Devil's Advocate

Chapter 7

"Hey, Odessa," I said and landed by the cell.

"You're back," she said dryly.

"Yeah, I'm back."

"Get the answers you needed?"

"Sort of."

"Good."

"Is something the matter?" I asked and walked towards the bars, but she jumped towards me, her arm reaching through the bars and almost scratching me.

I moved aside as her arm flailed around a bit before she stopped. Gritting her teeth and bearing her fangs, she grabbed onto the bars, seething with anger.

"What's gotten into you, Odessa?"

"Your little friend came over and decided it was a good time to interrogate me."

"Interrogate?"

"Well, maybe not interrogate, but she left me with the impression that she didn't like me."

"That's how things are going to be, Odessa. Some angels up here are not going to accept you."

"Do you?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Do you accept me?"

"No. I do not."

A low growl emmitted from her throat before she reached over, grabbing me by the front of my toga. She pulled me towards her, but the bars were what kept me safe.

"Then why are we doing this?" she growled. "Why are we playing pretend? So you can prove your mother right? So you can get even more reputation to your name? Do you even want to do this? Or are you doing this more for your mother's sake? Do you even want to make amends to what I did to your father? If you don't accept me, then why don't you just kill me like you were informed to do?!" she roared.

"Odessa, you didn't let me finish," I said, placing my hand around her wrist. "I do not accept you, yet."

"Will you angels ever? You're all the same. So prejudice to those who don't think like you or act like you. We're all different beings. Do I expect you to make peace with the dragons, Wendigo, and Banshee's? Hell, even all of the immortal beings in this world?"

"No," I simply said. "I am not going to make peace with every immortal being because we don't have issues with them. So there is nothing to resolve. But," I removed her wrist from my toga and opened up her palm. I placed my hand on hers and looked into those dangerous amber eyes, "If I can make peace with you and show everyone here that we can, not for any personal reasons tied to the decision, but truly come together because we enjoy one another's company, then I am willing to do whatever it takes."

A low growl emitted from her throat as she looked into my eyes, "So you're not doing this just to play pretend? And hope for a dream that can't be achieved?"

"I am not going to play pretend with you, Odessa," I said, my fingertips brushing over her palm.

Her fingers, which were once tense, straightened out, loosening up. She shuddered, her wings shaking slightly and her eyes became half lidded.

"W-What are you doing?"

"I hope we can achieve this dream. But if we are, we need to work together."

The other hand that was gripping the bars, clenched onto it tightly as she slowly knelt to the ground, her hand still being in my grasp.

"Y-Y/N," she breathed out. "W-What are you doing to me?"

"I tried this on many devils and they all had the same reaction."

"W-What is it doing to me?"

"Calming you down. The reason you're on the ground is because there was so much tension in your body that when it all released at once, your muscles forgot to contract once more to keep you upright. This happened to all of the devils I did this to. And it was the first time I had done it to them."

"H-How do you know this calms us down?"

"I experimented of course. You're not the first devil we captured and didn't immediately kill. There were a couple devils I tried to prove we could befriend, but they weren't cooperative to where I had to have my higher up oversee my interactions."

"Why's that?"

"They all tried to kill me. So we killed them. We considered them failed experiments and so my higher up suspended my research on devils and made me focus on capturing you. Now that you were a bit more cooperative, unlike the others, I think we have a chance."

"And what if I wasn't cooperative?" she asked, slowly standing up.

"We would have killed you."

Looking deeply into my eyes, as if staring straight into my soul, she read my bluff instantly.

"You might not have, but the others would have."

"You are certainly correct."

She chuckled, "You're kinda easy to read."

"When I am around you, I try to be easy to read."

"Why?"

"If I am to build a trust in you and if you are to build a trust in me, I might as well be easy to read. The easier the better. However, I still have trouble reading you at times."

"You really think an angel can read a devil that easily?"

"No, but you're certainly harder to read than your comrades."

"They're nothing compared to me. They're weaklings while I am the apex devil Satan has created. Even when he gave me some of his blood, he knew I'd become the best of the best."

"And yet here you are, the apex devil beneath Satan himself, locked up in a cage by the very beings you seek to kill."

Clenching her jaw, she pulled her lip back in a snarl. A burning rage was seen within her eyes as I knew she wanted to strike me down right then and there, but as I kept running the pads of my fingers on her palm, that anger ceased and she let out a sigh, her chin touching the top of her chest.

"Now that I know what makes you calm down, be a good devil and behave."

"You're playing with fire here, Y/N."

"I know I am, but if we are to become friendly towards one another, friendly fire must be an option."

"What you said, wasn't considered friendly fire."

"I know it wasn't. Which means you can have a jab at me."

"I can't think of anything right now."

"When you think of it," I pushed her arm through the space between the bars to where it was beside her body. "Feel free to spit it out."

Peeking behind that curtain like hair of hers, the slight sight of amber was revealed. I chuckled slightly to myself.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Just thinking how cute it looks to see a devil grumpy," I said and opened my wings, flying away.

"Cute?!" was all I heard as I flew back towards home.