Accidental Demon Summoning

The End, Pt. 2

It was impossible to move on from Asmodeus. He was everywhere in Al's house, in pictures and books and songs, in Daisy's bright red hair.

When they'd woken up in hospital, in beds beside each other, both of them hooked up to machines, they'd been told that Lily had been found outside. She'd been flung out a window during the attack, which police were still looking into. She was alive, but she was shaken.

Al and Daisy had buried everything they had from Asmodeus on a hill on Al's farm. Daisy's mum had taken one look at Al and given her away without a second thought. It almost hurt. Almost.

The counsellor said that grief was hard, but it got better. Daisy didn't see how it could. Her dad was gone, because of her stupid wish. If it was bad for her, it was worse for Al. She'd only had a few days with the demon, Al's entire life had revolved around him for almost seventeen years.

Daisy woke up from another nightmare about a woman with feathers for skin. It took her a moment to remember where she was. Safe, in her dad's house. A slice of moonlight shone through the window, knifing across the floor. Lily was lying on the end of her bed, snoring. The sheepdog had kept trying to dig up Asmodeus's grave, trying to get to anything she could smell of her old master. They'd had to put a fence around it.

Daisy pushed back the covers and stood up. Al's room was one over, they'd comforted each other when the nightmares woke them up screaming and crying more than once. Lily lifted her head and watched her go.

Al was sitting up in bed, staring at something in his hand. His shoulders were heaving.

"Dad?" Daisy whispered. Al turned and smiled at her, wiping his eyes. He patted the bed beside him. She snuggled under the blankets. "What's that?"

Al opened his hands. Resting on his palm was a tiny, shining, light. From the picnic, when they'd all danced together as a family. Her eyes prickled again and she turned away, hiding her face in his arms.

"I miss him," she whispered. Al kissed the top of her head. He didn't have to speak.

They stood up together and walked to the door hand in hand. It was ice cold outside, the freezing moon turning the world gray. Daisy could see the red flowers Al grew, but beyond the balcony darkness swallowed everything.

Al wrapped his arm around Daisy's waist and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. She did the same, cradling his hand in her own. They stood on the corner of the balcony and Al opened his hand. The light drifted upwards, the same colour as the moon. Al tilted his head to rest on top of Daisy's. They watched him vanish into the night, tears glinting in the moonlight.

Glowing sparks, like silver embers from a celestial bonfire, rose from the ground at Daisy's thought. They drifted around the pair, none as bright as the last light that Asmodeus had given them. Lily padded out the open door and stood at their side, whining.

"He's really gone, huh." Daisy whispered. Al turned his head to bury his face in his daughter's bright red hair, the same colour as the demon's skin.

"No." He whispered. "He's never going to be gone."

They turned away, back towards their house. Far in the sky, the spark winked out.