The Lure of the Devil (The Demons' Muse #4) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,172

that, it means I will need an accurate enough description of what would likely happen to someone if they were taken on Earth, kept on Earth, and used in that way. For him, he will believe it as if it actually happened. It will replace his memories of Angelis with the horrors of what he will believe he went through."

"Wait." I just patted the air for them all to slow down just a little bit. "The guy is a jerk and all, but I don't feel good about giving him traumatic memories that he didn't actually suffer. Is there any way we can compel him to tell the story, give him the knowledge base, and yet allow him to remember the reality of what really happened?"

Uriel and Nick shared a look. I couldn't read their expressions, but I had a funny feeling they were judging me. Nick seemed to act like my response didn't surprise him at all, but I couldn’t say the same thing for my father. Was he mad that I was making this harder than it had to be, or proud that I didn't want to torture a mostly innocent guy?

"Are you strong enough to do that?" Nick asked him.

"I am," Uriel promised, "but I don't necessarily agree that he deserves it. I know this man treated my daughter poorly."

Nick huffed once, the sound an ironic sort of amusement. "I never thought I would say this, but the only thing he did was push her. Yes, he was selfish, and no, he didn't treat her well, but that doesn't mean he deserves to be tortured." And he looked over at me. "Am I understanding that right?"

"No one deserves to be tortured," I told them. "The punishment should always fit the crime…" Which was when I realized why they were looking at me.

Because I was the Ayala. God had once called me the punisher. My role in all of this was to hand out the repercussions that would fit the action. In other words, the punishment. The lesson that would make these people learn what they had done wrong and how to be better. And maybe there was no afterlife to deal with all of their actions, but that only meant that this, right here, was how I could teach someone to be a good person.

And these two were giving me the chance. Satan, the Lord of Hell, and Uriel, one of the most powerful archangels. Good and bad. Light and dark. Heaven and Hell. They were both in my parlor discussing the value of a soul with me. Ever since I’d met Nick, I'd said that a lot of things were surreal, but this definitely topped the list.

"I think his punishment as a slave on Angelis will teach him more than torture," I decided. "Aaron was a user, and the last few months he's been the one getting used. So, Uriel, I want you to give him the script and mind-fuck him just enough so that he wants to repeat it but doesn't have to. Let's give him the chance to prove that he's learned a lesson."

"And if he decides he doesn't want to?" Uriel asked.

"Then the people of this world will decide he's insane and lock him away for the rest of eternity. See, this means that he gets to decide how it goes. If Aaron wants to help make things better for other people, then he can be a hero. If he gets selfish, then he'll be the only one to pay for it, and they'll still believe that what he said about being human trafficked was the truth."

Kacira was nodding proudly at me. "So make sure that the compulsion," she said, "includes him reciting the right thing the first time. After that, it's up to him."

The smile was slowly spreading across Nick's lips. "Then it sounds like we have a plan. Would the two of you care to stay for dinner?"

"I think we would love to," Uriel decided. "For far too long, we've been enemies. Now…" He looked over at me with a smile. "We have a reason to put all of that aside. Plus, I'm hoping that if I show Kacira enough of this world, she'll agree to move here."

"Like, here - here?" I asked.

Kacira chuckled and shook her head. "Maybe the other side of town," she said. "Possibly another town, since it's easy for you and your father to travel. But I've made it clear that if I’m moving to Earth, then