The Threshold

by Davina Blayde

  “Sit, please.” He waited at the back of the chair for her to be seated before pushing it in firmly.

  He returned to his large chair and resumed his position at the head of the table. With his permission she helped herself to the steaming plates of food, eating in silence as she was now famished from denying her body sustenance the day before. She stole glances at Belial in between bites and was thankful he was not watching her with those penetrating eyes of his. Again she noticed his attire was mostly black. Does he wear any other color? she thought as she took in his appearance. It was beautiful up against his light hair, though. His hair, while loose the day before, was now pulled back to accentuate his features, of which were astounding to the eye. As she stared at him he looked as though he had been perfectly formed, not an unappealing feature present on his face. Especially when he was unaware that someone was observing him, his manner calm and his look serene. Unlike when he was aware of someone’s gaze; then he would mask his angelic features in an arrogant sneer until his face contorted into an icy glare or he’d smirk affectively.

  “So how was your sleep, Mara?” Belial asked, not looking up from his plate.

  “Fine, it was greatly needed. Were you able to indulge in your nap?” Mara asked back.

  “Yes,” he lied, “Greatly needed as well. Feel quite rejuvenated now, back to my old self,” he answered, smiling.

  “Glad to hear it. In fact, I like you better this way,” she replied. He shot a look to her when she said this, sharpness beneath those blue eyes that disappeared a second later.

  “So do I,” he lied and took another bite. She went back to eating and did not see how hard his jaw was clenching down as he chewed, sullenly taking in her last comment about his personality.

  Eventually breaking the silence with a question Mara asked, “Do you know why the emperor wants to see me?”

  “No, that I don’t know,” was his answer as he set down his silverware and regarded her with interest. “You must be special, though, since he sent me to find you and bring you to him. What about you? Do you have any idea why he would request your presence?”

  His question provoked her feelings of angst and she thought it over but could not come up with a solid answer, for him or for herself.

  He must have taken her silence for what it was, ignorance, because he then suggested that perhaps Lucifer had taken a fancy to her and that was the reason behind his sudden attention.

  “But I’ve never even met him, or seen him for that matter,” she exclaimed.

  “Ah, but he sees you. I can assure you,” Belial replied, smiling inwardly as he watched her fiddle with her fingers on her lap as she begun to grasp the possibility of the harsh reality of her situation. He watched her throat as she swallowed, gulping down the dread which had formed inside her tight body.

  “You think he’s attracted to me?” she managed to all but stutter out of her mouth. She looked at him, eyes a bit wider than usual, silently pleading with him that it was all some kind of joke.

  “Perhaps, like I said. Then again, I could be wrong. Oh, don’t fret, dear lady. He’s not all that bad I suppose, once you get to know him. Besides, you don’t need to worry about that right now, you’re not in his company yet. You’re here with me. No one’s going to harm you if you’re around me,” Belial assured her as he reached across the table and patted her hand lightly, all the while imagining his hands roaming over her body in his own roughly loving way.

  She was not, at first glance, his type. With her small frame and almost invisible curves, she was rather homely in her appearance, which was why she had not made a daring first impression on him back in the southern region. Unlike Druj, who possessed every physical attribute a man could ever desire in a woman. But he did not let that fact deter him from his task at hand, which was to learn as much about little miss Mara as he could while completely seducing her. He noticed her body tense as he touched her hand and secretly relished the feeling of intimidation he struck in her heart, but took on a comforting tone outwardly to banish her fear.

  “Do I scare you?” he asked in a feigned pleasant tone, his hand still resting atop hers, trying to feel the slight tremble of her bony hand. Whether she was tense and trembling from fear or from desire didn’t matter to him. He always felt that fear and desire should go hand in hand.

  “Scare me?” she asked, her hazel eyes glancing nervously at his, “No, not at all.”

  That was a blatant lie, he could tell. And so could she for that matter.

  He smiled knowingly and then slowly dragged his hand over hers as he pulled away, noticing her body relax as his touch left it. Leaning back in his chair, he decided to let the lie go for now; it would be better if she continued to believe that she could fool him some of the time, anyway.

  “That’s good to know,” he said, folding his hands on his stomach. “I’m the last one you should be in fear of. But, it’s good to see that will not be a problem.”

  She smiled quickly while keeping her full lips closed and breathed a sigh through her nose as she turned back to her plate.

  “Not in the mood to chat?” Belial asked after a moment of silence.

  “Sorry, this is all just…unusual for me,” Mara answered quietly, digging in her food with her fork.

  “This is most unusual for me as well. I’ve never had to baby-sit before but I find it to be quite interesting,” Belial replied as he watched her shoot an accusatory glance his way.

  “Baby-sit? That’s what your instructions were? Am I an incompetent to you and your emperor?” she asked with malice.

  Seeing a first glimpse of the fiery demeanor she was rumored to have in her gaze and tone of voice, Belial was slightly surprised at her quick attitude change. But then he watched her face calm slightly and she watched him instead with blatant curiosity.

  “No, you’re not incompetent. We’ve simply heard that you have a bit of a problem with authority, that’s all. My instructions are as I’ve told you, to keep you here until Lucifer sends for you.”

  “To keep me out of trouble, is that it?” she asked hotly.

  “Precisely,” Belial replied. “Can’t have you causing any more chaos here, now, can we?” he joked.

  She failed to see the humor evidently as she scooted her chair out and stood up.

  “Thank you for breakfast,” she said curtly, “but I’m afraid I don’t have much of an appetite.”

  With that, she turned stiffly and headed out of the dining room and up the stairs.

  ***

  Belial sat for a moment trying to figure out what he had said to make her act so rudely and when he couldn’t put a finger on anything, he stood up and followed after her intent on finding out. She was already at the top of the stairs. He could see the flash of blue from the gown that she was wearing as she took the top step.

  “Halt right there!” he demanded.

  He watched her stop but she did not turn to face him.

  “You best explain why you so rudely departed from your meal,” he said sharply. He watched her sigh from the back and she turned around, looking at him steadily.

  “I did not like the way the conversation was going,” she stated.

  “You mean, you had a problem with the mention that you had to be watched,” he assumed.

  “Frankly, yes,” she answered. Her lips were pursed and a slight frown contorted her features.

  Belial bit his tongue at her bratty attitude and willed himself to respond in a kinder manner.

  “I apologize if my choice of words upset you. I just happen to speak freely about things I shouldn’t, old habit of mine,” he finished absently.

  She considered this briefly, looking down at his sincere face. The most sincere face he was able to make, anyway.

  “I suppose it’s alright. Even though I don’t like knowing that everyone thinks I need a babysitter around here. It’s a tad embarrassing, you know,” she said.

  He gave her an apologetic smile and responded with a lilting voice, “Y
es, I imagine. I won’t bring it up again. Now, won’t you come back down?”

  He gestured to the side where the dining hall was located as he said this and then continued, “There are some things that need to be discussed.”

  Coming to the conclusion that she would have to go back down eventually anyway, she decided now was as good a time as any to join Belial and discuss the details of their arrangement, so she started back down the staircase and met him at the bottom. He took her hand and led her back to her chair and sat a moment later, gazing intently at her before he prompted the conversation.

  “I believe I was about to get the rules out of the way before our conversation took an unexpected turn,” he said seriously.

  “Yes,” she confirmed as she sat up straight and prepared herself for the list of rules he was about to name off.

  “There aren’t many,” he began, “just a few traditional ones, such as the wiping your shoes before stepping into this chamber if you should leave, always wear proper attire when out of your room, and always do as I ask of you. Other than that, you are pretty much free to do as you please.” He spoke with refined authority as he sat stock still in his chair regarding her with a set gaze.

  She looked at him strangely until he saw fit to inquire why she was just staring at him.

  “For an inhabitant of this…place, you sure have a strange lifestyle,” she risked. As a demon, especially a high-ranking one, she would have expected him to behave much as his peers did with undignified manners and random actions. He was the only one she had managed to bump into during her short stay in the infernal regions that seemed graceful and worthy of a sort of resentful respect in her eyes. He was arrogant at times, for sure, but that was slightly understandable with a reputation such as his.

  “Congratulations, I think you’ve just pinpointed why I live way up here all by myself,” he responded in earnest.

  “I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Mara said hesitantly.

  “Of course not,” he answered shortly, softly drumming his fingers upon the table.

  “It must be your choice, though,” she said, as his eyes quickly flashed up from his hand to her face, “residing in solitude, I mean. There must be plenty of feminine company for you.”

  She stopped her observation abruptly when he looked at her with a surprised expression mixed with a hint of sultry undertones.

  “I’ve heard the stories,” she said by way of explanation.

  She noticed him nod slightly at this but his penetrating gaze remained locked onto hers, tempting her into a trance. She didn’t look away however, choosing instead to keep her darker eyes on his pale ones as she was not willing to back down from this staring contest. His eyes, though pale and bright on the outside, housed such darkness within their crystal covers, spiraling endlessly into an abyss. The intimidated feeling he had inspired the day before had ceased to exist for now, and in its place a quiet wonderment blossomed behind her eyes. She was staring into Belial’s soul, astonished by the turbulent waves within, and just as she was about to dive into its stormy depths he averted his gaze back down to his drumming fingers.

  “We aren’t given much choice about our company down here nor our lifestyle. The longer you’re here the more you’ll learn that we aren’t given much of a choice about anything,” he said finally.

  “You’ve been here since the beginning?” she asked.

  “Since the Fall, yes,” he confirmed, “second oldest to all who dwell here.”

  “Did you reside in Heaven as well?”

  “For a time,” he replied in a suave voice that showed no signs of regret. “Although I have never noticed much of a difference between either place. Both are ruled by supremacists who place themselves at the head to rule in their own dictating ways. Neither of them do much of the actual work to keep the powers running smoothly. They just sit back and watch others do it for them. But in reality they are both oblivious to most of the actions taking place beneath their feet.”

  “Most mortals would not agree with you. I’ve lived among them, and they are conditioned to believe that their Lord knows all and has a plan and answer for everything,” Mara began but was cut off by the demon. She decided it was best to remain neutral on this particular topic while discussing it with him to avoid revealing her true identity.

  “That is why mortals are fools, they believe anything they hear. Their Lord, that is if you were referring to the Supreme Being, knows not all of what unfolds in his palace above nor does he know what unfolds here down below. How do you think the revolt happened in the first place? If God had known about its formation and growth, why did he not stop it before it got out of control? Don’t you think, my dear, if God had gotten wind of the war brewing in his own backyard that he would have ceased it before his beloved angels could rise against him? He could have stopped it all, if he was all-powerful as mortals are taught to perceive him. Contrary to popular belief among the weakest of minds, Lucifer was not beyond negotiation at the time of the revolt. I, on the other hand, was. Lucifer holds quite a different opinion than I concerning our previous mentor. Perhaps he will tell you of it some time. I will say if I had my way we all would not be stuck here within these suffocating walls scrounging for breathing room. For Heaven is too large a place with too few occupants. Hell is smaller, with far too many. We’ve been trying to break free of this prison since we arrived and I’ve lost track on how long that’s been. We should all be free to do as we please. We’ve earned it,” Belial preached.

  “If you believe in freedom for all, why do you even have rules?” Mara asked, curious of his answer.

  “Simple vanity and dignity is the answer, my dear. I believe in the power of appearance and respect,” he answered.

  “So the legends regarding your personality are untrue then?”

  “Which legends are you referring to?” he inquired.

  “The ones that say you live by no rules and serve none other than yourself. That you cannot be governed by anyone or anything and that you are the carnal side to all things in existence, in this world and every other,” she said as if reading them off a memorized list.

  He watched her intently as she spoke, never removing his contemplating stare from her lips and when she finished he took in a breath and, while letting it out slowly, asked, “And are these legends mortal-born?”

  She thought briefly, trying to figure out the right thing to say and answered unsurely, “I suppose so. They seem wrong to me, slightly off somehow. But I’ve only been in your presence for a very short while. I don’t think I could make a solid judgment from the little time we’ve shared in each other’s company.”

  “Yes, well, mortals will often create falsities about things they do not understand. That should have been apparent to you while you walked among them. Most of their opinions stem from one-sided stories. They never stop to think that there might be a whole other half that they are missing. Most of them just accept the first thing that comes along, whether or not it’s the truth they still cling to it because they need something to use as an excuse for their actions or as something to fall back on when they can’t think for themselves. As I said before, the weakest minds are possessed by the ones God has granted the ultimate freedom. The freedom of choice, they have free will. They have been given the ultimate gifts and what have they done with them time and again? Destroyed themselves, it never fails. Each time they do it, the slate is wiped clean and they begin again to end up back where they started. They never learn. They are given the ability to think, that’s their biggest problem. They question all the wrong things, destroying the only things that could ensure their survival because they think it’s a threat to them. If you give them the tiniest bit of information they use it to play God. That is their downfall. And even though it gets more predictable each time they do it, it still makes for a great show.”

  “Isn’t that Lucifer’s plan, though, to destroy mankind?” she asked.

  “Destroy mankind? No, Lucifer does not want to dest
roy mankind. That’s not his job,” Belial answered in a distant voice. He sighed and went on, “No, his job is to sit on his throne, waving his scepter around while making sure that no one disrupts the balance of good and evil within these walls until it is time to walk among the mortals to conflict their minds, much like the job of the Supreme Being. Even here, there are rules. Lucifer must follow them as dutifully as his disciples. This is not a place of all-out chaos, as it is greatly believed to be. Again, that is a product of a weak imagination. Everyone here has specific tasks that are assigned to them by the Grand Council. Personally, I don’t think Lucifer cares one way or the other about what happens to mankind anymore. I think he’s been here so long that he has accepted his position and doesn’t want to jeopardize it for anyone he considers inferior, including mortals. He knows there are plenty of lower-ranking spirits who want to annihilate human beings and all their inventions and he’s content to let them build their animosity towards them until the time comes to once again wage a war with the opposing forces using mortals as pawns in a game where winner takes all. I don’t know if he even cares about the coming war. The war, which will happen, will not truly change our position unless we win it. If we shall lose, we simply stay here just as we’ve done for eons. Therefore, in Lucifer’s mind, there is nothing truly at stake.”

  “Thanks for the insight,” she said after she was sure he was finished.

  “Don’t mention it. I’ll let you judge, besides, I’m sure our time together will be enough for you to create your own opinion of me,” Belial answered.

  Mara smiled back at him in a polite, curt manner as she continued to admire his honest assessment of the controlling powers, even though she didn’t agree with all of it.

  “But enough about me,” he announced, “let’s hear about you.”

  “What is it you wish to know?” she inquired cautiously. Although she was slightly more comfortable now around him, she wasn’t entirely too keen about revealing heaps of personal information should he want to know it.