The Devil's Assistant (Watty Awards Finalist 2011)

Devil's Assistant [21]

Chapter 21

I woke the next morning feeling strangely comfortable and at peace. It was as if for a moment I had been awarded total bliss though the niggling in the back of my mind told me that a shed load of responsibility. I felt an arm draped over my waist as soft even breathing blew against the back of my neck. I knew who it was, heck it was hard not to considering there were three fully grown adults in this bed. My hand that was stretched before me was touching the other person and I could feel Danny nestled next to me. The bed was absolutely huge yet in my drowsy state it brought a smile to my face at how close we all were. Not that that is how we started off, it was quite the opposite actually.

I think all of us were just looking for someone to tell us that it was going to be alright. For the others I think it was worse. I knew I was out of my depth, something that is familiar to me but to my devil and my angels, being helpless and relying on a human must be a totally new experience. There was nothing sexual about this arrangement, no strings attached, no awkwardness, just three and a half people looking for reassurance.

After the party had been a nightmare. Lots of people had been drunk and I had gotten lost in the colossal building. Eventually though my new little family found me and brought me back to the room which I was once again in awe of. No matter how many times I saw it I knew that the place would never get old and the fact that it all kept changing meant that there was always something new for me to drink in. It's weird because I had never been one of those people who were obsessed with décor or architecture yet since being here I just want to see what lay in the next room.

Peeling back my heavy lids, I had to blink several times before I could focus on the face before me. Gabriel looked like a lost little boy in his sleep, though I did wonder whether he was truly sleeping like us humans did. He looked like he was and if the flickering of his lid were any clue he was obviously dreaming of something, something nice if his lips were anything to go by as they pulled up in the corners into a contented smile.

Smiling to myself I slowly sat up, dislodging the arm from my waist so that Lucius' breathing halted for a moment before returning to its slow even pace. Picking up Danny who was smiling widely at me as he blew bubbles through his lips, I clutched him to my chest as I slid to the end of the bed. I gasped at my bare feet as they touched the floor before glancing over my shoulder at the guys only to see them now snuggled around each other. I lifted a hand to stifle a giggle. I so wished I had a camera right now.

I backed up a few steps and moved the other side of the suite where Ezekiel was sat in a chair. His eyes were staring unblinking at the wall across from him and he seemed to be in his own little world so I tried my best not to disturb him as I lowered myself down on the sofa opposite. Cuddling closer to Danny, I allowed my own thoughts to wander. My own heart ached in my chest as I tried to picture what life was going to be like. I knew Danny would be safe with Calantha but at the same time I couldn't get past the fact that I would be separated from him for so long. I knew that I had been allowing Lucius to hold him most of the time but I think even then I knew we would have to be separated. I think letting Lucius take care of him over the days past was just my way of adjusting to not having him around but right now, I just wished that I had held onto him that much tighter. Who knew if I would ever see him again, I might die in this venture and never get to hold my baby boy again. The thought alone made me hold Danny tighter.

A knock on the door pulled me sharply from my thoughts and I looked up in time to see Calantha waltz into the room as if she was the Queen or something though she could be for all I know, I had no idea how the hierarchy down here worked. As her eyes feel upon us she smiled but her eyes quickly caught sight of Lucius and Gabriel and a loud laughing escaped her lips, echoing off of the walls causing the two men wrapped lovingly around one and other to sit up startled. They blinked sleepily and glanced around, their arms still thrown over one another before they met each other's eyes and yelled before hastily scrambling away from one another.