Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse
Chapter 87: Do We Have A Deal?

Chapter 87: Do We Have A Deal?

"Do I want to know?" asked Dante, gazing down at the magical creature in Tank’s arms. The moment she stepped foot into his territory, everything seemed to have shifted. Now, she was the center of everything, whether she knew it or not.

The reason why the Lair was magical was because she was in it.

"The first one set the condition," she answered, blinking her bright white eyes. They used to creep him out. It felt like she was looking into his soul every time she so much as glanced at him, and he didn’t want anyone to see those parts of him.

But now that she experienced his nightmares by his side, he had nothing left to hide, no part of himself that wasn’t bare to her.

And that was freeing.

Now, he never wanted her eyes off of him.

Tank cocked his head to the side as the light snow continued to drift around them, creating a small world of just the three of them. "The first one said that he would give his soul..." His voice trailed off as if he was still trying to think things through.

"Yeah, I’ve discovered that people, humans, don’t really put much stock in their soul. They’ll trade it for just about anything," shrugged the Angel, smiling at the mere mortals. "If only they knew just how much power it held."

"So he gave up his soul..." nodded Dante, following the logical reasoning. "And since none of the others gave their conditions..."

"The rest offered up their souls with every wish they made," giggled Hattie. "Soon enough, my friends will be beside me... and life will be perfect."

Dante froze, his entire body focused on the woman. "Your friends? Is that why you came here? To help your friends?"

Hattie cocked her head to the side, the look of confusion on her face almost adorable. "Yes and no? I went where there were people."

Dante hummed and started walking toward the door. He was going to have to get a straight answer, and he knew just who to ask.

------

"I’m surprised to see you," chuckled Pride from inside the mirror.

Dante stood in his office, staring at the reflective surface. However, instead of it reflecting an image of himself, it showed a throne room he had never seen before. Pride sat in the middle seat; five other men hung around him, but none of them seemed to be overly concerned about the conversation.

"Are you?" smirked Dante. He was much more relaxed dealing with the demon than he had ever been with humans. At least with Pride, he knew what to expect. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Pride chuckled as he rested his cheek on his fist. Sitting cross-legged on the throne, Pride had his elbow on the armrest and only had to tilt his head slightly to reach his fist. "Probably because you are smart. So, Dante... why did you call me?"

"I’m interested in making a deal," shrugged Dante. It didn’t escape his attention that the other five men stiffened at his words. "And since I couldn’t hear your voice in my head anymore... I had to get creative."

Pride hummed, the smile on his face transforming him completely. "Such a smart meat sack. You know what I want; what do you want in return?"

"To clarify," interjected Dante, raising his hand. "You want the ability to use my body whenever you feel like it, correct? And in return, I have to protect your Angel."

"Your Angel, too, now. Or did you think that epiphany you had went unnoticed?" smirked one of the other men as he walked toward where Pride was sitting. Taking the throne on the right, the demon sat down.

"I’m not making a deal with you," snapped Dante, never taking his eyes away from Pride. "You don’t need to speak."

"Ah, fuck. Yeah, Pride found a meat sack with his personality already. No one will be able to notice a difference between the two," chuckled yet another demon as he went to sit on Pride’s left. However, he left one seat open, creating a space between him and Pride.

"And in a way, you are. Our meat sacks will track you down," announced the demon on the right. "You’ll have to get along with them if you want to merge with Pride."

Dante glanced over at the demon from the side of his eye. If that were the case, then he would have to deal with that when it came up. There was no point in borrowing trouble before it came.

"Let’s focus here," smiled Pride, straightening in his chair. "I will not be using your body whenever I feel like it; I will be a permanent fixture inside of you. Like your heart or your soul. The good news for you is that since I can’t die, neither can you."

Dante cocked his head to the side. "What are you?" he asked finally.

He had always assumed that demons were a living, solid entity like humans were, but now he was starting to doubt that.

"I am a concept, an idea," laughed Pride, coming to his feet. He approached the mirror until all Dante could see was him. "I..." he started, his face uncharacteristically serious. "I don’t exist outside of Hell. So, if I am to keep my promise to the carrier of my heart, I am going to have to get a bit inventive... savvy?"

"I have recently learned the importance of getting all the details before I agree to anything. What are you not saying?" demanded Dante, his face completely blank.

The carrier of his heart had to be Hattie. But Hattie was just as human as Dante was. Which meant that if Pride wanted to be beside her...

"You will become the new Pride," announced the demon, stepping back like he hadn’t just destroyed Dante’s world. "My powers, my immortality, everything that I am will disappear, and you will absorb it. You will be the body to my soul, and your soul will merge with mine. When I leave your body, it will cease to exist."

There was a long pause as Pride straightened, all signs of amusement gone. "Do we have a deal?"