Devouring love

by Serafina Daniel

  “Please,” I begged. “What are they?”

  “There isn't much to say, Melody. We are angel and we have powers to help us control, create something. Devils have powers to destroy. Our powers come from different sources. We don't know really what they are capable of while they don't know of what we are. Devils don't live in communities. And what is the most importance, they can live forever.”

  “Forever?” that sounded interesting.

  Merdian nodded.

  “Angels can't live forever,” I stated.

  “No, we can't, because we have one thing which devils can't have, but that doesn't mean they don't try to have it.”

  “And it is?”

  He looked through the window and then back at me. He was fighting with himself if he should or not to reveal me that information. But even if he decides not to tell me, I had a clue what devils could want.

  “Love and children. At least angels and devils are bond to the same rules when the topic turns to procreation,” he sounded annoyed.

  “What?” that was all I said. There were some kind of rules about babies?

  “A devil or an angel lives until he finds a person who he loves and she loves him back. Only that way the baby could see this world. In other case, we can't have children.”

  That sounded interesting. No one had ever told me that part. There was only one thing which I knew; angels are betrothed when they are very young.

  “Really?”

  He didn't said a word. Merdian decided that he had told enough to me. I didn't have the same opinion on that. I wanted to know more, because that could explain what Marcus really wanted from me. For example, why he liked to call me his angel.

  I didn't want to believe that my payment for his service could be somehow related with children. No. No no no...

  My body trembled from that idea and Merdian registered that. His fingers ran against my cheek, trying to bring me to him that I could push those terrible thoughts of mine into the deepest part of my mind.

  I wanted that and I tried to kill those ugly thoughts in my head, but the more I tried, the more annoying they became. I just couldn't stop thinking if Marcus wanted not some kind of payment, but me. My love?

  “Soon we will be at home. You are tired and you need some rest,” he said as he petted me. I felt relaxed and even some sounds which reminded cat's purr escaped my mouth. He really knew how to make me feel better.

  Soon I couldn't remember what were were talking about and what made me feel scared. It was only me and Merdian. Nothing more and nothing else.

  Caspar

  I had to say that the ball was held really not in a good time. At the same time I wanted and not to come there and if not the happy Chelsea and a chance to see Melody, I would say no and just have stayed at home, in my bed and take one long nap.

  My mother felt better and she was back at home. Nick took a short holiday from his studies and help mother at home. He tried to convince me that it was better to keep distance from whoever that person was and just do what he wanted. I couldn't understand how this event affected him so strongly.

  I walked into my cabinet ant took a seat. My head rested in my hand. I was tired and confused. Yea, I needed some coffee. I was about to stand up and walk out from the room when my eyes were stolen by the painting on the wall. I could give my hand that it wasn't hanging before. Someone put it while I wasn't here. But who had done that?

  I slowly approached to the painting and took a good look at it. There were many clouds and there were two silhouettes which reminded me of a girl and a guy. They had wings on their back. They were angels.

  I lifted my hand up slowly to touch the painting. For some reason I wanted to touch it, to feel those brushes which the person, who created this painting, had done. I didn't know how long I enjoyed feeling the painting surface when my eyes noticed the painter's name in the corner. It was written in so small letters that not anyone could notice.

  “Melody Watts,” I read out loud..

  Now the painting seemed different out of sudden to me. I saw passion, hope and love now, what I couldn't see before.

  My cabinet door opened and I heard steps. I turned my head and noticed Chelsea approaching me with a wide grin on her face. But when she noticed that I was standing in front of the painting and studying it, her smile became smaller and an anger flashed in her eyes for one second.

  “Beautiful, right?” she didn't sound happy that this painting was in my cabinet, hanging the wall on which I could always see.

  I folded my arms over my chest. I didn't hurry to answer to her question, because I doubted if she really wanted to hear it.

  “Whose is it?” I decided to act like I didn't have a clue to whom it could belong.

  “One of your patient brought it while you were...you know. I made sure it would hang on your wall. I know how they love to come and check what doctors think about their presents. So, at the same day I put it with some help on the wall. You aren't angry, right?”

  I shook my head. Why should I be angry? After all, Melody promised me a painting and here, I had one. It was created by her and I liked it. I wouldn't change it for anything.

  A smile touched my face. I was so happy to finally have something from Melody that I didn't even notice that Chelsea didn't mention who was that patient who decided to give me a presence.

  “Thank you,” I said and touched the painting one more time. In my eye corner I saw how Chelsea frowned, but when I turned my head to meet her eyes, she hid her irritation with a mask.

  “You welcome. I am happy to see you here. I didn't think you will come today,” I walked to my table and took a seat. Chelsea followed my example and took also a seat. She put her hands on her lap and stole some glances at the painting, like making sure that the painting didn't move to hurt her or something like that.

  This time I registered that she wasn't happy that this thing existed in my cabinet. But I really didn't care what she thought about it, because I liked the painting and I was intending to keep it.

  All these days when my mother was in the hospital, I found myself thinking about her and how I wanted for the ball to come quicker. Also, there were some thoughts about the devil and how could I get rid of him if he decides to sour my life.

  “How is she?” Chelsea asked, bringing me back to reality in which I didn't want to take any kind of part right now, because Melody wasn't here with me.

  “Fine,” I said quickly and dropped my eyes at my hands on the table. I didn't want to let her know that maybe I was thinking about another girl in her presence.

  Yes, there was once a thought about me and Chelsea being something more than just friends, but right now that idea made me only laugh, because in Chelsea's place I wanted to see only Melody, a girl who maybe could never be mine and never let her eyes linger on me with the thought that she could be with me more and just a friend who she wanted me to be to her.

  “What have really happened to her?” she was curious to find out more details about my family. I didn't tell her anything about my mother except the fact she was in the hospital.

  I shrugged, like giving her a clue that nothing really important happened to my mother, although that wasn't true.

  “Everything is okay now and that is what is important,” I said. I hoped that she understood my hidden message that she should try to continue this topic and just let us talk about something else, which wouldn't put us into unpleasant position.

  “I am glad to hear that. I was so worried,” her eyes tried to look sad, proving me that she really was concerned about my mother's health. Maybe she was or maybe she wasn't. The truth was that I didn't care.

  “Thank you,” I said only to be polite.” That means a lot to me,” it was a lie, but that kind of lie which was needed to make sure that another person could feel happy and important.

  “Okay, although I am really happy to see you here, the real reason I am here because someone wants to see you,” hope kissed my face. Maybe it was Melody?
I begged in my mind that Chelsea would tell that name. Unfortunately, all my expectations were flushed when she said it wasn't a female but a man.

  I frowned, not hiding that I wasn't in mood to see any person today.

  “But he tells that he won't leave if you don't talk with him,” she informed me when I said that I would like to be left alone.

  Now my frowned turned into a scowl. If it had been Melody, I would have told Chelsea not to waste her precious time and let her in my cabinet right now, but knowing that it wasn't her, I didn't hurry to ask Chelsea to let that man into my cabinet.

  “Did he mention what he wants from me?” I asked, massaging my eyes like the entire day I had read many boring books.

  Chelsea shook her head, letting my scowl only to deepen on my face.

  “I don't like him,” she informed me. “He looks...strange. And those eyes...It seems like they could see your soul,” her body trembled.

  “Okay, tell him to come in,” I said to her, lifting my eyes up.

  She nodded and left me alone. The man, who wanted so much to see me, stepped into the cabinet. I didn't expect to see him. Everyone but him.

  “I see you are still here,” Marcus said, putting gracefully his butt on the chair. You could think that he was from aristocratic family. This time he was wearing a black suit which seemed was created specially for him.

  I didn't know what to tell him.

  “Oh, don't be so shocked,” Marcus said with a smug grin on his face. “I am real and yes, I am what your mummy has warned you about,” he put his hands on his lap. “How is your mummy by the way? The last time I saw her, she was on the ground without consciousness.”

  I wanted to hit him to the death. He knew what kind of button to push and he decided not to waste time and do his dirty job.

  “Who are you?” I asked, emphasizing every word which came out from my mouth.

  “Oh, you are angry. I like that.”

  “Who are you?” I repeated my question.

  “Well, I see you are from those who have a short memory,” he sighted dramatically. I tried ignore his acting. I wasn't drama lover. “I am a devil. Your father made a deal with me. He is dead now and his debt belongs to you. I don't want to see you in this city. Why are you here?”

  He narrowed his eyes.

  Suddenly I could smell fire and burning wood in my cabinet. My eyes instinctively started searching for the cause of that, but I couldn't find anything what could be suspicious.

  Then, my eyes slowly turned to Marcus. He was the reason of that smell.

  My heart pounded quicker and quicker in my chest, because the truth finally sunk in my mind. Devils were true things and not just kind of fairy tale characters. And right now one of them was in front of me.

  No, I slammed myself in my mind. They can't be real. No. He just is playing with my mind.

  Marcus stood up and took a step closer to the table. His hands soon were on the table, his face closer to me, letting me feel his warm breaths against my skin which weren't pleasant to me. I found a desire in me to step back, to be further from him and those flames which suddenly flashed in his eyes. I gasped.

  “I am a devil and you know that already,” a smug smile appeared on his face. I wanted to erase it from with my fists, but I decided that nothing good would happen. So, I just tried to hide this desire deep in me.

  “Devils don't exist,” I said simply.

  He rolled his eyes and sighed. He seemed bored suddenly.

  “I am really not in mood to show a short presentation who I am, but I see that you are not a believer. It is strange, you know,” his eyes became dreamy and that scared me more than those flames in his eyes.

  I sunk into my chair, my hands gripped tightly its armrests. I felt how wood kissed my skin. I knew that it should hurt, but I only felt anger in me which was growing in me like mushrooms after rain in autumn.

  “And really,” he continued,“ I know what only you can know. Isn't that important?”

  I didn't open my mouth, because he had already known the answer. Yes, it was important. Even if I tried to convince myself that maybe my father was imagining things, that he was lying, I couldn't be sure about that one hundred percent. And now I saw a person who was assuring me that everything what my father told me, was truth.

  I turned my eyes away from him. I wanted that person could leave me and my cabinet, but I doubted that even if I asked him politely he would do that.

  “What do you want from me?” I asked.

  “Oh, I like that,” he crossed his legs, his hands resting in his lap. It suddenly seemed that he was the boss in this room while I was his employee. “Finally we could get somewhere. I want you out from this city and then I will pretend that you debt is paid,” he talked so freely, creating an impression that all this 'debt' thing was just a simple game for children.

  “Why do you want me out from this city?” I heard myself saying that one question in a formal tone.

  That carelessly expression of his face vanished like smoke in thin air. Now his was frowning and staring at me like a wolf at his prey.

  “Because I don't want you here,” he said simply. “I give you a week. If you not do as I say, then blame yourself,” he stood up and walked to the door. I knew that it was now or never. I needed to stop him, to find the real reason why he was here, wasting his time on these treats.

  “What did my father ask from you?”

  He stood and turned his face slowly at me. I could see in his eyes that my question didn't cheer him up. Conversely. I was furious now and that only made me more curious to find out what really was going on here. Why did he appear only now? What happened so that he should be here, in my presence?

  Melody, the answer hit me. This Marcus was here because of her.

  “You have the right to know that, but because this knowledge could change a lot in your life, I made a decision not ever to answer into that question. I could only say that only now I understand what kind of consequences it might bring. So, be careful with what you do,” he turned the knob, opened the door quickly and left me alone, confused and annoyed.

  My eyes darted at the painting on the wall. I wasn't sure if this was all because of Melody, but I needed to find out. Maybe she knew something about this Marcus and if does, I needed to know what kind of knowledge she was keeping in her head about him.

  I wanted right away to come to the Spring home and talk with her, but I shook my head, like that could kill my desire to run out from this building and drive to her home. It didn't help. I still wanted to see her now and maybe I would have if not Chelsea who brought my patients into the room. I had some work to do, some dollars to earn that later I could eat bread.

  Melody

  Finally the day, when everyone could settle their eyes on me, knocked into my life. I didn't want to leave my room and slowly walk down to the ball room where everyone would be dresses in beautiful dresses or suits, where everyone would try to pretend to be my best friend, although I didn't know who they could possibly be.

  “Are you scared?” Merdian asked, coming closer to he chair I was sitting on and staring at my reflection. In the mirror I could see two blue eyes which reminded me a puppy's eyes when the dog felt ashamed or wanted to get something tasty from the table.

  “You know that I am,” I said in a small voice and dropped my eyes at my hands on my lap.

  Soon I felt Merdian's heavy hands on my shoulders. Reluctantly I lifted my eyes up and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked concerned.

  “I will be with you. I won't let anything happen to you,” he promised and leaned down. I soon felt his soft and warm lips on my cheek.

  I sighed and tried to form a smile on my face. I knew what he was promising; to become my shadow. I couldn't say that this thought didn't thrill me, but I also could deny the fact that I didn't want that. For some reason I wanted to be left alone with Caspar, to chat with him. I couldn't explain from where this desire came, but it was here, in my heart and
that scared me a bit.

  “How do you thing, will the devil dare to come here?” I asked, taking a deep breath.

  Merdian didn't answer. He just put his lips on my cheek and put a smile, which wasn't sincere. I was sure of that.

  Marcus would definitively come here. And here we had a question; what does he want?

  “Come,” Merdian took my hand gently,” it is time for us to go.”

  I nodded and stood up. I was one hundred percent sure that something terrible would come this evening. The question was how bad it could be.

  The house was decorated with festoons, flowers in vases... There were really a lot of flowers and they were all with white blooms. For some reason they reminded me not the day when Merdian would claim me as his, but as it was someone's funeral. In this case, mine.

  Chill crossed my body and I gripped with my left hand Merdian's suit's sleeve. Of course, he noticed that and immediately in his eyes I could see how alarmed filled his body. Soon I felt how his muscles tensed under my touch

  “I am here. Nothing will happen to you,” he whispered to my ear and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. I knew what he was doing, but that didn't help me to feel better and I even doubted if something could.

  We slowly walked down the stairs. Many people stopped doing what they were doing and settled their stares at us. In some of them I could see happiness, jealousy, anger, astonishment or just nothing. I liked those ones who wear a poker face.

  “Smile,” a photographer sprung from nowhere and took some pictures of us. It wasn't a new thing for me, of course, but after so long of not being in this kind or parties, it felt strange and I wasn't ready. There wasn't any doubt in my head that in those pictures I will look 'stunningly'.

  Soon I was lost in time and this crowd of people who tried to steal my attention. They all had questions for me. I tried to be polite and answered their questions if I knew what to tell even though I didn't know them. For me, they were nothing; I for them was a person who would become their princess and then a queen one day. The queen of angels.

  After an hour or so the dances started. Merdian, of course, asked me to dance with him. With a huge smile I accepted and let him lead me to the dance floor.