out of moves to teach you.”

I grinned. “Oh no! Guess we’ll have to switch to other styles of dance, like-”

Someone knocked at the door. Alastor and I both flinched, but it didn’t sound like Lilith. Alastor waved his hand and the door swung open. It was Charlie.

“Oh!” she said with a happy grin, when she saw the two of us. “You’ve made up? Did my advice help?”

I chuckled. “Well, unfortunately, he didn’t sing at me. But yes, he’s done more than enough for me to forgive him.”

“Aww! How lovely!” Charlie’s eyes filled with tears.

“Is there a reason you came to see me, my dear?” Alastor asked. His hand still lingered on my back from our dance, seemingly as unwilling to be separated as I was. The hotel had been my safe haven here in this nightmare that was Hell, but now it had lost that warmth. The only place I felt safe now was here, with Alastor.

“Ah, yes, sorry!” She slapped her hand to her forehead. “Could you come downstairs? We’re starting with the party preparations!”

Ah, shit. The party to celebrate Lilith’s arrival. “That’s… when?” I asked.

“Tomorrow!” she beamed. “Everything is planned, the others are already downstairs doing preparations. Now I need my trusty manager to-”

“Of course!” Alastor finally let go of me. “Let me step in before your hotel residents inflict irrevocable chaos.” He offered me his arm. “Care to join me?”

I took it without hesitation. “Always.” I wasn’t going to leave his side.

Chapter Text

I was back in that warehouse. All I could feel was pain. Everything was tinted in an eerie purple glow. Lilith was staring at me. She was in her demon form and covered in blood. Alastor stood next to her. He was smiling, but he had no eyes. And the blade of the knife in his hand had wickedly sharp teeth. He raised his hand, the knife gleamed in the purple glow-

“Ouch! Stop with the kicking, you aquatic menace!”

I shrieked and kicked.

“That’s the opposite of what I said. Ow!”

Shuffling, then I was suddenly cold. I sat up, gasping. 

“There I am, actually sleeping for once,” Alastor said. “And this is how I get rewarded. Is this how you’re supposed to wake up a friend?”

My heart was still racing, my breath quick. The pain was gone, but a cold fear lingered in my chest.

“Now, now.” Alastor’s voice turned soft. “You’re awake now, your mind is back under your control.”

“Yeah, but my body isn’t.” My voice was wobbly. Great. Would this be my afterlife now, waking up from terrifying nightmares every day? Even when I had a friend over to help me fall asleep?

I hugged my legs.

Alastor’s static tensed. “Well… how do I… help you?”

I looked at him. His hair was disheveled and one of his ears had dipped slightly, like it wasn’t quite awake yet. On his neck above the collar of his pyjama, dark bruises were slowly fading. Why didn’t he heal them up? Was that not possible?

My heartbeat had calmed down and I took a deep breath. Only the lingering cold reminded me of my dream. “Hug?”

He took me in his arms and I could feel the cold dissolve. I allowed myself to live in the moment, to forget the nightmare, forget Lilith and the chains of my newly forged deal and just be happy that I had my friend back.

He ran his talons up my arm and I smiled.

“Better?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Perfect. Ah, I’m afraid I’ll have to get ready. There’s still a lot to organise for dear Charlie’s party tonight.”

I pulled back and grinned. “Will you really make her a ball pit and a bouncy castle?”

“Of course!” He jumped up and straightened his hair. “I am the host of the hotel after all! What would the papers say, if our events are subpar? No matter the occasion.”

The occasion. Heaven, it would be incredibly difficult to have fun at this party, dedicated to the woman who’d tortured us and actively worked against my goals. But I was determined to try and enjoy myself. I wouldn’t let Lilith take that from me.

I squared my shoulders. “Alright then! I’ll see you downstairs.”

He smiled at me, then dissolved into shadows. I slid off the bed and got ready for the day.

We had outdone ourselves. Thanks to our combined efforts, the parlour looked more lavish than ever. The chandeliers shone in polished gold, the couches’ dark red velvet freshly vacuumed. Clothed tables with black candles were scattered around a polished wooden dance floor. The double doors to the hotel stood wide open. Outside, a bouncy castle took up most of the space. It looked like it had been snatched straight from Transsilvania. Next to it, the promised imp circus was building up a tent. It blended nicely with the circus decor of the hotel.

Charlie was over the moon. She was beaming and her eyes shone like the stars which I hadn’t seen in nearly a year. I had to smile. As much as I hated to make all this effort for Lilith, seeing Charlie happy made it all worth it.

Vaggie, on the other hand, didn’t look half as excited. Her eyebrows were drawn together, her lips a tight smile. She might have made up with Charlie, but it seemed her worries about the party persisted. And her worries about Lilith.

I looked at her across the room, as the first party guests strolled in, and withstood the urge to slam my head against a wall. Vaggie. I should have talked to her about my suspicions regarding Lilith. Charlie might not have believed me, but she would have! And together we could have… But now, it was too late.

Mimzy sauntered through the open door, a wide grin on her face, and I grimaced. Out of all the people Charlie could have invited! She also had invited Rosie, but she had unfortunately excused herself.

But all of that became irrelevant when Lilith floated down the stairs. Her smile was radiant as she pulled Charlie into a warm hug. “Oh, my love, this looks wonderful! All of you have worked so hard, how lovely!”

“Where would you like to go first, your Majesty?” Alastor had appeared from the shadows. His voice was chipper, but I could see a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Perhaps the ball pit?”

Charlie took a sharp breath. “Oh! Did you actually make one?”

With a wave of his arm, Alastor directed us towards the lounge. All the furniture was gone. Instead, a bowl similar to my fishbowl just much wider blocked the room. And it was filled to the brim, not with plastic balls, but bright yellow rubber ducks.

The sight was a stab to the heart. Charlie’s smile dropped and her shoulders sagged. Alastor laid a hand on her shoulder. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. A little tribute to your father to show that while he might not be here in person, he is in spirit.”

Charlie nodded and gave him a wobbly smile. “That’s… amazing. A beautiful sentiment. Thank you, Alastor.”

I gave Lilith a side glance. She was smiling, but her eyes were cold. A shiver ran down my spine. Tonight, Alastor would have to pay for this. But he kept his eyes on Charlie and his smile was bright.

“I think I’ll start off with some dinner instead,” Lilith said tight-lipped.

Well, I was going to start off with the duck pit.

After “swimming” a few laps in the yellow wave, which was sadly devoid of any special kiwi-bird-duckies or any that jodeled, I followed the sound of Angel’s laughter outside. He and Husk were jumping on the bouncy castle. Husk held Angel’s lower set of hands and used his wings to give them an extra boost. Niffty tried to climb up as well, but each time they landed, she was thrown back to the ground. I laughed and picked her up to help her jump for a while before the imp circus called for its first performance. In awe, I watched them swing on trapezes, laughed at their clown's stupid antics and marvelled at them juggling plates while balancing on a ball. It nearly made me forget about my worries.

When I went back inside, music had started playing. The band consisted of shadow creatures conjured up by Alastor. Charlie was dancing with Vaggie who finally seemed to have relaxed a little. I filled up my plate at the buffet, then took a seat at a table with Cherri. The food was delicious.

Suddenly, Alastor appeared in front of us. He smiled and held out a hand. I raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

“Care to dance?”

I blinked. The band had started a new song. I recognised it. I had played it in my room countless times, one of the first records I had bought for myself. One of my absolute favourites. And… “It’s a waltz.”

“A Viennese one.” He was still holding out his hand.

My mouth fell open.

Cherri snorted in amusement. “Come on, Willow, the gentleman asked you for a dance!”

Still stupefied, I took his hand and whirled onto the dance floor. It felt strange when he led me into position. Such a different posture than what I’d gotten used to! But of course he knew exactly how to lead.

He started us off slow, swaying back and forth. He looked at me with a wide but soft smile.

“I thought the waltz was a stiff and boring dance,” I teased with a smile.

He shrugged, not breaking eye contact. “I thought with you it might be fun anyway.”

My smile widened, but before I could say something sappy, he grasped my hand tighter and pushed me into a spin.

And off we went. Round and around in that sweet 3/4 time I’d missed so much. For our first time dancing a waltz together, we did surprisingly well. I did notice that Alastor wasn’t quite as well-versed in this dance as he was in swing, but I didn’t care. We floated across the room, so much more space than we’d ever had before, spinning and twirling.

I closed my eyes, trusting him to keep us from colliding with other dancers, smiling like an idiot. Maybe, things weren’t so bad after all. I still had the hotel. I had my friends. I had Alastor. Maybe, things were still going to work out just—

Somebody screamed. Alastor stopped us abruptly. I opened my eyes and whirled around. Nothing. Just confused guests. I looked at Alastor, but he didn’t seem any wiser.

Another scream, followed by a crash. I flinched. The music stopped. Nobody was dancing anymore, as panic broke out across the room.

“What…” I didn’t understand. What was happening?

A glint in the corner of my eye. Alastor pulled me away and I whipped my head around just in time to see one of the party guests with a cold stare plunge a knife into his dance partner. I shrieked.

Everywhere, fights were breaking out. I saw Angel pick up Niffty, eyes wide. Husk dove behind the bar. Then, one of the hotel residents came flying through the open doors and crashed into some tables. She was covered in blood.

Alastor sprang to action. He materialised his cane, grabbed me tight, and a wave of shadows took us to the entrance. Outside, the chaos was complete. Already, the plaza between the bouncy castle and the tent was smeared with blood. Sinners were fighting and I couldn’t tell who was an assaulter and who was defending. Shots fired and I ducked into Alastor’s arms with another shriek. My heart was racing. Within seconds, the hotel had turned into a battleground. But why—

Then I saw them. They came walking up to the hotel, casually, as though they felt invincible. Overlords. There was Zeezi, her giant feet making the earth shake with each step. Carmilla’s daughters. And the Vees. Velvette grinned, her hair tied back in a high pony tail. She had her phone in one hand, a small pistol in the other. Then, there was Valentino. Red saliva ran from his wicked grin. He drew in smoke from a cigar in his hand. He had guns in the others.

And in between them was Vox. My stomach dropped. He wasn’t smiling and his eye was swirling.

Alastor let go of me. Static crackled and with a wave of his cane a shield of black and green energy engulfed the building, cutting the Vees and the fighters outside off from the hotel. But the Overlords didn’t seem in the least bit concerned. Vox extended a claw towards the shield and blue lightning cracked across its surface. It was immediately clear: This wouldn’t last long. And inside the hotel, fights were still ongoing.

“Que carajo?” Vaggie appeared next to me, spear in hand. She looked furious. Of course. She had expected something like this.

“What is happening?” Charlie ran up to her girlfriend, her eyes wide, Lilith in tow. The Queen had a hand pressed to her mouth in shock.

“The Vees”, Vaggie said. “This was why the news was so slow. I knew it. They were preparing this. Shit .”

Charlie hugged herself. “What… what do we do?”

Alastor looked at her. “This is your hotel, my dear. But whatever you do, I suggest you decide quickly.”

Crack!

I whirled around. Blue lightning had broken through the shield.

Charlie’s eyes shone with fear. “Mom? Do something? Please?”

Lilith was silent. My heart sank. I looked at Vox’s smug face. He didn’t seem to fear her at all. Because he knew she wasn’t going to help.

Her daughter’s eyes widened. “Mom?”

A maniac sinner attacked Charlie. She evaded him with a quick step and Vaggie pierced his arm. He yelped and let go of his knife.

“Charlie! We need to do something!” Vaggie shouted. “We need to fight! Lilith, why aren’t you defending your daughter? Why do I and Alastor have to do all the work?”

As if on command, another sinner threw himself onto our group, but Alastor’s shadow tendrils ripped him in half.

“Mom?” Charlie asked again. “We don’t have time!”

And slowly, almost to my surprise, the Queen nodded. “Of course, my love. I will always make sure no harm comes to you. And I will help you however you wish.”

Charlie’s eyes widened and she sighed in relief. I didn’t. I felt a ‘but’ coming up.

“Under one condition: You will promise me to close down the Hazbin Hotel. You are free to continue to live here. But you will do no more lessons. No more exercises. You will cease any attempt at redeeming sinners, now and forever.” She held out a hand. “A favour for a favour.”

Alastor, who had been preoccupied with keeping off attackers, whipped around to Lilith and her daughter.

Charlie looked shellshocked. “M…mom…”

My mouth fell open. This was worse than I had imagined. No! Charlie couldn’t do this! She couldn’t be serious!

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The grip of my deal with her was iron. I felt sick.

“Are you fucking serious?” Vaggie said through clenched teeth. “That’s your daughter ! Help her!”

Lilith sighed. “I cannot allow this redemption idea to continue. One day, you will understand, my love. I’m sorry that I must hurt you in the meantime.”

I tried to shake my head, but not even that was possible. I was locked in position, unable to even formulate a thought on how to get around the deal. I had to tell Charlie no! Whatever damage the Overlords would do once they broke through Alastor’s shield, she could always rebuild, restart. Lilith’s deal would be forever !

Luckily, I had Vaggie on my side. The only one here able to think and speak freely. “Charlie! You can’t do this. What about your dream?”

Tears were streaming down Charlie’s face, but her voice was firm. “Vaggie, I have to protect my people. And in the end, this is just my dream.”

Now, I could finally say something. “No! It’s my dream, too, Charlie!”

But she didn’t listen. Her horns pierced her scalp.

“No!” Vaggie jumped forward, trying to pull her girlfriend away, but Alastor of all people held her back.

Charlie took her mother’s hand. “Deal.”

For the second time, I got to see the Goddess. The energy of the deal was strong enough to throw back any sinners close to our group. My hair was blown in my face and when I’d managed to pluck it from my eyes, it was already over.

Just like that, the Hazbin Hotel was no more.

“Okay, my love,” Lilith said, her voice soft. “There we go. What exactly are you asking of me now?”

Charlie opened her mouth.

“Charlie, my dear.” Alastor. His voice was dark and laden with a thick blanket of tense static. I looked at my friend. His eyes were glowing with a dark fire. His smile was wide and stitched. “I would like to call in that favour.”

My stomach dropped and suddenly, I knew something terrible was about to happen. I mouthed his name, but no sound came out.

Charlie whirled around to her friend. “What?”

“Our deal, remember? You owe me one favour, at a time of my choosing. I choose now.” He took a pressed breath. “You will ask Lilith to free me.”

Everyone stared at him. Charlie looked shocked. Vaggie confused. I felt like I was falling, overcome with dizziness. What? No. That couldn’t be. Since when did he even have a deal with Charlie?

“I…” Charlie stuttered. “Is this the time to…”

Alastor didn’t look at her anymore. He was fully focussed on his master. And Lilith was livid.

I grabbed for Alastor’s arm, more to keep myself from falling than stopping him. It was already too late. I could see the coerced words working their way up Charlie’s throat.

“I…” Her voice was shaking, thick with tears. “Mom, I… I wish for you to… to free Alastor.”

I couldn’t decipher the look on Lilith’s face. Fury, disgust, disappointment? Did it even matter?

She waved her hand and a shiny golden scroll appeared in the air. I could barely make out Alastor’s signature. I had only seen it once before. On our contract, in his notebook. 

Alastor was breathing fast. His static was deafening, even over the ongoing fights inside and outside the hotel. I could feel him shake under my fingers.

Suddenly, Lilith lashed out, bright purple energy surged, and sliced the scroll clean in half. Faintly, I heard the sound of dozens and dozens of chains breaking.

Alastor laughed. It was a wild laugh, deep and maniacal, as he looked at his hands, rubbed his face, taking deep breaths in between every bone-chilling laugh.

“Alastor?” Charlie asked, her voice small. But he didn’t react.

I was still holding on to his coat. “Al,” I said quietly.

He stopped laughing and looked at me. His smile was wide and his eyes filled with wild excitement. But when he saw my face of utter shock, I saw a flicker of hesitation. “You can join me,” he said.

Join… him? Where?

I already knew the answer. But I didn’t want to believe it. 

Slowly, I shook my head, unable to speak, as my hands and feet slowly became numb.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, they were filled with determination. He took a step forward and his coat slipped from my grasp. He addressed everyone. “Well then! It has been my pleasure.” He took a deep, elegant bow, then turned around. “Best of luck, chums!”

And with another wild laugh, he grew into his demon form and rode from the hotel on a wave of shadows, breaking through his own shield. My world shattered to pieces and he didn’t even look back once.

Chapter Text

Part 5: Dealchain

Vaggie shouted. Charlie cried. I was just silent. I was falling. Falling backwards through a dark void.

No. This couldn’t be. Alastor wouldn’t. But Lilith’s words came back to mind: What do you think would happen if I let him go? Do you think he’d stay at this hotel? No, he would abandon you all and find his entertainment without confinement.

Now it had become crystal clear: She’d been right. Perhaps she knew him better than I did.

With Alastor’s shield shattered, the only barrier between us and the Overlords was gone. Already, they were making their way towards the hotel doors, brushing past the brutal fights around them.

Vaggie pulled her spear from a sinner’s chest and yelled at Lilith. “What are you waiting for? You got what you wanted, now do something!”

She was right. I picked up the knife the sinner had dropped, ready to do whatever I had to.

But Lilith just shook her beautiful head. “My part of our deal is done.” She looked at her daughter. “I can't believe you let him play you.”

“Mom…” Charlie’s voice was barely audible.

"You made a mistake, my love. Perhaps this will be a valuable lesson for you.” And with that, Lilith turned around.

“Hey!” Vaggie shouted after her. “You can’t be serious! Lilith! ”

But the Queen kept walking towards the staircase.

Vaggie swore extensively in Spanish, while Charlie just stood there, crying. I saw it all, but couldn’t take it in. “The Overlords,” I said, my voice flat. “They’re coming.”

Vaggie jumped into soldier mode. “We have to join the fight! Charlie, you are the Princess of Hell. You need to show them. Now!” She brandished her spear and threw herself into battle, leaving behind a swath of fallen sinners. But Charlie didn’t move. She stayed frozen.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. “Charlie! Use. Your. Powers. Now! Your people needs you!”

That worked. Charlie’s eyes turned to slits and her horns pierced her forehead. She screamed a guttural scream, hair flowing wild. A trident appeared in her hand and she whirled around, past the fighting sinners to hurl herself at the Overlords.

And I followed her, aiming my knife at Vox.

I didn’t care that this wasn’t smart. I didn’t care that my fighting skills were abysmal. I just used all my rage and fear and swung for his neck. He actually stumbled, a flash of surprise on his flat face. I lunged at him a second time.

But he quickly found his bearings. He wasn’t even holding a weapon, but his claws were sharp like Alastor’s. They raked across my wrist and I yelped, but I didn’t drop the knife. When I stabbed at him a third time, he caught my bloody wrist and broke my arm over his knee. My bones cracked. I screamed, but instead of submitting, I punched him with my other arm. My fist struck his face and left a spidery crack on the screen.

“Ah! You bitch !” Vox grabbed my other arm in a painful grasp. He wasn’t smiling anymore. He looked livid and his eye was swirling menacingly. It had no effect on me. I growled at him, fury blazed through me, overshadowing the pain. Vox twisted my arm and I screamed again, a primal sound from the bottom of my chest. He brought his face so close to mine, I could feel his static prick my skin. “Where is your boyfriend now, hm? Did he leave you to die?”

I grit my teeth and crashed my head into his face. The satisfying crack of Vox’s screen was worth the shockwave of pain that shot through my arms. Vox’s head jerked back. Parts of his screen were black.

He growled. “How dare you, you filthy—”

I kicked him between the legs.

With a shout of pain and surprise he dropped me and I stumbled backwards. I raised my bloody fist, but then I saw the look on Vox’s broken face: The smile of a shark, bloodlust in his eyes. I ran.

I weaved through the fighting sinners, heart pounding in my throat. Somehow, I managed to shake him off, but the fight was far from over. A bullet hit the wall next to my ear. I flinched and whirled around. Valentino.

I took cover behind a couch.

He was standing in the middle of what had once been the dance floor, four guns blazing. Sinners around him were dropping like flies. Even knowing their deaths weren’t permanent here in Hell, it was a gruesome sight.

Niffty scooted past me, the prized knife she’d killed Adam with firmly in hand. I tried to grab her, but she was too fast. In no time she climbed up Valentino’s back and swung at his neck. He yelped in surprise and tried to grab her, but she giggled and sank her sharp teeth deep into his fingers. Despite the situation, I was momentarily filled with wild joy at the sight.

But the Overlord hurled her to the ground, aimed and shot. The bullet hit the little maid straight in the chest. She fell back and stopped moving.

I screamed in horror, but it got drowned out by someone else. Angel. He aimed his guns at his boss, all eight eyes blazing with rage. “Don’t. Fuck . With. My. Friends!”

Valentino’s eyes narrowed. He raised his hand, grabbed at something in the air and pulled. Glowing red chains yanked Angel forward, hands cuffed together.

Without thinking, I jumped over the couch, grip tight around my tiny knife. I had no plan, I just had to get Angel away from him before he got shot as well.

But Valentino didn’t shoot him. Instead, he picked up Niffty’s angelic knife. I opened my mouth, but I didn’t even have time to scream. With a sickening thud Valentino buried the blade deep in Angel’s chest.

Angel’s eyes widened. His legs gave in. Valentino caught him and held him, almost lovingly, until the light left Angel’s eyes. Angel’s body went limp and I went numb.

The silence after the battle was deafening. Everywhere, sinners were lying still in pools of blood, but I didn’t care about them. They would recover. Not like Angel.

Cherri had bedded his head in her lap. I had never seen her cry, but now, tears were streaming down her face unchecked. Charlie had tried to save him, but even her powers as the Princess of Hell weren’t enough.

When she finally gave up, shaking her head, Husk stormed out.

Tears were shimmering in Charlie’s eyes and her hands were shaking, but she soldiered on, focusing on Niffty next. The tiny woman lay motionless in my lap. When Charlie touched her, the bullet wound in her chest closed over without a scar and Niffty came to with a gasp. She scrambled to a sitting position in my lap, feeling her chest with nimble fingers.

“He shot me!” She sounded offended.

I nodded, stroking her hair. “He did.”

Charlie silently moved on to heal my broken arm.

Niffty poked Angel. “Wakey, wakey!”

I couldn’t say it.

“It’s not nice to leave him like that!” she said accusingly. “Where’s Alastor?”

“Angel’s dead , okay?” Cherri’s tone was harsh. “And the fucking radio freak left us all to die .”

Niffty’s eye widened, as the realisation slowly set in.

It was too much. My vision blurred. I quickly set Niffty down, jumped up and fled to the closest room that wasn’t filled with a pool of rubber ducks, reminding me of Alastor, Lucifer, Lilith: The kitchen. But when I went inside, I was immediately hit by the strong smell of liquor. Husk was standing in front of the liquor cabinet, taking big gulps from a whiskey bottle.

“Husk…”

He ignored me until the bottle was empty. He slammed it onto the counter and grabbed the next one.

I took a step towards him. “Husk, stop…”

He turned around swaying and his gaze found mine. It was fuzzy, but he recognised me. “Ah, there she is,” he drawled. 

I swallowed hard. “Are you okay?”

He snorted. “Okay? Whaddya think ?” He popped the cap off the bottle.

The gaping hole in my chest slowly filled with dread. I realised that, while he was rarely sober, I’d never seen Husk drunk drunk. “I’m… I’m so sorry—”

“Sorry?” He barked a laugh. “You think that helps? Anthony’s dead . He’s gone .” The pain in his voice was too much to bear.

Anthony? Had that been Angel’s real name? It was another stab to the heart. But Husk wasn’t done. “And whose fault is that, hm? Your fuckin’ guy!”

I flinched. He brought his face close to mine, but I fought the instinct to step back. His breath reeked of alcohol. He growled: “ I told you so .”

I shook my head. “Valentino killed him. The Vees, the Overlords…” Lilith . I couldn’t say it. Her deal was sealing my mouth, even now.

“Ya really gonna defend him now?” His eyes turned into angry slits.

I shook my head again, vehemently, biting back the tears. I shouldn’t cry. “No, no, I just mean… Husk, I didn’t know—”

“What? That he’s a monster?” He gestured wildly with his bottle.

“No, just…” I stammered. Husk was right. I had been naive, stupid. But this wasn’t fair. “I’m not the one who killed Angel, Husk! I’m just as devastated as you.”

He barked a laugh, shaking his head. “No, you’re not. Not even close. All you care about is your fucking coward of a fake boyfriend.”

His words hurt almost as much as the loss of Angel. I wanted to yell at him, defend myself further. But I swallowed the hurt. “Husk…” I gently reached for his bottle.

He yanked it away. “Fuck off, Willow!”

The world became blurry. I whirled around and fled, fighting back my tears. I had to focus.

I found Vaggie and told her to look after Husk. Then I helped Baxter, who had started dragging the bodies outside, leaving only the hotel guests for Charlie to heal. It was an exhausting and depressing job, but I welcomed it. While I had to put all my energy into moving bodies, I couldn’t think of Angel or Husk. Or Alastor.

Nobody was talking much. The situation wasn’t unlike after the exterminations. People were dead. Another friend was gone forever. Alastor was missing. But last time, there had been hope. Despite the losses it had been a win. Now, the hotel was over. I wasn’t even sure why I was making the effort of cleaning up the battlefield.

But I did, and many of the other residents were helping silently. Only Cherri was still sitting in the middle of what had been the dance floor, stroking Angel's hair.

The silence was sharply interrupted by Charlie’s accusing shout. “How could you, mom?”

I looked up to see Lilith float down the stairs like nothing had happened. Charlie, however, was fuming with rage. “You left me alone! You forced me into a deal, to give up everything I worked for, and then you still didn’t help me.”

Lilith shook her head. “This is Hell, my love. As your mother, I also have the displeasure to teach you the workings of this world. You’re over 200 years old, I can’t keep sheltering you forever.”

“Angel died because of you!”

The Queen blinked in confusion. “What do you mean, he died? Sinners are already dead.”

Before Charlie could answer, Cherri grabbed the bloody knife still lying next to Angel and flung it at Lilith. She effortlessly plucked it out of the air. Her eyes widened in shock. “Oh no… angelic…?”

Charlie nodded. She was crying again - or perhaps she’d never stopped. “And you weren’t there. What kind of mother does that?” Her voice was shaking, but determined.

“Oh, my love, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know… That wasn’t my intention.” Lilith took a step towards her daughter, arms out for a consoling hug.

But Charlie shook her head, crossing her arms. “No. You abandoned me, you abandoned my friends, you destroyed everything I was trying to do. I was happy to forgive you after you just left me for seven years. But this crosses… so many lines. You are no longer welcome here.”

Lilith’s mouth fell open. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you should leave. Get out of my hotel. Now.”

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and looked at Charlie and her mother.

“Excuse me?”

“Out!” Charlie repeated, getting louder. “I don’t want to see you anymore. Not now or ever! You are no longer a guest of my hotel.”

Lilith’s eyes were wide. “Charlie! I’m your mother!”

Charlie shook her head. “If you don’t treat me like a mom would, I won’t be your daughter. Leave! Or I’ll make you.”

They stared at each other and I held my breath in the silence that followed. Finally, Lilith nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. “I understand. You’re upset because of the loss of your friend. I’m sorry. I’ll give you some time to grieve and we can talk later, yes? I love you, Charlie.”

Before her daughter could respond, Lilith turned around and, with measured steps, left the hotel through the broken front doors.

Only when she was out of sight Charlie turned towards the staring residents scattered throughout the room. “I cannot even put into words how incredibly sorry I am.” Her voice was shaking. “I love you guys all so, so much. And everyone is welcome to stay. But this… this is the end of the Hazbin Hotel.” Her voice broke.

I walked up to her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “For now.”

Chapter Text

Outside the parlour, the hotel was eerily quiet. Once I was up the stairs not a speckle of brimstone betrayed the disastrous battle that had raged downstairs. When I came by Angel’s door, I could almost pretend he was in there. But the only one in the room would be his little piggy, waiting for his owner to return. I took a sharp breath and turned towards my own door instead.

But my room no longer felt like home. So many things reminded me of Alastor. I could see him browsing my book collection, lounging on my bed or dancing across my carpet.

The radio was the first thing to go. I swept it off the shelf, then crushed the beautiful casing under my heel. The dresses were next. I collected every dress he had ever given me and threw them in the nearest fireplace down the hall. Finally, I got out every jazz record I could find and broke them to jagged shards that followed the broken radio out the window.

I took a ragged breath, my shaking hand raised over the gramophone. I couldn’t do it. It was too beautiful. I loved it too much. Frustrated, I turned around to the giant fishbowl. Dammit, that thing was way too big and too full for me to demolish!

I started pacing, my hands curled to fists to keep them from shaking. I wanted to curl up in a ball and mourn the loss of Angel, but I couldn’t get past Alastor’s betrayal. Husk was wrong to say it hurt me more, but it hit differently. I wanted to get rid of everything that tied me to him.

The words were over my lips before I could even think them: “I want to break off the deal.”

Silence. I straightened and said again, louder: “I break off the deal!”

Nothing. Was it done? How should I know? There had been magic around us when we forged the deal, there had been magic when Lilith released Alastor. Now, nothing happened.

Panic rose inside me. Why wasn’t this working? I had made it a condition that I could end the deal at any time!

I took a calming breath. When Alastor had ended the deal on Lilith’s order, there hadn’t been any magic either. Surely it was already done. I just had to check. But how? I couldn’t pull the same trick as last time, everyone left in this hotel was an official resident…

With fleeting fingers I got out my phone and dialled. The call was immediately answered. “Hellish Good Pizza, what can I get ya?”

“Hey, I’m currently not single and I wanted to ask - ah, dammit!” I hung up, not waiting for the poor confused guy’s reply. So the deal was still on. The panic returned with full force. Had Alastor tricked me? I felt sick. I didn’t want this anymore! I didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

I swallowed hard. No, I had to think. What was I missing? If only I could read over the contract again…

Well, maybe I could. I left my room and hurried upstairs. In front of Alastor’s room I took a deep breath, then tried the door. It wasn’t locked. The room behind it looked unchanged, but it was dark. The fireplace was out.

I bit my lip. It felt wrong to be here, but I decidedly turned on the lights and entered anyway. He’d entered my room without permission more times than I could count. He’d probably snooped around in there while I was gone, too!

Where to start? Our contract was written in a thick leather-bound notebook and last time Alastor had simply taken it from a drawer of his desk. I hurried over and ripped open one drawer after the other. The top one was stuffed to the brim with countless unbound notes. The second contained dozens of fountain pens and inkwells. Each inkwell was labeled by hand in the respective ink and I wasn’t surprised that some were labelled with blood types.

I opened the third drawer. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There it was, crammed between a box holding business cards and one containing a selection of teeth: The notebook. It couldn’t be this easy, could it? I took it out, my hands shaking, and opened it.

Every single page was dedicated to a different contract, written in Alastor’s neat old-fashioned writing, signed by him and some poor sinner. Most of them started with the words: “I sell my soul in exchange for…”.

I flipped forward to the last filled page. It was somewhere in the second half of the notebook, still followed by countless empty pages, waiting to be the end of some poor soul’s freedom. My contract was the second to last one. I sat down in the armchair in front of the cold fireplace where I’d sat so many times before.

The contractee will pretend to be in a happy relationship with the contractor whenever anyone who isn’t an official resident or staff member of the Hazbin Hotel is present. She will do as he says regarding everything about him or his work . In return, the contractor will protect the contractee from any physical third party harm .

The contractee’s and contractor’s boundaries regarding touch and distribution of misinformation with the aim of keeping up the act are to be respected and need to be discussed and updated verbally.

This contract will become void after a day of the contractor or contractee notifying the other about their decision to end the deal.

Below were Alastor’s and my signatures. I could see his confidence in the swirl of his A and my apprehension in the waver of my W.

Shit. It wasn’t enough to just say it. I had to let Alastor know.

I groaned. No! I didn’t want to talk to him ever again! And even if I wanted to, how could I? He had disappeared to God knows where and the idiot didn’t own a bloody phone! I couldn’t even send him a letter as I had no address!

I jumped up and ran back to the desk, grabbed a random fountain pen, my knuckles even whiter than usual, and crossed out the contract, scratching at my name at the bottom with all my force. But nothing happened. The ink left the pen, but it disappeared, leaving the paper unscathed. I tried to tear out the page, but it resisted just as much.

I let out a frustrated scream and threw the notebook onto the floor. I fell back into the armchair and hugged my legs, forcing myself with all my might not to lose it. That would mean admitting defeat and I couldn’t give Alastor that power. I had to get an advantage. But how to outsmart the biggest manipulator in all rings of Hell?

I swallowed hard and pocketed the notebook. After all, Husk had to be in here, too. And Niffty. Perhaps Charlie could do something about this.

I looked around. I should find out more about who I was really dealing with before he’d return to muddy the waters.

I turned towards the books first. I had never gotten around to reading them, but now I pulled them out, one by one, skimming through them, a growing pile on the bed, searching for something valuable, anything that could help me, help us. But it was nothing. Just some technical descriptions, lexica, classical literature and biographies. Wow, this man had the worst taste in literature ever! All that was missing was “The Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith.

I moved on to his desk. First, I skimmed the notes that were sitting on top. Shorthand. Despite the situation I had to grin victoriously. Finally, all that studying in secret would come in handy. I could read shorthand, more specifically, I could read his shorthand. He had put his own spin on it, found his own style, and I knew every swirl of it. Still, it took some effort to read, and I wasn’t even rewarded for it. Just his last notes on his radio show. It felt like a stab to the heart. I was in his notes. Just casual mentions of what I was supposed to do for his show, things he wanted to remember telling or asking me. He had even created a sign specific for my name. I gently traced the black ink before pulling myself together. I focused on my anger and continued on.

I took out the notes from the top drawer next. Some of them were older show notes, but others contained more interesting writing. Notes about the hotel. Notes about the guests. Observations, some out of date, some still painfully accurate. Some contained instructions for Husk and Niffty to behave. Some notes detailed stuff that needed to be done around the hotel. Most of it he had never acted upon. He had just waited for someone to ask him, for the problem to get to a point where he was needed. That asshole!

There were letters, too. None of them from Alastor, obviously, but addressed to him. I found some from the other Overlords and immediately pocketed them, intending to give them to Charlie or better Vaggie later to find any relevant info, but the letters from Rosie I read. They contained a lot more general chatter than I would have expected from an Overlord correspondence, but on second thought that made perfect sense coming from Rosie. In every letter she had asked Alastor how he was doing and, in her later correspondences, to greet Charlie from her. I refused to smile.

I continued my search in the other drawers. And suddenly, I was holding a binder with my name on it. My full name. I couldn’t believe it. An entire binder ? I dropped it onto the desk and immediately something fell out and bounced to the floor. I frowned and picked it up. A thumbdrive? That was very unlike Alastor. He didn’t even have a device to pluck it into! I turned it over. It had a label on it. Wasn’t that the name of the latest Pixar movie? Right, by now it must have come out. If this was the start to the binder, what the Hell else was in this thing?

My hand hovered over the cover. Suddenly, I was scared. Did I really want to find out what Alastor had written about me?

Yes. I flipped the binder open. I furrowed my brow. That wasn’t Alastor’s handwriting. And what kind of noble letter paper was this? Wait… a chill went up my spine. Was this… my kill order? My gaze flew over the lines. It was. An anonymous sender offered in classy writing ten thousand bucks for the assassination of one Willow Taylor, living near Auckland, New Zealand. Wow, so that’s how much my life had been worth.

A photo was attached to the letter. I stared. I hadn’t seen myself in over a year. The old me. So Alastor knew what I’d looked like and he’d never told me. How had he gotten a hold of this? Had he gone back to IMP without me? I pushed aside the contract for answers. Below it was a list. In Alastor’s unmistakable writing, a long array of names were listed. I read through them. Pride. Wrath. Gluttony . The seven deadly sins? Those were some names to find in a file about myself! And below that, a number of Princes, Marquis’ and Knights were written down in different ink, indicating he’d written them later. All of them were crossed out. Had Alastor tried to find out which demon royalty had ordered to kill me? Why hadn’t he told me? Because he hadn’t been able to figure it out?

At the bottom of the list something was written in shorthand. I concentrated to read it: Angel royalty?

Wait, what? My mouth fell open. He couldn’t possibly think an angel had put out a hit? That was ridiculous! Or was it? I picked up the letter again. The paper was white with a pastel pink hue. When I brought it to my nose, it smelled faintly of flowers, despite having spent the past months above a box of teeth. It did seem rather heavenly.

I had to sit down again. That would take some time to take in!

I continued flipping through the pages for more information. Dozens of samples of different handwritings. The IMP report, detailing my death. I tried not to read too closely. But it had a date on it. My deathday. So that’s how he’d known the date… I had to look over to the swamp phased into Alastor’s room. I had only been in there once.

Suddenly, I felt compelled to take a look. Where did it lead? Could Alastor still get to his room through there, whenever he wanted?

I put the binder to the notebook into my pocket and walked over to where the floorboards met wet soil. Carefully I set foot on the muddy ground. With every step, my shoes sank deeper into the mud. I walked past Alastor’s dining table. There were smears of dried blood on the metal from his last meal. Very different from when I’d last seen it. The further I ventured into the wild, between the gnarled trees with their low hanging vines, the darker it got. No fireflies tonight.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Maybe just an end to this thing. Or was I really somewhere else now? I looked back and could barely see the golden light of the hotel.

Then I heard a wail. I jumped and whirled around in a circle, but there was nothing there. Was I going completely crazy now?

A sob, weak, tortured. I hugged myself. “Is anybody there?”

Silence. Then: “Help!” A gargled plea. “Help! Please!”

I ran. I followed the shout, almost tripping on a root and falling into a muddy puddle, the ground sucking at my feet, holding me back.

I almost tripped over him. He was buried in the swamp, covered in mud, only his face looked out the water and only because it seemed to be drier today than usual.

Why was a man buried in the—

Oh. Drifting up to the surface of my mind came a memory. My first day at the hotel, two-truths-one-lie. Rosie’s suitor, an Overlord, who Alastor had ended up dumping in the swamp, hand and feet bound. I felt sick and I swallowed hard.

He looked up at me, his eyes wide with shock and relief. “Help me, please!”

I sank to my knees, grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled. But he wouldn’t move.

“I’m shackled down.”

Dammit. I bit my lip, my mind frantic. “I’ll go, get help.”

“No! Don’t go, don’t go.”

I nodded. “Fine, fine, I won’t. But I don’t have the…” A thought occurred to me. This was an Overlord. “Don’t you have powers?”

“I’d be long out of here if I could use them!” he shouted.

“Okay, okay, but do you still have them? Could we make a deal, you transfer your powers to me and in turn I get you out?”

His gaze was fuzzy, confused, but then he just closed his eyes. “Yeah, could be, whatever, just get me out of here!”

“Deal?”
“Yes!” he shouted.

I couldn’t really shake his hand. I laid a hand on his forehead instead. And for the first time, I could see the colour of my own magic. Dark blue green energy, pulsing around me, as I felt the sharp teeth of my demon form piercing my lip. And for one glorious moment I could feel the power of his soul and all the souls he owned surging through me. I waved my hand and the mud parted. Shards of ice broke the shackles that bound the Overlord to a weight and fresh water flushed him from his cage.

The next moment, we were both lying on the muddy ground, him gasping and shaking, me buzzing with energy. I couldn’t help but laugh. Was this how Alastor was feeling all the time? Or did this feeling wear off after a while? It sure was addicting. I could do anything right now!

But the surge was already fading and with the loss all my pain came back. I sat up. “Do you need anything, water, something to—”

The sinner grabbed a stone and swung it for my head. It caught me completely off guard and the impact sent me back to the ground. Light exploded behind my eyes and I gasped. I tried to get away, but my muscles weren’t obeying. Blurry, I could see the sinner run off into the depths of the swamp.

I had seen this before. It felt like something from a different life…

“Come up to my room, will you?”

I looked up from my drawing to the radio on my shelf and sighed. I really needed to get Alastor a phone. What did he want from me this time? Usually, he only contacted me this way when he was out in the city, not just a few stories up.

I got up and was almost out the door when the radio clicked on again. “Oh, and wear something nice.”

I stared at it, brows raised. What the Heaven was that about? Why did he suddenly care how I was dressed? Curious, I put on my fanciest dress - Alastor had magiced it for me for one of our outings - and even took the time to braid my hair, before heading upstairs.

When I knocked, Alastor’s door swung open, but he wasn’t in his room. “Uh… hello?” I called.

“Ah, Willow! Come on in!” Alastor’s voice came from the swamp at the back of his room. Great. I should have put on boots, not heels.

Gingerly, I stepped onto the muddy soil of the swamp and made my way around a couple of bushes. The further I got, the darker it became and I had to be careful not to step off the muddy path. Thus, I was looking at my shoes and almost walked into Alastor.

“Ah, there you are. What took you so long?”

I looked up, ready for a snarky reply - and stared. I had ended up on a small clearing. A table was set up in its midst, the same table that usually stood just a few steps out from Alastor’s room, alongside two chairs. My eyes widened as I took in the carefully arranged plates, the red candles and the steaming roast in the middle. What? For me?

I looked to Alastor, fighting down the warmth blossoming in my chest. This had to be a trap.

Alastor was wearing his pinstripe tailcoat and a twinkling smile. “What’s with the frown? Happy deathday, my dear!”

My mouth fell open. Deathday. He was right, that was today. I hadn’t even thought about it and I didn’t think I’d ever told anybody the date. How did he know?

I didn’t know what to say. “You cooked for me?”

“For us!” He pulled out a chair for me. “Don’t worry, it will only be cannibalism on my end. Killed the deer fresh this morning.”

I was still speechless, as I took my seat. “I… Thank you. I really didn’t expect that.” A wide smile slowly broke out on my face.

He took his seat opposite to me and started cutting the roast, looking very pleased with himself. “Of course, sweetheart! Enjoy!”

He dug in, humming to himself. I had to stop staring at him. I forced myself to pick up my cutlery.

The roast was delicious, juicy and tender, and paired wonderfully with the croquettes, which were the perfect blend of crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cowberry sauce added a sweet tinge to the flavour.

I sighed approvingly. “Say, how come you have such excellent taste, yet sometimes you eat raw moldy meat?”

He shrugged. “There’s a time for everything, my dear. Sometimes I’m in the mood for the cuisine of my home town, sometimes I prefer something stronger.”

I shook my head. “You’re the worst.”

He chuckled. “Wine? I’ve got a sweet one.”

I beamed. “Oh, yes, thank you.”

As we continued our meal, I admired the scenery. I’d always thought the swamp lurking at the back of Alastor’s room was spooky, but it was actually quite beautiful! Contrary to most of Hell, it was tinged in dark blues and greens, more akin to my colours, making Alastor stand out starkly against the trees and bushes. It was silent but for the occasional bird or cricket. And, best of all: Fireflies. I didn’t spot them at first, but the longer I looked, the more of them I saw hiding around the bushes, little spots of flickering yellow light. It was mesmerising.

“It’s stunning here,” I said in awe.

“Isn’t it just? I like to take walks around the ponds. It reminds me of home.”

“Can you show me around?”

“Of course!” He set down his cutlery on his empty plate and got up to offer me his arm.

I finished my wine, then followed him deeper into the swamp. It got even darker, but that only allowed for the fireflies to shine more brightly. I raised my free arm, trying to catch one, but it was too quick.

Alastor was twirling his microphone and looked incredibly pleased with himself.

“What do you mean, it reminds you of home?” I asked.

He shrugged. “You know I’m from New Orleans. I used to wander through the swamps along the bayou there. It was also a great place to bury… Ah, not on your deathday, sweetheart.”

I wasn’t sure if I should feel flattered for the consideration or appalled by the confession. I went with the former. I knew he’d been a killer while alive, of course he’d buried his victims somewhere. Still, it shifted the place a bit back from magical to creepy.

As we continued our tour, my thoughts wandered to darker places. Deathday. So it had been a full year since I’d died. Somehow, it felt like yesterday that I’d walked through the park after work, calling my sister to complain about that one annoying colleague and to hear from her kids, while at the same time it felt like I’d been here forever. I sighed.

Alastor gave me a side glance. “Where did that smile go, my dear?”

“Ah…” I squeezed his arm. “I just remembered that I am, indeed, dead. I miss my friends and family.”

“Hm.”

“And there’s just so much I still wanted to do, you know, on Earth. I wanted to go to my niece’s induction day at primary school. I wanted to travel, get off that island, see Europe, America. Even the small things: There was a new Pixar movie coming out I really wanted to see. Now I never will.”

“How mundane.”

I elbowed him. “Shut up!” I paused. “Is there nothing you miss? You don’t regret dying early?”

He shrugged. “I would have preferred going out with a bigger bang than being accidentally shot, but life here in Hell is much more fun than up there.”

“Really, nothing you still wanted to do on Earth?”

He was silent for a moment. “Well… I didn’t have the time to plan my exit. There are some things I left unfinished, I suppose.”

I kept incredibly quiet. When he continued, the static had mostly left his voice. “I couldn’t make sure my mother was protected and didn’t have to worry about money. She had nobody but me. By now, she’s in Heaven. I haven't seen her in ninety years and I will never see her again. I never had the chance to… say good-bye.” His smile was melancholic.

I really wanted to hug him, but I didn’t dare. Instead, I squeezed his arm again. “I know the feeling,” I said softly. “I miss my mum, so, so much.”

We both fell silent again. Only the occasional cricket and the low gurgle of the shallow river arms filling the night air.

Alastor took a sharp breath and his normal grin returned. “Anyway, I have a present for you!”

“A present?” Wow, how many more surprises did he have in store for me today?

He led me onto a small clearing, then let go of me. My excitement turned to apprehension when I saw what he was presenting to me.

“A knife ?” 

He rolled his eyes. “This isn’t the present, sweetheart. Hold this.”

Now I was even more confused and also starting to become worried. Gingerly I took the weapon from him.

He snapped his fingers and shadows pooled on the clearing. They materialised into two black tendrils holding a man with grey skin, a rat’s tail and ears. He was on his knees and the tendrils bound his legs and hands behind his back. One of them slung around his neck and covered his mouth.

I gaped. “Um… Alastor?!”

“He is my present for you. This man, when he was on Earth, was a dictator, leading his nation into a war that killed millions and repressed his own people, killing them, starving them. Happy deathday!”

I couldn’t help but stare, but not at the man on the floor, his eyes wide with fear, but at Alastor, grinning smugly. “Why would you… what do you think I would want with that ?”

“He’s one of those people you wanted to kill, remember? I know, he’s already dead, but you can still have fun with him, he’s all yours.”

I did remember. It had been a while, but now the conversation came back to mind, in which I’d said who I would have killed, if I’d had the chance. I shook my head violently. “That is not what I…”

I looked at the man. His eyes were still full of fear, he was shaking and sweating. I could barely recognize him through his sinner form as the man from my history books. I felt bad for him, at the same time as being disgusted.

“You’re missing the point. I would kill a dictator in order to save lives. I’ll never have fun hurting someone, no matter the evil they’ve done. If you really wanted to make me a present like that here in Hell, you’d have to bring me… I don’t know, Valentino and an angelic knife.”

“Well, that’s disappointing,” Alastor said. “Shall I let him go then?”

Again, my gaze fell onto the man. He looked relieved. I reminded myself of everything he had done and my hand around the knife tightened. He was still a monster. I couldn’t just… do nothing.

Alastor caught my hesitation. He grinned. “Tempted?”

“No! Just… There must be another way to make sure he never hurts anyone again.” My eyes widened. “I could make a deal with him! He must promise to never hurt anyone again and in turn I’ll let him go.”

Alastor raised his eyebrows. “That’s a soul deal you’re talking about, Willow.”

Really? A cold shiver went down my spine. A soul deal. Would the sinner do it? And, more importantly, was I ready to own a soul ?

Alastor chuckled, then patted my arm. “I’ll do it for you.”

He turned towards the man and his eyes narrowed. “Well, you heard the lady. You’ll give me your soul and in turn we won’t hurt you. Deal?”

He held out a hand and the shadow tendrils holding the sinner dissolved. Shakily, the man got to his feet and took Alastor’s hand. I watched in awe, as bright green energy engulfed the two, Alastor’s features stretched, his antlers spanning the entire clearing. The gleam in his radio dial eyes radiated elation. How did it feel to wield that much power? To make another person’s soul your own?

The energy subsided and Alastor looked like his usual charming self again, his smile bright, his hands folded on his microphone. “Well then! As per wish of the lovely deathday girl, you shall never again bring harm to anyone down here in Hell. I’ll call on you if I have further instructions.”

The sinner stared at him. Alastor raised a brow. “Go on then!”

The former dictator whirled around and ran off into the swamp, his tail flailing behind him. I watched him disappear between the low hanging leaves.

I hugged myself. I was suddenly feeling cold. This man had just lost his soul because of me.

“Ah, I now own a soul that is fully useless to me.” Alastor chuckled. “I like seeing that side of you, my dear!”

Well, I didn’t! I took a deep breath to calm myself. Finally, Alastor seemed to catch on that something was up. He took a step towards me and gently took the knife from my hand. I had forgotten that I was still holding it. “Did I break you?”

I swallowed hard. “No, just…”

I looked at him. His gaze was open. I bit my lip. “Please, never, ever, do that again, okay? Do not give me people as presents.”

He inclined his head, looking disappointed. I forced myself to smile. “Thank you, though. I really appreciate the gesture. This evening, the present… everything. I’m… I’m glad to have you.”

He moved as though he wanted to wave it off, then reconsidered. “You’re welcome? Um… shall we return to the table? We haven’t had dessert yet. I tried my hand at lamingtons.”

I nodded, then hesitated. “Al? Can I hug you?”

He blinked and I could see something flicker in his eyes. “Surely?”

I wrapped my arms around his slender waist and held him close. I smiled. One full year I’d been in Hell. Even if I’d never get to see Heaven, right now I was fine with that.

Chapter Text

I woke up from a nightmare. Again. I sat up, shaking, my heart racing, my chest cold. I fought back tears. Nobody was here to comfort me. Taking deep breaths I tried to calm myself, but the cold stayed, even when the memory of the dream slowly faded.

I sighed. There wasn’t really any reason for me to get up. There were no exercises for me to attend, no radio show notes to prepare, no dance lessons to look forward to. I got up anyway and went downstairs to see if anyone was around to have breakfast with.

The parlour looked like the attack of the Vees had never happened. It had been tedious work but a good distraction to clean up all the blood and the remains of the party. Now, after a few days, nothing was left to remind us of the losses we suffered.

Husk was standing behind the bar in conversation with Cherri. It had taken me a while to realise why Husk hadn’t just left like so many of the guests had after the battle. Alastor hadn’t released him from that duty. One more thing to be angry about. 

I hesitated. I hadn’t dared approach him since he’d told me to get lost and he hadn’t approached me either. I shook my head. I couldn’t do it, not yet, not with the cold from my nightmare still lingering.

In the kitchen, I found Niffty eating cereal. She wasn’t smiling. I had never seen Niffty sad for longer than a few minutes, but her crazy giggle hadn’t filled the corridors since Alastor’s disappearance. I grabbed a bowl of cereal and leaned against the counter she was sitting on. She shuffled closer and we ate in silence.

Afterwards, I went back up to my room. As always, I lingered for a moment in front of Angel’s door. It was decorated with photos of us, as though he was still there. Every day, Cherri put down new flowers in a vase outside his door. We had buried his body behind the hotel, but there was no gravestone. A memorial painting was now hanging next to the one of Sir Pentious. I’d been the one to paint it, thus it wasn’t nearly as good as the one Lucifer had made for our snake friend.

I shook off the reverie and got back to my room. Today would be a good day to look through the stuff again I’d found in Alastor’s room. I hadn’t dared to go back there after that ungrateful ex-Overlord had struck me down, but I still had the binder I’d taken with me.

I started with the mysterious thumbdrive. I’d borrowed Baxter’s laptop and really hoped I wasn’t unleashing a dangerous virus now. The little anglerfish would turn me into sushi if I destroyed his data. But at least on the surface everything seemed fine and hopefully, he’d made backups. On the drive was only a single file with the same title as the thumbdrive itself. Curious. Was this really just a Pixar movie? Sure, I did have the vague memory of telling Alastor about wanting to watch it. Had he become curious and wanted to check it out? Maybe. But would he go out of his way to use modern technology for this?

I opened the file and a video started playing. It began with a highly suggestive ad for a company from the Lust ring that smuggled brand new movies from Earth to Hell, followed by a Voxtech ad for their new 3D TV. I shook my head. Hell nah, never ever would Alastor watch through this slog for some animated family movie. This had to be something else. But then, the Pixar lamp jumped across the screen. I watched it squash the ‘I’ in confusion. Really?

Okay, so there was no secret information on this thing. Alastor definitely hadn’t got it for himself. Still, he had gone through the trouble of buying it from the Lust ring. There was only one logical explanation for this and it hurt: This was supposed to be a future present for me.

I closed the PC and ripped out the thumbdrive. I couldn't do this. I pushed it all aside and opened the binder with the information on me.

So an angel had ordered my death. Why had Alastor withheld that info from me? Had he wanted to figure it out first? But how could he find out more about angels? I browsed through the collection of writing samples. He couldn't really collect writing from angels to compare them to the letter. Nobody here…

Wait. It was a long shot, but… I jumped up, grabbed the binder and hurried downstairs. I found Vaggie in the dining room, having breakfast with Charlie. I interrupted them by dropping the binder on the table. “Vaggie. Do you know any high ranking angels?”

She looked at me, toast lifted half way to her mouth. “What? Why?”

“And what’s that?” Charlie asked, pointing with her spoon. “More information you found in Alastor’s room?”

She didn’t sound happy. I had given the notebook and all Overlord correspondences to the two of them, but Charlie had been reluctant to take them. Vaggie, on the other hand, had been very interested.

“Well, technically I found this at the same time. But… it’s… on me.”

Vaggie frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I sighed. “Alastor… tried to find out who ordered the hit on me. We assumed it was demon royalty, but he crossed all options off his list. Now, he seems to think it was an angel. And I remembered that you were one, so…” I took out my kill order and handed it over.

She took it, eyebrows drawn together, as she read it over. “Wow. I didn’t know you’d been assassinated by imps!”

“What?” Charlie snatched the letter from her girlfriend and read it over, too. Her eyes widened. “Woah! Willow, that’s horrible! Why would anyone want to see you dead?”

I shrugged. I had completely forgotten that I hadn’t even told them. “I don’t know. They didn’t write a reason in their request. That imp couldn’t give me one, either.”

“You talked to your killer?” Vaggie sounded shocked.

“Yeah. Alastor took me.” I felt like I’d had this conversation before.

“Did he now.”

I didn’t want to dwell on it. “So? Do you know who could have written this?”

Vaggie shook her head. “Sorry. I don’t know many high ranking angels. Only Adam, and I can assure you, that isn’t his writing. The exorcists didn’t really have contact with any other higher ups.”

I shuddered at the idea that Adam could have been the one responsible for my death. I’d take the Sin of Wrath over that wannabe any time.

Charlie looked the letter over again. “Hm… it doesn’t look like Emily or Sera, but I didn’t really see much of their writing in the short time I was in Heaven… An angel, are you sure?”

“Well, Alastor seems to be and I trust him.” I blinked. “With this. With being right. I mean, with…” I sighed. “You know what I mean.”

“I could ask dad to put in a request!” Charlie offered. “Well, if only he finally picked up his damn phone…”

Ah, Lucifer. We could really use him right now. If he knew what Lilith had done, he’d be seething, I was sure of it.

“Or… how important is this to you? We could ask mom. She’s also able to talk to Heaven. And she offered to do anything to get my forgiveness.”

A cold shiver went up my spine. What a terrible idea! And I couldn’t bloody say it! “Isn’t she gone?” I asked instead.

Vaggie sighed. “I wish. She keeps calling and has rung the bell at least five times. Babe, I don’t think we should ask her. Just keep ignoring her.”

Charlie groaned. “But it’s so haaard! I want her to apologise, to take it all back and make it okay again.”

“I know, Charlie. But until she lets you off from the deal we won’t even talk to her. Stay strong, you can do it. We need to focus.”

“Um,” I perked in. “Talking about focus… What is the plan now? How do we get the hotel up and running again?”

They both stared at me. “We don’t,” Vaggie finally said. “Lilith’s deal is binding.”

“Sure, but there must be a way around it, right? I don’t know, can’t you just run the hotel, Vaggie? You didn’t make a deal with her.”

They shared a look.

“What?” I asked.

Vaggie sighed. “What’s the point? If we try again, the Vees will just come back and destroy everything once more. We don’t have any protection left.”

I couldn’t believe it. “What? You can’t just give up! Charlie! What about your dream?”

She didn’t look at me and her eyes shone with tears. “Maybe… I was wrong. In all our time we haven’t redeemed a single soul. But two guests got exterminated.” She took a shaky breath. “All I can do now is be a refuge for our remaining guests.”

“But…” No! I didn’t want to give up! Yes, I’d just been about to accept living in Hell. But that was when I’d had a safe home and a best friend who hadn’t betrayed me yet. I wanted to get into Heaven, dammit!

What if I took over running the hotel? Nobody could stop me! Except… Well, I was subject to two deals which forced me to lie to people, I trusted the wrong person, I had no leadership skills whatsoever and I still didn’t know why I had even ended up here in Hell in the first place. Who was I kidding, I was the worst candidate for the job.

My shoulders sank. “Okay… Well, thank you for letting me stay anyway, until you figure something out. Please just…” promise me not to give Lilith anything. She can’t be trusted .
I couldn’t say it.

I took a seat in the parlour and opened up the binder again. I would have preferred the lounge, but that was still filled to the brim with rubber ducks as nobody had been willing or able to get rid of them. Cherri and Husk were still at the bar, but I ignored them. I wanted to look through the rest of the binder.

It didn’t really give me anything new. If anything, it creeped me out, with all the things Alastor had marked down about me: Where I was from, my demon form, what my sinner form represented, the X above my chest. The goal of these notes all seemed to be to figure me out, who I was, why I had been killed, why I was here. Why? To help me or to have control over me? Well, he hadn’t really got anywhere and his frustration became more and more apparent in the swirls of his shorthand.

I went back to his evaluation of my sinner form. Despite his constant fish and eel jokes he was apparently leaning towards a siren. I furrowed my brow. I had never thought about the meaning behind sinner forms, but it made perfect sense. The Vees were the first that came to mind: Velvette was a doll, fitting to her social media business that was built on looks, Valentino was some kind of moth who had these pheromones he used in his smoke and which Velvette turned into assault drugs and Vox had a literal TV for a head. But why was Alastor a deer? And why was I a siren?

Well, as Alastor had written down, sirens were usually associated with temptation, being attractive, having beautiful voices and trying to seduce men, which, considering my sexuality and generally peaceful personality, was pretty damn hilarious. Then again, Alastor resembled a prey animal. But below that, he had written down a broader interpretation of my sinner form: Sirens seemed alluring, harmless, but secretly, they were incredibly dangerous. They roped you in with their sweet voice and demeanour and when you trusted them, gave in to them, they pulled you under the water and killed you.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Was this another reason he’d had so much trouble trusting me? Or was it the other way around, did his inner fears project onto his interpretation of my sinner form?

“What are you reading, Willow? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this language!”

Lilith. I nearly fell off the couch by the sound of that voice.

“Who the Hell let you in?” I yelled.

The Queen smiled at me without a care in the world. “Why, one of Charlie’s lovely guests! You see, some of them already understand what I was trying to do. They are ready to fight! Would you like to join us, Willow?”

“Hell no, you—” I couldn’t even insult her. I glared at her.

Cherri came to my aid. “Get out!” She had jumped off her barstool and came towards us. Husk had disappeared.

Lilith furrowed her brow at her. “You can’t tell me what to do, Cherri.”

“Yeah, I can. If some rando can let you in, I can kick you out. So get the fuck out or I’ll get someone who can make you.”

Lilith looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it. “I apologise.”

Cherri watched her stalk off and shook her head. “That bitch!”

I wanted to agree. Cherri slouched onto the couch next to me, a look of concern on her face. “How are ya holding up, lil’ bird?”

I shrugged. “I’m fine.”

“Sure? The past week’s been hard for us all, but you’re additionally dealing with your boyfriend leaving you.”

“He was never my boyfriend, Cherri.” I could say it, not because the deal was broken - it was very much still on - but because she was a resident of this place which was now just an ordinary hotel. I couldn’t believe I’d never told her. And it seemed like nobody else ever had either, because she furrowed her brow. “Huh?”

I sighed. “It was a game. We annoyed Vox that way. In return, Alastor promised to protect me from harm.”

She didn’t look at all convinced. “You two were definitely a thing. I got eyes - well, one at least.”

I shook my head. “Nope. Definitely not.”

She snorted. “Yeah, sure.” She started counting on her fingers. “You were always together. He called you sweetheart… That whole thing where he tore through town to find you and then came in, carrying your bloody body in his arms.”

I hated to be reminded of all this. “He gave cutesy nicknames to everyone,” I said dismissively. “And… Whatever, we were friends, okay? Best friends. So of course we spent a lot of time together. At least I thought that’s how it was.”

“Sorry.” She gave me a lopsided smile. “Didn’t mean to push.”

I took a deep breath. “It’s fine. It just…” I put aside the binder and pulled up my legs. “It hurts. And I feel like I can’t mourn the loss because I should have known. Husk still hasn’t talked to me and for good reason. He’s always been so generous to forgive me for being friends with his tormentor. I can’t expect him to be so lenient now.”

Cherri nodded, her face serious, then she pulled up her legs as well. “I once had this boyfriend,” she started. “He wasn’t good for me. Like, at all. But when it was finally over, I was still devastated. Angel was the only one who understood. He didn’t judge me for crying my eye out for weeks. He wouldn’t judge you either.”

Ah, Angel. Yes, he probably wouldn’t have judged. I smiled, feeling a little bit better. “Thank you, Cherri.”

“And concerning Husk… he’ll come around.”

I hugged my legs tighter. “I hope so…”

“He will. Give him time. And give yourself time, too! Trust me, one day Alastor will be nothing but an unpleasant red smudge in your past.”

We sat in silence for a while, both lost in thought. Then, Cherri turned to me again. “Okay, but there was really nothing going on between you guys? Not even friends with benefits?”

I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth, but I was cut off by a loud bang. I yelped and Cherri jumped up.

“A bomb?” I was alarmed.

She shook her head. “Nah, I know the sound of bombs. That was more like a… a ram or something.”

A ram? Did someone try to break down the door? But why? I listened intently, but it was silent now.

Cherri and I shared a look, then we both got up. I carefully opened the hotel door, Cherri behind me, bomb in hand. I looked outside. Nothing. Well, not quite. Something dripped from above the door. Looking down, the drops had formed a small puddle. A puddle of blood. I swallowed hard.

Cherri shrugged, pushed the door open further and walked out to look up - and her mouth fell open.

“What?”

“Come ‘ere, Kiwi. You gotta see this.”

I gingerly followed her outside. I couldn’t believe my eyes: Pinned to the wall of the hotel with an angelic spear to the chest was Valentino. He looked like a butterfly in a display case; his bald head and red wings hung limb. The blood was still fresh.

“A gift from Alastor,” I said flatly.

“You sure?” I had never heard Cherri sound so somber.

Yes. I just knew it was him. He must have heard about Angel’s demise. And this was his way to make amends. I stormed back inside, found the nearest radio - they were still scattered all across the hotel - and tuned it into 66.6.

I’d been right. All the screams had been dimmed down, so we could hear the new one loud and clear. A scream of pure fear and agony.

And somehow, all I felt was relief. Valentino, Angel’s tormentor and murderer, would never hurt anyone ever again.

Chapter Text

I decided to go out. It was time to move on and I just knew that one major step in this progress was reclaiming the hobby of dancing. Also, being out meant evading Lilith lurking around the hotel. She had made friends with some of the guests that stayed and whenever I met them around the parlour all I wanted to do was scream.

So I got dressed up, did my hair and left the hotel in the evening, heading for the entertainment district. I was looking for a new club. I didn’t want to run into any of Alastor’s acquaintances and I needed a change. Thus, I wandered aimlessly through the streets, waiting for an establishment to entice me. All the while, I fought the urge to look over my shoulder, to scoot along the walls and to keep my finger on the speed dial button for Charlie. My last solo outing had ended with me being kidnapped and I couldn’t shake off the fear. But the only way for this to ever get better was to put myself out there again. After all, this was my home. Now and probably forever.

Finally, I heard a slow waltz coming from a building to my left. I smiled.

I entered a large room with a wooden floor and dark blue walls, which beautifully contrasted the red colour palette of the guests' fine clothes. The establishment had a suitably relaxed and civilised vibe. I went to the bar and got myself a fruity mocktail, then retreated to a couch to get an overview first.

As I swayed along to the music, watching the sinners in their extravagant clothes dance, I started to relax. It wasn’t too crowded, the music was nice and not too loud and nobody had tried to kill anyone else yet.

“Hey!” A young man leaned onto the backrest of the couch opposite to mine. He was wearing a burgundy three piece suit and from his curly dark locks protruded the horns of a gazelle. “The name’s Dash. Wanna dance?”

I eyed him wearily. He seemed nice enough, but there had to be a reason he ended up in Hell. I scolded myself. I had gone out to dance, hadn’t I? So I smiled and gave him my hand. “Sure!”

“And you are?” he asked me as he led me into position.

“Willow.”

“New here?”

“Nah, just trying out something different.” So he didn’t know who I was. Perfect. I didn’t have to give any explanations as to what the Hell happened at the hotel that day.

He nodded. “As you should.”

A new song started and off we went. Ah, sweet, sweet waltz! How I had missed this. It had been so long - well, except for that one time. But I refused to think of it. Like, how dare Alastor gift me my favourite dance just minutes before abandoning me? He’d clearly had it all planned out! The perfect music and I was sure he had practiced that damn dance leading up to that day. And… dammit, I was thinking about it!

I focussed on my current dance partner.

As the night went on, I managed to have fun. Dash was funny and suave and also much better at dancing waltz than… I stifled the thought.

After a while he ordered us drinks and we sat down on a couch to rest our feet for a while. I no longer felt anxious. In fact, I didn’t feel much of anything anymore. But I was entertained and relaxed and somehow generally just happy.

It was only when Dash put his arm around me that I noticed something was up. Because for some reason I didn’t really care and I was pretty sure I usually would. I furrowed my brow, his arm heavy on my shoulder. He was so close that I could smell his sweat. He didn’t smell good. I was pretty sure I should… do something. Like, at least pull away, right?

Dash noticed my frown. He chuckled. “You okay, babe?”

Hm, I was pretty sure I also didn’t like him calling me that. I just couldn’t figure out why. Thinking was a little difficult, but it wasn’t like those few times I’d been drunk. Yep, something was definitely wrong. I inclined my head. “Did you drug me?”

He blinked in surprise, then chuckled again. “Yeah. Do you mind that?”

I thought about it. I should, shouldn’t I? But did I? “Hm, unsure. Probably.”

He still had his arm around me and now his other hand came up to caress my thigh. I watched it and came to the conclusion that I should probably get up, maybe yell at him, and get some place safe, even though I wasn’t sure what that word meant.

I told Dash my thoughts. He laughed. “I’ve never had anyone be this funny under Love Potion. This new stuff from Velvette is a great upgrade!”

His laugh was infectious. I giggled. “Thank you!”

He looked at me. “Shall we go to my place?”

I grinned. “Why?”

He paused, thrown off. “W… why? What do you think why, are you stupid?”

Oh, I did not like being called that, even in this state! I pouted. “No! It’s your fault for making my brain weird. Let me think, I’ll figure it out…” I thought hard about all the things you could do at someone’s place that you couldn’t do in the club. It was quieter there, I presumed. Maybe cook something? I was suddenly really craving Alastor’s jambalaya.

I noticed his hand on my thigh again. “Ah! Yeah nah. Oh, that’s why you drugged me, right? It makes so much sense! I'm sure I’d have clocked that much quicker if you hadn’t drugged me. Kinda pathetic of you to not even ask me sober first, mate, is your self-esteem so low that you think nobody would say yes with a clear mind?”

That seemed to have hit a nerve. Dash glared at me. “Would you have?”

I laughed. “Hell no! That’s nothing personal - or it wouldn’t have been, before I knew you were a bloody asshole.”

His eyes narrowed to angry slits. “But you will still come with me now, right?”

I nodded slowly. “Probably.” A thought occurred to me. “Am I in danger?”

That caught him off guard. “Wow, this new stuff is amazing!”

I giggled. “But am I though? In danger? Because I have this… this boyfriend…”

I frowned. No, I didn’t want to say that! This deal. I had this deal…

“This boyfriend…”

Deal!

“Boyfriend!”

I became upset. It wasn’t a nice feeling. I didn’t want to feel this way!

Dash waved it off. “Ah, he doesn’t have to know. He isn’t here, right?”

I scanned the room, even though I knew Alastor wasn’t -

My eyes widened and I grinned, pointing. “There he is!”

Alastor came towards us, his smile wicked, his eyes glowing. He looked exactly like he always did, the same coat, the same hair. I doubted he was here to dance.

Dash took a sharp breath. “Shit. Your boyfriend is the fucking Radio Demon?”

I giggled. “Aye, well that’s on you for not keeping up with the news! Hi Al! Sup! I missed you so, so much, do you know that?”

Alastor’s cold gaze had been fixed on Dash, who seemed frozen, still with his arm around me, but now he looked at me and his static hitched. I giggled. I could see the utter confusion in his eyes as he tried to make sense of my words and the position I was in.

“He drugged me,” I supplied helpfully and pointed at Dash. “Some stuff from Velvette, apparently. I think it’s switched off parts of my brain, but I’m not sure which ones.”

Alastor’s eyes narrowed. “What else did he do to you?”

I groaned. “That’s so hard to say! A waltz? And he gave me a drink but that’s not bad, right? Unless that’s how he drugged me. I was so careful though, I swear! I watched that thing the entire time, I went with him to the bar and everything!”