Page 9 of Not Today, Satan
“Devica.” I slide off the chair and descend the stairs, stomping down each one with my heavy boots. “Do you remember all the time we spent in this room as kids, Atty? Playing hide-and-seek while Father commanded his army?”
He smiles as he follows my gaze around the shimmering walls. “You always cheated.”
I press my lips together so he won’t see my smirk. “I did not.”
“You did,” he says. “You always hid beneath the throne, knowing I’d never go back there as long as your father was in the chair.”
We flinch in tandem as a scream of agony peals through the halls and the alarms grow silent.
Like me, Attero isn’t one for screaming shadelings. It’s loud. And down here, it’s constant. Atty and I used to stay up at night in my room, cramming pillows over our ears to block out the noise.
“If I ever rule this place,” I would shout, “the first thing I’m doing is enforcing standard screaming hours.”
“What?” Attero would yell.
Sadness clutches my shoulders, tightening them beneath its grip.
Everything was easier then.
I joked about taking over because it never seemed possible. Father was going to reign forever. That’s his punishment, not mine. And one day, I’d be old enough to do what I liked. Maybe even visit the human world without having to be back within days, like Father.
I squeeze Attero’s shoulder and give him a small smile. Maybe something can be salvaged down here. I don’t have to feel alone if I have someone to share it with. He stares at my fingers before dropping his arm to his side.
My heart sinks. “Attero, what happened?”
“What do you mean?” He still hasn’t looked at me. I resist the urge to shake him and scream into his face.
“What happened to us? We were so close as kids. Then you pulled away from me. You stopped talking to me unless you had no choice. You avoid me at meals. And the other day, you chose Ferus, of all demons, over me. What did I do to make you hate me so much?”
His head snaps up, and he finally meets my eyes, surprise lining his face. “I don’t hate you, Devica.”
“Well, what, then?” I throw my arms up. “You were my best friend. We talked about everything. You were the only person I could count on when things went wrong. But you didn’t even show up for my birthday party. You weren’t there for me to talk to when Father dropped this giant bomb on me. Now, more than ever, I could use your friendship.”
“It’s nothing you did. I wanted to go to your party, I swear. But I got to the dining hall and saw your dad and he looked so serious and… I don’t know. I suddenly felt like I shouldn’t be there, so I left. I’m sorry.” His right foot traces circles on the carpet. “I was going to apologize the next day, but then your dad announced that you’d be taking his place in a year, and it seemed wrong to—”
“To be my friend?” I sputter.
“To beanythingto you.” He takes a breath, and his tone softens. “Look, Dev, your future is going to be amazing. I’m so proud of you. I think you’re going to be a great ruler. But you have to understand it means demons will distance themselves. There’s only room for one on that throne.”
I eye the enormous chair, then give him a pointed look. “That’s not true. At least twenty demons could fit up there.”
He doesn’t even crack a smile. “You know what I mean.”
“I get it, I do.” I swallow. “But I miss you. Remember the things we used to dream of doing? The places we’d visit beyond Dominus?”
“I remember.” His voice lowers almost to a whisper as he stares at the floor again. “But those were childish fantasies. We have responsibilities now, you more than any of us.”
Responsibilities I never asked for.
He hunches his shoulders to his ears, and I zero in on the circular badge with a largeSon the lapel of his black collared shirt. My eyes widen. “Wait. You’re training to become a souldier? That’s a big deal, Atty. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Blush rises from his neck to his cheek like smoke from flames. “You have your ambitions, and I have mine. It’s why I’ve been going out with the other demons after work. I know you hate him, but your father trusts Ferus, and he’s going to command the souldiers now that Primice is retiring. I need to be on his good side.”
“I’m not sure Ferus has one of those.”
“You know what I mean.” Attero shuffles his left foot. “Please don’t hate me for this.”
I press my lips together. Telling him not to do this will only push him away, and he’s still the only friend I have. As much as I hate him hanging with Ferus, it would be worse if he never talked to me again.
