Page 45 of Brick's Redemption

“But you were the cause, to begin with, weren’t you?”

He laughed, seeming pleased that I figured it out. “What do you think of my proposal?”

“What do I have to do?”

He backed up a few paces, then spread his arms wide. “Find the souls marked for death and lead them to the reapers.”

What the fuck?

I was about to ask for clarification when my mind became flooded with images. Things I shouldn’t have known and had neverexperienced were dropped into my mind. The hungry shadows who sought out the darkest, vilest of souls. How they whispered into the ears of those who could hear and lent their ability to see those souls. And the reapers, chosen by Lucifer, members in the Tonopah Chapter of the Graven Bastards.

Graven and marked by the devil to serve him.

I nearly stumbled as the truth sank into my mind, filling it with all I needed to know to become another vessel for Lucifer.

“There are so many wicked souls out there. I’m hungry.” He shrugged. “Feed me.”

Yeah, that was fucking creepy.

“In exchange, you will receive an entity to help guide you. One of my trusted shadows.”

“What if I don’t want to give all the power to the shadows and the reapers? What if I want to help destroy those wicked souls you speak of?”

Like Butcher and the rest of the Crimson Skulls MC.

“Well, ask, and you shall receive.” He rushed me, knocking his forehead into mine as we collided.

I felt my skull crack open, and then a piece of Lucifer entered me, taking up residence and slithering into the roots of my soul. This entity bonded to me almost instantly, and I felt his presence, power, and overwhelming hunger.

“He will guide you, but he will also obey.” Lucifer winked. “It’ll be an interesting merger. This is one of my independent shadows, one who likes to get dirty.”

Um. I couldn’t tell if that was good or bad.

Lucifer smirked. “What does it matter? Good? Bad? They are simple definitions for simple-minded people.”

I could argue that, but I didn’t.

“Do you accept my offer?”

I didn’t have a choice now that a demonic shadow had entered my body and latched on. “I do.”

“How marvelous.” Lucifer snapped his fingers, and a scroll appeared, tumbling open as gold lettering appeared, writing up a contract so fast I couldn’t keep up with all it entailed. That must have been the point. “You must sign.”

“Okay.”

“In your blood.”

“Isn’t that a bit archaic?”

“Why, yes. That’s why I enjoy it.”

I believed him.

Lucifer sliced his nail across the tip of my finger, drawing blood to the surface.

Without thinking about it, I signed my name on the bottom of the parchment, giving Lucifer what he asked.

Would I someday regret this? Time would tell.

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