Chapter 8: Between The Sheets
Jeanne pulled her clothes on quickly while she watched Dantalion walk slowly away from her with his back turned. She blushed as she realized that he’d just seen her naked. He hadn’t seemed all that affected by it either. Except perhaps for that hungry look in his eyes. She gulped, her throat feeling dry as he remembered his penetrating stare.
This handsome demon man…he aroused her. Made her feel like a normal woman, and not God’s Chosen Warrior.
And for a demon he was acting like quite the gentleman. He’d only kissed her and touched her a little bit, and hadn’t tried to have more. Even though…for the first time in her life she’d wanted more. Wanted to find out what sex was like with this demon man who should have terrified her, but who did not. In fact, she’d never felt safer than when in Dantalion’s arms. She’d felt warm and protected.
Dantalion had stopped touching her, and claimed that what they were doing was a ‘sin’. That was a strange thing for a demon to say. But Dantalion was definitely an odd demon. A demon aware of ‘sin’ and trying to do ‘good’. Did he even realize it himself? Jeanne wondered. He’d called himself a ‘demon’ and a ‘monster’, and there had been shame in his tone. But now they had a mission to worry about. A purpose greater than themselves and that was to stop the Apocalypse. There had been enough bloodshed and it was wearing Jeanne’s nerves raw lately.
Jeanne had started hearing voices…and they weren’t the good kind either. She finished dressing and jogged over to Dantalion’s side. He didn’t look at her as they made their way through the forest and towards the riverbank. A pile of freshly caught trout was sitting on the sandy bank. Jeanne couldn’t help but be impressed that Dantalion had managed to capture so many fish and without a fishing pole.
“How did you manage to catch so many fish?” Jeanne asked curiously as she took in the view of the river before her. The sun was high in the sky at that point, and the sun’s rays were playing on the surface of the river making it appear molten. The way the water was glittering was stunning. But that river was as dangerous as it was beautiful and had nearly killed Jeanne and Dantalion. Life was full of contradictions. Mother Nature was the biggest one. She could be so beautiful and yet merciless and savage. The sky was clear and the air was fresh. She took a deep breath savoring the taste and the moment.
Dantalion raised one of his clawed hands that still had blood on it in answer.
“Ah.” Jeanne nodded.
Dantalion was trying not to look at Jeanne. The sun was caressing her hair and skin, and making it glow. The demon concentrated on preparing a fire and soon the trout were roasting on sticks. Dantalion and Jeanne sat across from each other with the fire in between them. As Jeanne peered at Dantalion through the flickering flames she could imagine him being surrounded by hellfire, but still thought the angelic man looked out of place.
“Tell me about Hell.” Jeanne said softly.
Dantalion looked up and gave Jeanne a surprised look. “What do you wish to know?”
“Well…I still have a hard time picturing Hell having Lords and Ladies.” Jeanne gave Dantalion a bemused look.
“Ah.” Dantalion smiled ruefully, “Well, some demons like to act human. They live in castles, give themselves titles like: King, Queen, Lord, Lady, Duke, Prince, and Princess. They have finery such as nice furniture, expensive clothes, servants and butlers. Though the servants are usually lesser demons or minions that don’t appear very human. You would probably consider them monsters or beasts.
“The she-demons like jewelry: gold, silver, and precious jewels. The demon men usually collect weapons of all kinds. Only those ‘blessed’ by Lucifer get to live like this however. Most damned souls are being punished in the fire pits or tortured by demons. The Lords and Ladies of Hell are the ones in charge of Lucifer’s armies. They are his loyal servants and do his bidding.”
Jeanne nibbled on her fish thoughtfully. “What do demons eat?”
Dantalion’s lips thinned, and his expression turned grim. “Are you sure you wish to know? You could end up losing your appetite.”
Jeanne met his eyes and held his stare. “Tell me.”
“Well, some demons eat humans - drink their blood, eat their flesh. While others consume human souls. Some demons are simply sustained by the atmosphere of the place, or human emotions of suffering like fear, anger, pain and hopelessness.”
Jeanne had grown pale as she listened to Dantalion’s revelation. “And what do you eat?” She held her breath as she awaited the demon’s answer.
Dantalion met her eyes, “The darkest of human emotions sustains me - fear. This is my curse. I mean, my blessing.” Dantalion frowned at the odd slipup. “Usually a battle against humans can sustain me with enough fear that I don’t need sustenance for centuries.”
“Have you ever eaten a human soul?” Jeanne asked offhandedly as she tossed the now empty stick aside and reached for another fish.
Dante was glad to see he hadn’t ruined Jeanne’s appetite. In fact, he was amused by how ravenous she seemed. “No.”
“Drank a human’s blood?” She prodded and there was an odd teasing note to her voice now.
“No. I am a warrior of Hell. I fight Lucifer’s enemies and kill them. That is all. No women. No kids. That’s my creed.” The demon explained firmly.
“Are there more demons like you that only live off of human emotions?” Jeanne leaned forward with an intent look on her face.
Dantalion opened his mouth, closed it, and thought about her question for a moment longer. “Incubus and Succubus…are demons that can survive by consuming a human’s sexual energy. They come to Earth, seduce humans, and have sex with them. I have heard of several cases where they don’t kill the humans. Half-breed children are a common result of this union. These humans usually turn out to be sexual deviants, and degenerates of society. But it’s not really their fault. They are slaves to their flesh and sexual desires because of their mixed blood. It consumes them.”
Jeanne’s eyes widened. “Fascinating. Though I don’t know if making allies with Incubus and Succubus would be the best way to go about things.” She tapped her chin and hummed in thought.
Dantalion raised an eyebrow at Jeanne, “Allies?”
“Yes, to end the war - the Apocalypse. Demons and Humans must band together.” Jeanne said simply.
Dantalion let out a bark of laughter. “What an absurd notion, but…perhaps you’re right. Though I don’t think the Incubi and Succubi would go for it. They still feel superior to lowly humans.”
“Most demons see humans as food then? Like how humans view cows? Or chickens?” Jeanne asked with a curious glint in her eyes.
Dantalion nodded, amused by her comparison. “An interesting way of putting it but yes. You are food.”
“And you don’t want to eat me?” Jeanne asked, a teasing note to her voice again.
The tempting little morsel. I can’t believe she’s actually teasing me. Dantalion smiled, his golden eyes glittered, and he licked his lips. “Oh yes, I would like to eat you. I find you very appetizing.”
Jeanne watched as Dantalion licked his lower lip and shivered. “Sure you’re not an Incubus?”
Dantalion chuckled. “Most certain.”
Jeanne raised an eyebrow at the demon. “What kind of demon are you then?”
“I…believe I am a demon of fear but…” Dantalion trailed off as a dark cloud fell over his face.
“But?” Jeanne prodded.
“My hunger does not rule my life. There are other things I enjoy doing besides worrying about my next meal.” He began in an almost hesitant manner.
“Oh, like what?” Jeanne was unconsciously leaning forward again, trying to get closer to the interesting demon man in front of her.
“I enjoy making furniture. Creating. Painting. Inventing. Studying all arts and sciences. Philosophizing. Reading. I’m good with my hands and my mind.” Dantalion revealed and held h
is breath as he awaited Jeanne’s response. He’d never told anyone of his secret passions.
Jeanne looked down at Dantalion’s powerful, calloused hands and noted that his claws had receded. “Yes, I bet you are.” She gulped. “I’ll have to get you to build me something sometime.” A smile brightened her expression.
Dantalion let out a sigh of relief. This woman accepted him for who he was. The good with the bad apparently. It was truly amazing. He stood up abruptly when the conflicting emotions that were suddenly swirling inside of him became too much to bear. “I’m going to go and head on over to the village now and acquire some suitable clothing for you. I will not return you to your army looking like…that.” Just the thought of Jeanne’s men seeing her half-naked made Dantalion’s blood boil.
Jeanne was disappointed by how Dantalion had abruptly decided to end their conversation, but nodded. She could tell that he was pulling away from her. “Alright. I’ll wait for you here.”
Dantalion gave Jeanne a double take at her words before two leathery, dragon-like wings with claws on their tips emerged from Dantalion’s back. With a flap of his wings he took off into the sky and flew towards the human village. Jeanne watched him go and wondered why she didn’t find his wings hideous but instead them found them utterly captivating.
How could something so beautiful be evil? Jeanne nibbled on another fish as she waited for him to return. Dantalion. She’d never met anyone so fascinating. Jeanne lay down on her back on the riverbank and looked up at the clear blue sky. Fluffy white clouds were lazily drifting past. He’d saved her again. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute from just being in his mere presence. Jeanne put a hand over her heart. This feeling inside of me…could it be love? Have I fallen in love with him? I’ve never felt this way before.
Twenty minutes later, Dantalion returned with new clothes for Jeanne. He handed her a simple white blouse made out of a thick, cotton material, a pair of black, leather pants and a new pair of leather boots. The clothes and boots were exactly her size.
Jeanne was almost surprised that Dantalion hadn’t purchased her a dress. She dressed while Dantalion kept his back to her, again acting like a gentleman. It made her smile. “How come you brought me pants instead of a dress?”
“Would you prefer a dress? I can go get one.” He offered.
“No. I prefer pants.” Jeanne said as she pulled on the nice pair of soft leather pants.
“Good.” Dante swallowed. He could hear the sound of clothing being taken off and put on, and it was making him nervous.
“In Hell are women allowed to wear pants?” Jeanne questioned as she pulled the shirt on over her head next.
Dantalion chuckled. “In Hell there are no rules. In Hell the she-demons wear whatever they wish! Sometimes nothing at all.”
Jeanne blushed at the idea. “Oh.”
“Sometimes they wear nothing but coils of live snakes.” Dante began to visualize the she-demons in his mind. “Others wear outfits made out of human bones or animal skins. Other times they wear silk gowns and look almost human. Sometimes they wear pants.”
Jeanne frowned. She could tell that Dantalion was picturing these she-demons in his mind and felt jealous for some reason. “That sounds nice.”
Dantalion noted the wistful tinge to Jeanne’s voice. “Excuse me?”
“The fact that they have freedom.” Jeanne was quick to explain. At first she’d been happy and honored to serve God. But then as the reality of her purpose began to sink in…the more lives she’d been forced to take, the more blood that stained her hands and sword, she began to question if this was truly what she wanted to do after all. She’d started to feel trapped by her responsibilities. But then perhaps all this was a test.
“No one in Hell is free. We’re all Lucifer’s slaves.” Even me. The demon said darkly.
“I see.” You are Lucifer’s slave and I am God’s slave. We’re not so different, you and I, Dantalion. “You can turn around now.” She informed him.
Dantalion turned around and stared at Jeanne for a moment before he returned to the cave to fetch his sword, and armor. He quickly strapped his armor back on and lamented the loss of his cape. Once he and Jeanne were ready to go, Dantalion whistled by putting two fingers in his mouth.
Jeanne tilted her head at him. “What are you doing?”
“You’ll see.” His expression was smug.
The clopping sound of approaching horses was heard next. A moment later, Jeanne’s white horse and Dantalion’s black steed were emerging through the forest and approaching them.
Jeanne’s eyes sparkled in amazement. “You called them here? You can speak to animals?”
Dantalion nodded.
Jeanne smiled brightly. “That’s amazing, Dantalion.” She praised before she mounted her horse effortlessly.
Amazing. Happiness flooded through Dantalion’s chest. A strange, foreign emotion that he hadn’t felt for hundreds - thousands - of years. The demon Duke mounted his horse. “Follow me.” Dantalion kicked his horse into action and led the way through the forest towards Jeanne’s human army. He could smell them. “Tell your army to halt their attack upon my army, and I will tell my men to do the same. Then I will go to Hell, speak with Lucifer, and see if I can’t convince him to stop this war.”
“Alright. Consider it done.” Jeanne said as she squeezed her legs around her horse’s sides so that it trotted up next to Dantalion’s horse. “There’s no way I can go with you?”
Dantalion’s head snapped in her direction. He gaped at her in awe. This brave woman was willing to travel into Hell with him. Incredible. “No. It would be much too dangerous.”
Jeanne pouted but she trusted Dantalion’s judgment. “Very well.”
Dantalion stopped his horse just outside the edge of the human camp. “I will leave you here. It might not look good if we approach together. This is where I leave you, Jeanne. I shall return to my army and speak with them.” There was no response. “Jeanne?” Dantalion turned his head to look behind him.
But Jeanne had ridden up right next to him. She reached out, grabbed the back of Dantalion’s head before he could protest, and brought him forward into a heated kiss. Dantalion groaned against her as their lips met, and was tempted to deepen their kiss, but he remembered just where they were and he did not want to put Jeanne’s virtue in question. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her. His lips were on fire. “I shall return.” His golden eyes were gleaming with passion and his voice was rough.
“Do hurry.” Jeanne said in a husky voice before she kicked her horse. “Hyah!” And rode into her army’s camp.
Little did the couple know that hidden in the trees stood Gilles de Rais. He’d been watching Jeanne and Dantalion kiss the entire time. “Demon’s whore.” He spat in disgust. “Wait till the others learn of this.” A cruel smile curled his lips. If he couldn’t have Jeanne d’Arc - no one could.
As Jeanne entered her camp her men greeted her happily. “Jeanne!” “Jeanne you’re alive!” “Jeanne the Maid has returned! Praise the Lord!”
Dantalion turned his horse away as he heard the cries, and headed in the direction of his own army that was camped a few miles away. He galloped into the center of his legion’s camp and immediately all eyes were upon him and filled with expectation.
“Duke Dantalion!” “My Duke!” “Dantalion! You’re alright!”
Dantalion raised a hand for silence. “Hear me, comrades, this battle is to be…” He wanted to say ‘halted’ or ‘finished’ but didn’t want to create an uproar among the demons. “Postponed. I need to speak to Lucifer about something important before we can continue this battle. Therefore, I forbid you to attack the humans until I return. Is that understood?” His eyes glittered dangerously. They could hear the unspoken threat and danger in his voice.
The demons all shared confused, fearful and quizzical looks. But they knew that to disobey Dantalion was the same as asking him to chop off their head. One
by one they agreed to their Duke’s order. Some out of respect, others out of fear. “Understood!” “Yes, my Duke!” “It shall be done as you ask, my Duke!”
Dantalion smiled and nodded, looking pleased with himself. Good. The first part of his promise to Jeanne had been kept. Now he needed to return to Hell and speak with Lucifer. Dantalion bathed, redressed, and put on his newly polished armor as he prepared for his return trip to Hell. His demons had polished his armor so thoroughly he could see his own reflection upon it. After that he rode his steed to a hill where there was a group of tall, gray, flat stones. The large flat stone that was in the center was bathed in a red and black glow and exuded malevolence. Dantalion rode straight for the stone and rode right through it. The stone acted as a portal to Hell and he was transported there instantly.
Dantalion exited out onto a barren expanse of dry, cracked land. This area of Hell resembled a human desert. The heat was sweltering, burning, blistering. The horrible scent of sulfur, rotting flesh, and decay filled his nostrils causing him to gag. He’d gotten used to the smell of fresh air, damp earth and dew-covered grass. The foul smell was almost overwhelming, and tall orange-red flames could be seen in the distance.
Dantalion kicked his steed’s sides and took off towards the flames that towered fifty-feet high. Lucifer lived in a palace concealed by the flames and that was made out of polished, black, volcanic rock - obsidian. The palace was fireproof.
Dantalion approached the wall of fire. Lesser demons and minions would be burned to a crisp instantly if they entered the powerful flames without Lucifer’s permission. But Dantalion was no lesser demon and used his aura to shield himself and his horse as he simply rode through the flames and approached the palace.
Lucifer’s palace was enormous. Its walls, spiked towers and twisted spires of obsidian gleamed and reflected the flames eerily. The towers and spires were so tall they seemed to reach the red-tinged sky. Tall, thin rectangular-shaped windows could be seen on the castle walls. They were perfect for firing arrows down at enemies.
There was a moat of bubbling lava around the palace. At Dantalion’s approach the drawbridge was lowered and the demon Duke continued his way across, the wood of the bridge vibrating slightly as his horse’s heavy hooves hit the surface. The front iron gate was raised and Dantalion rode straight into the courtyard. He dismounted from his steed, gave the reins to a lesser demon without saying a word of thanks, and continued his way to the front door.
The doors were opened for him by more of Lucifer’s minions and Dantalion ignored them as he made his way to the throne room. More doors were opened for Dantalion automatically until he was finally entering Lucifer’s throne room. Seated upon a huge obsidian throne with a high back and that was decorated with dragon horns was King Lucifer - the Supreme Ruler of Hell. Once known as the Archangel Lucifer.
Legends, folktales, and paintings often depicted Lucifer as a hideous monster with red skin, black horns, a tail, and furred legs that ended in hooves. He was supposed to be a half-bull, half-man monstrosity with glowing, red eyes.
But the reality was that Lucifer was beautiful. Handsome. He had long, flowing golden hair that reached his waist, and bright, blue eyes the color of the sky on Earth. His skin was a tan, golden color. Lucifer was gigantic at six-eight. He had a warrior’s physique and was even more muscular than Dantalion. His features almost would have been feminine if it weren’t for the rope after rope of hard muscle that made up the man’s impressive torso. The demon king had bulging biceps and thigh muscles to match. Power, strength, and confidence radiated off of him in waves.
If Lucifer had been dressed in white he would have looked like an angel. But as it was he was dressed from head to toe in black leather and gleaming, black iron armor with dangerous looking spikes on it that Lucifer had probably harvested from the dragons he’d killed. A deadly looking great sword was strapped to his side. He was reclining upon his throne easily with a jeweled goblet of what Dantalion hoped was wine in his hand. His eyes twinkled for a moment when he spotted his best friend, Dantalion.
“Dantalion,” He said with fondness in his tone before his expression suddenly hardened. Why is he back so soon?
“My King,” Dantalion strode forward and knelt before Lucifer, bowing his head humbly.
“Rise.” Lucifer said with an impatient wave of his hand. “And haven’t I told you before, to simply call me Lucifer. We are friends, are we not?”
Dantalion stood up and smiled. “Yes, of course, Lucifer.”
Lucifer swirled the wine in his goblet thoughtfully. “Why have you returned so soon? Have you managed to defeat God’s army so quickly? Did you kill Jeanne d’Arc?” Lucifer raised an expectant eyebrow at his friend and ran his tongue over his teeth. If Jeanne was dead…
A scowl darkened Dantalion’s expression. So…Lucifer had known God’s Chosen Warrior was a woman. “Lucifer…you know of my creed. No women. No kids. And yet…you believed I would still kill Jeanne?”
Lucifer’s blue eyes narrowed into slits. “Indeed I did because she is our enemy, Dantalion. God’s Chosen Warrior. All that stands in our way for Earthly domination! She must be destroyed!” Lucifer spread his arms out to his sides causing wine to splash out of his goblet and onto the floor.
Dantalion noted that it was as red as blood. It probably was blood. Human blood. Something burned hotly inside of Dantalion at Lucifer’s words. Dantalion licked his lips and tried to keep his temper in check. Destroyed? Dantalion’s blood boiled at the mere suggestion. He would allow no one to harm Jeanne d’Arc! She belonged to him. She’s mine!
“I will not kill her.” He rumbled.
Lucifer’s eyes widened and his surprise was obvious. “You won’t? Then I’ll just get someone else to kill her then, Dantalion. How about that?” Already Lucifer was sending a psychic message to Lilith to go to Earth and see that the job was carried out. Lilith, my sweet, I have a job for you…
“No!” Dantalion roared, “No one is to harm her! She is mine!”
“Yours?” Lucifer raised an eyebrow at Dantalion and then he laughed. It was a hollow sound. “Ah, you’ve fallen in love with her. How quaint.” It was not a question and Lucifer’s tone was patronizing.
“Love?” Dantalion spoke aloud. Am I capable of such an emotion? Lucifer seems to think so. Am I truly in love with Jeanne? He shook his head. “That…is unimportant. What is important is…I want you to stop this foolishness, Lucifer!”
“Foolishness?” Lucifer’s tone had taken a dangerous edge. “To what foolishness are you referring to exactly, my friend?”
“This war. The Apocalypse. Your plan to conquer Earth! It’s…ludicrous. Ridiculous. Pointless. Demons belong in Hell. Humans on Earth. And Angels in Heaven. That is the way of the universe. Its balance. Peace. This delicate balance between the worlds should not be disturbed. The way things are now is…perfect. Why should things change? We don’t need the Earth, Lucifer…” Dantalion explained and willed Lucifer to understand, to see the light. The whole war on Earth had just felt…wrong all the way down to his bones.
Lucifer was looking at Dantalion as if he’d grown a second head. There was a flash of hurt in Lucifer’s eyes but it was gone almost instantly. “Let me get this straight, Dantalion. You want me to stop the Apocalypse because you desire peace between the three worlds?” Lucifer’s voice was dripping with skepticism.
“Yes.” Dantalion nodded, his tone firm.
“Peace?” Lucifer threw his head back and laughed maniacally. “Well, I hate to break it to you Dantalion but I do not desire peace. Besides, there hasn’t been peace in the three worlds for hundreds - thousands - of years! The current peace is just an illusion. The war between good and evil is already being fought. In fact, it is being fought everyday as God and I struggle to claim as many human souls as possible for our own. This war…the Apocalypse is about my revenge against God! It is about claiming victory!”
“Your revenge?” Dantalion frowned.
“No! God viewed me as being below him because he created me! I wanted to prove to God that I was his equal. That’s why I staged a rebellion and attacked the Heavens with a third of the Archangels behind me. Alas, my men and I were defeated, and cast from Heaven and into Hell. Some humans seem to think I was banished to the Earth but that’s not exactly accurate. Though my hold upon the Earth is stronger than it was in Heaven.
“Hell…this place disgusts me. But I have embraced ‘evil’ in order to gain power. It is a necessary power that I need in order to defeat God, nothing more. There was simply no other way. Really, Dantalion, you should be embracing ‘evil’ with me if you hope to gain more strength. Think of how powerful you could become. Break your creed…and then you shall taste true power!”
Dantalion clenched his fists at his sides. Now Lucifer was temping him. The double-dealer. “No effing way.”
Lucifer shrugged. “Suit yourself. For thousands of years I have been gathering my strength, and creating an army of demons. Tempting humans to become demons. The one with more souls - wins, Dantalion! The war between Good and Evil is already being fought and yet the inferior humans don’t even know it! I tempt humans into sin daily. I’m the little voice inside of their heads that is telling them to do bad things. And they love it. They think that they are the ones deciding to do those things, but they are merely following my will. They are my pawns.
“Of course a human’s conscience is God’s voice and God uses that voice to try to stop humans from doing evil things, but…God’s voice is harder to listen to than mine. And that is because humans are weak because of their flesh. Their flesh makes them easy to tempt and sway. For example, they cannot survive without food. To buy food they need money. To procure money they might be forced to rob, cheat, steal, and kill. I encourage that. I want them to choose the easy way rather than the righteous way to get that money, which would be through hard work.”
God’s voice? Do I hear God’s voice? No, that would be impossible. Dantalion frowned at his strange thoughts.
“Also, humans draw pleasure from sex. That’s why I encourage promiscuity. This is just the beginning, Dantalion, but soon the humans will start having sex not for love, but for fun, and merely pleasure. In this manner, I will destroy the family unit. People who are all on their own are even easier to tempt and sway. Every time a human gives into that temptation…the temptation to fornicate, kill, steal, lie - I win. I get their soul when they die, and I get more powerful.” Lucifer smiled to himself at the thought.
It made Dantalion feel like raining on Lucifer’s parade. “I thought you only got their soul if they didn’t repent in the name of God’s son Jesus Christ?” Dantalion drawled casually.
Lucifer’s eyes flickered with angry fire. “How dare you say his name in my presence! But…it doesn’t matter. Jesus exists as a way for the redemption of the humans, but not the fallen angels or demons, Dantalion. Did you know that several fallen angels thought that God would forgive them? They thought that after one thousand two hundred days God would allow them back into Heaven. These fallen angels were deceived in this notion however. Presently, these pathetic demons await their chance for forgiveness…and so when witches and warlocks summon them to the Earth they try and help the humans to the best of their abilities. They do not betray the summoners in the hope that God will see this. But it’s a futile effort really, God will never forgive his fallen angels. And do you want to know why that is?”
Dantalion swallowed, his throat was suddenly feeling rather dry. “Why?”
“Because unlike the humans that have to find God through faith and are allowed to doubt that which they do not see…we knew God personally. We basked in his love and his glory directly and yet we still decided to turn against him. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. This is the greatest sin of all. Forgiveness is not an option for us, Dantalion. We chose this path…and there is no turning back.”
“I know.” Dantalion said through gritted teeth. Is Lucifer implying that I might be a fallen angel? Or is he playing with me? If I am a cursed human soul…I might have the chance for redemption. And if I am a cursed fallen angel…then I have no chance for redemption. I’m sure Lucifer only wants me to believe that which will hurt me more.
“I’ve been tempting Jeanne’s army, you know? They’re not so pure.” Lucifer cackled merrily. “They kill on a daily basis and several desire Jeanne d’Arc’s body. I’ve entered their dreams and seen them take her…some willingly and others by force.”
Dantalion’s nails pierced his palms and blood began to trickle down onto the floor. Those ingrates…if any of them dare to touch Jeanne…they will die a slow, painful death.
Lucifer smiled as he watched Dantalion’s blood drip down onto the floor. “The humans are weak, Dantalion. Slaves to their flesh. Imperfect. Someone needs to control them. Can’t you see that they cannot handle having free will? God made a mistake with that one. As long as human beings have free will there will always be evil upon the Earth! There will always be war, murders, rape!”
“Just as God made the mistake of giving you free will apparently.” Dantalion found himself saying before he could stop the words from leaving his mouth.
A muscle ticked below Lucifer’s eye. “Dantalion, my friend. Do not push me.” Lucifer’s hand tightened around the goblet until he ended up bending it out of shape. Lucifer sighed and tossed the now useless goblet aside.
“Lucifer, stop this war. I was there on Earth. It was beautiful. Calm. Peaceful.” Dantalion began to explain haltingly.
“Ha! As I’ve already explained that ‘peace’ is nothing but an illusion! You have no idea how many humans are killing each other upon the Earth as we speak. Right this very second there are humans who are lying to each other, hurting each other, and stealing from each other! Some do these deeds in God’s name. The Earth is hell disguised as heaven!”
Dantalion shook his head as he remembered how Jeanne had saved his life. “No! There is…hope. But if demons roam the Earth things will be even worse. There will be even more violence and killing and chaos!”
Lucifer hummed thoughtfully. “Only in the beginning as the humans resist my control. But once I have conquered the Earth there will be peace, Dantalion. My way will be proven to be better than God’s way. I guarantee it!” He reached his arms out towards Dantalion, willing him to understand.
“Peace but no free will? Am I correct?” Dantalion’s eyes narrowed at his friend. If there was no free will then Jeanne could not choose to love him. He could force her to love him, yes, but…that would be wrong. Love was the only redeeming quality of humanity. Take their freedom to love away from them and there would be nothing left worth saving.
“A small price to pay,” Lucifer flicked his wrist, “Don’t you think? Join me, Dantalion. I’ll even let you be in control of the lives of the humans, if you wish. I’d allow you to control all of them. You could make the world as you wish it. I trust your judgment. You could even force Jeanne the Maid to love a demon like you!”
Force Jeanne to love him? A hideous thought. The thought sickened him and bile rose up in his throat. Jeanne was beautiful, desirable because she was free. Freedom. Didn’t Jeanne say she craved that? Even Dantalion himself lacked freedom. He was Lucifer’s commander - his Duke. But no more. “I will do no such thing. I would not take away her freedom.”
Lucifer let out a disappointed sigh. “I believe we are at an impasse, Dantalion. You won’t convince me and I won’t convince you. Therefore…how about this. Fight me. And if you win…I will end the Apo
calypse.” For now. “And if you lose you must obey me, continue with the Apocalypse, and kill Jeanne d’Arc.”
Dantalion nodded. As much as he didn’t want to fight his friend it appeared as though there was no other way. Lucifer stood up from his throne and unsheathed his black iron great sword, and pointed it at Dantalion. Lucifer’s sword was similar in design to Dantalion’s in that its hilt was composed of two dragon wings, but the pommel had been fashioned to resemble a dragon’s open maw. Dantalion unsheathed his sword and held it before him.
“I think you need a little reminder about who is in charge of Hell, my friend!” Lucifer pronounced as he rushed forward and attacked Dantalion.
Dantalion raised his sword and blocked Lucifer’s attacks with ease. He’d sparred with Lucifer before, but this time they were both serious and out for blood. Their massive swords clashed and sent powerful shockwaves through the throne room causing the walls and floor to vibrate. Their fierce auras of demonic power flared up around them like flames that were licking their skin. Dantalion’s aura was a fierce red and Lucifer’s was a golden color.
Dantalion briefly wondered about that. As far back as he could remember…he recalled that he used to have golden hair too at one point and his aura had also been golden, but the longer he lived and fought in Hell his hair had turned black and his aura had changed to a pulsing red. How had Lucifer kept his original hair and eye color? And why had he kept it like that? Vanity?
Dantalion knew his friend cared about his appearance. He’d caught Lucifer staring into a hand mirror before. His wings were even white and feathery. Did Lucifer think Dantalion was ugly? Did he find his dragon-like wings hideous? It was a strange thought to have but the Supreme Ruler of Hell probably found its inhabitants ‘ugly’ and ‘unworthy’. After all Lucifer became enraged anytime he saw how the humans depicted him as this red-skinned monster with hooves, like a mindless beast. Lucifer would go into a rage for days afterwards, and destroy demon after demon until his bloodlust was finally sated.
Was Lucifer’s vanity a weakness? Dantalion wondered hopefully.
Lucifer summoned his wings and two white, feathery wings emerged from his back. He flew towards Dantalion at top speed, swung his sword, and unleashed an energy attack Dantalion’s way.
Dantalion was forced to dodge and roll out of the way. Two can play at that game. Dantalion summoned his own wings and two black, leathery wings emerged from his back. With a flap of his wings he rose up into the air. He flew towards Lucifer, swung his sword, and unleashed an energy attack of his own.
Lucifer swung his sword again and unleashed a powerful, golden-tinged energy attack. The two attacks collided in midair. Boom.
Dantalion flew forward using the overwhelming brightness of the two colliding attacks to shield him from view. In an instant he was suddenly in front of Lucifer and jabbing his sword forward at Lucifer’s head.
Lucifer brought his sword up quickly to deflect the blow and tilted his head to the side. Dantalion’s sword sliced into the side of Lucifer’s face and drew blood. Lucifer’s eyes narrowed into angry slits. He was furious.
Dantalion smiled triumphantly. “I’m sorry. You don’t think it will scar, do you?” He apologized but the demon Duke did not sound truly repentant at all.
Scar? Lucifer reached up, touched the cut on the side of his face, and his eyes widened in disbelief. Dantalion felt the thrill of fear that passed through Lucifer momentarily. But just a tiny bit of Lucifer’s fear provided Dantalion with tons of demonic energy. Dantalion breathed in deep, soaking in Lucifer’s fear and relishing every moment of it. It wasn’t often that Lucifer ever felt fear.
Horns sprouted out of the top of Dantalion’s head, his incisors lengthened, his nails turned into claws of their own accord, and his red aura flared even more powerfully around him. He could feel demonic power and energy pumping through his veins at a rapid pace. It was incredible. He attacked Lucifer again and sent another energy attack the demon King’s way.
Lucifer raised his sword to block the attack and was unable to. The attack hit Lucifer and he was sent flying backwards into his own obsidian throne that cracked into two pieces upon the powerful impact. Lucifer was sent sprawling to the floor and landed on top of one of the two pieces of his broken throne. He sat up, and dark spots swam in his vision as he struggled to remain conscious.
Lucifer couldn’t believe this…since when had Dantalion gotten so powerful? Lucifer didn’t like ‘dirtying’ his own hands by slaying his enemies himself, and so had gotten into the habit of just sending Dantalion to take care of his enemies for him. Dantalion had fought thousands of battles in his stead. Had this made the demon Duke more powerful than he was? Blazes. He’d underestimated Dantalion. Lucifer blinked and felt a sword pressing against his throat.
Dantalion was smiling down at Lucifer, and was obviously happy, elated even. “I won.” He said with a tinge of surprise in his voice.
Lucifer moved Dantalion’s sword away from his throat with the tip of his index finger. He knew Dantalion would never actually slay him. Dantalion considered him to be his ‘best friend’. The demon Duke had once given up everything for Lucifer.
This undying loyalty was one of Dantalion’s weaknesses that Lucifer knew how to exploit however. Lucifer smiled back at his friend even though he was absolutely furious inside. “Indeed you did. Well done, Dantalion. I guess I have no choice but to stop my plans for the Apocalypse.” For the time being anyways. I don’t have enough power left after that battle to hold the portal to Earth open for much longer. Let Dantalion think that he won. He put his hands out in a helpless gesture.
Dantalion’s smile widened and he offered Lucifer his hand to help him up. Lucifer took it and Dantalion helped him to stand. “You will?”
“Yes, you won, didn’t you? Return to Earth…and stop your army. Bring your men back to Hell. Where they belong.” A sly smile curled Lucifer’s lips. By the time you get there their purpose will have been fulfilled anyways.
Dantalion nodded. “Yes, my King.” He bowed with his hand on top of his heart.
“And say goodbye to Jeanne the Maid for me.” Lucifer put in and his expression turned amused, triumphant.
Dantalion’s expression fell. That’s right. I’ll have to take my army back to Hell to never return. I’m a demon. This is where I belong. I will have to say goodbye to Jeanne but…this is the way it has to be. He was a demon and Jeanne was God’s Chosen Warrior. They were star-crossed lovers. They could never be together.
“Yes. I will.” Dantalion agreed before he turned on his heel.
“Ah, wait, before you go…” Lucifer’s smile widened. “You must fix my throne and repair the damage you did to my throne room. Then you can go. It’s only fair, I think. You owe me. And I’m being awfully generous.”
“I…” Dantalion hesitated before he nodded and went to fetch his tools. He didn’t really have much of a choice but to give into Lucifer’s request. The demon King was correct - he was being generous with stopping the Apocalypse. He didn’t want to risk Lucifer changing his mind either so he left the throne room without another word.
“Curse you, Dantalion!” Lucifer swore angrily as he dusted himself off. “Curse you…how dare you betray me? How dare you best me! But…never again.” He closed his eyes and concentrated. He spoke telepathically to Lilith, Dantalion’s fiancée, once more: Lilith…have you reached Dantalion’s army yet? Did you attack the human village as I ordered?
Oh, yes, my King. We have attacked and slaughtered everyone. By the time God’s Chosen army shows up it will already be too late. In fact, they’re about to arrive here…this should be fun. Lilith’s cackling laughter echoed through Lucifer’s skull.
Do you see God’s Chosen Warrior? Lucifer ran his tongue over his teeth.
Oh, yes, I see her. The sparkly gold witch. Want me to kill her? Lilith sounded eager at the prospect.
Yes. Kill Jeanne d’Arc. Your fiancé Dantalion has fallen in love
with her, by the way.
What?!
She must die.
Oh, she will. But she’ll die slowly and painfully, my King.
As you wish. Tell the army to return to Hell when they’re done. I must close the portal and regain my strength. After that has been accomplished I have a little surprise planned for Dantalion. He shall be left behind upon the Earth. Understand? Oh, and in case Jeanne escapes you must make sure that she knows that Dantalion betrayed her.
Yes, my King.
***
Jeanne stood inside of a tent within her army’s camp with her usual comrades-in-arms: Gilles de Rais, John II of Alencon (aka ‘le beau duc’ or ‘the gentle duke’), Jean d’Aulon (Jeanne’s personal bodyguard), Jean de Dunois, and La Hire.
“So you’re telling us ‘God’ told you the demons will cease their attack?” Gilles raised an eyebrow at Jeanne.
“Yes. Let’s just…wait for now. We won’t attack them as long as they don’t attack us. Got it?” Jeanne said firmly, but she had her fingers crossed behind her back.
The warriors shrugged and gave each other helpless looks. “If you say so, Jeanne. We shall wait.” Jean d’Aulon was quick to agree.
“You can’t be serious? We should go to the demon camp and fight them!” Jean de Dunois insisted. “Try to catch them unawares. They’re demons, Jeanne. We need not show them mercy. They’re pure evil.”
Gilles’ dark eyes were boring into Jeanne almost accusingly and she flinched. “My sword wants to taste demon blood, Jeanne.” Gilles growled angrily. “My sword wants to thrust in and out of their dead bodies!” An evil leer spread across his face at the thought.
“You’re all acting worse than the demons!” Jeanne accused, narrowing her eyes at Gilles. There had always been something about the man that unsettled her. “We shall wait. You’ll see, the demons will decide not to fight us and then we shall have true and everlasting peace.”
“Because you say so, or because God says so?” Gilles challenged.
“B-Because God says so. You’ll see.” Jeanne stammered nervously with her fingers still crossed behind her back. Dantalion…please hurry and stop this war. My soldiers are thirsty for the blood of their enemies and I do not know how long I can hold them back.
Jeanne knew she had to believe in Dantalion. The peace of the entire world was at stake.
Three days passed and the demon army did not move against them. However, on the fourth day, a messenger rode into camp, eyes frantic, and covered in blood. “Jeanne! Where is Jeanne the Maid?”
Jeanne exited her tent, and spotted the messenger. “Here I am! What is it?”
“It’s the village! The demons…they’ve burned it to the ground! They killed everyone!” The man burst out, tears streaming down his dust-covered face.
“W-What?” Jeanne’s stomach plummeted, and the blood drained from her face. “Everyone? Even the women and children?” She asked slowly, dazed.
“Yes.” The man said firmly, expression grim.
Jeanne felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her feet. No. No, no, no. Jeanne chanted in her mind. If the village had been attacked then that meant that Dantalion had betrayed her! Had he betrayed her? Sadness quickly shifted to righteous anger. If Dantalion had chosen to betray her - he would pay.
“Ready my horse! Hurry! We shall ride to the village and face the demons! We will avenge the villagers in the name of God!” Jeanne called out to her army.
“Aye, aye, Jeanne!” Her men cried out in unison.
Jean d’Aulon quickly fetched Jeanne’s horse and brought it over to her. Jeanne swung up onto the saddle, grabbed the reins, and waited for her men to mount their horses. Once she saw that everyone was ready and simply awaiting her command, she kicked her horse’s sides. “Let’s move out, men!”
“Aye!” The warriors agreed.
Jeanne took off at a gallop, heading for the village, and her men were hot on her heels. Her heart was hammering against the inside of her chest like a sledgehammer. She wondered what she would find when she got to the village. Dantalion…!
Jeanne could see black plumes of smoke rising in the distance. That’s when she and her army emerged from the forest and the village came into view. “Dear God.” The entire village had been burned to the ground, but that was not all. The heads of the slaughtered villagers had been cut off and stuck on the tops of the sharp, wooden poles that made up the fence that surrounded the entire village. It was a macabre sight.
Jeanne heard John throw up behind her. As she drew closer to the village she could clearly see that some of the human heads were the heads of women and their children. Jeanne’s blood boiled in anger. Dantalion was a liar! He’d done this…monstrosity. He was a demon. A cold-blooded, dark-hearted murderer.
“Dantalion!” Jeanne roared as she charged the front entrance of the village and unsheathed her sword, a wild look in her bright green eyes. She would find Dantalion and kill him.
Jeanne rode right through the front gate, into the village, and down the main dirt road. She spotted a figure ahead of her. The figure’s back was turned to her, but she saw a head of dark hair and a long billowing cape. That menacing presence had to be Dantalion. “Dantalion!” Jeanne shouted again, outraged.
The rider turned the horse around to face Jeanne to reveal that the rider was not Dantalion, but the most stunning woman Jeanne had ever seen. Long, wavy, raven-black locks of hair cascaded down all around the woman’s shoulders. She had ivory skin, a sloping nose, lips as red as rose petals, and eyes the color of polished steel. The female rider was wearing a black leather, lace-up corset, tight, black leather pants, knee boots with four-inch heels, and a long cape with a red lining. That cape was very similar to the cape Dantalion had worn. That’s when Jeanne noticed the tiny little horns poking out of the woman’s head. She was a demon.
She’s a demon. Jeanne realized as she urged her horse closer. The she-demon smiled, revealing her pointed fangs, and there was blood dripping from her blade. “Where is Dantalion?” Jeanne demanded loudly.
The she-demon’s gray eyes narrowed at Jeanne then, and she looked Jeanne over critically. The she-demon breathed in deep before seconds later a frown was marring her pretty face. Her steel eyes were glittering with malice. “I can smell him on you, female. You must be Jeanne d’Arc.”
A muscle beneath Jeanne’s eye ticked and she let the insult pass. “And who the hell are you supposed to be?”
“I happen to be Dantalion’s fiancée.” The she-demon declared with a toss of her hair behind her shoulder. “Lilith is my name.”
Fiancée? Jeanne’s heart turned to ice in her chest. This beautiful, exotic she-demon was Dantalion’s fiancée? “Fiancée?” Jeanne shook her head. “Where is Dantalion?”
Lilith smiled again as she noted the sadness in Jeanne’s eyes. “My love is busy at the moment. He has more important things to be doing than to be playing with you, Jeanne, and so he sent me to finish things. I’m here to kill you. Dantalion wants you dead, you see. You know about his creed, right? Well, he can’t kill women or children. You fall into both categories, I suppose, and that’s why he asked, no, begged me to kill you for him!” Lilith cackled evilly with a hand upraised in front of her mouth.
Jeanne was shaking her head, not wanting to believe Lilith’s cruel words. Dantalion had sent his fiancée Lilith to kill her? No! She didn’t want to believe it but…
Dantalion was a demon. And demons were known for being deceptive. I’m such a fool.
“Now die! Jeanne d’Arc!” Lilith suddenly cried as she twirled her sword over her head and charged towards Jeanne.
Jeanne’s well-honed battle reflexes were all that saved her from the deathblow, so distracted was she by her tumultuous thoughts. Her sword seemed to rise of its own accord and she blocked the deadly swing of Lilith’s sword. Their swords clashed viciously.
Jeanne returned her attention to her fierce opponent. After hearing of Dantalion’s betra
yal the last thing she felt like doing was fighting for her life. Instead she wanted to crawl into a hole and die, but…she wouldn’t give Dantalion the satisfaction. I will not cry. Sadness was quickly shifting to anger. She couldn’t afford to be sad. Sadness would make her weak. But anger…that would make her strong, powerful. It always had.
Dantalion! How dare he betray me? How dare he toy with my emotions? She’d almost fallen in love with that evil demon. No, I wasn’t in love…that was temporary insanity! I will kill his evil fiancée who enjoys killing women and children, and then I will hunt him down and kill him next!
“Argh!” Jeanne let out a battle cry and attacked Lilith more viciously and desperately than before. “Are you the one who killed them? Those innocent women and children!”
Lilith smiled and licked her blood-red lips. “Yes, I killed them. I also cut their heads off and put them on the fence. I believe it brightened this place up considerably. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Jeanne gawked back at the she-demon in disbelief as she spoke as if she were talking about adding potted plants to a house. “How could you think that? How could you do something like that?”
“I hate humans.” The she-demon snarled. “So it was my pleasure.” Lilith had been created to be Adam’s first wife. But when she refused to lie below Adam during sexual intercourse, and he refused to have sex with her that way she was forced to leave the Garden of Eden. After that she’d encountered Samael, a handsome demon, who’d been kind to her and who became her lover. She spawned hundreds of half-demon children with him. Most of her children didn’t look normal and had horns and superhuman strength. The humans hunted down and killed most of Lilith’s children because of their difference. She would never forget that. To her this was simply settling the score.
After her death, her soul was damned to Hell where Lucifer had then rewarded Lilith for her evil ways by granting her power.
She’s evil. Pure evil. Jeanne thought to herself as she let her righteous anger consume her. Her sword began to glow, pulse with a golden aura of power. “I will destroy you, you evil she-demon and avenge those poor children!” Oh Dantalion, you promised me! You lied to me!
Lilith raised an eyebrow at Jeanne and did not appear to be too concerned. “A mere human, defeat me? I don’t think so. I’ll be adding your pretty head to the fence next and then I’ll show it to my beloved.” The she-demon cackled shrilly.
Jeanne swung her sword at Lilith’s head. The she-demon raised her sword to block the attack and smiled cruelly. “That won’t work.”
“Oh? It won’t?” Jeanne challenged, pushing her sword against Lilith’s with all her might and summoning her power. Her sword cut right through Lilith’s sword, and before the demon could react Jeanne’s sword was slicing into Lilith’s neck.
“No, imposs-” Lilith croaked out as Jeanne cut her head off. Blood spurted from Lilith’s severed neck. Jeanne had managed to defeat the immortal she-demon. But she didn’t really feel happy about it. She felt…dirty somehow.
Lilith’s spirit left her body and howled with rage and disbelief. Jeanne was unable to see or hear her though. A mere human female had killed her! Lilith! Adam’s first wife! “Oh, you’ll pay! You haven’t seen the last of me, Jeanne the Maid! I curse you in this life and in the next! Wherever you are I will find you, make your life a living hell, and then kill you!” She flew off in search of a human woman she could possess. The vessel would have to be a medium and those were extremely rare however.
“Yea! Jeanne!” “Jeanne!” Her men cried out in triumph, their voices rising up all around her, and time that had seemed to slow down around Jeanne suddenly began to pick up speed again. Only seconds before it had felt like it was just Jeanne and Lilith fighting, and the rest of the world didn’t exist. But now the rest of the world came back into focus full force.
Jeanne looked around and noted that her army was fighting against the demons and winning. The demons’ cries of pain were filling the air but there were also the unmistakable cries of pain that were coming from her men. There was so much bloodshed. Demons and her knights were falling all around her. Jeanne knew that her army would win this battle, but God’s army had taken a hard blow that day. She would have to speak to King Charles VII to send her more soldiers if she were to continue her divine purpose. She knew that the treaty with the English wouldn’t last forever. Michael had told her so.
Jeanne was covered in blood from head to toe, and so were her men. Demon blood. Jeanne galloped down the dirt road, leaned over the side of her horse and reached down to grasp Lilith’s head. She continued her way through the town while holding the demoness’ head. “I have killed your leader! If you stay you shall meet the same fate! This battle is over!” Jeanne announced, rode over to the fence, and stuck Lilith’s head on top of it in a gruesome manner.
“God’s Chosen Warrior has defeated Lilith!” The demons all looked at Jeanne fearfully as if she were a demon before they called a swift retreat. “She’s too powerful. Retreat!”
Jeanne’s men cheered loudly in response at the sight of the fleeing demons, and Jeanne smiled. Now she just needed to take Dantalion’s head next. Dantalion, your head will be mine!
***
It had taken five days for Dantalion to finish repairing Lucifer’s obsidian throne, and the damage he’d caused to the throne room itself. Now he was finally allowed to go back to Earth, gather his army, and say goodbye to Jeanne d’Arc.
The demon Duke strode out into the courtyard of Lucifer’s palace. His horse was already tacked and waiting for him. A minion was currently holding the reins while waiting for Dantalion. Dantalion mounted his hellish steed, and took off towards the front gate. The gate was raised and Dantalion rode out across the moat. A smile tugged at his lips. Soon he would get to see Jeanne again, and he’d be able to tell her the good news. The Apocalypse was no more! He couldn’t wait to see his fierce beauty. Mine.
Dantalion rode hard across the barren, rocky ground towards the portal Lucifer had opened to enable his army to be able to go to Earth. The circle of large flat stones and the larger center stone was a mirror image of the formation that was on Earth. Dantalion spotted the portal in the distance about a hundred yards away. But the center flat stone appeared…different. The portal appeared to be less stable since the red and black energy was no longer swirling perfectly but coils of energy were spinning off chaotically into the air.
A scowl formed on Dantalion’s face. He wondered if the reason why the portal had weakened was because he’d just defeated Lucifer in battle. The portal was directly linked to Lucifer after all so it would make sense. Dantalion realized that he probably didn’t have much time left. He would have to gather his army as quickly as possible and return to Hell before his demons were trapped upon the Earth. If his demons were trapped on Earth there would be no controlling them for long. Dantalion entered the portal and was instantly transported to the French countryside. Now all he had to do was find his army and then Jeanne.
Dantalion knew he should have searched out his army first, but his need to see Jeanne was greater. He rode through the circular formation of flat stones and ended up searching for Jeanne instead. He caught her unique scent of dew-laden grass and honeysuckles upon the wind and followed it. Dantalion found Jeanne in a field of wild flowers. There were hundreds of the white and yellow flowers swaying in the breeze. Jeanne was standing next to an enormous fig tree and had her back to him. Dantalion could see that she was holding her sword, but what was strange was that Jeanne wasn’t dressed in her usual armor. Instead, Jeanne was wearing a beautiful, white, flowing dress. Dantalion’s heart sped up at the sight of her. She looked angelic.
“Jeanne!” He rode up to her and dismounted from his horse, a wide grin on his face. “I have good news. I ‘negotiated’ with Lucifer and he agreed to stop the Apocalypse.”
Lies. Don’t listen to his lies. Jeanne thought.
“Jeanne? Look at me.” Dantalion urged as he put a hand o
n her shoulder and spun her around to face him.
Her green eyes were cold and emotionless, shuttered. But Dantalion still sucked in a breath at her beauty. “Jeanne, what’s wrong?” Dantalion asked concernedly when she still did not respond. Had something happened to her while he was away? Was she hurt?
Jeanne suddenly shoved him roughly up against the fig tree and in a blink she was kissing him.
Dantalion was surprised at first by her bold move, but quickly gave in to the kiss, eagerly kissing her back. She pressed her body up against his, and when he felt her soft chest pressing against his rock-hard torso he groaned into her mouth.
Abruptly, she pulled back. “Are you aroused, demon?” She sneered. “Do you crave my flesh? You are truly…disgusting.”
Dantalion was able to see the hate and disgust in Jeanne’s green eyes now. Her emotions no longer hidden. “Jeanne?” Dantalion frowned at her words and his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?” He tried again, his voice rough with lust.
“You were stupid to think that I ever desired you, demon.” She spat. A heartbeat later, Jeanne smiled, but it was a smile completely devoid of warmth and happiness. It was cold, cruel, angry.
Dantalion gasped when he felt a sword pierce his stomach. Jeanne ran him through with her sword completely and pined him to the fig tree that was behind him. “I have you now, demon. There is no escape. You shall pay for your crimes.” I should take his head now that I have the chance. Jeanne prepared to remove her sword from Dantalion’s body so that she could decapitate him, but her body wasn’t listening to her. She couldn’t let go of her sword’s hilt for some reason and her hands were beginning to tremble.
She stared into Dantalion’s golden eyes that look shocked, hurt and betrayed. His expression hurt her in turn and her eyes burned. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I kill him? I must! I’ve been ordered by God to do so…but I just can’t. I can’t kill him. I won’t!
“Jeanne!” Dantalion began to struggle, but found that he was indeed unable to move. Was this because she’d impaled him with her sword to this holy fig tree? Had that worked as a kind of seal?
Jeanne let go of the sword’s hilt and took a step back. “Michael!” She called out desperately at the top of her lungs.
There was a flash of bright light and there standing next to Jeanne was an impressive Archangel. He looked oddly familiar to Dantalion and his head throbbed as he tried to remember where he’d seen this man before. The Archangel had golden-brown eyes, wavy, shoulder-length, golden-blonde hair, a square jaw, a blade of a nose and sun-kissed skin. He was tall, and had the muscled body of a warrior. There was a sword strapped to his side.
Michael looked at Jeanne before his gaze fell upon Dantalion. The Archangel’s eyes widened before they narrowed at the demon. “You did it. You managed to capture the demon, Jeanne.” He sounded surprised.
Jeanne spun, putting her back to Dantalion now but not before he’d seen the tears in her eyes. “I told you this pathetic demon lusted after my flesh. He was easy to distract.” She tried to sound nonchalant but her voice cracked.
Michael nodded, a hard look in his eyes. “Well, what are you waiting for? Take his head.”
“I-” Jeanne paused, shook her head and wrapped her arms around her chest. “Death would be too good for him.”
Michael gave Jeanne a scrutinizing look. “How about I put him into an eternal sleep. Since you’ve already managed to seal him to that tree that should be easy enough and he should be no threat after that.” Michael suggested, and when Jeanne didn’t stop him he raised his hands and began to chant a spell. He watched Jeanne out of the corner of his eyes, wondering if she would stop him. If she tried to stop him, he would probably stop even though it would mean that the wrath of God would be upon him. His hands glowed with a golden light. I saw the way she looks at him. She’s in love with this demon. She failed to kill him. I have to tell God. It is my duty.
Dantalion’s hurt expression turned enraged. He couldn’t understand why Jeanne was doing this. She was betraying him when he’d risked everything for her: his friendship with Lucifer, his position in Hell and even his very life. No! “Jeanne! Why are you doing this? Why are you betraying me?”
You betrayed me first. Jeanne thought to herself before turning her back to the demon. “Goodbye and good riddance, Dantalion.” She sounded firm, cold, and perhaps she didn’t realize it but tears were streaming down her cheeks.
It gave Dantalion a small hope. A doubt.
Michael watched Jeanne go with a warm look in his eyes. Dantalion noticed the possessive look in the Archangel’s eyes. This Archangel was in love with Jeanne as well. That sneaky Archangel…he’s going to separate me from Jeanne! If I could move I would take the head from his shoulders!
The angel seemed to feel Dantalion’s heated gaze upon him and turned to face the demon. “What are you looking at, demon?”
“Curse you, Michael! I won’t forget this! I will have your head!” Dantalion roared as a series of leafy vines began to wrap around and cover his entire body. The vines even began to wind around his head until they blocked his vision, leaving him in darkness, and that’s when his eyelids began to feel heavy. He tried to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids were like lead. His eyelids drooped, closed, and he fell into a deep sleep.
To be continued in…Drink 9: Manhattan
Dantalion: “Good evening, inferior human, tonight I will be getting you between the sheets.”
Reader: “Yay!”
Dantalion: “I mean, I’m going to tell you how to make the cocktail Between The Sheets. First, rim a martini glass with sugar. You can do that by grabbing a half a lemon and making a little notch in it with your knife. Apply that notch around the edge of the glass, and go as far down as you want the rim of sugar to go. It’d say about a centimeter or half a centimeter. Grab a bowl of sugar and rim the glass with sugar by rolling the glass in the sugar bowl. Begin building the cocktail in the shaker tin with 1 1/4 ounces of brandy, 1 ounce of white rum, and 1/2 an ounce of cointreau. Cut another lemon in half and juice one half of a lemon into the shaker. Finally, add 1/2 an ounce of simple syrup (an easy concoction to make by boiling water and adding sugar together in equal parts). After that add ice to the shaker tin, shake it twenty-six times, strain and pour into your sugar-rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a curl of lemon peel. Enjoy. I regret that I did not get Jeanne between the sheets before I was sealed away.”
Wicked Bartender PG-13 Version Page 13