Page 19 of How to Accidentally get Trapped in Hell

Luc is at the head of the enormous table and I’m surprised to see Zofina, Droxley, and Bartleby all seated to his left. I pull out the ornate chair to Luc’s right and nod my head for Maddy to sit. She gives me a shy smile before taking her seat in a place of honor. She may not know it, but Luc just made a statement by having Maddy sit on his right.

Of course, while I was distracted being a gentleman and helping Maddy into her seat, Zephyr claimed the seat next to her. Forcing me to take the seat farthest from my mate. I would rather be on her other side, but at least this way I’ll be able to keep a good eye on Bartleby across from me. Bartleby who is giving Maddy a contemplative look that spells trouble.

“Madelyne. You look stunning in that gown,” Luc compliments my mate with a twinkle in his eye I’ve never seen before. I don’t get to see them interact often, he likes to keep her to himself when she’s with him, but every time I see him he’s looking at Maddy in awe.

“Thank you.” Maddy blushes at the compliment.

Someone clears their throat and I pull my eyes from my mate and her grandfather to see both Bartleby and Droxley looking at Luc expectantly.

Luc huffs and rolls his eyes. “Yes. Yes. I suppose we’ve kept you to ourselves long enough. Allow me to introduce you to the rest of your family,” Luc says with a dramatic sigh before he continues in an almost bored tone. “Droxley… Bartleby.” He waves a hand in their general direction and I watch as Bartleby’s eyes narrow at the slight. It’s only for a split second before he adorns a cheerful mask and waves at Maddy with a smile. A smile. When have I ever seen this asshole smile? Only when he was scheming. Now I know he's up to something.

Not knowing how to respond to that lackluster introduction, Maddy smiles awkwardly and waves her hand.

“Lovely! Now that introductions are out of the way…” He claps his hands twice and servants appear with covered dishes, setting one down in front of each guest and removing the lids in sync. Maddy gasps in delight and Luc smiles broadly, dismissing the staff with a wave of his hand.

I should have known Luc would find out what foods Maddy has tried since she’s been here and only serve her favorites. Bartleby grumbles across from me about having to eat yirreowi bread. I chuckle in my head, knowing he hates the stuff.

Picking up her fork with a bright smile, Maddy stabs a bite of foyiorin, a Gehenna specialty featuring the fruit from the Moaning Forest trees. “You know when I was first introduced to Hell food I was so scared to eat it. No offense but it looked so different from what I’m used to. I didn’t know what to expect. I might have starved to death had Zephyr not had the bright idea to blindfold me and feed me.” The three of us chuckle recalling her first experience with Hell food as she likes to call it.

“I’m glad to see you can now eat with your eyes open.” Luc smirks at her, causing the blush that had started to dissipate to come back in full force.

“I don’t know, I thoroughly enjoyed feeding her blindfolded. I’ll have to find something new to make her try,” Zeph muses, laughing when Maddy glares at him.

Everyone is quietly eating and it’s actually a peaceful meal when Droxley wipes his mouth and turns to look at Maddy. “So, Madelyne. I can’t help but notice the lovely horns you have. I’d love to hear about how you got those,” he says as if it’s a mundane conversation like talking about the weather. But his eyes hold a glint of anger in them I see no matter how much he tries to hide it.

He’s always been jealous of Zofina for her horns, wings, and tail. Being the oldest child and first born son would normally place him at the top of the royal food chain, right under Luc. But despite his age and birth order, he’s never been a very good demon. It’s a little shocking that in his hundreds of years he’s never done anything to earn even small horns, but he can’t help that he’s weak. A pathetic excuse for a demon really, but he does still have royal blood so he gets away with being an asshole.

“Oh. Umm, I’m not sure exactly,” Maddy mutters, likely realizing it’s not such an innocent question and not wanting to say something to upset him.

Zofina glares at her brother before gloating. “She’s just a strong demon. She wasn’t even in Hell for twenty minutes before she got them. Tell me, Drox, when did you get your horns?”

Fuck. She should not be poking the bear. I understand her smugness. Trust me I feel the same way. But I feel like she just painted a target on Maddy’s back.

“Fuck off, Zofina,” he snarls.

“Oh, yeah.” She chuckles. “You haven’t.”

His eyes flare and he’s seconds away from attacking her when Luc speaks up. “Enough! If you want to behave like children, you can settle the matter in the arena. But I’ll remind you, last time you did that it didn’t work out very well for you, Droxley.”

The reminder seems to piss Droxley off even more, but he’s smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Maddy, however, my sweet innocent mate, is too inquisitive to let the matter go.

“The arena? What’s that?” she asks Luc.

“It’s where demons settle their differences. If a problem can’t be talked out, they take it to the arena where they battle until there is a clear winner. The loser must accept defeat and drop the matter they were fighting over,” Luc explains diplomatically. He didn’t lie, but he didn’t go into detail on how it actually works either.

“Huh. How very… archaic of you,” she responds thoughtfully.

Luc’s eyes light up at what he’s clearly taking as a compliment though I’m not sure that’s how Maddy meant it. “Thank you! I’ve always thought violence is the best way to settle a dispute, but my dear, Serafina, rest her soul, insisted it didn’t have to be that way. As a compromise for my lovely mate, I agreed to only grant an arena dispute after all other means of resolution had been exhausted. Sadly, there have been fewer and fewer arena battles in the years since that decree has been enacted. I suppose that means she was right after all.” He sighs as he remembers his mate.

I’ve heard stories of what Luc was like before he met Serafina. He had another mate before her, Gerrtruudezeth. She was Droxley, Bartleby, and Marjorkorie’s mom. I never met her but I heard she was a real bitch. Everyone in Gehenna celebrated when she died. In contradiction, when Serafina died, all of Hell mourned. Demons, Hellhounds, Hell itself seemed to be mourning the loss of the queen.

Unlike Gerrtruudezeth, Serafina breathed life back into Hell. She was exactly what we all needed after Gerrtruudezeth’s tyrannical reign. She brought the demons together, ending centuries-old feuds. She made Gehenna what it is today. She showed Luc, and the rest of us that there was more to life than torturing and carnage just for the fun of it. It’s been a while since I’ve thought about her, but now that I am, I see a lot of her in Maddy.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Maddy says, looking from Luc to her mother across from her. “I had wondered if I had a grandmother but since no one mentioned her I didn’t want to bring the subject up.”

“Your grandmother would be so proud of you,Neptis,” Luc reaches out and takes Maddy’s hand. “She was the best of all of us. I always joked that her soul was too pure for Hell. She should have been born an angel… Maybe in her next life, she will be.”

“What happened to her? I mean… if you don’t mind me asking. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she rambles. Luc just smiles sadly and shakes his head.

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