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“Indeed it was,” he answers, but there’s still so his eyes

“And I want to take hell books withwhat the boys said about knowledge being power

He bats a hand as if to say that is fine as well

Where is the Devil’s manipulation I’ve heard so much about?

Why is it putting otiatemy terms with no counter?

“But we still haven’t reached et, Paca?”

“I knohat you did You get to live for as long as you leave us be with all the amenities I just mentioned That’s the deal Take it or leave it”

I’m so proud of how badass my voice sounds

He nods slowly, his s a minimal, but still noticeable, bit

“And what is it that I did exactly?” he drawls

“Obviously youjust in case he had it done instead of doing it himself

He iven someone else power

Clearly he’s capable of doing far e possibility

“Is that so?” he asks, sounding ever so intrigued as he takes a step closer “And how did I do that?”

I hold my hand up and pretend to be annoyed instead of piss-my-corporeal-panties panicky

“Let’s not play gaer than you thought, and I’m back Stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours”

He randoh I just told a joke No one ever laughs atat inopportune moments of pure seriousness

And…he laughs for a really long, slightly terrifying amount of time

Warily, I take a step back, preparing to go phantom

However, after this continues for an obnoxiously long ti

He pretends to be wiping tears of laughter out of his eyes as he faces ain at last

“You don’t re, do you? Well, that explains so da to punish you for your insolent, long games in such a dire time”

He’s so damn amused So damn sure of himself

“I do remember, Lucifer I remember it all,” I assure him

In the next breath, he’s suddenly right in front ofcrackles in the air, andto burn for an intensely brief second

I try to go phantom, only to watch in horror as his eyes turn solid black—like that cliché that I once carelessly mocked—and I stay frozen in this form

“You’re very lucky I’hter’s presence and don’t mistake you for a shapeshifter” With a diser a little, still dizzy froh his touch

As he leisurely eyes one of ait

“If you could re to do with your death”

“How convenient,” I bite out, clutching my throat

It doesn’t hurt at all The burning dissipated as quickly as it began, and there’s no proof it even happened He never squeezed or even choked o phantom

“Very neat little trick you picked up since your death—only letting your boys see you” He struts around so casually, like he hasn’t done anything to ain once you’re out of ic and can fix it yourself now, though,” he goes on, a challenge in his tone

This is the devil’s manipulation…

I wasn’t prepared for this level He’s slithered in through the back like a snake—well, that really shouldn’t surprise me—and hit me with a sucker punch

“I can see we don’t have a deal,” I say tightly

He just grins Suddenly, there’s a sword inblock of ice as my heart thumps wildly in my chest

“Well, now, that’s rather alarhter’s face?” he asks in a deceptively curious tone as I recover

Rollingthe unsettling feeling of touching it When I look across at him, he has one of his own

Are we about to sword fight? Because…that’s totally unexpected and not at all so I could have possibly prepared for