“What are you doing here?” Nikola winced at how rude he sounded. If Satan wanted, he could tear down this house and leave a scorch mark behind.

“I am here because I need a favor. The war is over, but, not quite. I have traitors in my midst. Ones that want inside your tiny playground,” Nikola wouldn’t call Purgatory small, much less tiny. “Let me explain. Purgatory is a trick of the mind. Everyone gets as much space as their soul can comfortably fuel. It was meant to drive people insane. And that means…”

Satan let his words hang in the air.

“That the place has to be bigger than what someone can explore. A never-ending streak of white. But, I changed that,” Satan grinned.

“Yes, you expanded it. Made it bigger than Hell and Heaven combined. I am curious, why give everyone fifty square kilometers of land? Is that your lucky number?” Nikola blinked. Harriell had…duped him. Gotten more land than he would have, normally. Nikola chuckled.

“A Leviathan suggested it. I don’t see the harm,” Satan snorted.

“Well, you are used to living with a pittance worth of your power. So, I can see that. Most of your power is tied up into maintaining the land. All the creepy crawlies get a resort while you, my best friend, end up almost human. We can’t have that. I offer you a deal that will benefit you more than I,” Nikola quirked an eyebrow.

“You want me to take demons off your hands?” Satan gave him two thumbs up.

“You got it on the first try. Lock them in the emptiness. Have them power the whole operation. I don’t want to see them, ever,” Nikola didn’t need to know any more details. But, he was wondering a couple of things.

“Would people know I am not human when I get all of my powers?” Satan considered him, for a second.

“I suppose they might. You can always fork most of them to me, if you worry about that,” Satan cracked a grin and Nikola stepped back.

“You want my power and for my domain to become a prison for your minions,” Satan nodded.

“I don’t call them minions, though. More like children. Mine and Lucy’s,” Nikola’s eyebrows rose.

“Who is Lucy?”

“Lucifer. But I call him Lucy. We had been together since he tricked Eve. The love of my life,” Nikola sat down on Eric’s bed, processing what he had heard.

“You mean to tell me that the Christian faith had it right?” And he was going to renounce it. What a fool he had been.

“All faiths have it right, to an extent. That is why they copy off each other. Don’t think your vision of God is any more special than your lover’s, now,” Nikola nodded. Well, project atheist was still on. “I can’t help but read your delectable mind.”

Nikola shot Satan a glare. Sure, he couldn’t.

“And I read inside that you have no one to mindlessly follow. I offer my humble services,” Nikola shook his head. “Meh, had to try. Do tell me why? And please don’t parrot what Sunday school filled your tiny head with when you were but a gremlin biting people’s ankles.”

Nikola chuckled at that. Ok, Satan was good at putting him at ease. He had a sense of humor and didn’t want him dead. He could see himself befriending him, in the future. But, people didn’t worship their friends.

Satan made an oh sound.

“Must I voice my thoughts, oh, crosser of simple decencies?” Satan grinned bashfully.

“Nah, no need. Anyway, lovely kid. He will live to ninety. The angels are too afraid of what we can do together to touch him, so, they extended his lifespan,” Nikola nodded, relieved.

“That was the best news I have heard in quite a while.”

“Lover boy is sick, though. Too old, even by vampire standards. He won’t have much left,” Nikola was by Satan’s side and staring wildly in the creature’s eyes in a second.

“Can’t you do something?” Satan seemed to be considering it.

“He won’t like it,” said the being, and Nikola didn’t care. He won’t tell Sadik. What were the chances that he found out, anyway. “Massive, actually. It is not every day one became a demon. Look, best friend, keep it together and talk to your man. If he agrees, he will have to show his back to his faith. You will find that he was a true believer, albeit not as zealous as you.”

“How long does he have?” Asked Nikola. He could talk Sadik into it. Sadik loved him. So, he was certain that they could work something out.

“About five hundred years,” Nikola blinked. Then, he swatted Satan’s arm.

“You got me worried over a lifespan that will extend for another five hundred years? I thought he would die tomorrow!” Satan chuckled.

“I needed to see your face as you lost it. Anyway, I am sure you will have the same reaction in five hundred years. Keep it in mind and talk him into it now. His appearance won’t change. He would just go from your management, to mine,” Nikola frowned at that.

“You are trying to use him to control me. Why? My power is yours,” Satan sighed.

“Sorry, I needed assurances. And, I am not lying. Sure, you might argue that you can let him die if the two of you have five hundred years worth of a lifetime. Considering that he would go to your domain and that you will live together with him, even after death. But, why does he have to die in the first place?” Nikola opened his mouth to argue. Then, he closed it.

All the arguments that he had used to put himself at ease before his trial had come back to his mind. If they weren’t good enough for him, why should they be for Sadik?

“I will speak with him. But know I don’t trust you with his soul,” Satan shrugged and disappeared. Nikola, with a heavy heart, went to his shared bedroom with Sadik.