The Angelic Demon

Ch. 2 - The Devil May Hear You

"The Devil wants to talk to you."

The most chilling words he'd heard since... well, ever. But he laughed anyway because there was no chance in all of Great Hell that The Devil would want to talk to him. It was only comparable to a monarch asking to talk to a random citizen. If the monarch had wings, horns, blood red skin, and the ability to make anyone instantly wish they were dead with a single glance.

Whether that was an actual power or not was beyond him.

Ewan chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the demoness that stood in front of him like a disappointed queen. "Very funny, love. Almost scared the soul out of me," he said, crossing his arms. He scoffed. "The Devil wants to talk to me, my ass."

"The Devil sent me to get you, Ewan," she clarified. Then she gained a look of disgust on her otherwise superior-looking face. "Otherwise I wouldn't be down here with you."

"Oh, because torturing some other soul is better than hanging out with your best friend," he mumbled, casting the demoness a side-glare. He soon returned to his windowsill, looking down at the endless expanse of fire after pushing the curtain back. A thought struck him, bringing his gaze back to her curiously."Wait, 'down here'?"

The demoness was silent before shifting excitedly, a giant grin on her lips. "I've been promoted."

This caught Ewan's attention. Quickly, he stood up, eyes going wide. "You what?"

"I work on the ninth floor," she teased, her smirk a mile long, "serving the Dark Master himself. Crazy, isn't it?"

He scoffed yet again, lighting a cigarette that he brought from his pocket. "And when did this happen, then?" he replied, putting the cigarette between his lips and taking a deep breath. Exhaling, he held the cigarette in his fingers and offered it to her, but she shook her head. Ewan took another drag.

"This morning. I was going to tell you tomorrow, but I've been so busy that I think now would have been the only time," she said. The excitement was clear in her tone and she was grinning like a maniac.

The news was exciting, surely. His heart swelled with joy at the realization that his friend, the demoness, the Devil-made woman he'd grown up in Hell with, had made her ranks.

"Care to... suggest my name to the big guy?" he asked, tilting his head.

"You'll be done soon, anyway," she said behind a smile. Then she giggled, eyes bright with excitement. "But do you know what this means, Ewan?"

The demon paused, considering what it might mean. But he only shrugged. "What does it mean?"

"I'm better than you," she teased. Her face was absolutely consumed by her smile.

Ewan rolled his eyes, then raised an eyebrow. "Well? Come on, then. Tell me everything."

And then the two sat and talked for what felt like hours about everything leading up to the demonesses promotion. At the end of it all, Ewan had gone through a cigarette and the demoness had decided to take one as well, and the two then just sat, staring at the ceiling, smoking and talking.

Soon, the demoness sat up. "He's also given me a name."

Ewan sat up sharply, eyes wide. "Are you kidding? All of this, this morning?"

She nodded eagerly, cheeks flushing with excitement. "Aliyah."

They sat in silence, soaking up the name. Ewan was bursting with excitement. His friend, previously only known as 'demoness' for hundreds of years, was now Aliyah. Whatever it meant, whatever it was, it was the most beautiful name he'd ever heard. The two giggled together, and Ewan curled his toes, ecstatic.