Fallen (editing)

Chapter 33

Ash's POV
I set my bag onto the dining table, trying not to shake.
I look back at Sylt, who's thundering into the apartment.
I still can't get over it.
5 foot 11 Sylt is now towering over me at 7 feet.
His normally murky black hair is dark purple and shaggy, falling to his shoulders in jagged chunks. Inky black horns the size of my face balance on the top of his head, tousling his hair.
His arms and legs are built with muscle, not its usual lean-ness. (Is that a word?) His nails are replaced by sharp, curved claws.
When he talks, he flashes sharp white canines.
And his eyes. They're completely crimson, his pupils narrowed into cat-like slits.
He closes the door behind him and sighs.
"Thanks."
Even his voice is different, deep and thundering. Not soft like usual.
I sit down in a chair. "Explain."
He sets himself down on the floor, looking at me. "What do you want to know?"
I take a deep breath, twisting my hair around my finger. "What are you?"
"A demon."
I blank. "What?"
"I'm a demon."
"Li-Like from Hell?"
He nods, his hair glinting.
Wait till Cece hears ab-
A lump forms in my throat and I shake it away.
"Are you ok?"
Sylt looks at me, his eyes clouded with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. So, are you the son of Satan or something?"
He smiles crookedly, teeth flashing. "Grandson actually."
I blink. "So you're the grandson of Satan."
He grins, nodding. "Yep."
"Ok, yeah, that makes total sense."
I think for a moment. "Wait, didn't you say your grandfather-"
Sylt flinches. "He- He wasn't my actual grandfather." His voice drops down to a whisper. "I just liked to think of him that way."
I kneel down from my chair. "Hey, it's ok."
He smiles weakly and shakes his head. "What else do you want to know?"
"What exactly is a demon doing here?"
He laughs nervously. "I was, ah, kicked out, so to speak."
"You were kicked out of Hell?"
"Banished is a better word."
"Your dad kicked you out?"
"Yeah."
"So if your grandfather's Satan, who's your dad?"
"Lucifer. My full name is actually Sylt Lucifer Lilith Satan."
"That's a mouthful."
"Isn't it? That's why we usually only go by one name. I go by Sylt. Father goes by Lucifer, etc."
I stay quiet for a moment. "Why were you banished?"
Sylt stares at the floor hatefully.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
He smiles. "No, no. It's fine." He takes a deep breath. "I helped someone."
"What?"
"Father liked to test me. I was coming back to my home and I spotted a human girl getting dragged from this world into mine. She was screaming and crying. She couldn't have been more than 6 years old."
He looks at me with heartbroken eyes. "I couldn't just leave her. She probably wandered away from her parents and got kidnapped. So-so I fought them."
"And you won, right?"
He nods. "That's why Father was angry. I was using my powers for 'the wrong reasons'. So he punished me."
"He beat you?"
"That and he banished me."
I point to his chest. "The cuts and bruises; they all came from that?"
He shakes his head. "Father has a special ability....... He likes to visit me at night."
"He beats you then?"
Sylt rubs his arm. "Yeah."
I look at him for a moment. I clear my throat.
"So do you change back?"
He looks up. "Yeah, it takes a while though."
I lean back against the chair behind me, stretching. I yawn.
"Why'd you come here anyway?"
I snort. "Aren't you the one who invited me to stay here?"
He blinks. "I didn't think you'd actually come over."
"Well, surprise, I did. I even brought stuff with me."
I grab my bag from the table and heft it in the air.
I set it back down. "I can't go back. I can't. I don't have- I don't have anything to go back to." My voice breaks. Tears pool in my eyes, the pain of losing Cece still fresh.
I stand up, clenching my jaw. "And I'm not going back. This is all my stuff. "
I look at Sylt to see if he gets it.
His eyes shine and his pupils start to widen.
"If you insist."
He stands up, dusting off his ripped jeans.
"Well, where are you going to sleep?"
I look around the apartment. "I could sleep on the couch or something."
Sylt looks at me, horrified. "You're a guest, you can't sleep on the couch! You can sleep in my bed."
I feel my face heat up. "And where are you gonna sleep?"
Sylt falters. "I'll sleep on the couch or something."
I roll my eyes. "It's fine, you live here. I can't let you sleep on the couch."
"Well that's too bad then, because I'm sleeping on the couch and you're gonna sleep in my bed."
I cross my arms. "Really? How you gonna get me to do that?"
He glances at me, his eyes glinting. He grins and jumps forward. "Like this."
He wraps his arms around me, picking me up off the ground. He shifts me around, until he's holding me bridal-style.
"Put me back on the damn floor!"
He grins, walking into the bedroom.
"How about..... No."
He sets me down onto the bed, moving my bag out of the way.
I punch his arm. "What was that?"
"That was me getting you to sleep in the bed."
I roll my eyes. "Don't do that again."
He pouts. "If you insist." He starts walking out the room, flicking the lights off. "Sweet dreams."
I laugh. "A demon, saying 'sweet dreams'? Now I've seen everything."
Sylt smiles. "I'm full of surprises."
I yawn. "Night, pretty boy."
"Night, pretty girl."