The Struggles of Marrying a Demon {Completed}

Hellos

"Hey, Packer," Mabel greeted the former warlock with a kind smile, sidling up beside him, where he stood overlooking the lake in the city's park. "What's up?"

Packer eyed her carefully for a long beat, as if deciding whether she was asking just to be nice, or she sincerely cared. Realizing it was the latter, he spoke, his voice loaded. "When they killed her, I brought her body back here, to Earth. She had parents, and they were devastated." He turned his eyes back to the murky waters, watching a pair of ducks swim in slow circles.

Mabel watched the birds as well, recognizing the moment as one of solemnity; Packer needed someone who would listen without judgement and not ask questions.

"They buried her, because that's what they wanted. It wasn't what she wanted, though. She told me once that she wanted to be cremated, and then have her ashes spread over the lake, because she loved it so much.

"I couldn't explain this to her parents, however, as they were not aware of my existence. Instead, I cast a spell. They saw her body being placed in a casket and buried, but it was an illusion. I spread her ashes here a month before I met you."

Still silent, Mabel took his hand in hers, squeezing comfortingly. They stayed like that, their eyes trained on the setting sun, for another thirty minutes before Mabel broke the silence.

"I bet she was lovely."

Packer snorted, shaking his head, a smile of amusement tugging at his lips. "In looks, yes. Personality, however: she was very stubborn, sarcastic, snobbish, and I absolutely adored her."

Mabel couldn't help it when his description of the deceased woman piqued her interest, for reasons that were (admittedly) not wholly pure. "Oh?" She tried to keep her voice casual, "Are you attracted to sassy women, or something?"

Packer finally shifted to look at her, one eyebrow quirked. "Perhaps. Why are you interested? I thought you had a wedding coming up?"

Rolling her eyes and shoving him playfully, Mabel chuckled. "Oh, shut up; you know that's not what I meant."

His expression grew somber. "I know. I am not ready for anything, yet, Mabel. I don't think I ever will be."

Mabel resisted the urge to rub her hands together like an evil genius. "Maybe." Her voice was faraway, filled with thoughts that might have been, quite possibly, extremely foolish.

Only time would tell, though.

***

Letting her gaze swing between Kellan and Lucy, Mabel watched cautiously as the women continued arguing.

"Who cares?" Lucy was saying, a beer in each hand, "No one really thinks that anymore."

Kellan huffed, offended, and took a long swig of her mojito. "Everyone cares, because everyone still thinks that! Tell her, Zeph." She eyed Zephyrine expectantly.

The ala looked up from the shoe magazine she'd been analyzing, her expression bored. "I have no opinion, either way."

"Coward," Mabel snickered, turning her gaze to Thora when the other ala (and newest addition to the little group, but it had taken her a while to get used to walking with human legs) spoke up.

"I agree with Lucy," she mused, scrutinizing the picture of Brad Pitt as though it was an elaborate math problem in need of solving, "He's not really all that attractive."

"Hah!" Lucy shot up, pointing her finger in Kellan's face and wagging it tauntingly. "I told you. He's not that handsome anymore. That's what happens with age."