Fallen Into Hell: Fallen: Book 2, Layna Snow [the mitten read aloud .TXT] 📗

and walk like normal and talk like normal, and live a long and happy life for the next 80 or so years. I want her to be healthy.” She signed.

Soph held her breath, hoping that he’d understand, hoping that he’d agree. And hoping that everything would go alright.

The teenager’s eyes focused fully on her, his face going serious as if thinking about her plea.

His eyes held secrets. Depths that defied his innocent looks. The shadows swirled, like ghosts seeking a way out.

Sophie wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. His stare held her, trapped her.

Oh sweet shortcake, she needed this to go well! Her other plans had fallen through and she didn’t have much time left.

“Alright. On one condition. You have to do something for me.”

Sophie’s heart stopped. Her chest constricted and she realized that she hadn’t taken a breath.

She’d do anything for her sister! Anything. But she worried. There were so many possibilities that he could ask for, and most of them seemed terrifying or impossible.

“What?”

“My daughter” he started, and her shock must have shown because again he rolled his baby blue eyes, “I am not as young as I look. People do not age down here, and she is… young. Now, as I was saying. You will come across my daughter and you need to protect her until she is 20. When she reaches 20 you will bring her back down here and deliver her to me.”

Sophie could only stare. He had a daughter?

The idea was frightening.

A little girl out there, with the darkness inside of her. With evil blood?

Hadn’t she seen movies like that with Annie?

The possibilities made her head hurt, and although her heart was aching for this young girl who she had never met, she knew that she had to agree.

Regardless of how it affected her life. She had to do this for Annie.

“How will I know it’s her? There are millions of little girls out there.”

El Diablo smiled again. He looked predatory, even in his youthful, innocent face.

And she couldn’t get any farther away. Her back ached from being held so hunched, her knees drawn up to shield her stomach. She didn’t want to look at him, but needed to know his answer. Needed to be aware in case he made a threatening move. Just needed to be aware.

As if that would help her!

“You will just know.”

“Is she as evil? Will I have to be careful?”

The Devil chuckled, the noise sounding so carefree, much too carefree for the king of all evil.

“Be careful? You’re sounding slightly bigoted. Have you ever stopped to wonder if things aren’t as black and white as they seem? The Bible is written by His followers, of course it will show Him in a good light. Have you read the Old Testament? There are plenty of instances where He was cruel.”

“There are many where you are, too.”

“That’s true, love. But, maybe it is just like your politicians. We want to seem better than the other. I know what these monsters down here do. They are my children. But, I don’t make their decisions. Can you hate the President because one of the children shot up a school? Do you hate the leaders of Africa because the animals attack? So why judge me because of the place I am forced to occupy, because of the things my boredom and loneliness created, and the world twisted into evil? Now, do we have a deal?” He asked, and held out his hand.

Sophie didn’t want to think about what he said, not yet.

It was too much, too close to home. She had grappled with right and wrong her whole life, and now with the guys… no, this wasn’t the time!

Managing to get up, Soph took a deep breath before walking slowly over to him. Every step took effort. Like walking through sludge. The air between them thick with potential—both good and bad.

She didn’t want to move closer. She didn’t want to be near him at all, but this was important.

Her feet were cold on the floor, and her muscles didn’t want to move. But she made it there. And she took his small warm hand in hers, giving it a quick shake.

Instantly she felt a shock, and immediately let go. It traveled up her arm, and right to her heart, where it burned, sizzled and then it fanned to the rest of her body before going out.

She felt…different. Changed in a way that she couldn’t put her finger on.

But she knew it couldn’t be good.

Soph stared, her eyes wide as she slowly backed away again. What had he done to her?

But it was over. The deal was made and all that was left to do was to complete it.

She hoped that she didn’t regret this.

17

The Devil turned back to the food on the table. “Are you sure you don’t want any? You have to be hungry.”

But she wasn’t. Her stomach knotted. Her whole body clenched.

Sophie couldn’t think about eating any of this stuff. She just wanted to get out of here.

As if sensing her decision, the young man sighed.

“Suit yourself,” he said before picking up a sandwich of some kind. She didn’t even want to know what was in it! It was probably dead babies boiled in the tears of his enemies.

“Razion,” he called, his voice calm and level. Even so, the power that lashed through the room was almost physical. She hadn’t realized that was even possible. But the hair on her arms stood up, and all her instincts told her to run far away!

She hadn’t even realized that she had taken a step back until she heard a rustling behind her.

Soph whipped around to face the new threat. And she didn’t know if she was