Lucifer by Mira Sahvon

The sunset sun said goodbye to the city,
running the last scarlet rays across the tallest buildings, creating bizarre images, blending the crimson with a relief of shadows and halftones, and waking up night lights. From the top floors of skyscrapers, the city seemed like a volcano vent ... or a branch of hell.
If someone at this moment could be in an exclusive penthouse in the center of Los Angeles, he would not hold back an astonished exclamation, for the curious sun also didn’t pay attention to the owner of the apartment. An elegant, fascinating man standing on an open balcony rotated collectible whiskey in a glass, not noticing how bright sunset rays give his face a reddish tint and seem to light a fire inside, reflected in his eyes.
And even when the sun had disappeared behind the uneven horizon of the roofs, the man still looked away and remembered ...
— Doc, today there will be no session, I stopped by to say goodbye — I am returning! — a phrase uttered with feigned enthusiasm burst into the office in the morning early in the morning, put the psychologist in a stupor.
— Where? — the woman could not figure out where her non-standard patient-lover-friend should go.
— How is it going? Of course to Hell! The move will take place today, so we will not see you again. You should not see off, it is uninteresting and even boring — no special effects are foreseen, it is Amenadiel, you will not wait for him (pretended disappointed sigh) ...
In the process of non-stop chatter, Lucifer managed to cross the office, gallantly kiss the fingers of the woman, and was almost gone, making a pen, but she still came to her senses.
“Lucifer ... Sit down!” — he froze for a second at the door, and moved to the sofa, with his eternal grin, depicting an exemplary boy.
— Oh yes! The final session - professionalism above all! What a pity that I cannot offer to return to the original version of the transaction - we would have spent a good few hours - a seductive look and an unequivocal wink disappeared from his face as quickly as they appeared - but absolutely no time! I am at your disposal ... about five minutes. - Slightly raised eyebrows and a brilliant look should have shown full attention and interest in the proposed conversation. As always, the expensive suit is ironed and fits perfectly on the figure. As always - laid hair, hair to hair. Only in the depth of the pupils the look is not the same as always.
“Have you decided to go back to hell?” Did I understand you correctly? .. - it was unclear what the psychologist's voice was more - distrust or amazement. Slowly circling the desk, she sat down opposite the man.
- Of course!
- Himself, voluntarily, just decided to return?
- I got bored here. - A frivolous waving hand confirmed his words. - All the fun that you little people managed to come up with has already become boring for me, so you can come back - nothing keeps me here.
-Nothing at all? - the psychologist insinuatingly insinuated, slightly bowing her head to the shoulder, and received a questioning puzzled look in reply. - And no one? - This time the reaction was more interesting - the man’s gaze flared, and the grin turned into an evil shade.
- Nothing. And no one. - heavy drops dropped the words and seemed to hang in the air in a thick haze. The intonations showed that slipped anger is more likely on himself, and hides behind her deep-seated pain. But at the same time, the voice was filled with confidence in every word.
According to the rules of psychotherapy, the doctor should have led her patient to the right thought, but at the level of intuition she felt that now it was too late to ask leading questions. And you need to talk, directly and simply, as a friend. Peres closer, with a sad and understanding sigh, she uttered:
-I don’t think it's worth hurrying with such a decision, Lucifer. - You remember my first reaction ... I'm still a little ashamed ... Give her some time ...
- Three months have passed, Linda,- the man snapped in a calm, quiet, deep voice. He looked straight into her eyes, and she saw that the decision had been made. - Three.
After that, the brunette stood up from the sofa, made a farewell half bow in full compliance with the etiquette, with his hand behind his back, and headed for the exit. No more saying goodbye and not saying a word. Everything has already been said. Linda felt that with her a piece of her soul was leaving, the door was closing and a decent segment of her life was left behind. A little strange, scary somewhere, but incredible and something a little magical. And never again. Seeing the man with her eyes, she could not help but cry out:
— Just think again today!
— Last chance to change the choice? — He grunted before leaving the office. And he shrugged indifferently, realizing that this would not change anything anyway. – Good.
And now he stood on the balcony with untouched collectible whiskey in his hand and recalled everything that had happened to him since the meeting with detective Chloe Becker, especially the last three months, and was convinced of the correctness of the chosen decision.
Pictures of past tense, fragments of phrases and conversations, laughter, echoes of emotions and feelings swirled in the head with a sparkling round dance. As if the fragments of a broken stained glass window that once made up the whole bright picture, which gave warmth and peace, like stained church canvases, when sunlight passes through them. Now these fragments painfully cut the soul ... Although someone can say that the Devil no longer has a soul ... Why is it so desirable that this someone was right?
Memories of joint investigations, intriguing cases, intricate puzzles and solved crimes fly by. Warm moments of simple time come up that they could spend together - a couple of dinners (even in Lux), races to school for a little demon girl (when Trixie managed to once again do something or a cretin detective couldn't pick her up in the evening) several breakfasts (when he himself burst into the house of a detective early in the morning, and lately she even gave up on these visits, having become accustomed) ...
And when did he become sentimental? It is so humanized that the echoes of something remaining in the past would give warmth ... and bring pain?
The picture is almost whole again, one last piece is missing, so that everything will fall into place and come together. But it is this piece and throws away everything that was collected.
He never lied to her. Never. He doesn't lie at all. It may keep back, evade, may present information in a favorable light to him. But he always told her directly about this. She did not believe. Never. She joked, did not take seriously, and ...
- ... You can not escape from its true essence.
“And you, too ...” and Pierce’s hoarse, dying laugh spreads through the hall. The devil hears hurried steps on the stairs, and turning around to the voice that called him, he still does not know that a recent wish was fulfilled, which was so outraged by him - the true devilish face was returned to him. Right here. Right now.
“So this is ... true ...”
The man always remembered the horror that he was born in the soul and literally splashed in the eyes of a detective. No, not so - in the eyes of women. His Favorite Woman! No matter how he previously tried to refute this fact, no matter how he recanted, he still loved her. Not interested, not carried away, not even in love. Fell in love. The devil loved a human woman! And he was ready to kill himself for the pain he caused her.