Beautiful Monster

Life, Love and the Pursuit of Knowledge

“Did you really learn about Satan and Lucifer and what they did with the fire in a book?” Evelyn asked once they had returned to the room and had settled down on the bed.

“Yes I did.” Asmodeus said, reaching around Evelyn to pick up the he was reading earlier and placed on the bedside table. “In fact, the story was in this exact book.” He opened the book and started flipping through the pages.

Evelyn bit her lip and turned to look at the paper and the words on them that were in a language she could never hope to understand, her heart still pounding from the brief contact of Asmodeus’s arm against her stomach as he reached for the book.

“Do you understand this?” Asmodeus suddenly asked her, holding out the open book towards her so she could get a better look at the words on it.

“No.” Evelyn said slowly, shooting Asmodeus a quizzical look. “I was just about to ask you what language that was, I don’t recognize it”

Asmodeus nodded as if confirming something in his head.

“It’s a language you could never have seen before.” He said, a bit distractedly.

“And that language is?” Evelyn asked a bit impatiently as Asmodeus wondered off into his own world.

Asmodeus looked at her and smiled. “It’s the language of demons little one.”

Evelyn’s face scrunched up in confusion. “I don’t understand.”

“Unlike you humans, with so many different languages, we demons have only one universal language. And every demon knows it, and can speak it.” He said.

“So this is the demon language?” Evelyn asked, tapping on one of the pages of the open book.

“Yes.” Asmodeus said.

“Wait.” Evelyn said, as something just occurred to her. “If you guys only speak one language, how can I possibly understand you, since I definitely haven’t learned your language? I only know one.”

Asmodeus shifted uncomfortably. “It’s a mystery.” He said, not looking her in the eye. “Maybe the reason will become more apparent later.”

Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him. “I think you’re lying.” She said. “I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Asmodeus grinned down at her. “My dear, there is lots of things I’m not telling you. You’re going to have to be more specific about what information you believe me to be withholding.” He said.

Evelyn crossed her arm over her chest. “Oh yeah, how about you tell me some of the information you’ve been withholding and I’ll see if it’s on my list.”

“Nah-uh.” Asmodeus said, shaking his head. “It doesn’t work that way.” He said, leaning down towards Evelyn, forcing her to lean back until her head hit the pillow. “You must tell me information. Or do you not know any.”

“I-I-I know some.” Evelyn said, acutely aware of the scant inches that separated her face from Asmodeus’s. “Just give me a moment to think.”

“I’m still waiting.” Asmodeus said, sounding amused.

“I give up.” Evelyn finally said, after about a minute of trying to jumpstart her thought process despite her proximity to Asmodeus, and failing miserably. “But I’m still angry with you.”

“Well, then.” Asmodeus said, placing a hand on her cheek and bringing his face closer to hers. “I’ll just have to fix that.” He added bringing his lips to hers.

Evelyn froze upon the first contact of his lips with hers. But when his lips started moving against hers instinct took over. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face closer, moving her lips in sync with his.

Suddenly the door flew opened startling Evelyn so much that she pulled away from Asmodeus and fell off the bed, hitting her head on the bedside table on the way down.

Asmodeus growled at the person at the door. While Evelyn, still on the floor and rubbing the back of her head, turned to glare at the intruder, feeling her face heat up.

Mammon held up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” He said, hardly sounding apologetic. He sounded as if he was trying to suppress laughter. “I just came to inform you that we were going to discuss some possible ways to defend people at the ball in case of attack. Since Satan and Lucifer refuse to cancel it.”

“Thanks for informing me of this.” Asmodeus said, hardly sounding grateful.

“No problem, I’ll just wait out here until you are ready to go.” Mammon said, leaving the room but not before taking one last look at the couple and chuckling under his breath.

“One of these days I’m going to remember to lock that door.” Asmodeus said as he swung his legs around and jumped off the edge of the bed, on the side that Evelyn had fallen off of.

Once he was standing above Evelyn he held out a hand to help her up. “Are you coming?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Evelyn said, removing the hand that was rubbing the back of her head and placing it hesitantly into Asmodeus’s hand.

He closed his fingers around her hand and pulled her up. “We’ll finish what we started later.” He said, flashing her a blinding smile.

Evelyn turned bright red and Asmodeus chuckled at her face. And still keeping a hold of her hand, he walked towards the door and pulled it open. “We’re ready.” Asmodeus said to Mammon.

“Good. Let’s go. Onward” Mammon said, turning and walking down the hall with Asmodeus and Evelyn following him.