Thanks to a dare gone wrong, Maggie Brumfield finds out the hard way that Heaven and Hell are real.
Prince Laudon, Lucifer's son and the current ruler of Hell, has locked Maggie into a sinister deal that grants him temporary ownership of her soul...
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MAGGIE'S POV
"You really should have stayed away from that forest."
The menacing stranger speaks to me in a soft voice that doesn't at all match his sketchy appearance. His accent is beautiful, one I've never heard before. I have so many questions. All of which I'm too terrified to open my mouth and ask. I try to swallow my fear because showing any signs of weakness could very well lead to my demise.
"Before we get started, there is something I must know," the man says, studying me curiously. "How did a girl like you end up offering her soul to the devil? You don't look unintelligent."
"Because I'm not." I scowl. "If you're talking about the stupid ritual, I did it because of a dare."
"Oh." The man sighs, and his previous look of disappointment returns. "How unfortunate."
"Can you not be a creep for five minutes and tell me who you are and why you're standing here in my damn bedroom?"
"Right. Pardon my manners." He laughs, then grins something wicked. "My name is Laudon, and I am the Prince of Hell. It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Maggie Brumfield."
"You know my name? Of course, you know my name. I don't even want to imagine how long I've been your target," I ramble due to my nerves, but then the other half of what he said finally registers in my brain. "Wait. Did you just... The prince of where—"
"I had originally planned to meet you back at the forest," Laudon continues, purposely cutting me off. "But you took off so quickly that I had no choice but to follow you here." He takes a few steps towards me, his expression now an impassive one. "After we leave, I will give you back control of your legs. I've had a dreadfully long day and am running low on patience, so I cannot risk having you run away from me. I hope you understand."
"I don't understand shit that's happening right now!" I exclaim. "And leave? Leave to go where?"
From being dragged to a chaotic party that I barely wanted to go to in the first place, to then being challenged by an arrogant boy that I just had to prove wrong, to ultimately being on the verge of either getting kidnapped or murdered by some black-eyed psychopath...
If I somehow make it out of this alive, I can't wait to tell this story to my grandkids.
"We're going home," Laudon answers. "To Hell."
"Wow. You really are as crazy as you look." I panic while struggling to move out of my bedroom doorway. It's as if an invisible force is keeping me glued to the floor. No matter how hard I try to will my legs to do what I need them to, they refuse to budge. "Hell isn't real!"
"I've lived there for the past twenty-five years and can confirm it is very much real," Laudon replies. "For the record, I need only your soul, not your body. Had this been a normal calling, I would leave your body behind for one of my father's demons to claim. However, you've sparked my curiosity..." Suddenly, Laudon is now standing directly in front of me. I gasp, still not used to his impossible super speed. "So, for now, I'll keep you whole." He pauses and lifts a hand towards my face as if to touch me, but he drops it at the last second. "You were able to see me when no one else could, and I want to know why. I'll need to do some more research—"
