Grounded ~Book Four of Winged~

Dinner

"Belphegor, stop. You're making her uncomfortable." Lilith speaks up and Belphegor rolls his eyes quickly before letting go of my hand. He raises his glass slightly.

"To Mammon and Trinity." Belphegor speaks and turns back toward the table raising his glass more to everyone and clinking it against Madek's and Lilith's before turning back to me and we clink glasses. Everyone begins to clink glasses with who they are close to. I turn and carefully tap my glass with Eli's. Cresil leans over and we clink glasses and Madek also comes over and clinks glasses. After all the clinking stops, we raise our glasses again and then we all take a drink. The wine is much stronger than I thought that it was going to be. Everyone begins to sit and so do I, pulling my chair forward a bit. A cart is rolled out of the door that is across from the kitchen with plates on it followed by another cart. One cart goes to one side of the table and one is rolled to the wall behind me. The servants bring the plates over and set one in front of everyone. On the plate is a piece of some sort of bread, toasted, with a layer of small little black orbs on it and under the orbs is some sort of spread on the bread. Everyone casually begins to eat their toast and I pick up the slice of bread and stare at the orbs. I lean over to Eli.

"What are these?" I question quietly and he laughs slightly.

"Caviar." He replies. Fish eggs? I take a small bite out of the toast. The fish eggs seem to pop on my tongue. It tastes salty and fishy, but not overwhelmingly salty or fishy. The flavor seems to climb into my nose and I really don't like it.

"Don't like it, Darling?" I jump at Belphegor's voice in my ear and he laughs, picking up the toast from my plate and taking a large bite out of it. I smile awkwardly at him. He finishes the toast and then licks a little smudge of whatever spread that was on the toast off his thumb.

"So how old are you, Trinity?" I look away from Belphegor and across the table at Baalberith. He leans back in his chair, watching me.

"I turned nineteen on December 25th." Dominic looks surprised. He didn't know when my birthday was; I never told him. Eli looks over from his conversation with Cresil.

"Oh? Happy late Birthday." Baalberith raises his glass to me, smiling slightly.

"Thank you." I raise my glass toward him slightly and then we both take a sip of the wine.

The rest of the six course meal passes in a blur of random conversation between the members of their family. Every once in a while Eli and I will talk about the food in front of us and if I didn't finish something or didn't like it, Belphegor eats it. By the end, I am very full. Everyone begins to stand and Eli gets up so I start to stand too. Eli helps me up because the tight dress and high heels makes it a little hard. Lilith comes around the table and suddenly pulls me into a tight hug.

"Welcome to the family, Honey." She pulls away and smiles brightly down at me. Her emerald eyes sparkle slightly. She lightly squeezes my arm before her eyes flicker behind me, causing me to turn to see Sammael.

"It was nice seeing you Trinity. You're welcome anytime... and if you need anything we are all here. And," He clears his throat before speaking louder so everyone in the room hears, "We will all help." Everyone nods and some raise their refilled glasses and toast again. Sammael shakes my hand tightly and Eli wraps his arm around me and pulls me close, smiling down at me.

"Thank you." I smile and look at everyone. Sammael and Lilith leave together and Madek and Cresil leave shortly after saying goodbye to everyone. Eli leans down to me.

"If you're a part of this family now, does that mean I can no longer kiss you?" I look up to him about to respond that we aren't together and that I am with Etheriel before he suddenly kisses me slowly.

"Eli." I pull away sharply at Dominic's voice.

"Yes, Asmodeus?" Eli responds still holding me close.

"What do you think you're doing?" He says referring to Eli and I.

"You gave her over to Father... Don't you think she is much safer with me rather than with Sammael or roaming Hell alone?" Dominic can't argue with that because it is most likely true. Another arm wraps lightly around my shoulders from the other side and Belphegor looks back and forth from Eli to Dominic with a slight smile.

"Have you guys already started to fight? Mammon has just gotten back and there is already conflict brewing between you?" Belphegor slowly starts to rub circles into my shoulder, the one next to Eli. Dominic stares at Belphegor's hand on me. Eli is not bothered at all by Belphegor.

"Asmodeus doesn't agree with how I am taking care of Trinity apparently." Eli responds and drinks the rest of his wine from his glass. Eli stares into his empty glass thinking about something. "By the way, I released Nathan from his cell." Dominic tilts his head.

"They let you? The guards won't let me anywhere near the cells. Was he okay?" Dominic questions.

"He..." Eli looks around and I notice that all their siblings are still lingering, watching and listening to what he is saying. "... is no longer an Angel... But he was alive." A pained look fills all their eyes, knowing the pain that he had to go through. That's right... Everyone in this room use to be an angel.

"Where is he?" Dominic questions.

"I do not know. He used a passage and left after trying to kill me." He doesn't mention the part where I controlled him and made his demon blade disappear. A servant randomly comes over and refills Eli's empty glass and anyone's glass who is low or empty. Everyone is silent and stares at each other.

"Well, I think that Trinity and I are going to retire to me room for now." Eli leads me away from Belphegor and Dominic and to the door.

"Bye, Trinity." A few people echo in the room and I look back to see everyone staring.

"Bye." I reply and we walk out the door.

"So I guess sex is out of the question?" Eli says jokingly and helps me unzip the back of the dress. I glance back at him, rolling my eyes.

"You would be right." I reply and hold up the dress so the top doesn't slip down while I walk into Eli's closet to grab a loose shirt because I don't want to put my dirty pajamas back on. I pull the dress off and struggle for about five minutes to summon a bra. Just as I clasp it around me Eli leans against the door frame to the closet wearing a small smile.

"I think you look great just like that." He comments and his eyes quickly scan my body. "I believe my siblings would agree with me." He adds. His eyes stop on my breasts, the bra in particular. "You summoned that... Great job!"