A Demon's Past

Chapter 9

After taking some time to compose himself, Andras went back to the penthouse. Violette waited there, as casually as she could. She simply sat on his bed resting on her hands as she eyed him.

"Start talking," she said as calmly as she could, if only because she knew she was getting answers that night.

Andras was aware that if he didn't share at least a little bit of the truth she would become a nuisance. So he offered a part of it mixed with some lies "I won't cause her body any harm," he started.

"I have no intention of harming a single hair on her head so soon she does what I ask of her." He was going to leave it at that but Violette was not satisfied "I happen to need an angel to open the gates of heaven for me, I need to get something back."

"Why her?"

"Because no one would expect her to, she was cursed to not remember who she is and what she's capable of doing. No other angel would help, they all like to pretend they're so much better than everybody else."

"So you're going to trick her," Violette didn't seem too convinced, she was too smart for her own good. She knew he was hiding something.

"Yes, but I will not touch a hair on her head, I would never." That last bit just slipped out, but that seemed to be the statement that convinced Violette.

"Promise?" she asked, knowing he was a man of his word.

He usually wouldn't but this promise wasn't hard to make "I promise" he rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his heart. Promises were as binding to demons as deals.

"Good," she said with a smile. "That's good."

Violette looked at him for a moment, she gazed into his eyes as if she was looking for something. Whatever she looked for, she found it. "I'm going out to hunt," she said and walked out of the room and toward the elevator.

He knew she'd come back, so he didn't waste his breath warning her. She'd come back because she had to. Because she knew what he would do if she didn't.

He removed his shirt and threw it on the floor. Not caring that it was expensive, he had money. So much money, and so much time. When one lives as long as he had things stop mattering, life loses its purpose.

But he never forgot his.

He stared at his ring, so black, as black as his heart. He remembered when it used to be golden when it used to be made of light. 

So much had changed, since that time. He laid back in his bed, not bothering with his pants, he was suddenly exhausted.

"Andras" a voice beckoned him to sleep, the voice he always heard every time he closed his eyes.

And then he was there, flying. Back when the world wasn't a world. Back when it was still new only water filled its surface. The sun was setting as he flew directly toward it. He'd fly for hours and hours just to feel the wind on his wings. Back when they were made of lightning, back when he was a force of the earth, a servant of the skies.

The sun disappeared before he reached it, hiding so the moon could appear. Soon there would be other creatures roaming this land, soon it wouldn't just be water. He didn't know what would happen then, what he would do. The father would tell them soon.

He turned his head, even though he didn't need to, he knew she was there. As soon as the sun set she set out, free in the sky, flying at night as he loved to fly during the day.

"Andras!" she called and he slowed down so she could catch up effortlessly. Her wings made from galaxies, and her hair as black as night.

He smiled and so did she. "Lailah," he said and couldn't stop staring at her, the way her beautiful face lit up for some reason.

"When did you leave? Why didn't you take me with you?" She asked.

"I was just on my way back," he said "I didn't think you'd want to come with me," he said truthfully.

"That is untrue," she said "I love spending time with you" she whispered but he heard it. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her. She stopped as well, suspended in the middle of the sky.

"You do?" he was surprised, what was this feeling? Why did his chest hurt when she smiled? Why was he so happy to hear her say that?

"Yeah," she answered, looking away.

He was so confused, he didn't know what he wanted from her, but he wanted more. He wanted to be by her side from the moment he woke. "Then let's spend more time together," he said and she smiled again.

He could live on that smile, that alone would be enough.

But then he wasn't there with her anymore. She was falling, falling, falling.

And he couldn't care less. He just watched her as she tried to reach him, as she cried and begged him to save her. He just watched as her heart broke and betrayal shone in her eyes. He could only watch. 

He jolted awake, sweating profusely as he did every night. He was shaking, his vision was blurry and his heart, his heart hurt again.

He had the same dream every night since that fall.

It rarely started the same, but the endings never changed.

She would fall every time. And every time he could only watch, he would only watch. 

He walked over to the bar, trying to take the edge off. No one would know what his true intention was, no one would ever guess.

His intentions were evil, he was evil. What he wanted from her would destroy her, would ruin her forever. He hadn't lied to Violette he wouldn't harm her. Not physically, but he'd destroy something much more precious, her soul.

And he reminded himself he shouldn't care, reminded himself who he was.

But he still couldn't sleep. 

He could never sleep.