
The Devil's Lover: The Resurrection
By Dahlia Lu
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Dahlia Lu
Cover Image Copyright IStockphoto.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems-except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews-without permission in writing from its author.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictions or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
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He stood on the edge of the tallest building. A silver wind fluttered his platinum hair into trails of glistening lights. They shone as brightly as the stars in the night sky. His lucid blue eyes stared out into the distance, as if he were longing for something he once had. He held a small crystal flask tightly in his hand and he unconsciously brought it to his lips.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared and left no trace that he had ever been there.
"One minute I'm one of the most powerful demons in Hell, the next, I'm a bloody gravedigger," the young man muttered irritably as he walked through a long corridor that led into a spacious domed room. He approached the throne in the middle of the room and sank down to the seat. When he thought about what he was doing a few hours earlier, he heaved a long sigh.
"Remember your place, Seth," a voice echoed in the room.
Seth slowly stood up when he saw his father entered the room. "I don't see why I can't sit on the damn thing."
By appearance, he was a beautiful man in his early twenties with shining blond hair and brilliant grey eyes. Seth resembled him somewhat, but it was rare that anyone could ever match his beauty. He lowered his eyes for a moment and then turned away.
"If Lucifer is not the one to rule, that throne shall forever remain empty," he replied.
"You can become the new King of Hell, Father," Seth argued. When his father eyed him, he instantly realized his mistake.
"Lord Arvin," he corrected himself.
"You have failed to retrieve her body," Arvin concluded as he saw Seth had returned empty-handed.
"Someone got there before I did."
"He returned."
"Lucifer?"
Arvin grinned. "He still hasn't given up on her. It has been thirteen years since she died."
"Why do you want her body?"
"I don't want it."
"But why did you ask me to retrieve it?" When Arvin did not answer, Seth guessed.
"You're planning something."
"Sending you was only a distraction so they would not focus on the bigger picture," Arvin admitted, then added, "Lucifer will fail to resurrect Kali."
"He will fail?"
"I will leave it at that."
"You still do not trust me," Seth accused.
"I only trust myself, Seth."
Seth said nothing.
"I will show you, then. I doubt that you will ever betray me."
Arvin led Seth down an enormous seemingly-endless spiral stairs that vanished into the dungeon level of the castle. It had been a long time since Seth had last been here. The previous visit had left a bad impression. They reached the bottom and walked through a dark, dungeon-like hallway. Seth looked to either side and noted the appearances of many glowing red eyes in the dark. This was the place that held the demons that had lost themselves to their instincts. They lived forever in darkness without salvation. These were the demons that had lost the battle to themselves.
Arvin commanded the last door on the corridor to open. It obeyed and swung open with a creak. There were a few candle lights in the room, but it was not well-lit enough to see what was inside.
Arvin, however, knew exactly what to expect.
"Crying will not help you," Arvin said.
Seth redirected his energy to create a small ball of fire in his hand. Dim light seeped into every corner of the room. On the bed lay a weeping young girl. She looked up at Arvin, a challenging look in her eyes.
Seth was surprised to see her.
"Skye?" He came to her side and offered a hand. "What are you doing down here?"
She smacked his hand away from her.
Seth looked to Arvin, confused.
"She's not Skye," Arvin said.
"She's not?"
"Well, her body is."
"I don't understand."
"Lucifer cannot resurrect Kali....because I already have."
Seth was stunned. He looked to Skye and then back at Arvin. "If she is...then where is Skye?"
Arvin grinned. "Well, that's the entertaining part."
†††††
The night cast dark shadows over the cemetery. A thick screen of fog reduced visibility to nearly zero. Approaching footsteps splashing in a puddle broke the silence. The couple ran to the grave site of a young girl. To their surprise, what they saw confirmed the grave keeper's words. Her coffin was empty.
"Damn it!" The young man said through gritted teeth. His golden eyes glowed bright with anger.
"Who is responsible for this?"
"Calm down, Chevalier," his beautiful companion said to him. She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Being rash won't get you anywhere."
"Calm? Her body is missing!" he reminded her. He massaged the bridge of his nose in distress. "Who could...?"
"The question should be why."
"It's those damned demons again, Adria!" Chevalier accused. "It's been thirteen years and they still haven't left her alone! It must be Arvin's doing!"
"We can't assume that, yet."
"Who else would dig up a dead woman's grave?"
†††††
A colossal mansion stood on top of a steep hill. It was years beyond its intentional life span. Vines and moss had claimed most of the building's structure. A tall man arrived at the main entrance. He had platinum hair and a pair of lucid blue eyes beneath thick lashes. Accompanying him was the cloaked figure of a woman. The double doors opened willingly to let them in.
Their footsteps echoed along the pavement of the hallway. Greeting them at the end of the hallway was a young man with the same blue eyes and platinum hair.
The woman, who had been walking behind the man, stepped forward. She slowly removed the hooded cloak that covered her small body.
"Kali," Lucifer addressed her, "this is Trent."
Trent stood motionless for a moment. Emotion swirled in his striking blue eyes. He spread his arms out and embraced her. He indulged himself in a moment of reunion before something inside of him felt wrong. He released her and took a step back. He stared at her, questions alive in his eyes.
"My son," she smiled at him.
He blinked in confusion, and then turned away.
"Trent?" she called out to him. He did not turn back. She looked up at Lucifer for an answer.
Trent did not know what he was feeling. He had missed her every day for the last thirteen years. He longed to see her again, but now that she is here, he turned his back on her. There was something missing in her touch.
Warmth.
Trent shook the thought. Perhaps he had been separated from her for too long. He was no longer a child and the time gap between them had turned her into a stranger.
"There is still much time to make up for what was lost," Lucifer said, almost to himself.
†††††
Arvin chuckled, amused, as he watched Lucifer and Kali through the magic mirror. He looked to the girl sitting next to him and searched the emotions in her eyes. She was crying. Her tears gave him pleasure, of a sort. He playfully wrapped her silky hair around his finger and toyed with it.
"What do you think, my dear?" he asked her.
She wiped the tears from her eyes with her forearm. She turned to face him.
He lifted her chin up with the tip of his finger. He glanced at the girl in the magic mirror and then looked back.
"What do you think of her, Kali?" he repeated his question, "Or should I say, Skye."
He laughed. "You should really be proud. Skye is one of the most beautiful among angels and demons alike. Possessing her body is truly a blessing."
She pulled away from him.
"You can't fool him for long," she retorted.
"Oh? Skye is currently in your body. The body of the woman Lucifer loves so dearly. He never put his guard up with her. Skye can imitate your words, your actions, even your habits. What makes you think that she can't be the new you?"
She glared at him. "How can she be me, when I am me?"
"Humans are so narrow-minded."
"No, you're the one who's wrong."
"Am I?" he teased her. "What makes a person more than those three things?"
"She may know how to act like me, but she is not me!" she protested.
Arvin laughed heartily. "Do you really put that much trust in Lucifer? Expect him to doubt the woman he loves?"
"He loves me!"
"Does he? Or is he only in love with the idea of being in love?"
"You are insane."
"Then wager with me."
"What?"
"You said that he loves you," he restated her claim. "Then prove to me that is so."
"I don't have to do anything," she replied.
"Aren't you curious yourself?" he asked. "Come now, dear Kali. Do you actually believe in what Lucifer claimed to be love? Could it not be obsession? You simply captured his interests for the time being, a blink of an eye in his long lifespan."
"Why not just get rid of me?" she questioned him.
He paused for a long second. "I will let you go."
"What?" she said in disbelief. "You are just going to let me go?"
"Nothing is that simple, of course." He inched closer to her and stole a kiss from her lips. She pushed him away.
"How dare you!"
Suddenly, she felt something in her throat as if she had just swallowed a foreign object. She grabbed at her throat as a sudden pain rushed through her body. She glared at him as long as she could before the pain distracted her. It felt like every one of her arteries throbbed and burned, and seemed to center on her shoulder blade. A small emblem had formed on the back of her shoulder.
"This is the cursed mark of silence," Arvin explained. "It is a living curse that will kill you if you so much as attempt to reveal your identity."
She gasped for a deep breath of air as the pain faded, and found herself lying on the ground panting her relief.
Arvin commanded the double door to open. When Kali regained full consciousness, Arvin was no longer in the room. His voice echoed from somewhere far away.
"You are free."
It was a city where time had held no claim for over twenty years. No changes had been made. Neither improvements nor deterioration has taken place, as if an invisible force was keeping it suspended in time for a purpose unknown.
There was a commotion on the cross road. The traffic was building up, and many drivers grew impatient and honked their horns. Some had gotten out of their cars to see what was happening. They saw a young girl lying unconscious in the middle of the crossroads. She had long silken black hair and a face that would have been the envy of the angels. A young man had gotten out of his truck and covered her body with his jacket.
"Someone called an ambulance!" he shouted out to the people, who gathered around him in a thick mass to see what was going on. They stared and gossiped, but none reacted. The young man picked the girl up in his arms and carried her to his own truck when he realized his call for help was useless.
He returned to the driver's seat. When the people realized there was nothing more to see, they wandered back to their own vehicles. The young man started up the engine and drove toward the hospital. He kept looking to the girl, then back at the road. He was sure that she hadn't been hit by a car. If she were, she would have bruises and cuts. Her skin looked unusually flawless. Many questions filled his head, but he knew it was not the time to spare them much thought. The first thing he needed to do was get her to a hospital where she could get some help.
Seth heaved a sigh of relief. He had been instructed to bring her back to the mortal world. It appeared he had summoned her to the wrong location. He was too distracted with other thoughts to focus completely on his summoning skills. He needed to stay focused from now on.
†††††
She kissed him passionately.
It was the same lips, the same scent, and the same pair of eyes that stared back at him. Lucifer stroked her hair gently and returned her kiss. She was breathless when he broke the kiss. He bent down and scattered little kisses on her neck.
"I have missed you," Lucifer said to her.
She smiled triumphantly.
"And I, you."
†††††
Trent strode down the long corridor of the inner mansion. His footsteps could be heard all through the hallways. Heaving a long sigh, he stopped in front of a large framed window. He looked to the image reflected from the glass's surface, staring himself in the eyes for several seconds before continuing to walk. His reflection danced across each window as he passed.
"What do you want?" Trent asked.
"You felt it too, didn't you?"
"What do you mean?" Trent replied.
The image paused for a moment before he spoke again. "I'm sure it was not just me who felt it."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I will investigate tonight," the image said to Trent.
"Not until you've explained what you mean," Trent demanded.
"The day is yours, the night is mine. I will explain myself soon enough."
†††††
Chevalier turned the key to his apartment. He pushed the door open, then sluggishly closed it behind him as he entered the hallway. He let himself fall onto the sofa and leaned his head back. How could this have happened? He asked himself. It had been up to him to keep her body safe. He let it happen right under his nose. How useless could he be?
A pair of hands came up behind him and covered his eyes. "Guess who?"
"Bi, I'm too tired today," he said to her.
"Did you go to the cemetery again?"
"It's just been a long day," he replied.
"I see," she said. She strolled to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She gave the contents a quick glance and then closed it.
"We've run out of food," she told him. "I'm going to go down to the convenience store to buy something to make dinner."
"Okay," he agreed softly.
†††††
Kali lifted her hand to block out the bright light that prevented her eyes from opening. She saw an outline of a face and reached out to it. She murmured Lucifer's name softly before she passed out again.
"How is she, Vince?" the middle-aged woman asked as she walked in. She put down the lunch box she carried on the table and came to the young man's side.
"Her doctor said she needed some time to recover," he replied. He stared at the unconscious girl with guilt evident in his face.
The woman massaged his shoulder comfortingly. "It was an accident," she said to him. "You've done all you could for the last two days. She'll come around."
"I swear I didn't see her until-" He lowered his head. "Oh God, if something happens to her, I'll never be able to forgive myself."
"Son..."
"I need to be alone for a little while," he said softly.
"Okay. I'll take care of her for now."
He nodded and stood up. Walking out of the room, he closed the door behind him.
†††††
The crowd went wild. They held posters and signs and screamed out his name. The people outside of the stadium were flooding in like streams of ants. It was the biggest concert ever held in the history of entertainment. Ticket prices had skyrocketed when the two hundred sixty thousands fans realized the seats were limited. Many flew halfway around the world just to attend this concert.
The first time they saw his debut, they couldn't take their eyes off of him. He had platinum hair and pair of pale majestic blue eyes. It was the sort of beauty that drew attention. No man on Earth should be this beautiful!
Then they heard him sing. His voice was ridiculously cool and silky. Adding to the package, he was a little bit above six feet tall and had an air of mystery about him. His ads were posted all over the city.
It was a battle already won.
The stage went silent. The crowd quieted in anticipation. There were a few minutes of silence before the fireworks in front of the stage exploded into a fantastic display. The silver wings attached to his back were wrapped around him to cover his body. The wings spread out, revealing a beautiful man.
The crowd roared.
"Trent! Trent! Trent!"
They chanted his name.
Then the band started to play.
Trent grabbed the microphone and closed his eyes to feel the rhythm of the song.
He started to sing:
Slowly drowning in the sweetness of your scent,
I found myself standing on the edge of desire.
We laced our hands together just for the night
and embraced this delightful sin.
Drown out all the voices of the world
and hold me in your eyes.
Let them judge our love because
we committed this crime knowingly.
Follow me to the Hell I called home
and seal our fate with one lustful kiss.
Bi woke in the middle of the night. She heard the sound of faint footsteps, followed by someone opening the front door. Curiously, she got out of her warm bed to investigate. She saw Chevalier's back of as he closed the door behind him. Bi debated for several seconds about whether to follow him. Chevalier never left the house in the middle of the night.
Bi grabbed her coat and left the house. She locked the door quickly and ran to catch up with him. By the time she got to the bottom floor, Chevalier had already driven away on his motorcycle. Bi waved for a taxi on the road, thankful when one stopped for her.
"That way!" She pointed the driver in the direction she saw Chevalier take.
"Got it," the taxi driver replied.
†††††
The distinctive shadow of a man separated itself from the hospital's wall. Seth appeared from the shadows and stepped onto the square tiles of the floor. His presence went unnoticed by the busy nurses. He calmly walked into the room where Kali lay and closed the door behind him. He watched her for several minutes before he sighed.
"I can't believe he would get Skye involved in this," he muttered to himself. He took out a vial of clear red liquid and opened it, then separated her soft lips with his left hand to pour the liquid into her mouth.
"It would take too long for you to recover on your own," he said to her. "I need to you find Lord Lucifer so this whole bet will be over. Then Father-Lord Arvin-will return Skye to her former self."
"Hey, you!"
Seth was startled by Vince's entrance and quickly disappeared. Vince blinked a few times before he ran to Kali's side. One minute he clearly saw a man wearing black clothes standing over the girl's bed, the next there was no one there. He hadn't had any sleep for the past two nights, so maybe he was going reasonably insane.
His thoughts were suddenly distracted by Kali's squinting eyes. He leaned over her and shook her head gently between his hands.
"Hey, hey," he said softly. A relieved smile appeared on his face when she opened her eyes for the first time. "And here I thought you would never wake up."
Kali's lucid violet eyes looked back at him in confusion. There was an enchantment about those eyes that held him mesmerized for a long moment. It was very difficult to look away, but Vince realized it was rude to stare.
"Where am I?" she inquired.
"I am-uh, I mean, you're at the Sinarc Hospital," he stammered. "There was an accident and..."
Her eyes widened with sudden realization. She bolted off the bed. Vince was so startled that he stood up while trying to hold her back. "Don't move, the doctor said you still need plenty of rest."
"I have to go," she said hurriedly and broke free of him. "I have to go see him!"
"Miss!" Vince called out to Kali as she ran down the hallway. She bumped into a few nurses but didn't slow down.
"Miss!"
He ran after her.
†††††
Bi had kept watched on Chevalier from a distance for over fifteen minutes now. He stood by himself at the dock and stared out at the night's pale moon. He seemed to be troubled by something. When Bi finally decided to approach him, a figure of a young woman was suddenly walking toward him. Bi stood still again to watch.
The woman came to Chevalier's side and stood adjacent to him.
"Did you found out who did it?" Chevalier asked without looking at her.
"Not yet," she replied.
"Then why did you call me out, Adria?" Chevalier said.
"I don't know who did it," she admitted, "but I know where she is."
"Where?" Chevalier turned to her.
"With Lord Lucifer,"
"Lucifer?" Chevalier cocked his head in confusion.
"It appears he has brought her back."
†††††
Kali stood in the middle of the city as the people moved pass her. There were so many streets and she doesn't know how to find Lucifer. She looked left and right, confused.
"Miss!" Vince caught up to her. He paused to catch his breath. "Where...are you...going?" he asked breathlessly.
"I need to find him," she replied, "I need to find Lucifer."
"Well, do you know where he lives?" Vince asked. "I could take you to him."
"I-" Kali hesitated, "I don't know..." she stammered.
"Did you forget?"
"I just don't know," she cried. She plopped down on the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees.
Vince scratched his head, puzzled. He didn't know what to do. "Where do you live, then?"
She remembered the place Arvin had shown her through the looking glass. "He's not there. He's somewhere I don't know."
"Who is he? Did he leave you?"
She shook her head. Her tears stained her rosy cheeks. "He's with another woman. I have to tell him that I-that I-"
The words just wouldn't come out. She felt an uncomfortable pressure in her chest. The curse was constricting her. She gasped for air.
"Hey, hey, take it easy," Vince patted her back.
Kali caught a familiar sight from the corner of her eye. There was a poster glued on the side of a brick building. It was a face that couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. He stood in Lucifer's image, imposing as ever. It was her Trent.
She ran toward the poster and snatched it from the wall. Her hands were trembling as they traced the face on the poster. She read the text. "A concert... tonight."
She bolted into the street. Vince chased after her, but lost sight of her quickly in the mass of people.
An uncomfortable feeling in his heart woke him up in the middle of the night. Lucifer reached to his side to make sure Kali was still there. He was relieved to find her body next to his. He paused for a short moment, then gently ran his finger through her hair. He picked up a silky lock and pressed it against his lips.
"Kali," he whispered her name under his breath.
†††††
Skye dismissed her servants and strolled along the stone path of the mansion's garden. She was not surprised to see that it was poorly taken care of. Many plants were dead, wilted, and crumpled onto the soil. There was a strange beauty to it, a lifeless serenity that could even be compared to a dying heart. The servants told her they had hired gardeners to tend to the garden, but nothing was able to grow. Skye didn't mind. She found it pleasing. However, it was not the strange beauty of the garden that had lured her out this morning. She sat down on a stone bench and watched the dead leaves falling off the tree branches.
She did not have to wait long. Seth appeared from the shadow of the tree and stood before her.
"Have you come to lecture me?" Skye inquired.
He stared at her in disappointment before he spoke. "Who do you think he is? How long do you suppose you can fool him?
"That is none of your concern," she replied as she turned her eyes away from him.
"You believe the rumor? That Lucifer was infatuated with a mortal girl? Haven't you learned anything from Soren?"
"I have!" she snapped at him. "Soren did what he had to do!"
"And what do you suppose you'll do once the real Kali finds Lucifer?" Seth asked. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her. "If he finds out the truth, what do you suppose he will do to you?"
"He will never find out!" she retorted. "Arvin promised me that he won't recognize her. She's no threat to me!"
"So little you know of Lucifer..."
"He is blinded by his love. He thinks I am Kali. He believes it in his heart!"
"Even if it is so, will you be happy when he is looking at another woman through your eyes?"
"I've wanted to be his longer than I can remember!" she argued. She broke free of his hands and pushed him back. "I have waited for a chance like this, a chance to be with him, and I will remove anything that stands in my way."
"Even me," Seth said softly under his breath.
"Even you," she agreed.
There was a crowd flooding the entrance of the Century Stadium. It was the second night of Trent's concert and the atmosphere was as hectic as the first. A mob of people was attempting to get in.
Kali could hear voices all around her as she stood in the middle of the crowd. At first, she didn't realized what they were. Another good look at her surroundings and she realized that she was listening to the whispers of their thoughts. She brought her hands to her head, half doubting her sanity. What she was hearing were their deepest and most private thoughts, but it was unfocused, jumping from one person to the next.
How long do I need to wait? I hope they believed my lies. How am I going to pay for rent this month? I'm so excited, I can't wait! I need to come up with a better alibi or my wife will find out about my mistress. It's so cold tonight. Should I go to the doctor for this rash? This guy better take me to an expensive hotel afterward.
Kali shook her head to block out the thoughts. After a moment of concentration, all she could hear was the chattering sound of the excited people around her. With a sigh of relief, she stepped up to the entrance.
"Please let me in," Kali pleaded to the security guard.
"Do you have a ticket?"
"No, but-"
"Sorry ma'am. No ticket, no admittance."
"No, no you don't understand," she said quickly, "My son is in there. I really have to see him, so if you would please-"
The security guard looked at the young girl and decided that she couldn't be older than 17 or so. He pointed to the crowd of rejected fans without tickets. "You got to come with a better lie than that."
Kali looked to the crowd and then looked back. She was growing impatient.
"Let me in!" She raised her voice at him.
"Hey lady, I'd never hit a woman, so please leave now," he pushed her out of the way. Kali lost her footing and fell to the pavement.
There was a man standing right in front of her. She slowly tracked her eyes up from his well-polished shoes to his imposing face. He was in his late twenties or early thirties. When he bent down, she thought he was about to help her up. She was mistaken. He lifted her chin up with his forefinger and took a good look at her. He stood up again and removed his sun glasses. His eyes were fierce, like a tiger's, and were just as beautiful.
"You got a pretty face," he said to her. "Are you interested in modeling?"
Kali didn't realized what he asked until she fully got up on her feet. "I'm not-"
"Hmm. Too bad then," he said and walked past her.
There was a beautiful woman with him. She wore a glamorous red dress embellished with expensive jewelry. He walked over to the security guard and took two VIP tickets from the inner pocket of his jacket.
Kali ran to him and grabbed him by the sleeve. "Please sell one of the tickets to me!"
He looked down at his sleeve and then up at her. "This suit cost more than you'll ever make, so I suggest you remove your hands."
She slowly let go. "Please sell me a ticket," she repeated.
He pondered. "And how will you pay for it?"
"I don't have any money on me right now, but I will after I-"
"So, in another words, you don't have any money," he interrupted her.
"...yes."
"I'm not interested in money," he said to her. "I'll give you one of the tickets if you would agree to have a photo shoot with me. Rather a good deal, since these tickets was personally given to me by Trent."
She thought about it. "And I can go see Trent with your ticket?"
"I suppose."
"I'll do it," she agreed.
He turned to his partner. "Go home, Claire," he said to her.
The beautiful woman was stunned. She couldn't believe her ears. "You're not serious!"
"I very much am," he replied.
"I got dressed up especially for this!"
"If you still want to keep your career and that pretty dress of yours, I suggest you do as I say," he said coldly.
"But-" She glared at Kali before stomping her foot and walking away in a tantrum.
"She-" Kali pointed.
"Never mind her," he said in an indifferent tone as he turned to the security guard and handed him the two tickets. "Models are all the same. They think too highly of themselves."
Kali didn't understood what he meant, but it wasn't important. She followed him inside.
†††††
Kali stood in a crowd of people that barely left her with any room to breathe. She was too far away from the stage to see anything. There were two massive screens on the sides of the stage, but they were pitch black. The show hadn't begun yet.
Kali figured that her chances of making her way through this many people were slim, nearly impossible. She squeezed her way out from the crowd and headed towards the 'Employee Only' door. There was a big man in a black suit standing guard. She showed him her VIP ticket and he gladly opened the door for her.
Kali could still hear the fans chanting his name from backstage. There were many people rushing in and out of the hallways carrying papers and equipment. Kali caught a glance of a young man's back that looked awfully familiar.
She curiously followed him.
She could see his profile when he turned left to enter a room. She slowly approached the door and stood quietly by the door frame. She gazed at him as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Can I help you?" he asked her casually when he noticed her presence.
She took a few slow steps toward him and then wrapped her thin arms around his waist. He was taken back for a short moment until he freed himself from her embrace. The drowned look in her eyes when he backed away made him feel somehow at fault.
"You're a demon," he said as he recognized her scent.
She didn't know what to say.
"Who sent you?" he asked. "And what it is that you want from me?"
"I'm your--"
And then there was that feeling again. The same exact feeling, only that it was so much stronger than before. Kali attempted to finish the sentence, but it was only said in her mind. The word didn't come out. It couldn't. Everything surrounding her was swallowed by the black wave.
†††††
Lucifer clenched his hands into tight fists. There was that uncomfortable feeling again. He couldn't explain it. It felt suffocating. He placed a hand over his heart to trace the source of the feeling.
Archangel Michael materialized from thin air. He sat on the window frame, looking into the chamber.
Lucifer did not even glance at him.
"I don't feel the need to say anything," Archangel Michael said.
"Then you shouldn't have come," Lucifer replied.
"You've resurrected her," the Archangel got straight to the point.
"I have," Lucifer admitted.
"There are laws even we must abide by, Lucifer," the Archangel reminded him. "It may be within your powers, but everything comes with a price. I will not interfere with your affairs, but you should reassess the consequences of your impetuous acts."
"I hardly consider it impetuous."
"Yet, you are still not happy," the Archangel concluded.
"Don't act as if you know me so well."
"Who really does, Lucifer?"
Lucifer paused for a long moment before he spoke again. "She is not completely back to me. If she is, then why do I still have this feeling of unquenchable thirst for her? Why does part of me still miss her when I have her in my arms? Why do I feel so empty and unsatisfied?"
The Archangel sighed.
†††††
Kali found herself lying on a sofa. She suddenly remembered what had happened and got up to walk to the desk in front of her. She found a pen in the drawer, but couldn't find any paper. She decided to write on her hand.
'I am --'
The pen wouldn't write. Kali forced it to scratch her name, but her right arm felt as if it wasn't her own. She struggled with the task and lost.
"What are you doing?" the voice of a man asked. She turned her attention to the door. It was that man that she had asked for help earlier.
"I'm under a curse," she said in a low tone.
"Yes, you are," he replied. He came to her side and gave her his jacket. "You are one of the craziest fans I've ever met."
"Fans?" she cocked her head.
"You're a fan of Trent's, right?"
She thought about it. "I suppose I am."
"The concert is over, go home," he said, and then left the room.
She paused for a moment to think. It was futile to continue trying to convince anyone who she really was. Not as long as she still had this demonic curse. Her only chance was to find Lucifer and hope that he, of all people, could recognize her.
"Mister," she ran out of the room and chased after him.
"Grant."
"Mr. Grant," She looked up at him as they walked.
"Just Grant," he corrected her.
"Grant, have you ever heard of any cases where a person can't tell other people their identity?"
"You mean some post-hypnotic suggestion crap?"
"Yes!"
"No."
"Oh," she said, disappointed.
He handed her a business card. "I'm free this weekend for that photo shoot."
†††††
He watched her walk away from a distance. The moment she'd touched him, he'd known. The other Trent probably didn't feel it, but he did. From the moment of his conception, he had been feeding on her energy. He had lived in her thoughts and in her dreams. It would have been a pity if he couldn't recognize her. If he didn't, no one else on Earth would, either.
The dilemma now was whether or not he should acknowledge her. If he did, would she be in graver danger? Whoever had resurrected her and placed the curse on her was no ordinary person. If there was a goal that person wished to accomplish, he or she would see it through. If he exposed her now, what would happen to her? Was his power alone enough to protect her? If she was here, then who was the imposter who claimed to be his mother? Would Lucifer believe him?
As he watched her walk away, he had already made a decision to keep her a secret, even to his other self. He would let her stay the way she was now until he found out who was behind this scheme. At least now, she was not in any immediate danger. When the time was right, he would find a way to undo all of this.
†††††
Trent awakened in his bed.
The first thing he noticed was his reflection on the ceiling's mirror. Several minutes passed before the reflection realized Trent was awake.
"Did I wake you up?" his reflection asked.
"No," Trent replied. "Is something troubling you?"
"Yes."
"Who was that woman?" Trent asked. "That demon you encountered tonight. You seem to be attached to her."
"I'd rather not say," his other self said. "Not yet, anyways."
"You have been keeping more secrets from me lately."
"For your own good, brother."
Kali stared at the food displayed in the glass window and imagined how it would taste in her mouth. She didn't have a single penny in her pocket and or a place to stay for the night. The weather doesn't look too kind to her right now. The thunderclouds had been stationed above the city since this afternoon.
"Can I help you, miss?" a waiter from the restaurant she gazed into asked.
Kali hesitated for a short moment and then walked away.
"Hey, Sean!" the restaurant owner shouted to him. "I didn't pay you to stand around."
"I was greeting a customer," the waiter replied.
"Where?" the owner asked.
"That girl," the waiter pointed. "I haven't seen anyone so beautiful before..."
"I didn't pay you to look at girls either, now get back to work! There, greet that young man," the owner pointed toward a costumer.
†††††
"Lucifer!"
Chevalier furiously banged on the steel front door of the mansion. The several minutes he had already waited had made him impatient. He quietly cursed himself when he remembered that he was also a demon. He concentrated on the double door and commanded it open. The door obeyed. Chevalier rushed into the mansion and headed down the long main hallway. He pushed aside the servants, who tried to stop him from intruding further.
"Lucifer!" he called out. "I know you're here, we need to-"
His body froze instantly when he spotted her at the top of the stairwell. For a second, he thought his eyes played a trick on him. There she was in the flesh. Could it be true, that Lucifer had done the impossible? Such questions were futile now. He raced toward the top of the stairwell and reached out to her. Skye debated on whether she should push him back when he pulled her to his chest. After all, she had never met this man before. No, she decided, it might blow her cover. She could detect a faint demonic scent on him.
Chevalier slowly released her and gently held her face with his hands. His beautiful golden eyes searched deep into hers. "Kali, it is really you?"
"Yes."
He gently rubbed her soft coral cheeks with his thumbs.
"But how?" He scanned her fragile body with his eyes. "How it is possible?"
"It doesn't matter," she replied.
He smiled brightly. "You're right, it doesn't matter," he squeezed her tight in his arms again. "I've missed you like crazy!"
†††††
It rained like she had predicted it would.
Kali stood under the shaded front porch of a department store. It was late and the shops were preparing to lock up for the night. The bright lights shut off, one after another, and were replaced by the dim light of the streetlights. The dampness of the air made her body shiver. If she were home right now, she would be enjoying a homemade dinner. Afterward, she would curl up against Lucifer in their warm bed. It wasn't long before Kali realized it was all a distant memory. She was all alone now.
Trent didn't recognize her. How could he? She wouldn't have believed it herself. Even if she wasn't cursed, they wouldn't have believed her, even if she told them.
Lucifer.
The priority right now was finding Lucifer. If anyone could see her true identity, it would be Lucifer. He would be able to save her.
†††††
The night grew much colder. Kali sat curled up against the wall to preserve body heat. Her breath instantly became vapor when it touched the air. Perhaps her brain was playing tricks on her, because she didn't feel as cold as she had imagined she would be in this sort of weather. The good news was that the rain had stopped half an hour ago. Kali wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her tired head on her left shoulder. Slowly, she dozed off.
The sound of screeching tires woke her up. Kali opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by a group of men. They removed their safety helmets and laughed to each other. Kali could see their motorcycles parked off road through the spaces between their legs. She could smell trouble already.
"My, my, my! What have we got here?"
"Hasn't your mama ever told you to stay off the streets at night?" they teased.
"Looks like it's our lucky day, boys."
One of the men leaned over and lifted up Kali's face. She immediately smacked his hand away. There was a long pause after they caught a glimpse of her.
"She's a real beauty," one man finally broke the silence. "What are we going to do with her?"
"A face like that could sell for a high price."
"Can we have a little fun with her first?" another man suggested. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up. "How about it, sweetie? Come with us and we'll show you a good time."
"Get our dirty hands off of me," Kali said almost too calmly as she pulled away.
Her response made them laugh out loud. "Hear that? Even her voice is pretty."
"This will be your last warning," her voice was cool and composed.
"Or what?" they asked, amused by her threat.
One of the men grabbed her by her tiny waist and pulled her toward him. Her nails suddenly grew razor sharp. Her hands gracefully reached to the back of his neck. Before he knew what was coming, her nails dug into his flesh and got a grip on his spine. In a split second, she threw him over her shoulder as she fractured his neck in a single motion.
The other men were taken aback. They were stunned to see their comrade lying motionless on the ground. They came closer to check his pulse.
"He's dead!"
"You damn bitch!"
Two men pulled out their pockets knives and pressed it against her throat. "You killed him!"
She grabbed the knives with her bare hands. Crimson blood trickled down from the blade onto the cement ground. The men flinched when they saw the smirk full of bloodlust on her delicate face.
Her vision was blurry. She squinted to bring her sight into focus. It was strange, because she had never had problem with her eyes before. She had 20/20 vision. All she could remember was waking up with a headache and barely being able to see a thing. There was a strange scent in the air. She could have sworn it was iron. And it was enticing.
Since when did she find iron 'enticing?'
Her hands felt wet. She brought them close to her face to identify the sticky substance and saw a deep crimson color. The liquid felt thick and warm. Kali realized it was blood. Could it be hers?
She didn't feel any pain.
Her vision slowly regained its focus. To her horror, she discovered several dead bodies only feet away. She knew for sure they were dead. Their bodies have been torn from limb from limb. The blood from their raw flesh soaked into the ground, forming a thick pool.
Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind. She tried to narrow down what could have killed them. The most suspicious and horrifying suspect was herself. But why would she? She didn't even know these men, much less have the intention to kill them. Even if she left out that possibility, there was still a matter of how? She was only a -
Then it came to her. She was no longer mortal. She was now in the body of a full-fledged demon. And if she didn't know better, she'd assume that it came with its own instinct. She wasn't completely oblivious to what demons were. Over the years, she had learned how they operated, both psychologically and physiologically. Or at least, that's what she liked to tell herself. It gave her a sense of awareness when it came to Lucifer. Despite the love between them, he was still a powerful and unpredictable demon. That wouldn't ever change.
She could sense Death nearby.
Kali's blood rushed to her head. It was too much to digest in one day. She had to find Lucifer, and fast. The instinct that shared the same vessel with her was dangerous. Worse, she had no clue when it would awaken again, much less how to control it.
A siren was approaching.
Kali realized this would not look good to the police. If she was arrested, her chance of finding Lucifer would become extremely slim. She quickly gathered herself and fled.
†††††
"Go away!" Grant shouted through the door. It was a bad timing. He didn't want to be disturbed.
There was another knock.
"I'm busy!" His voice became furious.
The knocking persisted.
Grant cussed under his breath. He got out of bed and swung the door open, agitated. He had nothing but drawers on.
"What the hell do you think-" He hesitated when he saw her. "Hey, look. This is really bad timing," he said. His tone completely changed. "I have company over and -"
"Grant?" a feminine voice called out from the inside. "Tell them to go away and come back to bed."
Kali understood. "I'll wait out here, then."
Grant scanned the hallway outside of his apartment. "Out here?"
She nodded.
"Fine," he stepped back inside and closed the door behind him.
The door opened again several minutes later. Two young, half-dressed females walked out of his apartment. They turned to Grant in a last attempt to persuade him to let them stay. Knowing Grant, it was futile. He lit a cigarette and made a gesture with his head to invite Kali in. As she stood up, the two girls cast her baleful glances.
Kali took his invitation to enter. The apartment smelled of a strong mixture of perfume, alcohol, and sweat. Kali turned to Grant.
"I could have waited," she said to him.
He drew in a long breath from the cigarette and exhaled a waft of smoke. "Shouldn't you be at home? I won't be responsible if your parents file a kidnapping charge."
"I don't have a home," she corrected him. She hadn't found it yet, anyway. "And my parents passed away a long time ago."
"What are you doing here, then?"
"You must know where Trent lives," she assumed.
"Trent again?" Grant shook his head. "Girls these days are really crazy."
"Even if I explain it to you, you wouldn't believe me."
"You bet I wouldn't," Grant replied sarcastically.
"Please," she begged. Her eyes gazed, mesmerizing, into his.
Grant looked away as quickly as he was able to. "You've got to stop with the staring. Remember, I haven't gotten mine tonight."
"I beg your pardon?" She looked confused.
"Never mind," Grant heaved a long sigh. He paced to a nearby cabinet and took out his camera. "Let's finish that photo shoot."
"Now?" she looked down at her dirty hospital gown and her bloodstained hands.
Grant had been too focused on her eyes to notice the rest of her before. He grabbed her hands and examined them. "What happened?"
She didn't know how to answer. "There were these men and..." She was having trouble saying the rest. Her voice was shaky.
Grant could only assume what any man would assume. "Did they hurt you?"
"It's-" She didn't want to be turned in to the police. She didn't know if she could trust him. After all, he was still a complete stranger.
"No...I had a nosebleed," she lied.
He was searching her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. When he realized it had nothing to do with him, he backed away. "The bathroom is at the end of the hallway," he pointed the direction. "I'll try to find some clothes that will fit you. My sister was about your size."
"Wouldn't she mind?" she asked curiously.
"No. She's dead," Grant said and left the room.
†††††
The hot steam felt good on her skin. She tested the water in the bathtub with the tip of her toe. When it felt right, she got into the tub and leaned back against the side. She tried to recall the last time she had the comfort of a warm shower. The memories were still there, but somehow seemed so distant. She couldn't get over the fact that it had been thirteen years. Everything felt like it had happened just days ago. Well, it had for her, anyways. She didn't expect to wake up one day and find her son had already grown into a young adult. She wondered what she had missed out on during that gap in time.
More importantly, what did Trent think of her? She hasn't been a proper mother to him. Growing up without a mother is tough. She was the first to know that.
A voice from the distance called out to her. The voice became clearer and clearer until she could have sworn it was right next to her. Kali opened her eyes, and to her surprise, Arvin was sitting by the tub.
"Kali."
With a shriek, she grabbed the nearest towel and pressed it against her chest for whatever protection from her exposure it could give her.
"Don't flatter yourself," he chuckled.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was both terrified and angry.
"Checking on your progress, of course."
"What progress?" she asked.
"With you and Lucifer," he teased. "It doesn't seem like it's going anywhere."
She turned her head away.
"Have you thought about it?"
"Thought about what?"
"Aren't you one bit curious if Lucifer really is happy without you?" Arvin answered, straightforward. "If so, then trying to tell him the truth won't change a thing."
"It would!" she argued.
"What?"
"He loves me, Arvin! Stop with your mind games, I won't fall for them!"
"You have so much faith in him, dear Kali. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing for you."
"Tell me where he is!" she demanded. Her tone was only half her own. Her amethyst eyes glowed fiercely.
"He is at the Auncien Mansion," Arvin playfully swirled his fingers in the bath water. He knew it would intimidate her. "Look in the phone book, you can't miss it."
She stared at him skeptically.
He smirked.
"Why are you doing this, Arvin?" she finally asked.
"Maybe I'm curious, too," he said innocently.
"No." She knew for sure. "Not curiosity."
"So you do have a brain after all," he complimented her. He chuckled and faded into the shadows.
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
"Are you okay?" Grant's voice asked. "You've been in there for a while."
"I'm fine," she managed to answer him.
"Okay, I'll leave the clothes by the door."
†††††
Grant worked the all angles with his camera. He still looked unsatisfied. Still, he tried to capture what he believed he saw when he first met her. She was breathtaking, and no doubt her pictures would be, too. That's not what he wanted, though. He did not want to take just beautiful pictures. He had taken countless beautiful pictures, but every time he looked at them, they were as dead and lifeless to him as the glossy pieces of paper they were printed on.
"No," he muttered softly under his breath. "That's not it."
He finally set down his camera.
She watched as he went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.
"I'm not a model," she said when he returned.
"I know that," he replied.
"What are you looking for, then?"
"I don't know," he said. He drank the other half and placed the empty glass on the coffee table. "I thought I saw something in your eyes."
She sat quietly as he picked up his camera again. This time he just held it in his hands and looked at her. He was studying her, observing every detail his eyes could capture. Her velvety skin was the color of soft ivory. He had seen celebrities who spent tens of thousands of dollars on their skin at the dermatologist, but none were as flawless. Her nose was perfectly proportioned to her face. What stunned him most about her were those amethyst eyes underneath long, dark lashes. They were the most bewitching shade of purple. At first he thought she was wearing contact lenses, but it wasn't long before that he knew they were real.
"That's it for today," he said as he slowly removed the lenses from his camera.
She wasn't listening. She stared out of the window, deep in thought. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else.
"Hey, didn't you hear what I said?"
She turned toward him. His eyes met her amethyst ones. A sheen of tears shone on her captivating eyes. When she blinked, her long lashes pressed against her coral cheeks. The tears seeped though and spilled out against her will.
It took him a minute to return to reality. He hurriedly secured his lens back on and snapped a picture.
This was it! It was what he was looking for!
His hands felt shaky, as though he was going to drop the camera. He tried to take a few more pictures, but it didn't even matter. He had gotten what he wanted. He ran into the dark room with his camera. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this excited about developing film.
†††††
Skye ran the comb through her hair, obviously agitated. When the comb broke in half, she threw both pieces across the room. Seth emerged from the shadows and picked them up. He calmly walked to her side.
"What's troubling you?" he asked as he placed both pieces of the comb on her dressing table.
"He's left every time he has a chance."
"Where?"
"How should I know?" she asked rhetorically. "Now that I'm stuck in this mortal body, my means of transportation is very limited."
"Perhaps he's suspicious."
"Impossible," Skye argued. "He couldn't have known..."
"Again, Skye, you are not her."
She grabbed the nearest object and threw it at him.
Seth effortlessly caught it in his hand. "It's not too late to back out now," he advised her as he placed the perfume bottle back on the table. "We both know Lucifer's someone you don't ever want to cross."
†††††
She was already gone when he woke up. Grant heaved a heavy sigh when he read the note she'd left him on the refrigerator door. It said, "I know where to go now. Thanks for letting me stay the night. P.S I borrowed some money from your wallet. I will pay you back."
The cab stopped in front of a pair of rusty old ten-foot tall gates. Kali paid the driver and stepped out to the sidewalk. She closed the back door of the cab behind her and watched as it drove away. She turned her attention back to the gates, and the long road that led to the mansion on top of the hill. The gates were locked from the inside.
She rubbed her hands together before attempting to climb it. It had been a long time since she had attempted to climb anything. The good news was that she was in much better shape than she'd ever been. She was surprised at how easy it was to make it to the top. On the way down on the other side, a misstep caused her to tumble to the ground. Kali gathered herself together and brushed off the dried leaves that got caught in her hair. The fall didn't hurt at all like she'd expected, but she did feel a fleeting annoyance. She walked up the long path up the hill. There was a double steel door guarding the mansion, but before Kali could knock, the doors opened on their own.
"Lucifer!" she called out as soon as she entered. Her footsteps against the marble floor echoed back. "Lucifer!"
"You're not supposed to be here," a familiar voice said from the top of the stairs. Kali looked up and saw herself. She was expecting this to happen to a point, but it still baffled her. She slowly made her way up the stairs, her eyes locked on those of the imposter.
"Where is he?" Kali asked. She stopped several steps from the top.
"He's not here," Skye answered. "You should leave."
"We both know who should leave," Kali replied.
"You!" Skye brought her hand forward in attempt to attack. The realization that she was now mortal drew her back.
"Tell me where he is," Kali didn't bother with the rest.
"Didn't the thought that he might be happy with me ever cross your mind, Kali?" Skye played her psychological card. "Or should I say, Skye."
"You might be in my body, but you are not me!"
"If Lucifer cannot tell the difference, then what is that matter?"
"I believe he could."
"You will be disappointed, my dear."
Kali sensed a powerful presence. Her heart began to race. It was a strange feeling to her. Something told her that Lucifer was nearby. "He's here."
Skye panicked. She knew she had to do something. This mortal girl was not the fool Arvin had convinced her Kali was. She might be able to convince Lucifer that she was the real Kali, then it would be over for her. Dire situations called for extreme measures.
Skye grabbed Kali's hand and placed it forcibly on her own neck.
"Lucifer!" she screamed out. "Lucifer, save me!"
With Skye grabbing tightly to her hand, Kali attempted to pull away. Lucifer would misunderstand what was going on here. "What are you trying to do?"
She was much stronger than she thought. As Kali pulled away, Skye fell forward. She rolled down the steps, a loud thud echoing as she hit the ground floor. To Kali's horror, she saw Lucifer materialize at the bottom of the stairs. One glance at Skye and his angelic blue eyes became hostile. Lucifer looked up the stairs and spotted his enemy.
Kali's body trembled. She'd never thought she'd be as frightened of him as she was this very moment.
It was wicked of Skye to do this.
Kali saw a triumphant smile on Skye's face from the corner of her eye, as if the demon was congratulating herself. She must admit Skye was good at thinking on her feet. Her attention was diverted to Lucifer, who now stood in front of her. His movements were so fast she barely saw him move up the stairs. The silver glow in his blue eyes stirred like a violent storm. She could hear a low growl from his throat as he approached her.
This wasn't what she had in mind. She had imagined a more sentimental reunion. That was before she realized Arvin was partially right; he had it all planned out when he recruited Skye.
"Lucifer," she tried to call his name as firmly as she could. She didn't know what purpose that would serve, but it just seemed right at the moment. She searched his eyes, hoping he could grasp something familiar about her. All her efforts were stopped by the screen of rage.
She could feel his cold fingers slowly wrap around her slender neck. There was something uncanny about this situation that reminded her of when they first met. She'd thought he had changed a great deal since then, but she had no evidence to support that claim right now. Perhaps he had never been who she thought he was.
She didn't know how fast she was thinking until he tightened his grip.
A strange feeling stirred within her. She felt a sense of danger that was engulfing her whole mind and body. Her mind began to evaporate, or rather, recede deep into her subconscious.
Lucifer noticed the change. Her amethyst eyes glowed fiercely when she lifted up her head. Her razor sharps nails dug into his hands, challenging him. She bared her fangs at him and hissed.
He lifted her off the ground and threw her against the stone wall. She recoiled from the wall before she could hit the ground, and lay low for a moment before she got up. The throw had little impact on her physical body.
She snarled at him.
The floor was shaking. The ceiling was trembling. The crystals from the chandelier were clanging together.
Chevalier got up from his seat and walked toward the door. As soon as he opened it, he caught a glance of Trent quickly making his way through the hallway. He was moving too fast for Chevalier to determine the expression on his face.
"Trent!" Chevalier called out to him. Trent did not even spare him a glance. Curiously, Chevalier followed him.
†††††
Trent snatched Kali out of the way at the last second. The sword buried itself deeply into the stone wall.
"I invited her," Trent informed Lucifer. Any delay and who knew what Lucifer would do.
"She was recently left by her lover and became depressed."
As Trent expected, Lucifer's rage began to dim. His father was anything but unreasonable, especially when he knew despair so well.
"Why is she here?" he demanded.
"She needed help before her instinct completely took over," Trent quickly came up with a reason. "As you can see, she's at her limit."
It wasn't completely a lie. "I thought maybe you could help."
Chevalier rushed to Skye's side when he saw her on the ground. "Kali, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"
He received no reply. Her eyes were intensely focused on the female demon behind Trent. The female returned the glare.
Lucifer and Trent locked eyes for a brief moment before he shook his head. "Foolish thought," he finally spoke. "She must leave this place and resolve it herself."
"Lucifer!" Skye was horrified when Lucifer dismissed Kali. "She tried to kill me! Don't just let her go!"
He was by her side again before she can finish the sentence. "She's just a confused demon," he said as he pulled her body into his arms, "Now, where are you hurt?"
Skye refused him. "She tried to kill me!" she repeated gravely. "Are you just going to let her go so she will have another chance to hurt me?"
Chevalier narrowed his eyebrows. It wasn't like Kali to demand punishment.
"That is not possible," Lucifer assured her as he carried her off. "You are no longer subject to death."
As soon as they were out of sight, Kali's body collapsed. Trent was quick to catch her.
"Why are you defending her?" Chevalier asked Trent. "From what I just witnessed..."
"I have my reasons," he said and then gathered her into his arms. Chevalier folded his arms and watched as Trent carried her down the hallway. Something about what had just happened didn't seem logical.
Trent suddenly stopped. He turned around and walked toward Chevalier, much to Chevalier's surprise.
"I need your help," Trent said wearily.
"Excuse me?" Chevalier blinked. Just moments ago, Trent did not even want explain himself.
"She can't stay here, not in this house."
"You're acting strange," Chevalier concluded. "What is going on around here?"
Trent gently handed the sleeping girl over. It was completely reflex that caused Chevalier to take the girl into his arms. "Like I have told my brother, I will reveal everything when the time is right. Right now, I need you to look after her. You're the only one I can trust."
"Must be important."
"More than you know."
†††††
"He's left me again!" Skye bellowed.
After half an hour of her complaints, Seth didn't feel like sticking around anymore, either. There wasn't much he could do.
"Wait!" she ordered.
He stopped in his tracks. "Yes?"
She turned to face him. "Isn't there something we can do?"
"I don't think there is anything we can do," he replied honestly.
"He spared that woman after she tried to kill me. He should have ripped that woman apart!"
"She didn't try to kill you."
"But he doesn't know that!" she cut him off. "And as soon as he got me back into this wretched room, he left me!"
"Has he suspected something? He is no fool, you know."
She took a moment to think. "No," she answered. "He believes that part of her is still missing."
"You should be thankful that he hasn't suspected anything," Seth advised.
"There must be a love spell of some sort."
"A what?" Seth was surprised she even suggested such a thing. "There is no such thing. And why would you want to? He is already in love with you."
"No," she frowned. "He's in love with her."
"So it finally caught up to you," Seth took her by the hand. "Let's go to Arvin and ask him to resolve all of this."
"I will do no such thing, you fool!" She yanked her hand back. "And neither will Arvin."
†††††
She hadn't said a word since she woke up. Their eyes locked for several minutes before she turned away and sat by herself at the window. Bi had brought her food and some water, but she refused them. There wasn't much that he could do.
He was a little curious when Trent asked him to take the girl. Now he was suspicious as to the reason why. Kali had claimed that the girl tried to kill her. For some reason, it was hard to believe. He didn't sense any hostility from her. On the contrary, she was more depressed than anything else.
He wanted to start a conversation, but what could he say?
"Chevalier," her voice interrupted his thoughts. Her amethyst eyes met his.
"How did you know my name?" He asked the first question that popped into his head.
"If you can't even tell, there is no hope for Lucifer," she said in a soft voice, almost to herself.
If he were still human, he wouldn't have heard her. "If I can't tell what?" he asked.
"Look at me, look into my eyes. Please."
He did as she asked. Her amethyst eyes were bewitching, luring him to her. "What am I looking for?"
There was a confused and hurt look in her eyes. "Nothing at all?"
He shook his head.
She took a moment to think before she spoke again. "Is he happy?"
Chevalier was unsure who she was referring to.
"Is Lucifer happy with her?" she clarified.
He and Lucifer were not exactly on good terms with each other. "I guess. As happy as any couple in love could be."
"Is that so," she whispered, lowering her head.
"Who are you?"
He saw droplets of tears falling on the back of her hands. "I don't know anymore."
†††††
Skye found Trent in the library. He could sense her presence, but did not give her any attention. She entered and stopped at the entrance. He gave a quick glance, and then returned his attention to the book in his hands. She slowly approached him.
"Trent."
He didn't reply. When her hands touched his shoulders, he moved to brush them off.
"I can't help but feel you are trying to avoid me," she began. "Have I done something wrong? Are you not happy that your mother is alive and well?"
"I am," he answered her.
She smiled and embraced him, much to his dismay. He only needed to pretend a little bit longer.
"Grant, are you home?"
His editor pushed the door open. He scanned the empty apartment and sighed, slipping his hands into his pants pockets. "You missed the appointment with your models, Grant. What is going on here?"
When there was no reply, the editor searched room by room. He found Grant sitting in on the floor of his bedroom.
"Grant?" The editor came to his side and helped him up. "My God, are you using drugs again?"
Grant brushed his editor aside and stood up. "No, I was just... what are you doing in my apartment?"
"You missed work," the editor repeated. "Gigi is very upset. You know she doesn't like to be stood up."
"Spoiled brat,"
"Spoiled brat or not, she's making money for our agency. What have you been up to the last couple of days?" The editor scanned pictures on Grant's desk. He picked up a photo that caught his eye. "Who is this girl?"
"I don't know."
"The girl is absolutely stunning! Did you digitally fix this?"
"I didn't do anything to it," Grant snatched the photo back. "That's exactly what I shot."
The editor raised both of his brows in surprise. "Where is she now? We have to get to her first, before another agency signs her."
"I don't know if I'll ever see her again," he chuckled. "And I didn't even catch her name."
"I don't mind if you come up with a name for me," her sweet voice surprised him. She stood by the door, looking in at him.
A soft smile appeared on his face. "You came back."
"I know we don't know each other that well, but I was wondering if you could do me just one more favor."
Anything.
"Favor?" Grant gave the editor a subtle gesture to dismiss him. The editor gave him a wink before he exited the room.
Kali watched as the strange man walked past her. "I need a job, Grant," she said straightforwardly.
He hadn't expected that. "A job? You came into my home uninvited, stole from me, and then left without a word. Now you came back for a job? You don't impress me as a trustworthy kind of person."
"I didn't mean to. I had to go and find out... well, it didn't matter."
"What's your name?"
Her lips moved but did not make a sound. A hint of sorrow invaded her amethyst eyes. "I do not have a name," she said plainly. "Not anymore."
Grant reached for a cigarette pack, grabbed one with his lips, and lit it with a lighter.
"It's not hard for a face like yours to find a job in modeling," he said. "The question is, why would you want to?"
"I have nowhere to go. No home to return to. I never graduated high school and I don't know how to make a living. I really need your help."
It was obvious that there was a lot more she wasn't telling him, but that would just have to do for now.
"Fey."
"Fey?"
"It's my sister's name. If you don't mind using a dead person's name, then take it."
Finally, a smile appeared on her face. "That will work."
†††††
She walked through the hall with the grace and dignity of a queen. There was a blank look in her eyes, as if she was filled with so much sadness and sorrow that she couldn't see anyone she walked past. At first glance, her beauty captured their attention. She was so alluring that they turned their heads for a second look. Her beauty was that of a seducer, an enchantress. Men and women alike were drawn to her, but they could see her apparent aloofness. She looked like she did not want to stop to chat or be bothered with lighthearted conversation.
She opened the door to the classroom after she confirmed the room number with the piece of paper on her hand. The moment she entered, the room went from loud and chatty to completely silent. The other students could not help but stare. She gave them a polite nod and then sat down at an empty table.
She could hear their whispers very clearly, as if they were speaking out loud. Her hearing, along with other senses, was a lot more sensitive than they had been before. Who is that girl, they whispered. Is she a celebrity or fashion model? What is she doing here?
She did look much more mature and developed than other girls her age. Her physical age, anyways. There was no telling how old Skye was. For demons, time had no meaning. Next to her seat was a young man who was soundly asleep. Kali pulled out a pen from her backpack and waited.
Several minutes later, the teacher arrived. Kali flinched when she saw her. Although she had aged, the facial features were still very familiar. It was her old friend Hana. If her calculations were right, Hana must be thirty-five by now. She looked a few years beyond that, though. Her soft and youthful skin had become duller. Faint wrinkles were apparent on her face, but were not too severe yet. There were dark circles underneath her eyes, indicating sleep deprivation.
It hit her hard that twenty years had passed. If she hadn't been dead the last thirteen years, she would have been thirty-five by now, too. She imagined looking in the mirror and saw herself aged twenty years. It was hard to even imagine. Hana! It was the first time she had seen Hana in twenty years!
"Welcome students," Hana began. "We're going to go over the class syllabus and policy today. Are there any volunteers to pass out the papers?"
Her voice had changed, too. A voice that was now that of a middle-aged woman. Twenty years had already passed.
At the end of class, everyone hurried to leave. Kali gathered her belongings together and prepared to leave. The young man next to her was still asleep.
"Hey," she said. "Class ended already."
He was unresponsive.
"Wake up," She put a hand on his shoulder, "It will get dark soon-"
"I don't like to be touched!" He violently shook her hand off.
"I'm sorry, I thought-"
"You..." He stared at her. He took her by the hand, "Why did you run away?"
He did look very familiar. "You're the man from the hospital?"
He suddenly wrapped his arm around her, "Oh thank God, you are safe! I tried to find you but you ran so quickly, I didn't know where to look. I couldn't have forgiven myself if something happened to you!"
Her hands pushed against his chest so he would let go. He took a step back. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I was just so happy, I lost control of myself."
"Vince?"
"You do remember me!" He smiled. "I have to take you to the hospital for another checkup, make sure everything is alright."
"No." She shook her head, "I'm fine."
"You don't know that," he replied. "The doctor said your blood test came back very strange. He couldn't make out what it was."
"Strange?" She was no longer human. "There must be some mistake, I'm perfectly healthy."
"I can see that," he nodded. "Why did you run off that day? I was so worried. Do you have a place to stay now? Did you find the person you were looking for?"
A sad expression crossed her face. "I'm staying at a friend's house. I'm sorry if I worried you." She turned her attention to the dark clouds outside the classroom window. "I think it's going to rain. You should get home soon."
"Wait!" He caught her hand as she was about to walk away. She turned back to face him. "Your name. You never told me your name."
"K-" She lowered her eyes. "Fey. I'm Fey."
†††††
Kali watched as Hana entered an old building in a rundown neighborhood. She seemed to be quarreling with the man who lived on the first floor. After their conversation, she angrily walked up the stairs. Is this where Hanna lived?
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Kali caught the attention of an old woman who was passing by. She turned to face Kali with a suspicious look on her face.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply.
"The woman who lives in that building, her name is Hana Grento." Kali pointed at the building, "Do you know if she lives alone or with her family?"
"Oh, her. She lives in that building alone, after her third husband left her," the old woman replied. "Well, sometimes her daughter comes home but ...she mostly lives alone."
"Why did her husband leave her?" Kali asked.
The old woman shook her head, "I don't know much about her family matters."
"Thank you."
†††††
Grant was looking through the pile of photos in his hands. They were from a photo shoot this morning with the three top fashion models. His expression became stiff as he went through them. In frustration, he tossed them aside. Tired, he stared out of the window from the back seat of his car.
"You don't seem too happy with your work, sir," the driver said as he glanced through his rear view mirror.
"Just not what I'm looking for," Grant replied. "Fashion is all about conforming, but I'm looking for something different. I met a girl lately and she was-"
He abandoned his sentence completely. "Stop the car!"
The driver pulled over as instructed. "Something wrong, sir?"
Grant jumped out of the car and chased after the familiar figure. He caught her hand, forcing her to turn around. "What are you doing in this part of town?" he asked.
Kali gave him a polite smile. "I was just visiting an old friend."
"I see," He let go of her hand, "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."
"No, I think I'll walk," she said. "I need some time to think."
He shook his head. "No, it's not safe for you to be here."
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself," she replied. She was a lot stronger than she used to be.
He placed an arm over her shoulders and walked her toward his car. "Don't be stubborn! I can't risk anything happening to you."
He let her get into the car first. "You remember where her house is, don't you?" he asked the driver.
"Yes, sir," the driver nodded. He turned the key to start the car and returned to the road.
"I heard you started school," Grant said.
"Yes, I wanted to finish high school. I didn't get the chance before."
"Did something happen?"
She smiled. "Love happened. I gave up everything to be with him."
"Where is he now?" he asked after a long moment of silence. He could see that she was hesitant to answer. "Was it another woman?"
She flinched and turned away. He could tell it was a sore spot.
"Was it Trent?" He thought about that day he first met her. She would have done anything to see the rock star.
"No, he's my s-" She flinched as the pain start to invade her body.
He could tell she was in pain. "Are you alright?"
He wrapped his left arm around her as she leaned toward him. "What's wrong? Where are you hurt?"
She didn't reply. Her body began to tremble. Her face was chalk white.
"The hospital," he instructed the driver, "and step on it."
"Yes, sir," the driver complied.
"No..." She pulled on the collar of his shirt, "...no hospital. Please..."
"But you-"
"...no hospital..."
He needed to make a quick decision. "Fine, fine. I'll take you home, then."
The car stopped in front of Chevalier's apartment building. Grant helped Kali out of the car. "Can you walk?" he asked.
"Yes." Her complexion looked better than it had just minutes before.
He sighed at her lie. Sweeping her off her feet as the driver quickly closed the door behind them, he followed the man to the building. The driver hurried to open the door to the apartment building.
"What apartment number?" he asked.
"304."
He carried her to the stairwell and up to third floor. In front of room 304, he rang the doorbell and waited impatiently.
"No one is home," he concluded after two minutes. "Do you have a key?"
"It's not locked," she replied.
"Why didn't you say so?" He opened the door and carried her inside to set her down on the sofa. "Where's your medication?" he asked.
"What medication?"
"For your condition. You must have medication or treatment for it."
It's not an illness, she wanted to shout. "No, I'm fine. I just need a little rest."
"I don't like your lies."
"I'm not lying."
He went into the kitchen and poured a glass of water. He came to her side again to hand it over to her.
"Thank you."
"You said you lived here with a friend?"
She nodded. "Yes, my childhood friend and his niece," she sensed Chevalier's presence. "He'll be up in a couple of minutes."
As she predicted, Chevalier walked through the door several minutes later.
"Chevalier, this is Grant, my photographer," she introduced, "Grant, this is Chevalier."
Chevalier gave him a polite handshake and then ignored his presence. "I came to pick you up at school, but they told me you already went home."
"Uh, I saw Hana at school so I followed her home. I wanted to see how she lives."
"Hana?" Chevalier blinked, "A friend of yours?"
"She was a friend of yours, too."
"She was?" Chevalier scratched his head, "I don't recall."
"Now that you're here, I'll leave," Grant said. "Take care, Fey."
"Thank you for the ride home."
"Don't be late for the photo shoot tomorrow."
Grant closed the door behind him as he left. Chevalier took off his jacket and threw it aside. He went into the kitchen and picked food from the refrigerator.
Kali watched him. He hadn't aged a day in the last twenty years. His face, his figure, right down to every strand of his hair were as they had been. She looked to her own reflection in the decorative mirror across the room. She still hadn't gotten used to seeing another face.
Kali rose and walked closer to the mirror. It was the first time she had taken a really good look at herself. Her hair was as dark as a starless night. The strands were straight, long, and soft like whispers of silk. Her eyes looked as if they were made of amethyst. She had never met anyone with such strangely color eyes. Her skin was very pale, a sign that the previous owner of this body did not like to be in sunlight. And it was flawless. Her lips were plumper, more seductive than those of her former self. Her eyes trailed down to the rest of her body.
"Fey," Chevalier's voice interrupted her thoughts.
The bigger picture was suddenly obvious as she looked to Chevalier. She realized they were now two people frozen in immortality in a changing world. It was as if they weren't part of this world anymore. While everyone around them would grow old and die, they would be the ones left behind.
But for how long?
"Didn't you hear me?" Chevalier asked.
"Yes?"
"What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"I don't feel hungry."
In fact, she hadn't been hungry in days.
"Of course you don't," Chevalier said. "But Bi doesn't know what we are, and it would be strange to her if we don't eat like normal people."
"I thought she knew," Kali murmured, "since she has been with you since she was a child."
"No, she doesn't know," Chevalier corrected her. "Maybe at one point, but she was too young to remember."
"You haven't aged, Chevalier," she pointed out. "She would have at least noticed that."
"No..." he admitted. "I haven't. Maybe I should dye some of my hair white to look a little older."
"It doesn't matter. She'll notice sooner or later. Right now, it's not that apparent, but in nine years it will be. You'll be a fifty year old man with the body of a twenty-two year old."
Chevalier blinked. "How did you know how old I am?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Well, I don't intentionally hide it from her," Chevalier sighed. "I just thought that her life would be less complicated without demons involved."
†††††
Seth had been traveling for hours in an attempt to lose his pursuer. He had been careless enough to enter the mansion without a protection spell. His presence was immediate sensed by another demon. Skye urged him to run, and he did just that. He thought he could lose whoever was following him eventually. After all, he was the fastest of his kind.
He did not know how long he had been followed. His pursuer was a persistent one who would not give up. He had tried to dematerialize and teleport to another area, but that did him no good. He felt like helpless prey trying to run from a predator. All he knew was that he could not stop running or he would be caught. He also knew that he can't keep this up forever. At that precise moment, he decided to stop running.
His pursuer materialized in front of him. His platinum hair glistened under the moonlight.
"What it is that you want from me?" Seth asked.
"I want answers."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Why were you in our mansion?" Trent asked. "You must be in on it with that woman."
"Your mother?" Seth asked in a teasing tone.
"Let's skip the gibberish and get to the point," Trent suggested, "Who are you?"
"That is none of your business."
"That's okay," Trent summoned his sword to him. "I'll make it my business."
"I was instructed not to get into this kind of situation with you," Seth replied. "It is best that you return home."
"Who instructed you?"
"I believe you know the answer," Seth said. "Who it is that benefits the most from all of this? Who is powerful or cunning enough to stage all of this?"
Trent took a moment to think. "Who is he to you?"
Seth began to laugh, "That is an interesting question. Who is he to me?"
"What does he have to gain from all of this?" Trent asked.
"The satisfaction of seeing your mother suffers? Maybe he was expecting that Lucifer would fall out of love with her and returns to hell? Oh, I don't know," Seth shrugged. "He never talks to me about his plans. Or maybe, just maybe, he might want to confirm something."
"Take me to him," Trent demanded.
"You know your way home," Seth said as he melted into the shadows and vanished.
†††††
Skye stared at the pinkish vial on her hand. Seth had been delivering this to her when his presence was detected by Trent. It was a careless mistake that could cost them everything. Skye found comfort in the fact that Seth was one of the fastest demons she knew. Then again, he was also a very careful person. It was not like him to enter the mansion without a protection spell.
"Arvin sent you what you asked for," Seth told her, "Use it wisely or not at all."
"Love potion?" Skye asked.
"There is no such thing as a love potion. You cannot control another's heart by magic of any kind. At least, that applies to true love."
"Then what is this?"
"Concentrated lust."
Love and lust were both the same to her. It doesn't matter which one she had, Lucifer would still be hers.
She hid herself under the shade of the trees in front of the school. It was such a beautiful day. She had wanted to bathe in the afternoon sun, only to discover that she was extremely sensitive to it. The warm sunlight she once enjoyed didn't feel the same. On the contrary, it felt like a burning sensation on her skin. Now she realized why Skye had avoided it.
For the five years she had lived with Lucifer, she never noticed that demons were sensitive to sunlight. He'd never shown one bit of discomfort whenever they were outside. Perhaps Skye's body was different somehow. After all, even humans had different allergies and tolerances to their surroundings.
The thought of Lucifer weighed on her mind. She missed him terribly. She could still remember the scent of his body and the feel of his skin against her own. She remembered his silky voice that whispered to her things he would never repeat to another. Most of all, she remembered being loved by him.
But had he really loved her?
Part of her was upset with him. If he loved her, he should be able to recognize her. If he loved her, he should be able to tell. Kali felt the sudden urge to cry, but refused to let the tears slide down her coral cheeks. She was so confident when she had told Arvin to his face that Lucifer will be able to recognize her. She spoke loudly of love and trust, but look where she was now. That woman was probably wrapped in Lucifer's arms at this very moment.
Oh God, the thought was hard to bear! She squeezed her eyes shut. If they took her body from her, took her family from her, what did she have left? If they took Lucifer from her, she had nothing. She felt a twist of pain in her heart.
"Fey," a distant voice became clearer. "Fey. Are you okay?"
When she opened her eyes again, Chevalier was in front of her. He took off his helmet, put it on his motorcycle, and came to her side. When she saw his face, she could no longer control the tears. She felt weak and vulnerable whenever she was around him. Deep inside, she knew he would always protect her from the world.
She wrapped her arms around his body and buried her face in his chest. Chevalier was taken by surprise, but it was reflex that placed his hand on her shoulder and another on back of her head. She began to sob.
"He's with that woman," her soft voice murmured against his chest, "He doesn't know, Chevalier, he will never know. I thought he would, I believed that he could, but - not even you could, so what can I expect from him?"
"Fey?"
She looked up at him and saw his expression. It was only sympathetic, nothing like the Chevalier she knew. No, this was not the Chevalier she had loved. She felt like one among his many women, the ones he only dated out of physical need. Sadness turned to anger. She let go of him and slapped him across the face. His head snapped to one side. He turned back in shock. He grabbed her wrist before she managed to slap him again.
Before he could say anything, his eyes caught the pained expression on her face. The tears soaked her skin. It was as if she felt the slap herself, and the tears that she now cried were for him. He had broken up with many women, but none ever came close enough to slap him. This time, he let his guard down.
Since when did he ever let his guard down?
She yanked back her hand and ran in the opposite direction. He should run after her, but his body refused to listen. All he did was stared at her back until her silhouette disappeared into the horizon.
"Chevalier," a familiar, yet strange, voice called out to him. He turned back to see who it was. Hana stood a few yard away. She had a surprised expression on her face.
"You..." She couldn't find the words anymore.
Chevalier took a moment to think. "Hana?"
Hana looked in the direction Kali had run off in. "I can see that you're still breaking hearts."
"I didn't break her heart," Chevalier replied. If anything, she would break his one day.
"And your face," Hana began to laugh. "You haven't changed one bit. They say that men age slower than women, but this is so unfair!"
"Are you the 'Hana' Fey was referring to?" Chevalier thought about it. "She told me she'd paid a friend, well, you a visit yesterday."
"Fey?" Hana blinked. "I have a student in my class named Fey, but we're hardly friends. We only met yesterday, and I didn't get a visit from anyone."
"Are you sure?" Chevalier asked. Something didn't fit. Fey told him...
He paused.
She told him it was her old friend. It was also his old friend. If Hana claimed she never met Fey before, and he had only met her recently, how did she know about his former relationship with Hana? She knew his name before he even introduced himself. She knew his favorite dishes. She also...
No, that is not possible, Chevalier told himself. Who ever heard of such a thing? He hurried back to his motorcycle and put on his helmet. Who was he kidding? Look at what he was now, and what he used to be. It was not possible. But then again, who was he to say what is not possible, now that he had seen so many impossible things?
†††††
Grant opened the door to his apartment when he heard the bell ring. Kali gave him a polite, forced smile. "I'm not late, am I?"
Grant looked to the clock on the wall. She was only an hour late. "No, come in."
"I'm sorry, I..." She didn't feel the need to explain so she stopped.
"Change into that," he pointed at some something on the sofa. "I'll be waiting."
Kali grabbed the clothing and went into the bathroom. She held the orchid purple baby doll dress up and pressed it against her body. It was a little too short for her taste. After she changed into it, she returned to the living room. Grant had already set up the background. When he saw her, he gestured for her to get on the bed he had set up. She quickly complied.
As he worked with the lighting and fixed the focus of his camera, Kali was busy trying to cover some more of her legs with the satin sheet.
"You're not comfortable with this kind of photo shoot, are you?" he asked without looking at her.
"Not exactly, no."
He grabbed a basket of violet petals and spread them on the lower half of her hair, then returned to his camera.
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked.
"We're shooting for a perfume commercial called Deepest Desire. Be desirable."
"How?"
"Just think desirable." He began to take pictures.
Kali blinked. The more she thought of the word desire, the stiffer her expression became. She thought of those women in fashion magazines looking 'desirable' with pouty lips and half closed eyes and tried to mimic it, but that only frustrated Grant further. Just when she thought he was going to yell, he started to laugh. He laughed so hard he had to sit down on the sofa.
"I'm trying my best."
"No, you're trying too hard."
"I don't know how to be desirable."
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "I usually just take pictures. I'm not really into prep talks. Most models know what to do."
"I'm not a model."
"I know that," he said. "Maybe I'm approaching this all wrong. Show me your flirty face."
"That's even harder."
"I thought most high school girls like to flirt. Quite a few came to me, actually."
"What do you usually do to get your models to make the expressions for you?"
He shook his head. "That won't work with you."
"What?"
"Nothing," he replied. "If you can't express desire, think of love."
"Love?" Her expression changed.
He nodded. "Give me love."
Her love was now with another woman. How could she express love when she no longer had it? She was in love once. Her thoughts dripped back to her memories.
†††††
Kali could still feel his touch on her skin. His lips were caressing every inch of her. She thought about the gentleness of his touch and the power of his body. It was enough to make her feel weak inside.
"Fey," another man's voice faded in. When she remembered where she was, Grant was only inches from her lips.
She pushed him back and he fell on the ground.
She felt anger climbing up her spine. "I'm not like those women! Don't treat me like I am!"
He couldn't blame her for being upset. He didn't know what he was doing, either. The look on her face, the alluring power of her eyes made him want to kiss her. No, she was right, he wanted more. He was going to treat her like all the other women in his life. He should know better than that. Her eyes were very powerful. Sometimes he got caught in those amethyst gems. It took every ounce of control to get his soul back. This time, he hadn't been able to control himself in time.
She was right to be angry, for many reasons. The first was his professional ethics, the second was the fact that she was a minor, and the third was because she was a respectable girl. He felt the guilt crawling into his guts. He needed to avoid being alone with her from now on.
†††††
Skye held the pinkish vial in her hand. She had been pondering the entire night whether she should carry out the plan. If she succeeded, Lucifer would be hers. At least he would not be so cold to her anymore. However, if it should fail, if he somehow had the ability to detect the potion, her life would be in jeopardy. There was no telling what Lucifer could and could not do.
That worried her deeply.
She felt bitter when she thought about spending another night alone. She may have Kali's body and her life, but it came at a price. She was stuck in the body of that weak human. She needed to sleep when night came, feed several times a day, and worst of all, she could not do a thing. She felt powerless and helpless. She gripped the vial in her hand tight. The price she paid was too high to give up now. Tonight, she said to herself. Tonight, Lucifer would be hers.
She opened the cap of the vial with her teeth and poured it into the blood red wine bottle. Lucifer could never resist a glass of good red wine. She put the cork back in and shook it up.
Trent stood right outside in the hallway. As Skye exited the kitchen, he melted into the shadows before she discovered him.
†††††
"Chevalier, you're home," Bi smiled. "Just in time. Dinner's ready."
Chevalier closed the door behind him. "Ah, thank you, Bi."
"I wonder when Fey will come home," Bi wondered out loud. "Should we wait for her?"
Chevalier did not reply.
"Chevalier, I've been meaning to ask."
"Yes?"
She sat down on the table facing him. "Is there something going on between you and Fey?" When he did not give a response, she realized she shouldn't have asked.
She stood in the crowd of people, but felt like she was standing there by herself. When the pedestrian light blinked, she followed the crowd of people across the street. She remembered walking hand in hand with Lucifer and how that feeling still lingered with her. No, it wasn't over yet, but it felt like she had lost.
She did as much as she could to start her life over again. She had returned to school and even got a job. Aside from the fact that she didn't look and feel like she used to, she did have parts of her life back. It was just as though Lucifer had never been in her life.
If she had never met him, she would have graduated high school and gone on to college. If she hadn't met Lucifer, most likely she would have married Chevalier and had a big family with him. If she hadn't met Lucifer, she could have continued to live a normal life. If that was what it took to forget about him, then she would do just that. It was as if he had never been there in the first place. Everything was just a nightmare. A beautiful nightmare that had lasted twenty years.
She felt someone's hand on her shoulder. When she looked back, she saw a pair of lucid blue eyes that contained the vast ocean.
"Trent..."
"I need you to come with me."
She didn't need to ask where. She trusted him wholeheartedly. With a forced smile, she nodded.
†††††
He sensed her presence in the dining room. Lucifer walked down the hallway in search of her. When she saw him, she smiled. The dining room table was well-organized and lavish with sumptuous foods. She came to his side, took his hand and walked him to the table.
"Do you like it?" she asked. "I had it prepared for you. It took me the whole evening."
"Kali, I don't eat," he reminded her.
She poured him a glass of red wine and sat on the opposite side of the table. "I know. I just wanted us to have dinner together like other married couples."
He picked up the glass of red wine and gave it a twirl before taking a sip. She watched carefully as he drank it. She let out a sigh of relief when he placed the empty glass back down on the table.
There was an awkward silence in the room. Skye could only offer a polite smile. She had never used the potion before, so she didn't know how long it would take to be effective. She never had the need to use such a potion. Men flocked to her, whether they were demon or man.
She brought her hand to her forehead and winced.
"What is wrong?" he asked.
"I have a headache," she replied. He got up from the chair and came to her side. "Please help me back to my room."
He swept her off her feet and carried her into the bedroom upstairs. He laid her down on the sofa in the sitting area. "How do you feel?"
"I feel dizzy," she replied. "I haven't been feeling well since this morning."
"Lie down a little while," He placed a hand on her forehead to feel the temperature. "Why do you have to be so fragile?"
She placed her hand over his. "Stay with me tonight?"
He hesitated for several moments. "I must find the other parts of you. I grow weary and impatient when you are not completely by my side."
"But I am complete," she assured him. "I am. There is no need to look, I am here."
His expression softened. "I am greedy, Kali. I need all of you, every bit of you."
"Is it so important?" She searched his eyes. "Am I not good enough?"
"There was not one day in the last thirteen years that I stopped searching, and I will not stop now. I will call for a doctor."
"I don't need a doctor."
"Wait here," he instructed. Before she could protest, he had already left the room.
She felt like someone was standing behind her. When she turned around to have a look, she was immediately rendered unconscious.
"Trent, what did you do to her?" Kali demanded when she looked up at him.
He picked Skye up in his arms. "She's only sleeping."
"Where are you taking her?"
"Somewhere," He didn't even know. "I couldn't let her plan succeed. This is the only thing I can do for now, Mother."
"Trent ...you know?"
He nodded. He and Skye melted into the shadows and disappeared. She sensed Lucifer's presence coming closer and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't know why she was so afraid.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. He didn't look surprised to see her.
"I was...I was taken here."
"Trent has been acting strange lately," Lucifer came to the window and glanced outside. "Where could he have taken her?"
"He won't harm her," Kali assured him.
"I know," Lucifer said as he sat down on the chair by the window. "The question now is why he brought you here."
"I need to talk to you."
"What about?"
"I need to know," She took a couple of steps closer to him. "I needed to know before I move on. I just need a couple minutes of your time..."
She looked into his eyes, "In my eyes, what do you see?"
"You have very beautiful eyes."
"No. No, look deeper," she said as she came closer. "Can you see me somewhere in them?"
Their eyes locked. She repeated what she had wanted to say in her mind a thousand times. She wanted her eyes to say what she could not. There was a tiny bit of hope that he would recognize her. Regardless of how small it may be, it was still hope.
When his lips touched hers, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Could it be that he recognized her? It must be! It had to be!
His soft and warm lips were as she remembered. She could taste the salty tears that trailed down to her lips. The kiss became fierce and aggressive. When they broke the kiss, she was breathless. He was looking at her with his intense eyes. He was searching her until he could no longer stand not kissing her. She kissed him back with matching passion.
She missed his touch, his scent, and the feel of his silky hair between her fingers. She realized now how much she had taken this for granted before. He picked her up over his shoulder and placed her down on the bed. He climbed on top of her. His hand turned her face to one side so that he could kiss her neck. His approach was completely different than usual. At least, he was much gentler than in her memories.
†††††
Chevalier couldn't get his mind off Fey. He had his suspicions, but there were no solid proof. If Fey was Kali, then who was the Kali beside Lucifer? That didn't make any sense. Was it possible that someone had switched their souls?
He didn't know what to think.
He needed to feel. He closed his eyes to remember Kali. He saw her smiling at him and a smile appeared on his face. When he saw her cry, his heart felt sore, as if someone was setting a fire beneath it. When she was sad or upset, even if he was with friends, he couldn't feel joy. Yes, that was his Kali.
He had been so blind.
†††††
They lay in the bed together, but neither said a word. Kali had a tight grip on the sheet covering her. He didn't need to say a thing, she could feel it. He had never treated her like this before. The Lucifer she knew would never have treated her as he did. She felt hurt, but more disappointed than anything else. When he kissed her, she thought that he had recognized her, but she was fooling herself.
"Leave this place," he finally said. His tone was cold and indifferent.
"Why?" her little voice asked.
"This is-"
"Why? Why did you have to give me hope?" her voice was breaking as she tried to control the tears. "Why did...why did I have so much faith in you?"
She took in a deep breath and got up from the bed. "I will leave as you requested. I promise you, you'll never see me again."
"Your actions puzzle me."
"There is a lot you don't understand, Lucifer!" she snapped at him, her eyes glow fiercely. "It doesn't matter how long you have lived or how much knowledge you possess, you are a fool if you cannot see what is in front of you!"
She shook the thought from her head. She had not meant to say that. Or rather, she would have never had the courage to say that.
Lucifer caught her wrist. "You have no control over your instinct. That is very dangerous."
She snatched her wrist back. "That's no longer your concern! You said that when demons fall into deep despair, their instincts feed on their souls until there is nothing left of them. So what if that is the case? What does it matter to you?"
"You are right," he admitted. "It is not my concern."
She grabbed what clothes she could quickly find and dressed. Without another word, she left.
Trent watched her rush out of the room.
"What were you trying to do?" Lucifer asked. He didn't need to see Trent to know he was there. Trent only gave him a quick glance then followed Kali as she left the building.
†††††
She stood by the stop sign, waiting for the light to permit her to cross. There were two middle-aged women standing behind her. Their eyes were judging her because of the way she looked. She couldn't blame them. She was nowhere near decently dressed. She could hear them whispering very clearly to each other. She felt like a whore who had just gotten laid, paid, and kicked out. Their remarks were just feathers landing on the ton of weight on her mind.
She felt a jacket being placed around her shoulders and looked back. When she saw him, she wiped the tears away with her palm. The two women were speechless as they gazed at Trent.
"This isn't how I imaged our reunion," she said in broken words. "You've grown."
"I need to ask for your permission before telling him," he said. "I need to know what you want me to do."
"What will happen after you tell him?" she asked in a bitter tone. She didn't mean for it to sound so harsh. "If he can't tell who I am right now, in this body, then what difference does it make? His heart was never with me! If he is content with that woman, what difference does it make if he knows?"
He wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer. "I'm sorry I brought you here. I didn't have a better option when time was running out."
†††††
When she turned on the light to the apartment, she discovered Chevalier sitting on the sofa. He appeared to be deep in thought. He stared at her for a long moment before he spoke.
"You didn't come home last night," he said. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes," she replied sadly. "Everything is fine."
She didn't look fine. "Go take a shower and go to sleep. I'll have Bi whip up something for you when you wake up."
"Thank you," she mumbled as she headed toward her bedroom.
"And Kali, do you need to go to work today?"
"No, today I -" Her eyes widened.
"You answered when I called you Kali." He didn't know what else to say next, and neither did she.
"How did you..." It was supposed to be a joyful thing that he recognized her. At this point it was a cruel joke. She laughed amidst her tears. She laughed bitterly until all she could do was cry.
"What happened?" He came to her and held her by her arms. "Tell me what happened."
"I-I don't even know. One minute I was at the park with you and Trent, and the next I was in the Castle in Hell. I looked into the mirror and saw another woman's reflection. He kept me prisoner until he decided to let me go. This cur-"
She yelled out in pain.
"Kali? Kali, what's wrong?" He could see the pain apparent on her face.
"I can't tell anyone...Lucifer, he..." She lowered her eyes at the mention of him, "That woman, she..."
He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. "Shhh...it's okay. You don't need to tell me, I can guess."
He ran his fingers through her hair. "Hush. Don't be such a crybaby."
There was a tight squeeze on his heart that suffocated him. He knew it was her.
Lucifer poured the rest of the bottle of wine down the sink. At the thought of her, the empty bottle shattered in his hand. The potion was strong, but not strong enough to take over his mind completely. It was the spell that made him impulsively kissed her, but it shouldn't have done more. The taste of the tears on her lips made him pine for more. He brought his hand to his lips and touched them with the tip of his fingers. He remembered how she tasted.
"The wine. Was it you?" Lucifer asked when Trent entered the kitchen.
"If it were me, Father," Trent locked eyes with him, "what is the purpose to me bringing that female demon here?"
"It couldn't have been you," Lucifer concluded. "But you did dilute it."
"Guilty."
"Is there something you are not telling me?"
"Some things don't need to be told. You just need to feel it."
†††††
Grant entered the apartment when no one answered his knock. He headed straight for Kali's room, knowing where it was. He pushed the door back a little to peek inside and make sure she was not changing. He was surprised to found her sitting on the floor. He opened the door all the way and entered the room. She didn't seem to notice his presence. There was a hollow look in her eyes.
"Fey," He shook her gently to get her attention. "Fey, are you alright?" He shook her harder when she was unresponsive. "Fey, what's wrong? Can't you hear me?"
She slowly looked up at him. There was a dim glow in her eyes. With her little hands, she pushed him onto the ground.
His eyes widened with surprise. She was on top of him. The nails on her fingers grew very sharp very quickly. She held her hand overhead, positioning it to strike. He pushed her back before she could and she fell to the ground.
"Fey?" he called out to her.
He gulped when she looked up at him. There was a bloodthirsty smirk on her face. She launched herself at him so fast that he didn't have the chance to dodge. Her razor sharp nails slashed across his chest. He looked down at the deep cuts and instantly realized that she would not hesitate to take his life. When she jumped at him again, he was able to catch her wrists. They struggled until they both tumbled onto the ground.
"Fey, it's me!" he said through gritted teeth. He knew he couldn't hold her down for long. Her strength was imposing even to a man his size. "Fey!"
The glow in her eyes began to fade. She gasped, confused as to what was happening. When he saw that she had calmed down, he let go of her and leaned against the wall for support. She scanned her surrounding and then her eyes fixated on him. His chest was covered in blood. She looked down when she felt warm liquid on her hands. They were stained in blood. His blood.
"No..." She shook her head in disbelief. "It wasn't me." She panicked and rushed out of the room. "It wasn't me!"
"Fey..."
He got up with whatever strength he had left and chased after her. When he caught up to her in the hallway, he grabbed her so she would not escape. "It's alright, Fey," he said quickly. "It's alright. I know it wasn't your fault."
She raised her hands up to eye level. "It was me! I did-"
"No!" he cut her off. "No, it wasn't you! It's something inside of you. You need help, Fey. I will help you, but you need to tell me what's wrong so I can help you."
"I'm a monster!"
"Listen to me!" He grunted from the overwhelming pain on his chest, "Listen, you need to tell me what's wrong."
He waited several minutes for her to come back to her senses. He knew she was scared to death.
"Come back inside."
She swung his arm over her shoulders and helped him walk back into the apartment. She walked him to the sofa and then ran into the bathroom. He heard objects falling to the floor before she returned with bandages and some other items in her hands. He was struggling to take off his shirt, so she helped him.
She winced when she saw how deep the cuts were. They were exposing his flesh. She ran into the bathroom again and came out with a bucket of water. She dipped a large ball of cotton into the water and then wiped the blood from his wounds. He grabbed tight to the fabric of the sofa to reduce the pain. She clumsily applied a fine powder into the cuts.
"This will stop the bleeding," she told him as she opened the new package of bandages. He helped her hold on to one end while she wrapped it around his body several times.
"I'll call for an ambulance."
"I'm fine," he insisted. She knew it was a lie.
"I'm so sorry, Grant."
"What the hell was that all about?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Tell me," he said. "I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."
"I did this to you and you still want to help me?"
"It wasn't you," he assured her. "You are far too gentle to do something like this. I've heard of many cases of demonic possession."
"Please stay away from me," she requested. "I don't know if I could control myself the next time it happens. I don't want to hurt you."
He laughed. "You're asking me to stay away from you? What about the people you live with? It's okay for them to be around you?"
She lowered her eyes.
"What are you?" The question finally came.
"I wasn't born like this," she shook her head. "I have parents. I was made of flesh and blood. I was human."
He caught her hand. "Was?"
"I was normal like any other girl. I would have lived a normal life and grown old. If it weren't for him, everything would have been...very different."
"Him?"
"I fell in love with a man I shouldn't have loved. I knew that by being with him, I would have to live with pain and heartache. I knew that from the beginning. The moment he fed me his blood, I knew I could no longer escape him. We are now bound to each other. Even if he leaves me, even if he refused me, I would always belong to him. That is my destiny."
Grant didn't seem to understand what she was saying.
"You see, I fell in love with the mighty Lucifer," she smiled, "I am-"
Chevalier covered her mouth from behind. He hadn't been home long, but he could tell what was going on. He saw how the pain came over her when she wanted to reveal her identity.
She pulled his hand down. "I am Ka-" she gasped.
"No Kali, don't!" Chevalier pleaded.
"I am Kal-!" She let out an anguish scream and dropped down to the floor.
Chevalier placed a hand over her mouth again. "Oh God, Kali. Please stop this!"
"What's going on?" Grant was frustrated.
"Kali, no! Don't do this to yourself! Don't do this to me!" Chevalier begged. "Don't try to kill yourself!"
She used all of her strength to pull his hand from her mouth. "I am Ka -" The scream in her voice became excruciating to hear.
Chevalier wrestled with her, placing his hand back to her mouth and refusing to let go. "For the love of God, stop this!"
†††††
Lucifer fell to his knees. The sudden pain raged through his body. His heart felt an intense crushing, and his hand grabbed tight to his chest. It was a throbbing and tormented pain, unlike any he had ever felt before.
"Kali!" he yelled out. Something must have happened to her. "Kali!"
"Lord Lucifer!" Adria appeared. "What is wrong? Where are you hurt?"
"Kali!" he gasped. "Where is Kali?"
"She's upstairs," Adria helped him get up. "She's safe," she assured him.
"This pain..." he grunted. "Where is it coming from?"
†††††
Chevalier stirred his coffee before he drank it. It had been a long struggle before he managed to put her to rest. He had taken the liberty to tie and gag her so that she wouldn't try that stunt again. It wasn't necessary, he knew that, but at least now he could leave her alone with some peace of mind. He returned to the room to check on her one last time before he headed to his own bed.
She lay quietly on her side. Even though she knew he was standing at the door, she did not turn to face him. Besides the overwhelming despair, she felt guilty having to do that in front of him. She knew how important she was to him, yet she still made him witness it. It was cruel of her. It was very cruel.
Chevalier grabbed the end of the blanket and pulled it over her body. He released her mouth so she could breathe easier.
"That man...Grant..."
"Don't hurt him."
"Are you sure?"
"I know you want to protect me, Chevalier, but I've done enough to him. I feel guilty enough already. Besides, I can't imagine you doing something like that."
"I will do what must be done if the situation calls for it." He tucked the sheet neatly under her chin before he headed out. "Alright, try to sleep."
Grant leaned back with his hands in his pants' pockets. There was a satisfied look on his face when he looked up at the lavender poster above the city center. Kali stepped up to stand next to him. He didn't start running and screaming, which was a good sign. She tried to accommodate his need for silence. After some time had gone by, Kali felt the need to say something, but he beat her to it.
"It was more than I had hoped," He was referring to the photograph he took of her. "The intensity of your eyes was captured perfectly. You are extraordinarily beautiful, Fey."
"She is beautiful," Kali agreed.
Grant found it strange that Fey addressed herself in third person. "They will fall in love with you. Soon you'll be so busy I won't be able to see you," he said, and laughed lightheartedly. He saw passerby turning to stare at them. Their eyes were switching back and forth between Fey the person and Fey the poster.
"Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
"Ask you about what?" Grant said without looking at her.
"Who I am, what I am."
"Why do I need to ask those questions? You are you."
"Aren't you even a little bit curious?"
He chuckled. "Of course I'm curious, but who or what you are doesn't change anything about my view of you. Besides, we don't want another episode of what happened last night."
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
He turned to her. "If I were, don't you think I would have run for the door the moment you walk into the studio this morning?"
She smiled. "How is your injury?"
"It's nothing to worry about," he replied. When she only responded with another smile, he added. "I know some really good priests who can help."
"I'm not possessed, Grant."
She looked even sadder than she had this morning, and she clearly didn't want his help. Grant pulled his hand from his pocket and waved over the driver parked across the street. At the signal, the driver cautiously reversed out of the parallel spot and drove off. He returned several minutes later to where the two were standing. He was about to unbuckle his seatbelt when Grant opened the back door and invited her in. The driver stayed in his seat until the passengers secured their seat belts.
"We need to be at the studio," Grant said to the driver.
"Yes, sir," the driver replied.
"Why are we going to the studio?" Kali asked. "I thought we're done now that you got the photos you wanted."
"I'm a greedy man, Fey," he smirked. He reached into his front pocket and pulled out a white letter. He handed it to her.
"It's your paycheck," he clarified when she stared at it. She accepted the envelope and curiously looked inside. It was more than she had expected.
"It's too much," she said simply.
"Are you complaining?"
"This can't be right," she looked at him with confusion in her eyes. "You're paying me this much just to put on some clothes and look at your camera? This is more than three months of honest work."
He leaned back and searched for a drink in the small built-in refrigerator. He offered her a bottle of lemonade, but she declined. "That should be more than enough to cover your rent and buy pretty clothes, or whatever."
"Sadly, what I want can't be bought."
"And what is that?" he asked curiously.
"I want my family back. I want to be a wife and mother again."
He nearly choked on his water. Honestly, the girl could not pass for a day over eighteen. Married was one thing, but motherhood was a little too far-fetched. He took a moment to analyze her again. She was truly a beauty. That was probably the first thing that jumped into his head when he first saw her in that hospital gown. That drab thing couldn't conceal her exquisite features. He couldn't blame any guy for wanting to marry her before she was snatched up by another.
"You were married young?"
"A day before I turned sixteen. I guessed it can't really be called a marriage, though, if you need a paper and a wedding for proof."
"He never officially married you?"
She shook her head. "We did live like husband and wife."
"Was it consensual?" he asked.
"I..." She looked down to her fingers. "I was beguiled, but I did come to love him. I probably shouldn't have."
"You have a baby?""I have a son," she corrected him.
"Where is he now?"
She lowered her eyes. "He's with his father. He's grown so much I couldn't even believe my eyes. He has his father now. I doubt he even needs me, anymore."
"Living with a man and having a child with him doesn't constitute a marriage. If this story leaks out, it'll be a scandal at best. You are young, you are charming, and you are breathtakingly beautiful. There aren't any reasons, even a child, that would prevent a man from trading an arm and a leg for you."
A little smile appeared on her face. At least she liked his sense of humor. He suddenly felt guilty for looking at her through pitying eyes. She probably saw it too, and turned toward the window. He had always wondered why her violet eyes carried so much sorrow and now he understood a bit. Her beauty may have been more of a curse than a blessing. She was taken from her childhood far too early and fell in love too soon. She became a mother too early, and was betrayed too soon.
He felt a little angry that any man would be out of his mind enough to turn his back on her. The girl may be a little emo, but she had a goddamn good reason to be. She was probably a very cheerful girl before all of this. He shook his head. No, he couldn't imagine her to be the cheerful type. Her beauty was dark and mysterious, like the full moon on a cloudless night.
He had repetitively emphasized her beauty without meaning to. She was more than just her looks. He had been with many beautiful women, some of whom couldn't even do multiplication. Fey was different. She had depth, intelligence, and admirable virtue. If he had tried to get her into his bed like he did with other women, he would have lost an eye or two. He found it charming and alarmingly bewitching.
He watched her leave the limousine and realized they had already reached their destination. He got out and led her into the studio. Whenever he had the chance to open the door for her, like any gentlemen would do, he caught the sight of her back side. He noticed she had a frail yet dignified walk. Her steps were not as confident and energetic as other models he had known, but they were resilient and supple as if she wanted to preserve an injured pride. Grant shook his head again. He was thinking way too much about it.
He pulled out a chair for her at the makeup table.
"I'll be right back," he said with a gentle tap on her shoulders. "I forgot the equipment in the limousine."
"What do I wear, Grant?" She raised her hands lightly above her waist to emphasize her lack of understanding of his taste.
"I don't know yet, we'll decide that when I get back," he answered her and walked toward the flight of stairs.
She sat there alone, watching the staff setting up the scenery. From what she could tell from the midnight backdrop and the gothic furniture, it was going to be something paranormal. She was distracted from the scenery by the laughter of the models who had just emerged from the dressing room. They were wearing white, but noticeably aged, wedding gowns. Their dangling ruby jewelry was heavy, and their make-up overly elaborates. As a whole, they looked convincing enough and with digital editing, they would look real, so to speak.
"So you're the one who's been hogging Grant all to yourself," one of the models said with barely-masked hostility.
Kali didn't know who the model was talking to until the girl was standing several feet away from her.
"I guess you are kind of pretty," she admitted uncomfortably. "Grant must have spent a ton hiring a makeup artist for you."
Kali didn't know why a hand flew to her face to inspect her skin. She didn't know if she should consider that a compliment or an insult. "You're very pretty, too. Are you Grant's models?"
"We're more than just his models, but he won't admit that these days," the tallest of the four models said. "You may be his favorite now, but in three months he won't even remember your face."
There was something odd about this conversation that made her laugh. She laughed so hard that there were tears in the corner of her eyes. Why must everything remind her of Lucifer? Was forgetting about him that impossible? She could see the confused expressions on the models' faces as they reacted to her sudden outburst. When her laughter died down, the tears that had accumulated earlier slid down her cheeks.
"Did you girls make her cry?" a husky voice from behind them said. They turned around and gasped at the sight of him.
"She wasn't crying, she was just laughed too hard!" the blond clarified, but that didn't sound convincing enough to him.
He walked passed them and held her by the shoulders. "Are you alright?"She wiped off the tears with her sleeve and looked up at him. "What are you doing here, Trent?"
"I have a photo-shoot with them today," he gestured at the four women behind him. "Are you sure you're alright? I could take you home."
He turned toward the models. "Please excuse us," Trent said politely and led Kali away before they had the chance to protest.
They entered a dressing room and he closed the door behind them.
"I could take you home," he offered. "It would only take a minute, Mother."
"I really am fine," she smiled. "It's not your turn to worry about me, yet."
"It's hardly a choice."
Her smile faded. "I don't know if I should hug you, or pet you, or what."
He understood what she meant. "Am I really that different, Mother? I may not be five years old anymore, but I am still your son. It doesn't matter if I've grown to six feet tall or sixty feet tall, you are still my Mother, and I've missed you."
She wrapped her arms around him to hide her tears. She had been able to pick him up only a couple months ago, in her memories. Now he stood as tall as his father. "Do you hate me for not being there for you?" she asked. "What am I saying? You don't need me for anything."
He held her tighter in his arms. "I may not need a cook or a nurse, but I need a Mother. I've never forgotten the lessons you taught me."
"Does your brother know?" she was hesitant to ask.
"You're holding us both right now."
She looked up at the blue eyes that so resembled Lucifer's and smiled amidst her tears of joy.
She turned to the sound of the opening door and saw Grant. He took a moment to evaluate the situation and came up with a plausible explanation. The girls standing behind him were dumbstruck at first, but they quickly scattered. Grant approached and naturally separated the couple.
"Is he the one you were talking about?" Grant asked Kali. There was a strange sense of protectiveness coming from him.
She looked up at Trent and saw his still expression. "No, he's family."
Trent heard his name being called by his photographer from outside the dressing room. He bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered something into her ear. She lightly nodded, smiled, and watched him leave the room.
"Are you that taken with him?" Grant asked.
"Excuse me?"
"I knew you were his fan, but I didn't expect you to jump into his arms every chance you get. I don't blame Trent for taking the bait, either."
"Don't insult us!" she warned, clearly offended by his accusations. "He's my family and is the only thing that truly belongs to me! Even if we were what you think, it's still doesn't justify your comments!"
He didn't know what made him say what he did. He knew her character better than that. No, he lied. He did know what made him said those things. His eyes might as well turn green. "Everyone's is watching you now, so you have to be careful not to create scandals. Being alone in a room in the arms of the most popular vocalist will do just that."
It sounded like a legitimate reason.
"And it is perfectly acceptable for a female model to be alone in a room or an apartment of a photographer?" she questioned the double standard.
"As far as I know, it's work. I haven't made any advances toward you yet, have I?"
She was going to reply, but decided not to. It would turn the conversation in a new direction and she may not like it. He would definitely be alarmed if he knew she could read thoughts. Not his specifically, and not intentionally, either.
She never figured out how this mind reading ability worked and wouldn't dream of being able to control it. She picked up random thoughts now and then, and only from some people. It was distracting, but it had not reached a stage where it completely drove her mad. She could not read the minds of Lucifer or any of his kind. Not even Chevalier's. Even if she could, she didn't know if she wanted to. She had decided to neglect the ability.
"Here, change into this," Grant instructed as he handed her a mauve satin gown from the rack. The open neck line was lined in tiny crystal beads and was cut quite low. Kali pressed the dress against her body to see where her breasts would go and looked up in protest.
"Half of my breasts will be showing!" she pointed out and shook her head. "I want another one."
"Hurry up and change," Grant did not bother with her request. "I only have about half an hour left before I need to show up at another appointment."
He paused when he reached the door. "By the way, you should start packing when the shoot's over. We'll be leaving for a photo-shoot on a secluded island in two days."
Two days? "Secluded island?"
"My family owns an island off the coast. It has beautiful tropical scenery. I'd like to take you there."
"Chevalier!" Bi's excited voice called out to him.
Chevalier pressed a finger against his lips to quiet her down. "Ka...Fey is trying to sleep, Bi."
"Oh," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be quieter next time I come home."
"What have you got there?" Chevalier looked at the box she held in her hands.
She walked toward him to show him the interior of the box. "It's a rabbit. I found it on the side of the street as I was walking home. It was going to rain, so I thought I brought it home for the night."
Chevalier reached his hand into the box to pet the rabbit. He quickly jerked away. It had bit him!
"Oh no!" Bi grabbed Chevalier's hand when she saw blood. "Let me get some bandages."
He pulled his hand back and hid it behind him. "No need."
"You're bleeding, let me see it!" She grabbed his arm and slide down to his hand. There wasn't a scratch on it. "Odd, I could have sworn I saw you bleed. Anyways, I wanted to show Fey."
Bi placed the box on the table and headed toward the kitchen, "But she's already sleeping. Maybe she'll like it enough to keep it."
"No, don't show her," Chevalier sighed. "She would be tempted to keep it and we have no room for a rabbit in our apartment."
"I suppose you're right," Bi agreed. "I'll put it back tomorrow."
"On second thought," Chevalier said, "I'll bring it to a friend of mine."
†††††
Skye frowned when she saw Chevalier approaching the mansion from the glass window. She felt like she had wasted her energy trying to convince the fool. Why had he come this time? She wondered. With a forced smile, she went to the lobby to greet him.
"Chevalier!" She ran toward him. "Where have you been the last couple of days? I've been so bored without you."
Chevalier smiled. "I'm just dropping by to bring you a present," he said as he placed the box and tipped it over. A small white bunny hopped out.
Skye stared at it for several moments, trying to decide what to do with it. She looked at Chevalier's face and realized that he expected her to pick it up. She caught the creature and picked it up by its stomach. It began to panic and tried to escape. When its sharp claws scratched her wrist, she threw the wretched creature against the wall.
"You didn't need to throw it so hard, Kali," Chevalier chuckled.
"I-I...I was only surprised," she forced another smile. "I'll take good care of it, Chevalier."
"Eh, I'm late for work," Chevalier placed his helmet back on his head. "I'll drop by some other time," he said as he headed out of the door. He smiled mischievously before he left.
Skye closed the door behind him. Looking at the scratch on her wrist, she felt angry. She picked up the frightened bunny by the neck and applied pressure until she heard a sharp snap.
†††††
The crystal clear waves bashed against the boulders on the shore. Kali could smell the clean ocean breeze passing by. She flinched when the clouds overhead suddenly blew away and the bright sun felt harsh against her skin.
"It's over there." Grant pointed at the small cottage not too far from shore. She didn't look where he pointed. She was too preoccupied trying to open up her umbrella. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." She managed to open it and place it over her head.
"An umbrella?" On a perfectly beautiful day?
"I'm very sensitive to the sun," she gave him an awkward smile, knowing how odd it must have looked.
Kali unpacked her clothes in her room. Grant's room was next door. She poked her head out of the window to take in the breathtaking scenery. She wished she could put on her bathing suit and go for a swim, but the bright sun was causing her so much discomfort.
After she had gotten all of her belongings organized, she went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She was a little worried when there were no food in the refrigerator, but Grant showed her the walk-in freezer where he stored all of the food. There were also some canned foods in the pantry that would last them at least a month.
After dinner, Kali put on her bathing suit and headed to the sandy beach. It was within walking distance of the cottage. Odd, how she could see things very clearly in the dark. It was like looking at the world through a pair of sunglasses. The wet sand felt cold beneath her toes. She could feel the chilly waves running past her ankles. She didn't jump like she thought she would. Although she could feel how cold the water was, it didn't seem to shock her body. She slowly walked into the ocean until the water reached her waist.
She saw the world differently, heard it differently, and most of all, felt it differently. Everything seems clearer, more vibrant than ever. When she closed her eyes, she could have sworn she heard the heartbeat of the ocean. She felt connected with the earth.
†††††
Lucifer watched from a close distance. His presence was undetected by Skye, who was busy digging a hole in the garden. She seemed troubled and frustrated. When she had dug a hole she deemed deep enough, she grabbed the dead rabbit by the ears and dropped it in. Content with how it fit, she began to cover it up with the dirt she had removed earlier.
Skye hid the shovel behind a bush and ran back into the house. She couldn't wait to wash the dirt off in the shower. Damn that Chevalier for bringing that wretched creature into her home.
"Where are you going, Kali?" Lucifer asked when she headed up the stairs. Skye was surprised Lucifer was actually home. Most of the time, she was by herself.
"To take a shower, my Lord-" she paused, "my love."
"Would you mind if I join you?"
She couldn't believe her ears. He'd always been so cold and distant. "Yes," she replied with a seductive smile. "Yes, Lucifer, join me."
He climbed up the stairs to meet her.
"Have you finally decided to make up with me?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Maybe I have been wrong the whole time," he said to her. "You are my wife, aren't you?"
"Yes," she nodded. "Yes, I am."
She inched closer to kiss him.
"Tell me, Kali," His finger traced the outline of her lips. "Why aren't you wearing the necklace I gave you?"
"The necklace? I...I must have misplaced it," she stammered. She didn't know anything about the object he was referring to. If it was jewelry, it must be in one of the drawers in the bedroom.
"Have you now," he murmured as his hand slid down to her throat. "Would you look for it? I love to see you wear it. It compliments your skin tone."
She kissed him again. "I will look for it after our shower. I will wear it for you."
He tightened his grip on her neck.
"Lucifer?" her voice was shaky. Fear rushed to her head when she saw the storm of anger in his eyes. "Lucifer, y-you're hurting me!"
"Who are you?" The tone of his voice was grave. "Why have you come to deceive me?"
"I-I..." Could it be that he have found out? Skye gulped when she sensed his intention to kill. "I'm Kali! Lucifer, your wife! Let me go this instant!"
She could tell that he wasn't convinced. Would he really kill her? After all, she was in his wife's body. He couldn't possibly...could he?
"Seth!" she screamed out. "Seth! Help me! Help me!"
Seth materialized by her side and teleported her away from Lucifer's grasp. Lucifer clenched his hands into fists. It was the first time he had been deceived like this. A dark storm quickly brewed over perfectly clear sky outside the window.
"Adria!" he called out to her.
She materialized as soon as she was summoned.
"Follow them," he ordered. "Bring that woman to me. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter. I need that body."
With a quick bow, she melted into the shadows.
As he walked down the hallway, the glass windows shattered one by one. He was furious. No, he was beyond furious. The reason he hadn't felt like she had returned to him was because she never had. To try and convince him otherwise was beyond contempt. Unforgivable! If he found out whoever was behind this, he would rip them to shreds.
Something heavy atop of him woke him from his dreams. Grant opened his eyes to find a pair of glowing amethyst eyes staring right into his very soul. Her beautiful long hair was waving against his cheeks.
"Fey, what are you-" She launched a kiss at his lips.
It was impossible not to kiss her back. After all, he had imagined it ever since he saw her soft coral lips. She tasted so sweet. It was everything he thought it would be. He reached for her arms to draw her closer to him. Her skin felt as smooth as it looked. If he could have her...if she could be his...
He knew he was going to regret what he was about to do. Still, he abruptly broke the kiss. When she wanted another, he pushed her back until they both sat up straight.
"No," he said as he held onto her tiny wrists. "Fey, it's happening again."
She looked confused. "Don't you want me?" she asked. "I can tell you want me."
Grant groaned with frustration. "Look, Fey, you're not yourself right now. It would be wrong of me to take advantage of you."
Her eyes glowed brightly, angered by his rejection. He winced when it looked like she was going to strike him. When he opened his eyes again, she lay unconscious on the floor.
†††††
"Oh God, no!" Chevalier said after he opened the door to his apartment. Lucifer stood amongst the torn up furniture and shattered glass. Other smaller items scattered all over the floor. "I just-damn it, Lucifer! I just cleaned up this morning! Do you have to bring a hurricane with you everywhere you go?"
"I have a feeling you have something to do with this."
"What?"
"You dropped that rodent at my place on purpose. Surely, you knew."
Chevalier realized what Lucifer was referring to.
"About time," Chevalier rolled his eyes, "and it was not a rodent."
"And there is more you're still not telling me," Lucifer accused.
"I'm not required to tell you anything." Chevalier began to pick the papers on the ground. "Looks like a typhoon just hit this place."
Her scent still lingered in the air.
"That demon..." Lucifer recalled. It was a suspicious detail. "Why are you and Trent protecting her?"
"She's hot?" Chevalier knew he was testing Lucifer's patience. He turned his face to the side so Lucifer wouldn't be able to see him trying to hold back a laugh.
"Where is she?"
"Last time I checked, she ran away with her photographer. He's in his early thirties, handsome, and single." That last piece of information was completely irrelevant.
"I will clear this up once and for all."
"Aren't you curious?" Chevalier asked.
"About?"
"Even if she is who you think she is...hypothetically speaking...how do you know she didn't have a change of heart, too?"
"Complete nonsense," Lucifer dismissed the question.
"I don't believe you are not one bit curious if there is anything between them."
He could tell Lucifer was on the verge of punching him. "An island, near the coast. If you go now, you might be able to catch up to them."
And quick enough, Lucifer was gone.
"Naughty me, I shouldn't have teased him like that," Chevalier told himself. "But on the other hand, after everything Lucifer has put me and Kali through, he deserves to suffer a little."Looking back at his trashed apartment, Chevalier realized it was going to be a long night.
†††††
She didn't know why Grant had been stealing glances at her the entire morning. There was a curious look on his face, like he wanted to ask something but didn't know if he should. Kali quickly dried the rest of the dishes and placed them in the cupboard when she heard the coffee pot whistle.
"How do you like your coffee, Grant?" she picked up the pot and poured the contents into the coffee cup.
"Black, thank you."
"That's odd," she brought the cup of coffee to him. "That's how Chevalier likes his coffee, too."
"How long have you known Chevalier?"
"How long?" Kali did some calculations in her head. "All my life, I guess. I don't recall a year without him."
"How long is 'all your life'?"
"I might be older than you."
He laughed heartily. "I'm at least ten years older than you are."
Yes, it was hard to believe. She wasn't going to convince him. Chronologically, she was already thirty-five years old, even though she only remembered living twenty-two years of it.
"Are you sure this island is inactive?"
"What do you mean?"
"I felt movements in the earth. Can't you feel it, too?"
Grant shook his head, "No, there's no volcano on this island."
"Oh." That was odd. She could have sworn she felt subtle disturbances in the ground. "I must have imagined it then. Do you have any plans for today?"
"I thought I could take a few pictures of you in swimwear, but that was before I knew you were sensitive to the sun."
She looked outside the window and hesitated for a long moment. She looked back at Grant and then lowered her eyes to look at his chest. She had been feeling guilty for causing him so much pain.
Kali sensed Lucifer's presence and hostile intensions suddenly growing near.
She had promised him that he would never see her face again. He was eager to get rid of her, so why was he looking for her? Her body was shaking with fear. She was terrified of him, but she didn't know why. This energy from him was dark and ominous.
Kali flinched when she felt a tap on her shoulder and dropped the cup of coffee onto the carpet.
"Did I startle you?" Grant asked as he picked the cup up from the ground.
"We need to get out of here. Please, we need to get away from here," Kali pleaded. She quickly looked out of the window and then tugged Grant by the sleeve. "There isn't much time."
"Get out of here?" Grant looked confused. "Why? It's perfectly safe here."
"No, it's not safe," Kali promised him. "He's coming."
"Who?" Grant followed Kali outside and quickened his pace to keep up with her. "Who's coming?"
"There's no time to explain," Kali quickly ran toward the parked helicopter. "I don't know what his intensions are, but he's angry. If we don't leave now, he'll catch up to us."
Grant caught Kali by the wrist to stop her from running. "Is this man you're talking about who I think he is?"
"There's no time!" she warned. "We need to leave now!"
"Why are you so afraid of him? What did he do to you?" Grant gave her a suspicious look. When she refused to answer, he pressed on. "We're on a secluded island. There is no way he can reach here. He won't be able to hurt you here."
"You don't understand. There isn't a place on this Earth he can't reach. He's close by!"
"How...how do you know this?"
"I...I can feel him. I can sense him," Kali stared toward the northern sky. "Each second we waste, he's getting closer."
"Even if he is coming, I want to face this man," Grant refused to budge.
"You may not have a choice," Kali said in a worried tone. "He's already here."
Grant scanned their surroundings and was taken aback when he saw Lucifer materialize several meters away. Kali instinctively hid behind Grant's body.
"Trent?"
Kali shook her head. "He's not Trent..."
"What are you?" Grant inquired, keeping calm. His heart was pounding in frenzy.
"What kind of protection do you think he can provide you by standing behind him?" Lucifer asked the girl, ignoring the human completely.
Kali winced when she felt Lucifer's fierce eyes on her.
"Since when are you afraid of me?" Lucifer moved closer to them. Grant stepped in front of Kali, making a clear line of defense. Lucifer made a gesture with his hand and sent Grant flying onto the sand. "Who will protect you now?"
"Leave him out of this."
"I am not interested in him. Without a doubt, you would shed tears for this unworthy man if I did kill him," Lucifer said as he blocked Grant's assault. This time, Lucifer kept Grant suspended in the air. "However, I will make use of him if you are uncooperative."
"Let me go!" Grant shouted.
"I didn't know blackmail was your specialty."
"It is not," Lucifer assured her.
"What do you want from me, Lucifer? Why are you here?" Kali lowered her eyes. "You couldn't wait to get rid of me."
"Right now you sound like you want to get rid of me."
"Go back to your wife, Lucifer," she couldn't look at him in the eyes when she said that.
"Aren't you supposed to convince me otherwise?" Lucifer raised her chin with the tips of his fingers.
"Be a man!" Grant reacted to his gesture. "Can't you see she doesn't want you?"
"What I do with her is none of your concern."
"What are you planning to do with me?" Kali demanded.
"I have reconsidered." He was using his seductive voice. "Perhaps it is not a bad idea to keep you by my side."
"You-" Anger rose up her cheeks. Unacceptable! Completely unacceptable! "You have a wife," she said through gritted teeth.
"Wasn't that what you wanted when you crawled into my bed?"
She did not hesitate to slap him across the face. He didn't dodge. Tears swelled up in her eyes. She couldn't believe what he was saying. What he was proposing. It was preposterous! She could forgive him for not recognizing her. At least then --
Oh God, she felt betrayed.
"She's not that kind of woman!" Grant struggled to escape his suspension.
"Another unwanted comment from you, and I will personally guarantee your demise." It would only take a second or two.
"Yes, that was exactly what I wanted," Kali said with tears streaming down her cheeks. She offered him her hand. "You saw right through me."
"No, Fey!" Grant objected. He reached out to her, but it was futile. They both disappeared into thin air. Several seconds later, gravity slammed him back to the ground.
He banged on the door many times before Chevalier answered it. Grant rushed into the apartment without the other man's consent. He searched the house quickly before he realized that she wasn't there.
"Did they make up yet?" Chevalier asked.
"You knew about him, didn't you?" Grant grabbed Chevalier by the collar.
"Why? What happened now?"
"He took her," Grant pulled on the collar aggressively. "That creature took her!"
Chevalier brushed Grant aside and snickered at his choice of words. "They'll be fine, he won't harm her."
"How do you know for sure?"
"Because he knows who she is, and he won't harm a hair on her head," Chevalier yawned. "Now go home and let me rest. I spend the whole day cleaning Lucifer's mess."
"Is that his name?" Grant tried to recall. "Yes...Fey mentioned his name once before, but I didn't look into it. When I first met Trent, I had a feeling I had seen his face somewhere. This man's aura reminded me of...that event thirteen years ago."
"What event?" Chevalier asked curiously.
"I was only an amateur photographer at that time and was assigned to the zoo. That was when...those pictures, if I can find those pictures, I can confirm it."
He rushed out of the door.
†††††
Lucifer sat leaning against the sofa with his glass of red wine. He gave it a light swirl before taking a sip. His keen eyes were on her. When she couldn't take being stared at any longer, she snatched the glass from his hand and drank it. She grabbed the bottle and chugged down the rest. It was too bitter for her taste, but it wasn't nearly as bitter as how she felt.
The sorrow was gone, substituted by rage. There she was, feeling sorry for herself that her husband didn't recognize her, but at least she felt a bit of comfort telling herself that he loved her wholeheartedly. Ironically, he blackmailed another woman into becoming his mistress. And now she was the other woman.
"Do you happen to have another bottle?" she asked and tossed the empty bottle aside. It shattered on the floor.
"I think that is quite enough for today. It doesn't matter how much you drink, you won't get drunk."
"Now you tell me," she muttered. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"I will accompany you."
"You have a wife, Lucifer!" She couldn't believe those words came from her mouth. The irony was far too much. "I'm sure she is pining for you."
"And you do not pine for me?"
She suddenly felt trapped. "Whatever feeling I may or may not have for you is irrelevant." She turned away so that he won't be able to see her face. His eyes made her felt vulnerable.
"Strange," he smiled, "it was only a few days ago that you attempted to seduce me. I thought you would be happier now that I have arranged for you to be by my side."
"I never tried to seduce you!" she retorted. She couldn't help but turn to face him. He was clearly testing her patience. "It was true that I wanted to be by your side, but not like this! No, Lucifer, never like this! Don't force me to betray myself!"
She was startled when he dropped the glass onto the floor. The next moment he was standing in front of her. The transition startled her, although she thought she should have gotten used to it by now. "I do not take refusal so lightly."
She stared directly into his eyes, challenging him. "I wish to be free of you Lucifer! I wish that I could escape your hold on my heart because it's suffocating me! I feel like I can't breathe! Why don't you just aim a knife at my heart and end the suffering for the both of us. Put me out of my misery. And by God, I hope you will never have to regret it."
A storm was forming in his eyes. She could feel the energy of his anger shaking the foundation of the old mansion. If she provoked him enough, he might do the deed for the both of them.
Instead of aiming a knife at her heart as she had requested, he disappeared right before her eyes.
†††††
"It is rare to see you, Grant," the priest said. "You haven't stepped foot in this place of worship in years."
"I need to know the whereabouts of my uncle," Grant said. "I need his help."
"He will return in a few days from the holy city," the priest informed him.
"It can't wait that long," Grant massaged the bridge of his nose.
"What seems to be the problem?"
He took a moment to decide if he should discuss the issue. "Someone very important to me is possessed and is being held captive by a demon. I need my uncle's help to rescue her and banish the demon from her body."
Grant had never been the kind of person who made up lies. "Do you have any knowledge on this demon?"
Grant pulled out several photographs from his shirt pocket. "I took these pictures thirteen years ago. I had never believed in these kinds of things so I never paid attention to them, but recently I've seen things that I can't deny."
"These pictures...," The priest's hands were shaking. He quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Are they-?"
"I swear on my life."
The priest made a sign of worship with his hand. "I...I must inform my superiors of this immediately."
†††††
Chevalier pushed the double door opened and entered the dining room. His entrance didn't garner him a glance. The atmosphere was thick and uncomfortable, almost suffocating. He pulled back a chair and seated himself.
The dining room was lavish with food from one end to the other. The servants were still bringing up more food from the kitchen. It was quite wasteful, considering the fact that no one at the table actually needed to consume any of it. Nevertheless, Chevalier placed the newspaper in his hand on the table and poured himself a cup of coffee.
"I don't recall inviting you," Lucifer finally broke the silence.
"No, I invited myself," Chevalier replied with an easy smile. "You would be bored to death without me."
When Lucifer's only response was a stoic expression, Chevalier reached for the newspaper and handed it over to Kali. "There is something interesting I think you should read. It's all over the television, too, but I didn't think this old mansion would be so well-equipped."
Kali unfolded the newspaper to take a look. The bold headline and series of photos were hard to miss. Trent could read the text from his side of the table.
"I'm surprised he had pictures of that day," Trent remarked.
"You still remembered that day, Trent?" Chevalier asked. Trent was quite young back then.
"Bits and pieces, but I remember enough. I can't help but wonder why Grant would release these photos. What does he possibly have to gain by exposing us?"
"He thinks that I am held captive and my life is in danger," Kali massaged the bridge of her nose. "He's not completely wrong."
"Well?" Chevalier asked Lucifer. "Aren't you going to do something about it?"
"Such as?" Lucifer's voice was indifferent.
"I don't know what you are capable of, but are you just going to let our existence get out?"
"Whether they know or not is irrelevant."
Chevalier raised a brow. He had been expecting a different reaction. "Do you mean to tell me, you never used discretion? That you never cared at all?"
Lucifer took another sip of his wine.
"He's right, Father," Trent expressed concern. "If the public buys into this story, they'll come in mobs. And they've come pretty far since shovels and pitchforks."
"Not to mention religious groups and the government might get involved. You know, Lucifer, you're not exactly the most lovable figure in society's point of view."
"Their opinions of me are also irrelevant."
"I don't find that funny," Chevalier said. "You and your kind dragged me into this, and I'll be damned if they cut and probe me like I'm some sort of science project."
"Yes," Lucifer agreed. "Yes, you will be."
"So are we just going to ignore them?" Trent asked. "Even though their lives are short, it can become quite problematic in the meantime."
"As long as you do not step foot out of the mansion," Lucifer said to Kali, "we can avoid heavy bloodshed. If you care for your people at all, I suggest you comply."
"For how long?" She didn't want to be stuck here forever. He did not reply.
Trent flinched as if he had detected something close by. Suddenly he was gone.
Chevalier left the table and headed out. "I'll call Bi and ask that she come here. It wouldn't be safe for her to be out there until this dies out."
"It would be safer for her to remain where she is," Trent said. "She could carry on with her life much more easily."
"No," Chevalier hesitated. "No, she can't."
"You don't think she can survive on her own?"
"No," Chevalier paused a bit longer. "She can't stay among them because she's not one of them."
"What do you mean?" Kali asked. "Is she a demon, too?"
"She's not a demon," Chevalier knew that for sure. "Demons have unique scents that can identify them among one another. She doesn't have demon's scent, or any scent for that matter. I don't know what she is, exactly. When I set out on my journey many years ago, I was paid to hunt down an animal that had been preying on the farmers' livestock. I tracked it down, and that was when I found Bi. At first I thought that she was carried off by the animal, but I soon realized that she was the one living off the livestock. She had a taste for live blood. I didn't know who or what she was, but if I left her where she was, the farmers would kill her. Since I didn't mind having a companion, I adopted her."
"If you said that she had a taste for live blood..."
"Yes, it was a problem. She needed it frequently and it was really inconvenient. One time when I was unable to provide for her, she was so consumed by hunger that she bit me."
"She bit you?"
"Yes, but after that, she didn't need live blood for months. I figure there is something about my blood that sustained her. So every now and then, I mix a few drops of blood into her drinks."
"You never told her any of this?"
"And have her see herself as some sort of monster?" Chevalier shook his head and heaved a long sigh. "It would just be better for her to carry on with the normal life of a teenage girl. Until this situation, that is. Now I have to go explain to her why we must stay here, why I haven't aged in two decades, and all that other good stuff."
Lucifer gazed at the entrance of the dining room for several minutes before a female intruder pushed the doors open. Her eyes instantly fell on Chevalier, but she quickly realized that he wasn't alone. There was another frighteningly familiar face at the dining table, as well.
"Lucien!" she gasped his name. "My God, you're still alive!" Then a shocked expression came across her face.
"Your hair is platinum and...you look the same as the last time I saw you." Her face was suddenly puzzled. Her eyes wandered to the beautiful woman sitting next to him. She recognized her as the new gorgeous transfer student.
"Hana," Chevalier breathed out her name with a hint of annoyance, "how did you find me here?"
She turned and gave him her full attention. "Chevalier, I followed you here," she admitted honestly.
"When I saw you the other day, I realized that there were a lot of misunderstandings between us. What I meant to say was I haven't gotten over you, Chevalier. I never had. I wanted to talk to you."
"Before you say another word, Hana," Chevalier interrupted her. "This is not the time or place. I cannot accept your feelings."
"But why?" she whimpered. "You're not married or anything like that, right?"
"No," he replied truthfully, but added, "I'm not the man I used to be."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Kali asked.
"Well, maybe," Chevalier reluctantly answered. "But that's not the point. The point is I am not looking for a relationship right now."
"When will you, Chevalier?" she frowned. "You're 41 this year and I'll be 36 soon. There is no better time for us to start something."
The reminder of his age was a slap in the face. "I'm not really worried about that right now."
"You should be. Don't you want to have children of your own, Chevalier?"
"I do have children of my own. I have Trent and I have Bi. Even my own blood couldn't be closer to me." His voice was increasingly expressing his irritation.
"Chevalier, I think you're lying," she accused.
"I don't need a damn woman!" His angry voice startled her. When he realized he was yelling at her, he lowered his voice. "You want to know the truth? I don't feel the urge for any women I see now. I don't even have an ounce of desire, is that what you want to hear? I'm a goddamn eunuch!"
Well, not literally, although he felt like one. "And no, I am not into men, either, so wipe that look off your face. I just don't...have physical needs anymore."
Lucifer calmly enjoyed his soup as if he were dining alone, but became annoyed when Chevalier looked flustered as he searched for Kali's opinion. "Give the woman what she came for, and you two get the hell out."
"Lucifer," Kali scowled, "be polite to my friends."
He glanced at her then pushed to his feet and exited the room.
"Awfully obedient, isn't he?" Chevalier commented. As soon as he finished the sentence, he leaped into the air to dodge an energy bolt coming his way. "Which part of being discreet does he not understand?"
"The whole world already knows, why not her," Kali said, her voice depressed.
"Kali, when I said that I don't have desire for other women I didn't include..." He blushed brightly when she looked at him. "I mean besides you, I-"
He realized he was digging a deeper grave for himself. "Forget I said anything."
"She's Fey," Hana corrected him. "You called her Kali. And where the hell did that blue lightning bolt come from?"
"I don't feel like explaining," Chevalier moaned. "You do the honors, Kali."
"I suppose I owe her that much," Kali sighed. "Sit," she invited Hana to the chair next to her. "We haven't talked face to face in a while."
"Who are you?" Hana asked very slowly as she took the invitation and sat down.
"Please keep an open mind. It's me, Hana," Kali said.
"It's Kali," Chevalier clarified. He knew she wasn't in the position to say her name out loud.
Hana tried to understand what the two were saying, but became utterly confused. "I don't understand, you're not Kali, you're Fey."
"I am Fey now. It doesn't mean that I have always been Fey. It's very complicated and..." Kali carefully selected her diction in order not to offend the curse. "...it's me."
Hana shook her head in disbelief. "This isn't how I remembered you."
"Not how I remembered myself, either," Kali let out another troubled sigh. "Oh, this is hard, Chevalier! Just tell her already."
"Fine," he agreed to take on the task. "But not right now. I have to go fetch Bi. I'll return by tonight," he declared and disappeared.
Hana was beyond shocked.
"You have to get used to that," Kali said. "Please stay with us for dinner tonight. If you would like a room to rest, please choose any room you like. All we have are rooms."
"Are you rich now?" Hana asked curiously after she had the time to observe her surroundings.
Kali took a moment to think. "I have wealth beyond my wildest dreams. I can buy anything my heart desires and dine on meals only few can afford. Even so, it can't buy what I truly want."
"Ironic, isn't it?" Hana asked bitterly. "I used to be the rich girl who had it all, and you were the poor girl who walked in my shadow. Now I walk in yours."
"I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Kali replied.
"Are you taunting me now that you have looks that anyone would give an arm and a leg for? Are you looking down at me now that you have so much money?"
Kali stood up. "I don't think we understand each other. You should take a shower to cool your head. We'll continue our conversation tonight. If you need anything, the maids will help you."
†††††
Skye dropped at his feet as soon as she saw him. She tugged on his leg, urgently demanding his attention. "Please..." she cried. "You must help me, Lord Arvin! I am discovered and he has sent others to look for me. If he catches me, I'll..."
She did not dare to imagine what he would do.
"You did well," Arvin complimented her.
A little smile of hope appeared on her face. "You would help me, my Lord? You would hide me away from him?"
"On the contrary," Arvin replied, "I will give you back to Lucifer."
She jumped up. "My Lord! You couldn't possibly do that to me! I did your bidding! I agreed to your terms!"
"And you did an excellent job," Arvin admitted. "Now that the plan has been set in motion, I will need Kali's body to complete it."
"But if you retrieve her body, what will happen to me?" she stuttered.
"That is not one of my concerns."
Anger rose to her face. She stood up to her full height and pride. "Without your powers, I could kill you so easily," she threatened. "Hide me from Lucifer or I will dismember you where you stand!"
His facial expression remained unaffected from her threat. "May I remind you that you are still in a human's body? Even without my powers, a demon like you would never be able to complete such a task. Lucifer may have taken away my powers, but it's nothing a little hibernation can't fix. After I retrieve what I truly desire, I will go back to sleep and recover what is lost," he approached her and drew her close to him. "Acelin was truly a fool. He will continue to believe that he is in love with this woman, when all he felt was the calling of Lucifer's blood," he bent down and kissed her.
"No wonder the atmosphere this morning was thicker than usual," Chevalier laughed. He somehow managed to find humor in it. "And this whole time I thought you two made up already."
She felt uncomfortable with his lack of understanding. "I don't think it's funny," she said. "Can you believe he's keeping me here as a mistress?"
Chevalier tried to hold back another laugh, because he could clearly see how distraught she was. "I think this is the perfect opportunity to get back at him," he suggested to her.
"Get back at him?" she asked out of curiosity. "For what?"
"Come on, Kali, don't you resent him even a little?" When she couldn't answer, he continued on. "If he held you here against your will, why not take a lover yourself?"
"Chevalier!"
"I don't mind playing the part."
"Why would it affect him?" she lowered her eyes.
"More than you know. Even if Skye doesn't mean anything to him, his possessive nature wouldn't stand for it."
One second thought, she found a little bit of humor in it. She looked up at him and secretly giggled. "Are you sure you want make him angry?"
"I have never been so sure of anything in my life." Chevalier pulled her closer to him. "Let's teach Lucifer how it feels when his lover is taken by someone else."
Then sadness washed over her. "Chevalier, do you think I'll ever get my body back?"
"Is it really that important to you?"
She shook her head. "I suppose not. I just wanted to be recognized for who I am."
"I don't think it would matter if you're in one body or another, no one is going to be able to change you in my heart. I know you've been dying to know if Lucifer feels the same. If you managed to get him to fall in love with you once, you can do it again, regardless of your form. If he can't see the true you through all of this, I can always be your back up plan, Kali." Chevalier suddenly turned toward the door.
"Why are you eavesdropping on us?" he asked.
Several moments passed before Hana showed herself at the door. "Is it true?" she asked with her head lowered.
"Hana?"
"You really are Kali, aren't you?" Hana asked more loudly. She looked up and approached them. She reached for Kali's face and touched her velvety cheek.
Kali didn't know why she lowered her eyes. She felt a guilt she could not explain. "It's me, Hana," she admitted. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"
"But how is this possible?" Hana asked as she withdrew her hand and touched her own face. "How is it possible?"
"It's a long story," Kali replied. "If I have the time, I'll catch up with you."
"You have to tell me your secret!" Hana grabbed Kali's shoulder. "You must tell me how you became so beautiful. You must tell me how you remain so young, while I..." Hana brought her hands to her face in shocked awareness of her aging.
"Hana, this is not my own body," Kali explained. Her eyes were searching for words to better describe the situation, but nothing could do it justice. "I don't know how he did it, but I woke up in this-"
"How can we get you back into your own body?" Hana interrupted. "If you get your own body back, you would look like me, right? You'll be back to the body of the thirty-five year old woman you are, right?"
Kali slowly shook her head. "Even in my own body, time has stopped for me, Hana. I'm exactly as you remember nineteen years ago. On the outside, anyway."
"Even prettier, I think," Chevalier added.
Hana's eyes flew toward Chevalier. "Has time stopped for you too, Chevalier? Is that why you don't look a day older since I last saw you?"
He nodded unenthusiastically.
"I beg you, Kali. You have to tell me how I can stop my time. I want to be young again! I...I'm afraid of growing old," she stammered. When Kali didn't give her the reaction she wanted, she got down on her knees. "Please take pity on me and tell me how I can be young again."
Kali looked to Chevalier for counsel, but he gave none. "Hana, you don't understand the complications of this."
She got back up to her feet again. "You just don't want to tell me how you did it!" she accused. "You two want to keep the secret to yourselves."
"That's not how..." Kali shook her head. "I just don't want you to face the consequences. It will cost you your soul, Hana. Your body will be cursed and you won't be accepted anywhere after you die. You'll wander endlessly for all of eternity! "
"I'll do it," she said with determination. "I don't give a damn about my soul. That's a decision for me to make. Please, Kali, tell me your secret."
Kali took a long minute to debate. Hana's dark brown eyes were pressing for an answer. "Lucifer fed me his blood. That's the reason I haven't aged and can't age. If this is the choice you've made, you must convince him yourself. I can't. I'll have no part in this."
"Lucifer?" Hana's brows knitted together and shivered at his memory. She had always been frightened of Lucien, despite his angelic looks. "I have to convince him?"
"I won't say anymore on the matter," Kali said firmly.
†††††
Hana stared at her reflection in the mirror, displeased, unsatisfied, and rather mortified at how much she had changed. She looked a few years older than her actual age, due to a collection of reasons she could never be proud of. Her skin was much duller and lacked the elasticity of youth. Her forehead folded with her every expression, and if she looked closer, she could see the wrinkled lines around her eyes and mouth. They used to be more subtle, and only noticeable with a layer of foundation.
She did not know where the years had gone. She had the right to be bitter, since all she had to show for her years were three broken marriages, a delinquent daughter, a cramped apartment in the rundown part of town, and an overdue account with the loan sharks. Soon she would be homeless with a broken arm and leg courtesy of the mafia to help her new career.
With a heavy sigh, she quickly finished brushing her hair and applied her lipstick before leaving the room. As she walked down the hall, the servants politely bowed to her as she passed. That brought back some old memories. She fixed the hem of her skirt before entering the study, where the maid told her Lucifer would be.
He had company, a tall young man with waving brown curls and forest green eyes. He took notice of her presence, retrieved the box on the table, knelt to one knee as a sign of homage to Lucifer, and disappeared. Lucifer, however, did not look up from what he was writing. It made her wonder if he knew she was in the room at all. She approached his mahogany desk and leaned forward. She suddenly felt invisible.
"I am here to strike a bargain," she declared.
He finally looked up at her. She had paid close attention to his expression and found a minute, almost undetectable curious twitch of the left brow. "I regretfully decline," he told her plainly.
"You haven't even heard my proposal yet," she complained. "Don't turn me down before you hear it."
"State your business," he granted her the audience.
"Make me young again, Lucifer," she leaned in further. "Make me beautiful! And in return, I will give you everything in my possession. You can have my heart, my soul, everything. "
"I specifically recall you proclaiming your love to Chevalier at the dinner table last night. A day is quite hasty for a change of heart."
She struggled to find an explanation, but she knew Lucifer could see right through it. There was no point in lying. "If you give me what I want, I can even give him up."
Lucifer stood up and offered his hand to her, leading her toward the large rectangular mirror against the wall.
"Your youth and beauty is the most important thing to you?" he asked.
When Hana looked at her reflection, she gasped. An astonished smile bloomed on her face. She came closer to the mirror to take a better look at her reflection. Her youth had returned and her skin had never been so perfect. She was even more beautiful than in her memories. She looked down at her pale and youthful hands, her full breasts, flawless legs, and burst into joyous laughter.
"Yes!" she admitted. "Yes!"
"A brief twenty years reversal is worth everything in your possession?"
"If you give me what you have given Kali, just a drop of your blood, it won't just be twenty years. It'll be for all time." She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll be your servant, your mistress, even your slave. I will pledge my loyalty to you and do whatever it is that you command. I want to stay this way forever!"
When she leaned in to kiss him, he disappeared from her arms. She stood confused until he reappeared at his mahogany desk. He sat down and resumed what he was doing before she arrived.
"I must regretfully decline," he repeated his decision.
Hana looked back at the mirror and all of the illusions were gone. She was staring at the face of a thirty-five year old woman again. The palms of hands tapped on the mirror as if she wanted to catch the image she was shown earlier.
"Why?" she asked hysterically. "Why won't you accept my proposal? You did it for Kali, why not me? I can give you everything she promised and more!"
"There is nothing I want from you," Lucifer said.
"Then why did you give such a gift to Kali?"
"I do not need to explain myself or any of my actions," he said with growing impatience. Her heart quivered at the tone of his voice, and without what she came for, she left the study. The door closed and locked behind her.
She stood outside the door, trying to calm her rapid breathing. She didn't know why she was so afraid of him or why she left the room without a fight. She had nothing to lose. Her body just moved by itself. If she had fought him to the end, she would have been able to keep some of her dignity. She felt utterly rejected and humiliated.
†††††
"Do not take my words so lightly."
His voice startled her. Kali quickly hung up the phone and turned around to face him. Her face was flustered from being caught and her mind raced to find an explanation, but nothing seemed plausible. He already knew who she was calling.
"I suggest that you do not test my patience."
"He deserved to know that I'm safe for the time being," she quickly replied. "I tried to tell him not to do anything rash and risk angering you."
"Are you afraid of what I might do to him?"
"There's more than just his well-being at stake, but yes, I'm concerned," she admitted.
"I assure you that everything will be as it is as long as you remain in my protection," he bent down and inched closer until their lips almost met. His eyes stared into hers, as if he were searching her very soul. "You will listen to me just this once, if never again."
She turned her head to side to create more distance between their lips. His hand lifted her chin and guided it to where he wanted it to be. He closed the gap between their lips and gently stroked her hair.
She jerked herself away from him. "You will not seduce me, Lucifer!"
"You never had faith in yourself," he said. "Has it ever occurred to you that you are the one seducing me?"
"I'm not listening to this," she used all of her strength to push him away, but her efforts were in vain. "Lucifer, let me go!"
"If it were within my powers to release you, I would have done so." His other arm wrapped around her waist. "I deserve it, I suppose. I should have let you die the first moment we met. I should have never granted you another life so that you could have a chance to gain control over me. When I had come to realize this, it was too late to change. If I had ever made a miscalculation, I will admit to this one."
She responded with a confused look. That confused look was filled with tears when she realized who he was talking about.
"Regardless of being willing or not, it was only fair that you would remain by my side in return. That won't change, and it will never change. I will continue to use force to keep it that way, because that is the least you owe me."
"Have you been living with these thoughts, Lucifer?" Her little hands reached for his face. "I only stayed with you because you forced me to? Lucifer, how long have you been living with these thoughts?"
"Should I have thought any other way?"
His answer came at her like a sharp knife. She felt ashamed that she had boasted so proudly to Arvin about their love when, in truth, it must not have existed. She was never honest with her feelings. She thought he would naturally know through all of the years they had been together. She had been wrong. She had been very wrong.
"You can never force me, because I never feared you. I stayed by your side by my own free will, I had our child by my own free will, and I loved you by my own free will. Why couldn't you have felt it? My heart, my mind, my very soul were filled with nothing but thoughts of you. I lived for you; I would die for you! Why didn't you know how much I loved you? Lucifer, have you been alone all these time?" She elevated herself up to kiss him. It was the first time she had initiated a kiss, perhaps. She couldn't remember. Right now, nothing really mattered.
He kissed her back with such familiarity that she didn't notice being carried until her body was gently placed on the soft linens of the bed. When they broke the kiss, she could do nothing but stare into the depth of his lucid blue eyes. Her eyes traced the outline of his face almost obsessively, and she could think of nothing more perfect.
He was made perfectly.
But he was not perfect. He was not perfect in the sense that he could only feel limited emotions, but what he did feel was many times more intense. She did not know everything he could and could not feel, but that didn't matter now.
She felt her senses become numb with his scent, as if she were injected with the most poisonous of venom. A warm wave followed, euphoric and not of this world. It had become an addiction she was not willing to let go.
†††††
Maybe he should have said something before he just disappeared. He didn't know what gave him such a feeling of urgency to be running here, to this specific location. He supposed that was the feeling of being summoned, but why, and by whom?
He could sense the presence of those just like him all around. There were many of them, more than his senses could locate. They were hiding, but it was quite unnecessary. They knew he knew.
"Why have you summoned me?" he demanded in a tone that so closely resembled his father's that the presences receded away from him. Only one in particular was very close to him.
"Come out, I know you're there!"
When Trent turned around, he was there. He stood several meter away under a black cloak, quiet and reserved.
"I know you." It was Trent's first impression. He took a moment to think it through. "Or at least, I think I do."
"I am Arvin," he introduced himself, and took a step forward. "And you do know me, at least biologically."
"What do you want from me?"
"I supposed you want to get straight to the point. Very well, then," Arvin nodded, "I have something that you want, and you have something that I want."
"What do you have that I could possibly want?"
With a snap of his fingers, two of his henchmen appeared. They had his mother in custody, at least her flesh.
"She can be your mother again," Arvin said. "For Lucifer, it would be an easy task. That will be entirely up to you."
"What it is that you want in return?"
"I want your other half."
Trent placed a hand over his chest. "My other half? Why?"
"If we demons have a soul, that would be the closest thing to it."
This confused him even more. "Why do you want my brother? It can't be done, it is impossible!"
"Said Lucifer. He could be wrong, you know."
"I would rather trust Lucifer," he turned away.
"I refuse," he muttered to himself, "I don't care what you decide, I refuse!"
Arvin grinned.
"We may not get along and we have to share this body, but you are still my brother! I cannot allow it! She will learn of this and she will hate me. You are as much her son as I. Brother! Brother!" He was forced to close his eyes. When he opened them again, he turned back to Arvin.
"You are the stronger of the two," Arvin complimented the instinct. "You are Lucifer's child in spirit."
"Will separating us cause him harm?"
"Your brother will live, if that is what you mean. Death is not an option for us, with or without an instinct."
"My father has told me such a task would be impossible. How will you go about it?"
"Not if the instinct is willing to leave its host. Most of the time, that itself is the impossible task."
"If I am willing, what are you planning to do with me?"
"I hope you understand the complications of leaving your host, being young as you are. Nevertheless, I believe you are strong enough to survive it."
"Who will be my new host?"
"That is a good question. I have thought about it for over thirteen years. Do you know how a true demon is born? Of course, you do not know. The fruit of a union was extremely rare to conceive, and even more unlikely to ever hatch."
"Hatch?"
"Not live birth like your brother. I suppose that is because he has a human for a mother. Then it came to me, out of the many eggs that never hatched, perhaps one can be your host. I searched high and low, until I found one." He revealed a large, clear egg from under his cloak. "Is she not perfect?"
"She?"
"You mustn't worry about the gender of your new host. An instinct is neither gender, molded to the image of the host. I found her, so then came the hard part. I needed a plan to persuade you to willingly leave your body."
"You did all of this just for me. Why?"
"I have lost faith in Lucifer. He has abandoned his own kind for that woman. If I still have faith in anything, it is you. Once you enter a new host, your memories will be wiped. I will reshape you to who Lucifer once was."
"Why? Why won't you just let us be? Why not claim the throne of Hell for yourself? Even if you did lose most of your powers, your rank among the demon-"
"You will never begin to comprehend!" Arvin snapped at him. His temper quickly subsided. "No, you will understand. You, of the same blood and spirit as Lucifer, will be able to understand. I am sure of it."
"Understand what?"
"Lucifer robbed us of the only thing that justified our existence. He knew that! Without it, our eternal existence would be, as humans would say, Hell."
"What it is that is so important?"
"Humans have chased after it all their lives, the meaning of life, the reason for their existence. That is one thing that we have in common. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? We followed him to the depths of Hell for the sole purpose of serving him. For us, he was the center of our world. If you ask why our kind despised your mother, the answer is quite simple. She robbed us of our master, my brother, and most importantly, a purpose for our eternal life. We have nothing to live for, but we are forced to endure this torture of so-called 'Hell' by the humans forever! Do you think that is fair?"
Arvin circled Trent. "From the look on your face, I can see that you are beginning to understand. You too, have a purpose to serve. The urges are often too strong for one as young as you to resist. That is why I know you would be willing."
"Tell me what I must do."
Grant sat nervously on the steps of the church. He had begged her to come, but that may be out of the question if that demon was keeping her captive. If she couldn't make it out herself, he would have to go to her. He just had to try.
He bolted to his feet when he saw her approaching. "You came!" He hurried to her side and grabbed her shoulders. It was obvious that he hadn't shaved in days. "You escaped! Did he do anything to you?"
"I told you over the phone that I was safe," Kali assured him. "He would never do anything to harm me."
"I can't possibly believe that."
"You must believe it!" she pleaded. "Please stop this craziness. Tell the newspapers that it was all a hoax. There are no such things as demons! Please, Grant, you don't know what you're doing."
"How can I not reveal to the world that such evil exists?" He shook his head. "No, you mustn't worry about that. I will help you, Fey, you know I will. Whatever he did to you can be undone. You weren't always this way, you said so yourself."
"You're right, I wasn't always this way, but I can live with it."
"You shouldn't have to!" He held her hand and led her into the church. "I know people who can help. They'll help you, Fey."
"No," She pulled her hand back before they entered the double doors. "I can't enter this place. I don't need help, not anymore."
"Trust me, Fey. It's for your own good." He grabbed her hand once again and pulled her inside. "You must trust me. I want to help you."
"Let go of me," she insisted, her attention distracted by her surroundings. "I shouldn't be here."
"I know these people, they can help you."
"I don't want to hurt you, so please let go of me."
"Fey..."
She yanked her wrist from him and ran toward the doors. They were closed now, and locked from the outside. She turned back to face him.
"You don't understand," she said, "you have to open these doors for me at once."
He walked toward her and gently held her face in his hands. "Don't you want to be yourself again? The person you once were? I don't know what he did to you, but I ask you as a friend, please have faith in me."
She peeked behind him and saw a circle of priests surrounding them. She swiftly turned around to force the doors open.
"Forgive me," Grant said as he placed a chloroform-filled cloth over her nose and mouth. She lost consciousness in his arms.
She came back to consciousness so quickly that it shocked them. They had thought they had more time. She found herself chained from the neck to the ankles. There was an elderly priest chanting a strange language to her. From the corner of her eye, she could see Grant standing on top the stairs, his hand covering his face.
"Grant, tell them to let me go!" she demanded, her angry voice sending a sharp vibration throughout the room.
He purposefully ignored her.
The priest picked up a knife from his apprentice's tray and removed it from its sheath. She watched closely as he made an incision on her right wrist. He dipped his finger into the line of blood and drew a symbol on her forehead. As soon as he removed the knife, her wound healed instantly.
"Release me," she made the same demand of the priest, who refused to look her in the eye. Something else distracted her. There was a familiar whirling noise just above the ceiling. She could hear very clearly an army of footsteps approaching. If her ears didn't deceive her, they were carrying heavy firearms. They stormed into the room and spared no time with introductions.
"Subject located. Initiating retrieval."
When she woke again, she was in a laboratory. In addition to the chains, she was hooked up to a series of wires inside a crystal blue tank. She felt much drowsier than the last time. If she could remember correctly, they had shot her with multiple dart guns.
She could see the men in white coats on the other side of the tank, conversing in muffled tones. If she had been human, she wouldn't have been able to hear what they said.
"...in addition to rapid regenerative ability, breathing is unnecessary. Functional respiration was probably installed for camouflage purposes to blend into our society. She was unresponsive to most drugs, and even if they proved effective, they wore off in a matter of minutes, hours at most. Her ability to adapt to her environment is phenomenal. "
"She is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"It could have been that her cells adapt her appearance for survival advantages. We do not know for sure. We need to do more tests."
"Is she the same as the other specimen?"
"She shares 98.4% of her DNA with the other specimen in our research, but that is still a vast difference. We cannot confirm that they are even the same species, although their abilities are quite similar. It is quite possible that what we have studied all these years are subspecies of her kind."
"What about her organs?"
"We haven't gotten that far, yet."
"Prepare a dissection."
"But, sir, she is far too precious of a specimen for an evasive surgery. For all we know, she may be the fountain of youth scientists have long searched for!"
"From what we understand, there are many like her. We need to know how to kill one. Perform the other necessary tests and then dismember her. I want to know all of their weaknesses. That's an order."
The drowsy feelings came in waves. She caught a series of glimpses as her eyes blinked and she began to pass out. They were cautious about continually feeding her body with drugs as they probed her with foreign tools. Substituted for her fear of death, which she was no longer subject to, was an overwhelming rage. She felt an incomprehensible and uncontrollable lust for blood she had never felt before. She imagined how satisfying if would feel to rip these insignificant insects from limb to limb.
†††††
When he returned to consciousness, he found himself completely alone. It was a hollow feeling to which he was unaccustomed. He folded his right hand into fist and angrily pounded it against the ground.
"You are still luckier than me," a voice said to him.
Trent got to his feet and searched his surroundings. The scent of this demon was the same as the one that had circled above his home. "You."
"I am quite envious of you, Trent," Seth confessed. He appeared on top of a tree branch, resting his back against the bark. "Maybe you should realize how lucky you are."
"Where have they taken him?" Trent was referring to his other self.
"I don't know, and frankly, I do not care," Seth chuckled. "But I imagine you are better off without an instinct."
"He's my brother. Better off or not, I need him."
"Even without your so-called brother, you still have a lot to go home to," he suggested, motioning at the limp body of the woman on the ground. "As for me, I don't even have a home."
"Are you throwing yourself a pity party?"
"Why shouldn't I ?" He materialized in front of Trent. "We are both the same, but our fates are worlds apart. Well, I guess we aren't the same. Even though you are not fully a demon, your existence is verified by your own father. You were born from a mother who loves you, while I was created in a laboratory. Not even my own father would verify my existence!"
"How were you...created?"
Seth hesitated for a long moment before he spoke again. "Six hundred years ago, the humans excavated the place of Arvin's slumber. They were fascinated by his inability to age and had never before seen regenerative powers. They wanted to know more about him, but they did not know how to wake him. The best option they had was to extract his DNA and make an exact replica of him. That was how I was created. They rejoiced in their success, but they soon realized that they could not replicate to the exact specification of the original. They tested and performed experiments on me until I lost control of myself and killed them all. Their blood awakened Arvin, and he was furious with their actions. Even though he knew of my existence, he'd never acknowledged me. That is why, Trent, I have always been fascinated with you. I have watched you grow with the love of your mother and the protection of your father. You lived in a world that I could only dream of from afar."
"Judging from the bitterness of your tone, you must have hated the ones who created you." Trent picked up the body that was once his mother in his arms.
"It's the price she has to pay," Seth gently touched her face with the tips of his fingers. "She made her choice."
"However, it does not mean that my life is any better than yours. Why would your father's acknowledgement change anything about you?"
"That is where you fall short of your other self," Seth criticized. "Arvin was right, you may have the blood of your father, but you are nothing like him. You do not even know how a demon is supposed to feel."
"It is so bad not to be like Lucifer?"
"Without your powers, you are nothing more than a human. You side with them more than you do your own kind. It was only a matter of time before you turned against us. Tell me, my Prince, give me a good reason why I should not strike you down right now, and prevent it all?"
"I'd like to see you try."
They glared at each other until Seth broke the tension with a chuckle.
"I will not waste your time any longer," Seth faded into the shadows. "Words of advice, you should find your mother soon or there will longer be a use for that body."
†††††
The scientists struggled to keep the incision open. Her regenerative abilities made it almost impossible to examine her internal organs. What made it even more difficult was the amount of anesthetic that needed to be injected into her system every five minutes. They feared that even such a high and dangerous concentration of dosage could only keep her immobile for a short time.
"Quickly, quickly another dose," one scientist said to his assistants. "Five minutes is almost up."
"But doctor," his assistant said, "Do you think it's necessary? She won't wake up for days, if not weeks. If we inject her with any more, she could die."
"I want you to do your job," the frustrated scientist responded. He pulled away when the girl's flesh seemed to be regenerating over his fingers. He grabbed the loaded needle someone handed to him and injected directly into her blood stream. He breathed easier, thinking he had another five minutes before the next dosage. He picked up his scalpel to make another deep incision. This time, he discovered something hard buried deep underneath her flesh and bones. It appeared to be a clear, round core embedded next to her still heart. It was omitting a bright golden aura of its own. What made it stranger was that most of her veins were connected to it, as if it served some important function.
He dropped the scalpel immediately when her eyes flew open. Frightened by her sudden awakening, the scientists backed away, their legs quivering. Never in their wildest imaginations did they think she could have grown immune to the drugs so quickly.
She rose to her feet on the operating table. Her flesh rapidly closed the gap they had made. There was no question about her anger, even though her face was devoid of emotion. One of the scientists managed to press the emergency button to trigger the alarm. Before they had the chance to run, the exit doors slammed shut. They had no choice but to turn around and face her.
The fierce look in her eyes sent shivers down their spines, and they began to beg for forgiveness. They began to beg for their lives. It didn't matter how loudly or how many times they begged, she was far too deep in her unconscious mind to hear it. Her feet gently landed on the ground and she walked toward the face she deemed most familiar. She could hear the rapid pace of his heartbeat as the pupil of his eyes dilated with her image. She penetrated his chest and dug out his beating heart. She enjoyed the horrified look on his face as he watched his own heart being crushed in her hand. He grabbed his chest, and then dropped dead to the ground. The last image he saw was a haughty smirk on her beautiful lips.
†††††
Lucifer let out a low, aggravated growl in front of Chevalier and disappeared.
"He really is rude," Chevalier complained when he suddenly found himself alone in the middle of the conversation.
"Chevalier, come quick!" Bi yelled out. She came running to him with the laptop in her arms. She placed the laptop on the table for him to see. "It's on live stream, Chevalier, its Fey-I mean Kali! They're hunting her down like an animal!"
Chevalier glued himself to the laptop when he saw Kali leap from one building to the next. There were many helicopters shooting at her from above. Behind the reporter, he could see an army of gunmen chasing her.
"What's going on here?" Chevalier asked in frustration. "Why are they after her?"
"...the government would not disclose the detail of the experiments, but the mayor did issue a complete shutdown after the entire central laboratory was destroyed. Please do not attempt to leave your homes..."
"Do you think she's hurt?" Bi asked. "She's covered in blood!"
"Bi, stay here," he instructed, and then he was gone. Even though they had the talk, it still stunned her to see someone to just disappear like that. She should have been more surprised, but over the years, it was just basic math.
It was not like Chevalier was good at hiding it, either. It wasn't just his exterior appearance, although it did raise a lot of questions. He ate whatever she cooked, but sometimes he completely forgot that he was supposed to feel hunger and went days without food. He didn't get sick or tired, and his body was always a cool, like a marble statue. He didn't sleep either, although he did make it seem like he went to bed each night. He didn't know that she could hear everything he did around the apartment at night. Turns out, it wasn't just insomnia.
She was startled when she turned around to see a young man just as tall as Chevalier standing by the door. She hadn't heard him come in. His platinum hair and blue eyes rendered her speechless for a long moment. Somewhere in her memories, she recalled the seeing beautiful platinum hair and angelic blue eyes.
He brushed her out of the way and then placed the girl in his arms onto the sofa. She was so completely absorbed with his appearance that she had not noticed the girl he was carrying. It should have been the first thing she saw.
"What's wrong with her?" Bi asked as she approached the girl. She placed a hand on the girl's forehead and then withdrew it right away.
"Don't touch her," he warned.
"She's cold as ice! Is she...dead?" Bi said in an alarmed tone. Bi backed away from him. "Did you...kill her?"
She tripped on the carpet and fell to the ground. Even then, she slowly inched toward the wall. "Chevalier never told me your kind kills for food..."
"What it is with you humans and jumping to conclusions?" Trent asked. Then he took another sniff of her. "No, I'm not quite sure what you are."
"So...you didn't kill her?" Bi needed confirmation.
"Adria!" Trent called out into the open space. A female form materialized before them. "Take care of my Mother's body. If anything should happen to her, I will hold you responsible."
The female demon obediently bowed. "Anything for you, my Trent."
"She's your mother? But she's so young..."
When she returned her attention to him, he was already gone. She must have come on a bad day, Bi thought.
†††††
A series of bullets flew with the rhythm of the firearms. Their speed couldn't match hers. They were fooled many times by her after-image, and they feared that nothing could stop her. She was a force to be reckoned with.
They didn't know who she was or what she was. They were sent on the sole mission of taking her out, but at this rate, it may be an impossible task.
She stopped.
She turned to face them. Her violet eyes sent an unsettling churning through their guts. A gust of wind swept by her frail figure and right before their eyes, she was gone.
She appeared again on the side of the helicopter. The pilot caught her in his peripheral vision, and before he could be shocked by her ability, he was free-falling to the ground. The other soldiers in the helicopter began to fire wildly at her. The bullets ricocheted off the invisible force field around her body and backfired at them. She leaped out into the air before the helicopter crashed into the buildings below. There was a roaring explosion on impact.
"Did she just do that?" The pilot of another helicopter could not believe what he had just witnessed. "Where did she go? Did we lose her?"
"I'm here," she whispered into his right ear. The windshield splattered with blood as the helicopter lurched towards the ground.
The screen went blank. He turned off his television and threw the remote aside. With a frustrated groan, Grant buried his face in his hands. This wasn't how he imagined it would work out. It had spun completely out of control and he was helpless to stop it from happening. If the government hadn't gotten involved, he was sure he could have helped her get rid of the demon inside of her before she went on a rampage like this. He was sure of it!
How confused and frightened she must have felt when they took her away. With all of the conspiracies going on, God knew what they did to her to trigger such rage. He wished he could have done thing differently, at least brought her to a place where no one could find her. Then, maybe then, she would returns to the admirable girl he knew.
He could have assumed that it was all an act, but he knew better. He had been with many women before, and he knew them like the back of his hand. Even if it was an act, she had nothing to gain from him. There was no reason for him to believe she was anything other than the person he saw. If not for this plague of a curse from that detestable demon, she would not have turned out this way. And she was protecting him. He could not understand why she was protecting him.
When he lifted his head from his hands, his eyes widened at the vision of her. She stood by the open window with the curtain flowing behind her. Her clothes and hair were drenched in blood. From what he had seen on the live stream, it may not have been hers. Her beautiful violet eyes that he once had found seductive were now sharp and pierced his soul.
"I supposed you came to kill me."
"I cannot forgive you," she said. Her voice had many layers besides her own. She raised her hand above her, displaying a set of razor sharp nails.
"If you think that I deserve to die just because I wanted to help you, then come at me!" He grabbed a hold of his shirt and ripped it open to reveal his scarred chest. She materialized in front of him. Her sharp nails traced his newly-healed scars, reopening them.
"Do you think that these could stop me?"
"Why should they?" he said with a wince. "I wouldn't mind a few more."
"Die!" She raised her hand and aimed at his heart. When Grant opened his eyes again, Chevalier had caught her by the wrist.
"No more of this," he said as he grabbed her other arm. His movements were so quick that Grant could not see them clearly. She struggled to free one of her hands and slashed him across the face. Chevalier regained control of her limbs and pressed her tightly against him to prevent any further movements. The openings from her sharp nails instantly healed.
"That really hurt, Kali," he said.
"You're just like her," Grant realized. "How?"
"You should take care of those wounds, or you're going to bleed to death. I'll take her off your hands now."
"Not until you answer me!" Grant grabbed Chevalier by the shoulder. "What are you? What is she? Do you have something to do with this?"
"We need to leave here before he arrives," Chevalier brushed Grant aside. "After he's done with those army brats, he's going to find his way here. And trust me. He will enjoy seeing her kill you."
"He?"
"I think I will enjoy that very much," Lucifer materialized into the room.
"Look what you've done!" Chevalier muttered an accusation. "I could have gotten her out of here."
Lucifer came to Kali's side and lifted her chin with his hand. She responded with a fearful look. "You did not listen," he said. "Things could have been much simpler."
"Don't touch her!" Grant shouted. "Can't you see that she's afraid of you?"
"What I do with her is none of your concern," he said without diverting his attention from her. "Awaken," he commanded.
"What's wrong?" Chevalier asked when she still struggled with him. "Did it not work?"
Lucifer drew her away from Chevalier and closer to him. "Kali, you are much stronger than you think. Awaken."
Chevalier shook her by the shoulders. "Can you not hear him, Kali? He asked you to wake up."
"It is too late for you to get her back," the instinct said. There was a triumphant but unsteady tone in her voice. "She cowers deep inside her sleep. She cannot hear you now."
When Chevalier looked to Lucifer for an answer, he found Lucifer's anger directed at Grant. A storm brewed above them.
"Lucifer! Now is not the time for this!" Chevalier tried to become the voice of reason. "We need to find out if there is a way to revert this."
"She did not want me to take your insignificant life, but if you make me lose her again, I vow that you and your kind will suffer extinction!"
"You almost sound like you care about her," Grant scoffed.
Lucifer grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the wall. He dropped to the ground and coughed out blood that quickly seeped into the carpet. He slowly got up. He wasn't about to give up, he was going to challenge the demon again. But they had already disappeared from his apartment.
†††††
She huddled at the corner of the cage like a frightened animal. He had neglected her for several hours now, time he'd spent watching over his bride's corpse. Her body was limp and lifeless, like the day he buried her over a decade ago.
"Arvin would not have handed her back so easily," Lucifer finally said.
"Yes," Chevalier agreed. They both seemed to be ignoring the excessively loud mob and tanks right outside the mansion. "Adria informed me that when Trent brought her back, he was acting very strange."
"I must confess," Trent walked into their conversation, "I didn't expect my day to go this way."
"Where have you been?" Chevalier asked.
"I was attacked by an army when I went out searching for her," he said plainly, "but that is unimportant. I was summoned by Arvin and the others. He asked for an exchange, her body for my brother."
"I thought an instinct can't be removed," Chevalier looked to Lucifer.
"So did I, until I woke up without one," Trent grumbled. He walked toward the cage. "They've done terrible things to her."
She snarled back at him.
"What did they do to her, exactly?" Chevalier asked.
"I tracked down her scent to the laboratory," Trent began. "By then, it was already a massacre. I watched through their surveillance videos and saw the cruel things they did to her. If you had seen how they tested and ruthlessly dissected her, it would make your blood boil."
"They dissected her?" Chevalier growled. He slammed his fists against the mahogany desk and split it in half. The impact caused the floor beneath it to crack for several meters. "Lucifer, has a demon ever recovered from being consumed by his own instinct?" Chevalier asked, but he did not receive an answer.
"I fear she may be in far too deep," Trent turned to Lucifer, "and you are responsible."
"Lucifer, do something!" Chevalier demanded. "You can't just let her stay like this! When will you stop that indifferent attitude of yours? Do you realize that she may have to stay like this forever? She's your wife, for goodness sake!"
"Do you expect me to wallow in my own tears to express a great pain that I have nothing to compare to? Why must I let you know of my frustration of being a man with absolute power, but who cannot even protect the one he wants to defend? I do not need you or anyone to acknowledge how I feel, that is solely for me to know."
"I did not hand her over to you just for this to happen!" Chevalier aimed his punch at Lucifer's face. It was a little bit of a shock when he didn't dodge. "I actually wanted to do that for a long time," Chevalier confessed.
"Now that you got that off your chest," Lucifer headed out and threw back over his shoulder, "I have a promise to keep."
Chevalier suddenly remembered. "You can't be serious about the extinction crap, right? Right?" Chevalier pushed Trent toward the door. "Go stop him or we'll all have to go live in Hell!"
Seth had been staring at the egg for a while now. He had never seen a live one before, and it fascinated him to watch how his kind came to be. Aside from his unconventional birth, he was the same as any other demon. More powerful, in fact, but pale in comparison to what Arvin used to be before Lucifer stripped him of his powers. All he had now was a bunch of novice spells and a room full of Soren's potions.
He wondered how long he had to wait before the egg hatched. If it would hatch within this century, it would be nice. He would have the rare opportunity of observing how a true demon develops and compare it to his own experience.
Seth put the egg into his bag and walked into the throne room when he heard a hearty laugh from his father. Arvin hasn't laughed like that in a long time.
Arvin turned to face him. "Do you feel that?" he asked.
Seth tried to sense something strange in the atmosphere but found nothing worth noting. "What am I supposed to feel?" he replied.
"Lord Lucifer is angry with the humans," Arvin said with a wide grin on his face. He strode toward Seth. "He has ordered their extinction. Seth, transport us to the Earth Realm. We must not be late."
Seth obediently drew his summoning circle on the ground. He held Arvin close to him as they sunk into the circle. When they arrived at the other side, they were greeted by a fleet of demons. They lowered their heads to Arvin as a sign of respect.
"I am late, after all," Arvin smiled.
"Did they all answer Lucifer's command?" Seth asked.
"Yes," Arvin replied as he brushed by him. "It's in our blood. His rage is ours."
As his father walked away from him, Seth felt the eerie gap between them growing larger. He stood on one side of the cliff now, while Arvin and his demons stood on the other. He was alone. He could not feel Lucifer's rage. He could not even hear the summoning. He had never been one of them.
He was nothing more than genetic DNA stolen from Arvin while he slumbered. It was no wonder Arvin never acknowledged him. There were never any connections between them. He might possess a demon's appearance and power, but he was something else entirely.
He watched as Arvin and the other demons disappeared into the night. He wondered if this battle was even his own. He highly doubted they needed him, or even wanted him to be there.
With a deep breath, he transported into Lucifer's mansion.
†††††
Chevalier stared worriedly out of the windows. He did not need to see them to know that they had gathered in the city. They numbered in hundreds, if not thousands. It would take them no time at all to tear this place to shreds. The extinction of mankind would not be far behind.
He was also angry at their treatment of her, but they had already paid the price. They were slaughtered and their corpses were blown to bits. Lucifer had to make an entire race pay. His headache returned.
"I was wrong," a voice said.
Chevalier turned around and discovered Seth standing by the door. "Shouldn't you be with your hordes?"
"You and I have more in common than Trent and I," Seth said. He pulled out the egg from his bag and handed it over to Chevalier. "I do not need it to solve any mysteries."
"What is it?" Chevalier stared at the clear egg. There was a golden core inside.
"This is Trent's other self."
Chevalier accepted the egg with both of his hands. "Is this..."
"Inside that egg is a demon's core. As the egg matures, the core will grow the flesh and bones around it, creating the demon. It can store vast knowledge and is virtually indestructible. Only two weapons in existence can break it: Michael's sword and Lucifer's Bow. For some weaker demons, the poison from blackthorn can stop it from functioning. The core itself is the demon's true immortality. Even if they are blown to bits, as long as the core is intact, the demon will rise against as if nothing ever happened. It will take some time, of course, for the core to reconstruct the demon's body. That is when the demon goes into hibernation, a sleep that may take thousands of years. At this stage, you must protect the egg until she hatches, because the core is still very soft."
"You sound as if you're leaving a will."
Seth turned away. "Unlike other demons, I do not have a core. I was created from genetic materials...a defective copy. That is probably why I cannot feel...never mind that. If I get decapitated or anything like that, I would surely die."
"Do I have one?" Chevalier asked out of curiosity.
"I wasn't around when Soren made you a demon. I wouldn't know how you came to be. There is a chance you do have one, or maybe you don't. If I had to guess, I would highly doubt it. A demon's core cannot be artificially created. Even by mating, the creation of one is extremely rare. Arvin had to spend thirteen years searching just for an inactive one. That is probably why the demons prized Trent."
Seth was distracted by the entrance.
Chevalier turned his attention toward the door. "You shouldn't make eavesdropping a habit," he said, knowing very well Hana was right outside. He faced Seth once again when he realized she had dashed off. "Why do you want to give it to me?"
"Arvin left it in my care, but I don't think he needs it anymore. When Lucifer summoned him, he had found his purpose again. But what is my purpose?"
"Why must there be a purpose?" Chevalier asked. "Without a purpose, you are free to do as you want."
"What is a bird that cannot fly? What is an instrument that cannot make a sound?" Seth asked in a sad and almost philosophical tone. "I am broken."
"Those kinds of thoughts will exhaust you," Chevalier turned toward the woman inside the cage. She stared back at him with hostility in her eyes. "If you do not have a purpose, find something you can love and make it your purpose. That will keep your head busy for a long, long time."
The two demons jerked their head toward the windows when they felt another presence in the room. The Archangel Michael stood before them in blinding light. The light quickly faded away.
"Do you have to be so flashy?" Seth asked.
"Did I miss Lucifer?" Archangel Michael tried to sense Lucifer within the mansion. "I believe I have."
"You're here just in time, Michael," Chevalier said. "Lucifer is on a rampage, and you've got to stop him from destroying everything!"
"If he is busy, I will come back another time," the Archangel smiled.
"Wait..." Chevalier raised a brow. "You're not going to stop him? He promised the extinction of mankind! Isn't it your job to stop him?"
"You have grossly misinterpreted our roles," Archangel Michael replied. "Besides the minor detail that I have promised to not interfere with his affairs, it is within his power and rights to do as he deems fit."
"You're just going to let him do whatever he wants?"
"Yes," he answered. He walked toward Kali's body and swept her bangs from her pretty face. "It was only a matter of time before the Earth cleanses itself again. If mankind survives, which I have no doubt when it comes to their persistence, they will just start over anew and wait for the next cleansing. It will be interesting to find out if Lucifer or mankind will prevail in the end. I just hope Lucifer does not overexert and exhaust himself like he did last time, or else I would not have anyone half as interesting to talk to for the next ten thousand years."
Chevalier massaged the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Are you sure you're enemies?" Chevalier asked cynically.
The Archangel gave him a faint smile and disappeared.
"Well, I'll be damned."
He looked to the demoness in the cage and saw she was smiling mockingly at him.
"There is no helping it. I don't see why you would want to," Seth said to him and exited the room. "I will take my leave."
"What are you smiling at?" Chevalier yelled. "If you don't let go of Kali soon, I'll lose my tempter and make you disappear."
"You will not harm me as long as she is still inside," the instinct replied. "I am safe. As long as I have her as a shield, I am safe."
"Do you really think so?" Chevalier approached closer to the cage. "You're right, I may not be able to do anything about it, but Lucifer will."
The instinct flinched at his name.
"You know it too, don't you?" Chevalier unlocked the cage and opened the door. "You can run now, but he will always be able to find you. He will hunt you down like an animal and he will squeeze the life out of you with his two hands. If he cannot have what he wants, he would rather break it."
"I have put a lot of effort into taking control of this body," she retorted. "I refuse to return to darkness!"
"If it is control that you want then take that body," Chevalier gestured toward Kali's corpse. "It may not be powerful, but it is immortal. If you must cling to the one you have now, then you also wait for your death."
Chevalier walked away from the cage at let her have the room to decide. "Your days are numbered."
"He will not kill me?" The instinct asked cautiously. "He will let me go?"
"I will personally guarantee it."
†††††
The thunder rumbled angrily across the sky. The ominous thunderclouds were boiling with tremendous energy and shadowed everything in their path. Trent stopped in his tracks when he saw fire bolts falling from the sky to the center of the city. At the sight of him, people closed their doors and windows out of fear.
The dark angels flew above him towards his same destination. Trent took himself to the location where he felt his father's presence the strongest. He saw Lucifer in mid-air. Below him was an army hundreds of thousands. Behind him were a fleet of demons, all under his command.
It appeared that he had entered in the middle of the conversation.
"We will rid the earth of you evil fiends!" the commander of the tanks below yelled. "We will blast you into oblivion!"
"Such big words for a little man," a front demon mused. "You speak of evil as if you knew what it was."
"You are the ones who are the embodiment of evil," the commander retorted. "You infested the earth with your evil! You find your way into the hearts of good men and turned them against their better judgments! I know who you are. You are the plague that has been terrorizing our kind for thousands of years!"
"Are you a representative of your kind?" Lucifer asked.
"In this situation, yes."
"Very well," Lucifer said. "Then perhaps you can tell me in specific details of our evil deeds."
"There are too many to mention!" the commander shouted after a short hesitation. "You should be the ones explaining yourselves! Why are you declaring war on us?"
"Your choice of words amuses me. In order to declare war with you, we must first find you our equals. However, this is not the case. You are here to hear my judgments."
"Judgments?"
"I have watched your kind since your first steps on the face of this Earth. I grew weary with your progress and your inability to change. Your kind never failed to repeat the mistakes of your predecessors. You pushed your limitations to grounds that were never meant for you, and in doing so, killing the mother who had bountifully provided for your kind. You evolved into nothing more than parasitic life forms and placed her into a position of distress. You are motivated purely by your own greed and have convinced yourselves that every ounce of human nature is good. You set out to wage war to destroy one another at repetitive intervals, but refused your own part of the responsibility. It is always some outside evil that possessed you to do something out of character. Whether it is your greed or your denial of your own evil, I could simply overlook those things. After all, I have tolerated you for millions of years."
"Then why now?" the commander asked. "Why do you want to destroy us now?"
"Why?" Lucifer appeared in front of the man and startled him. "You want to know why? I will tell you. I want to destroy you because you broke something precious of mine that I can never replace. If I must live an eternity in desolation, then I will make all of you pay the same price."
"W-what did we take from you?" the commander stuttered. He could already see his life flashing before his eyes.
Trent placed a hand on Lucifer's shoulder. "You cannot make them pay for our loss."
When Lucifer turned to him, Trent realized he had made an error in phrasing his sentence. "There are innocent people who have nothing to do with this. Please don't make them suffer the same fate."
"Give me one good reason why I should not."
"Because, Father," Trent lowered his eyes. "I am a demon as much as I am them. Her blood flows in my veins. If you want to drive humankind into extinction, the last two people you need to destroy are Mother and I."
†††††
Kali gasped when she opened her eyes and saw her own face staring back at her. The instinct turned to Chevalier.
"May I go now?" she asked in a polite tone that shocked him.
"Yes," Chevalier approved. A smile lit her face as she exited the door.
Chevalier helped Kali up from the cold table on which she was lying. She brought a hand to her forehead when she felt an overwhelming headache.
"What was that about?" Kali asked. "Skye acted more pleasant than I remembered. I thought she would lash out at me."
"She's not Skye," Chevalier replied. "Those scientists forced you to hide so deep in your conscience that you couldn't even hear Lucifer calling you. Before you get mad at me, just know that I did it in your best interest. I traded your body to the instinct in order to give you back control."
"I see," she said in a timid tone. She did not look as disappointed as he had previously been afraid.
"You are not angry?" Chevalier asked, just to be sure.
"Why should I be angry with you? You did what you had to do," she sighed. "I deliberately disobeyed him. He must be very upset."
"You tell me, he's mobilizing his army and promised the extinction of the human race."
Her brows knit together. "Why would he do such a thing?"
"I don't know...maybe because he's Lucifer and he's pissed?" Chevalier shrugged.
"Would he..." there were doubts in her voice, "would he listen to me?"
"More importantly, Michael said that if Lucifer goes berserk and exhausts himself, he may have to go back to sleep," Chevalier misquoted the Archangel. "If anyone could stop him, it would be you."
She was way ahead of him. She ran out of the door before he had the chance to follow.
Chevalier became distracted by the sound of echoing chimes. His eyelids became increasingly heavy to mimic physical exhaustion that he hadn't felt in a long time. A ripple effect blew across his mind. When he opened his eyes again, he saw her running toward the city center from the street below the balcony. She had not yet learned how to trace as a demon, or else she would have been long gone. He appeared in front of her.
She gasped at his sudden appearance and was unable to stop herself in time. She thought she was going to fall down from the impact, but he held her firmly by the shoulders. She jerked her head up to look at him.
"Let me give you a lift," he said to her as he swept her up off her feet. She found herself in a different location each time they made a transition.
When they arrived, they were surprised to see Arvin in the conflict as well. Lucifer summoned a blue flame arrow from thin air and drew it back on the string of his bow. Arvin's eyes glowed fiercely with anger. "This is the second time you used Ragnarok against me, Lucifer," he said between grinded teeth.
"Good-bye, Arvin," Lucifer said in a cold and almost cruel tone. He launched the arrow at Arvin and felt a tightness squeeze his chest. He wanted to look away, but it was something he must witness for himself. His brother deserved at least that.
Arvin's eyes widened when he felt an arm wrap around his neck. He discovered Seth's body shielding his own. The arrow penetrated Seth's back with immaculate precision. If his son had not shielded him, it would have surely broken his core. He looked to Seth with a question, but that question quickly dissipated when he saw the smile on Seth's face.
"Please allow me to call you Fa-"
He could not finish his sentence. His body transformed into gray ashes and crumbled in Arvin's arms.
"He was a nuisance, anyways," Arvin said coldly, but his tears exposed his lie.
"Lucifer!" Kali called out to him.
Time stood still for several moments as Lucifer startled in recognition. Before she jumped into his embrace, she walked passed him toward Arvin. She raised her hand above her head and slapped him across the face. "This slap is for what you put me through!"
Before he could retaliate, she made use of her demon strength and slapped him again. "This is for what you put Lucifer through!"
The demons were growling quietly. If Lucifer were not present, they would have ripped her to shreds for such an act against their kind.
"If you were half the humble servant you claimed to be, you would have never done what you did to him! How dare you make him choose between his family and the woman he loves? Why do you torment him with your plotting and planning? Is this how you serve him, Arvin?"
She delivered another slap to his face. "And this is for you! You put yourself through so much pain because of your jealousy and your pride! You were so blinded by your assumptions that you destroyed the bond that was so precious to you!"
She lowered her voice. "Did you ever ask your demons why Lucifer killed Soren? Lucifer did not kill Soren because of me, like you thought. He did it to save our newborn! Soren wanted our baby dead, that's why he was killed!"
Arvin searched himself to piece the information together. He then looked to his demons for the truth, which they provided by avoiding his eyes.
"Why can't you see that as his wife, I can never replace his brother? If you were half the brother you claim you are, you would have known that nothing could replace or take away the bond between you and Lucifer. Despite his rage, he spared your life, Arvin. He would have never hesitated if another attempted what you did. Does that not tell you how important you are to him?"
His eyes were screened with a thick layer of tears. He looked to Lucifer then appeared in front of him. "Forgive me, Lucifer," he said as he wrapped his arms around him. "Forgive me, brother, for what I did not understand."
Lucifer quickly turned around and created a force field to block the oncoming shots. The force field expanded toward the army and caused an explosion. He looked to Kali to see if she was still safe and discovered the wicked Hana diving towards her back with the used arrow. He raced toward the woman to stop her, but the deed had already been done.
Chevalier ran to her as fast as his power allowed and caught her before she fell to the ground. He turned her to face him, praying to his God, any Gods, to save her. Her violet eyes turned away from him and searched for Lucifer, who stood within her reach. She gazed into his cold ethereal blue eyes and for her last moment, reached out to him.
Chevalier held her closer possessively and guided her face toward him. He softly whispered to her, begging her to look him in the eyes. Abruptly, her body hardened and crumbled in his arms. He watched her ashes slipping out of his fingers and felt a great loss stab through his heart.
He let out a scream like a wounded animal ready for slaughter. His pain could be felt through the vibrations of his coarse voice. He looked down to her ashes again with blurry vision and trembling hands. He closed his fists tightly to hold on to what was left of her before the wind wisped her away. He let out another scream as if he was being torn from limb to limb. Once was enough. Once was more than enough! He could not watch her die again.
He wished that she would have left him dead.
All thoughts of saving this wretched planet drowned in his golden eyes. He found himself in a strange agreement with Lucifer. This world had brought her nothing but heartache. If even he and Lucifer could not grant her a simple wish, there was no justice in this world.
He had been a complete hypocrite. He had tried to convince Lucifer to see the good in this world, when he himself saw none. He wanted to be the good guy, to be the hero who stood by these humans because he was once one of them. All along, the answers had been staring at him in the face. He had always hated himself for being one of them. Chivalry had long been dead, but he was too stubborn to admit it. No one gave a damn about one another, anymore. All that occupied their minds were their own selfish thoughts and the precious minutes of the day. Why did he want to save a world where most consciences were traded in for more time? Anger swallowed him whole and he heard a voice he hadn't heard for the longest time. His golden eyes glowed viciously with rage.
Chevalier let out a horrified scream at his vision. His body perspired profusely while his heart throbbed inside his chest. He suddenly realized what had happened was only the shadows of his premonition. Still, he could not stop himself from trembling. His pain felt all too real for him to simply dismiss it as an overactive imagination.
"Chevalier? What's wrong?" Hana's voice startled him. When her face entered his view, he felt the same heated rage from his vision. He pushed her aside when she tried to reach for his face. Hana was confused and frightened. She could not understand why his usual cold attitude toward her suddenly turned hostile after what was a mere minute of time.
"Are you even yourself?" she screamed at him.
He took a long and necessary moment to gather himself. He was in too much distress to be able to think rationally. Even though his vision showed him a cruel and regrettable future, he could not blame her for a crime she had yet to commit. For all he knew, his vision could have just been a figment of his imagination. He had been wrong before.
His heart still beat frantically inside his chest. The sorrow and rage still lingered in the back of his mind. He had lost Kali once, and he'd be damn if he lost her again. He would hate anything and everything in his vision. Even if there was only a small chance of such an event, he would not allow such thing to happen. The woman may look innocent now, but she was nothing more than a vile serpent motivated by greed and jealousy. If he allowed her to live, she would pose a threat to Kali. It may not be now, but there would be a day when she would sink her venomous fangs into Kali while she lay asleep.
He leaned his body to the side when she reached out for him again. She still could not understand why her touch would repulse him. All she could see in his eyes was rage and more rage. She suddenly felt a jolt of panic surging through her body.
"Chevalier?" she called out his name, hoping that she could call him back to his senses. He approached her step by step and she retreated until her back met the wall. "Chevalier, please, you're scaring me!"
He stood only inches from her now and he could see the fear dancing in her eyes. She winced when he inched himself closer.
"Please," she begged, "Chevalier, please don't scare me like this. At least let me know what I did wrong."
"What you did wrong, you ask?" Chevalier inquired and she nodded. "I suppose you didn't do anything any girl wouldn't do. Your hypocrisy, your greed, and your jealously are nothing out of the ordinary."
She wanted to protest his accusations, but his once-gentle golden eyes now struck fear into her heart.
"You are just like the rest of this filthy world," he said in a disgusted tone. "No, you are part of this vile world. You lived your happy life because of the misery of others and without an ounce of remorse. I have never questioned Kali's choice in friends or lack of them, but you Hana, make me sick to my stomach. If it helped you out, you wouldn't mind stepping all over Kali. Your heart is devoid of any kind of compassion. It is pitch black, like your soul."
"What are you going to do me?" she stuttered.
"I will end your sorry existence," he declared in a tone so cold, it made her shiver.
"And you think you're doing some sort of justice?" Hana retorted.
"No. I don't believe in fairness or justice, or anything of the sort. Those things do not exist in this world." He placed a cold hand on her throat. She began to squirm in panic. "I must kill you to prevent your black heart from hurting the woman I love any further. I have never taken a life before, but what do I care about my soul or my conscience when it comes to her? I may always have to live with what I've done to you, but that is better than the alternative. I don't want her to be the memory."
He applied strength to his fingers and heard her slender neck break in half. Blood flowed out of her mouth to drip onto his hand. He let go of her, allowing her corpse to drop to the ground. He brought his bloodstained hand up to his eyes and stared at it until the blood became cold. "Better your life than hers."
From the corner of his eyes, he saw a shaking figure standing by the door. He turned to her and she fell onto the ground in fear. She felt her eyes on him, like a lamb would a wolf.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Bi." Emotions were devoid from his voice now. "It had to be done."
She took a moment to gather herself and then slowly approached the corpse. With shaking hands, she grabbed the corpse's hands and began pulling on it with all of her strength.
"What are you doing?" Chevalier asked.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Bi said with great irritation. "I'm getting rid of the mess you've made!"
Even though she sounded tough, he could see the tears in her eyes. He reached out to her. "Stop," he said. He felt her flinch from his touch.
She noticed it too. "I'm sorry..." she cried. "I don't know why I did that.""It's perfectly normal," Chevalier sighed. "Leave her be."
"And then what? Watch you get put away for life?" She wiped the tears from her face. "I have to dump her body in the pond out back, or maybe bury her in the basement...or..."
"I said, stop!" Chevalier shouted. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "This has nothing to do with you! I don't want you to stain your hands with this! No man would want his daughter to carry this burden!"
She pulled away from him. "I'm not your daughter!" she denied it with all of the strength of her voice. "I've never seen you as a father figure!"
He took a stunned step back.
She pushed him aside and resumed dragging the body. "I know what can't be! You killed this woman for the one you love. Why can't I dirty my hands and clean it up for the one I love?"
She became quiet. When he knelt down next to her, he could see the streams of tears from her eyes.
"You raised me until now, and I'd be an ungrateful brat if I can't even do this for you," she stammered.
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed in his arms. He could still feel her body trembling from the shock. "This woman does not deserve our guilt. Go wash off the blood. I'll get rid of the body."
Chevalier jerked up like prey that had just sensed a predator nearby. The crystal chandelier above jangled, the noises mixing together to create a sharp symphony. The earth rumbled ferociously and shook the mansion. Chevalier covered Bi's body with his own to protect her from the fallout. He could feel the ring of energy originating from the center of the city amidst the noise of Bi's panicked screams.
"Oh, naughty me," The intent was to be humorous, but it came out dry. "I guess she didn't make it in time."
"Chevalier, shouldn't you go save the world?" Bi asked between frightened screams.
"I'm not sure if I want to."
"Chevalier?"
"If you just spend one day on a train with their every human thought, you would find this is a very ugly place," He looked down at her large, confused eyes and sighed. Her hazel eyes reminded him of Kali's honey ones. That was probably what made him take her under his wing. "I suppose there are some things still worth preserving," he turned to his side. "Adria?" he called out to the demoness.
There was no reply. "What was that spell again?" Chevalier muttered to himself. When he remembered, he cast a protection circle around Bi. "This should be enough to protect you from the fallout."
"Chevalier, I want to come, too," she protested.
"I have a feeling it will be too dangerous to take you along with me. I would be distracted," Chevalier lowered his head to take the bag off from around his neck and entrusted it to Bi. "This is very important, Bi. Take it wherever you go. When this is over, I'll come back for you both."
She held the bag close to her chest and nodded in compliance.
Chevalier took a moment to locate Kali and traced to her. As in his visions, she was unable to stop herself in time and ran right into him. He caught her by the shoulders and she jerked up to look at him.
The ground beneath them grumbled again. At the first sign of trouble, Chevalier secured her arms around his neck and spread his wings. They were high above the city, where the earthquake could not reach them. The street below began to crack and tear apart. The rifts spread wider apart until the buildings along the street sunk into their depths. From their view of the city, they could see random buildings collapsing in the distance. The debris leaped into the air like sand-colored smoke.
"Look," Chevalier pointed toward the West. "The ocean..."
Kali's gaze followed Chevalier's forefinger and saw the water receding rapidly far off shore. After a moment of absolute silence, the water returned with a vengeance. Its tall waves crashed above the city's tide barrier and invaded the streets with terrifying power. The waves had turned to a muddy color and swept along everything in their path.
The second waves came in with such a great amount of water that the deep rifts created by the earthquakes earlier could not swallow them all. A number of people were being swept away by the strong current, along with houses and vehicles. Their screams for help lasted only seconds before the water swallowed them whole.
"We cannot waste time," Chevalier said to Kali when he saw the tears in her eyes. "The time we waste to save a few lives could devastate millions. We must find Lucifer."
She reluctantly agreed.
By the time they reached the city's center, it was half underwater and completely deserted. Chevalier frantically searched for the smallest clue of where the demons were heading. He flew in several different directions until he landed on top of a tall building.
"They're scattered," he said with heavy frustration.
"Where's Lucifer?" she inquired.
"Damn it, I don't know..." He shuffled his hair. "There are too many scents in the air. I can't tell which belongs to Lucifer."
"What do we do?" she asked nervously. "We have to find him."
"We don't know where to begin," Chevalier reminded her. He looked up at the angry thunderclouds above and let out a low agitated groan. "If we keep standing out here, we're going to be struck by lightning. I don't know how demons fare with hundreds of millions of volts, but I don't want to find out."
"We have to find Lucifer, Chevalier," she insisted.
"I know, Kali, and we will," he assured her. "We need to find shelter in a building first." He swept her into his arms and jumped to a closed window below. He gained his footing on the railing and forced his entrance through the window. The lock broke as if it were a mere toy. He helped her before entering. He turned around quickly and tried to close the window securely without the lock. He turned around when he felt a tug on his shirt.
He followed her gaze to the frightened family hiding in the corner of the room. The man was holding a kitchen knife in a defensive position while the woman was covering the young children with her own body. The man's trembling hands betrayed his aggressive glares.
"We won't hurt you. We'll only stay for a little bit," Kali assured them. She could see from their uneasiness that they did not trust her words. She returned her attention to Chevalier, who was staring out of the window worriedly.
"Stay here with them, Kali. I have to go fetch Bi." He walked past her and headed toward the door. The family fearfully backed away from his path. "She must be so scared alone."
He returned an hour later with the crying girl in one hand and a half-full garbage bag in the other. Canned food rolled out of the bag when he dropped it to the floor. The noise startled the family and the girl.
"I'm sorry, Chevalier," the girl sobbed. "Please don't stay mad at me." When Kali came closer to comfort the girl, she jerked away. "I'm so sorry," she cried out loud.
"Chevalier, what happened?" Kali asked.
"It just gets worse and worse," Chevalier muttered. He turned toward the frightened family. "Do you have any clean clothes?" he asked. When the father pointed toward the room to the left, Chevalier gestured Bi to go into the room. "Find something your size and change out of your wet clothes or you'll be sick."
She complied.
"Will she be alright? She seemed frightened of me."
"Kids are like that when they've done something wrong," he sighed. "It's not completely her fault, anyways. I'm just in a very bad mood right now."
"It's happening all over the world," she briefly pointed toward the television. "It's not just this city. People are dying everywhere."
"I figured as much."
"Do you think it's my fault?"
"What?" He jerked his head as if he'd been hit by a baseball bat. "Kali, you should stop blaming yourself for everything. The humans started it. I was just as angry as Lucifer after what they did to you."
"We were humans," she reminded him. "How can you speak of them as if we're something else entirely?"
"We are something else, Kali," he said, then shook his head. "That's not that point. The point is they got what's coming to them. That may sound cruel, but that's a fact. I'm sick of this cold and ruthless society. If it weren't for you and Bi, I wouldn't give a damn."
"Has twenty years changed you that much, Chevalier?" Her violet eyes searched his golden ones.
He reached for her dainty hand and placed it on his warm chest. "My view of the world may have changed, Kali, but my view of you can never be changed. Twenty years and my heart still beats for the same woman,"
She slowly withdrew her hand, but he tightened his grasp. "We were very happy, do you remember, Kali? We were going to have a family together. We can still have that. As of now, you still have a choice. Lucifer doesn't know about what happened. We can be together, Kali."
She turned away to avoid his gaze. "This isn't a good time, Chevalier."
"There won't be any other time." He guided her eyes back to meet his. "A chance like this will never occur again."
"Why are you bringing this up now, Chevalier?" she asked in a half-broken, half-blaming tone.
"Because..." he pulled her closer to his chest, "I cannot lose you a second time, Kali. I will lose my mind. I don't want to continue to be the idiot who sacrificed everything for your happiness. I want to be the bastard by your side."
She pushed against his chest to free herself and slapped him across the face. His head snapped to the side. When he turned back to face her, streams of tears were sliding down her cheeks. "You have no right," she said, trying to keep her voice strong. "You have no right to say that."
"Kali..." He reached out for her, but she smacked his hand away.
"You have no right to say that to me after you left me!" she shouted at him. "You have no right to want a family with me after you walked out of my life! Don't make me hate you more for what you did by saying that now!"
"I wanted you to be happy," he said, taking a step toward her. "You were in love with Lucifer, I..."
"I can't help that my stupid heart loves him!" She shook her head. "But there are things even greater than love! Chevalier, if you had asked me, instead of abandoning me..."
"You were the one who abandoned me, Kali. You ripped out my insides when you stepped out of our home."
"I left because I was afraid of falling in love with you-" She gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. The words rolled off her tongue before she could stop them. She had been going to keep that secret to her grave.
His golden eyes flickered.
Their attention was diverted when the door to the bedroom opened. Chevalier knelt down to the garbage bag and rolled several cans toward the family still cowering in the corner. They were skeptical at first, but the hungry children wouldn't allow them to reject the offer. The father cautiously bent forward to reach for the rations.
The family had become accustomed to their presence the three days they'd camped out in the building. They seemed to have figured out that if these strange people wanted to hurt them, they could have done so in the beginning. Such simple logic had not occurred to their frantic minds at first. The mother heated up the canned foods each meal time and often invited them to the table. It was clear that she did so out of fear of offending them. Only Bi, the one who needed the comfort of food, accepted the invitation.
Many strange things had happened over the course of three days that made Kali felt restless. A violet aurora had appeared in the northeastern and southwestern sky after the thick thunderclouds dissipated. The water retreated back into the ocean almost overnight, and the survivors rejoiced as if they had won a great victory. They flooded the ruined city streets to look for their loved ones with high hopes that they would have escaped the wrath of ocean.
Still, these good signs were unsettling. It felt too quiet and too modest to be the work of Lucifer. The possibility that his anger had subsided and he had decided to return to Hell was unlikely. If she knew Lucifer like she thought she did, he was the type to hold a grudge until the bitter end. She knew for sure that it was the calm before a vicious storm. This was only the beginning.
If he had set things in motion as she predicted, there was only one place he could be. She ran out of the bedroom she shared with Bi and stopped at the sofa. He looked up at her from his horizontal angle.
"Lucifer is in Hell!" she exclaimed. "He must be."
"If he had gone through all the trouble to secure the destruction of the human race, why would he retreat to Hell?" Chevalier asked. It didn't make sense. "Hypothetically speaking, if I were in Lucifer's shoes, I would stay on earth to make sure my enemies had perished."
"That is, if he considers them his enemies at all."
His lips tightened. "If he is indeed in Hell, we can't do anything about it. Neither of us can enter without serious consequences."
"Can you open the gate of Hell?"
"I haven't attempted it since we left the last time." He caught her hand. "You can't go."
"I have to."
"I wasn't asking," he said firmly. "Your body was cursed, so your soul may be as well. Even though you're in Skye's body, you still can't take that kind of risk."
"I don't have time to think about that right now."
"I'll go."
"No," she told him flat out. "You can't gamble a life that isn't your own."
"If one of us has to go and beat some sense into Lucifer, I'd gladly volunteer for the job."
"I hate your sense of humor at times like this."
"Who said it was humor?"
She sighed. "I'm asking for your help, Chevalier. Whether you help me or not, I'll find Lucifer with or without you."
"You're asking me to send you to your death!" He was becoming increasingly agitated with her and it manifested in his voice.
"You don't know that."
"You're right!" he agreed. "I don't know anything! If I send you, I don't know if I will ever see you again! If you care so much for this goddamn forsaken world, then I'll go! It can rot as far as I'm concerned."
"You don't mean that," she said in a feeble voice. She was clearly hurt by his unusually nasty display.
"Don't tell me what to think! And if you knew even a little of why I'm acting this way, you wouldn't look at me like you are now."
"Why are you acting this way, Chevalier?"
"Are you going to say this behavior isn't like me? The only reason you look hurt that I raised my voice to you is because you are too used to me being gentle with you. If I continue to act that way, you'll never see how cruel you are to me. Send me to Hell to find your Lucifer, you say? Do you even know what kind of choice you're asking me to make?"
"I do know, and I'm sorry," she muttered as she closed her eyes to avoid his fierce gaze.
"No, you don't know!" he accused. "You act as if your welfare has nothing to do with me! You may not be a little girl who needs me to tend to your scrapes and bruises anymore, but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt me to watch you fall." He heaved a heavy sigh. "God, you are so dense! Forget we had this conversation."
"I don't have a choice," she told him.
"Don't give me that bullshit!" He turned around and cornered her against the wall. "Didn't I give you a choice when we first got here? There are always choices, Kali. You just need to stop focusing on a single option." He leaned in and kissed her. He had wanted to kiss her ever since they reunited. She didn't push him away, and when he broke the kiss, she gaped up at him with her violet eyes.
"Don't say it," he softly begged.
"Help me, Chevalier," she pleaded. "Please..."
"I told you not to say it," he said, gravely disappointed.
"You're the only one I can depend on. Please, my knight, I will never ask another favor from you again."
"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked, already half giving in.
She nodded. "Yes."
"I'll help you," he finally said the words she had wanted to hear, but before she could thank him, he pulled away from her. "But I have demands of my own."
"I'll come with you when this is-"
"No." He shook his head. "I don't want to carry you in my heart anymore. I used to be fine with being your shadow as long as I could be by your side to protect you, but now, I don't want to chase after you anymore. I want to forget you and move on. As long as I still love you, I'll inevitably be put into situations that make me wish that I was dead. It's too suffocating."
She became increasingly confused.
"If you really want me to send you to Hell, it's easy," he said as he took in a deep breath. "Tell me you never want to see me again."
She gasped when she realized his intensions and shook her head violently. "Why are you doing this?" she cried.
"Abandon me a second time, Kali. I'm sure I'll stay away for good. Even I have some pride."
"You know I could never say that!" she shouted out of frustration. "Chevalier, please don't make me do this. You're my family, the only true friend I have. How could you ask me to make such a cruel decision?"
"You think this is cruel? The choices you force on me are hundred times crueler."
"I won't say it," she firmly refused. She felt as if she couldn't breathe.
"Say it. You have to help me forget you, Kali. I can't do it on my own."
She bit her lower lip so hard that it bled. "Don't force me! You're asking for too big a sacrifice!"
"Are you willing to pay it for this horrible world?"
"I hated you," she cried. "I hated you so much for leaving me nineteen years ago. There were nights I just woke up and cried my heart out. If you leave me again, I won't forgive you, Chevalier. I'll curse you as long as I shall live!"
"Say it," he pressed on with a trembling voice.
He was still holding her in place when he felt movement within the earth. Another earthquake ripped through the damp streets. The strong energy released pushed them both against the wall next to the window. Kali pushed away from him to run up the slanted floor and look outside.
A massive body of water in the form of an enormous beast emerged from the ocean. She couldn't tell if it was a horse or a wolf. It pulled itself away from the rest of the water, and began rampaging through the streets. There were more of them rising from the water as the first hit the line of buildings next to the beach. In the distance, the mountains seemed to move. Another beast of rock and stone in the form of a bull rose from the ground. It violently shook off the excess rubble and trees attached on its back. A shocked prayer came out of her mouth.
Chevalier stood behind her with a cynical expression. "Don't tell me he has pets," he muttered.
Bi ran out of the bedroom with a terrified scream. She was pointing toward the side window in the bedroom. Another giant beast of fire was approaching, already dangerously close. She heard the people on the wet streets below screaming in horror. She imagined them running and tripping over each other to get away. Time was running out for her and for them. Time she could not afford seemed to stand still.
"I never..." She inhaled a substantial amount of air to finish her sentence, "I never wanted to see you again."
She felt her guts twist and pull apart at her own words. She could see the color draining from his eyes. He wasted no time in summoning an entrance to Hell with a spell he had heard once before. With an accepting nod, he summoned his sword and headed toward the window.
"Before you go," she said to him. He paused to listen to her last words. "I just wanted you to know that you've killed whatever was left of me today, Shiva. You took away my brother, my friend, my soul mate, and the last piece of my heart. I will never forgive you."
Kali had once been fascinated with this place of magic and mystery beyond her understanding. The memories of her first arrival to Hell promptly flooded back. The overlapping images of the past and the present brought her even more grief. Her memories of the past twenty years, her gains and her losses, danced in the reflections of her violet eyes.
Kali gazed down at her body to search for any areas of discomfort. When everything functioned as it should, she examined her mind for any sign of deterioration. Her mind and physical body seemed to be intact. The shell of the demoness had tricked Hell into accepting her for now, at least.
She stared into the distance to the familiar slanted city and its floating castle in the sky. She didn't recall such a vast distance between the gate and the castle the last time she was here. She estimated five miles, maybe more. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to fly or to trace like other demons, but at least the walk wouldn't tire her.
She followed the stone path and headed down the hill. She let out little surprised gasps now and then when the white grasses growing between the cracks of the path tugged at her feet. It wasn't hard to pull free, but it would get tedious if this continued for five miles. She turned back when she heard a low growl behind her.
A beast, one very similar to the creatures that had attacked before, was hunched low, keen eyes searching for an angle of attack. She turned and attempted to outrun the beast and the annoying weeds.
"I don't think he's chasing after you," she heard a voice from somewhere on top of the trees. She looked up to find the owner sitting on a red tree's branch. She turned back to confirm his claim and saw the beast carrying away its new prey, a grey, fluffy-looking creature.
She let out a sigh of relief and returned her attention to the tree branch. He was already gone. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around immediately. "You're jittery, aren't you?"
"A little..." she stammered.
"I supposed you want me to take you to Lucifer."
She gave him a blank stare. "I wasn't going to ask."
"Good, because I wasn't offering."
She raised a brow at his peculiarity. He was a demon, she knew that for sure. However, his personality was puzzling. "I can find him on my own."
"If you formally ask, I might help you."
"No, thank you," she refused and walked passed him.
"Wait, if you ask, I will help you."
"The question is why," she said as she walked on. If she had to struggle with these weeds and stop for chitchat, it would take her weeks to get there. "People don't just offer help and expect nothing in return, unless you're planning something against me."
"That's a grim view," he remarked. "We're not all like Soren, you know."
"I haven't heard that name in a while," Kali sighed. "So I guess you know who I am."
"No explanation needed. We're very well informed."
"Great," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "So where will you be leading me? Maybe to some pit that I can never crawl out of?"
"I can see why we won't get a long."
"Are you patronizing me?" she shot him a glare.
"Not at all, my lady," he flashed a dashing smile.
"What do you expect after what you guys put me through? You can't blame me for distrusting you."
"No, I cannot," he agreed.
"Why are you following me?"
"I'm not following you. We're just heading the same way."
Sure, she believed that. "You can trace, and fly, and summon. Why would you want to walk through these annoying grasses?" She stared at his feet and noticed that the grass didn't bother him. "That's not even fair. How are you doing that?"
"You have been a demon for a couple of months now, but you don't even know how to use your powers?" He sounded surprised. "Your friend, Chevalier, picked it up pretty quick. But maybe you don't want to talk about him, since you guys just had a fight before you came."
"Are you stalking me?" she paused and looked up at him. "How do you know so much?"
"I guessed," he shrugged.
"You lie."
"Of course, I lie. I wouldn't admit to stalking you." Then he flashed another smile at her. "Will you ask me for help now?"
She shook her head and continued to struggle with the damned grass. "No, go away."
"If you don't trust me, maybe I can teach you to use the skills."
"I'm not a fast learner."
"I will teach you anyways."
"I'm not listening."
"Just pretend I'm an annoying fly buzzing at your ear."
She narrowed her eyes. "Aren't you?"
"If you want that grass to stop bothering you, order it not to."
"Why would they listen to me?" she asked skeptically.
"Try it," he suggested.
"I order you to stop bothering me!" she yelled that the grass. She looked up at him when it didn't seem to work.
He was trying hard not to laugh. He tapped his forefinger on his temple. "Order them from here."
She decided to trust him one more time. With the order coming from her thoughts, the grass immediately freed her. She felt strangely accomplished.
"Are you sure you didn't do that for me?" She stared at him suspiciously.
"We can control anything and everything in this realm or the next with our thoughts. Although maybe I shouldn't have said 'anything and everything,' since there are a few exceptions, but you get the idea. We can create illusions and control what people perceive. Shape their mental image to anything we want them to see. That is lesson number one."
"I want to learn tracing," Kali requested. "I want to be able to move around easily."
Tracing was the seemingly effortless method the demons used to travel quickly between points in Hell, in the air, or on Earth.
"Tracing is a little harder to learn, but it gets easier and effortless with time. Eventually it will become second nature to you. First, calm all of your muscles. Locate the position of your feet and move your awareness up your body. You must know where every part of your body is at all times. Next, you need to be able to visualize where you want your body to be."
"What about places I've never been to?""Don't get ahead of yourself," he said. He pointed toward the bridge ahead. "Try and trace yourself there."
She did as he instructed and located every part of her body. When she had gained full awareness, she concentrated on the bridge. When she turned back to complain it didn't work, he was about thirty meters away from her. She looked around, and realized she was standing on the other side of the bridge. He traced toward her.
"You lied about being a slow learner," he said. It almost sounded like a compliment.
"I said I'm not a fast learner," she corrected him while wobbling from side to side. "I'm a little dizzy now."
"That happens to beginners, I guess?" he sounded unsure.
"You guess?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Why are you helping me?" she questioned a second time, with twice the skepticism. "I thought you demons hated me."
"The demons hated the choices Lucifer made for you. There is a difference. And I'm helping you because I want to," he clarified.
"I don't understand." She paused from walking and turned to face him. It was the first time she noticed the color of his eyes, green like the leaves of spring. His incredibly shiny, straight red hair was tide back neatly. "What choices did Lucifer made for me?"
"For one, he fed you his blood,"
"I know how that affected me, but why does it matter to you?"
"In order to keep you alive, Lucifer had forsaken his throne to live among the humans. In plain terms, how would a dog feel if he'd been abandoned by his master?"
"I understand the concept, but a dog?"
He chuckled. "We are simpler than humans in many ways. We are not motivated by greed or other worldly possessions. We are motivated by a purpose to keep us fulfilled. Serving our master gives us a sense of worth, and we take pride in that. If our master abandons us, we feel stripped of purpose. Do you know what it's like to live an eternity with no purpose? We might as well be rocks and stones on the side of the road. To us, Kali, there is no worse crime."
"But..." Kali tried to recall the events from her memories. "Even before that, you demons tried to kill me!"
"Some of the demons disliked you, but they didn't want you dead. You were a threat, but they couldn't do anything that would displease their master. Like I said before, not all of us are like Soren."
"Why did Soren plot against me?"
"We don't know for sure. In order to understand his motives, you must know who he was. The three demon lords and Lucifer were created in the first order of angels. In a sense, we are brothers. We share a connection stronger than any, and the demon lords would do anything for him. They had pledged him their eternal loyalty. Soren was the most devoted of the three, and the most protective as well. He would go to any length to entertain our bored master. I suppose he felt jealous, but we will never know for sure, will we?"
"I suppose not."
"I, for one, like you," he said with a smile.
"You do?"
"We may not agree on the matter, but we cannot deny that you make him happy. He was always bored with everything. Purposeless, I should say. There was no point in anything until you. He would do everything in his power to ensure your safety and happiness. For that, I must commend you on your feat."
They were quiet the rest of the way to the city. When they arrived, she felt tension in the atmosphere. They didn't hide this time, but stood their ground with eyes fixed on her. Kali straightened her shoulders and held her chin up high as she walked past the demons. She couldn't look weak to them now. She came here with a mission, and she wouldn't allow anyone to stop her before she saw it through.
Strangely, they let her pass. She didn't realize she had held her breath until she exhaled a large amount of air. Without looking back, she walked another half a mile to the base of the floating castle. This was a problem. There was no way she can climb it. Even if she could trace herself up there, she may fall onto the blackthorns.
"Depressing thought, isn't it?" The demon next to her said. "You still need my help in the end."
"Quite depressing," she agreed. "Please help me get up there."
A satisfied smile appeared on his face. He swept her up off her feet, bent down, and leaped straight into the air. He landed on the castle's grounds as he lowered her to her feet. Kali brushed her hair away from her face and tried to regain her balance. Once her heartbeat calmed a little, she turned to thank him, but he was already gone. The castle's gate was already opening for her.
Kali entered the castle and walked through the familiar hallways into the throne room. Lucifer sat at his rightful place, where she'd expected him to be. His face was calm, still, and expressionless when he saw her. Her eyes trailed to the left when she heard a distracting tapping noise, and there she saw her son trapped in a clear blue sphere. The words that came out of his mouth were inaudible.
"Release our son this instant!" she demanded. As she wished, the sphere faded away and Trent landed on the ground. He reached out to her immediately and wrapped his arms around her.
"It is really you, Mother?" he asked and held her tighter. "I thought I'd lost you again."
"I'm fine, Trent. I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."
"It didn't matter as long as you're still yourself," he said as he slowly released her. "I want to stay with you longer, Mother, but I have to go find my brother...sister..."
He was struggling with the right thing to say. "My other self. I have to find my other self."
"What do you mean?" Her violet eyes were confused.
"I don't have time to explain," he shook his head, "and I don't want to worry you. Everything will be fine, I promise. Please excuse me," he placed a kiss on her cheek, and sank into the summoning circle that had just appeared.
She was left alone with Lucifer.
"I thought you'd be happier to see me," she said to him.
"You deliberately disobeyed me," he finally spoke in a weary tone.
"And I'm sorry, Lucifer, I really am," she apologized. "But my consequences are my own. Why must you take it out on innocent people? Do you realize what you've done?"
"I am fully aware," he nodded.
"Please stop whatever it is that you are doing." She came to his side and knelt. She placed her hands on his lap and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Make everything normal again."
"You have no right to make demands of me, Kali," he said coldly. "I had warned you of this. You consciously disregard my one and only request, so now we must all live with the penalties."
"You are being unreasonable!" she accused. "And just because I did one thing against your will! You're doing this to torture me!"
"Do you think I am some sort of fiend who takes pleasure from making you cry?" He caressed her face and guided her to meet his blue eyes. "Even if I were a normal man, I would not be able to stand idly by after what they did to you. If you think that I am unreasonable and only doing this to torture you, then so be it. My reasons are my own."
"At least explain yourself," she begged with heavy tears blurring her eyes. "I don't want to hate you, Lucifer. At least give me a reason why. Please let me see what you see."
"You will never be able to see it."
"That's condescending, Lucifer."
"You are in every way my equal."
"Then why won't I be able to understand what you see, Lucifer?" she asked. When he did not reply, she shook his knee. "What if I ask a favor of you? What if I ask, no, beg you to save my world? Would you do it for me, Lucifer?"
Suddenly a faint smile tugged on the corner of his lips. He took her hand and placed it over his heart. "I will give you a choice. If you are able to leave the world outside of this realm, you will have everything here with me. All of Hell will be at your disposal to indulge your every whim. If you find that unsatisfactory, then I will make a bargain with you, Kali. I can save this precious world of yours, but in return, I will take away something close to your heart. It may be important to you, it may not be, and it doesn't matter. You will be able to understand. You will be able to see what I see, but at a price."
"You can stop all of this?"
"Yes," he confirmed.
"Please let it not be Trent."
"I assure you that our son will not be part of our deal."
"Then I have nothing to lose, Lucifer," she said after a moment of searching. "I have nothing more you can take."
"Is that so..." he said underneath his breath. "Is this what you truly wish?"
"Yes," she replied. "Please help me save my world."
"This would make you happy?"
Even her violet eyes nodded with her.
He traced toward the double door then turned slightly back. "You will always have more to lose, Kali. Let's just hope what I take from you is not at all important."
And with those words, he walked down the hallway. His footsteps against the marble floor echoed in her head. She felt a jolt of panic, but instead of chasing after him, she lowered her head.
"I have nothing left to lose," she convinced herself.
She sat by the window, resting her head on her forearm. Her eyes wandered into the distance beyond the realm of Hell. Sometimes she could see a demon passing by, sparing her a glance, and then moving on his or her way. Even without Lucifer to protect her, they had no intention of harming her. They were unfriendly, perhaps, but not hostile.
Kali switched forearms and rested her head on the other side. It must have been at least three days since she returned to her so-called home. She couldn't know for sure, but she could estimate based on her own judgment. And Lucifer had been gone just as long.
Lucifer could fulfill his part of the bargain. She had no doubt that he would. The part that had been troubling her was that something close to her heart would be taken away. Besides her son and Chevalier, who had already cut all ties with her, she wondered if anything else in this world could be of any importance to her. Everything she owned already belonged to him.
She was uncertain if she could ever truly understand Lucifer. The fact that she knew so little about him after six years of being with him was a slap in the face, but it was not like he was the type to have casual conversation. He said very little and that only when necessary. He may appear cold and uncaring, but had his moments now and then when he could be exceptionally sweet to her. He showered her with gifts frequently. And if she didn't like them, he wandered off to find something else to please her, even when the extra rooms in the house were already filled. He reminded her of the dragons in fairy tales that liked to collect endless treasure. She laughed at the thought.
He was not a particularly good father. He hadn't played with the boy or indulged him in other areas where a father should indulge his son. He was formal to Trent, maybe even distant, and the boy knew it, too. He had asked permission for everything, even things little boys shouldn't ask permission for, like climbing on his parents' bed. He acted accordingly if Lucifer granted his request. Now the boy had grown up uncannily like him.
She suddenly felt guilty for disobeying him, because the fact of the matter was, he was right. Since she had been with him, this was his first and only request for her. How quickly and easily she had dismissed it. Maybe he felt she didn't trust his judgment. Or maybe he felt like his words meant nothing to her. If that was what he thought then he may be right again. At least, that was how she had behaved. She let out a frustrated groan, stood up and turned away from the windows. She was spoiled and didn't even know it.
"Yes, yes, you are," a familiar voice agreed. When she turned back, that same demon with the fiery hair and green eyes was sitting by the window.
"Stay out of my head!" she warned.
"I don't need to read your mind to know what you are thinking, and besides, that is one of the exceptions," he said as he leaned back against the frame. "You must be feeling guilty for your actions. If you have any conscience, you should."
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
"I was not supposed to interfere, but someone should do him justice." The demon was referring to Lucifer. "If you think that he treats everyone with the same patience and tolerance he reserved for you, then you are sadly mistaken.
"You are angry with me today," she pointed out when she heard the tone of his voice.
"Yes, I am," he admitted. "I am tired of you two testing each other. One of the reasons you are not well-liked among the demons is because you frequently pushed Lucifer to make dreadful decisions for your sake."
"He is the one testing me!" she accused. Her finger pointed to the side of the room as if he were standing here.
"Why do you lie to yourself?" the demon asked. "You are the one testing him. You want to know the truth about Lucifer and you want to know the limit of his love for you. That was the reason you did not want Chevalier to reveal your identity to Lucifer sooner."
"You're wrong!" she retorted. "I refused because I was hurt and angry that he was happy with another woman!"
"You were testing him." His statement did not change. "You were so preoccupied with your own feelings and pride that you did not think about how your choice would affect him. It was always about you."
"No!" she denied his accusations with a sob. "You don't know what I felt, so don't you dare pass judgment on me!"
"You were expecting him to doubt you." The demon stood up and stepped forward. "Humans change with time, Kali, they always do. What if your personality did change after your resurrection? What if parts of you were still missing? Even if he is Lucifer, he is still a man. You clearly do not know how much that man loves you. You tested him again and again, and now he's going to prove it. Kali, if you do not truly know your place in his heart, then you would not be able to fathom the lengths he will go to grant your wishes."
"What are you talking out?" she inquired.
"You requested that he save your world."
"It should be an easy task for him," she quickly replied.
"If you were concerned about him, you would have known by his weary expression that he was already exhausted. You stumbled upon his slumber and awakened him ahead of his time, five thousand years to be exact, and you died from blood loss in the process. He took pity on your untimely death and granted you a second chance at life. Primarily, I believe he did so out of curiosity. Of course, everything that goes against the course of nature will come with a price. When Soren wanted you and your child dead, Lucifer fed you his blood. Such things are taboo and should never happen. Humans were never supposed to live beyond their lifespan. In order to sustain yourself, you feed off his energy. When Arvin took you to Hell and your soul was scattered over the globe, he traveled across the earth to summon pieces of your soul, one by one. Once he thought he had found all of you, he broke the laws again and resurrected you. Just when I thought he knew his limits, you forced him into enough rage that he wanted to destroy the human world, and with several pleading words from your pretty lips, you requested him to save it."
She frantically searched her memories for an explanation. "Lucifer made a bargain with me," she stuttered, "I thought he was angry with me. If he was already exhausted, then why did he make that bargain? Why did he agree to grant my wish? Something close to my heart..."
At the shocking realization, she sank to the floor. "Something dear to my heart...he couldn't mean...could he?"
"He gave you a choice, Kali. He was testing you and you failed." The demon knelt down next to her. "You said to him, I have nothing to lose, Lucifer. I have nothing more you can take. And he said very softly...is that so? When I heard him say that, I felt my heart crumble along with his."
"You're lying to me!" she cried. "He would never do something like that!'
"Wouldn't he?" he whispered into her ear. "How would you know that? Was it worth it, Kali? You don't even know what you truly want."
"I want my world to stay the same..."
"Wrong!" he retorted. "You are a hypocrite and a liar! You wanted to save this world because you saw people dying and because you thought it was the right thing to do. You pitied them for the loss of their lives, but they would not do the same for you. They have scorned you, stepped on you, and cast you out. Perhaps you have lived in such bliss the five years you were awake that you had forgotten how it felt to live among them. Remember begging them and crying for help? Remember their cold, rejecting eyes? How about how your own flesh and blood grandmother treated you? Admit it Kali, you don't want your world to stay the same cold and desolate place."
"There are innocent people." She tried to find a reason to defend herself. "The children..."
"They will grow up in a society that will force them to ignore their consciences for precious minutes of the day. Their blood will run cold, and will be no different from the ones walking your streets now. Innocents, as you put it, only exist in your head. But I will not argue with you in such a matter. I am only here to ask you, was it worth sacrificing the two men you love, to save the same world they had tried so desperately to protect you from? Is that what you truly want?"
"What will happen to Lucifer?" she questioned as she grabbed a hold of his arm. "How can I find him?"
"To do what, exactly?" The demon pulled his arm back and stood up. "You have made your choice, and Lucifer will see it through. He will drive himself into complete exhaustion and reenter his slumber. The demons will wait patiently for him, like they've always done. The important question is what will happen to you? You do not have an instinct to hide you, and you cannot die. You will live in waiting, regretting what you once had. You will live in anticipating hope that when he wakes again, his heart will still be yours. Ten thousand years of waiting can be Hell."
He chuckled at his own humor.
"I've had enough of your mockery!" she shouted at him. "Either you help me find him or you don't!"
"You think I'm mocking you, but I really am not," the demon said. "I am forcing you to see the truth. Sometimes, the cause may not be worth the sacrifices. If you want to be a heroine, then you must accept the consequences."
"I do not want to be a heroine!"
"Then be selfish!" he retorted. "Know what is important to you and hold on to it! Be selfish and don't give a damn about those soulless people! They are not worth any of your so-called sacrifices, because the only ones who will be suffering are the people who love you!"
"Their sufferings are real!"
"So is yours!" he shot back. "You may have once been human, but you are no longer one of them. Let me rephrase that, you were never one of them. Why you care so much about them is beyond my comprehension. Their sufferings may be real, but so are yours. You may see them as human beings, but through our eyes, they are no more important than the cattle grazing in the field. You asked Lucifer to save those parasitic creatures, who are inferior to us in every conceivable way. The demons' sufferings are real too!"
"He could have refused me!"
The demon's gaze suddenly turned icy cold. His eyes became neither fully green nor fully blue. "That is where you are wrong. He cannot refuse you."
"Why?" she asked with a coarse voice. "If he can't do it, then he should have told me!"
"I did not say he cannot do it," the demon corrected her. "And you ask me why? That is the question you should ask yourself. The answer has always been staring you in the face."
"That can't possibly be true..." she said under her breath.
"Why can't it possibly be true?" he inquired. "I can forgive that you do not know the way we think, but even from a human's stand point, it should be clear enough."
"He didn't do this for me," she denied, "he's doing this to punish me."
"Are you that afraid of being loved?" he sighed and then helped her up to her feet. "If Lucifer ever had a weakness, it would be you. If only you had more confidence and strength in yourself, he would not be so vulnerable. I will help you find him, Kali. Sort this out before you lose everything."
Leaving her with much to think about, he summoned a portal and guided her toward it. She turned back to look at him. "I never said thank you last time," she said to him. "I didn't even ask for your name."
"Gabriel," he decided to tell her. His eight snow white wings majestically spread behind his back. When he saw a puzzled look on her face and anticipated her question, he replied.
"We may share different views and allegiances, but that does not mean I cannot care for him. Be good to him, that headstrong brother of mine."
The portal led her into the deep blue water then vanished. She sucked in an alarmed breath and tried to reach to the surface, but quickly remembered the experiment in the lab where they had placed her in the enclosed tank. She remembered trying to hold her breath, as she did now for a minute or two before she realized there was no feeling of discomfort in her lungs. She quickly dismissed any thoughts of surfacing and tried to figure out why Gabriel had transported her here. She asked to be led to Lucifer, and if Gabriel had been telling the truth, this was the place she could find him. She looked up to see how far she was from the surface, but could only see endless navy blue. She taste the saltiness of the water, and decided that she was somewhere in the heart of the ocean. She looked down to the bottom and saw endless white sand and greyish brown coral stretching as far as she could see, and it was not very far away. The water was unusually cold, the pressure heavy, but like her lack of oxygen, didn't cause her any discomfort.
She panicked when something large swam passed her waist. From the look of the tail and fins, it looked very much like a shark. If this was a normal day, she would have fainted and it would have had her for dinner. Not today, she thought to herself, and tried to swim deeper to the bottom. If the shark came back, she would have to brawl with it with her demon strength. From what she'd seen from the other demons, she may not come out the loser.
She wanted to find Lucifer quickly, but she didn't know where to start. She could only see several meters away and she was in shark-infested water. She flinched again when a school of fish swam past her from the same direction as the shark. Little crustaceans on the bottom of the sea floor followed them. It was her first clue that they were running away from something. Animals avoided Lucifer like the plague, feared him, and ran away from him on sight. There were never any animals around their house. Dogs that happened to stumble by would drag their owners across the pavement as they scampered off. Animals, she'd been told, instinctively feared predators.
She decided to swim in the opposite direction as the marine life. She was never a good swimmer and she struggled quite a bit to even move a few feet. She wiggled out of her shoes for better movement. She figured it would be better if she could walk on the white sand, but that was a problem all on its own. She was awkward and her feet never seem to fully touch the bottom, but they managed to find a sand-covered path. She followed the path and discovered it led to a giant underwater ruin. The structure was tall and wide, made of grey stones and covered in coral. There were doors and balconies on almost every level, although some doors just led to empty water.
She entered the large front gate connected to the pathway, and found herself suddenly walking backwards as several spearheads pointed at her. They walked out of the shadows of the ruin and into clear view. Large, pitch black eyes were staring at her with full suspicion. Their bodies were almost human, but were scaled from head to tail. Kali's eyes trailed down to their grey scaly fish tails with wonder.
"Identify yourself," their voices echoed off the hollows of the ruins. "Or perish."
Her eyes squinted when she did not see their pale, hard lips move. She waved her hands in front of her, trying to communicate with them through made-up sign language. They didn't understand what she was trying to say, and quickly lost patience with her. They pulled their spears back to add momentum before they launched them in her direction.
"No!" she screamed out, and realized the voice came from her mouth. They paused for a moment to let her answer their question. "I came to find Lucifer," she stammered. Her voice was muffled and no air bubbles floated from her mouth.
"The Mistress asked him to come alone," she heard one of them say as they rested the spears at their sides. "If you are his servant, then you must wait outside."
"I must see him about a matter of great importance," she replied, and then added, "and urgency."
"You must wait." Their voice was firm.
"I cannot wait," she replied. "It cannot wait. Please, you must let me in."
"You are an exceptionally humble demon," one of them commented. "We haven't met one that begs, ever. Normally, they would force their way in."
"I am not a demon," she said shyly, knowing it sounded like a lie. "I am his wife, and I must see him."
They looked to each other then turned back to her with what she assumed were amused smiles. "So you are the girl. Come in," they invited with the gestures of their fins-like arms, "the Mistress would like to meet you."
She entered the gate, which stretched like a tunnel to the other side. With much guidance through the ruins, they reached a large double door. They stopped, opened the door, and gestured for her to go in alone. She entered trembling, but her face showed perfect composure. She flinched when the doors closed behind her. She turned back, ready for whatever awaited her.
A lock of his platinum hair caught her attention almost immediately. It was in the hand of a giant woman made of water, yet not of the water. The woman was exactly like the beasts she had seen rampaging through her world. She was sitting on her throne in the middle of the circular altar. Cautiously, Kali approached her.
"I am fatigued," the woman declared in a high, but pleasing voice. "Come back another time, my child."
"I am here to look for Lucifer," Kali said swiftly.
The woman looked up and met Kali's eyes. "You are his bride." It wasn't a question.
"I have been curious about you."
"I am ordinary."
"Yes, so ordinary that you are extraordinary," she chuckled. "You are important enough for him to see me twice in four days. I have heard of you, but I never thought that we would meet so soon."
"I am sure we will have a chance to meet again, but please, I need to see Lucifer."
"Spare a moment of your time for me, my child," the woman requested. "It will not take long and I will send you on your way. He has only just left."
"Do you have questions for me?" Kali asked, wondering why the woman wanted to keep her.
"I have only one question," she said. "I expect a candid answer from you."
"I will answer to the best of my knowledge," Kali promised.
"When Lucifer took you as his bride, did he ever..." The woman was being very careful with her wordings. "...disclose to you his true name?"
Kali shook her head. "He never told me his true name. He said it was only for him to know."
"I suspected as much," the woman sighed with disappointment. "I appreciate your honestly, my child." Her hands whirled to create a portal. "I will send you on your way now."
"Why do you want to know his true name?" Kali asked curiously.
She smiled. "If he ever reveals it to you, trade it with me for everything your heart desires."
"If it is that important to him, then I will not trade it for anything in the world, my Lady."
"Of course, but I should be your first option if you should decide to."
Without a reply, Kali entered the portal.
†††††
"You broke your promise, Gabriel," Archangel Michael said when he discovered Gabriel spying on the girl. He sat down and leaned on his elbow. "Lucifer would be furious if he knew you interfered. You should have just let him do what he wants."
"For our brother, I can break a promise or two," Gabriel replied with a smile. "It is a shame if this love story turns in the wrong direction. Mentally, she is only twenty-two, Michael. The child needs a little guidance. I would hate to see her suffer for the next ten thousand years over choices she barely understands. Our Lucifer can be quite difficult."
"The first ten thousand years may be the longest," Michael agreed.
"She has just met Gaila." Gabriel put the mirror down. "Seems to have taken a liking to the girl, although she still hasn't given up the quest of obtaining Lucifer's true name."
"I doubt the Elements will ever stop pursuing control over him."
†††††
She didn't know if they had been toying with her. It was beginning to feel like a wild goose chase. This time she found herself inside an eagle's nest high above the mountains. She climbed out of the empty nest and stared down from the sharp cliff. Her eyes were amazed at the perfect blending of blues and greens mapping the landscape below. She leaned a little too far and the shift of her weight broke off the soft layer of stone. She plunged headfirst over the cliff. Her panicked screaming ceased when a tree branch broke her fall. She exhaled a sigh of relief and gasped again when she felt herself free-falling again. The weak branch couldn't support her weight. She heard the loud thud of her body dropping onto the ground.
She lay still for several minutes, moving her awareness up and down her body to examine if anything was broken. The pain from the impact quickly subsided. The deep scratches on her arms and legs closed and healed completely. It was only a matter of minutes before she was up on her feet again. She remembered Chevalier falling out of the castle's window and his wings extending, and wondered why it didn't happen for her. She thought they would instinctually appear.
She intuitively scanned her heavily forested surroundings with her acute senses. She could hear movements, from little animals to the smallest drop of water splashing to the ground. It was all useless information that distracted her from her priority. She had been told many times that demons could sense one another's presence. If she could somehow tap into that connection, she may be able to find Lucifer quicker.
Her new power of invulnerability frightened her more than it thrilled her. She was not repulsed by it, but at the same time, she did not welcome it either. She knew that it was this power that saved her from the fall, but she still could not get herself to like it. She had always had a secret fear of Trent playing with other children. If he got carried away, he may accidently break their necks. Of course, her fears had been unfounded because Trent hated to play with other children.
She closed her eyes and tried to feel another presence nearby. She detected many things, but no suspicious signs of Lucifer. She wondered how she was supposed to feel him from a distance. She opened her eyes again when she smelled the muted scent of sandalwood. She may know more about Lucifer than she thought. She followed her nose through the forest and paused when she stumbled upon a massive tree that may have reached the heavens. His scent still lingered in the air.
"He has just left, little bride," the layered voice of a woman said to her. "I will show you where he went, if you reveal to me his true name."
"Why does everyone want to know that?" Kali asked herself. She relied on her nose again to locate him. She let out a shriek when something grabbed her legs and turned her upside down. She looked up and was appalled to see thick green vines constricting her legs. From the corner of her left eye, she caught the figure of a woman on the tree's bark.
"I don't know that!" Kali replied. "He never told me, and I doubt he ever would!"
After a moment of complete silence, the vines released her and she fell onto the ground. "You are of no use to me, then. I would hate for Lucifer to come back with a vengeance."
Kali relied on her nose again to locate him. The faint scent was nearby. She pushed her way through the lush forest and arrived at a meadow where the tall grasses grew past her knees. Wild flowers of every imaginable color competed with each other for their own spot in the golden sunlight. There was a lake nearby, round and reflective like a mirror. She came closer and saw her detailed image reflected back. She was momentarily distracted until she heard rolling thunders move across the sky. She jerked her head up and gasped at the sudden formation of thunderclouds above. Somewhere amidst the dark clouds, she caught the sight of his platinum hair. His blue eyes gleamed brightly, like two large gems.
She called out his name, but he was oblivious to her presence. He was being surrounded, wrapped, and coiled within the angry clouds. Lightning began to race across the suddenly gloomy sky.
"Let go of him!" she screamed out when she could vaguely see a female figure in the clouds. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him and pressed him against her breasts. "You can't have him, he's mine!"
The clouds ignored her completely.
If she knew how to fly, she would have flown to them and snatched him away from the thunderclouds' grasp. She didn't know what to do and she felt completely helpless. The cloud woman suddenly released him and he fell directly from the sky. Kali screamed out his name as she reached for him and screamed again when he was plunged into the water. She dived in after him, frantically searching until she found him sinking deeper and deeper into the lake. She wrapped her arms around him and fought to pull him toward the surface. Slowly and steadily, she pulled him onto the muddy land. She leaned her ear on his chest to find a heartbeat.
"I am immortal," he reminded her.
She jerked her head up and saw his blue eyes looking back at her. Joy and anger fought for control in her eyes. She loosened her clenched fists and slapped him across the face. Her action even surprised herself. "What do you think you were doing?" she screamed at him.
She expected him to be angry and return the hit, so she winced when his hand reached up. She opened her eyes again when she found his hand wiping the traces of mud off her face. "You shouldn't be here," he said calmly. His voice still sounded so cold.
"I hate you, Lucifer!" she declared in a half-crying voice. "You really are wicked. You are nothing but deceit and lies, and I hate you!"
He stared back at her as if everything she had said was expected. He lowered his eyes, but she couldn't see a hint of guilt. All she saw was melancholy. He was too accepting of her outburst, and it made her even angrier.
"You don't even know why I'm angry," she cried, and pulled away from him.
"Why are you angry, Kali?" he asked.
"It's because you're cruel and manipulative and our union was nothing but a joke!" She lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'm so frustrated. I don't even know where to begin. It was cruel of you to make such a dreadful choice! It was manipulative of you not to tell me how you would fulfill the bargain! If I knew, I would never have..." She let out another sob. "I hate myself for being like this! You should have flat out rejected my request. At least then the choice wouldn't be mine."
He finally understood why she was upset. "If I did so, your hatred for me would deepen."
"I would hold a grudge at you forever! I could have pretended to hate you so I wouldn't seem like such a heartless person. You could at least live with that, Lucifer."
"What would truly make you happy, Kali?"
"I don't know," she shook her head. "I'd rather live with the thought of hating you than being without you at all. For you it may only be a simple sleep, but it isn't for me. Take responsibility, Lucifer! You have everything that is mine, and if you leave me, I would be nothing more than an empty shell. That was our original bargain, wasn't it?"
"I never took anything that wasn't yours to give," he said with a chuckle.
"How could you laugh at a time like this?"
"You could have simply said you changed your mind," he smiled. "Did it not sound like a confession just now?"
"I hate you," she muttered. It was a good thing her head was buried so he couldn't see her flustered face. "You are still your deceptive self, after all these years."
"Haven't I told you before?" he asked as he picked her up into his arms. The scenery around them changed and Kali found herself being placed in their bed in the castle. "I am unsusceptible to change. I am now, and will forever be, the man you see before you."
"You say that like it's a good thing," she leaned her head to one side of the pillow. "You are too desensitized and your temper is unpredictable. Like Gabriel said, you are too headstrong."
"You met Gabriel?"
She felt a shiver down her back when she heard the change in his voice. "Briefly," she replied, and then quickly changed the subject. "I'm covered in mud and you put me on the bed."
"I will have the bath prepared," he said.
She caught his sleeve before he stood up. "Are you sure you're fine, Lucifer? They didn't...they didn't, did they? You'll stay with me, won't you?"
He bent down and kissed the tears from her eyes. "We will have a lifetime together."
His head was comfortably resting on her lap as her fingers combed through his silky platinum hair. Her long black tresses scattered from her shoulders to lie across the bed. Her violet eyes were mesmerizingly hidden behind her long, dark lashes every times she blinked. He reached out for one of her hands and placed it over his lips.
"You don't mind me looking like this?" she asked in a gentle voice. "It took me quite a while to get used to it."
"As long as you are Kali, other details are irrelevant," he replied.
She took his hand and placed it on her cheek. "I feel so insignificant beside you sometimes."
"Why is that?"
She smiled. "With your words, you can control armies. With these hands, you can create or destroy. How could I not feel insignificant?"
"It is a boring existence, really," he sighed.
"I have been curious, Lucifer."
He looked up at her. "About what?"
"Why me?" she asked.
He took a moment before replying to her. "Perhaps it was a combination of fate and the consequences of my own making. I resurrected you to satisfy my curiosity of the humans I have long ignored. The subject of a wish worth dying for fascinated me. I plotted to manipulate your feelings into surrendering that wish to me. My plan failed miserably, and here we are."
"Was killing Chevalier and manipulating me in your bargain, part of your plan too?" she asked quietly.
"If I told you no, would you have believed me?"
She shook her head.
"Then why ruin a good thing? It was quite clever, now that I think about it."
"It can't be like Adria said...you did it out of blind jealousy..."
"That wouldn't make any sense now, would it?"
"I suppose not," she pondered. "I can't imagine you being the jealous type. Why, all Hell would break lose."
A mischievous grin appeared on the corner of his lips.
They both turned toward the door when they heard a light knocking. "They are ready for you, my lord," Adria said with a polite bow.
"Come, Kali," he rose from the bed and offered her a hand. "The court is waiting."
"I'll stay in bed today," she said as she stretched her arms out and leaned back against the pillows. "Most of the time, I don't even know what they're talking about."
He lifted her up in his arms and carried her out of the door.
"Didn't you hear what I said, Lucifer?"
"You will figure it all out soon enough," Lucifer said. "It is important that you learn."
"I don't see why I should," she protested. "Your demons always look at me with contempt in their eyes, like I'm some sort of thorn."
"That is why it is important to learn their characters so that you can manipulate them against one another, if need be," he said. "Keep them busy among each other to draw attention from yourself."
"I have you for that."
"Each and every one of them has their own agenda. I can only protect you to a degree, Kali. You must be able to defend yourself. If you cannot do so physically, you must use your wits."
He lets her down on her feet when they reached the double doors of the throne room. After giving her a minute to prepare herself, he commanded the doors to open. They did as he bid and he guided her down the aisle. The demons bowed their head respectfully as their master strode toward his throne. She stood beside him and listened attentively to their conversations. Lucifer would glance at her at fixed intervals to make sure she was paying attention. Still, her mind couldn't help but drift somewhere else every now and then.
†††††
She waited patiently outside of the study until the door opened. Her son walked out with a gloomy expression, but he smiled when he saw her. He embraced her and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Was he being difficult with you?" Kali asked as she looked through the crack of the open door.
"No," her son replied, "he only assigned me a little errand."
"Are you leaving again?"
He nodded. "I will come back when I finish."
"Please stay here with me," she pleaded. "It's very lonely here. I feel so confined."
"What I need to do is very important, Mother."
She lowered her eyes. "Are you leaving now?"
"If you want, I could stay for a few days."
A bright smile lit on her face. "I'll cook your favorite dishes. Maybe I can ask Adria to do a little grocery shopping for me. After dinner, I can bathe you and then read-"
She paused in the middle of the sentence and looked up at him. She quickly lowered her eyes again to hide the hurt she felt. She quickly dashed into the study and closed the door behind her.
Lucifer pushed to his feet and came to her side. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's just so unfair," she said in a little voice. "I want my five year old back. I wake up and he's already grown up. I feel even more useless than I used to. I know children grow up fast, but this is ridiculous!"
"I thought you had gotten used to it by now," he sighed.
"I was robbed!" she cried. "I gave birth to him, but I didn't even get to see my child grow up! It's horrible, Lucifer. I want to feel like a mother again."
"You should be glad that you had five years of his childhood, Kali," Lucifer gathered her into his arms. "If you feel lonely here, perhaps you want to adopt a human child?"
She looked up at him. "Adopt one? Can't we have another of our own, Lucifer?"
"That's..." He seemed to be struggling to find words. It was the first time she had seen him like this. "That's..."
She searched his eyes and drew her own conclusions. She pulled away and left the room.
"She's unhappy with me," Trent said to his father. "It seems she preferred the younger version of me."
"She is only having a hard time adapting to her new life, that's all," Lucifer sat down again at his desk. "It is difficult for mothers to see their children growing up and not needing them anymore. It had always been one of her greatest fears, and now she has to live with it."
"I told her I would always need her," Trent said. "She just didn't believe me. Her mind is wrapped up with the idea that she needs to cook and take care of me to fulfill her role as a mother. She is my Mother, regardless."
"She wants another child,"
Trent lowered his eyes. "I suspected she would. She needs something to fill the void inside her heart. How will you go about explaining to her?"
"I am not sure how to tell her she may never have another child," Lucifer sighed. "Humans instinctively prioritize procreation because of their short lifespan. I wonder if that quality remains with her. If that is so, it may be even more difficult for her to cope."
"If I can find my other self soon, that may not be a problem. Not just for Mother, but also for myself. We don't always get along, but she was still part of me, nevertheless. I am not accustomed to feeling empty and alone in my mind. Losing my instinct felt as strange as any human would feel if they gained one. As much as I hate to admit it, I miss my other self. If I had any other choice, I would not neglect my duty."
"She still has time to learn," Lucifer assured him. "Find your other self quickly, before that even becomes an option."
Trent nodded. "I promised her I would stay with her a few days. I'll leave promptly afterward."
"Yes," Lucifer agreed. "Stay with her while I arrange one last detail. I will make all of the necessary preparations for her before I go back to sleep."
Chevalier threw the kitchen knife toward the wall. The shadow effortlessly dodged and emerged into form. With a mutter of annoyance, Chevalier pulled the blade back out and rinsed it in the sink. The apartment he was in was completely slanted, like the rest of the destroyed city. The floor was already covered in two feet of rising water.
†††††
"Leave me alone already, Lucifer!" Chevalier shouted out loud. "You should be happy that she chose you and stay the hell away from me!"
"I am here to ask for a favor. But first," Lucifer approached Chevalier and punched him in the face. Chevalier fell back against the indented wall. It took him some effort to remove himself from the mold Lucifer had just created for him.
"That's funny," Chevalier wiped the fresh blood off the corner of his lip. "You're pretty rude for someone who came for a favor. I want to decline already."
"Neither of us can decline," Lucifer said as he regained his composure.
Chevalier slammed his fists against the already broken countertop. It shattered into more broken pieces. "If you mention her name, I swear I won't hold back."
"It is quite hard not to mention her name if she is the subject of our discussion."
"Did something..." Chevalier turned away. "Did something happen to her?"
"No, she is safe for the time being," Lucifer replied.
"Then thank you for not destroying us all, and get the hell out of whatever is left of my house!"
"You still care for her." It wasn't a question.
"When do I not care for her? That woman drives me crazy!" Chevalier massaged the bridge of his nose. "What is this favor of yours? State your business and be on your way."
"I am going back to sleep, Chevalier," he said plainly.
Chevalier turned around and grabbed Lucifer by the collar. "What the hell do you mean you're going back to sleep? What is going to happen to her? You're just going to leave her to your demons who want nothing more than to tear her to pieces?"
"She will be able to defend herself," Lucifer assured him.
"Bullshit!" Chevalier pushed Lucifer against the wall. "That girl can't do anything on her own! She chose you over me and now you're just going to leave her? You are supposed to protect her, damn it! You should protect her and love her more than I do!"
"It doesn't matter what you say, my time is running out."
"Goddamn it!" Chevalier cursed under his breath. "Does she...know?"
"I haven't told her."
Chevalier let out another curse. He let go of Lucifer and shuffled his hair in frustration. "What do you want me to do?"
"She has been very lonely recently. Even with me by her side, she still yearns for a child to love. She does not know our kind lack the ability to procreate, and with me gone, life will be unbearable for her. I need you to fill my role in my absence."
"What the hell are you asking me, Lucifer?" Chevalier took in a deep breath. "You're going to leave her a mess again and you want me to pick up the pieces. I feel pain, too, damn it!"
"Do you think I wanted to be replaced?" Lucifer shouted back. "Do you think it's easy for me to ask another man to love and protect her in my place? Once I am gone, who will care for her? Who will chase away the dark loneliness that lurks in her heart? I cannot leave her with a child to love! I leave her with nothing but a horde of enemies! If she was not this important to me, I would never have thrown away my pride and come here to see you. Man to man, you should be able to know how I feel about the situation!"
"How many times must I watch her wash her face in the tears of your memories? You're cruel, Lucifer," Chevalier said through gritted teeth. "I have my own pride, too!"
"You cannot refuse."
"That's why you are cruel," Chevalier pointed out. "How much time do you have left?"
"A measly twenty years, at most."
"Don't expect me to give her back when you wake up, Lucifer," Chevalier shot him a glare. "Don't expect me to be your lackey, because if I have her in my arms, you'll have to step over my dead body to get her back."
"That can easily be arranged." And then he was gone.
†††††
She was hiding her face in the pillow, softly sobbing. She waved her arm to dismiss him when she felt a gentle stroking of her hair. He climbed into bed with her and gathered her into his arms. She murmured soft protests, but it did not do any good. She shrouded her face on his left shoulder to hide her pitiful expression. He was silent until she was prepared to talk.
"Why don't you want another child with me, Lucifer?" she asked. "Does the idea appall you?"
"I would want any child with you, Kali," he replied.
"Then why?" she inquired. "Why did you give me that awkward look when I brought it up?"
"You don't want me to agree so casually on the subject, now do you?"
She thought about it. "No..."
He detached himself from her, bending down to kiss her full and pretty lips. She receptively wrapped her arms around his neck. His hand slid down her back and slowly guided her down to the linen. She softly called his name and he broke the kiss to give her his full attention. His beautiful blue eyes stared into her violet ones.
"Leave me a part of you before you go."
"It will only be temporarily, my love," he kissed her again. "My Eternity is yours alone."
Egypt, 1273 B.C.
A young boy with a proud face strode through the court's officials with little regard for anyone around him. The gleam of his gold scarab bracelets and solid gold amulet was no match for his bright smile. Before his Pharaoh and Father, he presented the two lion cubs in his hands. The creatures struggled to scratch themselves free.
"This is for you, Mother," he said proudly to the woman sitting next to his father. He placed the cubs on the floor and then stood straight up to clap his hands. Two huge, bronzed slaves dragged a bloodied lion corpse into the court amidst the surprised gasps of the palace maids and officials. "And this is for you, Father."
"You skipped your morning lessons to hunt?" his father inquired. "Ramses, learning how to govern Egypt is your priority."
"If one day I am to succeed you, I have my advisors to help me govern our beloved Egypt. I believe, Father, that the glory of Egypt will be won by the might of swords."
Satisfied with his son's answer, the pharaoh smiled. "Explain to me how are you going to bring glory to Egypt?"
"I will assemble the greatest army the world had ever known." He raised his fists. "And I will destroy our enemies and make them bow to our Gods!"
His father burst into laughter. "I have raised you well, Ramses. I have decided that in three days, on your fourteenth year, I will crown you Prince Regent. Let us together bring Egypt's enemies to their knees."
The boy crossed an arm in front of his chest and knelt before his father. The Pharaoh came to the boy and raised his hand to tell the boy to get up. He then placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I have summoned you today to show you the tribute from Nubia. They sent us something puzzling and I need your opinion."
"Yes, Father," the boy said and followed his father obediently to the side of the throne.
"I have heard that Nubia suffers from famine this year. All they sent for tribute this year is young girl," the Pharaoh said.
"That is insolent!" the boy yelled out. "They have little regard for us Egyptians! We do not lack women."
"The ambassador speaks highly of this...tribute. They say she was hatched from an egg and there are even rumors about her being a child of the Gods. Let us judge for ourselves." The Pharaoh tapped his son's shoulder. He then signaled for his servants to bring the girl in. They returned quickly, pulling an iron cage on wheels.
"They caged a woman?" Ramses knitted his brows. "And they used such expensive materials. I heard that these materials can only be found in fallen stars from the sky."
"Her hair, my son," the Pharaoh pointed out the platinum tresses that rained down to cover her body, "looks like newly spun spider silk."
The boy approached the cage with curiosity. He reached out to touch her strange hair and was astonished by the silky feeling in his hands. The girl was startled and jerked her head up. Her pale green eyes made him freeze, as if his legs were deeply rooted to the floor. She closed her eyes when he unconsciously tightened his gasp on her lock of hair. Her thick lashes were pressed tightly against her pale and flawless luminous skin. Her full lips, her nose, her face were proportionately harmonious.
Loud, surprised gasps circulated throughout the room.
"Give her to me, Father," the boy requested immediately as he turned around.
"She is indeed a rare treasure," the Pharaoh agreed. "She shall be your coronation gift, my son. She will be good entertainment for you while the high priests seek councils from the Gods to elect a wife among your sisters."
†††††
The Pharaoh watched his son carry a bouquet of lotuses and as he headed to his own palace. He gestured his advisor to come closer and pointed.
"He reminds me of me when I was younger," the Pharaoh said. "Soon I will take my place among the Gods and he will ascend the throne. What do you think of his character?"
"The prince has great potential, Your Majesty," the advisor humbly informed him. "His ambition will one day bring glory to us all. However..." he cautiously approached another topic, "he may not be able to realize it."
"What do you mean?" the Pharaoh asked. "What would prevent my son from achieving greatness?"
"I fear you may have made a mistake to gift the Nubian tribute to him six years ago."
"Is she a threat to him?"
"His obsession for her grows considerably by the day, Your Majesty," the advisor sighed. "Her beauty is so divine that it is said to be unsurpassed."
"Have you seen the girl lately?"
"I value my sight, Your Majesty,"
The Pharaoh lifted his brow in curiosity.
"There was a young soldier who picked up her slipper for her. He looked up at her and was awed by her beauty. The prince caught sight of this and had his eyes gouged out. He declared that if any man dares to lay eyes on her, he will meet the same end. No man has dared to look at her since."
"He is possessive, but all boys are like that," the Pharaoh brushed the story aside.
"There are other stories, Your Majesty. A maid was brushing the girl's hair when she accidentally pulled on a strand of hair and made the girl flinch. The prince drew out his sword and cut off her hands right then and there. He then ordered the rest of her to be fed to the crocodiles. Several of the prince's concubines became jealous and threatened the girl. When the prince found out, he had them all beheaded. There was another occasion when-"
"Enough," the Pharaoh raised his hand. "This girl, is she really is the witch you describe her to be? Ramses is not the type to be manipulated."
"The girl cannot speak, Your Majesty," the advisor informed him. "I was told she is like a doll. He loves her dearly. Even his wife, Nefertari, grows impatient, but she is too afraid of the consequences if she request that he dispose of the girl."
"If she is not manipulating him, then let them be," the Pharaoh decided. "He has performed all of his duties as Regent Prince. There is no reason he can't indulge himself with a woman."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The advisor bowed as the Pharaoh walked back inside.
†††††
The prince placed the bouquet of lotuses on her lap and then sat beside her on the cushions. He coiled her straight platinum hair around his forefinger and smiled. "Even the lotuses of the Nile lose their colors beside you, beloved Nala."
She was unresponsive to his compliment.
"Are you still upset that I spilled blood all over your floor?" he asked. He guided her lips towards him and stole a kiss. "Don't be upset, Nala, I will make it all up to you. Here," he reached for the bag he had brought with him and grabbed out a bundle of jewelry, "tribute from Libya. I picked out the finest for you."
She glanced at them with boredom in her eyes.
"Or are you troubled because I married Nefertari according to my father's wishes?" he asked. "The marriage was strictly obligatory. Give me a son, Nala, and I will make him my heir. You have my promise."
She stood up and walked toward the balcony. She pointed over the palace's wall toward the city crowded with people and then looked back at him.
"You want to go outside?"
She nodded.
"Why do you want to be among those lowly commoners?" He came to her side and guided her back to her couches. She protested. "You have everything you need here in the palace, my love. There is nothing outside that you cannot find here."
She shook her head and then ran her hands through her hair. She then pointed back outside.
"Your hair?"
She nodded then pointed at him and then back to her hair again.
"A man with your hair color?" the Prince guessed.
She nodded.
"Where did you see this man?" He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did he come here, to the palace?" He turned around and suspiciously scanned the room. "Was he here?"
She pointed toward the night sky and then into the city. Both of her hands reached for her eyes, pointed to the sky, and then trailed toward the city.
"Is he a God? How could he fly?"
She shook her head.
"You want to find this man?"
She nodded.
With a low growl, he dragged her inside and threw her onto the bed. He called in his servants, who were guarding the outside doors. They knelt in front of him, waiting for a command.
"Send my men and search the city for a man with her hair color," he ordered. "Kill him on sight."
She shook her head violently in protest.
"Bring his copse here, or I will have yours."
The servant bowed obediently and exited the chamber.
Anger warped his face as he turned toward her. "Here is where you stay, now and always! You heart cannot waver for anyone but me, understand?" he shouted, pulled the curtains over her bed, and stormed out the door. He instructed the servants to guard her carefully before he left.
Nala climbed off the bed and ran toward the balcony. She stared curiously into the night sky, searching for the man she had seen last night. She remembered how shocked she was when she saw his platinum hair from a distance. She thought she was the only one with this hair in this land. She lowered her eyes and stared at the peacefully flowing river. She wanted to see him again.
"So you were here all along," a voice startled her. She turned around and leaned against the balcony. A soft gasp escaped her when her vision caught sight of his platinum hair. He was close enough now that she could see the color of his pale blue eyes. He stepped forward and embraced her in his arms. "I have been searching for you for so long."
She waited for him to let her go.
"So this is where you have been hiding since you've hatched." He lifted her face up with both of his hands and smiled brightly. "You're a girl. Well, brother, I never thought I'd see the day. There is no helping it, I suppose."
She shook her head, meaning to tell him she didn't understand a word he said. She understood the language he used, but not the context.
"How troublesome," he sighed. "Why did you seal your own voice?"
She shook her head again.
"Speak," he commanded.
"I cannot understand a word you say." She shook her head once again. Her hands jumped to her lips almost immediately, surprised by her own voice.
"I don't remember you being so docile," he grinned teasingly, "or so adorable."
She blushed brightly.
He laughed heartily at her reaction and leaped onto the balcony's railing. "Come, let us go home."
She inched back from his offer. "I don't know who you are. Why should I follow you?" she asked.
"If you remembered your past, you would know that I am your other half," he nudged his hand against hers. He suddenly withdrew his hand and turned to his side as he detected something strange. A minute later he turned back to her. "Are you safe here?" he asked.
She nodded.
"I will come back for you as soon as I take care of one minor detail," he said and shuffled her platinum hair. "Don't run off anywhere."
She gasped when he suddenly disappeared in front of her.
†††††
The prince screamed out in anguish at the sight of his father lying still in the golden sarcophagus, his body covered by layers of white linen. He pushed away the servants and knelt down in front of his father. The priests holding the lid to the sarcophagus placed it against the wall to let the prince have his last moment.
"How can the son of Ra just die like this?" he screamed out. His eyes scanned the still statues surrounding them. "Gods of Egypt, has he not served you faithfully? How could you let this happened?"
"Do not grieve, my Prince," the high priest said. "Your father, our Pharaoh, has joined the Gods. Let us send him on his way so that you may take his place as sovereign of our great land."
He folded his hands into fists, shot up to his feet, and rushed out of the temple. He grabbed the reins of his horse and mounted it in one quick movement. He gave it a kick to its side and the mare jumped with a shrill neigh. She dashed onward at his master's command. No one dared to stop him as he rode the horse to the entrance of his palace. He dismounted and ran inside. He pushed aside whoever was in his way.
He found her in the garden, sitting by the colorful flowers. He came to her side and held her tightly in his arms. When she protested, he held her even tighter. "Don't leave me, too, Nala," he pleaded with soft and breaking words. "I don't think I can survive losing you, too."
He released her and stared into her pale green eyes. "I have all the power of Egypt in my hands now, Nala. I have the power to protect you and grant you everything your heart desires. I do not need to hide you in my shadow anymore. I have the authority to make you queen. I will lay Egypt and all of its richest beneath your feet." He placed a kiss on top of her lips.
"Don't ever leave me."
She flinched when a thorn from the flowers behind her grazed across her hand. She brought it in front of her to examine the cut. He caught her hand and gently licked away the dripping blood. He picked her up in his arms and carried her off into her bedroom.
"Burn them all!" He ordered the servants as he walked pass them. "If I see another flower in this palace, all of you shall burn with it."
To be continued...
Table of Contents
Chapter 6: Belongs to Darkness
Chapter 7: Her Lord and Husband
Chapter 15: His Wife and Mistress
Chapter 17: Secrets of the Demons
Chapter 21: Only the Beginning
Chapter 25: Promising Eternity

