MEREDITH STEPPED OUT of Magical Delights Bakery, a large cinnamon roll in one hand and a black coffee in the other. She tried adding sugar to her coffee when she first left Hell, but the sweetness was more than she was used to in the underworld and turned her stomach. She forced herself to learn how to eat the cinnamon rolls, but the sugar was almost too much for her as well. Luckily for her, Starburst, one of the unicorns who ran the bakery, helped wean sugar into Meredith’s system, fixing special treats for her at first that had nothing sweet about them and then adding sugar into the food a little at a time until Meredith craved the sugary icing that coated the cinnamon roll almost more than the roll itself. Of course, it had also taken Meredith quite a bit of time to get used to the unicorn with her purple hide and pale-green mane and tail, not to mention the way she glowed all the time. The inside of the bakery was a sharp contrast to the flames, molten lava, and rock Meredith became accustomed to in Hell.
Meredith turned left once outside the bakery, passing the butcher shop and Stoney’s Bar on her way to The Fairy Garden. Woodland fairies ran the florist, but in the back there was a small conservatory where they grew many of their own plants and birds flitted around from branch to branch. They set benches around the plants and small trees, making the small area seem more like you were out in the woods than in a florist. Meredith loved to come there and just sit, watching the birds, breathing in the heady aroma of the flowers and foliage. When she first arrived in Black Hollow quite a while ago, her senses were filled with the thick sulfur odor of Hell, her ears rang with the screams of her victims, and her skin radiated the heat of the flames that forever burned down there. Seraphine suggested she visit the florist every day, at least for a while, until the fragrant aroma of the fairies’ garden overcame the stench of the world she left behind. It worked, but even though the stench disappeared, Meredith continued her ritual, now basking in the quiet and peace of the small sanctuary.
Seraphine was the one who truly helped her, getting her acclimated to the small town after King helped Meredith escape Hell. Seraphine was the one who helped Meredith get a job at Fireside Grille, who helped keep her secret of being a demon, and who made sure Adam scrubbed the Web of any mention of Vanth, her true demon name, in the hopes that Lucifer would never find her. He had, of course, but still, Meredith had enjoyed a little time in the world above, enough so that she didn’t want to leave.
She smiled at two of the small woodland fairies putting together a potted arrangement as she weaved her way through the small florist to the conservatory in the back. None of the people in Black Hollow knew who—or rather, what—she was, so she never had to tolerate the disgust she knew came with the knowledge. King, of course, knew, and Seraphine, but so far, neither of them had judged her.
Meredith sighed as she pushed her way into the conservatory and walked around the back wall to a stone bench that gave her access to view the entire area. She sat down, sipping her coffee as she set the cinnamon roll on the bench beside her and took a deep breath through her nose, the fragrance of the lilacs strong this morning, calming her nerves.
She couldn’t believe she came close to telling Jackson her secret. She had ventured into Thirst several times, enjoying watching the ogres sing karaoke, but never before had she truly spoken to Jackson. He always seemed so aloof and distant, keeping to himself, serving drinks and then rushing off before anyone could even ask him a question or start to share something that weighed them down. Weren’t bartenders supposed to be that unofficial, unbiased shoulder for people to spew their problems, like a therapist with booze? Yet, Jackson never before seemed to care about anyone else’s problems, serving their drinks, taking their money, and walking off.
Until last night, that is.
Last night, he stood there, leaning on the bar, and listened to everything Meredith said, not judging her, not tuning her out while he thought about what he needed to restock, instead. He actually heard everything she said, even teased her about some of it. He didn’t share anything about himself, of course, but still, he cared enough to give her the shoulder he refused others, and she appreciated it. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to unburden herself until she started talking. No one at Fireside Grille knew who she truly was, so there was no one there she could share her morning visitor with, and she hadn’t been able to get over to see King to warn him that Lucifer was in town. Had Lucifer even done it? She doubted it. Lucifer only cared about Lucifer and the deals he could force upon people, which reminded her, he had a deal for her, one that would allow her to remain in Black Hollow and not return to Hell. He just hadn’t told her what it was, yet.
She sighed as she lifted her cup to her lips, taking a sip. The liquid would have scalded anyone else, but it was barely lukewarm to her. Centuries in the pit of Hell kind of made one immune to heat.
What would Lucifer want from her that would keep her from being forced back to Hell? Whatever it was, she knew it would have to be big, something major equaling her desire to remain in Black Hollow, but what was there she could offer him that had the same value in his eyes? She watched him make some nasty deals with people through the ages, tricking them into giving up their very souls in order to attain something they thought they desired: love, fame, or fortune. Their wishes usually fell within those three categories. However, Meredith didn’t want fame—she wanted to be left alone in anonymity—or fortune—she was quite happy living day-to-day from her salary at the Fireside Grille—and she highly doubted anyone could ever love her once they knew what she was and what she had done. She also knew she didn’t have a soul. That was reserved for humans and the like, not demons. So, how would Lucifer try to trick her? All she wanted was to live out her days in Black Hollow, away from the misery of humans who had enjoyed their earthly existence more than they worried about their afterlife. To her, that was worth more than love, fame, and fortune combined.
Still, she knew nothing was ever straight forward with Lucifer. Millions tried to best him, but very few ever succeeded. Even those who did had paid some price in the end. Would it be worth it? Would she be willing to pay that price when it came due?
She sighed as she reached over to her cinnamon roll, picking it up and setting it in her lap. A small cardinal flitted down from one of the branches of a small philodendron to sit on the stone bench beside her, his tiny head almost twisting off as he eyed her treat. Meredith smiled at the small bird, breaking off a tiny piece of her roll and setting it on the pale stone beside her. The bird scooped it up in its beak and flew off. A couple of other birds joined him, fighting a little for his special treat, but the cardinal guarded it with his life until he devoured every morsel.
Meredith watched, realizing she watched part of her answer. She had to do the same with her life now as that cardinal did with the small piece of cinnamon roll. She would guard this existence in the land above with everything she had, with every ounce of her being, until she had savored every last morsel of life she could devour. She would live, and Lucifer be damned if he tried to take it away from her. This was her life, and she refused to give it up so easily or be tricked out of it. She had seen all his tricks. She knew his ploys and gambits. She could overcome him. She would overcome him.
She broke off a piece of her breakfast, savoring the sugary morsel as she chewed. She had come to relish so much of what the humans had already. How could she ever give any of that up? She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. She would accept whatever deal Lucifer wanted her to make, giving him what he required to keep her grip on this world, on this life, her life. There would be no cost too great to have this, no price she would not pay. She was alive. How could she be expected to return to the land of the dead until she finished living?