Ferya glanced up at the darkening sky as she hurried along the sidewalk towards her building. Tonight, like the last few nights, she had been kept late as if the hours extra she was working would make up for the nine minutes she had missed that night when Lucifer had approached her. She didn't want to know what would have happened to her if she had told her boss the reason for her leaving early. The beating had been bad enough as it was, it hadn't lasted long. A vampire didn't take long to injure a human but with every slam into the wall or hit, or hard grasp, she had been told that she would be feeding Vialen's coven and the fear had been the worst part of it.

As a result, Vialen had kept the fear going long after the attack had stopped, giving her tasks that could only be done once the store was closed, sending in people to keep her open longer than she should have been. Vialen made sure she lived in fear of everything, not just the vampire owner of the store she depended on to keep herself alive. A homeless human was a dead human, which solved the problem of homelessness quite efficiently.

Her pay had been docked on top of the physical and emotional abuse. Reduced enough that she would soon need to survive on a single meal a day if she wanted to continue affording rent. But at least she could still afford rent and Vialen didn't hold her so long that it was impossible to get home before dark. Vialen wasn't trying to actually kill her.

It was just extremely close. She'd rather be hungry than dead.

Ferya shivered as she turned the last corner, her building down at the end of the long street, though she paused where she was when she saw the building that was where hers had been. Gone were the heavy metal bars and doors, replaced with brand new siding in the upper levels and thick, tinted glass on the bottom floor. The whole building looked like it had been completely rebuilt since she had left that morning. It was sleek and seamless, the apartment windows darkened to the point that it was hard to tell them from the building siding.

Ferya paused long enough to make sure that she had turned down the right street, before she had to hurry across the pavement as the streetlights began to flicker on and the sounds of buildings locking down began to echo around her.

She stumbled to a stop at the front door, seeing two demons standing in her way, arms crossed over their chests, their dark blue skin shimmering in the last of the fading light. The female grinned a sharp toothed smile at her, raising a curious brow. "And who are you?"

Before the other one could possibly suggest that she was merely dinner, Ferya nodded to the building. "Ferya. I... my apartment..."

She struggled, knowing she had no last name to give, that having been lost while she was an orphan. She had never needed one before, barely anyone had ever asked for her name at all.

"Five twelve." The woman nodded and shifted out of the way, pulling the door open for her and waving her onwards. "Welcome home."

"But..." She blinked a couple times in confusion, looking between the demons and the now open door. "Where did you come from?"

"Why are we guarding the door?" The female chuckled softly, offering a shrug. "New owner hired us as protection. Not that anyone would be stupid enough to harm anyone that lived under Lucifer's protection. But, just in case someone doesn't think he's serious about his investment, we're here."

"Whole building has been renovated." The male finally spoke up, nodding into the lobby beyond the door. "He's promised us a Coffee shop, for anyone who behaves well, open all night. Most of the coffee shops are on human hours... we never get any..."

Ferya glanced down to the box in her hands, which contained the small selection of leftovers that had been left upon closing. "Oh. Would you like these? I work at one..."

She held out the small pink box with a hand that trembled a little bit more than she would have liked it to. Ferya had never considered the fact that the night kin may want anything from a coffee shop, or that with only humans working them, the places would be closed by the time night rolled around.

The demons paused in surprise, both of them giving her a careful look, before the male reached out and took the box delicately, as if it were something precious and breakable. "Really? It smells amazing."

"There isn't a lot, just a blueberry tart, a lemon muffin, a couple cookies and a cupcake..." Ferya offered, before wiping her hands on her pants and taking a step inside, realizing that night had fully fallen while she had been standing there, talking to the two of them.

Both demons gave her wide grins, before letting the door swing shut behind her, leaving her standing in the lobby, unable to see them as more than shadows through the darkly tinted glass. With a soft sigh she turned slowly, taking in the shining, clean expanse of the lobby that was completely alien to the old crumbling brick and peeling linoleum. The place looked like she probably wasn't going to be able to afford living here anymore, judging by the brand-new couches, shining gold and silver decorations and what appeared to be an elevator that actually worked. There was a side hallway with a row of empty storefronts, as if waiting for some business to open, the largest of which was in the far corner, taking up a good quarter of the ground floor, though it was separated from the lobby by dark glass that she could not see through.

She paced towards that corner, unable to help herself, seeing a white sheet of paper taped to what appeared to be a glass door.

It read: HELP WANTED: Baker/Manager. Apply within.

Ferya was tired and sore and only had a couple hours left until she had to be up for work again, but she found herself grasping the handle and tugging the door open, exposing a half-constructed coffee shop with its own entrance out onto the street. The place sat empty of anything other than the half-unwrapped tables and chairs, the empty service counter and several boxes of stock or coffee supplies lined up behind the counter. She took a couple steps into the eerie silence, telling herself to stay calm, that she would be fine, trying to prevent herself from turning around and running away.

"Hello?" Her voice echoed softly around the room, filling the vacuum and making the feeling that someone was watching her grow even more intense.

"Are you here to apply for the job?" The voice came from behind her and she turned around to see a fire demon, complete with large black curling horns, dark red skin and flame filled eyes, grinning within arm's reach of her.

His teeth were as sharp as the other demon's had been and he smelled slightly of sulphur but was dressed in a black t-shirt and a pair of tight jeans, complete with cowboy boots. "You don't appear to have a resume."

Ferya frowned softly as she tilted her head to look up at him, having to swallow a couple times before she could get her voice to work. "I just got back from work, I saw your sign, but I didn't think..."

The demon continued to grin as he leaned forward, taking in a slow breath when his face was beside hers. Smoke curled around their heads as he growled. "You smell like a bakery. Is that where you work?"

"Baltha, you know very well who this is." It was a voice behind her, and she took a step back away from the fire demon, half turning to see Lucifer standing only a few steps away from her. "No more games."

"How?" Ferya asked, glancing between them, seeing the wicked grin from the demon, who gave her a wink, which caused her to blush for no logical reason.

"This building was a shit hole. So I bought it." Lucifer offered a shrug, before waving his hand at the shop. "And I want to control access to the things you make, so I have provided you with this shop. Baltha was here to speak with anyone who wishes a job helping you out. He will also be your security when you open, during the night."

"I have to work at night?" Ferya paused for a moment as she tried to make her brain catch up to what was happening. "Wait, I didn't even say I would work here. I have a job already."

Baltha barked a laugh, which drew a glare from Lucifer that was dark enough that the fire demon turned and walked across the room to sit down at the only table that was set up, leaving the two of them with a semblance of privacy.

Lucifer turned to look at her, raising one brow. "You would choose veritable slavery, over freedom?"

Ferya frowned softly at him. "Is it freedom, if I don't have a choice, and you tell me that I'm going to do it? I don't even know what you're offering to pay me."

"You will never be... punished." Lucifer spat out the last word, his eyes running over her, clearly taking in the bruises he could see and possibly the ones hidden under her sweater if the rumours of him being able to sense pain held any truth. "You will make your own hours and have help. You will have your apartment, rent free with no fear of having to chance danger on the streets if you do not wish to. And you will be paid triple what you're being paid right now."

"Vialen will kill me if I try to quit." Ferya couldn't stop the words, breathless as they were, her eyes wide as she tried to fathom everything he had just promised her. It was as if he had read her mind the night that they had met. "And... what do I have to do, for all that?"

"Baltha will talk with Vialen." Lucifer gave her a blunt look, his tone firm. "And she will not be allowed anywhere near you here. Even if she were that stupid."

Ferya was silent, unable to open her mouth to speak as she tried to fathom that. So she just watched him expectantly, hoping he would continue talking.

He waved at the shop again, smirking ever so slightly at her confusion. "Run the shop. Bake things. Make coffee. Sell it to the customers that come in, which will include the creatures of the night, who would be extremely well behaved, as they always are in my establishments. You wouldn't always have to work at night, the shop will be open at all hours. That is why you need help. But I expect you to serve your customers as they arrive, no preference, no bias against any of my people."

Ferya blinked a couple times, before tilting her head to the side. "Is this payment?"

Lucifer broke into a slow grin as he watched her for a long moment. "I had assumed that you were not included in your request of me being nice to others. But I will take it as a beginning of my payment to you."

"That would be extremely selfish of me." Ferya murmured softly, blushing as she looked to the ground, realizing that as much as she wanted all this, she wouldn't take back her wish for him to help people who needed it far more than she did. "No... someone else deserves to be helped."

"Then this is a business arrangement. I am an investor. You are the boss, I have just one rule." Lucifer let out a slow breath, his wings falling open as he watched her, waiting for her to look up at him once more, before he continued. "If an angel comes in, you will not serve them. You will tell me immediately."

"What about their lap dogs?" Baltha piped up from the corner, his tone surprisingly friendly sounding. "They might send one of their mongrels to sniff this place out."

Ferya frowned in confusion, glancing to the fire demon, then back to Lucifer. "Angels have dogs?"

Baltha's eyes glittered as he grinned from the darkness of the corner, till Ferya wasn't sure if she wanted to know the source of that man's amusement.

"He is referring to the Praetorian Guard. Most of them are... more inclined to help the council and their denizens than me and mine." Lucifer offered a shrug. "Nothing for them either."

"I have... Well... I wouldn't classify them as friends... and they might not even care, or even end up coming in... but... "She blushed deeper once more, looking back down at her hands. "They're... nice to me. A couple of them."

"Look at me, Ferya..." Lucifer's voice was close and when she looked up, he was right in front of her, causing her to crane her head to look at him. And when her eyes met his, he offered a smirk. "You can serve your friends, but you will ensure that I am aware they are in my establishment. Deal?"

"Deal." She nodded at that, half surprised that he didn't offer her his hand, but she offered a weak smile. "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow morning." Lucifer offered her a quick nod before shifting away from her and starting towards the door. "You'll have a couple of my people help you set up and the day after, you should be able to open."

He didn't even wait for her to respond, walking out the door and disappearing into the darkness beyond the tinted glass. After a few moments of silence, Baltha stood again, offering her a smirk. "I'll let your ex-boss know that you aren't coming back. They won't bother you again."

Ferya nodded carefully, spinning a slow circle as she took in the shop. "Alright, thank you."

After a few moments of staring at the room, her mind awash with the possibilities and the hope that bubbled in her chest, she walked out of the shop and up towards the elevator, though she fought a small amount of dread at the thought of trusting the device with her life. The one that had been in the previous building hadn't ever worked. She had never ridden in an elevator before, and the sudden movement gave her stomach a sinking feeling as it began to rise once she was inside and had pressed the little plastic 5.

She was now working for Lucifer. This was certainly about to get interesting.