A Demon's Past

Chapter 21

When Violette returned he was sitting on his couch, drinking his sorrows away, staring at the black ring he always wore.

It pulsed. And every time it did he felt a twinge of pain in his head.

"You look like absolute hell," she mused as she crossed her arms and leaned on a column.

"You use that word too lightly," his own voice felt foreign, but he rasped "You don't know hell."

She came closer and frowned "Are you doing that on purpose?"

"Doing what?" he said, trying but failing to keep the edge of his tone.

"Are your eyes all black because you want to scare me?" she asked incredulously.

Oh, that.

"I'm not doing it on purpose," he confessed, still intently staring at his ring "I am not in control of my actions right now."

"Well that is certainly freaky," she said staring into his eyes "It's like staring into a void of shiny darkness."

He knew what it was like, he'd seen it in other creatures of his kind, and he'd seen it in his leader as he fought and lost. The being of light was as beautiful as anything could ever be, it irradiated light from under its skin and shone brighter than the sun. But its very existence was a contradiction. It would always be.

Seeing something so beautiful have eyes of abyss black was almost traumatizing.

It was then he realized things would not end well for them, but it was too late, the deed had been done. And before he knew it the holy war had been lost.

"How is she?" he whispered because he was still struggling to maintain control and it was taking a toll on his body.

"She's okay," Violette said with a reassuring smile.

"I'm glad she is" he closed his eyes, trying to fight off his headache.

"Okay... What was that?" he heard... someone say. He knew the person who had asked that question but he couldn't for the life of him remember who it was.

He opened his eyes and saw nothing but her face hovering over him. "Andras," Lilah said with a smile, using her dark locks to tickle his cheek. That made him sit up and grab her wrist.

"How long have I been asleep?" he looked around the holy city, seeing the sun reflecting off the golden buildings. He was used to this sight yet it felt...sad. He was lying on what could only be described as a meadow, sheltered by the shadow of a tree.

"For too long, as usual," she tried to snatch her wrist away with a playful smile. Andras then used her momentum to push her down as he grabbed the other wrist and pinned them both above her head using only one hand. She smiled at him, that lovely way she always did.

"Are you calling me lazy?" he said with an amused smile, using half his weight to hold her down.

"Yes," Lilah said unabashedly and he suddenly decided to let her go just so he could tickle her.

Being the trained warrior that she was, she managed to flip him over, this time he was pinned under her. "I won," she teased.

He just stared at her plump pink lips and her porcelain skin, he looked into her blue eyes that held galaxies and her hair that was as black as night, and he said, as honest as ever "I don't think so,"

He would have caressed her cheek had she not been holding his wrists hostage on either side of his head with her small hands. 

His words seemed to distract her enough for him to use his legs to move her to the side. He quickly pinned her down again, "I want to kiss you,"

She gave him a flirty smile "I believe you,"

He could only guess his smile matched hers as he said "You shouldn't let me, you shouldn't want me to," he said, too lost in the moment to care about the consequences.

"I know," she whispered as she stared at his lips, coming closer and closer "But I can't help it."

Andras.

"Andras?"

"Andras!" Suddenly the meadow disappeared and so did the woman he loved.

He felt lost for more time than he'd like to admit, trying to bring his mind back from the past, but it refused to leave. He had a hard time leaving a moment where he was so... happy. 

When he came back the entire room was in flames and Violette was cowering on the balcony to avoid them. Vampires and fire were not a good combination. He blinked and they were gone, and the place looked like nothing had happened.

"What the fuck was that?" she asked, walking back in with a slight tremor in her step.

"I warned you I was not in control," he sighed, getting up to refill his drink, "Why didn't you leave when the fire started?" he asked.

"Because I was busy trying to get you out of whatever trance you were in," she rolled her eyes as she let herself fall onto the couch "You started speaking in a language that was not of this realm,"

Yes, that made sense. "I am not of this realm, sweetheart."

"What the bloody hell was that?" she asked.

That was the question, wasn't it? 

What was that?

The more accurate way to describe it would be a hallucination, but that moment had actually happened. Why was his treacherous mind wandering?

"Things are changing," he wasn't sure if he said that to her or himself, "I have never liked change, so it was comforting to know I am impervious to it," he poured himself more whiskey and drank it all in one go "It seems that is not the case anymore."

"That was never the case, Andras," Violette said as he decided whiskey wouldn't just cut it anymore. "No creature is impervious to change, be it physical, emotional or otherwise."

He was suddenly overcome with nausea so he summoned a cigarette and lit it with a spark from his fingers. He took several drags and then said "You know, the term angel is far too broad."

Violette turned to look at him with confusion but played along. "Really?"

"Is like saying animal, there are different types of angels who have different true forms and natures," he took another drag and exhaled the smoke through his nose "All shapeshift, but only some look like humans in their natural state."

"Where are you going with this?" she said carefully, her concern evident in her tone.

"You are right, of course," Andras said "The word change implies something new, different, something that wasn't before," he sighed "But it is far too broad."

"Some things always stay the same Violette, and someone who has lived for as long as you have should know that," he looked her in the eye "Just because things can change doesn't mean they will."

He was about to take another drag of his cigarette before Violette stole it "But you are changing," she blew the smoke in his face and he glared at her.

"Maybe," he answered as he laid his head back "But I assure you, one thing will never change."

"What?" she asked.

"The past," he closed his eyes, and judging by her lack of response, Violette agreed.