Hellmates

The girl walks through the underworld with her uptight imp coworker. The silence between them says everything; she knows the imp, and all the other coworkers in Vitia despise her enough to leave her rotting in whatever cell she ends up in. If it weren for the dark lord himself, shed still be there.

But as they enter headquarters and the girl looks up at the window into the lords office, her face remains the coldest thing in the entire dimension.

She follows the imp into the office, sees his lordship in his silky robes with an ancient book, and he sips from a mug of hazelnut coffee by the fire.

”Waddup Satan? ” The girl says through her teeth. ”Long time no call or visit from you. I see you
e rereading Mein Kampf. ”

The Lord looks up from the books spine to sigh with exasperation as she walks over, ”Stan; to everyone working under me, it is and always will be Stan, not Satan. That name came from the illiterate insects. ”

”The humans? ” The girl casually takes the book from his hands and closes it before he can place the bookmark in. ”I know its annoying to be associated with a goat and called a name that isn yours but for someone who hates them, you sure like reading their books. ”

”Very few of those creatures understand what real literature is; that is why I read. ” He snatches the book out of her hands with a growl, ”And don address your lord by that name again unless you want to keep your job and your tongue. ”

Stan rises from the chair to place the book neatly on his bookshelf.

”You call this a job? We don even get dental; Id remove my wisdom teeth myself, but Id need anesthesia. ”

Stan ignores her complaints and fingers through his filing cabinet for a folder and tosses it on the desk between them.

”I have an important mission for you, Scarlett. Everything you need to know is in there. ”

She scans the papers, ”I just got out of prison today. Why give me another assignment after getting me back? ”

”I almost forgot, youll be required to wear this uniform. ” He summons something to his palms, and in a burst of fire, a uniform with frills and bows appears.

Scarletts stomach churns at the sight of it, ”Another undercover job at a school? Come on, dark lord, you can get any hussy to temp the pedo teachers. Don you think I could be more than a seductress this time? ”

”This is a special assignment; youll have to follow a prince, gain his trust, and- ”

”Ooh, royalty? ” Scarlett says mockingly, ”So Im supposed to be happy that this time its a rich guy? Everyone else gets the dirty jobs surrounded by blood and agonizing deaths, and all I get is royal foam in my mouth? ”

”Let me finish before you talk my ears off, Scar. ”

”Yes, my lord. ” She coaxes her voice in sweetness and drops to her knees before him, ”I tremble in fear of your awesome power! I am a lowborn girl with no desire but to serve at my masters every whim. ”

Stans eyes widen in embarrassment at seeing the imp standing by the door awkwardly when he couldve sworn hed left.

”…Not in front of Randy, please. ”

Scar turns to the door, ”The hell are you still doing here, cockblocker? This isn a free porno; pay up! ”

”You
e traumatizing it. ” Stan pulls her off the floor, ”Im sure Randy is very uncomfortable with your crude behavior. ”

”Its Ralph, my lord- ”

”You weren told to speak, imp. ” Stan raises his voice.

”My apologies, dark lord. ”

”Oh, its already noon. My pet dragons will be expecting their lunch. ”

”But, Im not the cook- ”

”DID I STUTTER?! ”

”No, milord! ” The imp trembles, ”Ill get it done immediately; please don kill me! ”

Both Scar and Stan wait as the imps screaming travels farther away from the hall for them to continue their conversation.

”You know I don approve of you showing off in front of my subordinates. ” Stan turns his head to see her sitting comfortably in his chair. ”You shouldn test me like that in front of them; they have to know Im someone who should be feared or else. ”

”Or else, what? ” She props her legs up on his desk, ”I give them an excuse to overthrow you as you did to your father and his before him? ”

”Don talk about my father, ” He shoves her feet off his desk, ”and get out of my chair. ”

She rises to her feet and spins to face him, ”Come on, Stan, its not like Id pull a Lucifer. You don have to worry about being overthrown. ”

”I wasn worried. ”

”Really? Is that why you took so long to send help? Because you aren worried that I might be a threat to your throne, Hepnio? ”

Stan slams his palms on his desk, splintering the wood, ”What is this, Scarlett? Are you angry at me? ”

”Am I angry? ” Scar laughs dryly, ”You left me to die in that cell for two years! I should be using your horns as wine glasses right now! ”

Stan stands there unphased by her admission, ”Fifteen months and four days as of today, actually. ”

”So youve been counting the days instead of sending a rescue party? ”

”I sent one today, ” He dismisses, ”The mission I have for you is a little different than your normal- ”

”Forget it; choose someone else. ” She stomps away, heading for the door.

The doors slam shut in front of her.

”No, I choose you. ”

”When I first joined, you said Id always be free to choose. ”

”Yes, and you are. ”

”Then why do I have to start another mission so soon? Can I rest and have someone treat my wounds first? ”

”I never said how soon it would start; I may be the dark lord, but Im not without a heart. ”

”When is it? ”

”On the first day of school, as the rest of your classmates. ”

”Right, ” She rolls her eyes, ”and what school is it? ”

”Starlight Academy; an exact copy of a certain city in Southern California, or whats left of it. ” He raises a finger to the tv screen and brings up images of the city before and after it turned into a school, ”A good friend of mine owns the ship where this mock school takes place, so no matter what happens, you can leave whenever you want. Ive given you a detailed map of the place, but since youll be a freshman, you must not be yourself. ”

”What does that mean, Stan? ” She glares.

”It means don oversell your sex appeal or turn into an angry bitch when you don get your way. ”

She scoffs, ”Anything else?

”Nothing but seduce and kill, my love. ”

”Kill some random prince as a prank? ” Scar raises a brow, ”What did this guy do, die for humanitys sins? ”

Demonic light pierces through dark eyes as he gives her a withering stare.

”Right, Im sorry, touchy subject. ” She laughs nervously.

After a few beats of tense silence, Stan turns away, and the light fades from his eyes, ”This prince has been hidden from me, and I was promised a soul. That is all you need to know. ”

When Stan turns his back towards her, her eyes burn holes into the back of his skull.

The girl bites her lip, trying to still her trembles. She can fear him, not anymore. But she has to be careful because one day shell repay the dark lord for everything hes done.

Scarlett hasn forgotten every moment in that cold, dark cell and how many times shes tried to summon her dark lord to save her. As she fingers the necklace bearing another name around her neck, she reminds herself of those whove been taken from her and that she can allow their sacrifice to be in vain.

With a shaky breath, the show must go on.

”I need to know you understand me, Scarlett. ” Stan says, ”I want no further questions about the assignment. ”

”Fine, I don care to know anyways. ” A practiced smile stretches across her face, ”So, when does school start? ”