My Demon

Reclaim What's Lost - 18

My greatest adversary was not among the demon lords gathered here, but Eros was still a huge threat to me. He beat me like it was so simple to do. I know he will aim to capture me, but he's the least of my fears. It was time to reveal the real Ryoma Alkade.

I wandered toward the demons, my sword at my back. I had fists at my sides as I strode up closer to the demons who backed away unsure what I was going to do. "Bastards like you don't begin to understand the reason for your reckoning by my hand. I didn't pick up that sword because I wanted to, but you demons brought my wrath upon yourselves."

Eros remained silent and so did the other demons. His eyes shut and then he turned his back to me. "Desperate for something already gone, is that it?" He asked giving me a sideways glance.

Breathe. He's perceptive. Wait for it.

I sighed. "Why bother hunting me when you know I will always find you? I wasn't a fallen all my life. I will reclaim what I've lost by taking it back. I was targeted long before you desired me. So, where's the bastard who ravaged my home and slaughtered my parents in cold blood?" I asked searching around me. "He was a demon lord who knew I would fall from grace. He not only killed my parents, but he knew I was gifted with an ability that I was forbidden to use. Unfortunately, no demon has beaten me because they don't know how I am able to withstand their blows."

"A demon lord put that rage in your heart? That's interesting, I thought it would be rather a different circumstance." Eros said and leaped down from the back porch. "Little angel, I am afraid even if the demon lords chose to attack you, there is no proof of this lord you are speaking of. Demon lords have rules in which they must follow and cannot run around meddling in the affairs of an angel who hasn't already fallen unless otherwise instructed."

Scoffing, I smirked back. "You know it's bullshit. Rules? You can try to excuse your actions, but do you know my real name?" I said glaring deep into his gold rimmed irises. "I'm not little and I don't like being called out as a child."

He smiled. "The Holy Dark Knight, The Angelic Reaper, but you little angel, walked into a den of demons. You are the Queen of Angels most powerful knight in Illuminara, Ryoma Alkade."

I saw Claudis move away from the demon lords and I felt he was going to compromise himself for me. I made a decision. I was okay with letting him see the real me. Watch close, Claudis, you won't get a better chance.

I turned at the heel and the sword moved to my hand. I sheathed it. I heard mumbling among the demons and when I looked up at the fullness of the moon. I thought of Ryu. "You're not entirely wrong, but the truth is I have no clue who I am. My grace has not left me otherwise God would have forsaken me and left me to die in eternal peace. I know in my heart that this crazy, but I'm done with the deceit. I was not born to the Alkade family. I was just a parent less angel they took in."

I felt those two idiot servants in the tree line and Claudis' presence closing in on me. The wind rose up from around me and brushed past the trees. Though, Claudis and servants stayed their distance, I felt a strike to my chest. I fell on my knees and there was nothing that pierced my chest when I glanced down. Something in me wanted to scream at how it felt like a sword had skewered my heart.

"Ryoma!" Claudis was a foot away, but the pain increased.

I cried out as I felt the sword twisting inside me. I hollered as I glanced around me for the source of this pain. I unsheathed my sword with an unsteady hand and sent it clean into my left shoulder. Blood dropped to the grass, I clutched the wound and got up on my feet. "This feeling, its familiar. I felt it before."

I felt arms wrap around me and Claudis was staring down at me with his crimson eyes. "Hey, what was that just now?"

"Don't know," I said as I noticed Eros watching me with concern. "What do you think you know, when all you know is a lie to protect me from myself?!" I asked him, but he wasn't smiling and the demons around him didn't appear as disgruntled as they were earlier. I searched Claudis' eyes and his eyes were a smoldering red. "What's that look for?"

"Your wings," he said softly.

My eyes darted to my wings and the luminous silver feathers I had as a child returned to me. "How did they," I started to say as I saw Eros walking over to Claudis and I.

"Well, silver wings suit you better than black ones, little angel." Eros said and Claudis held onto me a little tighter. "I know who you are now. There was an angel who possessed a striking resemblance to those wings of yours and he was a rather formidable man who attempted to keep peace between angels and demons. His name was Norian, the late King of Angels." Eros drew closer than before and Claudis remained close to my side. "A hundred and twenty years it's been, but you would have his memories if you are the king."

"Ryoma's not Norian," Claudis said and my eyes saw the bright red in his eyes. "Ryoma was born with silver wings, not black."

"I was rather interested why you were hiding him from me, Lord Claudis, but now I see you believe I intend harm upon him." Eros said gazing at me.

Damn demons. Guess I have to say something before I lose my damn mind.

Sighing, I started smiling into my lap. "Sorry, don't have any memories of the king of angels. You aren't the first person to make the same mistake. Silver wings are the mark of an angel who bears the grace of unimaginable power." I touched the feathers of my wings and a tear rolled fast down my cheek. "I'm free once more."

Claudis heard me and I locked eyes with him. "Free from what, Ryoma?"

I smiled bitterly. "You ask like you don't know, but you should've guessed that the boy you befriended all that time ago was imprisoned in his own heart because he was afraid to reach out. He lost sight of anything close to hope. I was robbed of one thing the night you fell. Fear consumed my every thought and when I lost my family, that fear enveloped me and painted my wings pitch black."

"Are you telling me that your fear controlled you and not your hate?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yep, almost any angel could fall victim to their fears, but mine," I said lowering my voice and tearing my eyes from Claudis. "Well, it brought the dark side of myself to defend me. I killed demons because I feared them taking everything I wanted, but tonight I think something sent a wake up call."

"Who? Why?" Claudis asked, but if my hunch was right, it had to be Ryu.

I smiled sadly. "Ryu," I said and Claudis's eyes dulled. "Foolish though he was, I never completely shut him out. My heart was hurt beyond repair, but Almaya said he was still here." I caressed the sword in its sheath. "Souls who have unfinished business can harm the person they most desire to help. I felt a kindness in the sword I felt go through me. It has to be him."

If I was right, Ryu was responsible for that sudden moment of pain that felt so familiar to me. If it wasn't Ryu, then someone wanted me to be who I once was?

I felt the dull ache in my shoulder and I sensed angels heading straight for this place. "Claudis, let go." I said and he released me. I shot up into the air and soon I saw two angels coming my way. I glanced down at Claudis for a moment, and I smiled at him. "Hey, don't go thinking I'm soft. I can still be a pain in the ass when it comes to demons." He smiled back at me and flew far from the place I once called my home.

The angels followed me and I would have a hard time shaking them, so I need to find a place they can't enter easily. I did come for blood tonight, but I am starting to wonder if I continue on like this that I will lead myself astray from what I really want. If I want to kill the demon lord who killed my family, then why do I feel at odds with what Eros said? He said the Demon lords don't go after angels who haven't fallen from grace unless it was agreed upon by the demon lords.

So, that begs the question who was the demon with the silver flecked red irises? If he's not a demon lord, then what kind of demon was he? I must be losing it if I am listening to a demon lord who held me captive like a pet in his home. I didn't detect a lie, but something was amiss with the way he said it. Eros knows something about the demon I'm trying to find, but I have to deal with these angels before I can ask him about it.

Thanks for reading! Until the next chapter...