Lucifer's eyes practically bulged out of his head as shook away his stupor laden surprise. His demonic features receding without a trace. Stiffening his posture, he adjusted his tie uncomfortably, setting himself back to order.

"My sincerest apologies for that regrettable display, young Desmond." Lucifer started, but the power dynamic between us had momentarily switched and so I grasped the opportunity.

"Do you want to know what the Moirai really said?" I asked rhetorically. Lucifer's expression twisted with intrigue. "The snake in the ear whispers poison that tastes of honey. Sip only to sate the empty belly, but capture it for the remedy." I made certain to quote the words perfectly, giving pause just enough for the message to sink in.

"I haven't really had much time to think on all their words, but this was pretty clear to me. I mean, You were the literal snake in the tale of Adam and Eve. But even without their message, despite wanting to, I knew deep down I knew that I couldn't trust you, not completely." I began to pace, feeling more confidence as the dust in the room seemed to settle in anticipation of this confrontation.

"You know, I may not be as smart as you, but I'm not stupid... I know you probably have a million and one plots for coming out on top. Something like use me to destroy your enemies, or maybe even taking this body of mine for yourself. I don't know, and frankly I really don't care. I just want to survive this whole mess you've created for me." Lucifer seemed equally surprised by that statement as I was.

I never would have expected I would be so willing to abandon myself for the sake of escaping this cryptic battle of Angels. I momentarily pondered the implications of what I had just said, but quickly dismissed them as irrelevant, for I had already discovered the answer. Lucifer's gaze continued to silently watch me as I lectured on.

"Vacuus." I whispered into my palm and the little black orb came shimmering to life. I eyed it playfully, like a child contemplating whether to melt a toy soldier with his magnifying glass. Without concern sending it spinning about the room indifferently.

"You see, I know that no matter what you have planned, they all require that I get stronger, more powerful. And as I do... What happens when I become stronger than you?" I sent the void orb through a beam beside the staircase. As the black speck consumed the stained wood only a perfect cylindrical hole remained, no dust or debris managing to escape it.

"What happens if I find power enough to remove you?" I danced the orb wistfully around his brown leather shoes with taunting amusement. I never would have behaved as such before yet the change in dynamic continued spurring me onward.

"Or maybe it would be better to put you back in that cage up in the tower and use you like cattle, living only to continue feeding me your divine energy?" Rolling the orb back up to his torso and face, I looked deep into Lucifer's eyes. I allowed the orb to spin threateningly close to his cheeks as it passed by. His glare narrowed but neither of us were willing to cede our ground.

"From the start, I have been at your mercy, predisposed to trusting you. Feeding off your divine energy like a baby. But I've begun to notice a change within myself. I killed someone today, demigod or not, they are dead by my hand." Summoning the orb back to my open palm I watched as I closed my fist around it, ending the spell as if it had never been there to begin with. Mirroring Lucifer's earlier gesture.

"But I feel next to nothing. I haven't even really been given a chance to let myself feel anything even if I wanted to..." My gaze lifted to meet his. "And I do want to. I want to feel sad, I want to hate myself. I want to let myself cry in the corner and wish this wasn't happening to me. But I can't. It's too dangerous between the gods and the snakes."

"I can feel you corrupting me little by little... I've ignored it until now, afraid what might happen to our relationship if I let myself notice it. But that doesn't matter anymore. I need to keep 'sipping the poison to sate the empty belly', right? There's no version of this where I come out innocent or clean, that much is already clear. But the question now, Lucifer-" I kept my stare locked on his, reading every nonexistent twitch and tremble from his facial expressions and body language.

"Is whether we can move past this, and build this partnership off mutually beneficial trust for real. Remember, your enemies are my enemies. You've got no reason to try and manipulate me for your own ends... they already serve mine."

With my speech concluded, I allowed a long pause, giving my words the necessary room to breath between us. I continued to watch Lucifer, refusing to relax even my posture until he said his piece. The room was deathly silent as we each took it all in, both of us digesting my words uncomfortably.

His eyes had returned to their natural pale blue hue that radiated intelligence and control, within them I saw only cold calculating machinations. I worried that perhaps his pride would not allow him to meet me as an equal in this way, not truly.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"I must say-" Lucifer finally started, his stare never leaving mine. "It appears I truly did underestimate you, and may have even overestimated myself..." His gaze finally rose above me as if deep in thought, an almost imperceptible smirk crossing his lips.

"Have you ever heard the tale of the frog and the scorpion?" He subsequently inquired. It caught me completely off guard. However the sudden change in topic allowed me to breath in normally again, the tension slowly starting to recede.

"I don't think so?" I returned, still caught off balance by his seemingly unrelated question.

"It goes as such. A scorpion needs to cross a river for which without aid, he would certainly drown. Beside the river he finds a frog. 'Good evening frog, may I please ride on your back along the river so that I might reach the other side? I will be sure to reward you well for the effort' says the scorpion."

"The frog looks wearily at the scorpion. 'but how do I know you will not sting me as we cross? I have a family to feed and cannot risk such a dangerous deal.' He replies."

"The scorpion simply smiles, having expected this response. 'fear not my amphibious friend, if I were to sting you, I would have no means of swimming and surely drown as well!"

"Lucifer, I don't understand where you're-" I started, but he raised a finger to silence me as he continued.

"The frog, ever the pragmatic soul replies. 'That is a fair point, scorpion. Okay. Pay me half now, and the other half once we reach the other side.' The scorpion agrees, hops aboard and the frog begins swimming to the other side."

"Halfway across the river the scorpion stings the frog. Struggling and thrashing against the water, the cold poison taking its effect the frog asks; 'Scorpion, why have you done this? Now we will both drown and die!' The scorpion simply sighed. 'I am sorry frog. It is in my nature to sting. I cannot help what I am.' The two sink to the bottom of the river, dead." Lucifer closed his eyes as if to offer the metaphorical frog and scorpion a moment of silence.

His cold blue eyes finally rose and peered into mine, frustration still radiating from within. "I'm afraid I cannot change what I am, Desmond. Not completely, I am the Devil after all. You however, are clearly much more than I had initially appraised you to be, and you grow every day at a pace that is beyond comprehension."

He paused, offering me the chance to say something. My mind was still racing through my own thoughts, trying to comprehend where he was going with all of this. With an understanding nod he continued. "Your points are all valid, any and all arguments I attempt to make would be without merit. What I can offer you instead, is a deal. A deal with the Devil if you will." His perfect teeth seemed to shine in the dim light as his smile crossed his lips wide and full of delight.

"A deal with the Devil?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes with indignation at the absurd suggestion.

"No, Desmond. I am dreadfully serious I am afraid. You see, a deal with me is a pact. A bond if you will. Neither of us can escape it. Once we have bound ourselves to an arrangement, neither party can absolve itself of the contractual obligation set forth between them." Lucifer strode forward, his confidence and otherworldly demeanor morphing back into that of a devil.

Rather than turn into that previously black chalky texture from just moments ago, this time his skin seemed to burst into flames, melting into fiery blood red tones. Small tentacles dribbled down his chin, writhing as if in agony. His hair was once again jet black and seemed to suck the light out of the room completely. Two smooth red horns curled out from his forehead, swooping backward atop his skull.

My own skin crawled at the visage before me. Hairs tingled alarmingly at my neck but I was frozen, unable to move from fear. Sweat drenched what remained of my tattered shirt as I tried to consider what he might do. He had just offered me a deal, and now he was changing himself into... Whatever this form was.

He stepped forward until his face met my own. His hot breath radiating outwardly like a hot furnace capable of smelting the most complex of ores.

"I am sorry for this repulsive form, Desmond. But I am afraid that while I make deals with mortals, I am bound by God to appear before them in this form that he so 'lovingly' banished me with. Some would call this my true visage, but I beg to differ." Lucifer held out his right hand to me, as if to shake hands. His finger nails were sharply pointed and black giving off a menacingly murderous aura, as if they wanted nothing better than to shred me to pieces then and there.

"First we take hands, then we set the terms of the deal. Once the contract is agreed upon by both parties, we release and are bound to it forever. The repercussions for breeching such an agreement are harsh and immutable. Not that I have ever broken a deal myself, though rarely do I make them."

"Okay, so what, I take your hand and we start spouting off terms?" I mumbled sheepishly, desperately attempting to maintain my confidence from before. The moisture from my palms growing by the second did well to remind me that the tables of power had once again shifted in Lucifer's favor.

"Simply put, yes. Do remember though, Desmond. The devil is in the details..." He lips parted with a grin his once white teeth now replaced by a set of bloodthirsty fangs.

Slow deep breaths, I commanded inwardly. Take slow deep breaths. Calm. However, each breath was as ineffective as the last. This was too much all at once, and not enough time to consider all the possible consequences. My heart raced with the thousands of implications. What if I neglected to include an important clause, or did not ask for enough... My brain reeled from the overload.

"I can see you are feeling overwhelmed. There is no need Desmond. That I can assure you. How is this for a start; I swear unto you that I will offer all my powers and divinity to increase your power as much as I am able, for so long as you and I share a body. Furthermore I will not partake in any of your Wizardly training unless such a time as you ask me to. However, Once we have secured our means of escape from heaven, and you have reached the peaks of your power... You will assist me in usurping my father."