When the Demon Calls Her Name

Evie’s living room was eerily quiet, save for the occasional crackle of fading embers from the fireplace.

The demon stood at the center of the chaos he’d created, his towering figure exuding power—raw, untamed, and barely contained. His molten eyes locked onto hers with such intensity it felt like he could see straight through her.

Evie instinctively shrank back against the couch, clutching a pillow to her chest as if it might shield her from whatever nightmare had just erupted into her reality.

"Let’s try this again," the demon said, his voice low and heavy with menace. "Who are you, and what do you desire?"

Evie blinked at him, her throat dry as dust. She cleared it with a weak cough. "I’m Evie," she squeaked, her voice betraying her panic. "And... I don’t know. I didn’t mean to summon you!"

His lips curled into a twisted smile. “Ignorance is no excuse, little one. You spoke the words and drew me here. Intentional or not, I am bound to you until your desire is fulfilled.”

She stared at him, her mind racing in a thousand directions. Bound to me? Like… magically?

“Yes," he growled, voice dripping with disdain. "Magically. You’ve tethered my essence to your miserable existence."

For a moment, her panic shifted into something sharper. Rude much? “Okay, first of all, rude. And second, I didn’t ask for this! I was just reading out loud.”

“And yet, here I am,” he said, spreading his arms as if it were some sort of grand revelation.

Evie let out a long groan, running a hand through her tangled hair. “This can't be real. This... can't be happening. I must’ve inhaled paint fumes or something.”

The demon took a step closer, and the ground beneath him vibrated slightly, sending a ripple of unease through the room. “Oh, I’m real alright, mortal,” he said, his voice sending a shiver down her spine. “Would you like proof?”

Before she could even blink, he reached out. His hand brushed her cheek, warm, like a furnace that had been turned on full blast.

Evie gasped and jerked back, her heart leaping into her throat.

“Still doubting?” he asked, his voice taking on a darker edge, eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

“Nope,” she muttered, barely able to control her voice, which had jumped an octave. "Real. Got it."

Lucian chuckled—dark, low, and utterly pleased with himself—straightening up to his full, imposing height. "Good. Now, let’s get something straight. My name is Lucian. You will address me as such—or as ‘Master,’ should you feel inclined to show proper respect."

Evie snorted despite herself. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

Lucian’s eyebrow arched in amused disbelief. “Defiant. How... unexpected.”

She squared her shoulders, ignoring the tremor that still rattled through her. “Look,” she said, summoning the last bits of courage she had, “I don’t know what you want from me, but I didn’t mean to summon you. So, if you could just… undo whatever this is and go back to Hell, that’d be great.”

The demon let out a rumbling laugh, rich and full of mockery. “Undo this? Do you think binding a demon is like untying a knot?”

Evie blinked at him, deadpan. “Well, yeah. Sort of.”

Lucian shook his head slowly, the dark gleam in his eyes intensifying. “It doesn’t work that way, little one. The bond cannot be severed until your desire is fulfilled.”

Evie frowned, her head swimming as she tried to make sense of his words. “What does that even mean? My desire?”

“It means you summoned me because something deep within you craves satisfaction—something you’re too afraid or too blind to admit.”

Her brain sputtered, her thoughts whirling like a tornado. “I wasn’t thinking about anything like that! I was just drinking wine and trying to forget my ex.”

Lucian smirked, narrowing his eyes as if he were seeing right through her. “Perhaps forgetting him is your desire. Or perhaps...” He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous, almost seductive whisper. “You seek something more primal. Power. Control. Or maybe... surrender.”

Evie’s face burned, heat rising from her neck to her cheeks as she shot him a glare. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” he asked, tilting his head with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Yes!” she snapped, though her voice cracked slightly.

Lucian chuckled again, the sound thick with mockery. “Denial is adorable, but it won’t change the reality of our situation. Until your desire is fulfilled, I’m stuck in this wretched realm.”

Evie buried her face in her hands for a moment, groaning as the weight of everything pressed down on her. “This is a nightmare.”

“Not yet,” Lucian said with a wicked grin. “But it could be if you’d prefer.”

She shot him a sharp look. “Is that supposed to be funny?”

“Perhaps,” he said, crossing his arms in a way that made his horns gleam under the dim light. “I do enjoy toying with mortals. It’s been centuries since I’ve had the chance.”

“Well, glad I could spice up your afterlife,” she muttered, sarcasm thick in her voice.

Lucian’s expression darkened just enough to make her stomach tighten. “This is no afterlife. I am the ruler of Hell. Do not mistake me for some common specter.”

Evie cocked her head, her sarcasm back in full force. “Ruler of Hell, huh? And yet, here you are. Trapped in my living room.”

His eyes flashed with dangerous fire, and for a split second, the temperature in the room seemed to spike, the air growing heavy. “Careful, little one. Your insolence has limits.”

Evie swallowed hard, realizing she’d pushed him too far. “Okay. Got it. Noted.”

The silence stretched between them, thick and awkward.

Finally, Evie cleared her throat, her voice a little too high-pitched. “So… what happens now?”

Lucian studied her for a long moment, his fiery gaze unreadable. “What happens now depends on you. If you want me gone, figure out what you desire and let it be fulfilled. Until then…” He waved a hand toward the couch. “I suppose I’ll have to make myself comfortable.”

Her eyes widened. “Wait, you’re staying here?”

“Of course,” Lucian said with a casual shrug as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I cannot stray far from my summoner. And unless you plan to house me elsewhere, this... ‘apartment’ will suffice.”

Evie groaned, burying her face in her hands again. “This cannot be happening.”

Lucian smirked, settling into a chair across from her as if he owned the place. “Oh, it’s happening, little one. And I suggest you get used to it.”