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There was a distinct chill to the air. Charlie was used to warmth. After all, hell was renowned for being boiling. Yet her body was shivering.
“What do you mean?” She asked quietly, her voice small and shaky.
Seviathan sighed, and repeated himself, “I don’t want to be in this relationship anymore.”
Charlie closed her eyes sharply, the words stabbing like a knife in her chest. Her hands were wrung together tightly, resting by her lap. She began to pick at the skin surrounding her fingernails, her anxiety gripping at her stomach and sending her heart into full panic mode.
“I don’t understand,” Charlie said, refusing to look up.
Seviathan shrugged and took a seat next to her. He put his hands on hers, prying them apart to prevent her nervous habit.
“Look, you don’t have to feel bad. You haven’t done anything,” Seviathan explained. “It’s just not working out. Clearly. We’re just not… how we used to be.”
Charlie frowned and looked up at him. “I thought things were fine. We went on a date a couple weeks ago. Heck, we said ‘I love you’ earlier!”
Seviathan looked down at his feet. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I really am. I just don’t see us going any further than this.”
Charlie tried to hold back a sob.
Weakly, she asked, “So you don’t love me, then?”
Seviathan turned his head towards her and held her gaze firmly. “Hey… Hey, don’t be upset. It’s… of course I love you, Charlie. You’re wonderful. I just don’t think things are working out anymore.”
“Why don’t you think things are working out?” Charlie asked, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s just… I don’t know. You’re just too kind. I mean, this is hell, Charlie! You’re nice to almost every sinner on the street. Then when I try to tell you it’s a lost cause, you blow up on me!”
“Because it’s not a lost cause!” Charlie shouted, then turned her head away sharply. “You told me when we first met that you didn’t care that I liked rainbows or unicorns or smiling.”
“We were kids, Charlie,” Seviathan murmured.
Charlie clenched her teeth and shook her head. “I don’t care if we were kids. You’ve been my best friend since we were kids! When Helga would pick on me, you’d tell her to back down. I thought you liked how I liked those things?”
Seviathan put his hand on his forehead in frustration. He tried to keep his voice level as he said, “Charlie, you still act like a kid. I don’t think you’ve realised yet that this is hell! I understand you have all these aspirations and hopes and dreams but they aren’t realistic.” His control over his temper began to weaken. “I mean, this is exactly what I’m talking about! All we do is argue about fucking sinners!”
“They are my people, Seviathan!”
“They’re scum! Fecal matter. An annoying piece of gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe that you are focusing far too much of your attention on.”
Charlie glared at him, her horns threatening to poke out from beneath her hair. She shut her eyes, trying to control the feeling of anger burning under her skin. She took deep breaths, just as her mother had taught her, and tried to keep a cool head.
“Maybe you’re right,” Charlie murmured, her fringe covering her eyes as she spoke. “You’ve changed.”
“I’m sorry things can’t be as they were,” Seviathan said, standing up.
Charlie didn’t say anything, her body clearly trying to fight off both sobs and deep-rooted anger as her horns emerged and retreated from her head repetitively.
Seviathan closed his eyes and nodded in understanding. “I’ll go then.”
“Wait!” Charlie said, suddenly looking up. “What are we going to tell our parents?”
Seviathan looked off to the side and chuckled distantly. “Don’t worry. I’ll be in more trouble than you.”
Charlie huffed and glared at him. “That’s not what I meant.”
Seviathan’s smile dropped. “I’ll tell mine first. I’ll say I did it, too. I’m sure they’ll tell your parents. Heck, your dad will probably be ecstatic!”
Charlie brought both of her hands to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. She could suddenly feel a terrible headache coming on.
“Just leave,” she mumbled. “Please. I can’t deal with all of this right now.”
Seviathan left without another word and a heavy silence settled in the room.
“Charlie!” Her dad’s voice rang out from the other side of the door.
Charlie ignored it and stayed in her bed, wrapped up in plenty of blankets and duvets. She would not let the cold get to her. Not over some ‘von Eldritch’! Even despite having dated that ‘von Eldritch’ for most of her life…
Charlie had to stop herself from reaching out for the nearest pillow and hitting it against her head.
“Lucifer! You have work to do. I’ll talk to her about this, okay?” It was Lilith’s voice this time.
Charlie still didn’t answer the door when her mother knocked. She needed to wallow in her own self-pity for a few more hours before seeing anyone else, she had already decided.
It seemed that didn’t stop her mother, however, as only a second later the door was wide open.
“Charlotte. Dear. I do hope you’re alive under all of those blankets.”
Charlie groaned, pulling them tighter around her.
Lilith scoffed and said, “Come on, now. You can’t hide under there all day.”
“Who’s stopping me?” Charlie mumbled.
Lilith raised her eyebrows and sat next to Charlie on the bed. She placed her hand on Charlie’s shoulder and squeezed down.
“How are you feeling?” Lilith asked softly, trying to hold her daughter’s gaze despite how much Charlie tried to evade her. “You can talk to me about it. I promise.”
Charlie frowned and hugged her legs tighter, hoping that maybe the blankets would cover her enough to make her invisible. When Lilith didn’t say anything further, Charlie knew she would have to speak eventually.
“Shitty,” Charlie murmured. “I feel like shit, Mom.”
Lilith frowned and nodded her head. “I’m sorry to hear that, dear. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Make Seviathan a half-decent guy again?” Charlie muttered.
Lilith chuffed. “Trust me, Charlie. Men like him only get worse.”
“So you didn’t like him?”
Lilith stopped for a moment and tilted her head in thought. “He was fine at first. Of course, no one will ever be enough for my little girl, but he was nice enough. It’s always the same, though. Once all that money and power gets to their head, they change and suddenly they see you as a challenge.”
“Are you saying Dad sees you as a challenge?”
Lilith chuckled. “Heavens, no! Your father views me as his equal. But I’ll have you know there is no man quite like your father.”
Lilith was smiling fondly as she thought about her husband and Charlie almost felt like throwing up.
“Uh, hello? Newly single demon here?”
“Oh right, sorry,” Lilith said sheepishly. She turned her body and wrapped her arms around Charlie, pulling her in for a hug. Charlie let herself be held tightly for a few seconds, before being guided down to lay her head on Lilith’s lap. “Tell me, what do you think went wrong?”
Charlie sighed but began to relax as Lilith ran her hands through her hair. “I think we changed. Well, I don’t think I changed too much, but Seviathan… He just didn’t seem to love me like he used to. I wasn’t expecting him to just drop this on me today but I suppose I should’ve seen the signs. I mean, we argue a lot about sinners. He calls them ‘scum’ and I can’t help but get mad at him. It’s been getting worse recently too.”
Lilith hummed sympathetically, continuing to run her hand through her daughter’s hair. “Have I ever told you about my ex?”
Charlie nodded, rolling her eyes. “You’ve told me that story a thousand times. The first man Adam, yada yada.”
Lilith smiled. “He was such a dick, you know? Even though we were created as equals, he thought he was better than me. And no one seemed to question him either!” Charlie scoffed and Lilith hummed her approval. “I thought I was going to be stuck with him for life because it was the path that was made for me.” Lilith paused and looked up at the ceiling, her smile shifting to one far softer. “Then I met your father. He was wonderful, Charlie. He had such vibrant aspirations and he never once made me feel inferior.” Charlie looked up at Lilith, her eyes squinting as though she were trying to work out what the meaning of this story was. “What I’m trying to say, Charlie, is that you don’t have to settle for the first person who waltzes into your life. If they’re not right for you, then that just means there’s someone else just around the corner. And I guarantee you, they’ll be a much better fit.”
Charlie let a small smile cross her lips. “Thank you, Mom. I’m… I’m sure you’re right.”
“I know I’m right,” Lilith said, smiling. She placed her finger against the tip of Charlie’s nose, ‘booping’ it like she did when she was younger. “Besides, I never much liked those von Eldritches anyway.”
Charlie’s expression shifted to shock. “Really? Why didn’t you say anything? I thought you wanted us to be together? You know, for the ‘political advantages’ or whatever.”
“Well, sure, your father has a friendly relationship with the family, but I’ve always found them to be… a bit elitist. I know that’s rich coming from me, but I always found their interest in your and Seviathan’s relationship a bit odd.”
“They were very keen,” Charlie agreed. She bit her lip, then admitted, “I hope he actually liked me for more than just my status. I really did love him, Mom.”
Lilith smiled. “I’m sure he loved you too. Who wouldn’t? But he’s had a silver spoon shoved in his mouth his whole life. Even the princess of hell wasn’t enough for him, so clearly he’s impossible to satisfy.”
Charlie grinned. “You know, I think you might be onto something.”
Lilith chuckled and drummed her fingers lightly against Charlie’s head. She let the room fall into silence for a few moments before asking, “Was he at least nice about it?”
“The break-up?” Charlie clarified and Lilith nodded. Charlie nodded slowly. “Very gentlemanly. Told me I’d done nothing wrong and that things were just too messy to go any further.”
“That’s good,” Lilith hummed, her eyes becoming darker. “Because if he hadn’t been, I’m sure him and your father would have been having words.”
Charlie almost choked on her own saliva. She sat up suddenly, letting the blankets fall off of her as she stared at her mother in shock. “Mom!”
Lilith chuckled, standing up from the bed. “Come on, we should get you something to eat.”
Charlie was about to protest when her stomach let out a loud growl. Charlie smiled sheepishly and shook off the remaining blankets that clung to her. Suddenly, the chill of the room began to dim and Charlie felt the familiar warmth that hell brought her. She smiled.
“Thanks, Mom,” Charlie said, following her mother out of the room and shutting the door firmly behind her.
Lilith smiled too. “It’s okay, dear. I’ll always be there for you, I promise.”
Charlie was sure she believed her, too.