Nicholas sat cross-legged on Casey’s lumpy couch, staring at the flickering candle she’d left on the coffee table. His reflection danced in the tiny flame—a sharp jawline, glowing amber eyes that dimmed when he was brooding, and the faint shimmer of his broken wings behind him, now folded awkwardly against his back.
He clenched his fists, his frustration bubbling over. “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he muttered, knocking his knuckles against his forehead.
In Hell’s dark sky, he had always been the lazy one. While the other demons perfected their craft—summoning firestorms, bending dimensions, or conjuring illusions to deceive even the sharpest of minds—Nicholas had spent his days napping on storm clouds or aimlessly drifting in the void. He’d figured his lineage alone would carry him through life, that his inherited power would awaken *someday.*
Someday never came.
Now, he was stranded on Earth, wings tattered, power dormant, and stuck in a house with a human woman who thought he was either a drunk or a cosplayer. Worse, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Why didn’t I just study like everyone else?” he muttered to himself, leaning forward and running his hands through his dark hair. “I could’ve learned a simple spell to repair my wings. Or at least a teleportation charm to get back to Hell. But nooo, I had to be the rebellious idiot who thought magic was boring.”
He glanced at the candle again. In theory, he should have been able to snap his fingers and extinguish it. A basic demonic trick, taught to fledgling devils on their first day of training.
Nicholas snapped his fingers. The candle flickered… and stayed lit.
“Ugh!” he groaned, collapsing backward against the couch cushions. “I’m useless!”
The truth stung. He’d mocked the ambitious demons who worked tirelessly to climb Hell’s social ladder. He’d laughed at his own tutor, a grizzled old imp, who’d warned him that even a devil’s power could wane without practice. Now, he could barely summon enough energy to heat a cup of water.
He thought back to the Dark Sky, the endless expanse above Hell where he’d once floated aimlessly. He could hear the mocking voices of his peers:
“Why don’t you do something with your life, Nicholas?”
“Not everyone can coast by on their family name.”
“Careful, or you’ll end up falling… literally.”
The irony wasn’t lost on him. He’d fallen—spectacularly—and now he was paying the price for his arrogance and laziness.
“I’m a joke,” he muttered, covering his face with his hands. “The stupid devil who can’t even light a match.”
His wings twitched painfully, a constant reminder of his failure. If he’d bothered to learn healing magic, he could’ve fixed them by now. If he’d studied flight spells, he wouldn’t have needed his wings in the first place. If, if, if.
A loud clatter from the kitchen broke his train of thought. Casey appeared in the doorway, holding a mug of steaming coffee and raising an eyebrow at his slumped figure. “Are you always this dramatic, or is today a special occasion?”
Nicholas groaned. “Go ahead. Mock me. Everyone else has.”
Casey smirked, setting the mug down on the coffee table. “Trust me, I’ve met plenty of idiots in my life. You’re not special.”
“Gee, thanks,” he muttered, not bothering to look at her.
Her smirk softened into something closer to curiosity. “What’s got you so worked up, anyway? You were moping when I left, and now you’re… I don’t even know what this is.” She gestured vaguely at him.
Nicholas sighed, dragging his hands down his face. “I’m annoyed with myself. I spent centuries—literal centuries—doing absolutely nothing. No magic, no training, nothing useful. And now, look at me.” He gestured to his wings, his clothes, his entire disheveled state. “I’m a devil who can’t even devil properly.”
Casey tilted her head. “So… what, you were lazy? And now you regret it?”
“Lazy doesn’t even begin to cover it,” he admitted. “I was spectacularly lazy. I thought I had all the time in the world to figure things out. Turns out, I don’t.”
Casey shrugged, leaning against the arm of the couch. “Well, you’re here now. Maybe it’s time to, I don’t know, un-lazy yourself?”
Nicholas shot her a look. “Thanks, human. Truly groundbreaking advice.”
She rolled her eyes. “Hey, you’re the one whining about your wasted potential. I’m just saying, maybe stop whining and start doing. Learn some magic or whatever.”
“From who?” he asked, throwing his hands up. “Do you see any demon tutors around here? No? Me neither.”
Casey snorted. “You’ve got a brain, don’t you? Figure it out. Or don’t. Honestly, I’m fine either way as long as you don’t burn my house down trying.”
Nicholas opened his mouth to retort, but stopped. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. Maybe it wasn’t too late to learn—on his own, if he had to.
For the first time in what felt like forever, a tiny spark of determination flickered within him. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
“I’ll think about it,” he muttered.
Casey grinned. “Good. And while you’re at it, think about fixing my roof. You did break it, after all.”
Nicholas groaned again, but this time, there was a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Maybe Earth wasn’t the worst place to start over.
