Just as Zane predicted, I was back on my feet two days later. Thanks to Lucifer's work, my wounds were healed up (except my frostbite) and I found myself in my family's library, curled up in my favorite armchair.
I saw Father once since I had been home, his malevolent golden eyes regarding me with palpable disdain. I was an even bigger disappointment to him than I had been before. Losing to not one, but two Angels? He would never be able to show his face in public again! His oldest daughter having to be rescued by her siblings; the travesty of it all! Mikayla liked to remind me he was still bellyaching about it any chance she got. It certainly gave him sympathy points with the noble ladies, if the steady stream of women in and out of our house indicated that.
I stood before the portal, gripping my sleeve with my bandaged fingers. I wanted so badly to return to the Human World. I gripped the book in my hand tighter as I thought back to my last time there. My fingers still ached and were noticeably discolored from Luke's scythe. I couldn't move as fast, either, my tendons still healing. My heart thumped faster as I recalled the Angels' monstrous powers.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the portal and entered the Human World. The second I was able to breathe that fresh, delicious air, I was pinned to a tree with a sword pressed at my throat. I couldn't hold back the scream of surprise that escaped me as a large hand pressed my shoulder painfully into the bark of the tree.
"I knew you would come back sooner or later."
I looked at the owner of the sword and frowned despite the spooked expression still etched on my face. "I can't say I'm too happy to see you. You really did a number on me the last time we met." I showed him my discolored fingers. "Your brother's handiwork is still healing."
"You're still healing and yet you come back? You must be dumber than I thought." He scorned, his crimson eyes bright.
I showed him the book in my hand, moving slowly when he pressed the sword harder into my throat. Black bloomed against the blade. "I just came here to read. Honestly, can't I come here without you showing up to kill me?"
He regarded me sternly, as though trying to sense any deception in my words. I stared back at him, silently challenging him to attack me. I knew he could smell my fear and hear my rapid heartbeat. With a sigh, he removed his sword from my neck and sheathed it. Then, he went over to a nearby tree and sat down, leaning his back against it. I looked at him questioningly.
"Well, I can't leave you alone. If you are here to do exactly as you say, surely you will have no problem with my being here." He smirked at me, revealing startlingly sharp teeth.
With a little huff, I sat down across from him and opened the book from where I left off. I was a little distracted by his scent, the smell making me feel tense, and my muscles bunching beneath my skin. I could feel his eyes on me. I shifted my foot and froze when I saw his hand fly to his sword. I swallowed nervously and tried to focus on my book.
It was silent for a few minutes before he asked, "So, demon, what is your name?"
I looked up at him over the top of my book, raising an eyebrow. "If I told you it, would you even call me by my proper name? Or, would I simply be 'demon,' or 'Damned One?'"
Will snorted with mild amusement. "You know my name. It's only right I know yours."
Rayi advised against it, but I ignored her after a pause. "...Melanie."
"And here I was expecting something different like 'Jezebel.'" He sneered, obviously pleased by his supposed wit.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Say what you like, Will, that is my name. Demons are not all named after our precursors."
"Precursor?" I nodded.
"I come from the line of Amdusias and Jahi, the Persian demoness of debauchery. All present demons, with the exception of Lucifer, nobles, and Human-Turned-Demon, come from the Fallen Angels who followed Lucifer down into Hell."
"Demons have a hierarchy?" He queried, moving a little closer to me.
"Yes. We are not completely anarchistic. We have nobles, Optima, the Demon King, then Lucifer. Those four hold the most power and the Human-Turned-Demon have the least. Optima are from two original Fallen Angels and have kept their family line pure this whole time. Nobles are from an Optima who mated with a Human-Turned-Demon."
I wasn't sure why I was telling him all that. It wasn't classified, but he might report what he learned to Heaven. I bit my tongue as Rayi growled, Why not spill all our secrets?
"What are you? I can't tell from your clothes."
I looked down at my long-sleeved gray tunic and black trousers. I still didn't have shoes on, but I did wear warm socks. "I'm an Optima. When I come to the Human World, though, I prefer to dress casually in case I need to escape quickly. My dresses hinder my movement."
Will was seated beside me then, with three feet of space between us. I hadn't even realized he had moved and I didn't think he did either. "Well, as you know, I'm an Archangel."
"Yes," I replied dryly, "I've seen your power firsthand."
He smirked boastfully before relaxing his face. "How old are you?"
"804."
He flinched and gaped at me. "You're still a child."
In human terms I wasn't even out of adolescence yet; I supposed I looked sixteen.
"How old are you then?" I inquired, only a little annoyed at him for calling me a child.
He looked almost disturbed that he had been wanting to kill a "child" all this time and it took him several heartbeats to answer me. "3,321 years."
It was my turn to gape. I suspected he was older than me given his experience with fighting, but I didn't think he would be that much older. If he were human he would be in his early thirties.
Demons cared little for age once we were out of 600s and it wasn't uncommon for couples to have a several thousand age difference. So, I wasn't perturbed by his age, just surprised.
Not that I intended on courting him.
"How long do Angels live?"
"We're immortal."
"Ah. Hardly surprises me." I grumbled, a twinge of envy prodding at my heart.
He grinned, "Aw, are demons not immortal? Such a shame."
I punched him in the arm. "We live a decent amount of years. Lucifer doesn't die, though. He's the only one of us who is immortal. The rest of us live for about 15,000 years."
He rubbed his sore arm while glaring daggers at me. "Don't push your luck with me, demon. Hit me again and I'll rip your arm off."
I shrugged remorselessly at him. "It'll just grow back...I think. Speaking of that...what's with the sword anyway? You didn't have that last time."
"Didn't need it the last time. You're a small fry; my bare hands are enough to kill you."
"So why didn't you?" He looked up at me sharply, surprised by my question.
"What?"
I hugged my legs into my chest and rested my chin on my knee. "Well, you've had three opportunities to kill me, but you haven't done it yet. How come?"
Will was staring at me, still looking shocked. Then, he schooled his expression into one of coolness. "Last time those other two got in the way. The first time I was feeling generous and this time-"
He cut himself off and I could see he did not know the answer himself. I nudged him slightly with my shoulder. "Perhaps I've grown on you."
He shoved me away and grunted, "Don't flatter yourself. You just aren't worth my time; maybe if you were more powerful, or not so young, or more...demon-like."
I rolled my eyes at him. "'Demon-like?' I behave like a typical demon."
"No, you don't. In fact, I would mistake you for human if it weren't for your eyes." He touched just below his own eyes for emphasis.
Self-consciously, I touched the corners of my eyes. My sister and I both possessed black eyes with red pupils. It was a genetic mutation from our family intermarrying for so long. My mother had had the same condition, too. Our eyesight wasn't as sharp as other demons' and we had a high chance of becoming blind when we fully matured. Mother went blind in her left eye when I was a couple hundred years old.
"They're kind of...scary," He admitted, looking away for a second, "when I first saw them I thought they signified some sort of power in which if I looked in them I would be harmed in some way."
"My eyes are no more special than your own. It's only a mutation from being in a family that is...closely related." I sighed, placing my book down beside me. It was obvious I wouldn't be getting any reading done.
"The other girl had the same eyes as you." Will said.
"She's my twin. My brother was the lucky one." I mumbled.
"Luke is my brother, but not by blood. Life and Death are siblings."
We lapsed into silence once more. I rested my head against the rough bark of the tree and looked up at the bright blue sky. My eyes were beginning to ache; my time was limited. I turned my head to study my unusual companion. He had his long legs stretched out in front of him, his arms folded across his chest. He looked content, despite our proximity. Up close, I could see he had a sprinkle of freckles across his nose as well as a small crescent-shaped mark on his cheek slightly lighter than the surrounding skin.
"What's Heaven like?" I asked suddenly.
His left eye looked at me and his eyebrow twitched. "Why do you want to know?"
He sounded suspicious, and while I understood why, I did feel a twinge of annoyance. "I live in the darkness, can I not be curious of the light?"
He still seemed suspicious of me, but he decided to humor me. "It's up in the clouds. All of God's Children live in His palace with Him. There is no hunger, no pain. We are all treated equally and fairly. We are all loved. Everything is bright and clear and kind."
He sounded smitten, his face taking a dreamy look. I was envious of his description. Bountiful food and no pain? It almost sounded too good to be true.
"What about Hell?"
I grimaced. "It's the exact opposite, really. It is dark and smells and it rains blood. The sky is red and there aren't any clouds. In the very center of Hell is the palace of the Demon King. Beneath the sovereignty of the Demon King is the domain of the Devil. We eat human souls. I don't really like souls, though; it's an acquired taste I guess."
My companion gave a snort of amusement. "That's a new one. So, you're what, a vegetarian?"
I was not amused, giving him a flat glare at his attempt at humor. "I'm not the only one; there's a lot of us who don't care for souls. Of course, one can't be picky when that is the only food source. The only ones who don't need to eat regularly are Human-Turned-Demon."
The roll of his eyes gave me the sign he was still finding it funny and that he believed I was the only demon who didn't like consuming souls. I looked back up at the sky, squinting my eyes as I studied the clouds.
"Hey...do you think...God can see us?" I asked, suddenly nervous.
I felt him tilt his head to look at the sky as well. "Most likely. If He is, I cannot imagine Him being too happy about this. I am an Archangel; I should have killed you by now."
I grimaced and stood quickly, hugging my book to my chest. Will rose an eyebrow at me and stood as well. "I should leave. I don't want to get you in trouble."
"I said 'most likely,' not definitely. My Lord has better things to do than to watch me." He said.
It almost sounded like he didn't want me to go just yet. Still, my vision was beginning to get spotty. "It's not that," I half lied, "demons can go blind if they are in the Human World for too long. As we speak, my sight is beginning to fail. I must go if I want my sight to regenerate."
"You demons certainly have a lot of issues, don't you?" His tone was teasing, friendly even.
I cracked a smile. "You don't even know the half of it." I turned around and headed to the portal. I didn't say anything as I stepped through, back in the darkness.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
