prologue

‘Don’t worry Blair you are going to be just fine’ Nathan whispered to his wife who was lying on the hospital bed just four months into her pregnancy, the doctors insisted she had to stay there in case of any other emergency as she had already had thirteen hemorrhagic incidents that almost led to her death. But still, the baby won’t come.

Nathan pulled the jacket tighter around his shoulder then adjusted his neck muffler. Winter was approaching quickly and it kept him asking himself what had made him not bring the car out instead of walking to the hospital. He passed an alley; taking a glance at it he thought he saw a shadow, a dark figure of a man almost like the grim reaper. With fear, he moved a little bit into the road and quickened his pace.

Nathan Cameron was a successful grocery shop owner he had everything he needed to survive except a child and a healthy wife. Suddenly Nathan felt like he was being watched, he looked around quickly before he started walking faster than before, then he felt like he was being followed his cold hands found refuge in his pocket so his hand will be closer to his Taser he kept with him in case thugs tried to steal from his grocery store. He bumped into someone. He moved back a little apologizing for not watching his way and he tried walking around the guy. The mysterious stranger grabbed his arm that was supposed to reach for the Taser and yanked him back for attention. Nathan could swear that he felt the cold from his hand pass through the jacket; he was barely wearing anything but a button-down shirt and trousers.

‘Nathan Cameron right’

‘Do I know you?’

‘Probably not’

‘How do you know me?’

‘That is not really important Nate, can I call you Nate’

‘No’ the man scoffed out a tiny piece of laughter

‘Fine suit yourself, I understand your wife is dying’

‘How do you know that’ Nathan asked a little harshly

‘Again not important’

‘Look I am sorry but I have no business with you can I go’ Nathan tried to maneuver around the strange man again and go his own way but the man grabbed his arm and dragged him back.

‘Don’t walk out on me; I am still talking to you’

‘I have no dealings with you boy’

‘BOY, do I look like a boy to you cos I certainly am not a boy’

‘What do you want from me and who the fuck are you?’

‘I am glad you finally have manners; my name is Xavier hades and I want to help you’

‘Help me, what do you mean’

‘I mean I want to strike a deal with you’

‘On the street’ Nathan raised his brow at the guy

‘Yes, it won’t take a second’

‘If I listen will you let me go home?’

‘Of course’

‘I am listening’

‘Good, I want to strike a bargain with you... I want your daughter’

‘I don’t have a daughter so wrong person, what kind of creep asks for other peoples’ daughters on the street’

‘Shut up’

‘Okay can I go’ Nathan gave him a face that read “you are a weirdo”

‘I am not done; I said I want your daughter because I want to help you deliver your wife of the baby’

‘So you are a doctor’ Nathan asked with his eyebrows up,

‘I could be if I wanted to be’ Xavier shrugged.

‘How are you so sure it will be a girl?’

‘I am a hundred percent sure that it would be a girl all I ask is that you give me the child when she clocks eighteen years’

‘Who are you again?’

‘Xavier Hades, just call my name if you are ready’

‘Or you can give me your business card so I can call you, doctor Hades’

‘I’ll be there’ Xavier disappeared right in front of Nathan and he looked around. He just saw people that were staring at the awkward man who was talking out loud to no one he even saw someone take a picture. SO HE WAS TALKING TO HIMSELF. It felt so real.

‘Hello Mr. Cameron’

‘Doctor Micah I’m glad you called’ Nathan said with as much enthusiasm that he could muster, it was hard to be happy when his wife was on the verge of dying.

‘Mr. Cameron your wife had another incident’ the doctor said

‘What?!!!"

‘I’m sorry but we have tried all we can but she still bleeds weekly and you are racking up quite a bill are you ready for that surgery’ Nathan couldn’t afford to have his baby put in an incubator for five months’

‘Okay, um I will be right there’

‘Okay sir’ Nathan dropped his phone then stared into thin air for almost a minute. He went to the door of the grocery store then flipped the sign so it would say closed on the outside. He then closed the doors and went to the storage room.

‘Xavier’ he felt so stupid calling someone’s name in thin air because he wasn’t so sure how real that vivid encounter he had with some kind of demon was, he just had to try out his luck and hoped the guy wasn’t playing jokes with him.

‘You called’ Nathan jumped a little when he heard the demon's voice behind him, he turned around slowly and started looking for a means he could have used for entry

‘What are you?’ he asked

‘Honestly, I don’t know maybe I am a demon, I am a demon, and you are about to sell your daughter's soul to me right?’

‘Yes, I am ready to make that deal with you’ Nathan breathed out, him and Blair could have another baby right?

‘Good, now say bibbidi-bobbidi-boo’ Xavier joked

‘bibidibobidiboo?’

‘I’m joking, I’ll deliver the baby’ he snapped his finger and a paper appeared out of nowhere "now sign here"

‘Let me get a pen’ Nathan said

‘No with your blood’

‘I am not bleeding’

Xavier grabbed his arm then sliced it with a dagger ‘you are now’

‘Fuck’ Cameron hissed as his blood dropped unto the paper and signed for him.

TWO YEARS LATER

Nathan was sitting at home on the dinner table counting his day’s income while his baby daughter sat on the floor playing dress-up with her dolls

‘Daddy look’ a young Winter put her toy in front of her father's face.

‘Pretty, Baby’ Nathan looked at her and smiled widely with love and adoration. Suddenly there was a light breeze at the back of his neck ‘nice of you to join us Xavier’

‘Well you are used to me; glad we can be friends’

‘We are not friends’

‘Aw we are not I tell all my friends about you and we have some laughs’ Xavier chuckled ‘I really didn’t come here to see you, I came to check on my little property that you are taking care of’ Xavier picked winter up, stroked her raven black hair then pecked her nose ‘As close as I will ever get to your lips, for now, my love’ he whispered to her as she looked at him with a confused look on her face

‘Drop her’

‘But no’

‘Xavier you can’t marry her’

‘And why the fuck not’

‘Because Blair died you said you were going to save her and you didn’t’

‘I never said I was going to save her, I said and quote I will deliver Blair of the baby, big difference" Xavier stared at his nails as if he were bored.

‘You are a bastard’ Nathan said through his teeth.

‘Thanks, you are too’ Xavier smiled ‘just sixteen more years to fuck her her brains out"

‘You are demented and sick’

‘You need to watch what you say to me cos I am not usually this nice’ Xavier said angrily

‘I am sorry’

Xavier rolled his eyes and disappeared again into thin air.

Xavier ages in the human world every nineteen to twenty years so you might be a little confused as to why he was already fully grown when she was still a baby. At the time he was already twenty-four years old which is equaled to four hundred and eighty years old in demon time which moves a lot faster than human years, the same duration just feels faster. She is born when he is twenty and at the time he is still twenty-three and a half when she is already eighteen. and ready to marry him. DO YOU UNDERSTAND??????

YES

NOT QUITE

NO