It was another late night at Heather's home. Both Heather and her daughter Rose was asleep for the evening. Lady made sure to check on both girls before heading downstairs and reading a good book on the sofa in the living room. While she sat there and read the lights began to flicker, but there was no thunder storm or loud boom coming from outside to indicate it. Lady's guard was suddenly up as out of the shadows came a familiar black and white mask with red eyes. The demon Zandu.

  “Is this how you spend your hours now?” asked Zandu. “Reading away on worthless literature.”

  “No piece of literature is truly worthless,” replied Lady, closing her book and putting it aside. “If you're here for the baby-”

  “If I were here for the baby we'd already be locked in combat,” interrupted Zandu. “Instead I've come with an offer for you.”

  “An offer for little old me?” asked Lady mildly amused.

  “If you forsake your current life and kill both mother and daughter then Lord Lucifer will allow you to return to the fold in hell and your life can have meaning again,” said Zandu.

  “The devil misses me then?” questioned Lady.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “Lord Lucifer loves all his hellspawns,” explained Zandu. “No matter how hard they try to be something else.”

  “We both know Lucifer is incapable of love,” replied Lady.

  “Is that the old human you talking, or the demon?” asked Zandu.

  “Would you be able to tell if I didn't say?” replied Lady.

  “Enough foolishness, Lady! I'm offering you a chance to redeem yourself in Lord Lucifer's eyes. That child is nothing but trouble from the ground up. Should she grow old enough to spread the gospel it could mean the end for all demons. Including you. Killing her is the only solution,” said Zandu.

  “The only solution for you perhaps, but not so much for me,” said Lady.

  “Do you still hold onto foolish hope that God will forgive you of your sins and allow you into heaven?” questioned Zandu. “There is no place in heaven for a demon.”

  “No, I don't hold onto foolish hope,” began Lady. “I hold onto hope that Esther and the rest of her descendants make it into God's kingdom. I have already accepted the consequences for my renouncing God that day on the stake, and should I have to suffer eternity with the rest of you in hell then so be it. Until then I intend to live my life as I see fit.”

  At that Zandu merely chuckled. “Noble and just till the very end. Except when you weren't. I miss the young vindictive Lady Hellspawn who tore apart her killers with barbed wires and made them suffer.”

  “You don't know how close you are to bringing her out,” said Lady darkly.

  “Very well then,” replied Zandu. “Continue to protect your humans and I'll continue to send my demons after the prophet. This only ends one way, Lady. With you bending the knee to Lord Lucifer.”

  With that said Zandu moved backwards into the shadows of the living room and vanished without a trace. Lady merely went back to her book and was relieved that another fight has not broke out just yet. For try as she might to put on a strong face, she was not yet ready to battle one such as Zandu.

  At least not yet.