16. Niklaus

Chapter sixteen

Niklaus

Christmas Day: Love Born of Sugar and Sin

A fter using my powers to give my reaper a new outfit—another replacement for the second dress I tore apart while ravaging her—she stands before me, as beautiful and lethal as ever. The glint in her eyes is different now, no longer shadowed by the ghosts of her past. Instead, they shine with her rebirth from the ashes into the very essence of death itself, and radiate with newfound love—something we both never thought we were capable of experiencing. Yet, here I stand before Sable, once a human who was broken by those around her, now an agent of the Devil himself, who has conquered the rot from this town and slain those very demons that sought her demise. She was able to claim the souls of those I never could, and she stands victorious among their putrid remains. She’s a fucking Goddess walking among men—or any being from any realm—and no one can break her ever again. I won’t allow it, but neither will she.

She turns to gaze at the remains of her father’s severed corpse, falling silent. I squeeze her hand that’s still intertwined with mine. Sable looks back at me with a coy smirk, a wicked gleam in her icy blue eyes. “We did it,” she says, her voice laced with triumph.

I scoff, shaking my head. “You did it, little reaper. If it weren’t for you, I’d be an Ashcroft puppet by now. You saved me. You saved this town.” I give her hand a sharp tug, pulling her into my chest as she lets out a surprised gasp. “And you will be rewarded,” I murmur, stroking her jaw.

She rolls her eyes and clicks her tongue. “But I like this new dress! Don’t go shredding this one to pieces, too.”

I chuckle softly. “I can always conjure you a new one. Anything you want is yours.” She melts into my chest at those words, relaxing against me. “Now, we wouldn’t want to be rude and keep our guests waiting. Let’s go take back Christmas, my sweet sin.”

“Who are you taking me to meet?” she asks, raising an eyebrow with her usual sass.

I pull her hand and gesture toward the door, guiding her towards it. But she halts at the threshold, her eyes locking onto mine with a fierce, pleading intensity. “Burn it,” she demands, her voice cold and unyielding. “Burn it all the fuck down, Nik. I want nothing left of their vile legacy. And as far as anyone else is concerned, Sable Ashcroft died today, too. Now, she’s returned from the grave, scythe stained red—a warning to anyone who dares cross me again.”

Well, my cock is rock hard again and threatening to explode through my zipper. Her murderous tendencies really turn me on, it seems. I’ll never get enough of this—or of her.

I pull her back against my chest, wrapping one arm around her neck. Leaning in close to her ear, a low growl vibrates in my chest. “I’d burn the world for you.”

Sable gasps softly, pressing her ass harder against the growing swell in my pants. I lift my hand, flames swirling into a small, furious inferno in my palm, ready to incinerate the Ashcroft estate. With a flick of my wrist, I hurl a bolt of fire across the room, and the bedroom is quickly engulfed, illuminated by the scorching glow of embers—the fire dances across the room, the bodies, and all of her childhood horrors. A burning waltz amidst the carnage left in her wake.

We step out into the crisp, chilling air as the house is swallowed in flames, the crackle of the fire behind us drowned out by the cacophony of screams and demonic howls. Sable inches closer to me as she takes in the horrifically stunning scene outside her home. My hellions are unleashing bloody terror upon the remaining cult members; their blood-curdling screams pierce the air as their bodies are torn to shreds. The scent of blood and sulfur mixes in the atmosphere, creating the perfect concoction of chaos.

“Don’t tell me my reaper is afraid?” I tease with a growing smirk.

She turns away from the carnage to face me with an incredulous look. “I fear nothing, Nik. I’m just shocked to see them in person. And they’re tearing into the Ashcrofts; I thought that wasn’t possible for you and your imps to do?”

I think about that for a moment. While yes, it’s true we were once unable to harm them because of their sacrifices to Lucifer. With Sable rising from the grave as death itself, reaping the very souls of those who were once intangible, she has rewritten the rules. And not for the first time. This deranged little human has re-circuited so much for me, making my heart swell with emotions that should never even be possible for a demon.

“You’ve changed the game, little reaper.”

“Oh, I love games!” she squeals, a wide grin lighting up her face. “After we take their souls, can we get some candy?” She clutches my shirt, bouncing up and down with excitement.

“Why wait?” I ask, her lips forming an ‘O’ as I conjure a peppermint candy cane from thin air, perfectly matching the colors of her hair.

She snatches the hooked candy from my fingers and licks the entire length slowly… agonizingly slow, causing my mind to wander to her licking the whole length of my—

“Merry Christmas, Nik!” she giggles.

And there goes my heart again, racing to a dangerous beat from the heat swirling in her eyes as she looks at me, her smile capable of turning Hell into a Heavenly place.

“Merry Christmas, my love.” I place a kiss on her forehead as she breathes out a laugh, blissfully licking her candy cane.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind us morphs into a soft whimper as I whirl around to face Grimble. His grotesque, clawed fingers tap together anxiously. When I pierce his paled crimson eyes with my own, he quickly bends low in a bow before me, placing a hand to hold his too-small top hat from falling off his head. “I heard you call, Master. I brought your finest imps for this wondrous feast you provided us.” He straightens after a beat when he feels sure I won’t threaten him in any way. I’m in a cheery mood, after all. “Is this—”

His eyes widen in terror as he rakes Sable up and down. She’s still licking her candy cane with a confused look when Grimble gets down on his knees to bow before her. “Um, what’s it doing, Nik?”

“Grim, what the fuck are you doing?” I cross my arms as I stare down at my imp.

He lifts his head with a yelp. “A reaper! You didn’t tell me the one you were following is death herself!” he exclaims, a feral grin revealing his jagged teeth.

Sable cocks her head at me. “How long have you been following me around, demon?” She turns to Grimble. “Oh, and you can just call me Sable.”

Grimble stands up, cackling. “It is most gracious to meet you. You may call me Grimble—the strongest, most vicious imp of them all. Master would agree,” he adds, cowering slightly. “Wouldn’t you?” he asks nervously.

“You are… adequate.” Grimble nods his head nauseatingly fast. “And to answer your question, reaper, I’ve followed your scent like a demon in heat since the day I first laid eyes on you. Your scent was too… enticing,” I say, my voice dripping with seduction.

Sable traps the hook of the candy cane between her teeth as she stares at me with lust-filled eyes. “Will you show me again how enticing you find me, demon?”

Grimble chokes violently, completely obliterating the tension between Sable and me and softening my boner. “Will you be joining us in Hell, Sable? Oh, how I’ve always wanted to meet a reaper! And to think my Master has given you his well-endowed, most enormous member—”

“Enough, Grim,” I growl, my voice sharp. He cowers instantly, raising his hands in surrender. I glance at Sable, who’s watching me with a curious gleam in her eyes. Would she even want to join me in Hell?

Sable watches the exchange, a smirk playing on her lips. “It is quite large,” she agrees with a nod. “Plus, I go wherever Nik goes. Right?” She looks up at me with those ocean-deep eyes, the ones that pull me down into their depths and make me want to dive straight back to Hell, tearing her family apart all over again for the abandonment and pain they caused her.

“You’re never leaving my sight, little reaper. You’re mine forever.”

Her smile returns as her scythe materializes, summoned by her death magic and resting in her hand. “Good, because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer anyway. Let’s have some fun here. Then, I want to rescue my Mom from the Silent Night Asylum.”

Grimble jumps with glee, clearly thrilled by Sable’s bloodthirsty attitude. I suppose they’ll get along perfectly. “Shall we play a game, m’lady?”

Sable perks up at the mention of a game. “A game? I love playing games!”

I playfully roll my eyes at the two of them, but deep down, I’m completely enamored with this woman—my perfect match, crafted by Lucifer himself.

Grimble leans closer to her with mischief in his eyes. “Whoever claims the most souls for themselves wins. Loser must endure the Circle of Benevolence.” He shudders after he says those damned words.

A low, demonic rumble forms in my chest. “She will not—”

“What’s that? Doesn’t sound all that bad,” Sable deadpans while cutting me off.

“Oh, it’s terrible! It’s a form of punishment for the demons in Hell, you must sit through the torture of watching others perform acts of kindness to others for ten days straight! Sometimes longer, depending on the degree of the crime committed.” Grimble shakes his head in disgust at the idea. I’ve heard it’s fucking dreadful, but it’s not something I’ve had to withstand, and neither will she.

Sable lifts her scythe in front of her, a devious smirk playing on her lips. “You’re on, Grim!” She casts one playful glance my way before spinning on her heels and diving into the massacre surrounding us.

Grim eyes me wearily before I sigh and nod for him to play this silly little game. He runs off after her, intent on winning the bet. He doesn’t know that no matter the outcome, she will not lose—but I’ll let them have their fun.

I watch her from a distance, captivated. The way she swings her weapon, a radiant smile plastered across her beautiful face, with blood splattering against her pale skin—I am filled with awe. My human-turned-death incarnate has stolen the heart of a demon. I don’t know how or why this happened, but I am profoundly grateful. I will love her until the end of time, ensuring she never knows loneliness, pain, or suffering again—as long as I have anything to do with it.

Sable

After I quite obviously won the bet against Grimble in his game—thanks to my newly acquired strength and speed—Nik scooped me into his arms and kissed me with such passion that I never wanted him to pull his lips away from mine. But I suppose I’ll have an eternity with his mouth, his tongue, and his monster dick, so I came to terms with the temporary loss of his breath-stealing, mind-altering, heat-inducing kiss.

We left the Ashcroft estate on Sorrow’s back, soaring through the smoky air filled with the acrid aroma of burning bodies, heading toward our final destination this Christmas. My time spent at the Silent Night Asylum is a memory I’ll never forget. The brutal suffering I endured at the hands of the bad men is now a thing of the past—a distant, haunting echo that I’ve silenced with my own hands. Their deaths ripple through my mind, a constant reminder of who emerged victorious in the end. They broke a damaged girl, but I’ve risen as a woman made of steel, fueled by pure sadistic intent to snuff out their evil taint once and for all. I allowed the pain to transform me into what I’ve become, and looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing. It all led up to this grand finale, to Nik, and this has been my favorite Christmas yet.

Being with Nik, I’ve never felt so free. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally fucking free. He’s never once judged me or called me crazy for anything he’s witnessed me do, which only deepens my love for him. I can simply be me—Sable Ashcroft—ready to deliver my abundant gift of death to those who prey on the weak and innocent. With my demon at my side, I know we can conquer anything.

Love is a strange word, one I’ve rarely used in my vocabulary. I never truly understood what it felt like to be loved unconditionally by someone. But now, it’s the only word that comes to mind when I think of Nik. The only other person who even compares is my mother. Damaged as she may be, she’s the only other person on this Earth who has shown me kindness in the darkest times.

I laugh sadistically as my scythe disembowels the nurse standing in my way at Silent Night. He was guarding my mother’s door and didn’t once think to run from a woman wielding a weapon taller than he was. I mean, how foolish can someone be?

I swipe the keys from his mangled body, quickly unlock the door, and swing it open in a rush. I dissolve my scythe into the universe, knowing it will return to my side the moment I need it again. A gasp escapes my lips as my eyes land on my mother sitting on the edge of her bed, a bright smile illuminating her face. Her long caramel hair is disheveled, and she looks like she hasn’t seen sunlight in months, but I’ve never seen her look happier.

Nik bounds in after me, keeping his promise never to leave my side. I rush to my mother and pull her into a crushing embrace. She strokes my hair as we gush and squeal over our reunion. Tears prick the corners of my eyes, and I can’t hold them back once my mother pulls me tighter, sobbing against my hair.

“It’s over, Mommy. I killed them all.”

She shudders against me, and lets out a sigh of relief. “I knew you could do it. I smell death all over you, girl. He really did provide for us in the end.”

I pull back, cupping her cheeks with a sniffle. “You know that’s the Devil you’re talking about, right?”

She nods with a knowing smile. “Of course I knew that, Sable. He kept His word.” She wipes the tears from my wet cheeks. “You are so beautiful, surrounded by death. And that demon behind you isn’t too bad on the eyes either.”

Almost forgetting that Nik was standing behind us, I lift my hand toward him, and he promptly takes it, stepping beside us. “Mommy, this is Nik. Or I guess you’d know him as The Saint.”

She looks down at my hand laced with his, her lips curving into the biggest smile. “Hello, Nik. Thank you for taking care of my baby when I could not. I know I haven’t been the best mother; I didn’t protect her when she needed me the most.” She meets my gaze, grief clouding her eyes.

Nik lifts my mother’s hand and kisses the back of it. “The pleasure is all mine. I don’t believe I caught your name?”

My mother blushes and brings her free hand to her chest. “Cherise,” she admits.

I gasp as it finally dawns on me. She’s the reason I chose that name after escaping the asylum and adopting my false identity. In some fucked up way, after I lost my memories, giving myself her name was my mind urging me to look within—to remember. All this time, she’s been here, lost and broken, but she waited for me to return for her, just as she always knew I would.

Nik quirks a brow at me but doesn’t say anything. He understands; he always gets me. “Cherise, will you allow me to mark you with my insignia? I want to offer you this, not to possess you, but to grant you eternal peace under my protection. I’m going to assume you’ve gathered this already, but if not, let me make it very clear: I’m in love with your daughter. The darkness that resides within both of us intertwines with the brightest light only we can bring out in each other—like a radiant Christmas tree glowing amidst the shadows, decorated with sweet candy canes and twinkling lights, that have more uses than you’d think.” He winks at me slyly, making my cheeks flush as I recall exactly what other uses he’s hinting at with those candy canes and lights.

“Can she come to Hell with us if you mark her?” I turn to her amused stare and cringe, since we did just burn down her old home. “She won’t have anywhere to go. And I’m obviously not going to leave her stranded here.”

“If she wants to, yes. My mark will protect her. No demon will lay a claw on her. I have a beautiful home there, large enough to accommodate you and a hundred of my imps. It offers a lovely view of the never-ending fires on the horizon.” Nik shrugs, and I beam at him.

I wait for my mother’s answer expectantly. She nibbles her lower lip while she ponders her options. “I suppose I can give it a try. I want to make up for lost time with my baby girl.” She grips onto the sleeve of Nik’s jacket urgently. “Is there music there?”

“Well, of course. Anything you could ever desire awaits you there. It’s Hell—the realm of tormented souls and exquisitely tempting sins,” Nik deadpans with a smirk.

My mother and I exchange excited glances before jumping up and down with joy. “What are you waiting for, demon? Mark me! I’m ready to get the hell out of here!”

He huffs out a laugh as he draws her extended wrist closer to him. With a swift motion, he pierces her flesh with his claws, branding her with his demonic symbol—her soul forever claimed by Nik. She will be with us now for eternity.

“Let’s go start over, sweet Sable.” She strokes her fingers through my hair, pushing it behind my ear. Her eyes are glossy with tears, and her chin trembles. “I love you.”

I mimic her sentiment, but the time for tears is behind us. The day isn’t over yet! “I love you too, Mommy.” I grab both of their hands, pulling them toward the door. “Let’s light this bitch up!” I shout, my eyes darkening with intensity, flames igniting within them as I eagerly anticipate watching this wretched building engulfed in fire.

A loud explosion erupts from somewhere in the heart of the asylum, but I don’t even flinch as the heat grazes my skin from outside the Silent Night. Nik had his imps round up the remaining patients who didn’t carry the stench of a rotten soul and get them out before we set this place ablaze. Anyone still breathing inside was never meant to see the light of day again.

“You ready to go home, little reaper?” Nik asks.

“Yes. Home is wherever you are, anyway. But when will we come back to harvest the wicked souls?”

He pulls me against his chest, a fierce need burning in his eyes. “I usually return to Earth six months before December to start marking souls to collect on Christmas Eve, though we can make the trip sooner if you desire.”

I grab the back of his neck and bring his lips to mine. “I’d like that,” I breathe against his lips.

Nik turns toward the open field surrounding us and waves his hand. The acrid scent of sulfur fills my nostrils, overwhelming me as a fiery gate materializes in the atmosphere—our doorway to Hell and new beginnings.

Grimble strides up to my Mom, bowing low before gesturing for her to follow him through the portal. With a quick glance back at me, she winks with a smile and steps into the blazing doorway.

Nik picks me up, and I yelp at the unexpected movement, before he places me on Sorrow’s saddle. He jumps up behind me, tugging me close to his hard chest. “This was the best Christmas ever!” I exclaim.

The sound of a wrapper crinkling behind me catches my attention, and before I know it, a cherry lollipop is pressed against my lips. I open my mouth without hesitation, ready to savor the sweet treat. I greedily take the candy out of his hands to enjoy it.

Nik yanks on Sorrow’s reins, the horse’s terrifying screech echoing through the air. “Next Christmas will be even better, little reaper. Let’s go home.”

Sorrow dashes toward the portal, the flames warming my blood as we pass through. Finally, I’m exactly where I was always meant to be.