Accidental Demon Summoning

More Murder, and Magic

"I'll translate the demonic runes, Al, you go through the police files, Daisy, honey, you're doing amazing. Just keep being yourself." Asmodeus had spread out all the papers in the park, across a table smeared with chipped, green, paint. Cicadas chirped their songs from the trees, drowning out every other sound. The heat was oppressive, like a blanket spread across the world.

Daisy lay back on the grass, spreading her arms. Lily snuffled at her cheek. "Hey, Al." She called, picking a small, white, flower. "Is it cannibalism if I eat this?"

The older man peered closer. "Is that..."

Daisy popped the daisy in her mouth and swallowed in one. "Damn, I taste like a genius with a stunning sense of humour." She called. Al laughed, peering over the murder files.

"According to this, Mephistopheles' lover was either...a tall, dark man described my Miss Doris Anderson as 'one of them WWE wrestler types, I think I saw him on the television'. Or, a tiny little person, maybe a child. Or," Al cleared his throat. "Hayley Kiyoko, Mayor Roberts says she must have been 'dear Julie's best friend, or maybe her sister, even though Miss Montecristo was of, uh, a darker complexion'. Yikes."

"People like him don't deserve kneecaps." Daisy called. "Can I eat another flower?"

"Nope!" Asmodeus yelled back.

The sun was starting to set and they were the only people in the park. Through the trees, Daisy could see the glint of water in sunshine. She hoped there were ducks. She'd ask Asmodeus to make ducks if there weren't. It was a warm autumn, and leaves drifted down from the enormous trees surrounding their clearing. Every few minutes, a bird or a squirrel flitted through the branches, their movements strangely similar to one another.

"We're a long way from home now!" Daisy laughed, pulling up grass by its roots. "I'm hungry, it's dinner time. Have you figured out who killed them yet?"

"Nuh-uh. This is mostly waffle, the detectives had no idea what they were doing. They questioned a seven year old on holiday from Michigan as a suspect." Al said. "Any luck, babe?"

Daisy glanced over. Asmodeus was glowing red, patterns sliding across his body. "It's not Fate Demon Runes, there are some Fates. But there's also Portals, the demons who move humans around, and Corrupters, who seduce those meant for heaven to the dark side. And there's incubi, and Satan-Speak, which is only gifted to the highest ranking officials. This is either a polyglot demon," he chuckled. "Or a group of incredibly powerful demons who could kill us all in seconds. I've never seen anything like it."

"That's... so it's like a demonic cult? And Mephistopheles maybe found out about it and they sacrificed them to whatever it worships? Or it might have killed them for even being in the same place as it?" Daisy mused. Al nodded.

"It sounds plausible. Demons are territorial. Asmodeus once tried to kill someone for hitting on me at a gay bar. We got thrown out." Al said. Asmodeus smirked and squeezed Al's thigh under the table.

"We should probably get Asmodeus out of here, then." Daisy said. Al nodded.

"I'm stronger than Mephistopheles." Asmodeus said. "Most of their power came from their relationship with Satan - when a demon falls in love, they get much more powerful. Demonic love is the most powerful force in Hell, and incubus love especially so. That's why we're punished for falling in love, or our lover is." He bent over to kiss Al's temple. "But our love is stronger than the punishments."

"You do know that you're so cute I might have to vomit." Daisy grumbled. "If I had enough food in my stomach. I'm starving. We ran out of junk food, like, three hours ago. I'm ready to eat the dog."

Lily barked. Asmodeus clicked his fingers and she loped over to him. "Al, let's take a break. We've been working hard for ten minutes."

"Lazy." Al turned over a sheet of paper.

"My work usually lasts two or three minutes. Sometimes longer, depending on..." the gay demon overlord glanced down at Daisy. "Sorry, dear." He stood up and arched back. "I'm all cramped up. Al, can you give me a massage?"

"Yes, darling." Al shuffled the papers into a neat stack. "I think Daisy wants dinner, though."

"Right." Al crossed the grass to a flat patch. He flexed his fingers and ran them over his horns. A blanket ran off them like water, slithering into his hands. He tossed it to Al, who spread it across the ground. Daisy stood up and wandered over to them.

Asmodeus stroked his palms together, wrung his hands, trailed his claws up his wrists, tapped his markings. Bread and meat and butter and jam and potatoes and curry and rice and salad appeared in his hands. Al took each dish from him and on the mat, smiling at his husband.

It was so perfectly, sickeningly, domestic. This was what Daisy had never had. This was her perfect family, the two dads always attentive and so in love there was no way for them to leave each other. For gods sake (was that offensive to Asmodeus? Should she say for Satan's sake?) they even had a dog.

Lily snuffled at Al's legs. Asmodeus passed her a huge plate of blue meat. The sheepdog barked, leaping in circles. Al laughed at her.

"She's missed that meat, apparently, the slime from the local store and dead sheep isn't good enough as monsters from the depths of hell." He said. Asmodeus laughed and scratched the top of his dogs head.

Daisy sat down and poured herself a glass of the lemonade. "You're sure that this won't kill me?" She said. Asmodeus glanced away, blushing.

"I'm sorry about that, dear. I thought that... never mind. I was heartbroken and scared, I wouldn't ever have killed her. I acted like an asshole." He said. "To think, if you'd agreed I would have...and just gone straight back to hell." He looked vaguely nauseated.

"Hey, dude, no hard feelings." Daisy said. "Can you put on some music?"

Asmodeus nodded. "Thank you, Daisy. Any requests?"

"Troye Sivan? I always thought of you when I heard his music. I'd love to dance with you, darling." Al said. "He's very gay, dear."

The demon bowed. "May I have this dance, my prince?" Lights bloomed out of the air, tiny white bright bulbs like minuscule dandeli on clocks drifting through the air. Al laughed. Daisy took a sip of the lemonade. Lily lifted her head. One of them settled on her shiny, black, nose and she sneezed.

"But of course, brave knight." Al held out his hand. Music blossomed around them, coming from everywhere and nowhere. Asmodeus pulled Al close, swaying.

Fuck. This was perfect. This was family. The demon and his lover danced slowly, moving through the drifting light, Daisy watching them.

"Hey!" She called. They paused, Al's hand still on Asmodeus' back. The demon was shining with the same, soft, bright glow as the magical lights. "Um. I never want to go home." She paused. There was nothing stopping her asking, she wanted to stay with her family. Who wouldn't? "Can I stay with you guys? Forever?"

Asmodeus' light seemed to double, so bright it almost hurt Daisy's eyes. Al beamed. "Asmodeus, are you crying?"

"Yeah." The incubus said. "Yeah, yeah Daisy. Yeah, Al." He laughed. "Come here, kid."

Daisy stood up and walked over to them. Al dropped one of Asmodeus' arms, opening it in a half hug. Daisy slipped in between the two of them. Asmodeus glowed, like a living heater. Daisy rested her cheek on his chest. Al hugged her from behind, resting his chin on top of her hair. She was entirely encircled by them, by her family, by the demon and his lover.

A tear slipped out of eye, swelling outwards as it traced down her face because her grin so wide. The music faded, but they kept swaying together.

"I'm never leaving you again." Asmodeus whispered. Daisy could feel the tears rolling down Al's face, and Asmodeus heaving with barely restrained tears. The demon, pulled back to hell. The man who lost everything. The girl who'd never had a real, loving family. "I'm finally home."