by Lily Luchesi
The blonde looked at him, then at her plate, then back to him again. After her mother’s betrayal, it was hard to trust anyone. She sighed.
“Why are you doing this? And why do you care about what I’m going to do?” Jade asked.
He seemed aware of the fact that the Order gave people with power a choice when they reached nineteen. Work for them or be banished, but Jade knew better. There was no way the organisation would let enhanced people go and roam the world at their leisure. There was much more to it, and one day, she planned to find out.
“Is it a crime to want to dine with a fellow witch?” the guy asked.
“No, but people don’t usually do nice for me out of the goodness of their heart.”
“You’re hanging around with the wrong crowd. Spend more time with me and you’ll see…” His voice trailed.
He filled Jade’s glass first with the burgundy liquid, then his.
“Cheers.” He lifted his glass to his guest, then he brought it to his lips.
The girl chose to ignore him and started on her plate. She was glad for the food, but she wouldn’t let her guard down.
She had to find out what his deal was. Was he sent by the Order? There was no way he was a Knight. No, that required a lot of training, which he seemed to lack in abundance.
Once she finished her meal, she took her dishes away and started washing them. Ash was still enjoying his wine and watched her. “Thank you for the company tonight.” He smiled with a little tinge of sadness.
“Thank you for the food. That tasted great. I wasn’t expecting it,” the girl replied.
She moved to take the rest of the dishes away, but he grabbed her wrist instead and made eye contact. He gulped.
“It’s okay. You can go now. I will sort out the rest.”
She moved her hand away, aware of his touch.
“Good night,” she whispered almost breathless, then turned on her heel and left the kitchen.
Chapter Four
Hell was lonely and boring. There were only so many souls to punish, to entertain yourself at their expense. But when some idiot human summoned the Prince of Lust from Hell, oh, he answered. It offered a break from the repetitive nightmare that Asmodeus was forced to endure, trapped in a world that no longer suited him. He walked the Earth several times in different forms over the years and the eccentric prince gained a taste for freedom.
This time when he arrived, Asmodeus found himself faced with a young man in his late teens who wished to play a prank on one of his friends. Typical Earthlings, playing with things that they couldn’t understand. One look at Ash’s real face and the guy fainted. Sheesh.
The prince shook his head and laughed. Were the humans of this time so faint-hearted? He walked to his victim and examined him closer. He could see the emblem on his coat. Roslyn Academy. There was something different about this human, something he couldn’t place without further investigation. He moved his hand and touched the guy’s cheek, and a small jolt passed through the demon’s body. It appeared that this individual was a warlock.
Ash pondered on his situation.
The academy was surrounded by wards, which meant he was trapped. Hell, he had to change his appearance if he wanted to blend in. He thought about it for a second, then glamoured himself. He was the Prince of Lust, and he loved to make females fall head over heels with him. He smirked. This should do it, he thought.
He walked out of the Old Mill and made his way to the main building of the academy.
As Ash walked the narrow path through the garden, a multitude of females stormed towards him. Shit, he’d overdone it. He sighed. Too late to change his appearance now. Dressed in a suit that clung to the right places, a physique and face which appealed to the opposite sex, he was in a lot of trouble.
There was only one girl that didn’t pay much attention to him as she walked past and that intrigued him. He had to find out who she was. There was no way in Hell – pun intended, that there was an actual young woman that resisted his charms. And yet she walked by unmoved by him.
His subconscious told him that he had to meet her. He pressed his admirers for information on the blonde and they all had to say the same thing. She’s dangerous, a freak of nature. Stay away from her.
So many warnings for someone her size. One look at her appearance and she reminded him of another young woman he met centuries ago. His lips curled into a smile. She was worth meeting after all.
…
After introducing himself in the garden, Ash decided that he wanted to spend more time with Jade, so he planned their next meeting. It was unusual for anyone to affect him this way; in all his eons, he never encountered anyone that piqued his interest like her. Strong, beautiful and witty, it was a very rare combination and he decided that she was the right distraction for this time on Earth.
He found out from one of the girls that she liked to eat late at night, to avoid most of the students, and an idea came up to him. Hell wasn’t the place where you could have dinner parties.
An hour before midnight, he conjured the help of the academy’s chef to prepare the food, while he went to raid the cellar for the supplies that he needed for the dinner. And as if by magic, right before the appointed time everything was ready.
He dismissed the cook, and when Jade entered, he started plating up the meal.
After his numerous visits to this land, he started to acquire a taste for the little pleasures in life like food and drink. Especially wine, oh, how he missed the burgundy liquid…
He prepared this to impress her, but it seemed that the gesture put the woman on guard more than anything else.
Did he misread her? Did things change so much since he last visited Earth? He felt confused and frustrated. Mostly frustrated at himself, as it seemed that his techniques of wooing women were antiquated for this time. Was romance dead? No, that couldn’t be.
He watched her lazily, trying to figure out what made her tick. She was too short with her answers and he needed to find more about her and what she liked.
Ash observed her eat her food, while he indulged in his wine. He barely touched his plate. His appetite was gone due to her sudden change.
When she was done, she started washing up. He rolled his eyes. He clearly did something wrong. He didn’t want a maid; he wanted her fire. He grabbed her wrist, and looked her in the eyes. Touching her, sent jolts of electricity though his body. Well, that’s new, he thought.
What if he kissed her soft looking lips, would she slap him? He was dying to find out, but changed his mind at last second. He risked her shutting him down and he couldn’t do that.
After a huge internal debate, he finally released her and sent her on her way. He cleaned the remainder of the dishes and put everything else away.
Ash took the bottle and made his way to the rooftop of the academy. He loved moon bathing.
There were no stars in Hell. He missed laying on the warm tiles at night and stargazing. It went well with the wine and even better if he had a female companion, but he had to settle only for the wine tonight.
The young woman was clearly a mystery, one which he couldn’t wait to unfold…
He fell asleep shortly.
Chapter Five
The next day, Jade made her way to the library to do some research on the sigils. She had texted Aziel the night before in case he had further updates, but he didn’t answer. That was certainly unusual of him. She planned to walk to his dorm and enquire about him later, in case he slept in.
She was dressed in a red flowy dress, tight in all the right places, and her beautiful curly blonde hair cascaded down her back. This was completely different from her usual style, and it turned some heads. An unexpected development for the little witch.
The library was bigger than anyone would imagine, a breathtaking gothic masterpiece made to highlight the wealth of the Order. The whole room was decorated with walnut, from the ceiling to the upper gallery and the furniture. There were two ginormous crystal chand
eliers adorning the chamber, high windows containing bright coloured glass, Greek mythological statues were placed at various intervals throughout the place, and huge bookshelves were stacked all the way to the ceiling.
Jade perused the stacks, picked up a couple of titles, then sat down at one of the tables. Moments later, Ash made his way over, all smiles, carrying a couple of books and took a seat across from the girl. He was humming a song while walking, which attracted the stares of the students.
“Good morning,” he whispered. “You look different today.”
“Good morning,” Jade replied. “What got you into such a good mood?”
“Nothing, just happy to be here… with you. You’re the highlight of my day.” Ash smirked.
The girl rolled her eyes. This was going to be a hell of a day.
“I bet you say that to all the females. Speaking of, where are your admirers today?” the witch probed him.
“I told them to bugger off because there is room only for you in my heart,” he said, still smiling.
Jade choked, which attracted the stares of the other students once again. “Over my dead body,” she whispered.
“You won’t say that once you get to know me better. Have patience with me, baby.” Ash batted his eyelashes.
The girl sighed. There was no way of winning this. She contemplated moving to another table to do her research, but all were taken. Why did he have to be so annoying? And why did he have to seat himself at her table out of all?
“What are you reading, anyway?” the guy asked.
Deep breaths, deep breaths, Jade thought. Maybe she could bore him to death and he’d decide to leave. She’d finally have some peace and quiet. Here’s to hoping.
“I’m doing research on demonic sigils, legions of demons, you know, the usual boring stuff…”
“Okay, I’ve got two questions,” Ash stated.
“Fire away,” Jade replied.
“First, why do you care about demons? It’s not like they’re real anyway,” Ash lied. Hell, he was one of them.
The girl looked at him. “And here I thought you were more than just a handsome face. Well, apparently not.” She shook her head. “Of course they’re real. Look around you. You’re in an academy for enhanced people. I’m a witch, my best friend is kicking ass at swordsmanship, her boyfriend is a newly turned vampire. These things exist, and yes, there could be demons walking around us.”
“I thought you were this fearless witch. You mean to tell me that you’re scared of a little demon?” the boy teased.
“It’s not a joking matter, Ash. We could have a greater demon on our hands.”
“That brings me to my second question. Why do you think there is a demon here?”
“Because. There are loads of signs.” She leaned closer. “I don’t know how much you know since you’re new here…”
“I’m a blank canvas. Enlighten me,” Ash replied, smiling.
“The academy is controlled by the Order of the Dragon. It’s an organisation that deals with supernatural creatures across the whole of Europe. There are anti-demon wards installed around the grounds of the school. They were triggered weeks ago and they sent someone to investigate.”
…
That didn’t make any sense, Ash thought. He’d only arrived there yesterday. Unless…
“There could be more than one,” Jade continued. “But the person who’s been sent to investigate had to go away. He caught a bad case of vampirism.”
The boy laughed. It sounded like people could catch that like the flu. She was funny. He had to give her that.
“It’s real. He had a run in with a vampire and got turned into one. There could be a conspiracy going on, but that’s a story for another day. The problem for him now is that he can’t be a member of the Order anymore, well according to the current heads of the organisation. So, he and my best friend Avery sneaked out to search for one of the founders, Dracula. Rumour has it that he’s still alive somewhere.”
“Hmm, that could work,” Ash replied. Dracula wasn’t down in Hell, so technically he was still alive somewhere. He most certainly didn’t go to Heaven…
“That bought us some time to find the demon and banish it, but not for long. We need to get this sorted soon otherwise the Order will just send more Knights. And these ones are more ruthless than our Vampire Knight.”
“I’ll gladly help you with anything you need,” Ash replied. He knew he had to catch the demon or demons that came ahead of him. If he wanted to stay here longer, he had to banish them before the Order made a move. Although lesser demons couldn’t do him much harm, they could sense him and create a lot of problems for the Prince of Hell.
“Deal. Well, as long as you stop being creepy.” Jade laughed.
“You meant to say charming and got your words mixed up.” Ash smirked.
The girl rolled her eyes. “What am I to do with you?”
“Love me.”
“Hell, no,” Jade replied. She proceeded to ignore him for the remainder of her time in the library.
Chapter Six
Back in his dorm, Ash contemplated his future. He wanted more time on Earth with the little witch, and if the Knights of the Order of the Dragon turned up at the academy, they would most likely banish him back to Hell. They were the only entities wielding artifacts powerful enough to send him to the chasm. They’ve done that for centuries, and he was more than familiar with them.
He paced back and forth in his room, hoping it would help him come up with something.
The day he got summoned, he’d destroyed the sigils that bore his name, but these people weren’t idiots. They had items that helped people see the past as if they were there.
He never considered the Order his personal enemy until now. But he never felt motivated to stay in the realm of humans for too long. Until he met Jade. The moment he saw her, he felt a connection, something he’d never experienced before.
Should he tell her who he was, confess the truth and swear that he means no harm here to anyone?
He was a greater demon, a Prince of Hell. She wouldn’t believe it, and if all the rumours were true the girl was a weapon. If she could control her powers, she wouldn’t need the Order to get rid of him. He’d seen her ancestor at work. He finally figured who she reminded him of, and if she was as powerful as the woman five hundred years ago, she could certainly turn him into dust. Never mind banishing him to Hell, the other solution was more permanent.
Could he appeal to her humanity? Maybe. In all his travels on this land, he’d learned that humans could be compassionate. But would they extend that to a demon?
Fuck, he was running out of options. He had to do something about it soon.
Screams and a huge commotion came from outside. He walked to the window and he could see the Old Mill on fire.
At that moment, Jade entered his room in a panic.
“Who are you really? You’ve got about two minutes to tell me the truth,” the girl inquired.
“What do you mean?” He wasn’t about to confess his identity without a compelling reason.
“Someone set the mill on fire. Aziel has been found dead. The rest of the students have somehow found out about the demons’ issue and they believe it’s you. They’re coming here to lynch you.”
“Let’s say I’m a demon, for argument’s sake. Do you think they can hurt one?” Ash asked concerned about the situation.
“Yes, no creature would stand a chance against them. The Order uses the most powerful students to banish greater demons back to Hell. So, you must tell me fast. Are you one of them?”
“Yes…” he sighed.
“Which one are you?” she inquired unmoved by the revelation.
“Does it matter?” Ash asked, defeated.
“Yes, now hurry, before we’re both dead.”
“Asmodeus,” he whispered the name and the air started to chill around them. He was expecting the girl to hand him over to the mob, but to his surprise she smiled.
Right before the students barged into the dorm, she managed to transport them outside the academy. Luckily, she was able to save them both. Unfortunately, on the other hand, she had no idea where they were.
…
Jade looked around the vast expanse of dessert and could see nothing surrounding them. She was too tired to try the spell again.
Ash looked at the girl, relieved that he was still in one piece.
“Why did you help me? I could see what you were trying to decide what to do with me.”
He was right. She was so close to letting him die. Too close for comfort, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Your name saved you,” she replied. Thousands of thoughts swarmed her mind, but she knew this was their only choice.
“Why? You suddenly liked the sound of my name?” Ash asked, confused by the revelation. He was grateful for being alive but this warranted some explanations.
“No, you dummy. I’ve heard it before, and I’ve seen you, but not in this form.”
She felt betrayed by her own heart. She wished he’d stop asking so many questions. He looked her in the eyes, demanding to know exactly what she meant.
“You’ve appeared in my dreams… At the beginning I thought you were an angel.” She paused. This was something she never told anyone. Not even her best friend.
“Every demon used to be an angel…” he whispered.
“You came to me at a time when I needed someone. I prayed and you’ve answered. My mother sent me to the academy. I tried to kill myself, and they rushed me to the hospital where they’ve induced me in an artificial coma in order to save my life. I kept seeing you in my dreams since ever since.” There was a lot more going on there, but she wouldn’t tell him that.