prologue

“Don’t worry baby 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 two hemorrhagic incidents that almost led to her death. Nathan and Blaire had been waiting for a child for as long as five years into their marriage, but all Nathan could wish was that the baby would just go and they could try again when his wife was better.

Nathan pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulder. Winter was approaching quickly, and it was almost as if the bleakness of the weather was a prelude to his fate. He 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 sighed. He was gradually reaching a grim part of his life. He could feel it creeping up his neck like a slimy snake in a poorly designed tunnel. When he looked away, he thought he saw something in the alley, the woe of persisting vision, He looked back, and sure enough, there was a dark figure almost like the grim reaper. Nathan didn’t believe in such, but moved away just in case it was a madman wanting to cut his throat.

Nathan Cameron was a grocery shop owner. He was happy with his life; the same way Blaire had been happy with her life as a nurse before the child had taken everything away.

At that moment of his deep thinking, 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 shop keys in case he suddenly wasn’t safe anymore. 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 his keys and yanked him back for attention. Nathan could swear that he felt the cold from his hand pass through the jacket. Of course, he was barely wearing anything but a button-down shirt and trousers.

“Nathan Cameron right?”

“Do I know you?”

“Maybe, maybe not,” the stranger smiled, making Nathan raise his eyebrows a little. “Probably not,” the stranger finished.

“Then how do you know me?”

“That is not really important, Nate. Can I call you Nate”?”

“No,” Nathan replied grumpily. He didn’t want to be rude, but he had more troubling things in his life than listening to a man who was probably trying to sell him pans that could also be used as a washing machine. 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 harshly.

“Again, not important.”

“Look, I am sorry, but I have no business with you. Can I go?” Nathan tried to manoeuvre around the strange man again and go his own way, but the man grabbed his arm and dragged him back again.

“I am still talking to you,”

“But I am done talking to you. Excuse me,” the man allowed Nathan to go on.

“I can help you with your problem.”

“Listen, man, you can’t. Just who the fuck are you even?”

“I am glad you finally have manners; my name is Xavier hades and I want to help you.”

“Help me?!” Nathan almost screamed. “You are not helping me. If you want to help me, get lost.”

“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?” this man was crazy, and it seemed like the only way Nathan could escape him was if he did things his way.

“Of course,” Xavier replied, smiling.

“I am,”

“Good, I want to strike a bargain with you... I want your daughter,” Nathan blinked once, then twice.

“I don’t have a daughter okay, so wrong person. What kind of creep asks for other people’s daughters on the street, anyway?”

Xavier kept an amused, albeit angered, face.

“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. “look…”

“I could be if I wanted to,” Xavier cut him off.

“How are you so sure it will be a girl? You need a child so much or…”

“No, a wife,”

“That is weird, stop.”

“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,”

“I will not give my non-existent eighteen-year-old to a man who would be five hundred by the time,”

“I am not what you think I am, Nathan Cameron.”

“What are you?” Nathan scoffed.

“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, shocked. He just saw people staring at the awkward man 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 enthusiastic when his wife was on the verge of dying.

“Mr Cameron, your wife had another incident,” the doctor said

“What?” he whispered.

“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? Your wife’s life is on the line.” 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, and 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 into the 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?” Nathan 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.”

“Yes, I am ready to make that deal with you,” Nathan breathed out, he and Blaire could have another baby, right?

“Good, now say bibbidi-bobbidi-boo,” Xavier joked.

“bibidibobidiboo?”

“I’m playing, 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,” Cameron said.

Xavier grabbed his arm and then sliced it with a dagger. “You are now,”

“Holy shit,” Cameron hissed as his blood dropped onto the paper and signed for him.

*****

TWO YEARS LATER

Nathan sat at home at 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.

“That’s pretty,” Nathan looked at her and smiled, his eyes held sadness for the innocent little girl. Nathan had named his daughter Winter, a beautiful name, as an expression of sadness. 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.”

Xavier pouted “Well that’s a shame,” He then 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 forehead “my love,” he whispered to her as she looked at him.

“Drop her,”

“Alright,” Xavier released Winter, making Nathan jump out of his seat to her rescue. She didn’t end up on the floor since Xavier suspended her in the air with his magic.

“That is not a funny joke to play, Xavier,” Nathan yelled as Xavier floated the baby into Nathan’s arms.

“You must admit that it is a bit funny,”

“You’re sick,”

“That is a compliment.”

“Xavier you can’t marry her.”

“And why not?”

“Because she is a child,”

“Well, that is why I am waiting for her to be an adult.”

“Blaire 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 I quote ‘I will deliver Blaire of the baby’. Big difference.” Xavier stared at his nails as if he was bored.

“You are a bastard,” Nathan said through his teeth.

“Thank you,” Xavier smiled.

“You are demented and sick,”

“You’re being too nice to me. I can almost cut your throat with a rusted knife. I will be on my way now,” Xavier disappeared.