Page 16 of Unholy Night
“But those souls weren’t mean! They were nice and complimented my hat.” Mandy wiggles her head so the fluffy ball on top of her head wiggles.
“Well, that’s the point. Their souls came here after leading horrible lives. They needed to be punished for all the bad things they had done. Their punishments are designed to help them better understand themselves and the impact they had on others and the world. You could say… they’re dirty and need to be cleaned.” Lucifer’s face takes on a thoughtful expression and once again he sounds more like a professor. “Once they’ve worked off all the negativity they spread or created in the world, their soul is cleansed and sent back to Earth to learn more. Indeed, they are now the most innocent beings in hell. Well, except for you two.”
I watch as he winks at her.
My heart stutters again, leaving me feeling a little light headed.
Trying to regain some control I turn the conversation back to my original question. “So, you can see and weigh a person’s soul with one look. It is all up to your judgment.”
“That is mygift.” The words are light, but I feel an undercurrent of something I can’t quite put my finger on. Dread? Reluctance? Maybe even loneliness.
What must it be like to be able to see everything horrible a person has done in their lifetime? I shake my head. That’s not a gift. It’s a curse. To only ever see the bad in people… that’s depressing.
It also probably doesn’t leave him with many friends. Who wants a buddy who knows every time you cheat a little at work, clock out early, or don't report all your tips?
We are nearly to the bridge when I feel his eyes on me. I look up and see a gentleness I never would have expected from the devil… but from Lucifer? Yes. When did I begin to see Satan and Lucifer as two different people? Maybe it’s because being Satan is his job and Lucifer is the true identity behind the horns, lava, and demons. Of course, I haven’t seen any demons since we arrived, but maybe they just don’t live in this part of hell.
“What are those?” Mandy asks quietly. I feel her pull a little to the side as if hiding behind Lucifer.
“Aphrodite and Mars,” Lucifer cheerfully replies. “Don’t worry. Just let them get a good sniff of you so they will recognize you the next time you visit.”
I almost make a joke about play-dates in hell, but then before I see the looming beasts leaning over my daughter.
“Mandy!” I start to yank her away, but Lucifer stops me.
“Don’t.” He looks at me quickly. “They won’t hurt her and they need to know her scent.”
I turn back to the monsters currently nuzzling my daughter’s shoulders and stomach. She giggles before reaching up to scratch one large, upright ear. It makes a crooning noise and the other one butts Mandy so hard she falls to the ground.
My gasp is building to a full scream when Lucifer clamps a hand over my mouth. “They’re just playing. They’ve never seen a human child before.” I shake my head but he doesn’t let me go. “Lyla, I would never let anything happen to Mandy or you.”
At his words I stop struggling and try to watch the scene from a different perspective. They may be beasts, but they aren’t really monsters. No, they look like giant dobermans with glowing red eyes.
And a healthy amount of drool.
“Ew, you slobbered in my hair!” Mandy pushes them away and sits up while they take positions next to her, tails wagging. She stands and reaches to pat each one on the head. “Don’t worry, sometimes I drool too. Especially if I’m asleep.”
I reach up and pull Lucifer’s hand away from my mouth. “What are they?”
“Hellhounds, of course.” He steps away from me and motions in my direction. “Your turn. Get a good sniff, you two.”
Suddenly the hounds are at my side pushing their snouts into my clothes. One even lifts up on their hind feet long enough to lick the side of my face, leaving some of my hair wet. But when the other pushes its snout between my legs I decide they’ve gotten my scent by now.
“No. That’s off limits.” I bop the hound’s head.
He leans back and cocks his head as if daring me to smack him again. He moves his head in my direction again and I step back. He steps forward. Again I retreat. Again he steps forward. His tail is thumping the ground in a steady beat.
“I said no!”
Mandy giggles and points at the hound. “He’s just making sure his sniffinator is working.”
“That’s enough, Mars. We don’t have time to play chase.” Lucifer reaches over and pets the hound’s head. Where I can almost look Mars in the eyes, Lucifer is more than a good foot taller than me and his hand rests on the hound naturally. As if the Hellhounds were created especially for Lucifer and his dimensions. “Now, let’s get inside and figure out what we need to do.”
Aphrodite and Mars flounce back to their posts on some unseen signal and we cross the bridge.
I marvel at the architecture as we pass under the entry. It straddles the line of being entirely unique but also somehow familiar. The seams between the stone are smooth, the blocks themselves are some sort of stone I can’t identify. I reach out and trail my fingers along the surface. It’s smooth, warm and dry.
“You won’t find that stone anywhere on Earth.” Lucifer notes my interest. “It’s cultivated from one of the levels of hell.”