Page 20 of A Match Made in Hell

Sath leans against the doorway with his arms folded over his chest, one leg crossed in front of the other. He isn’t slapping me in handcuffs – or whatever the Asphodel equivalent may be – which I have to take as an encouraging sign.

Maybe he hasn’t spotted Aric yet. The humans trembling in fear are probably distracting, along with the dismantled pool table. I sidestep to try and hide the body, and his eyes are immediately on me. I avert my gaze, which I’m sure screams innocence.

‘I’m waiting for an explanation.’ He points at Harper, who’s crying less than the other two. ‘Speak.’

I’m reminded of the one and only time I got detention in school.

Sasha had taken it upon herself to spray-paint our English teacher’s car, shoving the can into my hand at the end so I could perform the final touch.

We were caught running away. Pinned down by the headteacher the way Sath pins us now, demanding an explanation.

Harper’s voice is no more than a whisper. ‘We were –’

‘Louder.’ This isn’t the Sath who cleaned my arm or confided in me about some gates that are falling apart.

This is King Sathanas, ruler of Asphodel.

He prowls towards her, those flames of his licking up his arms, and I’m half afraid he’s going to burn her alive right here, right now.

I take one tiny step in her direction, but a quick shake of Sath’s head has me pausing. His words from before haunt me.

If you’re seen challenging me, I’ll be forced to do to you what I did to that man. I suspect coming to their defence falls under the category of challenging him. Pfft. I shut my mouth and scowl, just in case he had any doubts about my opinions on the matter.

‘We said . . . we said we wanted to . . .’

‘Yes?’

‘To see the sun,’ Harper finishes. ‘One more time. It . . . He . . . overheard, and she . . .’ Her eyes flick to me, just like Sasha’s had on that day. The can was in my hand. There was no reason she should take any of the blame.

‘Ah.’ Sath clucks his tongue. ‘How very, very calamitous for you all.’ His voice is soft, the words somehow both a caress and a curse. My stomach knots. I really want to believe he won’t hurt me.

I may not have given him a choice.

Sath comes to stand beside me. I tense at his proximity, but all he does is nudge Aric’s prone form with his shoe. His gaze drifts to my hands, and the blood encrusted there. I suppose it’s too late to shove them behind me.

Sath inclines his head towards the others. ‘I’m going to do the rest of you a favour and assume this girl is responsible for what happened here today.’ His eyes lock on mine, although his words are directed at them. ‘Leave.’

To my surprise, Harper’s feet remain planted on the spot. ‘It wasn’t her fault,’ she says. ‘We were the ones who upset him; she was only trying to help –’

‘Are you questioning my judgement?’

I shake my head furiously in her direction. I have no idea what she thinks she’s doing. The blood on my hands is far more damning than any can of paint.

‘N-no,’ she says. Her friends are already edging towards the door. ‘I . . .’

‘Get out.’

She flinches at the raw power in his voice, but doesn’t move, her gaze flicking between me and him.

‘It’s fine,’ I say. ‘Go. I’ll be fine.’

She has no reason to believe me – I’m not sure I believe me – but, finally, after a staring contest which I manage to win, she nods and backs away, giving me one last panicked glance and mouthing I’m sorry , before disappearing.

And we’re alone.

I hold my breath. I’m not sure how much of this is part of his act.

Sath is what I would call glowering , simmering flames in his eyes, smoke uncurling from his arms. He inhales deeply before clicking the door shut, and when he faces me again he’s a little more Sath-like and a little less Devil-like.

Doesn’t stop him sounding utterly exasperated when he says, ‘What were you thinking?’

I bristle. ‘I was thinking that your demon here was about to attack three people for no reason. What was I supposed to do, let him hurt them?’

‘Yes!’ He closes the gap between us, but I don’t cower away, standing toe to toe with him. Heat emanates from his body, searing into mine. ‘That is exactly what you should have done!’

‘Unlike you, I’m not prepared to sit around and do nothing while innocent people get hurt.’

A muscle in his jaw twitches. ‘That’s not fair.’

‘What’s not fair is putting me in this position.’ I fold my arms. ‘This shouldn’t have been a decision I had to make. If you would stand up to the demons . . .’

If he’d stand up to the demons, I wouldn’t be given the opportunity to do exactly the kind of dumb shit that got me here in the first place. It’s his fault I messed up; his fault I’ve failed at yet another chance to prove I can walk away from bad situations.

The least he can do is get me out of it. ‘Could you do your thing already, and set him on fire? How long do we have until he wakes?’

Sath sighs. ‘I can’t set him on fire. Not this time.’

I do a double-take. I can’t have heard him correctly. If he doesn’t get rid of him, Aric will tell the other demons what I’ve done, and then they’ll be out for my blood, which –

Every inch of me goes as rigid and cold as a popsicle when I realise what this means. Sath has no intention of helping me. Of getting me out of this.

‘Nobody knew of those bats’ existence,’ Sath explains. ‘It was safe for me to return them to Tartarus. Aric, on the other hand . . . if he were to go missing, all kinds of questions would be asked. Ones that neither of us would like to answer.’

I’m going to the Void.

I’ll hear Mum’s voice on repeat, reminding me all I had to do was listen to her and I’d have been safe, free of this place, and I can’t do it, I won’t go there, I won’t .

‘Sath,’ I say. I’m reaching for him before I can stop myself, my hands making a fist in his shirt.

‘The tasks. Your . . . Think, Sath, if you send me to the Void, you won’t get your concession, whatever it is.

You can’t . . .’ I’m babbling. I’m definitely babbling.

‘You can’t do this. You need me, remember? ’

‘When did I say anything about the Void?’ He sounds completely calm, like he hasn’t signed my second death sentence by deciding Aric is more important than me.

‘If you keep Aric alive, won’t he make you? Otherwise, he’ll come after me himself.’ I bite my lower lip to stop it wobbling. ‘Maybe you could . . . torture me a little?’ I cringe at my own words. I think my self-respect is as dead as I am.

Sath blinks. ‘Torture you?’

‘Punish me?’ That sounds less painful. ‘You can punish me.’

He quirks a brow. ‘Do you want me to punish you?’

‘Obviously not,’ I retort, forgetting I’m supposed to be begging for rescue. ‘But if you won’t set fire to Aric –’

‘Leave Aric to me.’ Sath stares at the body, darkness gathering in his expression, like clouds rolling in before a storm. ‘There is one thing I can use as leverage. I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you.’ His gaze shifts to meet mine. ‘I promise. He won’t touch you.’

The dread coiling round my chest loosens, and my next breath comes a little easier. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m sure.’ He clicks his fingers, and Aric’s body disappears. ‘I sent him to my chambers; he won’t wake for a few hours. I’ll deal with him then.’

‘And what about me?’ I can’t help asking. ‘How are you going to deal with me?’

Sometimes I wish I knew how to keep my mouth shut.

‘Careful.’ Sath smirks. ‘All these questions, I’m starting to think you want to be punished. Tell me, Willow, how would you like to be dealt with?’

My mind, ever helpful, conjures up images of the whips and chains I’d convinced myself I’d find in his cupboards. My cheeks grow warm, which only makes his smirk grow, as though he can see every single outrageous thought in my head.

‘I don’t,’ I snap, furious with myself. ‘I just assumed you’d yell more. Aren’t you angry?’

‘Oh, believe me, I’m angry,’ he says, sounding perfectly cordial. If this is anger, I’ve never seen it like this. ‘However well-intentioned, what you did was reckless. If Aric had got the upper hand, you would have ended up in the Void.’ His gaze drops to my torn T-shirt. ‘Did he hurt you?’

‘I’m fine.’

He slides a finger across the freshly exposed skin, just beneath my collarbone, before snatching his hand back into a clenched fist.

‘Nothing about this is fine,’ he says, eyes flashing gold. ‘He hurt you. And instead of punishing him, I have to play damage control.’ He shakes his head. ‘I’m not angry with you. I’m angry with this place.’

Now doesn’t seem like a good time to suggest, once again, that he does something about it.

‘Come on.’ His hand finds my elbow. ‘I’m only here because I was searching for you.’

‘You were?’ I have a horrible feeling I sound far too happy about that.

‘Yes.’ Sath, however, does not sound happy. His face is grim when he says, ‘It’s time for your next task.’