When Violet learned the devil was her soulmate, she didn’t feel heartbroken. Or scared. Or surprised. Or anything. 

So, the devil sent her courting gifts. 

Cuts of Parisian soap and perfume like wine. Necklaces crusted with purple gemstones. Spanish elm boxes surrounded by cocoa shells; tongs to select floral cubes of chocolate. Black tart shells stuffed with lavender cream. Thousand-year-old books covered in bloody violets. Knives that smoked in the air. 

Violet used and consumed everything he had to offer, and always, she hoped for more.

Anything to fill the place where a heart should be.

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Alyssa Jordan is a writer living in the United States. She likes to make surprise balls, eat donuts, and drink coffee. In 2020, she won The Molotov Cocktail’s Flash Monster contest. You can find her on Twitter @ajordan901.