The Falling (Book I)

Contract

Months passed and I did not return to the Human World; I was terrified of running into another angel. More often than I cared to admit, my mind drifted to William. Did he get in trouble for allowing me to leave? I would hate to think he would be punished because he did not end my "miserable" existence.

I lounged on my bed reading when I heard:

Rayi, I summon thee to do my bidding.

Rayi purred and it felt like my head was about to split open like a cracked boulder. I ground out, "Open."

My bed melted away in the darkness as I stood. It was black for several heartbeats before a bright light blinded me. I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet so I did not fall.

"I-it worked!" an incredulous voice exclaimed.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, a figure rushed to me. A male, who stank of horses. He was dressed in a shoddy tunic and had holes in his trousers. He beamed at me with broken, yellow teeth.

He said with no small amount of reverence, "Rayi, I have summoned you to carry out my revenge."

Optima demons had a being inside their minds. No one knew how these beings came to be or why they were only found in Optima demons. The only knowledge anyone held regarding these things was that they were ancient. They had their own personalities and names, which they told their host the first time they communicate. As the host matured, the being—known as Adsecula—eventually merged with the host until little to nothing of the original demon was left. Rayi was one such creature. A parasite.

I ignored my Summoner and peered at the ground. I was standing underneath a large inverted pentacle drawn with goat's blood. I wrinkled my nose. Summonings were so troublesome. Humans summoned us all the time, temporarily forming a contract with us to do them some service. Making a contract had not been high on my to-do list that day.

[Did your governess not teach you it is rude to ignore your Summoner?]

At Rayi's prodding, I sighed, "What shall you give in return?"

His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat, but the determination in his eyes never faltered. "My soul."

I made a face at the thought. He would not taste good: man souls were often difficult to chew, like gnawing leather. Judging from the callouses on his hands, his soul would be especially tough. He looked puzzled when he saw my face scrunch. "I am not interested in that...You know what would be a good payment?"

Rayi snarled, [What are you doing?! A soul is so much better than what you're thinking of!]

I ignored her. Wordlessly, he shook his head and stared at me with eyes rounded by fear. He probably thought I would suggest his heart or something, which was just as appealing to me as his soul was. I was not a Heartstealer. " I would like those poppy rolls in the bakery."

"Y-you want that?" he asked, unsure.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I want a whole box of those. It works in both of our favor: you get to live and enjoy the vengeance longer, and I get something I can actually enjoy."

My Summoner gaped at me. He failed to realize I could have souls any time I wished. "U-um, this isn't a trick, right?"

I placed my hand over my heart and bowed at the waist, but not too low. "A demon cannot lie to her Summoner when she enters a contract with them. So long as you honor your end of the deal, you have nothing to fear. Now, name who has wronged you and I shall avenge you."

"The bandit, Nathaniel," he replied, fists clenched at his sides. "He took my bride's life."

That was another thing I hated about humans, their reasons for summoning demons were petty. Calling us to do their dirty work because they were too cowardly to do so, fighting for their honor in their stead, it did not matter. Still, those rolls were too good to pass up. "It will be done."