Moments after Nikki’s body hit the floor Jessica lunged across the room and slid to a stop beside her. “Nikki!” she cried out in a panic. Her eyes widened at the growing stain of blood. “We should call an ambulance.”

“Not a good idea,” Behm chided. “Take a look around.”

Jessica looked up and finally took a moment to evaluate her surroundings. The walls were riddled with tennis ball-sized holes, the flooring was severely cracked, and the carpet looked as if someone tried to light a bonfire. To put it plainly, the apartment was destroyed.

“Not to mention the devil horns,” he nodded to Jessica and scooped up the cat carrier. Oliver angrily stuck his paw through the gate with claws exposed and wildly swung about.

“Then you’ll help us,” Jessica demanded.

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean no, I’m not going to help!” Behm snapped. “Our deal is done and I have more important business to deal with,” he said with a gesture to the cat carrier.

“You’re just going to let her die?” Jessica yelled with clenched fists. “This is your fault. We followed your plan as you said.”

“My fault?” Behm’s voice boomed with an intensity that rattled the walls. “I’m not the idiot that made a deal with Lucifer. You have no one to blame but yourself for that!”

“This isn’t what I wanted. I never would have made that deal if I would have known it would have gotten my friend hurt. On top of that, I ruined my relationship with my mother!”

“Tough luck, Kid,” Behm said with his back to her.

“Behm!” Jessica cried out.

Nikki reached up and placed a weak hand on Jessica’s arm. “It’s okay Jess. Strangely I’m okay with this. I actually did something to help someone for once.”

“No!” Jessica said with tears running down her face that landed on Nikki’s chest. “You weren’t supposed to die first. It was going to be me.”

“I guess I’ll beat you to it then,” Nikki weakly smiled.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this… Behm, please. I’m begging you,” Jessica pleaded with her eyes on the floor. “The only reason I was okay with dying was that I wouldn’t be the one to deal with the aftermath of saying goodbye. I’m too weak to say goodbye…”

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Behm sighed with his hand on the doorknob. He hesitated for several moments. “You’re a pitiful sight you know. Saddest devil I’ve ever seen. An embarrassment even…”

“Please Behm…”

“Listen, Kid, there’s not much I can do. I don’t consume souls like Lucifer or the other devils.”

“So all I can do is just sit here and watch my best friend die?”

Behm raised a hand, “Now I didn’t say that. Your little girlfriend there still has a soul and in case you haven’t noticed, you’re the new Lucifer right now. It’s time you strike up a deal.”

“I can heal her?” Jessica said teary-eyed.

“Not quite. You can’t perform divine acts of God. It’s a little outside your jurisdiction,” Behm explained. “You have to make her a devil like you.”

“My soul for some sweet horns?” Nikki weakly smiled, “I could get down with that.”

“Be quick about it,” Behm warned, “Cops are probably on their way from all the commotion we caused.”

“Wait!” Jessica cried out. “I still need you to help me. I don’t know how to use my powers!”

“Remember when I said they were tied to your emotions? I’d say you’re pretty emotional right now.” He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “Good luck.” Then the door swung shut behind him.

“You got this, Jess,” Nikki said with a pale face.

Jessica shifted her weight and spoke in the most serious tone she could muster. “Nikki, I offer you a deal. Your soul is mine to keep, always and forever. In exchange, I grant you renewed life as a devil. Do you accept?”

“Yup,” Nikki said plainly.

Then the duo, both teary-eyed, shook hands on their pact. Jessica’s nails grew into elongated claws that dug deep into Nikki’s wrist. Black hellish energy flowed through her body and traveled through their arms in thick, powerful currents.

Nikki winced in pain as the energy coalesced around her stomach in a thick and angry swirl. Quickly, the skin and damaged tissue began to regrow and heal only to leave a nasty scar behind. An aggressive reminder of the night’s tragic events.

“Wow…” Nikki whispered quietly as her fingertips grazed the edge of the disfigured mark.

As the last of the energy flowed from Jessica’s body she was overwhelmed with the feeling of nausea and dizziness. Her body swayed to and fro for a moment before she topped over onto the ground.

“Jess!” Nikki tried to sit up before a stabbing pain overtook her body. She curled up in a ball of agony and reached out. “Jess, are you okay?”

“Yeah…” Jessica groaned. “I think that just took a lot out of me. Did it work?”

“I think so,” Nikki said pulling up her shirt. She poked at her new scar and winced from the pain. “It’s still pretty tender. I don’t know if I can walk on my own.”

Jessica threw herself at Nikki and held her in a tight embrace. Tears of joy silently fell down her cheeks.

“Ah! A little tight there,” Nikki winced with a grin as she reciprocated the embrace.

“I’m glad you’re alive.”

“We still need to get out of here,” Nikki warned. “As Behm said, the cops are probably on their way and we’re both covered in a lot of blood.”

“Right,” Jessica slowly stood up and braced herself against the wall. She offered a hand to pull Nikki up. Together, through a lot of gritted teeth, the duo was able to get themselves to a standing position.