SANTINO
“What are you doing, Satan?”
Mammon, disguised as the human Santino’s brother Matteo, stepped into my line of sight as I adjusted the bowtie at my neck in the mirror. He was scowling, arms crossed over his chest as he took me in my full tailored suit.
“Getting married. What are you doing? You should be dressed by now.”
“I’m not attending. We didn’t even attend our nephew’s baptism because we agreed that family affairs did not need to be for show.”
“And this isn’t a show. We are simply attending city hall to be united by paper according to the human ways.”
Matteo snorted, rolling his eyes and continuing to express his disagreement with his expression. “Then there is no need to do it. Keep her as a concubine if you’re so inclined but is marriage really necessary?” He sighed in exasperation as I turned to face him.
“Yes, it is. She is the other half of my soul. I feel it. And so, by marrying her and subscribing to the human belief of partnership, I will show her that we are—”
“—do not say it.”
“Fated mates.”
Matteo groaned and shook his head. “It is not possible. We are not capable of love.”
“Yet, we are. We love vices. Can we not also love another whose soul blends with our own?”
“No,” he said crossly before walking out of the room, his childish way of telling me the conversation was over, and he didn’t approve. Not that I needed his approval. Father told us to maintain the ruse of being humans, and getting married would do just that.
A few hours later, I found myself in front of the magistrate at the Cook County marriage court. Brando stood to my right, and the small audience behind me consisted of the De Luca cousins, but in truth, they were my demonic brethren and sistren. Lucifer, Asmodeus, Abadon, and Belphegor. Mammon wasn’t present, as he said he wouldn’t be, and Beelzebub was at my side.
“Are we just waiting on the bride?”
“We are. She’ll be here any moment now.” I glanced at Brando, who only smirked at me. He assured me he brought her, but I half-expected she’d attack him and make a run for it. The doors behind us finally opened. Apparently, she had not.
“No wedding march?” She asked saucily from the threshold.
“Is that what you want, my little hellion?” I glanced at Lucio and snapped my fingers. He pulled out his phone and found the song, setting it so loud it filled the small room. She stood there for a moment, looking over the faces of the gathered audience, before making her way slowly over to me.
As she hesitated, I had the opportunity to take in the sight of her dress. I had no idea where it’d come from, and I glanced at Brando, who shrugged before my eyes surveyed my other siblings. Bella held her hand up and smirked. Of course, she moonlit as a human fashion designer when she wasn’t encouraging lust everywhere she went.
And the dress most certainly encouraged lustful thoughts.
She reached my side, sliding her arm through mine as I looked at her with a smirk. “You look good enough to eat.”
She rolled her eyes and stuck her chin out toward the magistrate. “Can we just do this?”
“Eager, my little hellion?” I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed it before nodding at the judge.
“Alright,” he cleared his throat, glancing from me to her, clearly wondering if she was here under duress. If he asked her, she might say she was. “Congratulations to both of you, Reina and Santino.” He nodded to each of us before turning to me. “Santino, do you take Reina to be your lawful wedded wife? To live together in a state of matrimony? To love her, honor her, and keep her through health, sickness, and prosperity, whatever your future may be?”
“I do.” I glanced at her, smirking as I watched her watching me. She looked pale under the heavy blush she wore on her cheeks to hide her disgust with these proceedings.
“And Reina, do you take Santino to be your lawful wedded husband? To live together in a state of matrimony? To live together in a state of matrimony? To love her, honor her, and keep her through health, sickness, and prosperity, whatever your future may be?”
A long pause followed the judge as she stared at me. I have no choice, do I? Her thoughts suddenly rang loud and clear in my mind. I smirked at her as I shook my head slowly.
You don’t, but as I promised, while we may be husband and wife in name, I will never force myself on you until you ask for it. And I know you’ll ask for it.My gaze was heavy and heated as I stared at her, remembering how her lithe body had molded to mine this morning. She would’ve gone further if I hadn’t let her return to her senses. When she came to me, I wanted it to be because she chose to do so and not because she lost herself in the heat of the moment.
How are we doing this?
Because we are meant to be, my little hellion, you are mine, and I am yours. For eternity.
Then why marry me?
She continued to stare at me, truly searching my eyes for the answer.
Because, as silly as all this is, I want to prove myself to you as your husband and show you that I dedicate my soul to you—something no demon does.
She inhaled sharply, her throat working a large knot down its column before looking back at the magistrate. “Alright, I do.”
“Okay, do you have rings?” Bellatrix stepped forward, holding out two boxes as she nodded at me. I flipped the box open and looked at the rings made from fire and brimstone, the stone in the middle red with my blood and hers—taken while she slept last night.
“These rings are a symbol of everlasting faith and love, and it is to remind the couple of the solemn promises they are making to one another today. With that, exchange the rings.” I slipped the ring out for her, and she stuck her hand out with a quick thrust before I slipped it on her ring finger. She took the box and removed my ring, pausing to stare at it like she could feel the power pulsing off it. Did she know what that ring allowed her to have on her hand? Reina glanced at me before sliding the ring onto my hand too.
“And now, face one another and hold both your hands together.” I handed the box to Brando before taking her hand, threading our fingers together. My grip tightened, holding her to me now that she was mine in name and promise.
“As you are now clasping your hands together, may you always go through life loving and trusting one another. Having shown your willingness to become husband and wife, by the power vested in me by the constitution and the statutes of the State of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations.”