The Devil's Lover: The Wish @page { margin-bottom: 5.000000pt; margin-top: 5.000000pt; } The Devil’s Lover: The Wish By Dahlia Lu Smashwords Edition Copyright 2011 Dahlia Lu Cover Image Copyright IStockphoto.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems-except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews-without permission in writing from its author. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictions or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. Smashwords Edition, License Notes This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.   This book is dedicated to my family and the love of my life. I would also like to thank my editor, Brooke Pierce, for her meticulous efforts in making this publication possible. Prologue   It was a long way home. Kali debated whether she should chase after the school bus she had just missed or call a taxi. She was so far off the main road that she highly doubted a taxi would even be able to find her. In fact, she was surprised there was even a gas station here in the first place; the only reason it were still in business was because the owners gouged those poor passer-by who were desperate for a little gas and had no other options. This was meant to be a pit stop. The bus had traveled a couple of hours off the main road, and she had assumed they were lost, but the teacher insisted that the resort was nearby. The students and chaperones couldn’t wait to get to a bathroom when they spotted the small gas station on the side of the road. It was a rundown shack with a sloppy rendering of the word ‘Gas’ in paint on the side of the building. There was a rotten smell about the place that even the thick gasoline fumes could not cover. Her classmates lined up one to use the bathroom. Since she had a reputation for being slow, Kali ended up last in line. She was not surprise to find the bathroom’s wall covered in splotches of green moss. She was not surprised when the cheap light bulb flickered on and off.  And she definitely was not surprised when her mischievous “friends,” if she could call them that, did to the door to lock her in. She sighed. Kali knew they liked to pick on her, but she hadn’t expected them to pull a stunt like that in the middle of nowhere. She was dumb enough to fall for it…again. After fifteen minutes of pushing and kicking the flimsy door, she finally managed to free herself. Swearing she’d never step foot in a gas station bathroom, she was just in time to see the bus pulling away onto the road. If there was anything worse than being the subject of a stupid prank, it was being forgotten by the prankster. Even worse, the weather was getting dark and gloomy. Her mood was quickly beginning to match the sky. Plopping down on the bench outside the shack, she tried to figure out the next best course of action. The suspicious glances the big, sloppy middle-aged man kept sneaking towards her from behind his counter did not make her problem solving skills any more efficient. She didn’t know what he intended to say or do to her, but she did know she didn’t want to stick around to find out. Kali stood up and started down the road towards the direction they had come. The road snaked around the side of the mountain, and was narrow and unstable enough that she felt uneasy pressed up against the wall as she walked. The rain trickled at first. She decided to continue her trek until she could find some type of civilization. The heavens were beginning to churn as she walked on, with bolts of lightning racing behind dark, ominous clouds. Deafening thunder began to follow the flashes of light more quickly as the storm moved overhead. The mud beneath her feet was starting to swallow her shoes, a sign that clearly indicated frequent rain in this area. Kali debated once more whether she should continue on in hopes of finding shelter or if she should turn back to that rat’s nest of a gas station. The weather was becoming less encouraging by the second. Going back to the shack, with its sturdy room seemed to be the safest bet. Hearing a sudden grinding noise above her, Kali braced herself when a large boulder came tumbling from the wall of the mountain, landing several feet away from where she stood, where it created a large obstacle in her return path. Kneeling down, she approached the edge to see how far she would fall if she missed her footing. The pure height made her dizzy. The ground beneath her began to grumble. If her senses did not deceive her, she would say that the earth was actually moving. Kali got up and pelted down the narrow path. Her only hope was to find a stable area where the earth felt solid and stationary. The dirt began to slip down the hill and onto the path, bouncing out into space as larger chunks followed. It happened faster than Kali could fathom. As she spun around, she felt her ankle twist as she stepped into a new hole. The ground beneath her foot collapsed, and she was suddenly spinning out into the air over the edge of the cliff.  There were a few seconds of rushing wind, and then the world descended into darkness. She could hear her own shallow breathing echoing in her head when she woke up, and she could feel her faint heart beat throbbing inside her chest. When she finally forced her eyes to open, the world was a blur around her. A voice inside her head was begging her to stand up, and apparently would not be quieted. Kali slowly sat up, then struggled to stand up. Her body felt weak and numb, almost as if it belonged to someone else. She could vaguely see that she had fallen through the roof of a cave, and a path in front of her traced through the rock and earth. Perhaps further on it would offer shelter from the raging storm that was streaming through the hole over her head.   Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, Kali let out a sigh of relief and moved toward it without much thought. The deeper she traveled, the brighter the light seemed to shine in her eyes. Perhaps there was someone there who could help her… anybody would do! A larger space at the end of the tunnel glimmered with the glowing of mineral deposits in the cave wall, creating the light that had raised her hopes. Her heart sank. There wasn’t anyone here, only a massive domed chamber that seemed to echo her own heartbeat and a lot of glow-in-the-dark rocks. She felt a warm and thick liquid running down from her head to her back. Suspicious, her right hand traveled to the back of her head, touching the sticky liquid. Holding her breath unconsciously, she brought her hand around in front of her eyes. Crimson blood, still very warm, stained her fingers. She could feel it running down her calf and forming a puddle at her feet. Kali began to feel weaker. The sight of blood always freaked her out. She took a few steps, eyes still glued to the red wetness on her hand. Soon, she felt her strength draining away. Without realizing she was falling until too late, she slumped to the floor as her body gave out. The ground was cold and hard, but some of her blood managed to seep into the dirt and rocks. More found a passage carved into the ground, filling up the trough as it continued to flow around the divot through the stone.  If she’d been upright, she would have noticed that it seemed to fill a well-defined shape, clearly a carving of some sort. Kali’s eyes filled with tears as the horror of her situation grasp onto her. She could feel the warm water spilling down her cheeks to mix with the blood under her head. She swore she saw her whole life flashing before her eyes. Her vision began to melt as she gasped her final breath. Right before the darkness claimed her, she saw him. Chapter 1: Obscure Intentions   Kali let out a horrified scream. She had never experienced such an intense fear; it felt like it was engulfing her very soul. At the same time, she felt the life slowly drained from her body. The end was ever so near. There were still so many things she hasn’t had the chance to try. So many things left undone. It can’t end now; I’m much too young to die! The door to her bedroom burst open. A tall, masculine figure entered from the bright light in the hallway. She instinctively winced, then opened her eyes again. A pair of golden eyes was locked on her. It took her several seconds to recognize their owner. His eyes quickly scanned her body for any physical injury, and then he inspected the rest of the room for intruders. When he was sure they were completely alone, his attention returned to her. He was talking to her, but his voice was so faint that she could barely hear what he was saying. The volume of his voice slowly increased before she could panic. For that short moment, she thought she had gone deaf. “… answer me,” he demanded urgently, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?” She grabbed onto the hard muscles of his arm. He could tell she was desperately confused. “There was…I was…dying. Chevalier, I was dying! There was this mudslide and I hit my head…and this cave…I’ve never been so frightened in my whole life!” He gently patted her arm to comfort her. “It was only a bad dream, that’s all. Calm down.” “ You don’t understand,” she shook her head, “There was this man…no, this thing, it was in the cave and it talked to me! It was saying something in a strange language, but I understood him!” “ What did he say?” Chevalier asked. “ Something about prolonging my life…” the memory of the event began to fade, “something about a wish…” Suddenly she realized that what she said were completely irrational. How could he possibly believe her, if she couldn't even believe it herself? Shaking off the memory, she lay her head back down onto the pillow. “ Never mind…,” she said. “It was just a weird dream.”   †††††   They waited patiently, anticipating the arrival of their master. They could feel his presence coming closer. They all turned their attention as if the movement was rehearsed, swinging their faces to the double doors. The stone doors creaked open, letting a breath of fresh air into the enclosed room. Several long moments later, their master walked through the doors with an air of innate confidence. His luminous fair skin and ethereal blue eyes demanded immediate attention, which he received in full. He walked passed them without so much as a glance and stood in front of his rightful throne. The master turned to look at his subjects, who stood completely silent while he seated himself. They bowed to him in unison once again. A beautiful female offered him a glass of red wine served on a golden platter, and he gladly received it. “ My Lord, Lucifer,” a young man with soft pale green eyes and golden auburn hair appeared in front of the aisle. His voice echoed through the dome room. As he walked toward the throne, the feathers from his magnificent black wings were falling off and disintegrating before they could reach the ground. The wings seemed to disappear from his back as he approached. The others in the room bowed to him with the same respect they showed their man on the throne. He dropped to one knee before his master. “Your awakening is ahead of schedule.” Lucifer sat on his throne, arrogantly swirling the glass of blood wine in his hand. “ It was unexpected,” he said. His perfectly balanced face and grayish platinum hair reflected off the silver surface of the wine glass. “What of Arvin and Acelin?” “ They are deep in their slumber,” Soren informed his master. “Only you are awake before your time, my Lord. I was concerned when I did not know your whereabouts the last several days.” “ I was momentarily distracted. It was quite impressive to see how much the humans have advanced since I was last among them.” “ Their simple species never fails to replicate their history.” Soren replied disparagingly. He promptly noticed his master’s intrigued expression. It was… somewhat unusual. “ If you were a human, Soren, what sort of wish is worth dying for?” “ I wouldn’t know, my Lord,” Soren was disgusted at the thought. “I am a demon.” “ Of course you are,” Lucifer reached out to Soren’s face with his hand, “and a beautiful one at that,” Lucifer smiled, his nails digging lightly into Soren’s flawless face. Crimson blood dripped from the cuts. They healed instantaneously.   †††††   It was far too late for her to be out. As much as she would hate to admit it, the nights of this city do not pity a young girl’s soul. There is something about the dark that brings out the malicious side of people. Just the other day she had read about two young girls who were raped and murdered while returning home from school. Photographs of their bloodstained bodies still lingered in her mind. Kali winced at the thought. She didn’t intend on staying out so late. A male co-worker was supposed to come in after her shift, but was a no-show. Her manager strongly insisted that she cover for him. She needed this job badly enough to agree. It wasn’t that she needed the money. Her tuition was paid in advance and Chevalier has been a good provider, but he worked far too hard for their living expenses. How long could he go on working three jobs? She wanted to make a little extra money so she could at least take care of herself and lighten his burden. Speaking of Chevalier, he must be furious that she was not home at this hour. A group of young men standing idly by the side of the street reminded her to pick up her pace. She focused on the end of the road to avoid direct eye contact. When she heard footsteps following her at her own speed, she began jogging. Their pace matched hers. Before she had the chance to bolt, a cold and rough hand grabbed her forearm. “ Where are you going in such a hurry?” she heard one of them asking. Nothing good could come of this. “You’re acting like we’re a bunch of criminals.” Her heart went into a frenzy. Pictures of the bloodstained corpses of murdered girls flashed into her head. Kali took a moment to make her face carefully neutral before turning around. “ I’m running late,” she replied as she slowly pulled her arm back. The man caught it once more and pulled her forward aggressively. “ I’m sure you can spare a moment for us,” he grinned. The foul stench from his breath made her stomach churn. She pushed away from him to keep as much distant between them as possible. “What’s a beauty like you doing running around at this hour?” She felt disgusted when she felt a hand on her buttock. She did not know which of the men harassed her, but she instinctually slapped the man in front of her. She would be lying if she blamed it all on reflexes, though. At the moment, he was the object of her contempt. He and the rest of his men seemed stunned by the hit. Kali made use of this chance and dashed away. Fear and adrenaline rushed to her head, fueling her body. She would not be so lucky to escape again if they caught her. God, she could just imagine the things they would do to her! Genuine fear rushed to her head. She didn’t bother to look back to see how far she had run. She could hear their rampaging footsteps close behind, and she was running out of breath. She couldn’t keep this up forever. Spotting a trashcan full of beer bottles at the end of the curb, Kali grabbed the first bottle she saw and smashed the bottom against the metal light post. With what seemed to be a weapon on hand, she turned to stand her ground. The men were cautious at first. Something about a little thing like her threatening them with a broken bottle was amusing to them. Her body was shaking with fear, but her face was stoic. The group of men laughed at her attempt at bravery. The man who had snatched her wrist before suddenly grabbed her wrist and squeezed it, until she dropped the broken bottle on the ground. She struggled to wiggle away from his grasp, but his grip was too tight. Suddenly, he loosened his fist and she pulled away by instinct. To her surprise, he fell to his knees, gasping for air. His face held a look of pain as tears began to stream from his eyes. She had never seen a man in so much agony. “ What’s wrong with you?” his men were backing away at his unusual display. His head began to turn to the left. He screamed out for help, but his head continued to turn all the way around. The pain on his face was frozen at the moment of his death. His crew stood in complete shock. “ It’s that girl!” a man shouted out. “She did this to him! She…she’s a witch!” Kali had never seen a man dead before, much less dying. She had attended several funerals, but they were all closed casket ceremonies. Nothing had ever come close to what she just saw. When she turned back to look at the others, they were glaring at her with bristling hatred. Their body language showed obvious murderous intent. One man pulled out a knife from his pocket, slowly approaching her. There was no doubt in her mind what he was going to do with the knife. Another man was behind her. She didn’t realize he was there her until he grabbed her by the wrists and held her in place. The other man raised the knife above his head, aiming at her heart. “ No please…” she begged, her eyes glued on the streetlight reflecting on the blade of the sharp knife. She imaged how it would penetrate her flesh and flinched. “ You’re not going soft, are you?” she heard the man behind her ask when a long moment had passed. “She’s clearly a witch, she killed him! It’s not like this is the first time you killed somebody!” “ Shut up!” the knife-wielder said, agitatedly. “It’s not me, it’s her! I…I can’t move my hand!” “ What the hell are you talking about? Just finish her already!” He lowered the knife from above his head towards his neck. “Help me…I can’t control my hand!” he said in panic. His other arm rose to control the knife. Before his friends could reach him, the knife sliced through his throat. He dropped the knife, trying to stop the blood from gushing out over his fingers. It was no use. As the blood traveled down his neck to soak his shirt, the man choked and fell to the ground. Kali felt the blood rush from her own head, and fell to the ground in a dead faint. The other men watched, shivering in fear. Horrified at what they have just witnessed, they scattered and left the dazed girl and two corpses behind.   A darker shadow materialized from the dim alleyway. He walked toward the fainted girl and gathered her up onto his arms. The corpses, along with the puddles of blood, disappeared into the ground. There was no sign that anything unusual had happened as he turned to walk away.     Chapter 2: Hardly a Debut   She woke up this morning in a cold sweat under her heavy blanket. She couldn't understand how the worlds of her sub-consciousness could feel so real. The horror she felt lingered for several hours after she got out of bed. She didn't want to think about it, but the dream last night was so vivid that she could still remember the faces of those men. Even more disturbing were the bruises left on her wrists. The thought of it made her wince. "You haven't been listening," Hana accused. Kali snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her friend. Her brown eyes narrowed, the girl ran her hands through her brown hair and frowned at the neglect. "I'm sorry," Kali apologized, "I was just thinking about the nightmare I had last night.” Hana rested her hands on her hips. "We have more important things to worry about than just dreams.” "You're right," Kali agreed. "Hana, did you go on the school trip a couple days ago?" "I got a cold and had to stay home, remember?" "I think I do…” "What were we talking about again?” Hana pondered on where she had left off. "Ah, yes, the dress! I am willing to lend you one. I have a bunch of dresses that I never even worn.” "I did mention before that I will not be attending," Kali interrupted before Hana could come to a decision on Kali’s wardrobe. She looked over her shoulder at the other girls in the class and detected animosity. "You know the girls don’t like me. I don't know who I’ve offended, but there are a lot of rumors about me lately. Maybe I should just lay low for now. Besides, I just don't belong there. Their parents are millionaires and movie stars. Where do I fit in?” "Hush!" Hana waved her right hand. "You go to this school, so it’s your right to go to a school function. We already talked about this. The school only throws a dance once at the end of the year. It would be such a waste if you don’t go. Before you say you don't have anything to wear, I already picked out a dress for you.” "I don’t really know how to dance.” "It doesn't matter," Hana pulled Kali closer so she could whisper into her ear. "To be honest, I don't have a date for tonight, but I really want to go. I don’t want to show up alone! You’ll come with me, won’t you?" Kali thought for a moment. "I suppose I can make it.” "Wonderful!" Hana exclaimed. "I'll have the dress sent over right after school, and then a driver will pick you up tonight.”     †††††   The door was unlocked again. Chevalier could be careless when it involved trivial things. Kali entered the apartment, and then locked the door. Taking off her shoes, she left them by the door. It would be a pain to remove any stains from the carpet, so they always left their shoes by the entry. "Chevalier?” she called out to him, but there were no reply. It was too early for him to be home, anyway. He wouldn't be home for another few hours. Kali dropped her backpack on the sofa, and discovered a large white box on the coffee table. Curious, she opened the box and found a neatly folded ivory lace dress. It must be from Hana, she thought. She held up the garment and measured it against her body. It seemed to be the right size. "Do you really want to go?" Chevalier asked as he stepped out of the bathroom. He was drying his hair with a towel, and was only half dressed.  “I don't think it would be something you’d enjoy.” “ You startled me,” Kali said. “I thought you were still at work.” “ I came home early,” he said without providing an explanation. "Well, it’s my turn to shower then." Kali said as she walked toward him. He inched back a little to let her through. She took the dress into the bathroom with her, hung it up, and turned on the shower. "Kali?" Chevalier asked from outside the bathroom. "Do you need a date to dance?” "No," she replied. "Hana doesn't have a date, so she asked me to go with her. If I bring a date, it would defeat the purpose.” "Do you need a ride?" "No, Hana will send someone to pick me up.” "I see…” Chevalier returned to the living room and took a seat on the sofa. He stretched out and gave a huge yawn. He figured it had been a long day. Maybe he should take a nap. He closed his eyes and let his mind wanders. Kali didn’t need a dress to show other people that she was attractive; she had always been pretty. Chevalier imagined her shiny, straight hair and luminescent, clear skin. Her eyes were incredibly expressive, which made her feelings evident all over her face. It was hard not to give in to her. Of course, he had dated far more outrageously gorgeous women, but none of them could… "What do you think?” she interrupted his train of thought. Suddenly his cheeks were burning red, like he had just done something he wasn’t supposed to. "What's wrong? You don’t feel well?" "I'm fine," he said in a perfectly controlled tone. The vision of her stunned him for a long moment. The dress hugged and accentuated her newly-developed curves with blissful precision. It looked like it was made for her. He didn’t know how if he should compliment her. "You... don't like it?" It wasn't that he didn't like it, he did! She would still look perfectly beautiful in this dress or any other; but it gave him an unsettling feeling in his chest. He had been looking forward to her maturity, but now that it stared him in the face, he wondered if it had happened too soon. Kali rushed to the window when she heard car beeping below. "It’s my ride. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”   †††††   The limousine slowly approached the driveway and parked at the entrance of the hotel. The driver slid out of his seat, making his way around the car and opening the door for her. "We're here, Miss," the driver said with a polite bow. He offered a hand and guided her out of the vehicle. As soon as she was safely standing on the crimson carpet, he returned to his driver's seat and drove away. Many reporters and paparazzi were crowding the sides of the entrance. They gathered every year to catch a glimpse of the children of the rich and famous that attended the prestigious school. It was quite uncomfortable walking down the path, and the crowd murmured with indiscreet whispers asking which famous parents were hers. Before her grandmother passed away, she had arranged for her to enroll in this school with the tuition paid in full. Her grandmother’s connections were a mystery to Kali, because they weren’t rich and definitely were not famous. What confused her even more was her grandmother’s animosity; she had never seemed to care for her only grandchild. They barely spoke to each other unless it was a necessity. Still, enrolling Kali in this prestigious school was the one nice thing her grandmother had ever done for her. She supposed her grandmother can't possibly hate her as much as she seemed. She would be lying if she said felt like she belongs here. It was quite difficult to think that way with the constant looks that told her she shouldn’t be here. It didn’t matter anyways. She graduated in only two more years, and she was looking forward to it. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around. Hana wore a deep sapphire gown that was quite tight in the bodice, but the color brought out her brown eyes perfectly. Her hair was curled with studded with tiny diamonds among the brown curls. "That dress fits you better than I had hoped," Hana gave her a hug. "I didn't realize we wore the same size," Kali replied. "Hana, your gown matches your eyes beautifully.” Hana's attention returned to her gown. "Do you love it? Papa had it imported and tailored for me. Come on," Hana grabbed Kali's hand and to lead her through the crowd, "I want you to meet somebody.” "Who?" As they passed through the swarms of students, Kali noticed the grandeur of the interior. The ceilings were very high, domed, and painted with puffy clouds and naked cherubs. In the center of the dome’s ceiling hung a massive crystal chandelier. Rich scents drifted through the air, the perfumes of the other girls’ lingering to mix in an invisible fog of scent. Suddenly, her attention was diverted to a tall young man standing in the back of the room. His eyes were noticeably and unabashedly fixed on her. He had on a very thick pair of glasses, but she could tell that his eyes were a beautiful pale blue. She had a strange feeling that she had met him before, but she could not recall specifics. “ Who is he?” Kali tugged on Hana’s hand to stop the girl.  “ Who?” Hana followed Kali’s gaze to the raven-haired man. “What are you talking about? That’s just Lucien. He’s been in our class since the beginning of school year.” “ Are you sure he’s not a transfer student?” Kali stole another glance at him. “I don’t remember him being in our class at all.” “ Well, I can’t blame you. He practically blends in with the background. If it wasn’t for his height, I wouldn’t have noticed him either.” "Are you sure we're seeing the same person?” she could not see the person Hana was describing in the handsome young man before her. "I don't think I can forget a face like that.” "You're right. I don’t think we’re seeing the same person,” Hana resumed tugging on Kali's hand. “Either way, he’s not important.”   Perhaps she had been neglecting her social life. She couldn’t even remember a classmate who had been in her class for the entire year. She stole another glance at him and this time, she caught a haughty smirk from the corner of his lips. She quickly turned around and resumed her composure. "His name is Velox," Hana introduced a tall, good-looking man with light brown hair. "He's Papa's associate's son. It was a last minute sort of thing.” "Hello," he took her hand and kissed it in a polite gesture, "you must be the Kali Hana’s talked about so often.” "Yes, how do you do?” her attention was still distracted by the young man from earlier. She could see him from the corner of her eyes. There was something about Lucien that was both familiar and intimidating at the same time. She was sure they had never met, or if they had, it hadn’t been in a classroom. With an aura like that, she would remember. Without a doubt.  "You’re staring, again," Hana whispered, shaking Kali by the shoulder. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" "Never mind," Hana wrapped her arm around her date. "Velox and I are going to dance. You should get something to eat.” It wasn't a bad idea. She hadn't eaten anything since she’d arrived home. As she made her way to the buffet table, she noticed everyone's attention was pulled to the tall young man dressed stylishly for the occasion. He had a charisma that seemed to stir up the crowd. They could only stare and admire his jet black hair and amber eye, which appeared almost golden. As her eyes moved up to his face, she nearly choked on her drink. She hadn’t even recognized him! The sky must have fallen, because that's what it takes to get him into a suit, she thought. The crowd slowly and steadily moved aside to make way for him. "You look really good, Chevalier," she complimented him as he stopped before her. “ You noticed that just now?” he laughed softly. "You are also conceited," she playfully pushed him back. He took her hand in his, his other arm wrapping around her waist. He led her onto the dance floor. "Just follow my lead.” "You didn't have to come.” "I didn’t want to let you go alone," he confessed. "I would have gone home, anyways," Kali gestured toward Hana and her date. "I'll be your ride home, then," he said as he pulled her closer, "right after this dance.” “ I’m glad,” she said. Her smiling eyes looked up at him. “You’ve been avoiding me for the past couple of years, even though I live in your house. I thought you didn’t care about me anymore.” “ I wasn’t avoiding you,” he denied. “I’ve been so busy working. We’ve never had to chance to talk much.” “ Don’t lie to me, Chevalier,” she accused. “You have been acting distant for years now. When I still lived with my grandmother, you visited less and less frequently. I thought you were busy, but ever since I moved in with you, you’ve been acting strange. I’m actually surprised that you even touch me now.” He frowned. “I don’t like your accusations.” “ They’re not accusations, and you know it,” Kali sighed. “I don’t know what I’ve done to upset you. But… it feels nice.” "What does?" "Even though you distance yourself, you always look out for me,” she smiled. "It makes me want to get into more trouble.” He looked uncomfortable at her compliment. "Kali, I…" "Kali, may I borrow your partner?” Hana interrupted. "You don’t mind, do you?" Kali looked up for Chevalier's permission. His face was visibly red from embarrassment. "I don’t mind,” she backed away to let Hana sidle up to Chevalier. As Chevalier and Hana danced to the next song, Kali slipped out onto the balcony. She could breathe easier when she wasn’t surrounded by prying eyes. Taking in a satisfying breath, she noticed the beautiful full moon on the cloudless sky. It seemed so much closer to her than usual, and there weren't any stars in the sky that could outshine it. "Who is it?” she immediately spun around, convinced someone was approaching. He stood only a few feet away. His raven black hair blended in with the cloudless night, and he wasn’t wearing his glasses anymore. She could see his eyes very clearly now; they were intense, almost mesmerizing. Her eyes usually trailed to different parts of the face to the most noticeable features, whether it was uneven skin tone or slightly larger nose. She didn’t find herself doing that with him. His face was perfectly balanced and harmonious. Her eyes could not see a single flaw. She caught herself staring and diverted her eyes. He approached her casually, and wrapped his arm around her dainty waist. His other hand reached for hers, and strangely she didn’t pull away. They began to move with the rhythm of the entrancing music. "Do I know you?” she asked shyly, her voice soft. "In time, you will,” he said. Even his voice was pleasant to the ear. It was smooth, cool, and lacked the deep vibration she found annoying in most men. However, his confidence was nothing short of Chevalier's. In fact, it was even more so. Maybe all good looking men have a conceit about them because of how effortless they attract women. It seemed to Kali such men should be avoided at all cost. She felt the impulse to push him away; but when she did, it was awkward to explain. "The song ended..,” she mumbled lamely. Fortunately for her, the song had ended at just the right time. Something else distracted her. The right strap that was holding her dress up was straining her shoulder, and with a pop, suddenly snapped. The heavy materials of her dress suddenly dropped, weighing it down. As it fell, it exposed her full breast. She let out a shriek, automatically pulling her dress to cover her chest. She looked up to meet his eyes and felt a wave of heat rose to her face. She was going to die of embarrassment! "Kali!" Chevalier yelled out her name as he ran toward the balcony. She ran into him as she darted through the door into the ballroom. Her eyes were shiny with tears. He held her by the shoulders.   "Kali, what's wrong?" His eyes immediately noticed her hands holding up her dress. It was enough to make his blood boil. He rushed out to the balcony. "What did you do to her?” he shouted at Lucien, rage glittering in his eyes. She held him back before he could physical launched himself at the suspicious-looking man. "No, Chevalier, he didn't do anything!" He turned to question her. "Then why…" "The strap broke..,” she said, her voice half-choked by sobs.  He took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. "The strap?” his anger quickly dissipated. "Come on, let’s get you home. My motorcycle is parked just outside.”   A gentle breeze passed through Lucien’s raven black hair as it suddenly bleached to platinum. "Soren," he demanded an answer. "I am not responsible, my lord," a voice replied to him from darkness beyond the balcony. Chapter 3: The Way It Never Was   She was haunted by last night’s scene repeating over and over in her head. Kali had never felt more embarrassed or exposed in her entire life. Fortunately, it hadn’t happened in front of a crowd of people, but still, he saw! She had walked by him today in the hallway and had wanted to crawl into a hole and die. “ You're acting strange," Chevalier said as he parked in front of the school. "You’re distant and your face keeps flushing. Is there something you want to talk about?" She shook her head and climbed onto the back of his motorcycle. "It's nothing," she said. He could tell she was lying. "Is it because of what happened that night?" "No!" she retorted, too loudly.  She was definitely lying. He shouldn't have believed her when she held him back and said her strap broke. He should have just beaten the shit out of that bastard just because he’d looked shady. He couldn't figure out what she was trying to hide if Lucien hadn’t done something to her. "Actually," she said as he handed her a helmet, "there is something I need to talk to you about.” She had his full attention. "Hana has been obsessed with you since the ball. The girl can't stop talking about you and she asked me if I would…” "That's a definite ‘no,’" he cut in right away. Chevalier knew all too well what she wanted to request. "If you're going to continue to go out with random women, one of them might as well be her.” "I'm a twenty-two years old man. I’m not going to date some fifteen year old girl. Besides, she falls short of my expectations," he made a curved shape with both of his hands, "...like this.” Curves. She found herself wrapping her arms defensively around her breasts. "Hey, hold on to me, I'm about to take off," he instructed when he felt her arms suddenly leave his waist. She wrapped her arms around him again and clung to his back, trying not to press her chest against him too hard.   †††††   Why am I here? Chevalier asked himself as she dragged him into the amusement park. Are you a man, or aren't you? Why are you always being manipulated by this girl? Why can't you reject any of her requests like she was any other female? "Hana!" Kali called out when she spotted her friend in the middle of a crowd. "Over here!" Hana made her way through the mass of people toward them. "Chevalier, this is my good friend, Hana. You two met at the dance," Kali pushed Chevalier toward Hana. "Do your best to show her a good time.” Chevalier wanted to ask if she was being serious, but it wouldn’t do any good. "What will you be doing by yourself? Come with us.” "No, no, it’s fine. I wouldn’t want to get in the way of you guys getting to know each other,” Kali politely refused. "I have other arrangements.” "What other arrangements?" Chevalier asked, his voice taking on the tone of an interrogator. "I have…” she should think of something fast, "...a date,” "A date?" Chevalier raised his brow. "Well, excuse us for wasting your time. Let’s go…” He tried to remember her name. "Hana,” she reminded him. "Yes, let’s go.” "What do I do now?" Kali asked herself after the two headed off on their own. She could head back to the apartment, but since she was already at the amusement park, it wouldn't hurt to go on a couple of rides before getting back to studying. "Are you here by yourself?” she heard a familiar voice. Kali turned to face the girls from her class. "So what if I am?" "I have to compliment you. You’re very brave to come to an amusement park alone,” Cyn said. Her two well-dressed friends giggled to one another. "By the way, aren't you supposed to be at work? What is that place called again?" "I forget. I think she works at some convenience store,” one of her friends said. "If you guys have nothing else to say other than trying to put me down, I'm going,” Kali walked past them. "Why does a girl like her go to our school, anyways?” she heard Cyn saying as she walked away. She waited patiently in line for the roller coaster. Everyone in line seemed to have a partner but her. When it was her turn, she boarded the ride and secured her seat belt. It did feel kind of strange with an empty seat next to her. Who in the world goes to an amusement park by themselves? Maybe she should have gone home. She felt a little better when someone plopped into the empty seat. She was expecting him to secure his own seat belt, but he didn’t. Didn't he know that's the first thing he was supposed to do on a ride like this? "You should fasten your…” she pointed at the seat belt. She blinked as she realized it was the new transfer student from her class. No, he wasn't a transfer student. She just never paid attention to him.        She gasped in mortification, remembering the scene only two nights ago. She became so flustered that she thought she was going to have a nosebleed. The first thought that jumped into her head was to get out of there, but when she unfastened her seat beat and stood up, she was stopped by the staff. "Please stay in your seat, the ride will start in less than a minute," he said as he fastened both of their seat belts. "What a coincidence," he smiled at her. His attitude was completely different than the other night. It was much more relaxed and not as formal. She wondered what had caused the change. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable at formal events, either. Whatever the reason, he was clearly not the man he had been the other night. Kali lowered her head and avoided eye contact the best she could. If she met his eyes again, she would be embarrassed enough to burst into flames. "Are you afraid?” he asked as the roller coaster began to climb the first incline. "No,” she kept her answer short. Her hands began to tremble as she looked down at the ground. They were so high up now. Every second, they were further away from the ground, and it made her dizzy. Perhaps she had always been afraid of heights, and just didn't know it. Reaching the summit, the roller coaster plunged down. Kali squeezed her eyes shut. The drop was so high, she felt like her body was free-falling. She grabbed Lucien's hand and squeezed it as hard as she could. This free-falling feeling was… familiar to her. She had felt this before, not so long ago. This was the same exact feeling from her dream, when she’d fallen off the cliff during the mudslide. She had heard of dreams replicating reality, but is there such thing as reality copying a dream? When the ride braked to a full stop, she had the urge to throw up. Her stomach couldn't handle the fast motion and sudden brake. She quickly unfastened her seat belt, wobbling toward the exit. "It was too intense for you," he said as he sat down next to her on the park bench. "Are you alright?" “ I'm fine.” Lucien handed Kali an ice cream cone he had bought from the ice cream stall nearby. As she accepted the treat, she realized she didn't feel so embarrassed about the situation anymore. She has quickly come to terms that it had only been an accident. Although she highly doubted that she would ever feel at ease around him.   †††††   Lucifer sat on a building adjacent to Chevalier's apartment. He had watched Kali since her return from the park. There was a stoic expression on his face, making it impossible to read his emotions. Soren, his servant and shadow, was suspicious of his master’s true intentions.  "Humans are such simple creatures," Lucifer commented wryly. "They will do exactly what you want them to do, without so much a clue that they are being manipulated.” Soren agreed. "Then why are you wasting your time with them?" "And why not, when they are so entertaining?” his eyes haven't left the girl. "An eternity is such a long time to be subjected to boredom.” "If that is what you wish,” Soren bowed his head obediently, quieting his objections.   †††††   Chevalier returned home late. Throwing his jacket on the sofa, he headed toward the bedroom. Kali was already asleep, and she looked so peaceful he didn't want to wake her up. He wanted to ask her about the man she had been with at the park today, but that could wait until tomorrow. At least he thought it could wait until tomorrow. Chevalier traced the outline of her lips with the tip of his finger…her full and pretty lips. Her long and dark lashes were pressed against her coral cheeks. He held a lock of her hair in his hand and gently kissed it. He quietly lied down on the bed and gathered her tiny body into his arms. Her breathing was warm and soft against his neck. “ If only you would hurry and grow up,” he whispered into her ear. "If not, I wouldn't mind if you would stay like this forever.” "Chevalier?” she said sleepily. "Yes," he replied. "Could you close the door? The light from the hallway woke me up.” "You don't mind me staying here for the night?” he asked, since she hadn’t shoved him out the door yet. "That reminds me," she yawned, "get out of my room, while you're at it.” "So..,” he deducted, "if I had not reminded you, you would have let me stay?" "Probably, I don't know, let me sleep.” "Kali, have you ever once seen me as a man?" "Tomorrow, Chevalier," she sunk her face deeper into the pillow. "Don't change the subject," he rolled her over and pinned her shoulders down until their eyes were leveled. "I asked if you've ever seen me as a man.” Her eyes wandered to different corners of the room, as if she were seeking the answer he wanted. When it took her longer than it should have to answer the question, he became frustrated. Her silence only confirmed his fears. The expression on his face suddenly changed. "I'll show you how wrong you are," he said and began to unbutton his shirt. She gasped, not knowing how to react. His golden stare chased away the sleepiness from her eyes. He leaned forward, pinning down her shoulders once again. He locked their lips together in an aggressive kiss. It was unfair of her to think of him any less than a man, when any bastard could just walk into her life and be seen as one. He regretted that he had given her too much attention and affection that she had grossly misinterpreted as something other than the love between a man and a woman. He could not stand the unfairness of it all! Her hands pushed against his bare, lean chest to create distant between them. "What the hell are you doing?” she demanded. "Just what are you trying to prove?” When her protest didn’t do any good, she grabbed a fistful of his hair. "That really only turns me on even more, you know?” he said with a voice so strange, lustful and angry. The expression on his face was so sensual that she felt herself growing uncontrollably flustered. He dipped to land gentle kisses on her neck while his other hand caressed her full breast. She began to laugh. "Stop," she said with a half laughing voice. "Please, you're tickling me!" He raised his head and stared at her laughing face. "Be serious,” he demanded. "I can't…" she giggled, "It tickles so much.” He tried to continue but her laughter soured his mood. With an aggravated grunt, he pushed himself off the bed and left the room, closing the door behind him. She knew he was still standing on the other side long after the door was closed. Kali placed her hand on her forehead and sighed. It was not like she didn't understand his frustration. She had known him as long as she could remember. How could she not know his wants and needs? Chevalier had always been popular with women. However, he never associated with them longer than three weeks. If she gave in to him, if she started something with him… how long would it lasts? A month? Two months? She wanted to be ignorance to his feelings forever. At least then she could stay beside him. As friends, even if they fought, they would still be friends. As lovers, if they got into a fight, it would mean a break up. And rarely any broken up couples could truly be friends again. She knew she was being selfish. It wasn’t that she didn't have confidence in him. She simply didn't have confident in herself. Kali doubted she could be interesting enough to keep a lover interested for very long. To put it plainly, she fell short of all the beautiful and accomplished women around him. At least as a friend, he wouldn’t expect as much from her, and hopefully would keep her around longer. She felt her eyes drifting closed as her thoughts turned to sleep.   After Kali had showered and gotten dressed, she went to the living room. She found Chevalier sitting on the sofa, his head tipped back on the sofa arm. The dark circles under his eyes told her he hadn't slept a wink. “ Let’s go,” she said to him. He glanced at her for a moment and stood up. Grabbing the key to his motorcycle, he headed out the door. Kali followed him.     Chapter 4: The Devil and the Knight   “How long do you intend to avoid me?” Kali asked. She leaned on the sofa where Chevalier was lying again. “Hey, are you listening to me?” she asked when he didn’t respond. She lifted up a small part of his sheet to reveal his face. “ I’m not avoiding you,” he mumbled. "It's not that I don't see you as a man…” "Do you think I really want to listen to this?" Kali nodded. “Of course I do. It’s just that I can't see you any other way. You have been my Chevalier for as long as I could remember. Don't you think that seeing you as my knight in shining armor is better than viewing you as a man?" “ Your Chevalier?” he laughed. “I haven’t heard that in a long time. It seem like only yesterday you followed me around like a duckling.” She laughed at the memory. His eyes met hers directly. “Kali, may I kiss you?” “ What?” her brows knitted together. She picked up the pillow lying next to her and whapped him in the face with it. “Are you out of your mind, Chevalier?” “ Maybe. I don’t know,” he held the pillow firmly with his left hand. “I’m asking your permission this time.” “ What are you trying to prove?” “ Just kiss me.” She’d never seen him more serious. “ Okay, just this once,” Kali agreed, without much thought. She brought her face closer to his. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought, and she unconsciously leaned away a bit. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you kissed me?” “ No. I want you to kiss me,” he said, holding her hand and lacing his fingers into hers. “Look at me, Kali. It won’t mean anything if you don’t look at me.” She stared into his golden eyes and saw her own image reflected. She used her other free hand to caress his face. Slowly, she leaned forward until her lips touched his. She felt an electrifying current passed through her lips into the rest of her body. She gave him little gentle kisses. He wanted to laugh at her clumsiness, but he didn’t expect much from a fifteen-years-old. She would turn sixteen very soon and maybe then, he would confess. He used his tongue to lick her upper lip, but she was a bit alarmed. He slowly and gently made his way in, caressing her tongue with his. He broke the kiss, allowing her time to breathe. She looked back at him, breathless, and he kissed her again. This time wasn’t as timid as the first. It was so much different than the forceful kiss earlier. This kiss was tender, but at the same time, it was both aggressive and demanding. How many women had he kissed like this? She wondered. No, she decided. Something this special was reserved for her. He broke the kiss once again. He stared into her eyes and traced the outline of her face. There was still so much desire in his eyes. When she thought that he would kiss her again, he kissed her forehead instead. “ That’s enough. You should really head to bed.” Kali's face flushed. Jumping up from the couch, she ran to her room. Before she made it there… “ Kali,” he called out to her and made her paused, "If you really want me to go out with Hana, I will. You know I always give in to your demands.” No! Kali wanted to say. Don’t say something like that after you kissed me! Kali was embarrassed for having such ridiculous thoughts. It was her idea in the first place. “So you’ve finally considered it.” She gave him a bright smile. It was the first time she had given him such a fake smile. She went to her room and closed the door behind her. Leaning back against the door, her breathing was uneven. She brought her hands to her lips. She could still feel his lips against hers. She could still smell his pleasant scent. How could he say something like that after such a passionate kiss? She lay down on her bed. Why hadn’t she said anything back? If anything, her pride would not allow her to respond, although she knew that was exactly what he was hoping for. Still, it didn’t matter. Chevalier would be Chevalier, and Hana would become one of the women in his colorful past. With that guilty but somewhat comforting thought, she drifted into a deep sleep. Lucifer emerged from the shadows of Kali’s room. His majestic black wings were folded behind his back. He came closer to her, being very careful not to disturb her rest. He touched her velvety coral cheek with the back of his fingers. “ What are you dreaming of, Kali?” he asked with curiosity. His hand left her cheek and then stroked her silky hair. “What is the wish worth dying for?”   †††††   Hana waited at the school’s entrance, but Kali knew Hana wasn’t waiting for her. She got off the back seat of the motorcycle with a forced smile. Hana ran to Chevalier and wrapped her arms around his neck. She had on a bright and blissful smile. “ I’m so glad you called me last night!” Hana said. “I was nervous because it was the first time we’ve talked on the phone. Then you said that you want us to go out and I couldn’t believe my ears.” “ You should head to class. I don’t want you to be late,” Chevalier said. His voice sound a bit muffled underneath his helmet. “ Since we’re dating…” Hana grabbed his helmet and lifted it from his head. “Will you give me a kiss before we head to class?” “ Alright,” he agreed in a flat voice. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought her lips closer to his. Kali couldn't watch the display of intimacy and turned away. Why did he have to do it in front of her? She couldn’t help but slowly turned back. His eyes were focused on her during the kiss. There was no emotion in his eyes. It was as if he was mocking her, and wanting to ask her if this was what she really wanted. After they broke the kiss, Chevalier replaced his helmet and rode off. Hana ran to Kali and grabbed her by the arm. "I think I'm dreaming!” she exclaimed. “My heart is beating so fast! I’ve kissed other guys before but…,” Hana brought her hands to her lips. “ He’s always been popular with women,” Kali said. “ I’m not surprised!” Hana replied. “He’s so dreamy. I wonder if he’s good in bed.” “ In bed?” Kali gave Hana a puzzled look. “You guys just started going out and you’ve already thought of that?” “ We are going out,” Hana pointed out. “It’ll happen sooner or later. Plus, he’s experienced with women. A man has his needs, and as his girlfriend, I…” Hana stopped when she realized she was about to say something embarrassing. “ It’s bound to happen, I guess,” Kali said with a hint of disappointment that could easily pass for fatigue. They walked to class, and discovered something different from her classmates. The atmosphere was much heavier than usual, which was hard to imagine. They were staring and whispering at both of them. Kali leaned over to her whisper to her friend, “What’s wrong with them today?” “ Ignore them,” Hana said, checking her bag for a pencil. “They’ve been like that since yesterday. You were too dazed to notice, as usual.” “ Since yesterday?” “ They were just wondering who you danced with, and then left with from the dance,” Hana giggled. “I think they’re thinking of something naughty, but the rumors should go away now that Chevalier is my lover.” She had already elevated him from boyfriend to lover, Kali thought. “ By the way, do you know where he lives? Close to your place?” Hana was suddenly concerned. “ I never told you?” Kali blinked. “I’m sure I told you before that we live together.” It took Hana a minute to react. “Live together, as in, the same house?” Kali nodded. “I’ve been staying with him since my grandmother passed away.” “ How long have you known him?” Hana asked, clearly uncomfortable even with a smile on her face. “ I’ve known him all my life,” Kali tried to remember when they first met, but nothing came up. “He’s always been there, I guess.” “ Are you sure there’s nothing between you two?” Kali drew back when she realized what Hana was really asking. “No, no! It’s not what you think!” She waved her hands in denial. It almost felt like a lie, even though technically it was the truth. At least, she thought it was the truth. A cold wash of guilt cascaded over her. She should have stopped Chevalier last night; if not for her sake, then for Hana. With Chevalier’s usual behavior, Hana would end up broken-hearted just like all of his other women. She was a horrible friend. Hana’s feelings never once had crossed her mind last night. “ I believe you,” Hana said with a smile.   †††††   He watched her as she entered the library, throwing cautious looks behind her to see if she was being followed. Spying no one, she let out a sigh of relief. She sat rigidly at one of the tables, still glancing out of the corners of her eyes. After a few minutes, she slumped down and tapped her fingers rhythmically against the cherry wood. She was obviously hiding from someone. Her eyes trailed to the shelves. Getting up, she walked slowly through the rows of bookshelves. Her eyes were scanning the titles as she passed. When she found something suited to her taste, she pulled it down to flip through the first several pages. Lucifer grinned. With a subtle signal with his left hand, he sent an undetectable burst of energy toward the first bookshelf. It wavered back and forth before wrapping around the structure. The circular design of the library made it perfect for a domino effect. Kali jerked her head up at the peculiar noise. Her eyes widened with surprised when the bookshelf she was facing suddenly leaned towards her.  For a moment, she was too shocked too move. She instinctively ducked down, her arms over her head. She waited to be squashed. Nothing happened! Kali opened her eyes to discoverer Lucien arching his body over hers to protect her from the heavy books threatening to fall on her. The corner of his lips dripped blood on her hand. “ Lucien?” she reached up to his face. “Lucien, why did you…” The heavy weight of the books caused him to collapse onto her lap. She pushed them off so he could breathe. His glasses had fallen off and his lids were closed heavily over his angelic blue eyes. His face was quickly turning chalky pale. “ Lucien!” she yelled out his name, hoping it would keep him awake. They were trapped under a cage of collapsed bookcases and a mountain of books. By the time the people outside dug them out, it may be too late. “No. Don’t die on me! Are you just going to die after you saved me? Lucien, can you hear me?” Kali began to panic. She wiped the tears from her eyes as quickly as they came. It was not the time for crying, she decided. “ Help!" she yelled, trying to get the attention of someone outside the shelves. “Please help! We’re stuck in here! Help! He’s going to die! Minutes passed with no reply. Kali turned her attention back to Lucien.   “ Please don’t die, Lucien,” Kali pleaded.  She started moving books from the front of the pile to the back, intends on making a way out of this mess.  The weight of the bookcase made it difficult to lever some of the bottom books from their places, but she continued to pull them until they were dislodged.  Her fingers were becoming chap from the intense friction against the fabric covers.  It’s didn’t matter though; she had to get out before it was too late.  “ I won’t let you die,” she said with determination.  The tips of her fingers were beginning to bleed, and we’re staining the covers of the books she was moving. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she continued until she found a book that was simply too stubborn to move.  She looked back at Lucien to see if he was still live, and let out a breath of relief when she discovered the faint but stable movement of his chest as he breathed.  He was beginning to get colder, though, which was making her very worried.  She rubbed his hands with her own to maintain his body heat. The tears from her eyes were streaming down her coral cheeks.  Genuine tears. Lucifer felt the droplet of tears that landed on his hands.  Were these tears for him?  He opened his eyes to discover her gentle, crying face. He had never found her beautiful.  No. She was just another human that would satisfy his curiosity and temporarily cure his boredom. Then why, as her face was covered in tears, did he find her strangely beautiful?  “ You opened your eyes… you’re awake!” she said, breathless.  Lucifer reached out to her face and pulled her closer to him. Gently he kissed the tears from her eyes. This girl had just utterly and completely foiled his plans.  Is anyone trapped under there?  A voice came from the outside.  Kali’s eyes widened. “ Yes! We’re here!” she cried out. “Help us please!”  Chapter 5: More Than a Promise   “You are a great actor, lord Lucifer,” Soren praised. He was sitting on a tree branch next to the hospital window, watching over Lucifer since they first brought him here. As a full-fledged demon, he questioned why his master was wasting his time with this human.  Even if the human was just a toy to entertain him for the meantime, has his master spent too much effort just for the fun of the game? “ Be gone Soren,” Lucifer dismissed him through telepathy when he detected footsteps approaching. Soren complied and vanished.  Kali opened the door. Walking to his side table, she placed a freshly picked bouquet of flowers in the empty vase.  She looked to the tree branch outside of the window and smiled at the chirping birds.  “ It’s nice of them to get you a room with a view,” she said as she casually sat down beside the bed. She placed a hand gently on his forehead to feel his temperature. That’s good, no fever. “How are you feeling today?”  “ I’m well,” he replied.  He noticed her little fingers were covered in a thin layer of bandages when she had reached for his forehead. “I still don’t know why you would intentionally cause harm to yourself for my sake.”  Why would he ask that? Anyone in that situation would have done the same. “ Well, I don’t understand why you jumped in from the shelves for me. If you waited a few seconds more, you could’ve avoided this whole thing completely.”  And you would have been dead. Again.  “ I owe you my life,” she admitted when she thought back to the library. “I really thought you were going to die. I really don’t know how to repay you.”  He reached out to her face. “You cried genuinely for my sake,” his voice was soft and alluring. “I am substantially rewarded.” “ There has to be something,” she insisted. “ Maybe there is something I want from you,” he drew her closer to him. “I want a promise from you.”  "A promise?” she asked. "What kind of promise?" "You must promise…” he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "to never regret meeting me.” "Why do you think I would regret meeting you?" Kali asked. It was a strange request even for him. When she realized he had just kissed her, her coral cheeks turned beet red. "If not for you, I would have been dead,” she stuttered through the sentence. “ Do not offer me hallow promises, especially when you do not know what the consequences will be,” he warned. “I won’t excuse, not even for a moment, if you should break your words.”  “ Fine, if it makes you happy,” she said, nodding her agreement. After all, he had just saved her life. She would agree to even more outrageous request.  “ You have my promise.”   †††††   He had been waiting for her. The dinner on the table was already cold.  Seeing her walking toward the apartment complex from the window, he turned to face the door.  Kali came in, took off her shoes, and then put on her slippers. “ You’re home so late,” Chevalier said.  He stood up to grab a plate from the table and placed in the microwave. “ There was an accident at school today,” she informed him. “The bookshelves at the library suddenly collapsed.  If a friend hadn’t saved to me, I probably wouldn’t have made it home at all.”   “ Are you hurt anywhere?” his eyes scanned her body thoroughly. He walked over to take her bandaged hands in his. “Does this hurt?”  “ No, but I can see the same for my friend,” Kali sighed. “He’s been hospitalized. I just came back from there.”  “ And you didn’t call me?” he huffed. His brows knitted together in anger.  “ You were at work.” “ It doesn’t matter where I am,” he examined her fingers thoroughly. “You need to call me for stuffs like this. What did the doctor say?” “ Nothing major, it will heal in a week.” "I would go to the hospital and thank your friend personally, but I have to work all day tomorrow. I’ll wake up extra early to make your friend some chicken soup, though.” "That would be nice. I don't have an appetite today. Put my plate in the refrigerator,” she headed toward her room. "I'm skipping school tomorrow to take care of him.” “ Kali?” she turned back to hear what he had to say. “A friend like that is hard to come by.” A smile appeared on her face. “I know.”   †††††   Lucien could already stand up by himself and was dressed neatly in his school uniform. Kali wondered if the nurse had helped him before she arrived. She hurried to his side to provide support, although he didn’t seem to need any. "You shouldn't be getting up yet. You don’t need to go to school today,” she guided him to sit down on the bed and poured him a glass of water. "I don't know who you think you are, but after an incident like that, you should stay in bed.” "I’m fine.” He didn't seem to be lying. "I guess I should be glad you recovered so quickly.” "This place is permeated by the stench of death," he said, standing up again. "Come, I’ll walk you to school.” "Are you sure?” she no longer felt the need to ask. His attitude was changing again, more formal and more unpredictable. He had somehow reverted back to the man she first met. She wondered if he had put up a charade just to impress her, or if he had a split personality she didn’t know about. One minute he was strong and confident, the next he was modest and vulnerable, and then back again. The weather was warm and sunny today. Although it was high in humidity, Kali preferred it to rain. She had thought she would need to provide him support just to walk, but he seemed to be fine on his own.  She stole a glance at him now and then to read his expression.  He and looked like he was in pain.  Those bookshelves and textbooks must have weighed a ton.  “ You seem to be worrying,” he finally said when he noticed she was looking at him. “ A little,” she admitted.  “Say, Lucien, you don’t happen to have a split personality, do you?”  His return stare made her felt silly. “I suppose you could call it that.” “ I see,” she said, giving him an awkward smile. So he does have a split personality.  That would explain a lot. They walked silently for several minutes. Suddenly she stopped, seeing a group of men ahead. Several of them looked familiar. Their faces were the ones from her dreams, but how could that be possible? Could she have seen them before and incorporated their faces into the characters she had dreamed about? That seemed plausible, but why did she still have this uncanny feeling that it hadn’t been a dream at all? “ What’s wrong?”  he asked when she suddenly paused.  “ Those men,” she murmured, and hastily stepped to hide behind him.  Her heartbeat was racing. “They’re the same men from my dreams.” Lucifer threw them a quick glance. “So they are.”  “ I think we should go another way,” she grabbed his hand and nudged him away.  Suddenly her wrist was snatched from behind.  “ You…” the man’s expression was furious.  His face was reddening even further under its sunburn. “You’re that witch!”  His hand flew up to slap her. She winced.  When she didn’t felt any pain, she opened her eyes. Lucien had caught the man by the wrist.  “ Run,” he said to her over his shoulder. “I’ll see you at school.” She shook her head, horrified.  “ What about you?  You just got out of the hospital!” “ I said, run!” his tone brooked no argument. The other man took the opportunity to punch him in the stomach, and then pushed Lucien to the ground.  “ Lucien!” she flung herself at the man, fists flailing. He pushed her aside. Several men from the distance began to gather closer.  "Get out of here, now!" this was not a request. The brute was stomping on his body, over and over. When he changed his target to come after Kali, Lucifer shoved against the ground to grab onto his leg. Kali fell back two steps, not knowing what to do in the face of the men who were charging her. There was nothing to do but run and get help.  "Let go, you freak!" the man was about to give Lucifer another stomp. This time, his body froze. Watching Kali vanishing around the corner, Lucifer calmly got up and brushed the dirt from his school uniform. The man and his comrades were frozen, confused and frightened at their inability to move. "I knew I had forgotten something," Lucifer said. "It wasn't the girl, it was you!" one of the men realized. "W-what are you?” Kali was pleading with everyone as they walked by, but they seem to be ignoring her intentionally.  In fact, their cold stares seem to pass right over her. Brushing her aside, they continued with their normal days. Her cries for help were evidently falling onto deaf ears. She could feel herself beginning to get hysterical. If she couldn’t find someone to help him soon, he could be dead. Oh God, she shouldn’t have left him behind! The people around here wouldn’t even blink if someone fell over and died in front of them.  Turning, Kali dashed back to the street where she had left Lucien.  It was completely silent. There was no one here.  She began racing through the alleys, looking for him. She couldn’t find anything except trash cans and stray cats. Even the other bad men had disappeared. Maybe they’d kidnapped him! She felt like crying. What would she do if she opened the paper tomorrow and see a picture of his corpse?  She shouldn’t have left him behind…he had just gotten out of the hospital!  She should have just run at them with whatever weapon she could find and hope that it would scare them away. The worse that could’ve happened is that they would have died together.  She couldn’t live with the guilt!  Then she heard his voice calling her name. She turned to find him standing a few yards away. Although there were footprints on his uniform, he seemed to be completely unharmed. Words failed her as relief flooded her body. She started crying again.    Chapter 6: Chained Hearts   The two couples were sitting opposite each other. The beautifully-attired hostess had placed them at a table overlooking the city.  They were all finding it difficult to admire the detailed tableware, the pleasant scent of freshly prepared cuisine, or the inspiring scenery.  It was just too obviously awkward.  Whether the feeling was real or imaginary, Kali wished that she hadn’t agreed to Hana’s request.  It had seemed like a bad idea from the beginning.  “ Is that all?” the waitress asked, a hint of flirtation directed at Chevalier. “ That’s all,” Chevalier replied. Hana was proud that her boyfriend’s good looks attracted those kinds of reactions from women. “ So Lucien,” Hana said, her voice ever-so-playful. “How does it feel to be the hero rescuing the damsel from distress?" “ I wouldn’t call myself a hero,” he replied. “ You’re too modest,” she complimented him. "I think it's naughty that you kept us in the dark for weeks.” Lucifer glanced at Kali, who was looking down at her hands. She hadn’t said a word since they arrived. Lucifer observed the young man sitting on the opposite side of the table, who was evidently paying close attention to her. There was something about those beautiful golden eyes that Lucifer despised. “Kali?” he called to her. “ Yes?” she looked up to him, “You said something?” Lucifer cleared her bangs from her face. “You seem distracted.” Lucifer noticed the change in Chevalier’s eyes in response to the scene before him. He was angry, wanting to object. If they had been alone, he would have attacked if provoked any further.  “ Sorry, I have a tendency to space out.” “ You should eat,” Chevalier finally spoke. “You haven’t been eating much lately.” “ Really?” Hana looked into Kali’s face. “You do look a bit pale.” “ I’ve been studying,” Kali said with a smile. "I'm glad finals are over.” Hana looked to Lucifer. “Come to think of it, you guys make a great couple. If only Lucien would lose the glasses and get contact lenses or something.” Hana stood up and leaned forward to take off Lucifer’s thick glasses. They revealed a pair of angelic blue eyes that Hana was obviously not expecting. Her mouth began to drop in astonishment, and she lost her grip on the glasses. They fell onto a plate with a crash that drew attention from the whole restaurant. The room suddenly became dead silent, with the exception of dishes dropping to the floor. Lucifer picked up his glasses and put them back on. "I prefer wearing them. It is more convenience to me," he said. “ I…see,” Hana stuttered. "I don't see the point of this date. I'm going home,” Chevalier stood up and grabbed Kali’s hand. "Let's go home, Kali.” "Okay," Kali agreed. "Before you leave," Lucifer placed a small box into Kali's other hand. "I want you to have this.” "What it is?" Kali asked. She curiously opened the box. Inside was a brand new key. Chevalier snatched the box, throwing it aside. Anger warped his face, but he knew it wasn't the time to act on it. "We're going home," he said firmly. "This doesn't concern you," Lucifer said, with utter disregard. Their glares met with such intensity that Kali feared they would come to blows. Kali subtly pushed Chevalier back. "I don't understand," she referred to the key. "I was informed about your situation. You were orphaned and currently don’t have a solid place to live,” Lucifer noticed she lightly flinched when he touched upon that sore spot. "I want to be an option.” “ Is that supposed to be an insult to me?” Chevalier shouted. The volume of his voice disturbed the other diners around them. Hana quickly tugged him back down into his seat. She stood frozen for a long moment, searching Lucien’s eyes for sincerity. "You’re willing to take me in?" "Isn't that romantic, Kali!" Hana gasped. She picked the key up from the floor and placed it into her hand. "He's proposing!" Kali stared at the key in her hand and then looked to Lucifer again. "I think it's a wonderful idea," Hana said. "I’ve been worried lately.” "You have?" Kali hadn’t realized Hana was uncomfortable. "They were starting to talk at school, about you staying at my boyfriend's place," Hana sighed. "I know there are nothing between you two, but when they talked behind my back, it really bothered me.” "Give him back his key," Chevalier said. His voice demanded that she obey. When she looked back at him, he had closed his hands into tight fists. He saw the decision forming in her eyes. "Kali, no! Give him back his key! For God's sake, you barely know him!" "I think you should stay out of their affairs, Chevalier. She's allowed to make her own choice, right?” Hana placed a hand on his shoulder, but he quickly brushed it aside. "This is nonsense!" He protested. "You already have a home!" "I think," Kali looked to Hana before answering, "...I will take Lucien up on his offer.” With a low growl in his throat, Chevalier stormed out of the restaurant.   †††††   Kali returned to the apartment to pack up her things. She left the luggage in the hallway along with a box of her grandmother’s things that she haven’t had the chance to open yet. She took in a deep breath then exhaled before she went to the living room where she knew Chevalier was waiting for her. He sat on the floor, cleaning parts for his motorcycle. He merely glanced at her when she came out of the bedroom. “Are you really leaving?” he asked once again. “ Yeah,” Kali replied. “Lucien will pick me up in a little bit.” “ You don’t have to go, you know,” he said in a reserved tone. "This is your home.” "For how long?" "What?” he was stunned by her sense of doubt. "For as long as I live, that's how long!" "What about when you find the one you love and decide to get married?” she asked. "Are you going to slave away to support a wife and a girl who’s barely related to you?" "It won't always be this way. I’ll be able to provide better for you.” "That was never what it’s about!" she found herself shouting at him. She knelt down next to him. He closed his eyes for a moment. “Why do you keep pretending you don’t know how I feel? That’s cruel, Kali.” “ I don’t know what to tell you,” she whispered. “ I can accept that you don’t love me. I can even accept the fact that you’re with another man but…” he paused and pulled her close, “I just can’t accept him taking you away from me so soon.” “ Chevalier…” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, burying his face on the side of her neck. "How long are you going to keep pretending like you don't know how I feel?” he asked softly. "What it is that he can give you that I can’t? Why can't it be me, Kali?" She leaned back against him. “To me… you’re like an older brother, and more importantly, you’re the only true friend I have. I never wanted to think about you romantically. There were always so many women that the thought of being with you is frightening. I don't want to be one of those women.” "And you will never be," he assured her. He turned her around, caressing her face with his fingers to force her to look at him. Her sooty eyelashes lifted from her large, honey-glazed eyes. "But no matter what I say or tell you, you won’t change your mind. You don’t have any faith in me, so I’ll let you go. I’ll go on being your brother and friend while you look for happiness elsewhere. But when you can’t find what you’re searching for, promise that you’ll return to me and let me play the role that I’ve never been allowed to have.”   Lucifer had been observing them from the roof of the adjacent building. “ What is your verdict, Lord Lucifer?” Soren asked when he saw the displeased look in Lucifer’s eyes. “ He must die.” Soren nodded obediently. Chapter 7: Taken   It was too big of a place for one person. The house was so delightfully decorated with sophisticated art and ornamentation. From the detailed trimming of the interior design to the robust fireplace, everything had its perfect place. She hadn’t realized Lucien was from a wealthy family. Well, that may not be precisely true, since everyone attending her school was either rich or famous. She should have known before. Kali dropped her heavy suitcase in the front foyer. She looked around the house again and began second-guessing whether she had made the wrong choice. She even felt more out of place when a very handsome young man with pale green eyes approached and dipped his head to her. Even though he lowered his head as part of his duty, something just didn’t feel right.   “ I am Soren,” he introduced himself. His voice was beautiful, dry, and cold. It confirmed her suspicions. When he lifted his head again, a small gasp caught in her throat. Fear was creeping up her spine and she didn’t know why.  “ This way, my lady,” he directed her with the smooth motion of his arm. As she followed his motion, she felt his eyes following her. She turned around when she could no longer hear his footsteps, and saw him standing in front of a gilded double door. He pushed them open and stood to one side, inviting her in to the spacious bedroom the door guarded.  “ Will I be staying here?” she asked in a soft voice. “ Master Lucien,” he paused when the words rolled off of his tongue unnaturally, “will be with you shortly. I will send for tea while you wait.” “ Yes…thank you.”   Kali seated herself in the lounge area of the bedroom, finding the couch a bit stiff and uncomfortable. It was a brief wait before a very young and attractive maid came to serve the tea. She placed the large silver tray, which was filled with exquisite pastries along with other accessories of tea, on the table. With a curtsy, the maid left her alone. She felt shy, but the cream and fruit on the pastries were tempting. She hadn’t had breakfast yet, and didn’t know how long she would need to wait. She reached out for a strawberry muffin and took a bite. “ Do you like it?” his voice startled her, and she choked a little on the muffin. “ Yes, it’s very good,” she managed to reply. “Lucien, maybe this wasn’t a good idea.” “ Just focus on the reasons you decided to take my offer in the first place.” She lowered her eyes to hide her doubt. “Can this really be my home?” she asked. “ It will be as long as you want it to be,” he promised. “Feel free to give the servants orders. I’ll be back later tonight,” he said, and exited the room. Kali decided to take the time to become familiar with her new room. The bed must be at least twice the size of her previous one, and the satin sheets were like cool butter against her skin. Giggling for a moment, she threw herself down on the bed, and then turned onto her side to inspect the room from this angle. She didn’t like how close the tall windows were to the bed. She never liked waking up with the sun in her eyes, but some thick curtains or draperies would fix the problem. The design of the furniture was unique. She had never seen the style before, but they were certainly aesthetically pleasing. Her eyes wandered to different parts of the room with little opinions here and there, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.   Kali woke up to the sound of running water. She found that opening her eyes was a chore her body wasn’t prepared for, and her eyelids slowly fluttered open with much effort. Someone was taking a shower in the bathroom connected to her room. She looked out the windows to see the sun had just set over the hills. She had told herself she was going to get acquainted with the staff while he was away, but she had carelessly fallen asleep. That couldn’t be a good first impression. She quickly slipped off the bed and seated herself in the seating area. She realized that talking to him from the bed was too inviting and may give him the wrong ideas. Lucien opened the door. He had just gotten out of the shower. Little droplets of water fell from his beautiful dark hair. His white dress shirt was improperly buttoned, showing a preview of his lean chest. She wondered if he didn’t realize it or had never buttoned a shirt before. He was drying his hair with a towel. His blue eyes stood out even when they were covered by his hair and hidden beneath his long lashes. Kali found herself flustered at the sight of him. “ I’m sorry,” she said as he approached her. She covered her face with her hands so he wouldn’t see her blush. He grinned. “Would you like some water?" “ No, that’s okay.” “ Are you sure?” he held her wrists in his hands and moved them away from her face. “You look like you need a glass.” “ You’re so different than before,” she swallowed softly. “You look different, and the way you talk is different, and your voice…” she looked down when she realized she was stuttering. “What am I saying?” “ This is who I am,” he said, his voice husky. He was on his knees in front of the sofa.  His hands rested on her lap. “ I don't know who is the real you anymore. I'm really confused.” “ There is much time to learn,” he brought his lips closer to hers, allowing her time to stop him. When she did not push him away, he kissed her. Kali closed her eyes. The scent on his body was so intoxicating it felt like a drug to her senses. His lips were so soft against hers. He rose up and forward, making her lean back against the sofa. Lucien broke the kiss and licked her upper lip. His hands were around her tiny waist. He gave her little kisses on her neck at first. Then he sucked on her flesh, nibbling on it until it left a deep red mark. He was satisfied with how it looked on her. Her heart was hammering inside her chest. He unbuttoned her shirt with his left hand and placed a kiss above her breast. “ No,” she protested in soft murmurs. He closed his mouth over her breast, which were rising and falling unevenly with her breath. Her bra was in the way, so he unhooked it from behind and lifted it up. He cupped his hand over her full breast. She thought she would die from embarrassment, and found herself with her hands covering her face. The feeling of his lips, his tongue and his warm breath on her flesh was almost unbearable. "This is happening too fast,” she managed to say. “Lucien...aren't we moving too fast for a couple who just began to-” "After so many years have passed, you'll find that time is meaningless,” he said with a husky and seductive voice. "As for things that were meant to be, time is irrelevant.” "I was thinking... if we could actually love each other before we do something like this.” "But you will love me, Kali,” he assured her. The tone of his voice was both firm and confident. She felt even more intoxicated by his soothing voice. "You will love me with your body, with your heart, and with your soul,” he placed a hand on her coral cheeks. The stare of his beautiful blue eyes rendered her speechless. "And I will work on those things exactly in that order.”   †††††   Kali awakened alone on a white linen bed. She sat up slowly, feeling an aching in her body below her abdomen. The guilt quickly washed over her, biting into her conscience. What had she done? She asked herself. It wasn't like her at all! She had acted like she was drunk, but she hadn't even had one drop of alcohol. She couldn't think straight. She couldn't say no. She mentally slapped herself as punishment to relieve her conscience, but to no avail. Perhaps a shower would clear her head. She grabbed the thin layer of linen sheet and wrapped it around her before she left the bed. With the first step, she almost collapsed onto the ground.  She turned to the bed to find dried blood stains on the sheets. Oh no, she said to herself. If Lucien finds this when he returns... She stood up, grabbed the sheet, and left the room to wash up. She returned when her cell phone rang in her bag. She sort through the bag and picked up the call. “ Hello?” It was Chevalier’s voice on the other line. “Happy birthday, Kali!” “ My birthday…” “ You didn’t remember, did you?” “ I did…sort of.” “ Meet me at Central Park in an hour. We’ll walk to the cemetery to visit your parents, and your grandma too. I don’t want to stop by your new place. I think you know why.” “ Okay,” Kali agreed. “One hour it is.” “ Kali…” “ Yeah?” “ Never mind, I’ll see you in an hour.” Chevalier hung up the phone. He squeezed it tightly in his hand. He had wanted to talk a little longer. He wanted to hear her voice. In one hour, he'd be able to see her. But why did it feel like he would never get the chance hear her sweet voice ever again?   †††††   Kali wore a simple white dress as she had for this day every year. Her birthday was a curse that had haunted her for the last sixteen years. On the same day every year, she went to the cemetery to visit the mother who died giving birth to her, and the father who committed suicide because he’d lost the love of his life. Her father must have hated her. How could he love the child who had taken away the life of his beloved wife? Kali stopped by a flower stall on the way to buy a bouquet of white roses. She had been told her mother loves white roses. She was also told that her mother was a gentle and beautiful woman. Her mother had been everything her father ever wanted for a lover and a wife. Everything about her parents, she had learned through the words of others. Her grandmother had never been compassionate with her. Even though she didn’t say it out loud, it was clear that she never wanted to raise the child who, in the same day, took away the life of her only son and daughter-in-law. She was to blame for all of the misery of her grandmother’s remaining life. Kali took in a deep breath. She should have gotten over it by now. It has been so long. She always convinced herself to be happy because life could always be worse. She told herself that her life has a purpose. That everyone’s life has a purpose. Now all she needed to do was find that purpose. It was a short walk to the park.   †††††   Chevalier put on his helmet and hit the road on his motorcycle. Soren kept watch on Chevalier, his face a study in ice cold scorn. He stood in mid-air, invisible to the human eye. Human lives are so expendable, he thought. Almost anything could kill them. But how should this one die?   It started raining. It was drizzling at first, and then the rain became heavy. Kali ran under a tree for cover. She reached for the cell phone in her pocket and dialed Chevalier’s number. No one picked up. Should she leave? She debated, looking at her watch. It was only four-fifty. Only ten more minutes until their meeting time. If she had known it was going to rain, she would have at least brought an umbrella. She was soaked to the bone and probably would be sick tomorrow. The last time she had been out in the rain like this was when she was thirteen years old. The images played out in her head as she recalled the past. She had a very high fever that day and was confined to her bed. Winter always took a toll on her body and this annual fever had become a tradition. Now and then she could see her grandmother through the cracked door, walking by in the hallway. It was too much to expect her to come in. Grandmother had always been indifferent to her. She lay there for hours, watching the sky darkening through the window. She turned toward the door when she heard it creak open. Chevalier stood there with a smile. “I’m sorry I came by so late,” he said. “Something came up at work. I bought you some snacks.” His face suddenly turned pale at the sight of her. He rushed to her side and felt her forehead with his hand. Within seconds, he had burst out of her room. She could remember his angry voice from a distance as he approached her grandmother. “ She’s running a fever, why didn’t you call for a doctor?” he demanded. “ The girl runs a fever every year,” her grandmother replied. “She’ll be fine tomorrow.” “ You’re a heartless woman!” Chevalier dialed his cell phone and waited patiently. “Damn, the offices are closed this late!” He rushed back to her side and felt her temperature again. “Kali? How are you feeling?” When she didn’t respond, he gently shook her. “Kali, can you hear me? Kali? Damn it, her fever is so high!” He snatched her coat from the closet, brushed aside her blanket, and put on her coat. As soon as he finished buttoning the last button, he positioned her on his back and left the house. She needed a doctor, and fast. He hoped that the doctor who lived a few blocks away would be home. The rain came suddenly. He was glad he had thought of her coat, which protected her from the rain. He carried her as fast as he could to the doctor’s doorstep and impatiently knocked on the door. A middle-aged woman opened the door. “ She’s running a high fever, is the doctor home?” Chevalier asked without a moment of hesitation. There was no time for introductions. “ No, but he will be home shortly,” the woman replied. “Bring her in. I’ll call the doctor home right away. Are you her family?” “ I’m the closest thing to it.”   Kali snapped out of her reminiscence and gently laughed when sudden realization came to her. She hasn’t noticed it but Chevalier really did love her for a long time.     †††††   Chevalier pressed harder on the gas handle to urge his bike to go faster. “Why does it have to rain?” he muttered. “That idiot probably didn’t bring an umbrella.” “ This is as far as you go,” Soren decided. He held out his hand in the direction of an oncoming truck. The truck driver panicked. “It’s…it’s steering by itself!” he shouted out and tried to step on the brakes, but the truck careened on. “ Watch out !” He shouted as he frantically tried to brake. “ Runaway truck !” “ What the hell?!” Chevalier said, seeing the oncoming truck as it crossed over into his lane, coming right at him. He yanked the bike to the left to avoid the head-on collision, and then back to the right before the oncoming traffic could hit him. The truck smashed into several cars that were heading towards it. “ That was close!” Chevalier gasped. “What the hell was that?” “ Not half-bad,” Soren praised. “However, If Lord Lucifer wants you to die, you cannot live!” Soren held out his hand to another truck, this one much bigger than the last. “ You’ve got to be kidding me!” Chevalier muttered with annoyance, trying to avoid it a second time. The truck turned sideways on the highway as it slid towards him. There was no way to dodge it unless he could lean the motorcycle so close to the ground that it would slip under the truck. Such a professional maneuver required time; something Chevalier did not have. He attempted it anyway. The motorcycle slipped under the truck with ease, but it was leaning too close to the ground. Sparks flew where the metal parts of the motorcycle ground against the asphalt. The speed he was traveling at threw him off the motorcycle, and he tumbled onto the cement of the highway. Chevalier slowly regained awareness and tried to get up. His right leg was broken. He looked up to see a car coming toward him at an unbelievable speed. The front lights blurred out the horrified face of the driver behind the windshield. Kali!       Chapter 8: Unwritten Contract   Kali looked again at her watch. Her entire body was shaking as the result of standing too long in the cold rain. She gritted her teeth together to stop them from chattering. Chevalier had never been late before. That worried her. He was an hour and a half late. She took out her cell phone again, but this time she called Hana. Hana was not picking up, either. Kali swallowed hard. She couldn’t stay in the rain much longer. It wasn’t a good idea to wait in the rain in the first place. Kali walked back along the path to Lucien’s house. She passed by an electronic store and a large scene TV was the display window. The news was on. Kali paused for a moment in front of the window, listening to the faint voice through the glass. A pretty young woman with very short hair was reporting, “There has been a tragic accident on the highway Route 81, 4:50 P.M. today. Reports are just coming in. There are a total of 8 people pronounced dead, while 9 others are injured. Two young men were taken to the local hospital in critical condition. They had their IDs on them. The first young man is identified as Chevalier Shiva. Twenty years old. He was driving a silver motorcycle model…” “ Chevalier…” For a moment, Kali forgot how to breathe. Her lungs felt like they were collapsing. The hospital. She needed to go to the hospital. She inhaled a deep breath of air and turned to see a taxi heading her way. She waved at it, but it ignored her completely. She waited for the next taxi and jumped out in front of it. The tires screeched. It stopped before it hit her. “ Do you have a death wish?” the driver yelled angrily out of the window. Kali ran to the side of the taxi, opened the door, and got in. She took all of the money she had in her purse and offered it to him with both of her hands. “The hospital. Please, drive me to the hospital!” she yelled in panic. The driver took the money and shoved it into his pocket. “Anything you say!” “ Please hurry!” The car raced through traffic and ran through a few yellow lights until they pulled up in front of the hospital’s front entrance. Kali got out of the taxi and ran into the building. “ I’m looking for someone!” she said to the receptionist at the front desk. “Chevalier Shiva. His name is Chevalier! Please look him up for me!” The receptionist looked through her list. “He’s still in the emergency room.” “ Where’s the emergency room?” “ Down that hallway and it will be to your left.” Kali followed the receptionist’s directions. At the end of the hallway she found a spacious wing with a red “Emergency” sign. Hana sat on the chair and leaned against the door. “ How is he?” Kali ran to Hana. Hana didn’t say anything. Her face looked as if she were possessed. Kali shook her. “How is he, Hana?” Hana raised her hand and slapped Kali across the face. Kali turned back to look at Hana, shocked. “You bitch! He ended up like this because of you!” Hana lashed out. She pushed Kali against the wall. “It’s all because of you! It’s all your fault!” Lucien caught Hana by the wrist, preventing her from swinging again. He gave her a threatening look before he turned to Kali. Hana was trembling. Lucien hadn’t done physically done or said anything to her, but she couldn’t stop shaking. Kali stood still, confusion and hurt apparent in her eyes. She just couldn’t comprehend what was happening to her world. "You think this is my fault?” she questioned Hana. “ That’s right,” Hana responded, glaring. “Nothing good ever happens to the people around you! Not your parents, not your grandma, and not Chevalier! I should stay away from you, before you kill me too!” "Is that what you really think of me? Is that what they say about me?"  Kali’s body lost its strength, and she slumped down the wall to the floor. “ Say another word, and I will have you killed,” Lucifer warned Hana. Hana gave him a nasty look and turned to run down the hall. Lucien knelt down to Kali’s level. He lifted her face up to kiss her eyes and the sweet tears on her cheeks. The red light on the emergency board turned off, and the doctor stepped out from the emergency room doorway. “Are you the patient’s relative?” The doctor asked once he took off his mask. “ Yes, I'm his only family,” Kali stood up immediately. “What’s his condition, doctor?” “ Take him home.” Kali didn’t understand what the doctor meant and simply looked blankly at the man. “ Prepare him a proper burial,” he sighed. Kali brushed by the doctor to run into the emergency room. Her eyes widened and she turned away at sight. It took her some mental preparation to turn around again. His entire body was covered by a white sheet, and his arm hung limp off the table. His blood was trickling down to form a puddle on the floor. She tried to control her thick breathing and slowly walked to his side. She carefully lifted up the sheet with her trembling hands. When the sheet revealed his face, it was too real for her to deny. She couldn't breathe. She shook his body roughly, but he didn’t move. Or breathe. Or tell her to stop. Her heavy tears fell to the ground and mixed with his blood. "I just talked to you,” she said to him. "Hours ago, you were still alive. How do you expect me to do this, Chevalier? How am I supposed to believe it?” she pressed his cold hand against her cheek. "You were still warm just last night when you made me promise you. You think you can just walk out of that promise? You think you can just leave me all alone in this heartless world? You were the only thing that made it all bearable!" "The dead cannot come back," the doctor said. "Please try to calm down.” "Did he…” she held him with her eyes one last time, “Did he suffer long?" "No," the doctor shook his head after a long moment of pause, "we do not believe so.” "That's good,” she said before she collapsed. Lucifer was quick to catch her before her head hit the floor. At least he did not suffer long.   †††††    “ You should eat something,” Lucien said from the head of the dinner table. Ever since Chevalier's death, she hadn't been herself. She hadn't shed a single tear since she returned home.    She shook her head in refusal. Lucien dipped the spoon into some porridge and held it to her mouth. She turned away. He grabbed her face with his hand and forced the spoon into her mouth. She tried to swallow the porridge, but she choked on it instead. “ Why won’t you eat?” Lucifer asked in an unsympathetic tone. “You need to consume the necessary nutrients to sustain yourself.” She shook her head. Her face remained emotionless as two lines of tears fell from her eyes. He licked them away. “Be a good girl,” he said in a much gentler voice. “Eat for me.” “ I just can’t,” she said. There was no strength in her voice. “ Seeing you like this makes me want to do even worse things to him,” Lucien said. “Don’t cry for him any longer,” he kissed her gently. “Don’t think about him anymore.” She was unresponsive to his kiss. “ And yet, thoughts of anything besides me still persist,” Lucifer stood up. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him. “Could you bring him back to me?” It was a silly question. "I don't see why I should.” "Those dreams... they weren't dreams, were they?" When he did not deny it, she pressed on. "Those men on the streets, you killed them didn't you?" “ I supposed it is better this way," Lucifer decided. "I have no need to pretend any longer.” "I couldn't make sense of it, all the things around you. I thought long and hard, but I couldn't make sense of things until I realized you were the man in my dreams. Your resemblance to him grew more and more each day. I see things more clearly now than I ever have before. Everything has been a lie, hasn't it?" "Not all of it.” "In the cave, you said that you prolonged my life in order to grant me a wish. I’ll die after my wish come true, right?" He nodded. "That was the original plan.” “ Bring him back,” she rested her head on his forearm. “That’s my wish. If it’s within your power, please bring him back.” Anger flickered in Lucifer’s eyes. His dark hair bleached into platinum and his brilliant blue eyes glowed fiercely. He pushed her to the ground, both of his hands wrapped around her delicate neck. The sudden flair of his aura caused the glass windows to shatter into millions of glittering pieces before falling onto the ground. He fought to restrain himself from using any strength, because even a small amount could easily sever her head from her body. “ That is the wish worth dying for? Bringing him back to life?” his furious voice shook the foundation of the house. "If you have even the smallest idea of what he means to me, then you won’t even ask,” she said through a screen of tears. "He was there long before you showed up in my life. That man worked himself every day to provide for me, a girl he had completely no ties or obligation to. He cared for me when no one in this world even bothered to give me a second glance. He has nothing to offer me, but himself. And from nothing, he had given me everything, but I was too big of an idiot to realize it. And what did I do for him? I refused him again and again, and left him the day before he left this goddamn forsaken earth! I left him when he begged me to stay. How am I supposed to live with that the rest of my life? I would be heartless or insane if I could sleep another night with that in the back of my head.”  Her words only fueled his rage. “ You can take my body! You can take my life! You can even take my soul!” she offered without a second thought. “Just bring him back to me.” “ I would never,” he hissed. “ That is my only wish.” “ I am under no obligation to oblige!” he clarified. "You were far too young at your untimely death. I prolonged your life in order for you to have a final wish. Taking your life was never my intention!" “ But you do want this body and this soul,” she daringly looked into his eyes. He couldn’t deny it. He wanted her. The moment that he discovered her genuine concern toward him, he had wanted to possess her. And she was asking for a bargain with him. It was a bargain he could not refuse. It would not make any difference whether Chevalier was dead or alive if Kali was in another realm. Their paths would never meet again. His anger slowly resided. “I would only resurrect him," his tone of voice much calmer now, "if you pledge your heart and your soul to me for all of eternity.” “ I am human,” she said, turning her head to the side to avoid his cold gaze. “I do not have an eternity. I’ll grow old in a few decades. A life for a life, I suppose that’s fair.” "I am not willing to settle for a few measly decades. You will live as long as I desire so,” then he added. "Do I have your promise?” She didn't know who he was, or what he was. It didn't matter. She would make a deal with the devil himself if he could bring Chevalier back to life. Kali nodded. “I promise.” With those two words, she knew she had sealed her fate. “ I will hold you to your words.” “ Where are you going?” she sat up as he headed toward the window. “ To the realm of the dead.” In the form of a shadow, he disappeared into the night.   †††††   Lucifer stepped onto a vast and barren land that stretched as far as the eye could see. In the realm of the dead, there was no such thing as night or day; only the dark pit sky and lifeless gray soil. From the gray soil grew trees that looked as if they had been dead for many years, sprouting in twisted and strange shapes. On the branches of those seemingly dead trees were small dim lights, each holding a life of its own. “ A demon trespasses in the realm of the dead?” an eerie voiced echoed. A black hole opened in the sky as a white skeleton in a black hood appeared. He bony hands held a large, sharply glittering scythe. “ What is your business here, demon?” Death asked. “ Find me a man by the name of Chevalier Shiva,” Lucifer commanded. Death let out a disdainful laughter. “You dare to give me order? I am Death and this is my realm. A demon trespassing is a sin in itself!” “ Find me this Chevalier Shiva,” Lucifer repeated impatiently. “ And what will you do with him once you find him?” Death asked. “No soul can leave the realm of the dead.” “ There are exceptions to everything,” Lucifer said. His hand reached to his side to pull out his trusted sword. He was in no mood for tea and a light-hearted chat. “Act now or I will make you.” Death sensed the power of the summoning spell. It was a simple spell, but the demon who called upon the sword released a tremendous amount of energy. “Identify yourself, Demon.” “ Listen and listen well, Death,” he said. “I am Lucifer.”       Chapter 9: Advent to Hell   His heart was beating. She could hear him breathing. His cold body was warming up. The colors had returned to his flesh. Joy danced in Kali’s honey-colored eyes as she wiped the tears away. He’s alive! She said to herself, he’s going to live! “ I have fulfilled my end of the bargain," Lucifer said. "Shall we depart?" “ I want to speak to him,” she pleaded. “I want to talk to him. Just let me stay with him until he wakes up,” “ It may take a season,” Lucifer said, offering her his hand. “Come. I do not wish for you to stay in this realm a moment longer,” Kali realized there was no point in pleading with him. "I should at least know your true name,” she demanded. "Since everything up until now has been a lie, why not your name.” "Lucifer,” he replied to her. “That is what I am called. As for my true name, that is only for me to know.” She decided she was not at all curious. She gave Chevalier a farewell kiss on the cheek. “Sleep well, my knight,” she stood up, facing Lucifer. “I will come with you as promised. Be it Hell.”   †††††   Lucifer lowered Kali to her feet after he passed with her through the fiery gate. It closed immediately, leaving behind a hollow black frame. Kali stared at it, trying to comprehend it to the best of her ability. She, a person who had never believed in the paranormal, was being carried by the fallen angel to the Hell he calls home. Irony has a sense of humor. Lucifer placed a hand on her shoulder to draw her attention and pointed toward the South. “That is my home,” he said proudly. “And from now on, it shall be yours as well.”  Kali’s eyes widened with surprise at the city in the distance. It was a vision of grandeur, enough to impress even the most prestigious of engineers. Massive buildings towered above each other in an unorganized and unplanned manner, but their effect was breathtaking, nevertheless. They were slightly slanted as if they lacked foundations. It was clear that these buildings did not originate from this plane. In the center of it all was an enormous black castle, floating above a forest of black thorns. It was physically impossible for something so massive to be suspending in mid-air. It defied all laws in the realm of physics. It looked as if it had been torn from the ground along with the earth underneath. The sky in the background was filled with gray clouds. Kali looked down, noting the black soil and the strange flowers which bloomed from it. “ Shall we enter?” Lucifer asked, noticing Kali’s curious eyes. “ How can we get up there?” Kali asked, staring at the eerie castle in the sky. “The castle, I mean.” “ The conventional way,” “ And that is?” Four pair of black wings grew from Lucifer’s back and spread out, many times his body length. They layered neatly atop of each other. The motion was so majestic that she wished she could see it in slow motion. Feathers falling from them remained in the air for a few seconds and then disintegrated. Just when Kali thought nothing else could surprise her. Lucifer swept Kali up onto his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Before she knew it, she found herself leaving the ground and soaring into the sky. After a few moments, she dared to look down over the landscape. She wasn't about to let her fear of heights make her miss this. They flew over the city and forest of thorns to land on the marble porch of the castle’s entrance. “ What are those thorns for?” Kali asked. There was a strange beauty about the blue flowers that bloomed from them. “ Keep a distance from them. They are extremely poisonous, even to demons,” he explained. “A human wouldn’t stand a chance of surviving.” “ Then why won’t you get rid of them?” “ Open,” he commanded the giant gate. It swung wide, obedient to Lucifer’s voice. “They protect the castle. And from now on, they will also prevent you from escaping.” "Even if I try to escape...where would I go?" "It doesn't matter if you have a place to go or not, this realm is far more dangerous than your own. I would feel more at ease if you stay close to me.” "And you would protect me?” her little voice was unsure. "Yes,” he assured her. Lucifer led her through a long and dark hallway. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Kali paid close attention to the beautiful winged statues placed along the long hallway. She had never seen anything that looked so life-like. The door from the hallway led to a brighter room with a domed ceiling. Two stairways swept up either side of the room, framing three large doors in the middle. Lucifer led Kali through the middle door into a cold and spacious room. There was a long red carpet leading to the altar; on that altar was an imposing throne. “ Is this the throne room?” Kali asked. “ Very perceptive,” he praised her. He strode down the altar, not letting go of her hand. He seated himself on the throne, overlooking the room. “ Isn't this place too big for one person?” Kali asked curiously. "There are others like myself. Only the highest ranked demons are granted access to this castle.” “ I haven’t seen anyone since we got here.” “ They will arrive shortly,” Lucifer pointed to the hallway they had passed through. Many summoning circles suddenly seemed to draw themselves the marble floor. From each circle, a demon emerged. Feathers from their wings flew in every direction. Their clothing clearly indicated that they were nobles and aristocrats. The females were embellished with beautiful jewelry, and the male wore baroque period adornments. They approached the throne and bowed before their master. "My lord, you've returned.” The human girl caught their attention right away. They glanced at each other, obviously silently debating how they should react to this intrusion. A male demon came closer to inspect her. “Is she a souvenir from the mortal world, Lord Lucifer?” “ Since when do I answer to you?” Lucifer asked. The male demon stepped back, threatened by Lucifer’s tone. A gorgeous female demon came to Lucifer’s side and placed both of her arms on his shoulders. “Are you so bored that you must bring a human to our realm, my lord?” she whispered into his ear. Soren flew into through a window into the throne room, landing before the altar. “ You should remember your place, Adria.” he said to the female demon. “ My place is beside Lord Lucifer,” she responded.  “May we have her once you’re done with her?” another male demon peered at the girl. Lucifer reached for Kali’s hand and pulled her toward him to sit neatly on his lap. He lifted her chin with the tips of his finger and placed a kiss on her lips. She was speechless and didn't know how to react. “ She is my woman,” Lucifer declared. “I will hand her over to no one.” The demons looked to each other, perplexed. He sounded too serious to be taken casually. Was it an official declaration? “ It means,” Soren explained, “Lord Lucifer had placed all of Hell, including us, beneath her feet.”    †††††   Lucifer walked down the long corridor towards the room at the end. When he tried to open the door, it was locked. He politely gave a knock to give her a sense of privacy. He knew she had heard the echoes of his approaching footsteps. “ Open the door for me, Kali,” he said though the door. “ I don’t want to see you,” Kali retorted from the bed. She grabbed hold of a fluffy pillow to bury her face in. Even though she was grateful to him for bringing Chevalier back to life, she couldn’t help being upset with him. How could she face him when everything about him was fabricated to deceive her? What made it even more degrading was that she fell for his act! He must have laughed at her vulnerabilities. “ You can’t avoid me forever,” he said. She lifted her head up in order to reply, "I only said I would be your prisoner, I said nothing about seeing you.” “ You will not open the door?” he asked again, still very calmly. “ No!” she made it clear to him. “I never want to see you again.” He materialized on the other side of the door, startling her. Knowing was one thing, but seeing was another. “That is part of the bargain, unfortunately.” She turned away from him. She still hadn’t gotten used to his grayish platinum hair yet, even though the color complemented his pale blue eyes. She was convinced that no one else could pull off such a bold color. “ They said you refused to eat.” “ That doesn’t concern you,” she was being difficult and she knew it. He lifted up a lock of her hair and pressed it against his lips, “I don’t want to see you withered to nothing. You are mine.” “ You’ve deceived me with your manipulative ways!” she buried her face in the pillow again to hide the blush on her face. “I hate you,” she muttered. “ Shall we sleep?” he asked as he seated himself on the side of the bed. “ Sleep?” She inched back. “You’re going to stay here tonight?” “ Isn’t it customary for husband and wife to sleep in the same bed?” he pulled her down and trapped her in his arms. She struggled to get free. When she realized that she couldn’t, she bit his forearm. He was unresponsive. “ You really don’t want me to stay?” he asked for confirmation.  “ I don’t want to see you, or your kind!” she sat up and bolted off the bed when he loosened his grasp. She thought he would be angry with her for her insolence, but he said nothing and left. She lay down on the bed again and covered herself with the blanket. She scanned the room for anything suspicious before she closed her eyes. It was amazing how the exhaustion caught up to her. She felt her tense muscles ease into a state of relaxation. With several slow breaths, she drifted into a deep sleep.   Kali awoke sometime later, feeling refreshed. She must have been tired because she rarely could fall asleep in a strange place. Hell, no less! She stretched her arms over her head and let out a yawn. She scanned the room again and discovered several large golden chests at the foot of her bed. It was intricately decorated with carvings and inlaid with impressive cut rubies. She looked around, debating whether she should open it. Curious, she placed both hands on each side of the first chest and raised the lid. Inside the box was a collection of jewelry of unimaginable beauty. The pieces were heavy, and she couldn’t think of anywhere to wear any of them. No matter how valuable or invaluable they were, she couldn’t imagine them being worth anything in Hell. With a regrettable sigh, she closed the chest. She opened the second chest and discovered that it was filled with precious stones: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls and every other conceivable stone glistened beneath her fingers. They ranged from pea size to the size of golf balls. With another sad sigh, she closed this chest, as well. The third chest was filled with clothing, which she found to be most practical. The fabrics were cool and unbelievably silken to the touch. She had never felt such soft fabrics. Kali imagined it would feel lovely against her bare skin. She picked up an article of clothing that was the color of butter and found that it was a simple long gown. She pressed it against her body, finding it to be the right length although a little loose. Ignoring the other chests, she wandered out of her room to find someplace where she could bathe. It took her about half an hour, searching room by room, before she found the bathroom, if it could be called that. The marble tiles from the hallway stretched into the room and ended at a shallow pool the size of Chevalier’s apartment. Kali took a moment to admire the structural elements of the designs before she explored the rest of the room. When she realized the pool was the closest thing to a bath, she removed her clothing and lay it aside. She tested the clear, not-so-blue and not-quite-green water with the tip of her toe. It was warm to the touch, which she found surprising. She submerged her body into the water and surfaced a few moments later. Leaning her head back, she let herself float in relaxation. Her golden brown tresses float freely, like exotic coral in a reef.       Chapter 10: Safer with Him   She found him in a large library. It was the first time she'd seen him since she had turned him away. She didn’t intentionally look for him. She was hungry and wanted to find her way to the kitchen, but had gotten lost along the way. This castle was massive in both size and complexity. She had been given the freedom to explore the castle many times, but even then, she still got lost every once in a while.  When he noticed her presence, he placed the book on his hand back on the shelf. She was impressed with the pure size of the room. It was ten times, no, maybe fifty times larger than the school library, if not more. The book shelves towered as tall as three stories. In the middle of the room was a built-in marble fountain, which was under a domed glass ceiling. “ All these books,” her eyes jumped from shelves to shelves. “I had never seen so many books in one place.” “ Well,” he said, “when you have abundance of time, you develop hobbies.” “ You read them all?” she asked teasingly. “ Yes,” “ All of them?” she asked once again in disbelief. “ I collect them among other things.” "This library is protected by magic so the materials will not be ravished by time.” “ How old are all these books?” He took a moment to search his memory. “It started with the Ith’cara people, four hundred fifty-six thousand years ago,” Her eyes narrowed. “The history of civilization only goes back twelve thousands years.” “ For you, it may be.” “ Are you saying there were many civilizations before us?”  Her stomach growled. Her face flushed from embarrassment. “ Will you eat now?” She was too stubborn to say yes. He took her by the hand and the next minute, they were in the kitchen. Every room in this castle was enormous. Almost everything was made of stone in the kitchen. It looked like something straight out of a medieval fairy tale. There were small loaves of freshly baked bread on the table, along with some milk. “ Do you need to eat?” she asked curiously. “ I can eat," he said, "but like everything else, it is not a necessity.” "Do you need anything to sustain yourself?" "No,” “ Then why is there a kitchen in the castle?” “ We didn’t build it,” he grabbed the bread and handed it over to her, “it was stolen.” “ You stole it?” That explained the piece of land the castle set on. It looked as it if it were torn from the ground. “Why?” “ It’s a very long story. Longer than your lifetime, I’m afraid. In a short few words, they got on my bad side. Even so, I must commend them on their craftsmanship. Have your meal. I have other engagements to attend, but I will return shortly.” Part of her didn’t want him to leave. “ Good riddance,” she muttered, knowing he could hear her. He turned back. He’d forgotten one important thing. In an ancient language, he summoned a protection spell around her. “ W-what did you just do?” she asked, surprised. “ It’s just a precaution,” he assured her. “Be a good girl until I get back.”   †††††   He was a liar! He said he would return ‘shortly’, but it had been days. She had taken the time to explore the castle, but even a big place like this could only keep her occupied for so long. She glanced out of the window and wondered where Lucifer had gone. She made her way downstairs to the entrance of the castle. She even tried to open the double doors, but they wouldn't move an inch. It didn’t take long before she gave up. As she walked away, she heard a creaking sound behind her. Turning around, she saw the doors were already opened. She could have sworn she heard someone chuckling. Running to the edge a few hundred yards from the castle, Kali looked down and got dizzy from the height. The castle was situated two hundred yards above ground. It was not possible for her to get down. She heard a horse neighing in the distance, coming closer. A black stallion was running toward her. No it wasn’t a horse, it was a black Pegasus. Its black wings spread out like the wings of a dove. It stopped in front of her. “ I would be more surprised if I saw a horse with wings a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I don't even know how long I've been here,” she slowly reached her hand out to pet the steed. It responded with a friendly whicker. It jerked its head, telling her to get on its back. “ You want me to get on?” The Pegasus nodded. “ You can understand me?” It nodded again. “ Now I’ve seen everything!” It took her a couple of jumps before she managed to mount the beast. “ Now what?” she asked. The steed neighed and dashed forward to leap off the cliff. Taken by surprise, Kali grabbed its mane so she wouldn’t fall off. It made a steep drop close the ground, before it flapped its wings and veered up into the sky. Kali felt nauseated from the speed and the movement. She was hanging on for dear life. “ Where are you taking me?” Kali asked the Pegasus. She was squinting to protect her eyes from the high speed wind coming at her. Several minutes later, he landed on the ground. Kali hurriedly got off the steed. Without waiting for her, it took off. After Kali shook off the dizziness, she found herself somewhere inside the city. The buildings were so tall that they rivaled each other for a place in the sky. Instead of the rich and musty odor that so many cities commonly possessed, there was a light, pleasant sandalwood scent in the air. The city was devoid of people, but she could feel other presences all around. They were watching her every move. Sometimes she would catch an image of a person from the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look, there was no one there. She couldn't understand why they were watching her so closely. She felt like she was being stalked. She picked up her pace as she walked. She feared that if they decided to, they could attack her at any time. She had felt nothing but hostility from the demons since she first arrived. They were not just watching her; they were staring down at her. She remembered their proud faces when she encountered them in the castle. The only reason they hadn’t become physical with her was because of Lucifer. He had openly declared her to be his property in front of his subjects. Though degrading, it had kept her safe until now. She didn't realized how long she had walked, absorbed in her thoughts. She could only guess it had been a while when she found herself alone, surrounded by unbelievably massive tree trunks. She had seen trees these sizes in travel magazine, but it is one thing to see them in picture and another to stand between them. She felt so small and insignificant by comparison.  The atmosphere was still; the surroundings were eerily quiet. Everything felt so alien. From the strangely glowing, moving plants to the little creatures she found living amongst the trees. Every step of the walk, she discovered something new. They were strange, new, and exciting things she had never seen before.  She became increasingly distracted by how thick the atmosphere had become. It was getting much harder to breathe. She didn’t know where she was, or how far she was from the castle. In fact, she didn't even know if they were still on Earth anymore. Although there was no sun here, the sky still shifted color. It was getting darker and darker as she ventured deeper into the forest. When it got too dark to see her hands in front of her, she began to feel fear creeping up her spine. Strange low growls were somewhere close by. She didn’t know what to expect. At least in the castle, she was safe under Lucifer’s protection. She should have stayed put. Red glowing dots began to appear in the dark. They came in pairs, like glowing eyes. She didn’t know what they were, or if she should stay or run. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. Her instincts took over and she ran for it. She didn’t know how close they were behind her. She didn't know anything! She just ran as fast as she could until she stumbled on a hard object and fell forward. They were very near; the glowing eyes were only yards from her. Her ankle screamed at her, letting her know that something was very wrong with it. She squeezed her eyes closed and braced herself for what was to come. Nothing happened. When she opened her eyes again, the pair of eyes charged forward, but then they were kicked back by something. They couldn’t get to her. “ Help!” she screamed out in panic. “Someone help! Lucifer!” “ So you finally need me,” his voice was all around.  “ Lucifer?” The area was filled with red lights. Lucifer appeared from the shadows. At sight of him, the canine-like beasts backed away in fear, and one by one scampered off. He came to her side and scooped her up into his arms. “ Did you…how did you know where I am?” “ This is my realm, Kali. I know where you are at all times.” “ Have you been following me the whole time?” she was suspicious that he did. “ Yes,” he admitted. Anger wrapped her face. “And you did nothing! How could you!” she shouted at him. “ I knew you would wander off on your own,” he replied. “That was to teach you a lesson. Fear is an excellent teacher.” “ I cannot stand you!” she hit his shoulder several times with her fists. “Let me down this instant! Let me down!” He teleported them back into her room and gently placed her down on the bed. “Your ankle is hurt. At least now you learned not to leave the castle,” he grabbed hold of her ankle and quickly realigned it. She yelped. “ You are a liar, Lucifer,” she managed to say. “You said you would be right back, but it’s been four days,” she said, half crying. He chuckled. “ What?” she was surprised at his reaction. “ I thought you didn’t want to see me.” “ That is beside the point!” “ I should leave for months at a time then,” he teased, “maybe even years. After all, what does a few decades mean to me.” “ Then why have you bought me here if you’re just going to run off somewhere?” she blurted out. She was too angry to hold back her thoughts. Once she realized what it sounded like, she pushed him away with both of her hands. "Get out! I truly never want to see you again!" She blushed when she realized he had a pleased expression on his face.    When she woke the next morning, he was sitting in a chair by the window. His head was resting on the palm of his hands. His eyes were locked on her. It was obvious that he didn’t sleep. Or rather, he didn’t need to sleep. What does he do with all of that time? “ I had breakfast prepared for you,” he said. “They should bring it up soon.” “ They?” she inquired. "I can find my way to the kitchen now. It’s one thing to bring food here, but I can't imagine your demons would be willing to bring it up to me.” “ I have arranged for servants who are more sensitive to your needs,” he replied. "I admit I have been careless with your accommodations.” “ I don’t understand,” she blinked. "Your own kind would be able to take better care of you.”  She was alarmed when she interpreted his words. "Did you kidnap them?" "I made a bargain with them,” he corrected her. “They agreed to serve me if I saved their dying son.” “ And did you?” “ Yes, but that boy was not meant to live long. I could only prolong his life several years.” “ You said you could make humans live forever.” “ I can. However, the process itself is much more complicated than you think. I do not have the energy to waste on a boy.” “ After the boy dies, after they die, what will you do?” “ I will get replacements.” “ How many replacements will there be?” “ As many as it takes.” “ I can take care of myself. I can cook for myself,” she sighed. “You cannot ruin so many lives just because of me.” “ Why not?” he asked with an indifferent expression on his face. “ Why not?” she responded with a rhetorical question. “These are my consequences and mine alone! I can’t drag anyone else into this. I don't think I can live with it. How can you just treat them as if they’re disposable?" “ I do not want to argue with you over such tedious matters,” he got up from his chair. “They should be here with your breakfast by now.” “ Please let them go,” she grabbed his hand. “I don’t want them to be here with me. Please?” He touched her cheek with the back of his hand. “It will be very lonely in this castle. I want you to have company.” “ The guilt will kill me more than the loneliness.” After some consideration, he nodded. “If you do not wish for them to stay, I will send them back.”     †††††   He was caught in bad weather on his way back to Hell. Kali had been waiting for him at the entrance. His clothes were soaked. She ran back to her room to grab a towel. Before she could return, he was already in her room. “ Here,” she handed him the towel. “Dry yourself off before you catch a cold.” she suddenly felt silly. Unlike her kind, he was unsusceptible to illness. He took the towel she offered and dried his hair with it. “ What are you doing?” she asked when he unbuttoned his shirt. “ Changing,” he said simply. “ Not in here…” “ We are no longer strangers, if you have yet to realize,” he headed toward the door. “However, if that is what you wish, then I will comply.” “ We are strangers,” she said, “since Lucien was only someone you made up to deceive me.” He paused. “Would you have come to love Lucien the way he was?" “ I may have if he were real!" “ You are incapable of love,” he said. She suddenly felt a pinch in her heart. "You keep a distance with everything in your life that you can love. That is the reason you chose to befriend a selfish and hypocritical girl. You pretended to be ignorant of the cruel things she'd done to you, because you knew none of it can remotely affect you. You have lost everyone dear to you so that even caring for anyone else is taboo. That is also the reason why kept on refusing your Chevalier, your knight, because he is the only person who can emotionally cripple you. You chose Lucien, like everything else you’ve chosen for yourself in life, out of your own needs. You didn't chose him because you could love him, you chose him because you knew you could not. You chose him out of pure convenience and because he offered to take you away from the only thing that was threatening you. You cannot love because if your heart endures another tragedy, it will crumble and it will die.” She couldn't think of anything to say. “ You need a man who cannot be taken from you, even by death. You need a man who cannot change and will not change. You need me, you are just too proud to admit it.” He came to her side and embraced her. His wet clothes soaked hers. “You wish everything I said was a lie.” Yes, she did wish it was a lie. He had dissected her and made her feel so vulnerable she wanted to cry. She hated the feeling of exposure. She wanted her life to be dictated by her own reasons and logic. When those thoughts were said out loud, she felt unreasonably selfish. He still wouldn’t let her go. All thoughts dissipated when she inhaled his scent. It was nothing short of intoxicating. The warm heat of his body against her skin was enough to set her on fire. She felt weak at the knees when he lowered his head to kiss her. His lips were soft and warm. The gentle kiss became something more, unquenched, passionate. Before she knew what was going on, she was already lying on the bed with him on top of her. His breath was hot against her slender neck. She desperately wanted to refuse him, but her body would not listen. His beautiful blue eyes could even bends heaven to his will. She was too weak to rebel.  Chapter 11: Sacrificial   “Welcome back, Chevalier,” Soren said. He was leaning against the hospital’s white wall, his arms folded on his chest. He wore a black suit that fit his figure almost too well.   “ Where am I?” Chevalier sat up on the bed. His limbs felt so weak and difficult to control, as though they weren’t his own. He rested his head on his hands. “It hurts so much…” Chevalier looked up at the beautiful young man. “Who are you?”  “I am Soren.”   “ What do you mean by ‘welcome back’?”   “ Just what I said,” Soren stood up from the wall. “What is the last thing you remember?”  Chevalier thought about it. “I was driving on the highway, and these trucks..,” Chevalier shook his head. “Then I woke up here.” “ You have died, Chevalier Shiva,” Soren said bluntly, his voice devoid of concern. Chevalier raised a brow to analyze the mysterious man standing front of him. “That’s not possible.” “ Nothing is impossible.” “ I’m still… alive.” Chevalier looked down at his body. “ In your deep sleep, you had a long dream; a dream so long that it felt as if it lasted an eternity.”  “ Yeah… I was walking in a barren wasteland that never seemed to end. But that still doesn’t make sense! Am I dead now?”  Soren shook his head. “You were dead. My master, Lord Lucifer, brought you back to life.”  Chevalier gave Soren a look of suspicion. “Are you a mental patient?” Laughter burst from Soren in spite of himself. “I do not believe that is important to you. What should be important to you now is your Kali.”  “ Kali!" Chevalier bolted off the bed at the thought of her. “Where is she? Is she sick? She must have been waiting in the rain yesterday!" “ Chevalier, I do not have much time before my master finds that I am missing, so listen and listen carefully. You died in the accident,” Soren began to explain. “The Lucien you know was actually Lord Lucifer in disguise. Kali sealed a bargain with him. If Lord Lucifer brought you back to life, Kali has bargained to spend an eternity with him in Hell. You have been in a coma for a month, Chevalier.”  “ What?” Chevalier was dumbstruck.  “ It is up to you whether you believe me or not. I am here to make you an offer. If you want to get Kali back from the underworld, the only option is to face death once again and be reborn as a demon. My offer is on the table. When you have decided, called my name and I shall come.”  “ If what you say is true, why are you telling me all of this? Why make the offer at all?”  Soren paused and questioned his own motives. Fury skittered over his beautiful face. “I’ve followed my master from Heaven to the depths of Hell! Do you think I would let a mere human take him from me?”  A pair of wings sprung from Soren’s back. He walked toward the window, opened it, and flew out. “ Wait!” Chevalier ran to the window and looked down to see if the young man had fallen to the ground. Chevalier was standing in a room twenty stories up. The streets below were crowded, with no sign of people screaming or the young man’s body on the ground. Any man jumping from this height would be in several pieces. Chevalier picked up a black feather that rested on the window frame. His eyes weren’t deceiving him. That had been a pair of black wings sprouting from the young man’s back! Chevalier left his room and walked down the hallway of the hospital. The nurses and doctors stared at him as he stepped into the elevator to leave. They had been sure he was dead. He’d been brain dead for over twelve hours, and here he was, a coma and a month later walking out of the hospital a healthy man. Modern medicine had no explanation. “ I’m home,” Chevalier said, pushing the door open and entering his apartment. He closed the door behind him. When he didn’t hear her voice, he searched for her in the bedroom and the bathroom. “Kali?” Oh right, she doesn’t live here anymore. Chevalier mentally slapped himself. How could he forget a thing like that?     After dinner, he went to see Kali at Lucien's home. He rang the bell for a while, losing his patience when no one answered the door. He was about to force his way in when he realized the door wasn’t locked. The place was completely deserted. Judging from the layer of dust and the shreds of cobwebs hanging everywhere, the place had been deserted for at least a month.  He took the cell phone out of his pocket and called Hana. She shrieked when she heard his voice. He pulled the cell phone away to protect his ear. “ Hana? Hey, do you know where Kali is?” “ Chevalier? But…but you’re…” “ Yeah. Dead. Never mind that, just tell me where Kali is.” “ You’re alive!” “ I just got released from the hospital. You know modern medical nowadays, they can even bring people back from the dead. Where’s Kali?” “ K-Kali?” Hana’s voice stuttered. “After the doctors confirmed your death, Kali disappeared with Lucien. No one has seen them in a month.” “ Disappeared? What do you mean ‘disappeared’?” Chevalier thought about the handsome young man standing by his bed in the hospital room when he woke earlier. “I’ve got to go.” “ Wait, Chevalier!” He hung up the phone. Could it be that what that guy said was true? Lucien… no, Lucifer had taken Kali to Hell? How could that be? In a world of modern science, how could something like that happen? But the guy he’d met had a pair of black wings and had disappeared out the window twenty stories high. Were there still things in this world even modern science couldn’t explain? His name, what was it? Chevalier sighed. He suddenly felt like a character in a science fiction movie. “ Soren! Soren! Show yourself !” He stepped back as a light appeared on the floor next to him, slowly spreading to form a magic circle on the ground. It shifted to a bright crimson red as Soren appeared in his human form. “So, you have reconsidered.” “ Reconsidered what?” “ Becoming a demon.” “ Why would I want to do that?” Chevalier asked. “ Then you summoned me because-” “ Where is Kali?” “ In Hell.” “ Okay. How do I get there?” Soren chuckled. “And what will you do once you get there?” “ Take her back.” “ How?” “ What do you mean, how? I’ll give Lucien a good beating and bring her back.” “ He is Lucifer,” Soren reminded Chevalier, “the most powerful among the archangels. If you want to take her back, you must become a demon yourself.” “ Will I be powerful enough to defeat Lucifer?” That was a foolish question, Soren thought. “No, but you will be able to bring Kali back. That is what you want, isn’t it?” “ Fine,” Chevalier said without a moment hesitation, “make me into one of your kind.” Soren threw a small vial of potion at him. Chevalier caught it in his hand. “ Drink this,” Soren instructed. “It will slowly kill you. You will die an excruciating death - the mortal you, anyways. I will take care of the rest. When you wake up, you will have powers beyond your imagination.” “ Excruciating death, huh?” Chevalier opened it and poured the liquid into his mouth. “I hope she’ll appreciate what I’m going through for her. She can be quite dense, you know.” “ Why? Why are you making such a hasty and dangerous decision for a girl?” Soren asked curiously. "I did not jest when I said this will be excruciating.” “ Who knows?” Chevalier said. He felt his legs suddenly weakened and fell to his knees. He was able to stay upright for a few seconds before rolling to the ground. His chest felt as his ribs were collapsing into his lungs. His breathing became increasingly difficult and more painful with each breath. His blood started to burn like it had become acidic and he could feel it burning his body as it coursed through his veins. The pupils in his beautiful golden eyes contracted and the white of his eyes became bloodshot. He stared intently into the blue sky, savoring its beauty as a human being for the last time before becoming something else entirely. He waited for the mercy of death to relieve him of the poison’s agonizing torment. “… I must…really love her…”     Chapter 12: Worst of All Sins   The demoness waited until she was sure Lucifer was gone before entering the bedroom. She walked silently to the bed, peering at the girl with understandable curiosity. The girl was quite pretty, with soft golden brown hair that floated like clouds on a clear day. Her velvety skin and rosy lips may be prized among her kind, but was pale in comparison with theirs. Adria could not comprehend how this frail girl could possibly be of interest to Lucifer. Kali slowly opened her eyes then jumped when she saw the beautiful woman standing next to her bed. She sat up. “ I am Adria,” the demoness introduced herself before the question was asked. "There is no need to introduce yourself, everyone already know who you are.” "Me?" Kali pulled the linen up to her chin to avoid any more exposure. "Why would they know about me?" "Bad news travel fast, I suppose," Adria leaned against the bed post. "Needless to say, we resent you.” "I know that, but I can't understand why.” "There is much you do not understand, and I don't expect you to. However, do not think for a second that you can stay here forever, human. This is not where you belong. Lord Lucifer is simply bored. Once you are no longer of interest to him, he will discard you without a moment’s hesitation!” The demoness was telling her something she had known from day one. "I’ve come to accept that,” she smiled faintly. The demoness was strangely intimidated by that smile. She raised her hand in the air, preparing to slash Kali’s face with her razor-sharp nails. Then she paused. Lord Lucifer definitely would not forgive her if she damaged the girl’s face, she thought. She turned to leave. “ I am looking forward to that day,” she said before walking out the door. Kali knew all too well the truth of what the demoness had said. She shouldn't feel at home because this was not her home, and was unlikely it ever would be. To think of herself as anything more than a mere toy was delusional. Anything Lucifer said to her now could be quickly changed without a moment's notice. It was only a matter of time before she was discarded. Kali quickly wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She refused to cry for him. She was here to fulfill her end of the bargain, nothing more. His lack of long-term feelings for her should not be one of her concerns. Soren was waiting for Adria when she emerged. “ Is that what you truly think, Adria?” he asked her. When she did not answer, he continued on. "Do you think he will simply discard her once he grows bored? Can't you see the look in his eyes? It’s not just mere infatuation. He is moving further and further away from us.”     †††††   Chevalier’s eyes sprung open as he gasped for enough air to fill his lungs. There was a soft glow to his beautiful golden eyes. His complexion was paler along with the rest of his body. Soren's face entered his view. "Where am I?” he asked. He used his hands to examine his throat. His voice didn't even sound like his own.  “ I'm impressed with your willpower. You’ve made it this far,” Soren praised. “I was about to concoct another plan in case you didn’t come through.” “ Where is Kali?” Chevalier asked. That was the second question that jumped to his mind. “ Follow me,” Soren said, heading out of the room. He led Chevalier through a dark hallway lined with giant glass windows. He could hear whisperings among the other irrelevant sounds, which seemed louder than they ought to be. He waved a hand in front of his face to test his vision. Was it possible to see clearer than 20/20? He could see the magnified detailed of his pulsing veins. Her scent was in the air. There was an array of scents, but he recognized and selectively weeded out the others. Her scent was drawing a roadmap right to her. She was so close by. His enhanced senses weren't the only thing he immediately noticed. He felt different. No, different wasn't exactly the right word. He felt as if he’d had been stripped of most of the emotions and complex facets of being human. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Will you hurt her? A voice in his head asked. “ What?!” Chevalier said out loud. He was shocked by a thought other than his in his head. You want to hurt her, don’t you? She chose him instead of you! “ It’s only demonic instinct,” Soren explained when he saw that Chevalier was troubled with his new set of thoughts. “All demons have them, although most of ours are dormant. What is yours telling you?" “ Nothing!” “ The future days will be a constant battle for control. You should learn to control it before it controls you,” Soren advised. “Demons who cannot control their biological instincts will lose their free will.” “ Will they ever go away?” “ Unfortunately no, but in time you will be able to force it into a state of dormancy,” Soren replied. She betrayed you! The voice continued to persist. She offered him the body that you have been wanting, after you’d waited for so long. Soren stopped in front of an enormous door and turned to tell Chevalier to enter without him. Chevalier opened the door without a moment’s hesitation, expecting anything to happen. She was lying in bed, pondering her own thoughts, when she heard the door open. She expected Lucifer, but her eyes widened with surprise when she saw someone else. She bolted up immediately. “Chevalier?” “ It’s me,” he answered. Look at her, the voice said, the whore. She jumped off the bed and ran to him, quickly throwing her arms around him. Do you see? The voice said to Chevalier, when he’s not here, she throws herself at you. “ I’m dreaming, right? How can you be here?” she asked happily as she buried her face in his chest. “I thought I’d never see you again.” “ Did he hurt you?” he asked. She shook her head. He let out a sigh of relief. His entire body suddenly became stiff. Her body is tainted by him. She let him do it. She was supposed to be yours! “ Chevalier?” She looked up at his pale face. “ We have to go,” Chevalier said to her, after briefly scanned her body for injuries. “We have to leave this place.” Kali hesitated. “Leave this place?” "We must leave now before that fiend returns.” “ I can’t…” she shook her head in refusal. “Chevalier, I must fulfill my part of the bargain. I can’t go back on my promise.” The whore still doesn’t want to leave. “ Shut up !” Chevalier shouted at his instinct, forgetting to keep his anger internal. She gasped and took a step back. He wanted to say ‘not you,’ but it would just make things all the more confusing. He took her hand and led her toward the door. She pulled her hand back from him before they could reach the hallway. “ I promised,” she said when he looked back. “I promised in exchange for your life.” “ I don’t give a damn!” he snapped. “ She does not want to come with you,” his voice startled the both of them. Lucifer stood in front of the door with a displeased look on his face. "She belongs here now.” Chevalier stood defensively in front of Kali. “It’s not that she doesn’t want to come. You won’t let her,” Chevalier corrected him. “She doesn’t belong to you, not if I can help it!” “ Your scent..,” Lucifer murmured, sniffing the air. Then he chuckled mockingly. “So that is how it is. You agreed to become Soren's lab rat.” Chevalier glared at Lucifer, a low growl issuing from his throat. Kali could sense the tension between them rising. If they kept this up, Lucifer would lose his temper and who knew what would happen to Chevalier. “ Please leave,” Kali said to Chevalier, fighting her need to beg him to stay longer. She walked to Lucifer’s side. “ He’ll be leaving soon,” she pacified him. “ Face me, Lucifer,” Chevalier said. “I challenge you.” “ I suppose you want to test out your new powers,” Lucifer nodded. “I will gladly comply.” “ No!” she pleaded to Lucifer. “Don’t hurt him! Lucifer, don’t hurt him!” He looked down into her eyes, shiny with unshed tears. “This is the second time you’ve cried for another man,” he warned. "There is a limit to how much I can tolerate.” He turned his attention to Chevalier. “I despise those beautiful golden eyes of yours, and I hate your defiant confidence. I will get rid of you this time, once and for all!”  “ No!” Kali brought her hands to her face and shook her head violently. “Chevalier, don’t do it again. Please, leave before you make him any angrier.” Look at those fake tears. She just wants you to leave her sanctuary. “ Having trouble controlling your instincts?” Lucifer saw right through him. “You are a newborn demon, after all.” Kali looked to Chevalier. “What is he talking about? What instinct? What demon?” "I did what must be done!" he was upset at the idea that he had distressed her. She has no idea the pain he had endured to get this far, or the high price he had to pay. "I sold my soul and my humanity to these fuckers to get here, so don’t tell me to just leave!" "What have you done?” she grabbed his forearm and searched his eyes. "Do you realize what you've done, Chevalier? Was it worth the life you've left behind? Was it worth the normal life you could have had? Answer me!" "I've made my choice and chose my battle. Don't tell me you're not worth fighting for, because I am willing to pay the price even if more is at stake,” he said in a much softer voice now. "I will get you out of here even if it kills me.” "I don't want to see you die!" she cried. "I want you to live, even if I never see you again!" "You see, Kali, I’m not willing to make that trade-off.” A force swept by her and tore Chevalier from her grasp. The next thing she could comprehend was the sight of his feet as he was thrown out of the window. "Chevalier!" she screamed as she ran to the window. She reached for him by instinct, even though he was too far away now. A pair of black wings sprung from Chevalier’s back, beating at the last moment to save him from the fall moments before he hit the ground. "Lucifer!" She angrily shouted at him, but he ignored her. Lucifer summoned his sword and jumped down to land next to Chevalier. Chevalier dodged him by leaping away with the help of his new wings. If you want to live, summon your own sword. The voice said to Chevalier. “ How?” Just call it . The voice instructed. Just call it and it will come to you. A sword appeared in Chevalier’s hand. He managed to dodge Lucifer’s attack as the enemy’s sword whistled through the air towards his head. Chevalier pulled a few offensive attacks, but suffered from the heavy recoil of fending off the demon lord’s blows. He began to pant for breath. Lucifer grinned. “Not bad for a new demon. However, this will end very quickly.” “ Don’t hurt him, Lucifer!” Kali yelled. She had raced down flights of stairs to make it outside while they sparred. “ Give her back to me!” Chevalier shouted at Lucifer when their swords met, forming a shining cross between them. Chevalier pushed his sword against Lucifer's, but to no avail. “ Give her back to you?” Lucifer inquired as he sent Chevalier flailing to the ground. “I would rather break her soul with my bare hands so that no one else can have her. I will not allow anyone to lay a hand on what is mine .” She had accepted that she didn’t meant much to him, but to hear it with her own ears made Kali’s heart weep. Adria’s words rang in her mind. Once you are no longer of any interest to him, he will discard you without a moment hesitation! Kali clutched her chest. It felt unbearably uncomfortable. Soren appeared beside Kali. “It hurts, doesn’t it?” he asked her with softness that completely out of character. “Do you feel like you’re suffocating, now that you know what you mean to him?” “ You’re up to no good,” she accused. "If you have to choose between them, which will you choose?" when she could not answer immediately, he smiled. "I can make the decision easier. Would you choose the man who has loved and sheltered you your whole life or the man who has done nothing but deceive you?" "How much more can he deceive me?" Kali asked. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "How many more lies can there be?" "Do you think that he was your savior?” Soren made a 'tsk' sound. "Everything went perfectly according to his plan. Didn't you find it strange that he was there with you at the hospital?" Her chest grew tighter. "No,” she breathed out the denial. "Yes, Kali,” Soren confirmed her worst fears. "Lucifer would never want you to find out that he had killed Chevalier in order to trick you into a bargain. I should know, I was ordered to kill him. Lucifer wanted you to come crawling to him for help so that you would be grateful to him forever. He had you eating right out of his hand.” "I see,” she said calmly. The streams of tears on her cheeks contradicted her expressionless face. "I should have expected this.” "I could offer a solution,” he lifted her chin. "I can put you out of your misery.” “ Are you going to kill me?” “ Am I that heartless in your eyes?” "Why would you help me?" Kali managed to ask. "You’ve always looked at me with contempt.” "You are right, I have,” Soren admitted. "It was unfair that he placed a mere mortal above me after all of the years I have served him. How could I not despise you when you have stolen my brother?" "Then why help me?" "I want you gone.” It was reasonable enough. "At least you’re honest about it.” He gave her a small red vial. “This is a potion that will allow the person who drinks it to forget the things they do not want to remember. One sip and all of your troubles will disappear.” Kali looked at the red vial. “ It’s what you wanted, isn’t it? To forget the memories that cause you so much pain? To forget all of this ever happened, but most importantly, to forget about Lucifer?” “ Yes,” Kali whispered. She took the vial and slowly pulled the cork out. She looked up to the demon fight above her before making her final decision. She closed her eyes and brought the potion to her lips. "Just one little sip,” Soren whispered to her ear, "and everything you thread will go away.” Leaning her head back, she swallowed the liquid from the vial. She dropped the empty container to the ground, a blankness stealing into her eyes. Soren leaned in closer and whispered a suggestion into her ear. His command echoed inside her hollow mind. Lucifer caught sight of Kali and Soren from the corner of his eye. She was walking dangerously close to the blackthorns. “ Kali!” he yelled out. He was clearly distracted from the fight. “Kali, get away from there!” Chevalier took advantage of the opening and struck Lucifer with his sword. Lucifer lost his balance and fell into the thorns, the tiny daggers digging into his skin in a thousand different places. Jumping to his feet, Lucifer fought his way out of the brambles and ran to Kali’s side, his attention completely preoccupied from his fight with Chevalier. He caught her wrist before the blackthorns could touch her skin. “ I told you not to touch that!” he shouted at her. She turned toward him. Her eyes were utterly lifeless, like a doll. Lucifer turned to Soren for an explanation and saw the fragments of the red vial on the ground. “ What did you give her ?” Lucifer lashed out wrathfully. He created a massive energy force and directed it toward Soren. It forced the other demon to fall back into the wall. The impact caused a sizeable indentation in the stone. “ It is a potion that allows her to erase the memories she does not want,” Soren said, wiping the blood that leaked from the corner of his mouth. Chevalier attempted to land and tumbled to the ground. He still hadn’t gotten the hang of this wing thing, yet. Kali's hands reached for him. Lucifer was rendered immobile. He gritted his teeth until his jaws felt as if they were breaking.  He grabbed her slender neck in his hand. “ You choose to forget me but you can still remember him? " The rage in his voice shook the foundations of the earth. Kali couldn’t breathe. She struggled to free herself from his grasp. Chevalier tried his best to remove Lucifer's hand from her neck, but he just wasn’t as strong. “ After you promised me that you’ll never regret meeting me? Are you aware that you are committing a serious sin? I won’t forgive you! I cannot forgive you !” Chevalier felt Lucifer’s power quickly diminishing. He noticed Lucifer had loosened his grasp and took the opportunity to pull Kali away from the deranged demon.  Soren was there to catch Lucifer before he could fall. The poison on the thorns was beginning to take its toll. Chevalier pulled her close and out of Lucifer's reach. “ Take her north,” Soren instructed. “There you will find a gate. Command it to open and you will return to your realm.” Chevalier didn’t question Soren. He picked Kali up in his arms and flew north. “ Sleep well, my lord Lucifer,” Soren said. “When you wake up, let us make her our enemy.”       Chapter 13: The Nightmare of Hell   Kali screamed. Chevalier threw down the silverware he was putting away and ran to the bedroom. “ What? What happened? Why’d you scream?” he asked as he scanned the room for signs of danger. “ I just had a horrible nightmare!” she said. “I was at this creepy-looking castle that was surrounded by this wall of black thorns! It was floating over more black thorns. And there was this scary looking…” “ That’s it?” Chevalier scratched the back of his head. “You made me run in here for that?” “ You have no idea how scary it was!” “ Oh, brush your teeth,” he smiled. “I made some marinated salmon.” “ Is today your payday?” she asked briefly, practically skipping out to the bathroom. Salmon was one of her favorite dishes. When she was done, she sat down at the dinner table. Her eyes trailed to the opposite wall. “ It's August,” she pointed out. "What?" "It’s August. Isn't it supposed to be June?" Kali stared at the calendar pinned to the wall. "Is that thing printed wrong? Where are the other pages?" "Well," he sat down across from her. “No, the calendar is right.” "What aren't you telling me?” she threateningly pulled on his collar. "Why are there two months missing from my life?" He'd forgotten to come up with an alibi sooner. "There was a motorcycle accident. We were riding back from the park, and there was this on-coming truck… and anyways, you got a minor concussion. The doctor said it would be normal for you to forget a couple of things.” "A head injury, huh?” She put her fingers to her temples. "No wonder my head’s been throbbing this morning.” He wiped the sweats from his forehead when she didn't question him further. Her attention was diverted to the dinner in front of her. “Looks delicious!” She nibbled on a piece of salmon for a moment, but the smell of it suddenly made her feel nauseous. Her hands flew to her mouth. She tripped on her chair as she bolted toward the bathroom. Chevalier followed her. Standing in the doorway, he watched her with obvious concern. Kali had never had a problem with his cooking before. The salmon was fresh from the market. She was kneeling over the toilet, vomiting until he expected to see her toenails come out of her mouth. His eyes widened at the realization hit.   †††††   Chevalier sat in the dark of the living room, his head buried in his hands. How had things come to this? Just when he thought he’d have a peaceful life with her, she might be… She might be pregnant. He felt angry, but more than that, he felt regret. If he’d been more honest with his feelings before, that demon could never have come between them. His own conscience had always held him back. He had always known he was in love with her. The seven year gap between them may seem insignificant to people her own age, but that difference could mean tremendous growth, both physically and mentally. And so he had patiently waited for her to grow up. He had waited patiently until she could at least understand. There had been nights that his youth led him to the beds of other women. The whole time, his mind was filled with nothing but guilty thoughts of her. It became worse when she came to live with him. The years refused to move forward. Looking back, he wished he could have done things differently. If he had known there would be days like these, he would have ripped out his heart for her to see. Then she could have judged for herself. It should never have been a secret. She betrayed you, the voice in his head said. She might be carrying his child. What will you do now? “ I don’t know,” he answered the voice. “I just don’t know.” Kill her. The voice said. It’ll make you feel better. It’ll save you from your pain. “ Shut up!” Chevalier shook his head violently. “I would never hurt her!” Will you force her to abort it? Chevalier squeezed his eyes shut. The tears that were burning his eyes spilled down his cheeks. “How could I make her do such a thing?” he said, his voice trembling. Will you raise it, then? Could you ever love a child that belongs to another man? Chevalier took a deep breath and stood up. He walked slowly to Kali’s bedroom. He sat beside her bed and held her hand in his. She looked so peaceful when she slept. He turned her hand over and kissed her frail fingers. “ I love her,” he sighed. "If it is her child, what difference would it makes if it’s mine or another's?” You must be crazy! “ Maybe I am,” his tears fell onto her palm. “I love her so much that it’s making me feel like I’m crazy!”   †††††   Kali tossed and turned in her bed, troubled by the recurring images in her dreams. They played over and over each night, in bits and pieces like the shards of a broken mirror. She couldn’t make sense of the jumbled images of people and places, real and imaginary. She was beginning to curse these manifestations of her overactive imagination. She could hear bits and pieces of dialogue that raised more questions than answers. Sometimes, she could hear a stranger’s familiar voice reaching out to her. The voice was as soft as a whisper and inexplicably harmonized with her heartbeats. Suddenly a loud, annoying pounding on the front brought her fully awake. She could hear Chevalier getting up from the sofa where he slept to answer the door. She relaxed again when a long moment passed without any suspicious noises.   Hana stood in the apartment’s doorway, her hands on her hips. As soon as she saw Chevalier, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “ I’m so happy to see you!” Hana said and launched herself up to kiss him. He wasn’t responding; she felt like she was kissing a statue. She stopped and pulled back. “Aren't you happy to see me?” she asked, questioning his aloofness. “ Lower your voice,” Chevalier shushed her. “ Why?” Hana’s brows pulled together so that they almost looked connected in the center. “Is there someone in your apartment? It is another woman?” She barged into his apartment and began to search. She scanned the kitchen quickly before searching the bathroom and then the only bedroom in the place. “ Kali?!” she exclaimed when she found a woman in her lover’s bed. Shock resonated in her voice. Kali sat up and smiled when she saw Hana. “What are you doing here, Hana?” she asked. Hana looked to Chevalier, who was sluggishly entering the bedroom. “What is she doing here ?” “ What do you mean, what is she doing here?” Chevalier yawned. “She lives here. The question is what are you doing here?" “ But didn’t you elope with Lucien?” Hana asked Kali. Kali blinked. “Who’s Lucien?” “ Nobody,” Chevalier quickly replied. He turned to Hana. “Go home already, Hana. We’ll talk about this later.” “ No!” she protested. Anger and tears were already swelled up in her brown eyes. “Why is she still living with you? She was supposed to be gone!” “ Chevalier ,” his name from Kali’s mouth sounded like a warning. “What is going on here? Since when did you and Hana… you know?” “ It was very brief,” Chevalier smiled playfully. Kali shook her head, disapproving. “Why are you doing this to my friend?” “ Your friend?” she strode to Kali and delivered a slap across her face. “Who are you calling your friend? I don’t even want to know you exist! You disgust me!” Chevalier caught her by the wrist and pushed her out into the living room. "What the hell was that for? I’m the one you should be angry with.” “ Stop protecting that bitch!”  “ If you hurt her again, I won’t hold back,” he threatened. Realizing he wasn’t the kind of man who would threaten a girl, he let out a sigh. “Kali is very weak right now. Go home, Hana. We’ll talk later.” "All that ever comes out of your mouth is 'Kali'!" Hana said hysterically. "All you see is her, but I'm the one you're going out with! How could you cheat on me like this?" “ That’s enough!” Chevalier decided. He grabbed Hana by the hand and pulled her out of to the hallway. “ I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear enough to you,” he said once they were outside the apartment. “I’ll make it clearer this time. I’m breaking up with you. I’m an asshole, so forget about me.” Chevalier went back inside the apartment and shut the door in Hana’s face. She kept banging on the door, but no one answered except a little old lady down the hallway who poked her head out of her apartment to see what the fuss was about. Kali stared at Chevalier when he returned. “That was rude.” "She'll get over me soon enough.” “ Like your other women? You’re really a jerk.” “ Yeah,” he bent down to place a kiss on her cheek, “but I don’t want to be other women’s jerk anymore.”     Chapter 14: Her Lovers   Kali’s hands flew to her mouth as she felt her lunch backing up. She dashed out of the classroom and down the hall, intent on getting to the bathroom. Charging into an empty stall, everything her stomach made a rapid reappearance. She grabbed a handful of tissue and wiped her lips. She had been feeling sick too often lately, nauseous to be precise. She could barely keep anything down anymore. Other times she felt extremely dizzy just from standing up. If this got worse, she would need to find a doctor. The thought of going to a doctor frightened her, though. The expense would be a burden on Chevalier, and if they found something wrong with her, they may put her on some expensive treatments. If she could hold it off, the longer the better. At least until she found a new job. She was startled when the door suddenly opened. Hana, along with some other girls she recognized, were standing in front of her. "You're pregnant, aren't you?” Hana asked, straightforward. The question made her jump. "I'm not-" Kali reached down to her abdomen. Her symptoms were very similar to those of a pregnant woman, but it couldn't be...could it? It couldn’t be! She wasn’t even dating anyone. How could that possibly be an acceptable scenario? "Don't lie to us, we already know," Cyn said. "You’ve been throwing up a lot lately. You’re totally pregnant.” Hana grabbed a handle of Kali’s hair, yanking her closer. "Whose it is? It is Chevalier’s or Lucien’s? Or maybe you just don't know, you slut!" "Let go of me!" Kali shouted and forcing her fingers under Hana’s to reclaim her roots. She pushed Hana back. “Who is this Lucien you’re talking about?” "Are you just going to pretend you don't know him?" "What do you want?" Kali stood up. "Even if I am pregnant, it has nothing to do with you!" "If it’s Chevalier's, I'll kill you!" Hana raised her hand and slapped Kali across the face. "You will not steal my boyfriend!" Kali placed a hand over her rapidly swelling cheek, feeling angry and guilty. She wasn’t even sure why. "I couldn’t steal something that was already mine!" she blurted out. "If I wanted him, I just need to say one word he would come running to me without a second thought!" Hana raised her hand a second time, but Kali caught her wrist and pushed it aside. "I’ve had enough slaps from you to last a lifetime,” she said, exiting the bathroom.   †††††   Kali lowered her eyes. The old woman at the convenience store was staring at her eyes full of condemnation, deliberately ringing out her order as slowly as possible. She quickly paid the woman, grabbed the pregnancy test without waiting for it to be bagged, and bolted. Running to the side of the store, she leaned against the wall to control her rapid panting. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. She shoved the test into her bag and finally built up her courage enough to dart across the street. Nervously, she entered a small café several blocks away and ordered a bottle of water. She sat down on the chair for a short moment, gathering herself before she snuck into the bathroom when the clerk had turned away. She scanned the bathroom first, then walked to the last bathroom stall and locked the door carefully. Releasing the breath she had been holding, she retrieved the pregnancy test from her bag and opened it. Her hands were trembling as she held the applicator in her hands. She took the time to read the directions on the little paper that came with it then followed the directions. Closing the toilet lid, she sat on it for the full five minutes. Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind during those five minutes. At the end, if felt as if she’d been there for hours. With another deep breath, she picked the applicator up off the plastic in her lap to read the result. The applicator dropped the floor. She was going to faint. The result was positive, confirming her suspicions, but how could that be possible? She couldn’t be pregnant! It wasn’t possible! Who was the father? She found herself crying softly. Fear and confusion battled in her head. What had happened in those two missing months? Has she fallen in love? Was she raped? Why couldn’t she remember? How could she forget something so important? She let out a sob and lowered her head. How could she go home like this?    †††††   He couldn’t find her. Chevalier was becoming more frustrated as the hours ticked by. She hadn’t come home and didn’t even bother to call. He had looked everywhere for her, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack in this city. Where could she have gone? She had nowhere to go. If anything happened to her, what would he do? He couldn’t face that yet. He could not allow those thoughts to distract him. He had to find her, and quickly before she got herself into trouble and he couldn’t protect her. Think, Chevalier, where would that girl have gone? Thinking hard, he remembered a few places she would go before the whole Lucifer debacle, and he decided to search each one. He was relieved when he found her sitting by herself on the beach. He approached her, took off his jacket, and placed it around her frail shoulders. Her face was covered in tears. "You shouldn’t do that to me,” he said in a soft voice. "You know I panic easily. What’s going on?" She didn't answer, her face buried in her hands. He could take a guess. "I think I'm pregnant,” she finally spoke, her voice a whisper. "Oh, that,” he said in a light hearted tone. "What do you mean 'oh, that'?" she sobbed. "I don't even know what happened or who the father is!" "Why wouldn't you just assume that it’s mine?” he asked. "I don’t know. Hana asked me if it is yours or Lucien’s,” she said. “She mentioned him twice. Who is he?” “ He’s nobody. I think you can take him right out of the equation.” “ What am I going to do? I’m still in school and… Chevalier, I’m scared.” “ There’s not much you can do. Stay healthy and let me worry about the rest.” She turned to him. "Chevalier, you don't have to do this. If I made a mistake and...” She couldn't finish the sentence. "Are you insulting me?” he shouted at her. "Don’t you think I’d know if I'm the father or not? Why would I claim a responsibility I have nothing to do with?" She couldn't answer. They sat there until dawn. The gentle breeze helped her think the situation through. "What happened between us?” she asked. "I wronged you,” he confessed. "I attacked you because I was pissed that you had belittled my manhood. I shouldn't have done that.” "Do I keep it?” she placed her hands over her lower abdomen. "I mean...could I?" "You shouldn't have to think like that,” he drew her closer to share his warmth. "Stop worrying. Let me worry about the rest. I really believe I can make you happy, Kali. Please have faith in me.”   †††††   The demons were standing around in clumps, patiently waiting and speculating about what was to come. They communicated with each other through telepathy, as if they were afraid of being overheard. Wines of ancient vintage were being served around the room. Even with their concerns, the demons thoroughly enjoyed the libations.  Only Soren dismissed the beverages. He was deep in thought, doing a little speculating of his own. He lifted his eyes when he noticed a stir on his master’s bed. He was beside him in a few quick strides. “ You are finally conscious, my lord,” Soren said. Almost by instinct, he knelt down to one knee before his master. The others in the room sank to their knees to offer their homage, as well. “ How long have I slept?” Lucifer asked as he rose from his bed. He brought his hand to his temple in an absurd attempt to quell the throbbing in his head. When the last of his memories sluggishly returned, his blue eyes darkened with rage.  “ It has been three new moons,” Soren informed him. “ Where is that woman ?” Lucifer demanded, unconsciously placing his other hand over his heart. Chapter 15: His Wrath   “There they are,” Soren pointed to the couple walking arm-in-arm down the sidewalk. “She looks as beautiful as ever. They say that a woman is most beautiful when she’s in love.” Soren could see anger dancing in Lucifer’s gaze. He grinned to himself, satisfied with Lucifer’s reaction. “ Why are we going shopping for the baby now?” Kali asked Chevalier. “You can’t even see my belly yet.” “ But I just can’t wait until the baby comes!” Chevalier said excitingly. He opened the door for her and led her into the baby specialty shop. “ Buying it stuffs doesn’t make it developed any faster,” Kali sighed. “And we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl, yet.” “ I have a feeling it’ll be a boy,” Chevalier picked up a little blue bib and placed it in their basket. Chevalier rubbed Kali’s belly and smiled. “Your mommy is so careless,” he said to the baby. “You’ll be coming soon and she hasn’t even prepared anything yet. Lucky for you, daddy’s a little more considerate.” Kali was distracted by the other older women in the store. They were staring and whispering to each other. She felt uncomfortable. “They’re whispering about us,” she said to Chevalier. “ Ignore them,” Chevalier kissed her cheek. “They’re just jealous that their husbands aren’t even half as good-looking as me.” She smiled and gave him a playful push. “You’re so conceited, Chevalier.”   Lucifer clenched his hands into fists to stop their trembling. “So she’s carrying his child,” he said. A storm of thunderclouds abruptly formed over the city. "That woman! She betrayed me in the three months that I was asleep! She chose to forget me and now she's carrying his child ? I’ll kill her! I’ll kill them both!” Soren held Lucifer back. “ Let me go, or I will kill you too!” Lucifer shouted at Soren. His eyes were furious. “That woman…that woman betrayed me in the worst way! She has his child! She’s carrying a child that’s not mine !” “ If I let you go, you’ll destroy the entire city,” Soren said calmly. “ Why should I care about happens to this city or to this world for that matter?” he brought his fists to his chest. It felt like a fire was burning under his skin. “I just want to kill her! I cannot forgive this betrayal!” “ He could always bring her back from the dead,” Soren reminded Lucifer. “He’s a demon like us. If you want to seek vengeance, my master, then please hold on to that anger.” Lucifer stared at her smiling face. Killing her was not enough, he decided. She would have to pay dearly for this atrocity. He would make her suffer for each smile and laugh she gave to another man. He would crush her heart and her spirit until she crawled back to him and begged for death.   †††††   Chevalier sighed as he looked at her, worried. She was sweating profusely in her sleep. Her body twisted and turned most in ways that looked really uncomfortable. His hand reached for her shoulder to wake her, but he paused when he heard her soft murmurs. With a hint of sadness in his eyes, he resumed nudging her gently. He whispered her name until her lids opened from her honey-glazed eyes. She jumped a little at the surprise of being awakened. “ You were having a bad dream again,” he told her softly. “Do you want some water?” She shook her head and turned onto her other side. “ It is too hot for you in here?” Chevalier asked. He walked to the other side of her bed to crack the window open. When he looked at her, she turned to the other side. “Is it the baby?” She shook her head again. “I’m fine. Please leave me alone for now.” “ Okay,” he nodded. Kissing her gently on the forehead, he turned off the light and left the room.   †††††   Lucifer couldn’t get her out of his mind: her face, her smile, everything about her. He wanted to kiss her like he used to. He wanted to hold her. He couldn’t remember wanting anything more for the last eternity. He hated what she'd done to him. That was why, in order to cleanse her from his thoughts, he must erase her existence entirely! “ You must listen to me,” Adria said. She had come to his bedchamber without his permission. “ Be gone!” he roared at her. He was in no mood to be trifled with. “ My Lord, please do not trust Soren completely,” she warned him hastily. “Can’t you see what he is doing to you? Are you so blinded by love that you cannot see that Soren is manipulating you?” “ How dare you enter my room without my consent?” he demanded an answer. His pale blue eyes glowed. She gasped, trying to hide her fright. “ My apologies, I had no ill intentions,” her voice was much softer. "I cannot stand by idly and watch him destroy you. If you kill her, my lord Lucifer, you might reawaken your instinct. I admit that I hate her, I truly do! In the months she was here, she monopolized all of your attention. Even more hateful, I saw you look at her as if she were the only woman in existence. You smiled. You laughed. You caressed her with such gentleness as if you were afraid to hurt her. I was jealous. I was so jealous I wanted to kill her, but you must not kill her yourself! I cannot allow you to kill whatever is left of what you can still feel!" “ The woman betrayed me! In the three months that I was asleep, she betrayed me and is carrying another man’s child!” “ Are you sure it is another man’s child? Is there a possibility it is yours?” Her questions dazed him. The possibility had never occurred to him. Despite everything in their favors, his kind lacked the means to reproduce. Due to their immortality, it was quite intentional. Conception was so rare that the last demon to hatch was at least ten thousand years old. And Kali was human. Astronomical odds were stacked against him. “ Do not trust Soren,” Adria advised. “He has lost himself to his demonic instincts. Go see her, my lord. Clear things up before you lose yourself, too. I will not intrude on you any longer.” As soon as she finished the sentence, she bowed, turned toward the window and flew out. Lucifer was alone once again. “A possibility that it’s my child…”   †††††   “Show yourself!” Chevalier demanded when he smelled a demonic scent in the atmosphere. He had hoped that he would never have to see another demon again. Perhaps it was far too much to ask. Soren emerged from the shadows into Chevalier’s kitchen. “Your senses have become much sharper, Chevalier,” he complimented. “ Why are you here?” Chevalier asked, agitated. It was apparent that he was displeased to see Soren. The feeling was evident on his face. “ Is that how you greet an old friend?” Soren asked. "I'm deeply hurt.” “ Why are you here?” Chevalier repeated his tone grave. The sooner the demon stated his business, the sooner he would leave. “ To help you, of course,” Soren replied. “I’m on your side, after all. Heed my words and take Kali away. Hide her somewhere Lord Lucifer cannot find her. And most importantly, you must mask her scent with sandalwood.” “ Why?” Chevalier asked. “ That dreadful demoness turned on me!” Soren was referring to Adria. “Lucifer will soon find out the truth about Kali's pregnancy. And he will come for her. No, for them. Will you stand and do nothing, while they are taken from you?” Chevalier clenched his fists to stop himself from shaking. The thought was frightening. “ Are you thinking that it is wrong to separate a child from its father?” Soren chuckled. “You are so pure-hearted, Chevalier. But the pure-hearted ones always suffer most. When he comes and takes both of them from you, what will you have left to live for?” “ Shut up!” Chevalier retorted. “I won’t listen to a demon!” “ You are a demon yourself, or have you forgotten already?” Soren paused for a second, and then continued on. “She is everything you ever wanted, is she not? I’m offering you a chance to live happily ever after. The child in her belly, I can tell you have grown to love it.” Chevalier closed his eyes and pulled in a deep breath. There was a painful expression on his face. “ Yes, Chevalier, think hard. Will you listen to your head or to your heart? But be quick about it. Lord Lucifer is heading this way,” Soren grinned. He turned around and walked into the shadows, becoming one with them.   †††††   Kali turned on the lights to the apartment. Chevalier was sitting on the sofa, deep in thought. He smiled when he saw her. The weariness in his eyes was chased away. “ You didn’t have to go work today?” she asked. “ I came home early. There was flooding at the office, something to do with the pipes,” he said, standing up and walking toward her. He took her hand and helped her sit down on the sofa. “How was your day at school?” “ The rumors already have spread around the school,” she sighed. “The headmaster may expel me if she finds out.” “ We should just run away from it all,” Chevalier said. He leaned his head gently on her belly, trying to listen to the baby. “ It’s only four months,” Kali reminded him. “You won’t be able to hear anything.” He looked up at her. “Kali, are you happy?” “ Well, I was terrified at first, but I’m fine with it now. I guess the maternal instincts have kicked in,” she chuckled and rubbed her belly. “Sorry, baby. Mommy didn’t want to have you at first, but I promise to love you very much from now on.” Chevalier softly smiled. “Daddy loves you too.” “ Chevalier, your face is so pale recently,” Kali noticed. “What’s wrong, are you feeling ill?” He shook his head. "Kali?" "Hmm?" "What would you do if you found out I had lied to you?" Kali placed her hand over her abdomen and the other hand on his forehead. "Everyone lies at one point or another, Chevalier. Sometimes living with a protective lie is better than facing reality. I’ll always forgive you, whatever it may be.” "What if I don't want your forgiveness?” he asked in a sad tone. "If you ever lie to me, I know you have your reasons, just like I have my own,” she smiled gently, running her hand though his hair. "Thank you for keeping your promise, Kali.” Chapter 16: Fragile   “Where is she , Soren?” Lucifer slammed Soren against the stone wall. He’d returned to the human world only to find an empty apartment. Kali was nowhere to be found. He could not even pick up her scent. Lucifer glared at Soren, his blue eyes glowing fiercely. “ Do not play petty games with me !” Soren fell to the ground. Lucifer pinned his head down with his foot. “ Why do you want such a woman, my Lord?” Soren asked, looking up at his master from the corner of his eye. Lucifer stepped down harder to keep Soren’s head face pressed to the ground. “She betrayed you! If all you wanted was a woman, I can find you a hundred, no, a thousand times better!” “ I don’t need another woman! Tell me where she is!” Lucifer bent down and grabbed a handful of Soren’s hair. “Do you think that I do not have the power to destroy you? Have you forgotten who I am?” “ I am well aware, Lord Lucifer,” Soren replied. “But I will not accept a human to be your mate.” “ Did I ever ask for your acceptance or your blessing?” Lucifer asked. “I am the Sovereign of Hell. Do you think I need your opinion on what I should and should not do? I will help you remember your place.” Lucifer called on his sword. “If you can survive it, that is.” "Never in my wildest nightmare did I imagine you would turn your sword against me,” Soren wriggled his head under Lucifer’s shoe in disbelief. The tone of his voice grew bitter. "I, who have abandoned everything to fight by your side. Who shielded you from thousands of piercing arrows. Who served you with unquestioning devotion for countless millennium, and for what? ” “ Before I kill you,” Lucifer added, “let me ask you this. Whose child is Kali carrying? Is it mine or his?” “ Do you truly want to know?” Soren asked mockingly. His turned into a shadow to escape from Lucifer, slipping out to reappear next to his Master. He stood proudly, flexing his black wings. His pale green eyes emit a silver glow. “Very soon, it will not matter.” Lucifer understood what he meant. He charged at Soren with his sword. Soren called on his sword and dodged Lucifer’s attack. “ I will not fight you, Lord Lucifer,” Soren said as he fended off the other demon off. He spread his enormous wings and flew out of the window, calling behind him. “Very soon it will not matter at all.”   †††††   “Where are we going in such a hurry?” Kali asked Chevalier as she boarded the plane. “Why won’t you answer my questions? What’s going on?” Chevalier sat next to her and gave her seatbelt a yank to check its latch. “We’re taking a long vacation,” he said to her, turning his attention to his own belt. “ Chevalier, why won’t you tell me what is wrong?” she worried. “Where are we going? What about school? What about your job?” “ None of that matter,” he said with a forced smile. “I’ve saved up some money. We can move to another city and live in peace.” She doubted she would ever truly be at peace again. Kali placed a hand on her belly, rubbing it gently. He must be coming for it, she thought. “You hear that, baby? We’re going on a vacation,” she said in a cheerful voice. Chevalier leaned his head on her shoulder. “ You must be very tired, Chevalier,” she said to him. “Was it worth it?” He nodded. “It’s worth everything.”   †††††   Where could she be? Lucifer asked himself. He stood on the highest building, overlooking the city at night. A summoning circle drew itself in mid-air. Adria appeared, her black wings seeming to pop out of the circle like a champagne cork out of a bottle. “ She’s not in this city,” Adria reported. “There is no scent of her or her companion. I’ve sent the others to different cities to look for them.” “ Just as I thought,” Lucifer massaged the bridge of his nose. “Soren will get to them before I will.” “ My Lord, what it is that you want?” Adria asked curiously. “The girl or the child?” Lucifer took in a deep breath of air and then exhaled, the motion painful. “I want them both.” “ Forgive me for asking, my Lord, but what if it is not your blood? The odds are working against you, not to mention that a conception of such a union is unprecedented. Will you leave her be?” Lucifer remained silent. “ It is because of your pride? Or it is because you love her so much that you couldn’t stand the thought of her betraying you? Once you find her, my Lord, what would you do to her?” “ Why are you so concerned, Adria?” Adria faintly smiled. “I just want to know if you are capable of loving someone.” “ It is unlikely that I will ever fall victim to this plague again,” Lucifer decided. “ If that is so,” Adria bowed to him politely before sinking back into the summoning circle. “…tend to this plague before it consumes whatever is still alive inside of you.” Chapter 17: Something Sinister   Two months passed quickly in their new location. Chevalier found a job almost immediately, and they had rented a two-bedroom apartment by the river. Time went by almost too quickly; they almost wished it would slow down. “ Stop kicking your mother,” Chevalier said to Kali’s belly. “Just wait until you come out of there, mister.” Kali giggled. “Chevalier, you sound more like a dad every day.” “ I need some practice,” he snuggled her belly gently. “I don’t want to be a pushover dad. I want to be the father that I always wanted to have,” he smiled. “You know, I hated that man. But now, I’m so thankful I had a father like him.” “ Why?” Kali asked, remembering what sort of man Chevalier’s father had been. He wasn’t a very likable person. “ He made me realize that I don’t want to be him,” Chevalier sighed. “I promise I’ll be a good father, Kali. If I'm good with this one, will you have a second one with me?” “ What?” She blushed and pinched his cheek. “In your dreams, you pervert!” “ But I really want another one,” he said in a whining tone. It was so unlike him. “ No means no,” “ Then I would just have to force you,” he smiled mischievously. She glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare…” “ Oh, but I would,” he gave her playful pecks on the lips. “Maybe a third one, and a fourth one, and a fifth one-” “ I’m not a breeding sow!” she protested. He held her closer to him. “Once I save up enough money, we’ll have a decent wedding. On that day, I hope you confess that you love me.” Kali remained silent in Chevalier’s arms. How could I say that to you, Chevalier? Kali thought. My conscience would never allow me tell you such a shameless lie when I’m in love with another man. His images keep haunting my dreams. His voice keeps calling out to me. He’s buried so deep in my heart that not even that potion could keep him out of my mind for long. I truly wish the person I love were you. If I knew it was you, I would never have to cry another day in my life.   †††††   “I've found you,” Soren said with a grin, staring in the window of their apartment. “And Lord Lucifer is nearby. I have to act quickly. Such a pity, for I was going to let you go. If only you hadn't turn Lord Lucifer against me. Enjoy your last day, Kali, because you won’t live to see another.”    Kali stood waiting by the mall’s escalator. She looked to her watch, three more minutes until appointment time. He had asked her to meet him at the shopping center, saying he’d be right over after work. Chevalier was so excited about the baby that would be coming in three months. He wanted to do all the last minute shopping now so they wouldn’t be in a panic later. Kali held out the list that Chevalier had made last night. There must be hundreds of items on it. Kali laughed softly. Chevalier was much more giddy about the baby coming than she could be. And he spent so much time thinking about what the baby would need! He’ll be a good father, Kali told herself. She smiled at the thought. “ Excuse me, miss,” a woman tapped on her shoulder. She was very old, and tiny. “Could you help me up this escalator?” Kali smiled brightly. “Of course,” She softly gripped the lady’s hand and helped her onto the escalator. The old woman’s movements were slow and stiff. When they had almost reached the top, the old woman smiled at Kali. “ It’s good to have young people like you nowadays, dear Kali,” the old woman said. "How did you know my name?" Kali asked, startled. The wrinkled face before her suddenly morphed, becoming much more youthful. Before she could recover from her shock, Soren was standing beside her, holding her hand. Kali couldn’t believe her eyes. Soren kissed her forehead as they neared the next floor. Suddenly, he pushed her down the escalator. As she was falling, she saw the wicked smile on his face. Chevalier caught her in his arms, his black wings exposed for all the bystanders to see. Gasps of disbelief hissed around them. Most obviously thought this was just a show staged by the mall to entertain the shoppers. Chevalier flew up next to Soren, who was now firmly standing on the second floor of the mall’s promenade. Kali opened her eyes, finding herself safely in Chevalier’s arms. Chevalier glared at Soren, his golden eyes full of boiled anger. “ Very good, Chevalier,” Soren praised him with a chuckle. “You’re just in time to save the damsel in distress.” “ Leave her out of this, Soren!” Chevalier shouted at him. “ But she’s the heroine of this story,” Soren laughed. “And you want a villain like me to leave her alone?” “ What are you up to?” “ Simple,” Soren said. “I want her and the child dead.” “ Over my dead body!” Chevalier retorted. “ That can be arranged,” Soren summoned his sword. He charged at Chevalier, lightning fast. He moved so quickly that his afterimage seemed to trail behind. Chevalier dodged, putting himself between harm and Kali. He landed nearby and put her down. “ Close your eyes,” he said gently. “It will be over soon.” He turned around to face Soren. Summoning his sword, launched himself to join the opposing demon in mid-air. “ Chevalier!” Kali called after him. She was afraid he was about to die. Soren skillfully slashed, slicing Chevalier across the abdomen. Chevalier began to bleed, but the wound healed almost instantly. He blocked the next few attacks before launching an offensive attack at the other demon. “You’re not going to hurt her!” “ What, with your skills as a newly-born demon, you think you can defeat me?” Soren asked scornfully. “I was created with the first order of the angels! I am and have been a demon since time began. Only Lord Lucifer can rival me!” He cut Chevalier again, this time across the shoulder. Chevalier gritted his teeth to suppress the pain. It went away quickly enough. He managed to stab Soren but could only do so by coming perilously close to him, knowing that he would be pierced by Soren’s sword, as well. “ Chevalier!” Kali shrieked, watching in horror as the two demons simultaneously impaled one another. “ Fool! Do you think physical wounds can kill me? There are two things than can kill a demon. Do you want me to explain?” Soren’s voice dropped to a whisper. “There are two weapons that can vanquish anything in existence. The first is Michael’s sword, and the second is Lucifer’s bow. Other than that, you must stain your sword with the poison from the Black Thorns to kill a demon.” “ You-” Chevalier began to feel the effect of the poison. “ Of course, only if you know where to stab,” Soren mused. “I do not want to kill you, Chevalier. Be good, and stay out of my way. After all, you are my creation.” He pulled his sword out of Chevalier’s flesh, the poison slowly causing Chevalier’s body to become paralyzed. He felt himself crashing to the ground. The bystanders began to scream when they realized the scene before them was not a show. They started to run, scattering in all directions. Kali ran to Chevalier’s side. “ Chevalier!” she called his name in a panic. “How bad are you hurt?” Chevalier opened his eyes, trying his best to slow the poison from spreading. “Run Kali, leave now!” “ No!” she cried. “ Run! He’s only after you. Run!” Kali looked up at Soren, who was approaching much too quickly. She stared at him, frightened by his demonic aura. “ Stay away from him!” she spread her arms in front of Chevalier’s prone body, shouting with all of the courage she could muster. “ I suggest you worry about yourself first.” Soren said. He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her up until her toes couldn’t touch the ground. “ I despise you, Kali,” he said in a gentle yet eerie voice. She gasped for air. He threw her against the wall in one smooth motion. She fell to the ground, a small amount of blood spattering the floor as she coughed. Chevalier watched in horror, unable to do anything to stop what was going on. Useless body! He cursed himself. “ What a beautiful sight,” Soren said, seeing Kali gripping her abdomen. He came closer and knelt down. Grabbing her hair, he pulled her face up to meet his. He pulled out a small vial from his pocket and opened the lid with this mouth. “Drink it!” Kali shook her head, somehow knowing it was poison. “ Drink it!” he commanded. “ No!” Kali protested. “ I suppose you want to know what it is,” Soren grinned. “This potion can disintegrate your soul, Kali. Once you drink this, you and the child will evaporate. You won’t be in the living or the dead realms. Lord Lucifer will not be able to revive you.” Kali shook her head violently, holding onto her belly. “I won’t drink it!” Soren let go of her hair to force her mouth open with his hand. He poured the potion into her mouth. When he finally dropped her, she fell to her knees, spitting the potion out. She shoved her finger down her throat to dispel the potion she had swallowed.  “ It’s alright,” he said in a pleasant tone despite the furious look in his eyes. “I brought extra.” he reached into his pocket to take out another one. “ And you will drink this one.” A massive energy ball suddenly threw Soren back. Lucifer materialized beside her. “ Kali,” Lucifer said. Seeing the blood on the walkway, his fists clenched. His sword appeared in his hand as he turned to look at Soren. Kali grabbed the fabric of his pants, desperate to get his attention. Her stomach was starting to cramp. She looked down as something caught her eye. Her white skirt was becoming rapidly stained with blood. “ Save it,” she begged him. Her voice broke. The pain was too much for her. “ Save our child, Lucifer,” she managed to say. Tears stained her cheeks. “Lucifer… please don’t let it die!” Lucifer knelt down, gathering her gently in his arms. Her small body was trembling, blood beginning to flow more rapidly from her mouth. “ What can I do…?” he had never felt so helpless. Then he remembered. Using the sword to cut his wrist, he brought it to her mouth. Blood dripped onto her lips. He used his power to keep the wound open. “ Drink,” he ordered. “Kali, drink it.” She continued to hold her stomach, fearing for the life of her child. If Lucifer told her to drink it, he must have a good reason. She grabbed onto his wrist and took a deep drink of the swelling blood. Soren let out a low growl. He looked away, unable to watch. Adria appeared from a summoning circle that materialized next to them. Her eyes widened. Drinking the blood of a demon was both a blessing and a curse. Lord Lucifer must be desperate to save her. Or else, he wouldn't do something so foolish. “ It hurts so much,” Kali looked down. “Don’t let it die, Lucifer… I’m begging you…” Lucifer closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. When he opened them again, they glowed fiercely. He grabbed his sword and jumped up to attack Soren. “ Help me, Adria,” Kali said helplessly. Adria stood still, debating whether she should help. This human’s life or death had nothing to do with her. But the girl was carrying Lucifer’s child, Adria said to herself. She was sure of it. She knelt down to Kali. “ I will help,” she murmured. Adria picked Kali up in her arms and flew into the home department of the nearest store. She laid the girl on a sample bed, covering her with a blanket. The girl was in so much pain. Adria could tell she was near to fainting. “ Stay awake, Kali. If you want this child to live, endure the pain,” Adria instructed. Kali nodded obediently. If her child could live, she’d endure anything.   †††††   Lucifer was driven by rage. He created an energy field around his sword, so powerful that it visibly glowed as he stalked forward. He struck Soren with such so much power that even blocking the blow, Soren received most of the damage. Soren pressed his blade against Lucifer’s, sure now that Lucifer intended to kill him. “ You’re going to kill me for a woman ?!” Soren spat angrily. Lucifer heard Kali screaming close by, although he wasn’t sure where Adria had taken her. He was distracted for a split second before his turned his full attention back to Soren. “Do you think I will let you get away with harming the woman I love and my unborn child?” Lucifer’s tone was furious. “ Your child, my lord?” Soren asked mockingly. “It is even possible?” “ The child is mine ,” Lucifer answered confidently. Kali screamed again, her shriek rising several octaves from the pain. Soren took advantage of Lucifer’s distraction and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying against a glass display window. The glass window shattered, raining razor-sharp sparkles to the ground. Lucifer rose from the deadly shower to rise into the air to meet Soren. “ You misunderstood my loyalty,” Soren said bitterly. “If you name me as a traitor, I shall become one. Once I defeat you, I will become the new ruler of Hell!” Lucifer’s body was cut by hundred pieces of glass. His skin was healing quickly, tiny slivers of glass tinkling to the floor as his body dispelled them. “ Do you think that is possible?” Lucifer dipped as Soren slashed at him. Soren fell from the air, crashing onto the tile of the mall walkway. His body caused a large indentation in the floor. Soren got up slowly, giving his wounds a few precious seconds to heal. “ Hang on, Kali,” Adria’s voice floated to them. “Almost there!” Kali’s face was drenched in sweat. Her nails dug into the linens on the bed beneath her. “ Breathe, Kali! Breathe!” Adria instructed. She had no idea why she was so enthusiastic about a human going into labor. “Push! Push harder!” But it was Lucifer’s child; the first Prince or Princess of Hell. She supposed this was something to be joyous about. Kali fainted. Adria eyes widened then she slapped the girl. “You weakling, wake up!” she yelled. “If you don’t wake up, the child will die!” Adria slapped Kali once again. She opened her eyes again, barely breathing. “ Listen to me! Push!” Kali nodded. Her face became extremely pale. “ You drank Demon’s blood! Lord Lucifer’s blood! So why are you still so weak?” Adria demanded, frustrated. Humans are so pathetic and weak, Adria thought. “Just push!” Yes, I have to be strong. Kali told herself. She could die when the child is born, but not now! If she died now, the child would have no chance at survival. It was premature, only six months old. Infants only had a good chance of survival if they’re at least seven months! “ Lucifer,” she chanted his name, silently asking him for strength. “ Almost there!” Adria coached, “Push. Just one more push!” Kali cried out and pushed one last time.  Lucifer and Soren paused, turning to look towards the store where they had heard a baby's cry. “ So it is born,” Soren said. “That bastard is born!!!” He growled and flew in the direction of the sound. Lucifer grabbed Soren by the shoulder, preventing him from reaching Kali and the baby. Casting quickly, Lucifer called a circle to bind Soren. His sword transformed a bow and arrow of blue flame. “ Lucifer !” Soren snarled. “ Goodbye, Soren,” Lucifer said, leaping back and casting a spell on the arrow. He let the arrow fly, perfect in his aim as it penetrated Soren’s body. Soren’s soul left his body with a shriek of anguish, and then disintegrated into nothingness. His physical form turned to stone, and then rapidly crumbled into a pile of dust. Lucifer raced toward Kali and her child. He spared a second to look back at the pile of dirt that had been Soren, a moment of sympathy and despair in his eyes. After all, they had been brothers. He caught his breath when he saw Kali on the bed. She was covered in blood. He came to her side. His hands were trembling as they reached out to her. He could sense her faint breathing, and there was still life in her body. He could breathe again. Climbing onto the bed, he gathered her in his arms. He made another cut on his wrist, holding the dripping blood to her lips. He waited patiently. The color returned to her face after a few minutes. Her breathing became stabilized. “ Lord Lucifer,” Adria watched, holding the child in her arms. She forced a smile and gently handed the child, now wrapped in linen, to Lucifer. He held the baby in his free arm. “ It is a boy, Lord Lucifer,” Adria said. “The first Prince of Hell.” Lucifer was speechless. Its platinum hair was the same color as his own. The baby’s pale blue eyes were staring back at him. The child was indisputably his. “ He’s beautiful, Kali,” he whispered into her ear. “Thank you.”   †††††   Kali awoke in a hospital room. She looked down at herself, wondering if she was still alive. The sunlight peeped through the curtains to shine on her face. It felt warm against her skin. She pinched herself on her arm just to make sure. “ He really loves you, you know,” Adria said, taking a loud bite of her apple. “I take back what I said before.” Kali gasped, her hands flying to her flat belly. “ My baby! Where is it?” she demanded. “ He’s safe,” Adria assured her. “He is half-demon after all.” Kali calmed down a bit. "It's a boy?" “ He takes after his father.” Kali’s delighted expression suddenly dropped. “It was his plan all along.” Adria burst out with laughter. “You foiled his plans right from the start. You shouldn’t have been so vulnerable to Soren’s advocate. Whatever Lucifer did, he did out of blind jealousy.” “ Where is my baby now?” Kali changed the subject.  "He was in the hospital's care during the months you were asleep.” “ Months?” Kali blinked. “How could I have slept for months?” “ You did take demon's blood into your body,” Adria reminded Kali. Kali remembered Lucifer feeding her his blood. “ And?” she asked when she could not interpret Adria’s tone. “ Those who drink a Demon’s blood will gain eternal youth and be forever bound to that demon. Well, that’s not really the bad part,” Adria laughed, obviously amused. “ That’s enough,” Lucifer said to Adria as he walked through the door. “Be gone.” “ You are being rude to the woman who saved the life of your firstborn, my Lord,” Adria said. Then she laughed again and faded into the shadows. “ I want to see him,” Kali said. She was no longer concerned about herself. “I really want to see him.” Lucifer nodded. Helping her off the bed, he led her out to the hallway. They stopped in front of a large glass window that opened into the nursery. “ Which one do you think he is?” Lucifer asked, wondering if she could recognize her own child. Kali scanned the tiny beds. Her heart fluttered when she saw a small sleeping boy on the far left. “ Him,” she pointed to the boy with platinum hair. “My heart tells me that he's mine. I’m actually really glad his father’s a demon. If he wasn’t a half-demon, he wouldn’t have survived being born three months premature.” “ So now you're willing to admit that his father is a demon?" She lowered her eyes so her thick lashes would screen her tears. "You're not taking him away from me, are you?" He gently guided her to face his. "No one will be able to take him away from you, Kali. I will not allow it. He is the one thing that truly belongs to you.” Her tears trailed down his hands and trickled to the ground. She felt affection from him for the first time. She had been so afraid that he would punish her by taking her baby away, but now that he had reassured her, she felt an enormous weight lifted from her shoulders. "I should punish you for lying and pretending my child was another's," Lucifer said in a very soft voice. "Neither of us left her much of choice," Chevalier said as he approached them. Kali let out another sigh of relief to find him alive and well. "If you hadn't murdered me, this would never have happened. Before you get angry with him, Kali, he didn't do it to deceive you. He did it out of pure jealousy. I can't say I forgive him, but as a man, I understand it.” Kali looked to Lucifer for confirmation and found an uncomfortable expression on his face. When their eyes met, he diverted his gaze.  “ You left her a mess, and pregnant. Who else can this crybaby turn to?" “ Chevalier, I’m sorry,” Kali looked at him through tears. "I'm so sorry I lied to you. I’m so sorry I kept it a secret when the memories came back, we were so happy and-” “ There you go again,” he smiled. “You’re already somebody's mother and you’re still acting like this. I think I’m going to take a long vacation, Kali.” “ Where are you going?” Kali asked. Something told her he didn’t intend to come back. “Chevalier!” “ I don’t know. Anywhere, I guess,” he turned away and sighed. “I really need a long vacation.” “ When are you coming back?” Kali asked with a breaking voice. “ Not any time soon.” “ Can’t you wait?” she grabbed the back of his shirt. "I really need you here.” “ Won’t you let me go, Kali?” he said, “Now that you have another person who loves you as much as I do, won’t you let me go?” “ Are you angry that I lied to you, Chevalier? I promise I’ll never lie to you again. Please Chevalier, I've learned my lesson.” "I'm not angry with you, Kali.” She shook her head, silently protesting. Chevalier closed his eyes. "Don’t hold on to me. If you hold on to me, I won’t be able to let go of you.” He slowly pulled her fingers from his shirt. "It's about time you stand on your own two feet, Kali. If you keep depending on me, I'll...I'll..,” his voice began to tremble. He didn't want to turn around because he didn't want her to see how pathetic he looked. Kali covered her mouth with her hands. "Don’t go,” she managed to say. "Chevalier, don’t go. Please?" "Live a happy life, Kali. Live so happy that it'll make me think that I've made the right…” he took in a deep breath to keep control of his voice. "...decision. I did make the right decision.” He clenched his fists and turned to walk rapidly down the hall. After a few steps, he broke into a run. He didn't know where he was running, but he knew he was running away from her. He couldn’t breathe. All he wanted to do was run until he collapsed. Forgetting about her will be easy, he tried to comfort himself. Just live and let time carries him. Time would fade her image from his heart; the image of the little girl that had been stamped on his heart so long ago. Goodbye, Kali. Kali slide down the wall to the floor. He was really leaving her this time. He wouldn’t be coming back, no matter how much she screamed or cried. He wouldn’t be coming back. He was really leaving. "Chevalier,” she sobbed. Her fists clenched the hospital gown over her heart. "Chevalier... how could you leave me?" Her cry seemed to echo through the endless hallways of the hospital.   Chapter 18: The Letter with No Stamp     Dear Kali,   There is so much I want to say but I’m afraid that it won’t all fit into this letter. I guess first off, I want to congratulate you on the birth of your baby. He’s beautiful. I saw through the nursery window and all I wanted to do was hold him in my arms, but the nurse wouldn't allow me because I'm not the father. I was ticked off because even though the time I spent as his father was brief, during that time I really made myself believes he was my child. He will always be in my heart. I regret that I wasn't able to hold him just once. I do wish, though, that he didn’t look so much like Lucifer. I was hoping he would look like his beautiful mother. I love you, Kali. I always have. If you can’t remember when we met, it was because I was there the day you were born. That day, I was at the hospital because my mother had just died of a heart attack. I felted so desperate and alone. I thought I was the most pitiful thing in the world, because now that my mother had died, no one in the world would care for me. While I was hiding in a broom closet, I overheard a conversation between your grandmother and the nurse. I could not believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. She didn’t want you. She wanted the nurse to discard of you because she believed you were a bad omen that had killed both your parents. I thought to myself, that baby is way more pitiful than me. She’s lost her parents before she even knew them. She will never know the warmth of her mother or the love of her father. She’s even more unwanted than me. I have some memories of my mother, at least. That night I snatched you from the hospital and I wanted to run away. I didn’t want to return to the hellhole of my own house, but where would a seven-years-old-boy and an infant go? I held you in my arms and walked for miles until I was sure we were far enough from those terrible people. You cried half of the way. When I reached for your face, you would suck my thumb trying to find milk, and then you’d go on crying. I snuck onto a farm that night and fed you milk from a goat. I was exhausted and we both fell asleep in the stable. That was how we spent your first day in the world. So the next day, a seven year old boy, an infant girl, and a goat were traveling on the side of the road. I should have mentioned I stole the goat. I walked many miles that day. I rested when I got tired, fed you when you were hungry, and just kept on walking. I just wanted to get away. No matter how far I walked, my father was still able to catch up to me. I was kicking and screaming while he shoved me into his truck. He was going to leave you behind on the side of the road. Before he could start the truck, I jumped out of the window and grabbed you. Unless he wanted to try sawing my arms off, I wasn’t going to let go. He had no choice but to bring you back, too. I returned home and continued to be his slave. He would come home drunk each day. Every time he beat me, I was afraid he would turn on you. I knew I didn’t want you to stay in my hell. Two months after I took you, I saw your grandmother on the street. I followed her and found out her address. I ran home as fast as I could and took you there. I kept knocking on the door, but when she finally opened it, she saw me and a baby. She shut the door in my face. I knew she didn’t want you, but she was your grandmother! If I could get her to accept you, you would have a home again. For a seven year old kid, I was pretty damn persistent. I didn’t budge from her porch for three days and three nights, holding you in my arms. You cried constantly because you were hungry. I thought that if I left that spot, all my efforts would go to waste. That old woman’s heart would harden again. I needed her pity. At that point, I just wanted to get you through that door. I didn’t care what it took. I bit my fingers and fed you every meal. I was going to make your grandmother to take you if it killed me. I was very close to dying when she finally opened the door. I made sure she took you out of my arms before I allowed myself to pass out. I told myself that if anyone deserved to be happy, it was you. I wanted to make up for all of your losses. I wanted to substitute for the mother and father you never had. I wanted to give you all of their love so that you could grow up with a healthy heart and love everything around you. I didn’t want you to feel unwanted and alone like me. I can’t say I raised you, but I was there every step of the way. I watched you grow into a wonderful girl. But a scary thing happened as you grew older. My paternal love for you turned into a different kind of love, one that I could not control. I was frustrated with my growing attraction toward you, even though you looked at me through the eyes of a sister or a daughter. I felt guilty and sick and didn’t know how to act around you. The seven year gap between us may not be much, but it makes the difference between who can fall in love and who can’t. For two years, I kept a distance from you. I visited you less and less frequently. You were fourteen when your grandmother passed away. They were going to send you to an orphanage, but I couldn’t let that happen. I never wanted you to feel like an orphan. I was twenty-one at the time and had the means to support you, but I was so afraid of being close to you. I was afraid that you would find out my feelings and be disgusted with me. I didn’t want you to be afraid of me. And so I began to wander into the beds of different women, but my head were filled with nothing but you. I wanted to wait until you were ready to understand my feelings. I wanted to wait until you can reciprocate, but things don’t always work as planned, do they? I wanted to be with you so much it hurt. I did what I did because I was selfish. I wanted to have you. I wanted to have a family with you so badly that it blinded my conscience. I knew you had recovered your memories, but I just couldn’t let you go. I couldn’t just let him take you away from me. I wanted to shelter you from everything, as long as I live. I didn’t want anything to hurt you, be it fate or Lucifer. It took every ounce of strength in my body to leave you. I believe that was the first time I ever really said no to you. I hope you won’t hate me for it, but don’t forgive me either. I wanted to feel a little guilty for a while. I stop by your place now and then to check on you, but I don’t have the courage to face you. For all you know, I might lose control of myself and hold you in my arms. If you're in my arms, Lucifer's going to have a hell of a time keeping me away. I want you to be happy, Kali. That’s all I have ever wanted, so smile each day for me. If you’re wondering about my whereabouts, I can’t say. Today I might be in one place, the next day in another. I’ve decided to take a little time off from reality and take a journey. I was hoping I’d find myself again. I’ll come back when my heart is no longer so heavy. Then we’ll be reunited.   To the woman I love most in the world, Chevalier     Chapter 19: The Ones Left Behind   Lucifer awoke from his sleep. She lay next to him, breathing softly against his arm. He gently brushed her silky hair from her coral cheeks. He bent to give her a kiss on the forehead. Then he rose from his bed and cast a protection circle around her before he left the bedroom. Walking into the neighboring room that had been converted to a nursery, he went to his child’s bed. His son was already awake. “ They’re here,” Trent said to Lucifer, his five year old eyes somber. His mop of platinum hair echoed his father’s, and his blue eyes would have put the stars to shame. Their lucid clarity reflected his father’s image. Lucifer nodded. “Keep a watch on her, Trent. I will be come back soon.” “ I will protect her,” the boy said. Lucifer cast another protection circle around his son, and then disappeared into the shadows. Trent got off his bed and moved into his mother’s room. He climbed onto the bed and sat by her side. “ Adria,” Trent called softly. “I need you here.” A summoning circle drew itself on the ground, and a beautiful female appeared within the circle. She had a pair of beautiful black wings. The feathers that fell from them disintegrated before they touched the ground. “ What it is, my prince?” she asked. “ Keep watch with me,” he said to her. “I will not let them get to her.” She politely bowed to him. “If that is what you wish.” Lucifer appeared in the cemetery, where he sensed the source of the calling. There were many demons present. They were the beautiful creatures, sitting on the gravestones of the deceased under the bright full moon. Each was a dark angel, banished from heaven long ago. They bowed to Lucifer as he materialized. “ Why have you summoned me?” Lucifer demanded. The demons looked to one another for a representative, but none volunteered. “ Lord Lucifer, why did you leave us?” A female blurted out when she saw his expression was turning impatient. “ Please return to our home.” Another demon begged him. “You are our master. We exist only to serve you.” “ Your throne awaits you, my lord. Leave this repulsive world and return to ours. Leave that woman.” “ Leave her, Lord Lucifer, and return to your throne.” “ Do not forsake us, my Lord!” “ My place is here now,” Lucifer replied to all of their pleadings. “ We cannot accept that woman as your bride!” A demoness cried. “Not if it means you must leave your throne to be with her!”  “ You have no say in this. The decision is solely mine,” Lucifer said, his position clear. “Kali is my bride and the mother of my son. I chose to stay here beside her. I ask that you respect my choice. Attempting to persuade me is futile.” “ My Lord Lucifer!” “ I have said enough,” Lucifer said. “Do not summon me again over such nonsense.” As soon as he finished his sentence, he disappeared, leaving his demons to their grievances. “ Where do we go from here?” one demon asked another. “He refused to leave her.” “ If she is the problem, we will have to get rid of her,” another demon replied. “ Do you not remember Soren? Will you follow his example and be killed by Lord Lucifer as well?” “ Worry not. Soren was foolish for challenging Lord Lucifer. I have a plan that will surely return him to us.”   Lucifer returned to his bedroom, where he found his son by his wife’s side. The boy was happy to see him. “ Thank you, Trent,” Lucifer said to his son. “You may leave, Adria.” The demoness vanished obediently. “ Did they leave?” Lucifer nodded. He climbed quietly onto the bed. “She’s a deep sleeper, isn’t she?” he gathered her in his arms. “ Can I stay here tonight?” the boy asked. Lucifer nodded and gave his wife a gentle kiss. She stirred. Lucifer and his son slipped under the cover sheet next to her and embraced each other. “ Good night, Trent,” he said. “And sleep well, Kali.”   †††††   Trent opened his eyes to his mother's voice. Kali greeted him with a smile and rumpled his platinum hair. “Wake up for school, Trent.” The boy sat up right. "Must I, Mother?” he asked. “ Why?” Kali asked curiously. “You don't like to go to school?" “ All of the kids act weird around me,” he replied. “And they say that you both are too young to be my real parents,” he said in a soft tone. “I hear them whispering to each other.” “ Is that why you don’t want to go?” Kali asked. He nodded. “They’re lying, and I don’t like it.” "Just ignore them, Trent. I will always be your mother and Lucifer will always be your father. Their opinions don’t change anything. Come on. Brush your teeth and change. I’ve made breakfast for you.” He was about to remind her again that food wasn’t a necessity, but he decided to leave her be. He remembered how sad she had looked the last time he pointed it out to her. He couldn’t understand why she liked to do such unnecessary things for him, but if eating and sleeping like a normal child made her happy, he would play along. He nodded obediently and walked down the hall to the bathroom. “ You should get up too, Lucifer,” Kali said. "Don't keep pretending to be asleep when you clearly don’t need any.” He opened his eyes then grabbed her by the arm to pull her down to him on the bed, her back to his chest. She protested uselessly. Lucifer used magic to seal the door shut, then raised his head to kiss her. Turning her over, he kissed her all over her face before settling on her lips. He massaged her tongue with his own, demanding her complete attention. His scent was both exotic and intoxicating. He broke the kiss and looked up at her blushing face. He bent his head down to kiss her neck, his hands caressing her body. “ Lucifer, Trent is still here,” she said softly. “ I’m starting to think you love him too much,” he said. “ Lucifer…” “ When I think about it, I miss seeing you cry,” he smiled deviously. “I want you to cry out my name, Kali.” His hand slipped under the hem of her shirt, travelling up her body. There was a knock on the door. “ Mother?" Kali pushed Lucifer away, embarrassment bringing a blush to her cheeks. She rushed to open the door and let him in. Lucifer sighed. He rested his head on his elbow and watched her pick up the boy, swooping him in circles as they both laughed. In a year or two, she wouldn’t be able to lift him like that anymore. A smile appeared on Lucifer’s face.   †††††   He had been everywhere he had ever wanted to go. No matter how captivating the scenery was, home was the only place on his mind. He let out a breath, quietly thrilled to be back where he belonged. It was these buildings, these people, and this atmosphere that had made this place so special. This was where he had buried his memories of her. Chevalier walked hand-in-hand with a little girl with golden curls through the city streets. She wore a white knee-length dress decorated with ruffles and laces.  “ How have you been, Kali?” he said under his breath. “ Chevalier,” the four year-old girl looked up and tugged on his hand. Her large hazel eyes looked up at him in wonder. “Who’s Kali?” “ Kali is…” he sighed. “You’ll know when you meet her.” She nodded.   Chapter 20: The Two Demon Lords   The dark angels were gathered at the cemetery again. They were whispering to one another while anticipating the arrival of the two demon lords. They were the strongest and most respected among all demons. If anyone could persuade Lucifer to return to his throne in Hell, it would be them. A summoning circle drew itself in mid-air. A tall and beautiful man appeared from the circle. He had long black hair that blended in with the wind of the night, and a pair of amber eyes comparable to the hellish fire of doomsday. His face was perfectly balanced. His nose was straight, his chin was defined, and his lips were grim but nevertheless beautiful. “ Lord Acelin,” he was greeted with a respectful bow.   Following him was a slightly shorter man with golden blond hair. He has a pair of stunning grey eyes that seemed to contain a miniature storm. His features were much softer than Acelin’s, almost childlike in essence. “ Lord Arvin,” he was also greeted with a degree of reverence. "There had better be a good reason why you have awakened us!" Arvin warned. His attitude completely contradicted his innocent face. "It is a matter of great urgency," one of the demons said. "Be quick about it!" Arvin demanded. He was clearly upset with being awakened ahead of his time. It was not the first time he had been disturbed from his sleep. "Patience, Arvin," Acelin said to him. "Listen to what they have to say. There is plenty of time for sleep.” Arvin nodded in agreement. "Lord Lucifer had left his throne," A female demon informed them. "He has forsaken us for a mortal woman.” "Lies!” Arvin hissed. "Lord Lucifer has always looked down on those insects!" "But it is true, Lord Arvin!" another demon cried. "He fell in love with a mortal woman and deserted us.” "They do not dare to lie to us," Acelin said to Arvin. "There may be some truth to what they are saying.” "Are you telling me to believe that Lord Lucifer fell in love with a human ?! Do you know how repulsive that is?" "That is why we need your help, my lords," a voice from the back of the demonic throng called. "He refused to return to Hell because the woman had taken his blood. She is now a cursed soul that can enter neither heaven nor hell. He has chosen her over us.” "So that is how it is,” Acelin chuckled. “Lucifer offered his blood to her. I wonder what has driven him to do such a thing. Why don’t we pay our brother a visit?” “ My lords, you must convince Lord Lucifer,” another demon pleaded. “We are broken without him.” “ You want us to get rid of the woman, correct?" Arvin asked. They all nodded. "There is no greater sin than taking a demon’s blood. Her soul cannot be forgiven by Heaven or Hell. Even the realm of the dead would reject her. Once she dies, her soul splits into millions of pieces and is scattered throughout the mortal world,” Acelin explained. "She had taken a demon’s blood. Her life span is as long as the demon from which she drank. We cannot harm Lord Lucifer.” "Of course not,” Acelin dismissed the option entirely. "Have you forgotten already Arvin? The humans can only remain immortal if they are bound to the demon.” "I almost forgot,” Arvin admitted. "If we separate Lord Lucifer from her long enough, she will surely die.” "That part is simple. We will use the poison from Blackthorns to put Lord Lucifer in a forced sleep,” Acelin suggested. “It will only put him out briefly, but long enough for our plan to work.” "That...might not be possible,” one of the demons said. "Lord Lucifer had been pricked by the Blackthorns before. His body must have already developed immunity toward it.” Arvin sighed. "This is much more complicated than I thought.” "Wait,” Acelin said. "What is the one place that could tie Lord Lucifer down long enough for our plan to work?" "There is no such place,” Arvin answered, then it came to him, "unless we manipulate the angels to imprison him in Heaven.” "Exactly,” Acelin confirmed. “However, we must see the situation for ourselves before considering that option. I doubt Lord Lucifer would be too happy with us afterward. He’ll get over it eventually, but he does hold a long grudge.”   †††††   Kali opened her eyes and found Lucifer staring at her. He gave her a gentle kiss on the lips and then nibbled on her left ear. She flinched. "It tickles so much, stop it!" She yelled out as she drowned in her own laughter. He used his tongue to lick her ear. "Lucifer, please! It tickles so much! "I'm going to take a shower, want to join me?” he asked as he left the bed. She brightly blushed. "Are you still shy?” he chuckled. She nodded. He came to the bed and lifted her up in his arms with miraculous ease. "I'm not asking you this time. Take a shower with me.” Lucifer glanced out of the window for a quick second. It was not safe to leave Kali alone, he concluded. The two demon lords watched Lucifer and Kali from a tree branch. Arvin was stunned. He clenched his hands into fists as anger swirled in his brilliant grey eyes. “ So it’s true. Even if we can't see her clearly…” he said in a grave voice. “He’s in love with a human !!!” “ Arvin, calm down,” Acelin grabbed his shoulder. “Do not be rash. He knows we are here. He will come to find us sooner or later. Be patient.” “ Nine thousand years of sleep and I wake up to find myself in a tank,” Arvin growled. “Six hundred years later I wake up to this? These humans are so troublesome.” “ I don’t see why we have to do this,” Acelin sighed. “He will eventually get tired of her. Give him a decade or two, a hundred years even. Just go back to sleep, Arvin.” “ I cannot stand it!” Arvin folded his arms on front of him. “We were created in the first orders of angel at about the same time. We’re like brothers! We followed him from heaven to the depths of Hell! I will not let him turn his back on us even for a second!” “ What are you going to do? He does as he wishes and that’s how it ought to be. I don’t think we should interfere with his affairs. You may be his brother, but tell him that when he’s angry.” “ Soren is dead.” “ Impossible!” Acelin denied it. The news came as a shock to him. “No one has that power.” “ Except for our master,” Arvin corrected him.  “ Are telling me that Lord Lucifer killed Soren? That cannot be! Lucifer would never turn his sword against his own brother.” Realization was slowly dawning. “ That woman!” Arvin said through clenched teeth. “That despicable woman! She’s brainwashing him! She’s splitting us, Acelin!” “ Soren must have done something unforgivable,” Acelin tried to make sense of it all. “Lucifer would never…he…” Arvin shook Acelin abruptly by the shoulders. “Why won’t you admit that it’s that woman’s fault?” “ If that is the case, then what makes you think Lord Lucifer will not do the same thing to us?” Acelin asked. “Leave them alone, Arvin. He will find his way back to us in good time.” “ I don’t care if he kills me,” Arvin said bitterly. “I will not allow anyone to split our bond, especially a mortal woman!” “ She bore him a son.” Arvin’s eyes widened. “ What !?” “ She bore him a son, Arvin. I heard it from the other demons. They were trying to hide it from us. If you kill the woman, the Prince will definitely come after you. We can harm neither Lord Lucifer nor his blood. Could you stand it, Arvin? If you kill the woman, could you stand the look in the prince’s eyes? Can you looked into the eyes of Lucifer’s son and tell him you killed his mother?” Arvin hesitated. “ Think very carefully, Arvin.” “ I must see him,” Arvin said. “I must see Lucifer’s son.”     Chapter 21: Ephemeral Bliss   They couldn’t tear their eyes from him. The spectators were awed. The young, the old, the men, and the women, they all stared at him. They were made speechless by such a beautiful man. He had platinum hair that was as brilliant as silver and a pair of cold blue eyes that could bend the heavens to his will. He was walking hand in hand with a pretty young girl and a child on his shoulders. The child had the same color hair and enchanting blue eyes. “ What beautiful siblings,” an old woman said as they walked passed her. “ We are not siblings,” Trent corrected her. “They are my parents.” “ Oh my!” the old woman couldn’t believe it. The man didn’t look much older than twenty. The girl next to him was sixteen at most. “What young parents.” “ Trent,” Lucifer said to him. “You are not obligated to tell them anything.” “ But we are not siblings!” Trent argued. “ It is fine for now,” Lucifer continued, “but when you grow up, no one would believe you. They will not be able to understand that we cannot age. They will be frightened of us.” “ Why will they be frightened of us?” Trent asked innocently. “We are not the ones terrorizing them.” “ It is in their nature to be afraid of the unknown. They need to test the water many times before they are sure. Their own instincts keep them safe.” Lucifer explained. “ Then why don’t we explain to them, Father?” Trent asked curiosity. “Would they still be afraid of us then?” “ Their life span is a meager century or less, Trent. Compared to ours… that is nothing more than a blink of an eye. Why would you want to explain yourself, and if you choose to do so, how many times must you explain yourself? Aside from our unending life span, everything about us is threatening to them. Even if they know what we are, they cannot live with the knowledge of something so powerful and dangerous living so close to them. They will set out to destroy us, but little do they know that they will only be destroying themselves. Even a small portion of our strength can take their lives effortlessly. That is why I asked you not to get too close to the other children.” Kali tugged on Lucifer’s hand. “Lucifer…” she shook her head. “Trent is too young for your lessons.” "You have highly underestimated your son's capacity for learning.” “ I will make them understand,” the boy said. “ We’re here,” Kali smiled when they reached preschool. The teachers were standing on front of the entrance, welcoming the students. Lucifer picked up the boy from his shoulders and placed him firmly on his feet. “ Be a good boy, Trent,” Kali bent forward and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He nodded obediently. The female teacher approached them, clearly cautious. She offered a handshake, which Lucifer ignored. Kali quickly grabbed the teacher’s hand with a smile and gave her a solid shake. She shot a warning look at Lucifer, whose face remained expressionless. “ I know this is something reserved for parents-teachers night, but as Trent’s teacher, I feel concern. The sooner we address this, the better.” “ What’s the matter, Miss Lela?” Kali asked as she pulled Trent closer and wrapped him within the ring of her arms. “ Well,” the woman tried to find words that would best describe the situation, but came up blank. “Your son certainly does not act like a five-years-old. He behaves himself too well, I’m afraid.” “ What do you mean?” Kali asked, puzzled by the teacher’s description. “Isn’t that a good thing?” “ Your son is a loner, Kali,” she said straightforwardly. “He avoids playtime with the other children and prefers to be by himself. For a child, he rarely smiles. Even though your husband is a doctor, I must ask, are there any conflicts at home we should know about?” The question was full of suspicion. “ Your concerns are unappreciated, teacher,” the boy replied before his mother could. “ Trent!” she knelt down to his level. “How could you be so rude to your teacher?” “ I do not like the tone you used or the accusations you throw at my mother,” his eyes hadn’t left the teacher. “If you’ve found faults in me, I wish that you would have addressed me directly.” “ Do you see what I mean?” Miss Lela pointed out as she rested her hands on her hips. “Is that the diction of a five-years-old?” Lucifer placed a hand on the boy’s head and he lowered his lids over his keen eyes. His attention was distracted by a familiar laughter some twenty feet away. His mother had also heard it. She slowly stood up and gasped at the sight of him. He stood in front of her with brilliant golden eyes that couldn’t belong to anyone else. He gave her a soft smile when he saw he had her full attention. “ Kali,” he called out her name. Kali brought her hands to her mouth in astonishment. She couldn’t believe he was standing in front of her. The same face, the same eyes, the same smile. It was him! She didn’t spare a moment before jumping into his open arms. Tears spilled onto her cheeks. She held him tightly as if he was going to evaporate. “Chevalier! It is really you, Chevalier?” Chevalier wrapped his arms around her small body. “It’s me.” “ Where have you been, Chevalier?” she cried. “You have no idea how much I missed you.” “ Who is he?” Trent asked his father when he saw Kali run into the arms of a strange man. Lucifer did not reply. Slowly, Kali lets go of Chevalier. She wiped her tears away quickly and then waved to Trent. “Come here, Trent, there is someone I want you to meet.” Trent came to his mother’s side. Chevalier knelt down, looking Trent in the eyes. “You have grown a lot.” Trent moved forward and wrapped his arms around Chevalier’s neck. There was so much familiarity and warmth in that man's voice. He had heard it once before, somewhere in his memories. Chevalier hugged Trent and then kissed his forehead. “You remember me, don’t you?” "I know you,” Trent said. "I have heard your voice many times before.” The little girl with Chevalier was staring at them. “ Who is she, Chevalier?” Kali asked curiously. “ It’s a long story,” Chevalier said. “To make the story short, I adopted her after her parents abandoned her,” he chuckled. “I’ve been trying to get her to call me ‘father’ but she kept on calling me by my name.” “ She’s so pretty,” Kali praised. “What is your name?” “ Cerabi,” the girl answered. “ She prefers to be called Bi,” Chevalier said to Kali. “ Bi…I like that,” Kali said. “Bi, this is Trent.” Bi’s large hazel eyes stared into Trent’s blue ones. With a spark of curiosity, the little girl smiled.   †††††   They sat at a nearby café. Even though he could sense Lucifer's hostility, Chevalier calmly stirred his coffee. “ Chevalier, you should put some sugar in your coffee,” she offered him a cup filled with sugar cubes. “ I take it black now,” he said. Kali made a ‘bleh’ expression with her face as if she was the one who tasted the bitter coffee. “ What’s this I heard about you being a doctor?" Chevalier took a sip from his cup. "How is that profession to your liking? Are you best friends with Death now?" "It keeps the days interesting.” "It’s surprising,” Chevalier added a comment. ‘ Why did you come back?’ Lucifer said to Chevalier through telepathy. ‘ Jealous?’ Chevalier asked. He chuckled. ‘ She seems very happy. I’m glad. ’ ‘ Answer my question.’ ‘ I sense a strong concentration of demons in this city. I am worried about her. They are after her, aren’t they?’ ‘ I dismissed them once before. However, this time they may have awakened some old friends.’ ‘ That is why I came back. I can’t stay away knowing she’s in danger. I sense a strong protection circle around her. You are worried too. Thank you for taking care of her.’ ‘ It has nothing to do with you.’  ‘ Am I not allowed to see her?’ Chevalier asked almost too innocently. ‘ It’s annoying enough that she loves the boy so much.’ Lucifer looked to Kali, who was drinking her soymilk through a straw. ‘ You’re an amazingly complicated demon, Lucifer.’ Chevalier raised his left brow in puzzlement. “ It’s rude to exclude us from your conversation,” Trent said to the men. He sat next to the little girl, who was poking his face much to his annoyance. “ Chevalier,” Kali looked up. “Since you’re back, won’t you stay at our house?” ‘ Decline,’ Lucifer warned Chevalier. “ I would love to!” Chevalier exclaimed excitingly.   †††††   When nightfall came, Kali returned to their bedroom after she tucked Trent in. Lucifer was lying on the bed with a stiff expression on his face. “ What’s wrong, Lucifer?” Kali asked. “You haven’t said a word since this morning.” She brings a man home and then she asks me what’s wrong, Lucifer thought. He got off of the bed and came to her side. Kali blinked. He cornered her against the wall. His pale blue eyes were staring into hers. “You’re so cruel, Kali, for making me feel like this all the time.” “ Like what?” Kali asked in a soft voice. “ Like I can’t relax, like I can’t keep my eyes off you for just one second, like…” he kissed her. He broke the kiss before she ran out of breath and then lowered his head to kiss her neck. His breath was warm against her skin. His hands explored her familiar body. Her flesh became numb wherever he touched. “Tell me, Kali, how can I get rid of this feeling of wanting so much from you?” “ Lucifer…” There was a knocking on the door. Not again. Lucifer sighed. Kali fixed her shirt and opened the door. Chevalier stood smiling. “Do you have a towel I could use to take a shower?” Kali nodded. She went to the closet and took out a white towel. She handed it to Chevalier. ‘ What the hell do you want?’ Lucifer asked, extremely agitated. ‘ Just want to ruin your fun.’ ‘ Do you want me to kill you a second time?’ ‘ Kali would be very sad if you do.’ ‘ She won’t be your shield forever.’ “ Good night, Kali,” Chevalier gave her a kiss on the cheek. “ Good night,” Kali responded. She closed the door when Chevalier turned away. Lucifer retreated to his bed and rested his head on his elbow. He seemed upset.  “ Lucifer?”   “ What’s wrong, Chevalier?” Bi asked once he returned to their room to sit by her side. Chevalier looked extremely sad. Then he suddenly started to laugh. "Why are you crying?" Bi asked. "Can't you see that I'm laughing?" Chevalier asked. He laughed even harder. Bi wiped the tears from his eyes and showed it to him "See? You're crying.”     Chapter 22: All for Brotherhood   Acelin placed a hand on Arvin’s shoulder and pointed at the five-year-old with the platinum hair playing alone in the sandbox. His pale blue eyes resembled Lucifer’s. The two demon lords approached the boy, who already knew they were there.  “ He’s definitely Lucifer’s son,” Arvin said. “I feel a strong bond with him already.” Acelin nodded in agreement. “It’s in our blood, Arvin.” “ I want to speak to him.” “ He has a strong protection spell on him. You should be careful.” Arvin walked toward the boy and knelt down to his level. The boy only glanced at him then ignored him completely. “ What is your name?” Arvin asked the boy. “ If I tell you, would you leave me alone?” The boy asked as he carefully removed the plastic bucket from the wet sand. His sand castle was perfectly molded.  “ We’re not here to hurt you,” Acelin assured him. “ I know,” the boy replied. “You came for my mother. That is the only reason you’re here.” “ We also came to see you. You are starting to sound like your father already,” Arvin said in a soft tone. Arvin had a sudden urge to pat the boy’s head. He slowly reached out his hand. “ Arvin, stop!” Acelin warned. “The protection spell...” Arvin patted the boy gently. The protection spell was starting to damage his body. He managed to smile at the boy. “ Are you hurt?” Arvin shook his head. “No,” he bent over and kissed the boy’s forehead. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, little prince.” When he lets go of the boy, Arvin didn't have the strength to stand up. If he were a low ranking demon, he would have been long dead. Acelin used his magic to help support him. “ You are ruthless,” Acelin accused. “ Can you blame me?” Arvin softly laughed.   †††††     There were cherry blossoms trees along the road. So it is spring, Acelin told himself as he walked down the paved pathway. There were so many fallen petals that it was difficult to see the road ahead. The soft fragrance danced around him. He reached out his hand to catch the fallen petals. How long had it been since he left this place? He wondered. A young girl accidentally bumped into him and dropped the grocery bag she held in her hand. She kept apologizing as she stooped down to pick up her things. Acelin bent down to help her gather the scattered fruit. “ Thank you so much,” the girl said sincerely. When she had collected all the items, she lifted her head and stood up. Acelin stared at her. His heart skipped a beat and his chest suddenly felt painful. He brought his hand to his chest, squeezing it tightly. What is this pain? What is this uncomfortable feeling? She smiled and then turned away. What a gentle smile, Acelin thought. He caught her other hand, making her look back. “ What is your name?” he asked. “ Kali. My name is Kali,” she answered. He slowly let go of her hand and allowed her to leave.   †††††   “Acelin, you’re awfully distracted,” Arvin pointed out. “What is on your mind?” Her smile. She had a very pretty smile. Acelin shook his head. “Nothing” “ I have decided, Acelin. I will get rid of that woman.” Arvin stated. “ Arvin, what is so wrong about loving a human?” Acelin asked. “ Everything!” Arvin snapped. “We are arc- I mean demons! Are you telling me to bow my head down to a lowly human?” “ He never asked us to bow down to her,” Acelin said. Her smile kept haunting him. “ Isn’t it obvious enough?” Arvin noticed something strange about Acelin. “Why are you defending Lucifer’s woman?” “ I am not defending her. I had never met her and neither have you. Why are you so quick to judge her just because she’s a human?” “ It’s not just that, and you know it!” Arvin braced his hands on the desk and leaned forward. “If she were just some mere toy I would have let him have his fun, but he fed her his blood! Isn’t that a clear declaration that she is more important than us?” “ Lucifer must have had his reasons for doing what he did,” Acelin sighed. “The other demons must be hiding something from us. If feeding her his blood is the problem, I don’t see why you should keep on degrading his bride.” “ Did you fall in love with a human girl, Acelin?” Arvin asked, suspicious with Acelin’s strange defense. Acelin didn’t reply. Arvin shook his head. “Those sirens! First Lord Lucifer, and now you! Human females are truly shameless.” Lucifer stepped out from the shadows. Arvin and Acelin were obliged to kneel to him. “ Lord Lucifer,” the two demon lords bowed their heads civilly. “ You two weren’t supposed to be awakened for at least another several hundred years,” Lucifer said. “ There is no time for slumber,” Arvin said. “We received disturbing news.” “ About my bride?” Lucifer asked. “ She is a human girl.” “ I am well aware of that,” Lucifer eyed him. “What point do you wish to make by stating the obvious?” “ She is a human,” Arvin said. “You fed her your blood. What more can I say?” “ Whatever plan you two are plotting, I suggest you abandon it. If you wish to harm a hair on her head, I would not hesitate to make you my enemies.” Arvin looked disappointed. “So it is true. You killed Soren for that woman.” “ I did,” Lucifer admitted. “And I will do it again if the situation calls for it.” “ How could you, Lucifer?” Arvin asked in a soft voice. “We are brothers. We share a bond stronger than anything in existence. I will not let a woman split us up. I will not!” “ She has done nothing wrong,” Lucifer said. He lowered his eyes. “Soren did not understand me. Soren tried to take away the woman I love. Would you two follow his example and turn against me?” “ Never!” Arvin shouted. “We would never turn against you! That woman is making you turn your back on us.” “ Have I, Arvin?” Lucifer asked. He stepped forward and embraced Arvin. “Have I, brother? She is my purpose. Why do you want to take her from me?” “ I…” “ Don’t do it, Arvin,” Lucifer pleaded. “I already lost Soren. I do not want to lose the two of you, too.” He released Arvin and turned to face Acelin. “You were always the wise one,” he said softly. “I don’t think it is necessary for me to tell you what you should and should not do.” “ I have one question to ask,” Acelin said. “ What is it?” “ Why did you love her?” Lucifer recalled the moment when he realized he fell in love. He smiled. “She was the first person who cried for me.”           Chapter 23: Early Blossoms This Year   Acelin kept watch on her for a distance. She was sitting on a swing, moving back and forth. There was a young man sitting next to her on another swing. He had black hair and a pair of golden eyes. Acelin picked up a faint smell of demon on him. There was no doubt that he was one. There was also a strong protection spell around her, probably one made by that demon. She was smiling, like before. What a pretty smile. It was so pure and captivating. His heart was starting to ache again. It was the same feeling as last time. “ Remember we used to come here when we were little?” Kali asked. Chevalier nodded. “Yes, such distant memories.”  “ It’s not so distant,” Kali said. “ Maybe not…” Kali remained quiet for a little while. “Chevalier?” “ Yeah?” “ Can you promise me something?” He turned to face her. “Yeah, anything.” She looked down. “If, and I mean if, I’m not able to…” “ Kali?” Chevalier noticed Kali was acting strange. “ Chevalier, if something happened to me, would you please take care of Trent?” Kali asked softly. Chevalier blinked, confused. “Kali, did something happen? You sound like you’re making a living will.” She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’ve just been having bad dreams lately. I couldn’t tell Lucifer because he might say that I’m overreacting. I love him, I really do. It’s just that he’s not the type of person I can talk to.” “ If you love him, you should be able to talk to him.” Chevalier said. It took a lot out of him. “ I should, shouldn’t I?” Kali said sadly. “Chevalier, in my dreams, I kept seeing Trent crying. He’s calling out for me. I wanted to hug him so bad but I couldn’t. It was like I was next to him but I couldn’t touch him. So he kept crying. It hurt me to see him cry. I’ve been having that same dream over a couple of days and I think it’s trying to tell me something.” “ Don’t be ridiculous, Kali,” Chevalier lifted her face with his hand. “You’ll live a long and happy life with Lucifer and Trent.” “ I mean, just in case something did happen, please take care of Trent like you did with Bi,” her eyes were tearing up. “You practically raised me and I turned out okay.” she forced a smile. “ What a crybaby,” Chevalier said softly. He wiped the tears that spilled onto her cheeks with his thumbs. “What if Trent sees you like this? You’ll set a bad example for him.” She nodded. Why is she crying? Acelin wondered. Is something making her sad? She was just smiling. Did that man made her sad? The ache in his chest suddenly became painful. What is this feeling? Why did he feel like he couldn’t breathe?   †††††   Arvin emerged from the shadow into Acelin’s chamber. Acelin lay on the bed, staring out the window. The pain in his chest was tormenting him. The image of her crying kept replaying in his mind. What is this feeling? How can he get rid of it? It’s so painful… “ I think it’s about time we go back to sleep,” Arvin said. “We have no further work here.” Acelin shook his head. “No. You should sleep. I think I might stay awake for a little longer.” “ It is because of that human girl?” “ I want her,” Acelin said. “ I don’t understand what Lord Lucifer and you see in them,” Arvin sighed. “ I don’t understand it either,” Acelin covered his eyes with this forearms. “I just want her.” “ Suit yourself, Acelin. I think I might go to see the Prince one last time before I sleep.”   †††††   Kali turned her head to look around to see if there was anyone behind her. She then returned her attention to the old monk standing in front of the temple’s gate. He was waving his hand in the air and she realized he was motioning to her. She approached him to see what he had to say. “ I sense a great evil following you,” the monk said. He grabbed her by the hand and was pushed back by the burst of energy. “ Are you alright?” Kali asked with great concern. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” “ Come into the temple,” the monk said after he regained his balance. “I will help you get rid of this evil.” “ I will be fine,” she assured him. “I will not bother you. I need to be home now.” He grabbed her by the shoulder again, and this time he was pushed back even further. “Young girl, you have no idea how strong this energy on your body is,” the monk managed to say. Pain warped his face. “Please, I insist that you come inside. We have many elders who can help you!” “ Please, I really need to get home,” she refused his help. When he almost grabbed her again, she jerked back. “I cannot let you leave with this evil on you!” The monk was being too persistent. He will be dead if I keep refusing him, Kali thought. Next time, she would choose another path to avoid this temple. “ We will not detain you for long,” the monk promised her as he showed her the way up into the temple.   Acelin waited for Kali at the park, knowing she walked by daily. He stood perfectly still for several hours before he saw her. She wore a light pink sundress. Her hair flew in the soft breeze. The blossoms danced around her. Acelin grinned. She would make a beautiful bride.   †††††   Adria appeared in Lucifer’s office. He lifted up his head from his work and stared at her. She was out of breath. “ Lord Lucifer!” she said. “Arvin and Acelin-” “ What about them?” Lucifer asked. His blue eyes glowed as he talked. “ I don’t know what they’re planning, but Arvin is with Trent right now. And Acelin has been stalking Kali,” Adria tried to slow her breathing. Adria didn’t have to say more. Lucifer disappeared in a blink of an eye. He had to find Kali and his son before it was too late!   †††††   Kali was walking mindlessly along the sidewalk. She looked up when she heard her name called. It was the man she saw yesterday. He had such a handsome face that it was hard to forget. “ Oh, hi,” she said. “I didn’t expect to see you again.” “ I couldn’t forget about your smile,” he said. “ My smile?” Kali blushed. It was the first time she had met a man who was so direct. “ You have been on my mind ever since.” Kali blinked. Maybe too direct. But his voice was so reserved that it sounded like he was confessing something to his lover. He took her hand in his. Kali stepped back, confused. He didn’t look at all dangerous, but his actions and his words were so…not normal. Kali pulled her hand back. “ Kali, I want you for my bride.” Her face was puzzled. Acelin stared into her eyes. He could sense her confusion. That’s right, he told himself, he had forgotten that humans were not as straightforward when it came to romantic proposals. He could understand her reaction. “ I apologize,” Acelin said. “I have frightened you. My name is Acelin.” “ Nice to meet you, Acelin,” Kali said slowly. She was still skeptical about the man standing in front of her. There was something strange about him that she couldn’t put her finger on. “ As do I, Kali,” he took her hand, this time much more gently. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. Then he pulled her close to him in one smooth motion and kissed her lips. Kali’s eyes widened when she realized what was going on. Lucifer appeared from a summoning circle. Anger flickered in his cold blue eyes. Lucifer strode toward them and pulled Kali away. He held her close to him, pressing her head against his chest to hide her face from Acelin. Kissing her was his sole right. No way was he going to let Acelin see her blushing face after that atrocious kiss! “ What do you think you’re doing ?” Lucifer asked in voice with the barest traces of restraint. Acelin was shocked to see Lucifer. He was even more surprised when Lucifer pulled Kali away from him. Lucifer created a massive ball of energy and directed it at Acelin, causing him to fall back. He hit the pavement ten yards away. Acelin got up and wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth. He stared at them, forbidding himself from jumping to any kind of conclusion. Who was Kali to Lucifer? “ Acelin!” Lucifer warned. Kali held on to Lucifer when she saw Acelin’s amber eyes begin to glow brightly. She finally understood. Acelin was a demon, just like Lucifer. “ Who are you, Kali?” Acelin asked patiently. “ You do not know?” Lucifer asked furiously. “It’s hard to believe, Acelin, even for you. She’s mine !” Acelin closed his fists. He already knew who she was when he saw Lucifer. He just didn’t want to believe it. He held on to his chest. He lowered his head, looking down. The aching in his chest was returning. This time, it ached tenfold. What is this? What is this feeling that he couldn’t interpret? What? He looked up once again to see Kali’s face. His heart thumped. Kali was his bride. Kali was that woman. That woman… A summoning circle drew itself around Acelin. He sank into the circle. It was time for him to retreat. Kali looked up at Lucifer. “Who is he?” Lucifer did not answer. He lets go of her and headed toward home. Kali tugged on Lucifer’s sleeve. He still did not speak. “ Lucifer…” He seemed very upset. “ I didn’t-” Lucifer bent down and kissed her hungrily. He kissed her until she felt weak in the knees and until she almost ran out of breath. When he broke the kiss, he looked down at her blushing face. Then he kissed her again.   †††††   Acelin collapsed onto the ground. Strangely, he didn’t want to get back up. He coughed up blood from his mouth, but quickly wiped it away. He turned over to face the sky, waiting for his body to recover. It wasn’t a long wait. After the physical pain subsided, the ache in his heart took over. He started to laugh. The coincident of all of this was just a cruel joke. He laughed even louder. No wonder Lucifer fell in love with her. She had such an alluring smile. “ What are you laughing at?” Arvin asked, looking down at Acelin on the floor. “ A joke…a very cruel and terrible joke,” Acelin answered. He wiped the tears from his eyes. “ Mind telling me?” “ Lucifer and I…fell in love with same woman,” Acelin squeezed his chest. “Isn’t that funny?” “ Acelin,” Arvin warned. “ What are the chances, Arvin?” Arvin knelt down and helped Acelin up. Acelin refused to move. “What are you talking about, Acelin?” “ Her name is Kali, the woman who I fell in love with. Lucifer’s bride, her name is also Kali.” Arvin stared at Acelin. “Was Lucifer the one who injured you?” “ No,” Acelin shook his head. “She injured me. The wound is not healing. It’s not healing at all,” Acelin was referring to the pain he felt in his chest. “ Foolish Acelin,” Arvin said. He had never seen Acelin like this before. Acelin was not someone who easily gave away his heart. What was so special about this woman? Arvin wondered. Whatever the case, this would not do. He knew Acelin better than he knew himself. Acelin had always been a stubborn demon. Once he had decided on something, it was impossible to change his mind. Would Acelin betray Lucifer for that woman? No…Acelin would never do such a thing. Or would he? It was entirely that woman’s fault! Arvin growled. If it wasn’t for her, Soren wouldn’t be dead. If it weren’t for her, the bond between the four of them wouldn’t have been broken. Because of her, Lucifer had turned his back against his brothers. Because of her, Acelin was having a change of heart. What had become of the four of them because of a single woman?       Chapter 24: Heaven Isn’t Too Far   Kali hugged Trent the moment she saw him. She squeezed him, not wanting to let go. “Are you ok, Trent? Are you hurt anywhere?” Trent shook his head. Kali sighed in relief. “Thank you for picking him up, Chevalier.” “ I’m always close by,” Chevalier said. He then turned to Lucifer. “Why do you think Arvin went to see Trent and didn’t do anything to him? Is it because of your protection circle?” “ No. Arvin has the power to break the circle if he had put some effort into it.” “ So he doesn’t want to harm your son?” “ I do not believe so.” “ That’s strange,” Chevalier said. “What do they want then?” “ He came to visit me,” Trent informed his father. “He said he’s going to go back to sleep.” Lucifer nodded. “I hope that it is true.”   †††††   Kali hid beneath the blanket, blushing terribly. Lucifer was chuckling. He tried to lift up the coversheet, but Kali was pulling hard on it. He rested his head on his elbow, staring at her. “ You screamed pretty loudly.” “ Did not,” she argued. “ Oh? I could use magic to replay-” Lucifer teased. Such a thing was not one of his abilities. “ Please! No!” Kali sat up instinctually, protesting. The coversheet formed a puddle around her hips. Lucifer wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her breasts. “ Caught you!” he said. He closed his mouth over her left breast and pushed her down against the soft linen. He gently sucked on it while the other hand cupped her right one. “ Lucifer!” she yipped. “It’s daylight!” “ And?” he said, indifferent. “ I…” she blushed. “I’m not used to…” “ There isn’t an inch of you that I haven’t seen,” he said in a charismatic tone. “There isn’t an inch of you that I don’t love. Kali, why are you still shy with me?” She bit her lower lip, looking into his eyes. They were so beautiful… too beautiful. Lucifer took her little hand and placed it against his bare chest. “ Touch me,” he said. “Feel me.” His skin was so soft and the muscle underneath it was so hard. Kali slowly pulled away. He caught her hand and placed it over his heart. Kali was breathing heavily. She slowly explored his body. It was so beautiful, as if he was a marble statue that came to life. His shoulders were so broad and wide. His chest was lean and dependable. His abdomen was hard with muscle. She could even see the soft blue veins beneath his pale skin. “ Kiss me,” he demanded. Kali placed her hands on the sides of his head. She looked at his beautiful face before pulling him to her. She gave him a gentle kiss at first, and then her tongue shyly entered his mouth. His lips were warm and soft. She wrapped her tongue around his and dueled with it. Lucifer kissed her back passionately. His left hand was groping on her right breast. Her flesh felt soft and warm. She broke the kiss. “Lucifer! No!” He grinned deviously. “Too late,” he said, and then he claimed her lips with another kiss.   †††††   Arvin passed through the invisible force field and flew across Heaven’s boundary. The clouds were beneath his beautiful black wings. I have forgotten what this place looked like, Arvin said to himself. He dived down into the clouds and halted when he saw the vision of the tall mountain in the distance. After he had confirmed it as the right place, he flew past the clouds toward the mountain top. Arvin landed in a field of violet flowers. He scanned his surroundings as forgotten memories flooded back. “ What are you doing here, Arvin?” Archangel Michael asked. He appeared in front of Soren, following his voice. “This is Heaven’s ground.” “ I know,” Arvin said. “It’s good to see you again, old friend.” “ I can’t say the same. Why did you cross Heaven’s territory? It can’t be because you miss me.” “ And if I say that is the case?” “ Unlikely, Arvin,” Archangel Michael said expressionlessly. “Your devotion is solely reserved for Lucifer. How is our brother?” “ He’s better than ever,” Arvin grinned. “He is so well that he is thinking about overthrowing Heaven once again. I’m with him all the way, of course. I haven’t had the exercise in a long time.” “ Lucifer is planning to overthrow Heaven again?” The angels whispered to one another. “ Lucifer would never. Not again,” Archangel Michael replied. “ He has sent me here to inform you of his invitation. Very shortly, there will be a war between Heaven and Hell. I am looking forward to fighting you, old friend,” Arvin laughed. He turned around to fly off in the opposite direction. “ Arvin, wait!” “ I have delivered my message,” Arvin said as he flew away. “Farewell.” The angels watched as the demon left their domain. “What now?” an angel asked Michael. “We cannot allow a war to happen again. It would upset the balance.” “ Of course not,” Archangel Michael said, “We must prevent this war from happening. It is hard to believe that Lucifer still hasn’t given up on the ambition of ruling the three realms.”   †††††     Arvin appeared from a summoning circle beside Acelin, who was watching Kali from his usual tree branch through a pair of bewitched eyes. Arvin followed Acelin’s gaze. That woman was holding the prince in her arms. What a cheap smile, Arvin thought. Acelin was somehow captivated by her cheap smile. Arvin sighed. "Aren’t you supposed to be asleep?" Acelin asked. "No,” Arvin shook his head. "I have one more thing to do before I sleep. You should come with me.” “ I said no.” "You will very soon, Lord Lucifer, too. When the two of you wake up thousands of years from now, you will thank me.” Acelin turned toward Arvin. "What did you do, Arvin?" "We are sacred, Acelin. The bond between us is more important than any mortal woman.” Acelin looked to Kali then looked back at Arvin. "What did you do, Arvin?" Acelin repeated. "You will thank me,” he was finishing his sentence as he disappeared.   †††††   Archangel Michael arrived on Earth with the other angels. They took on mortal appearances and walked among them on the streets. The people crushed about with their lives, completely oblivious to their presence. "Lucifer is living on Earth,” one angel said to Michael. "A low rank demon confessed to us.” "Why is Lucifer living on earth?" Archangel Michael pondered. "He has taken a mortal bride,” the angel replied. "Lucifer had taken a mortal bride?" Archangel blinked. "Are you sure? The arrogant Lucifer? He has been looking down on mortals even before he became a demon. Why would he…" Archangel Michael chuckled. "He has never failed to surprise me.” "The mortal woman also bore him a son.” “ That is surprising news,” Archangel Michael gently laughed. “I wondered what kind of woman she is. I may pay her a visit first. Lucifer…I wondered if it has been too long since I last seen him.”   †††††   Lucifer stepped out of the shower and discovered she had already fallen asleep on the bed. He came to her side and gave her a gentle kiss. "You couldn't wait a couple minutes for me?” he asked in a soft voice. "Next time I won't let you sleep that easy.” Lucifer stood up straight and left to go into his son’s room. He was also sleeping. Bi lay next to him. He patted the boy’s head. Chevalier stood at the door, looking at him. "You look very happy, Lucifer,” Chevalier said. "He is beautiful, isn't he?" Lucifer referred to his son. "Yes." "His appearance may be mine, but he clearly has Kali's heart.” "He inherited the best from you two.” "If he was born from another woman, I doubt I would have this much affection for him. He is precious to her, so I cannot help but love him too. This child is the product of our love.” "You're supposed to love your child regardless,” Chevalier said to Lucifer. "Is that true, Chevalier?" Lucifer eyed Chevalier, "You love the boy because he is Kali's, don't you?" "I also love Bi, Lucifer. Life does not always follow your logic. The love for your child should be unconditional.” "I never wanted a child,” Lucifer confessed. "Any offspring of mine will grow up to rival me.” "What kind of thinking is that?" "Have you forgotten who I am?" Lucifer asked. "I am Lucifer, the sole sovereign of Hell. Mortals want children to carry on their legacy after they die. However, I can live forever. An offspring is unnecessary. But…when I mistook Kali's child as yours, I was immensely jealous. I thought to myself, why it is that she's carrying your child? It was supposed to be mine ! That was when I realized my deep feelings for her. When Adria asked me if there was a possibility that Kali was pregnant with my child, I was stunned. It had never crossed my mind before, because our kind rarely reproduces. Procreation was never intended for us. I wanted it to be true so much that I feared I might be nurturing false hope. I would fall into despair if it weren't true. I had never felt so anxious to find out the truth. In the end, Kali's child was mine. The woman I love has my child.” He bent down to kiss the boy’s forehead. "He is our son.” "Why are you telling me this?" Chevalier asked. "How insensitive of you Lucifer, the happiness that you have now was supposed to be mine. Is it the right thing to do to rub it in my face?" "I had never had this feeling before,” Lucifer said in a sad tone. He lowered his eyes. "It might come as a surprise to you, but I do have fears. I fear losing him. I fear of losing her even more. An eternity is a very long time to be alone. It was okay before, I enjoyed being alone. However, now that I have been exposed to this sort of happiness, being alone for an eternity is a frightening thought.”     Chapter 25: Will Never Regret   Archangel Michael, along with the other angels, kept watch. Lucifer and Kali were holding Trent's hands as they walked down the streets. They pulled him up every three steps and let him back down again. The boy had a still expression on his face, but now and then revealed a little smile. They reached the Zoo's entrance and bought five tickets. Chevalier arrived with Bi very soon afterward. Trent left his parents' side and ran to Bi. He grabbed her hand in his. Kali gently smiled and looked up at Lucifer. Lucifer’s face was expressionless. He had detected an unearthly scent. He held Kali closer to him. "Is something wrong, Lucifer?" "No,” he said swiftly. He turned to face Chevalier, who was already in a defensive stance. 'Stay here with them .' Lucifer said to Chevalier. 'I'll find out what is going on .' "Kali?" Lucifer tapped her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back.” He headed off by himself. Kali felt a strange aching in her heart as she watched him leave. She drew in a deep breath and it hurt even worse. She reached out to Lucifer, but he was already gone. Chevalier caught her hand instead. "Kali?" Her heart clenched with a sudden ominous feeling. She knelt down to her son and embraced him tightly. “I love you, Trent. You won’t forget me, will you?”   "Show yourself!" Lucifer demanded. "I hate hide and seek.” The angels faded into view. They stood before Lucifer in human form. Lucifer was surprised but not intimidated. "The angels of Heaven, why are you here?" "You know well why we are here, Lucifer,” the Angels said. "Arvin,” Lucifer concluded. "Correct,” the angels replied. "He had sent us a message from you. Is it true that you are planning to overthrow the Heaven once again?" "I did not send such a message,” Lucifer said. "Lying Demon!" The angels accused. "We went to Hell and saw your army mobilizing. Why did you sent us a declaration of war and then deny it?" That couldn't be right. Lucifer thought. His army in Hell couldn't mobilize without his consent. If the angels spoke the truth, then Arvin must have done this. But why? Why would he mislead the angels into thinking he wanted to overthrow Heaven? What did it have to do with Kali? Arvin knew the Angels couldn't withhold him for long. Lucifer's power was unrivaled unless he was… But he doesn't usually get involve. "I did no such thing,” Lucifer repeated his assertion. The angels summoned their weapons. Their true forms emerged from their disguises as their enormous pairs of white wings spread out for many yards to their sides. Lucifer smirked. "I admit there are many of you,” Lucifer said. "However, never forget that I am Lucifer!" He transformed into his true form as well. His eight layered wings were just as beautiful, no, even more stunning than theirs. His angelic blue eyes glowed as the power of a true demon surged through his body. He had suppressed his strength in his mortal body, fearing that he might harm Kali by accident. It was a good feeling, to feel powerful again.   †††††   “Your name is Kali?” Archangel Michael asked. Kali turned around when she heard the question. A beautiful, angelic man was standing before her. Chevalier could sense a massive source of energy coming from him. He stood defensively in front of Kali and the children. “ He is not here to hurt us,” Kali said to Chevalier. She could tell by the look in his eyes. “Are you a demon?” she asked, judging from his beautiful appearance. So far, all of the demons she had come into contact with possessed unearthly beauty. “ No,” Archangel Michael answered. “ I am mistaken, then,” Kali said. “ May I have a private talk with you?” Archangel Michael asked. “ I'm sorry but that's not possible,” Chevalier answered for her. Kali tapped on Chevalier’s shoulder, telling him that it was okay. “I would love to.” Kali and Archangel Michael found a bench to sit on while Chevalier and the children watched from afar. Archangel Michael gave Bi a gentle smile and she returned it with a brighter one. “ Are you Lucifer’s woman?” Archangel Michael asked. “ I am,” Kali confirmed in a soft tone. Archangel Michael nodded. “I see.” “ Why did you want to talk to me?” “ I was informed that you drank a demon's blood,” Archangel Michael said. “Are you aware that you have committed a serious sin? You may possess eternal youth. However, it comes with a high price. You are condemned by Heaven and Hell. When you die, your soul won’t even be accepted in the realm of the dead and will forever linger in this world. Why did you do it?” “ Many years after I met him, Lucifer told me the truth about the consequences,” Kali said. “I know that it comes with a high price, but it is a price I am willing to pay.” “ Why do all mortals want to live on forever?” Archangel Michael asked, disappointed by Kali’s answer. “ The thought of living forever never crossed my mind. It is natural for humans to die. Every one of us has to die someday.” “ Then why?” “ You think I drank Lucifer’s blood out of greed?” she asked. “That I wanted eternal life at the cost of my own soul? I didn’t have a choice when he fed me his blood. Even if I had a choice, I would have done it all over again. I was pregnant with Trent at the time. He was only six months old and not matured enough to enter the world. Soren, I believe you know him, wanted me and the child dead. He was a powerful demon and I didn’t have the strength to fight him. I was severely hurt and was forced to go into premature labor. I faced death in the eye and told him to back away. I couldn’t die until I gave birth to Lucifer's child. I didn’t mind dying if I gave birth to a healthy baby. I knew I was dying, but if I died, what would happen to my unborn child? I couldn’t take him with me! I begged Lucifer to save our child. He was also desperate to save the two of us. From the look in his eyes, I realized that it was his last option. I drank his blood willingly, trusting that he will give me enough strength to get through this. I did what any mother would have done to save her baby! I wanted to see my child before I died. What happened to me was the last thing on my mind. If you want to condemn me for my greed, I have nothing to say. I will take all of the blame, but please, Lucifer has nothing to with this. I forced him into it!” Archangel stared at the girl. “You did that because you wanted to save his child?” Kali nodded. “There isn’t a day goes by that I do not cherish him. Like Lucifer said, he was the only thing that truly belongs to me in this world. He cannot be taken away from me or torn from my arms, even by death. Isn’t that what every mother wants, an immortal child to love? But that also means I cannot be like every other mother. My child does not need to eat or sleep. Even as a baby, he refused to be breastfed. He does not need anything from me, and I felt rejected. Every day I worried that he would have no memories of me when I’m gone. I saw my shortcomings and I didn’t want him to forget about me. He could live on for centuries, even millennium long after I’m dead. My greatest fear was that he would not be able to remember he has a mother. I brought him into this world, but that was just about the only thing I could do. I cannot help him walk his path, and I cannot follow him forever. The day my son was born, I knew what my mother had felt when she gave birth to me. The woman gave me life, but I never had a chance to meet her or to miss her. I think being forgotten is a very cruel fate. Still, I told myself that I have fulfilled my purpose by bringing this child into this world. I am truly blessed. I would have been happy even if I died five years ago,” she turned to face Archangel Michael. “Is that the answer you came here for?” Archangel Michael shook his head. He bent over and kissed her on the forehead. “You are a very special child, Kali. If you hadn’t taken Lucifer’s blood, heaven’s gates would have gladly opened for you.”     Chapter 26: Sleeping Beauty   Lucifer grunted. There are too many of them, he realized. They knew they couldn’t defeat him, so why were they still attacking? Could it be that they were trying to distract him from Kali? They wouldn’t do anything to her, he knew that. But why? Archangel Michael appeared in the sky. “It has been a long time, Lucifer.” Lucifer was not happy to see Michael. “What do you want?” he asked with great annoyance. Michael had always opposed him in everything. In the Great War he was Lucifer’s archenemy. “You swore to me that after the war, you would never interfere.” “ I have,” Archangel Michael admitted. “If you would stay away from Heaven’s boundary, there would be no reason for me to interfere.” “ And when did I cross it, Michael?” Lucifer asked. “ You are mobilizing your demon army.” “ I have not,” Lucifer argued. “ You may be misleading, but it is very unlikely that you would lie.” The archangel concluded. “ Then get out of my way, Michael!” Lucifer demanded. “ Follow me back to Heaven, Lucifer,” Michael said. “You will have your trial there.” Lucifer laughed. “Trial? You want me to face a trial in Heaven? You make it sound like Hell is part of Heaven’s territory. Michael, I am my own king.” “ Then I will have no choice but to force you.” “ If you could, that is,” Lucifer called upon his sword. The sky rumbled. From the South, a dark clump of thunderous clouds approached furiously, blocking out the sun of the clear blue day. The surroundings were overshadowed by complete darkness. Archangel Michael had a still expression on his face. A sword appeared in his right hand. An angelic silver aura surrounded his body. Lucifer launched himself sat Archangel Michael with his sword. Michael stood defensively and blocked Lucifer’s attack. Their powers met at the edge of the swords, causing the two to fall back. They were equally powerful. Lucifer flew into midair to get enough momentum and charged at Michael once again. Michael leaped, dodging Lucifer. Lucifer’s sword cut through the ground, leaving behind a giant scar on the pavement. Lucifer glared at Michael. He summoned a massive ball of energy and directed it at Michael. Archangel Michael called upon his own power, a massive ball of white light to cancel out Lucifer’s attack. “ It is futile, Lucifer,” Michael said. “We are equal in power. If we continue, it would take at least another three months for it to end.” “ I have the time, don’t you?” Lucifer asked. “ It is only a trial, Lucifer,” Michael said. “If you speak the truth, you will be released.” Lucifer laughed. “I understand, now. This was Arvin’s plan. He wanted to separate us because he knew what would happen to Kali.” “ It won’t be long, Lucifer,” Michael said to him. “If you return soon, she will be as you’ve left her.” “ Do you think I would take that kind of risk?” Lucifer scoffed. “I will not come with you. My words are true. I have no obligation to justify myself.” “ You've left me no choice.”   †††††   Kali shook her son gently when she saw the lifeless look in his eyes. “Trent! Trent, what’s wrong?” His face was extremely pale, more so than usual. “ What’s wrong with him?” Kali looked up at Chevalier. He shook his head. “I don’t know. We were just looking at the pandas. When I asked him a question, he didn’t reply. He just stood still like a statue.” Kali looked back at her son. “Trent, talk to me. What’s wrong?” she held his hand. It was icy cold. She gasped, frightened. She pulled him into her arms. “ Trent, please don’t scare me! Say something to me!” Chevalier looked up at the sky. It had been a while since Lucifer left. “ Adria!” Kali yelled out. “Adria!” A summoning circle drew itself on the ground. Adria appeared from the circle. “ What is wrong with him?!” Kali asked nervously. Adria came to Trent’s side. She placed a hand on his face and looked into his eyes. “ What’s wrong with him?” Kali repeated. “Adria, is this normal for a demon?” “ No,” Adria replied. Trent blinked. He turned his head toward Kali. He spread his little arms and wrapped them around Kali’s neck. “ Trent, what’s wrong?” Kali asked him softly. She was on the edge of tears. He just held onto her tightly. His beautiful blue eyes glowed. “ I think his instinct is awakening,” Adria said softly. “ He has an instinct? What’s an instinct?” “ Every demon is born with an instinct. Normally, it is dormant within the demon unless is it reawakened.”   Chevalier placed a hand on his chest. “I suppressed mine long ago.” “ What it is then?” Kali asked. “ An instinct is a demon’s primitive biological voice. It is a living soul that prioritized survival and feeds on the negative emotion of the host. If the negative emotions are too great, the instinct will grow powerful enough to take over the demon’s body.” Kali looked at her son. “What does this all mean?” Kali asked, confused. “Trent doesn’t have negative emotions. Why is this happening?” “ Instincts sometimes know more than the demons host,” Chevalier said. “Maybe it told Trent something he didn’t want to hear.”   †††††   Acelin slammed the door opened. Arvin sat on a chair in the middle of the room. The room was dead silent. Acelin’s footsteps made Arvin open his eyes. Acelin came to Arvin and grabbed him by the collar. “ Traitor!” Acelin shouted at Arvin. “You went to Heaven and accused Lucifer!” “ I did.” Arvin admitted. “ Why?” “ Why?” Arvin lifted his head and kissed Acelin. Acelin remain emotionless until Arvin broke the kiss. “You ask me why? Do you know what we are, Acelin?” “ Arvin!” “ We are brothers, Acelin,” Arvin said softly. “We are brothers! All we have in the world are each other. When Lucifer embraced me, he asked me not to take away his purpose. I wanted him to be happy, so I decided to back off. But you, Acelin, you had to fall in love with his woman! Don’t you see what she is doing to us?” “ She is not doing anything!” “ There used to be four of us,” Arvin pulled away, “Soren, you and I. We ruled Hell together under Lucifer. Do you know how much time had passed? We were together for so long that if we didn’t have different bodies, I would have believed that we four were one. The appearance of that woman changed everything. She made Lucifer turn against Soren, and you against Lucifer.” Acelin shook his head. “I would never turn against Lucifer.” “ I know you better than you know yourself,” Arvin sighed. “Do not worry. No one can harm Lucifer. Once that woman dies, everything will return to the way they were supposed to be.” “ Is that what you think?” “ I know it is so.” “ I won’t allow you to hurt her,” Acelin said. “ It’s too late, Acelin. Even if I stop it now, it would still be too late.”   †††††   Their swords collided. The tremendous pressures yielded by the two opponents caused the two swords to break. Michael used magic to direct the fragmented pieces of the broken sword at Lucifer. Lucifer shielded himself in a force field, causing the fragmented pieces of the two swords to explode upon contact. The angels of the highest order were chanting a holy song while the Archangel and the Devil fought in the sky. The people in the surrounding area were terrified, seeking shelter from the strange human-like creatures with wings. Others were taking pictures and recording what was happening on their cell phone cameras. They were witnessing a battle that was as old as time itself. Lucifer’s nails grew razor sharp and he used them as a weapon against Michael. Michael leaped into the air. His left wings were slashed by Lucifer. Michael’s angelic white feathers fell and rained down from the sky. They disintegrated before they touched the ground. Lucifer smirked. Michael used his energy to regenerate his wings. “It is pointless to continue fighting,” Michael said. “Neither of us can ever die, even if we used our true weapons. I thought we cleared that up long ago.” “ I just feel like given you one hell of a beating,” Lucifer said. “ Is that so?” “ It is a battle that neither of us can win. Give up and go back to Heaven, Michael,” “ You see those angels chanting down there?” Michael pointed at his companions. “They have been casting a very energy consuming spell for the last half an hour or so.” “ A spell that takes so long to cast is useless when it comes to life and death.” Michael shook his head. “It is time consuming, but not entirely useless.” A giant circle drew itself on the ground at the end of the angels’ chanting. “ A binding spell?” Lucifer gently laughed. “You think something like that could keep me immobile for long?” “ No,” Michael admitted. “Not long at all. You are a powerful demon, Lucifer. I’m sorry I have to use this method.” The binding circle captured Lucifer in a flash and pulled him to the ground. Lucifer struggled to fly away, but the pull was too strong. He directed his energy into breaking the spell. The spell was much stronger than he thought. Damn, he knew those angels were up to something when they just stood aside. Thirty something odd of them using all their energy into casting one spell, how degrading! “ I am not trying to win this fight,” Michael landed on the ground. “I only need you to stay still long enough for us to transport you to Heaven.” “ Michael! I cannot leave this Earth!” Lucifer shouted. He was still trying to break free from the spell when he realized Michael's true intentions. “Kali will die without me!” “ Again, I apologize,” Michael said as he opened a gate from Earth to Heaven.   †††††   “Mother!” Trent screamed out as he held onto Kali tightly. His blue eyes frowned with a screen of tears. “Mother, please be strong!” Kali didn’t understand why Trent was screaming. She just stared at him. “ Please stay with me!” “ I’m right here, Trent,” she said to him. She placed his little hands on her coral cheeks so that he could feel her. “I’m here.” “ No! Don’t go!” the boy was still screaming. “Mother, please stay strong!” Kali suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Chevalier caught his breath, dropping to kneel by her side. He gathered her in his arms. “Kali! What’s wrong? Kali, wake up!” he looked up at Adria, “What’s wrong now?” “ Lord Lucifer is no longer on Earth,” she said. “I can’t feel his presence anywhere.”   †††††   Acelin winced when he saw Kali faint. He placed a hand over his chest. He couldn’t understand it. What was this feeling? Why did he have this feeling whenever he saw her? Who is Kali? Who is she really? “ I told you it is too late,” Arvin said. “It’s already begun.” “ It is not too late,” Acelin said. “I will go to Heaven to rescue Lucifer.” “ Don’t go,” Arvin said. “You’ll just be wasting your time. Lucifer will find his way out, but not until I see my plan through.” “ I must.” Arvin glared. “I despise her. I despise her so much I want to crush her with my own hands. However…it is more enjoyable to watch the life drain out of her each passing second.” Arvin laughed and disappeared into the shadows. “ Do not blame me for your fate, Arvin,” Acelin said underneath his breath. “You’ve underestimated what that woman means to Lucifer. He will never forgive you no matter how much time comes to pass. Arvin, if she dies, you can neither have my forgiveness nor my pity when Lucifer strikes you down.” Chapter 27: For Mother   Chevalier kissed Kali's hand while she lay still on the hospital bed. The doctors did all sorts of exams on her, but they couldn't find what caused her to go into the coma. Trent sat on the same chair as Bi. He stared at his mother with intense focus. He was waiting and anticipating for his mother to wake up. Bi held onto Trent's hand to comfort him. "Why is this happening, Adria?" Chevalier asked. "Why is Kali like this?" "Lucifer is no longer on earth.” "You said that already, but what does it mean?" "Kali drank Lucifer's blood,” Adria began to explain. "It is both a blessing and a curse. A mortal who drinks the blood of a demon may never enter Heaven or Hell, and is forever bound to the demon she drank from.” "What is wrong, then?" "I'm getting there,” Adria responded to Chevalier’s impatience. "In order for the mortal to stay alive, the demon must stay within the same realm as the mortal he fed. Lucifer is no longer on Earth. That is why she is like this.” "Why?" Chevalier asked. "Because a demon's blood is like a one-shot drug… I don't know how to explain it in terms that you would understand, Chevalier. It’s a very powerful drug that takes over the body. Kali can't live without feeding off Lucifer’s energy. It's a physical addiction that can never wear off. Once she dies-" "That is enough,” Chevalier said. "You may not want to accept it but she is dying, Chevalier.” " I said that is enough !" Chevalier shouted at her ferociously. His anger made golden eyes glow like fierce fire. "Don’t you want to know what will happen if Lucifer doesn't return in time?" Adria asked. “So...you could be mentally prepared.” Chevalier rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. "Where is that devil?” he asked in an extremely agitated voice. "In heaven,” a voice answered him. From the shadow of the wall, Acelin stepped out into the light. Adria bowed politely to him. "Who are you?" Chevalier asked. He spread his arms in front of Kali protectively. "I am Acelin,” he replied. “ He is one of the three demon lords under Lord Lucifer,” Adria made the introductions. "Your name is Chevalier, isn't it? I need your help.” Chevalier blinked, a bit confused. "Lucifer is imprisoned in Heaven,” Acelin explained. "I need your help to rescue him. Adria, you come too,” Adria nodded obediently. "Yes, Lord Acelin.” "Why would you want to help us? Aren't you a demon? Don’t you want to see Kali dead?" Chevalier asked. "I am a demon, yes,” that part of the question he admitted. Acelin brushed by Chevalier and came to Kali's side. He picked up a lock of her hair and kissed it. "Wait for me, beloved. I will bring him back to you.” Adria gasped at the realization that Lord Acelin was in love with Kali! What were the odds? The two most powerful demons in the realm of Hell were in love with this human girl! Trent suddenly fell from the chair he was sitting on and collapsed onto the ground. Adria, Chevalier and Acelin ran to him. Adria picked him up and cradled him in her arms.   Trent walked on a narrow path. He had no idea where he was. Trent watched as the darkness that surrounded him melted. He was standing on a narrow path of stones. Below the narrow path was a sea of boiling lava. Trent looked up and saw a very young and handsome man about eighteen years old. He looked very similar to his father, but Trent knew he wasn't Lucifer. The man standing in front of him was himself. "It was you who summoned me?" Trent asked. The young man nodded. "Are you my instinct?" "I am,” the young man spoke. "Why did you call for me?” Trent inquired. “Our father specifically ordered you to sleep.” "I cannot sleep now,” he said. "Mother is dying. Father is nowhere to be found. I cannot sleep. I need to protect Mother.” "I want to protect our Mother, too,” he said. "Do you want to save our Mother, Trent?" The boy nodded. "Let me take over,” his instinct said to him. "Just for now. I will go back to sleep when I am no longer needed.” "Our Father has repeatedly told me not to trust you. You are my demon. The only thing you want is control.” "Our Father hates me and he loves you, but our Mother loves us both. If our Mother dies, there will be no one left to love me,” a lone tear fell from his emotionless eyes. “I cannot watch her die! Do you want her to die, Trent?" "No! I will not let that happen!" Trent retorted. The young man came to Trent and embraced him. "Let us save her together, Trent. Let me out. I can save her, brother. Let me.” “ You better not be lying to me,” the boy warned. “If you cannot save her like you promised, I will make you pay.” He shook his head. “Only Mother loves me. If I lose her, I would hate the world very much.”   A strange, blinding silver aura surrounded Trent's small body. The light expanded until it reached the shape of a full-grown adult. The light started to dim. Trent gasped for a deep breath of air as he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and revealed a pair of glowing blue eyes. He slowly sat up by himself. His platinum hair was longer than the length of his body. Trent brought his hands up in front of his eyes and stared at them. It was a pair of hands that belonged to an adult. Trent smiled. His smile got brighter and he started to laugh. He looked down at his body, completely undressed, and stood up. The nurses gasped when they saw a strange but beautiful naked man walked the hallway. Some were staring at him, while others called the doctors. They wondered if he was a mental patient on the loose. Trent stopped at Kali's room. He had a pained expression when he saw her unconscious on the bed. He came to her side and looked down at her. "I've finally met you, Mother,” he said. "I have always heard your voice. I have always loved to see your face. You have such a beautiful smile. I was never able to touch you,” he reached out to her face. "I wanted what he had for a long time. I wanted to touch you. I wanted to feel your warmth. You always embraced him. I wanted to feel your touch so much that it hurt. I can feel your love, Mother. You were the only person who loves me in this whole world,” he bent down and placed an imitated kiss on her lips. "That is why I never want to go back being Trent's shadow.” He picked her up in his arms and stood straight. The doctors and nurses ran into the room. "Put her down,” the doctor said. "Please tell me your name. Are you a patient of this hospital?" He lowered his eyes, deeming him unworthy of his reply. "Please put her down, she is in very bad condition!" the doctor said. "No. I will take her with me.” "You can't.” His beautiful blue eyes glowed. The glass on the windows behind him shattered and flew toward them. The glass penetrated their flesh and blood began to pour from their wounds. Chevalier and Adria ran into the room. Adria protected Chevalier and herself with a force field. "Lucifer?" Chevalier was mistaken at first, "No, you are not Lucifer!" "Correct,” Trent replied. "I am not my Father.” "Father?" Adria take a closer look at him. "Trent? Is that you?" Chevalier looked shocked. "How can that be? Trent is five years old. This person is an adult, that’s not possible!" "It's not Trent,” Adria concluded. "It's his instinct.” "His instinct took over?" Chevalier turned toward Trent. "Put her down!" "I do not want to hurt you, my other Father,” the instinct said to Chevalier. "You were kind to me before I was born. Please stay out of my way.” "Where are you taking her?" "I do not know,” Trent replied. "Where Father cannot find her.” "Trent, no, whatever you are, put her down!" Chevalier said. "Don’t you understand that she will die if Lucifer cannot find her?" "I do not want to return her,” Trent said. He looked down at her face. "Father doesn't love me. He hated me. Only Mother loves me. I cannot lose her.” "What is he saying?" Chevalier asked Adria. Adria frowned. "I don’t know. Instincts are supposed to have two purposes and two purposes alone; survival and sort to gain complete control. This instinct is acting according to his own reasons.” "Huh?" "Remember your instinct, Chevalier? See how different it sounded from this one?" Chevalier nodded. The two were worlds apart. "Father only has to be on Earth for her to live. He will return, but I do not want to give her back to him.” "Why?" Adria asked. "Why are you doing this? What do you have against Lucifer?" "I truly despise him,” Trent said. A set of black wings sprung from his back. The feathers were neither black nor white, but glistening silver. "We are both his sons, yet he only loves the other me.” Finishing his sentence, he flew out of the window, carrying Kali in his arms.       Chapter 28: His Other Son   Above the Heaven's clouds at the mountain’s peak, Lucifer was held captive on the Cross. His arms were spread to the shape of the cross as thorn vines wrapped around his body. His blood flowed from the wounds that wouldn’t heal. For the last several hours, he had been trying to break free from the spell that bound him to the cross. Lucifer cursed under his breath at the humiliation! Who would have thought that there will be a day like this for Lucifer? Michael appeared out of the clear blue sky. His wings folded behind him as he landed onto the clouds. “ Let me go, Michael!” Lucifer demanded. “ Unlike you, I am not my own king. I cannot do so until the trial is over. " “ This is dirty, Michael! You can’t come up with a spell strong enough by yourself, so you assembled a bunch of your companions to come up with one!” “ That is true,” Michael admitted. “I could have not captured you if it weren’t for the help of others. Not in such a short time period, anyway. I’ve said it before; you’d left me no choice.” “ Kali needs me!” Lucifer shouted. “If anything happen to her, I will overthrow Heaven to avenge her!” “ I am curious, Lucifer,” Michael said in a calm voice. “You have always been proud. Even when you were an archangel, you looked down upon everyone, especially the ones you called ‘weak humans’. Why did you fell in love with one, Lucifer?” “ I have no obligation to tell you,” Lucifer said. “ I am only curious, that is all,” Michael sat down, leaning against the cross. “Even a demon like you can fall in love…” “ Even if I wanted to explain it, I can’t.” Michael smiled. “I supposed not. Kali is a very sweet child. If you hadn’t fed her your blood, I’m very sure she would find Heaven a comfortable home.” “ What fairy tale is this?” Lucifer asked. “ If I had met her first, I would have arranged a place for her,” Michael said. “She has a very pure heart. Is that the reason you fell in love with her?” “ Purity?” Lucifer gently laughed. “I did not fell in love with her because she was pure. I fell in love with her because she was the first person who shed her tears for my sake.” “ Tears?” “ It tasted very sweet.” “ You were always the strange one, Lucifer.” “ I cannot stay here, Michael, not when I do not know her condition,” Lucifer said. “ That much, I can help you with,” Michael responded. He closed his eyes and placed his hands vertically in front of him. A ball of light the size of a rice grain grew bigger as Michael concentrated his power. When it was large enough, Michael pushed it into the air like a bubble. It floated in mid–air, facing Lucifer. Through it, Lucifer could see Kali.     Trent landed in a field of flowers. The silver wind of the night brushed by, blowing a gentle breeze through his platinum hair. His beautiful blue eyes stared into the night sky and searched the stars. He looked down to Kali, who had been sleeping neatly in his arms to make sure his flight had not caused her any physical discomfort. He gently placed her atop of the flowers and lay down next to her on his stomach. He brushed her coral cheeks with the back of his fingers. He picked up a pretty flower and placed it in her hair. Satisfied with how it looked on her, he smiled innocently. He remembered her gentle voice singing him a lullaby. “ Only you love me,” he whispered. He bent down and placed a light kiss on her lips.     Lucifer caught his breath. Kali was lying unconscious on a flower field. There was a young man with a face and body almost identical to his own. “Who is that?” he asked Michael. “ That is your son.” “ Trent?” “ No, it’s his instinct,” Michael clarified. “Trent released his instinct thinking that his instinct could save his mother.” “ Why is he–?” "Do not be so surprised,” Michael said. "He's only imitating you. What do you expect from a five-year-old?" “ When I find it, I’ll destroy it!” Lucifer growled. “How dare it trick my son?" "He bears deep hatred toward you, Lucifer. You chose to love Trent and banish his instinct. A demon and his instinct are one and the same. Whether you like it or not, that instinct is also your son.” Lucifer clenched his fists as he watched Trent through the looking glass. He was humming the lullaby that Kali had sung so often. He selected the most beautiful flowers and placed them into her golden brown hair, one at a time.   †††††   “This is Heaven’s boundary,” Acelin said to Chevalier as they flew past a force field. They have decided to rescue Lucifer first. They knew for a fact that Trent would never harm Kali. Adria trailed behind them. She carefully observed her surroundings to gain some sort of awareness. Heaven had been demon kind’s forbidden territory for a good reason. “ Where should we go now?” Chevalier asked, unfamiliar with the territory. “ Where the trial is being held,” Acelin said. “ And where is that?” “ The Holy Cross,” Acelin replied. “ Oh, that’s ironic. The Holy Cross, I would have never guessed.” Chevalier said. The three demons flew across the sky until they saw a giant cross on the horizon. Acelin stopped when he saw the angels gathered around the cross. “ It seems we are late for the trial.” “ Yeah, and I don’t think we have time to stay for the final verdict,” Chevalier said. "What's the plan?" "Plan?" Acelin smirked. A sword appeared in his right hand. "You take as many out as possible and free Lord Lucifer from the Cross.” Chevalier and Adria also summoned their swords. "Good plan,” At the Cross, the Angels whispered to each other to decide upon the final verdict. Lucifer sighed impatiently. This was taking way too long. If he did not return to earth soon, Kali wouldn’t make it. He eyed Michael, who looked as anxious as he was. Michael also knew time was running out.   †††††   Trent stared at Kali. Her breathing was so fragile. He looked at her through teary eyes and placed a hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat. It had become faint. He gathered her in his arms as his tears fell onto her cheeks. "You can’t leave me,” he whispered to her, "if you leave me, Mother, who will love me? Who will care for me? If Father makes it back, he won’t let me be with you. He’ll make me return Trent's body, and that is where I will have to spend the rest of eternity. I'll lose you forever. I'll lose you either way. Why it is me, Mother? Why am I the instinct? Why am I Trent’s shadow and not Trent? It is not fair that I have to spend a life in darkness, to always hear your voice so close to me, but never be able to feel your warmth. I hate Trent. I hate Father. And I hate you. Why did you and father created me, only to abandon me inside of Trent? I never asked to be created. I didn't become what I am because I chose to. You and Father made me what I am. I hate myself for hating you, Mother. There are so many emotions I cannot control, but I know that if Father forces me to leave you, I would rather I did not exist. I would rather that you did not exist. I won’t let Trent have what I cannot. Mother, if you die, do you think that Father would kill me, too? I hope he would. If I die, Trent will also die. Father will be alone. He deserves to be alone. Then, he will feel what I have felt.” He snuggled his cheek against her. “We’ll all die together so I won’t be alone anymore.”   †††††   "Lucifer, what is wrong?" Michael asked when he saw Lucifer's pained expression. Lucifer was breathing rapidly. "Kali…” His heart felt like it was going to explode. Each heartbeat echoed in his head. His chest felt like he couldn't breathe. "Kali!" he screamed out her name. "Lucifer?" Lucifer turned to Michael. He knew the strange pain he was feeling had to do with Kali. "Show her to me! Show her to me!" he shouted angrily. His pale blue eyes glowed fiercely. Three powerful energy balls were directed toward the angels as Acelin, Chevalier, and Adria launched a surprised attack. Michael calmly watched. He created a looking glass for Lucifer to see Kali. She was lying in Trent's arms as little dim lights slowly left her body. Lucifer clenched his fists as he watched. There was a sudden power surge through his body. Lucifer's nails grew razor sharp and fangs sprouted from his mouth. Michael knew Lucifer was about to break free from the spell. His anger and concern for the woman he loved forced him to use every ounce of the energy in his demonic being to break the spell that bound him. Michael could have cast a spell to stop Lucifer; however, he turned away and headed toward the fight between the three demons and the angels. A bright light shone suddenly across the sky. When it faded away, the Cross began to crumble. Lucifer spread his wings and flew toward the boundary to Earth. Chevalier, Acelin, and Adria retreated from the fight and followed Lucifer.           Chapter 29: Drifting Sorrow   Lucifer closed his eyes to concentrate on Kali’s presence. Trent felt Kali’s breathing returning to normal and realized that his father had broken free from Heaven. He held her in his arms protectively and formed a force field around them to escape Lucifer’s detection. It was too late. Lucifer had already landed in the field of flowers. He saw Trent holding Kali and glaring at him. Trent’s blue eyes glowed, showing discontent. “ Give her back to me,” Lucifer held out his hand. “ I will not,” Trent said. “ Give her back to me, Trent,” Lucifer said in a cold voice. “ I will not!” Trent directed an energy ball toward his father. “Leave us alone!” he hissed. “ She is mine , Trent,” Lucifer dodged Trent’s attack easily. “Give her back to me at once.” Trent shook his head. “Mother is mine!” “ Trent!” Lucifer said in a warning tone. Trent put Kali down on the ground and stood up. His wings spread out as he summoned his sword. “ I will only say it one more time; hand Kali over to me, and return Trent’s body at once.” “ I would rather die!” Trent said. “If I die, Trent will die with me!” he charged at Lucifer with his sword. Adria, Chevalier, and Acelin landed and watched the battle between Trent and Lucifer. Lucifer mostly dodged and was hesitant to attack, knowing it would hurt Trent’s body. “ Fight me, father!” Trent provoked. “Kill me! You have that power!” Chevalier ran to Kali’s side. Her body was still cold, although her heartbeat and breathing had returned to normal. Trent slashed his sword at Lucifer but continuously missed. He shoved his shoulder at Lucifer and used the sword to - Lucifer was too fast. Trent turned around and saw Lucifer looking at him through cold eyes. There were nights when Trent has been asleep, but he suddenly woke. His father would look at him with those same cold eyes and warn him, the instinct, never to come out again. But when he looked at the other him, it was through the eyes of a Father. Trent felt a sharp pain in his chest. It was so painful that it made him cry. Lucifer caught his breath. The instinct was crying. Michael’s words rang in his head. “ Whether you like it or not, he is still your son.” This boy, who had been blindly attacking him out of rage, only had a mentality of a five year old. He was deeply hurt by his cold gaze. This boy…is Trent…the other Trent. Through his eyes, Lucifer could see his thoughts. Why do you hate me, Father? What have I done wrong? Why do you love Trent but not me? Why do you tuck him in at night while you banish me with harsh words? Why did you create me? Why? Lucifer stood still and let Trent penetrate him with his sword. Trent gasped, surprised. He inched back to face his Father. “Why did you -?” Lucifer embraced him. “I am sorry,” he said. Trent opened his mouth, shocked. The tears streamed from his eyes. “ I am sorry,” Lucifer held Trent tight. “ Why are you saying sorry?” Trent asked. “Why are you saying this now?” “ I never knew an instinct has a will,” Lucifer said in a soft voice. “I always thought that you were just like other instincts, who only sort for control. I was afraid that you would take over Trent’s body and turn him into a monster.” “ You treated me like a monster.” “ I am sorry, Trent.” “ I never wanted to hurt Trent,” he said. “He is my brother. But you treated us so differently that I can’t help but hate him. I hate you so much, Father. Did you know that is that first time you embraced me ? This is the first time in my life you’ve ever shown me kindness. Did you know that?” “ I am truly sorry.” Arvin cast a binding circle to freeze Chevalier from behind. He snatched Kali from his arms and grinned. “What a touching reunion,” he said to Lucifer and Trent. Lucifer turned toward Arvin and glared at him. “Put her down, Arvin!” “ Mother!” Trent pulled his sword from Lucifer. The wound instantly healed. “ What a pretty girl,” Arvin mused. “No wonder both you and Acelin are so in love with her.” “ Arvin!” Acelin warned. “What are you going to do to her?” “ I want her to meet the other demons in Hell,” Arvin grinned. “After all, they are anxious to meet their queen.” “ She cannot go to Hell!” Lucifer shouted. “ Don’t you think I know that?” Arvin asked insolently. “Dear Lucifer, knowing that, I want to take her back home even more. I wonder what would happen if a sinner like her enters forbidden territory.” “ Sinner?” Chevalier was surprised that Arvin referred to Kali as a sinner. “ Consuming demon blood is a serious sin,” Adria said. “Neither Heaven nor Hell can forgive her. If she enters either of the territory, she will…” “ Precisely,” Arvin laughed. He opened a portal to Hell. Lucifer directed an energy ball at him. Acelin and Trent joined in. Arvin protected himself with a force field and smirked. “I’ll see you at home, Lord Lucifer.” He ran into the portal with Kali in his arms. Lucifer and his companions entered the portal. After they stepped through, the gate behind them closed, leaving behind a large metal frame. Trent scanned his surroundings. The land was covered in black soil while the trees and flowers that grew from it were blood red. At first glance, they almost look like blazing fire. “ This is your home, my prince,” Adria said to Trent. The demons spread their wings and flew south. There was a castle in the distance, one that floated atop of a forest of black thorns. Lucifer landed in front of the castle and commanded the gate to open. It obeyed. Lucifer stormed through a long hallway of broken fragments of statues. Lucifer went past a domed room and stood in front of a massive double-door. He placed both hands on the doors and pushed it open. The light peaked through the opening into the throne room. The demons inside stared at the door, anticipating. Lucifer stood at the end of the altar. Behind him were Lord Acelin and Prince Trent, along with Chevalier. Adria joined them shortly after. Arvin was smirking. He sat on the throne with Kali in his arms. Lucifer walked down the altar while the demons on both sides of the altars bowed to him. “ Give her back to me,” Lucifer said in a cold and authoritative tone. “ Lord Lucifer,” Arvin flashed him a smile. “I’m so glad you came. What a beautiful queen you have chosen for us.” “ Arvin,” Lucifer said in a warning tone. Arvin stood up and placed Kali on the throne. He came to Lucifer’s side. “Doesn’t she look deserving?” he whispered into Lucifer’s ear. “She finally got what she wanted, the throne of Hell.” “ She never had that kind of ambition,” Lucifer said. He walked up the aisle and traced her gentle face with the back of his fingers. “Why, Arvin?” “ Lucifer!” Chevalier shouted. “What are you waiting for? Take her back to Earth!” Acelin placed a hand on Chevalier’s shoulder to calm him down. “It won’t do any good,” he said. “Taken her back to earth now couldn’t save her.” “ What?” Chevalier stepped forward, “What the hell does that mean?” “ For a sinner, the punishment for entering forbidden territory is death.” Adria said. “ Lucifer is the ruler of Hell, who would dare to –” “ Can’t you see the helpless look in Lucifer’s eyes?” Acelin asked. “All things in life must follow a set of laws. This is beyond Lucifer…and even further beyond us.” Chevalier shook his head in denial. “No… no…this is not happening! All of you are liars! There has to be some way to save her! There has to be!” Acelin lowered his eyes and placed a hand over his chest. Lucifer planted a kiss on Kali’s forehead. “She never wanted to hurt anyone. All she wanted was to be a good wife to me and a doting mother to her son. That was her only wish, Arvin.” Trent stood still watching. The heavy droplets of tear from his eyes fell one by one onto the cold marble floor. “ This woman is the woman I love,” Lucifer placed gentle kiss on her lips. “She knew I have all the power in the world and she could ask me for anything. Even if she wanted to rule all three realms, I would have waged war against Heaven and Earth. If she wanted me to destroy everything in existence, I would have done so. But she never asked me for anything. All she ever wanted was to be a wife and a devoted mother. Yet, there was always something or someone that wanted to take her from me. It pained me dearly when those people are the two I considered even closer than flesh and blood. Now that you have brought her here to her deathbed, you should know that I will not spare you.” Arvin summoned his sword. “No, Lucifer. I do not think that you could kill me for a mere mortal.” “ Then you do not fully understand what she means to me,” Lucifer stood up straight and faced Arvin. “ You will not kill me for a mere mortal,” Arvin repeated with unwavering confident. “ She is a mere mortal to you, but to me, she is the only purpose to my existence. The moment you brought her to Hell, I thought to myself that it is a shame that I cannot die with her. Arvin, when we walk away from his battle, only one of us shall prevail. Whether I avenge her or are killed by you. Here and now, I hope with all of my effort that it would be the second case.” Acelin lowered his eyes. “ He doesn’t want to be alone,” Adria said under her breath. “He wants Arvin to kill him.” “ Why?” Chevalier asked. “ Because if he wins, he will have to witness the death of two people he loves,” Adria said in a sad tone. “He is in great pain.” Lucifer summoned his sword. He charged toward Arvin at speed and struck. Arvin used his sword to fend off Lucifer’s attack. The two demons fought in mid-air. Their movements were so fast; the bystanders could barely see who was attacking who. Every time their swords met, they were pushed back by the intense pressure from the swords. Trent came to the throne and picked Kali up in his arms. He hugged her tightly as the dim lights began to leave her body. Chevalier panicked. He ran toward Kali and Trent, trying to catch the escaping light. The light went through his hands and escaped. Even though it was in vain, Chevalier continued to try. His eyes were blood shot. He used magic to capture the dim lights but it could only hold it back for a few seconds. “ Mother,” Trent cried. “Please don’t leave us. Please don’t leave me . I’m not at all grown up yet. I still need you!” Chevalier placed a hand on Trent’s head when he realized that he could only watch her die. “ I was wrong, Mother. I shouldn’t have taken you away. If you could forgive me…no, you will forgive me, right, Mother? You will forgive me because you are my Mother.” Lucifer glared at Arvin when Arvin’s sword managed to cut off a part of his wing. His feathers are raining down onto the altar. A lost feather landed on Kali’s cheek. Trent could feel the life escaping from her. She was getting colder and colder while her presence was fading away. Trent’s body radiated silver light. When the light dimmed, Trent returned to the shape of a five-year old boy. He started to cry out loud. Adria came to his side, wanting to pick him up. He refused her violently. He turned to his Mother. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the child you wanted,” he cried. “I’m sorry I cannot be a normal boy. If I were, I would have better appreciated the things you’ve done for me. I’m sorry I didn’t understand. Forgive your son for not understanding you, Mother.” Two lines of tears spilled from Chevalier’s eyes. This was not happening. This was definitely not happening. Anyone but Kali! He had given her up to Lucifer, wanting her to be happy. This was not the result he wanted, not at all! If he had known, if he knew this would happen, he would have fought Lucifer till the end. He had tried so hard to bury his feelings for her all this time. He had been trying to heal his wounds. But why did she end up like this? He held onto her hand and placed his other hand on her face. Acelin clenched his fists. He turned away, not wanting to witness the battle nor Kali’s death. He must sleep, he said to himself, after a couple of thousand years all would turn to dust and start anew. Even this pain in his chest. Even his feelings for her. “ Goodbye, my brothers,” Acelin said as he calmly walked away from the altar. “And goodbye to you, too, dearest.” “ Father, please save my Mother!” he begged. “Save her for me, please? I will never ask another favor from you again.” Lucifer heard his son’s cry but was unable to respond. “ He can’t,” Adria said to Trent. “ Father is the all-powerful. He can save her. Only he can save her for me,” Trent wiped away his tears. He caught his breath when he no longer felt Kali’s presence. He cried out, calling out to her. Chevalier inched away. He covered his mouth with his hands. He felt sick to his stomach. Lucifer swallowed his tears. Rage sparked in his cold blue eyes. He thrust his sword at Arvin and pierced him. He cast a magic circle in the sky to bind Arvin and flew about twenty feet away. “ You are really going to kill me?” Arvin asked when he saw the pain in Lucifer’s eyes. Lucifer turned his sword into a bow and arrow made of blue flame. He fit the arrow into the bow and aimed it at Arvin. “ She is dead, Lucifer. Killing me won’t bring her back!” Arvin said. “ It may be so…” Lucifer said. He chanted a spell onto the arrow before letting it go. It pierced Arvin’s left wing and pinned him against the wall. “When you sacrificed yourself during the war so that I could safely arrive in Hell, I made you a promise. And I will keep that promise. I spare your life this time. However, I will take away all of your powers. For you, it’s even worse than a death sentence.” Arvin looked over his shoulder. His wings were disintegrating into nothingness. “No, Lucifer…” Lucifer flew to Kali’s side. He took her from Trent and gathered her lifeless body into his arms. For a long moment, he did not speak. He planted a soft kiss on her lips and then ran his fingers through her silky hair. His beautiful eyes mourned his loss. “ Your plan failed miserably, Arvin. She didn’t die. Everything that was her had already engraved itself inside of me. You did not take her away from me, Arvin. No one could. Perhaps the only thing you did was make me realized how much she meant to me. Keep the throne of Hell, I will not return.” “ Do not forsake us, Lucifer!” Arvin shook his head. “I will only accept one master!” “ This time, I am abandoning you, Arvin.” “ Lucifer !”       Epilogue   The gloomy day was too perfect for the occasion. Chevalier tapped the dirt into place and then rested the shovel by his side. He removed his dirty gloves and shoved them into the pockets of his black jacket. There was an emotionless expression on his face as he stood for several minutes. Only her name was carved on the semi-polished gravestone. No dates or epitaph to remind them of the person she was. “ At least write something nice about her on it,” Chevalier said. “ It wasn’t necessary,” Lucifer replied as he placed a bouquet of flowers on her grave. “No one needs to know who she was besides us.” “ At least carve a date of death, Lucifer.” "I have to find her,” Lucifer said in a soft voice. Chevalier blinked. "What do you mean, find her?" "Her soul was scattered across the earth. My Kali...I will find her. I will find all of her, even if it takes an eternity, even if I have to circle this earth a million times over. There will be a day I will bring her back into my arms where she belongs.” "An eternity is an awfully long time.” Lucifer agreed. "I sealed her body with magic to preserve it. She will need it when I resurrect her. Trent and I will have to be without her for a while.” "We will find her,” Lucifer assured him. "Can you wait until then, Trent?" "I will wait,” Trent nodded. "No matter how long, I will wait.” "I guess this is goodbye,” Chevalier said, feeling heavy that it had to end this way. Lucifer bent down and placed a kiss on her gravestone. "Trent and I will have to leave you in this cold ground for a while. I promise we'll be back before you know it. For now, have a good rest, my love.”       To be continued…   The Devil’s Lover: The Resurrection is available on August 4, 2011. Table of Contents Prologue Chapter 1: Obscure Intentions Chapter 2: Hardly a Debut Chapter 3: The Way It Never Was Chapter 4: The Devil and the Knight Chapter 5: More Than a Promise Chapter 6: Chained Hearts Chapter 7: Taken Chapter 8: Unwritten Contract Chapter 9: Advent to Hell Chapter 10: Safer with Him Chapter 11: Sacrificial Chapter 12: Worst of All Sins Chapter 13: The Nightmare of Hell Chapter 14: Her Lovers Chapter 15: His Wrath Chapter 16: Fragile Chapter 17: Something Sinister Chapter 18: The Letter with No Stamp Chapter 19: The Ones Left Behind Chapter 20: The Two Demon Lords Chapter 21: Ephemeral Bliss Chapter 22: All for Brotherhood Chapter 23: Early Blossoms This Year Chapter 24: Heaven Isn’t Too Far Chapter 25: Will Never Regret Chapter 26: Sleeping Beauty Chapter 27: For Mother Chapter 28: His Other Son Chapter 29: Drifting Sorrow Epilogue