INNER DEMONS (edward cullen)

𝓯𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷

"Charlotte James?" Her name was called out, and Charlotte swiftly stood from her seat, anxiety rolling off of her in waves. Mazikeen, frequently referred to as "Maze" for short, is the confidant and devoted ally of his Darkness. Mazikeen waved her hand towards Charlotte, and with slight reluctance she moved towards her, following closely behind. "He wishes to speak with you, do not be afraid, no harm is intended for you today, that is," Maze told her, smirking as Charlotte's face changed from relief to slight panic. Mazikeen was greatly trusted by the Devil, and rumours had sparked from her being his mistress, to possibly a secret love child...

The halls were the same as every other, still lit with fire. The heat coming from the flame did nothing to cover the freezing atmosphere of the building and Charlotte finally understood just why a demons skin was always so hot. It seemed that the further they ventured into the dark hallways, the colder the rooms got. The end of the hall was visible and yet so far away to her sensitive eyes. A tall door similar to the one at the end of the woods sat proudly, awaiting the pairs arrival. Five guards stood by, covered in unnecessary armour, but a strong sign of power none the less. With each step Charlotte took, the smell of burning flesh intensified and she found herself no longer breathing, the habit becoming annoying as the stench filled her nostrils.

The doors were opened without a word; only Maze flicking her wrist at the guards. They stood with their heads bowed as they went through the large doors and that was when Charlotte finally decided that this really might be her end. An eternity in Hell wasn't exactly what she wanted and she knew that she was going to put up a fight, maybe promise to deliver more souls for her longer absence.

The large room she entered was filled with golden panels, and Mazikeen instantly left Charlotte's side. Charlotte kept her gaze on the floor, waiting to be called upon, afraid to anger anyone. She could feel many peoples stares on her figure and she subconsciously tried to make herself smaller, bring her arms across her chest. The floors were a black marble pattern, and Charlotte could see her reflection in them, her face was alot more pale than she last remembered it to be. "Charlotte James, welcome. I have been keeping a keen eye on you, my dear, and we have many things to discuss..." A males voice boomed out into the open space, it was deep and yet soft to her ears, no hint of a threat was in its tone and Charlotte took this as her invitation to look up.

On either side of the hall, ten people lined up, everyone had red skin and Charlotte recognised the amount of power these demons possessed. There was a variety of demons; some she recognised and others she had only hear of. They all had their full attention on the red-head and Charlotte felt them scrutinising her. Light brown eyes scanned the hall with more curiosity and she settled on a large throne that sat directly in front of her - made of skulls; human and animal. But what she hadn't been expecting was to see the Devil himself...

The man sat on the throne didn't match any descriptions that Charlotte had heard. His skin was not a pure dark red and he didn't have horns on his head. Instead, his skin was as white as snow, his hair a dark black and styled in a manner that spoke of sophistication and importance. His jaw was chiselled and his figure was slender as he sat on this throne of skulls. The man laughed at Charlotte's expression, "Not what you were expecting, Miss James? You may call me Lucifer." His smile shook Charlotte from her daze and she stared blankly at his friendly aura, nodding her head at him slowly, mouth open.

"So Charlotte," he began, calmly, "I have seen that you have become involved with the Vampire population, and one in particular seems extremely smitten with you. Edwin, is it?" Charlotte didn't bother to correct him, just nodding her head as she tried to rein in her emotions. "Tell me about them, I've been watching, of course, but I want to hear your view of things." Lucifer looked upon the red-head patiently, watching her thoughts shift throughout her mind, and he giggled quietly when he heard his name was in fact Edward, and not Edwin.

"Um, I met the Cullens, um, when I- I moved to Forks, and um," Charlotte stumbled over an explanation, unsure about what was unnecessary to talk about. The man laughed loudly, and watched as she struggled to find her words. "My child, I don't understand your nervousness around me, and besides I have already heard your thoughts, intriguing all the same." Charlotte's eyes widened at the idea of him reading her mind, just like Edward had done before. "I understand you have continued to supply us with many souls, some more worthy than others, but souls all the same," Lucifer's tone was one of boredom as he addressed the entire room. Mazikeen nodded her head, and Charlotte remembered that Maze was the Soul Searchers leader, keeping track of how many arrived in Hell each day.

"I have found that Seattle is a good area for soul searching," Charlotte spoke up, finally forming a clear sentence for the first time since her visit. "She speaks!" He called out, laughter filling the hall as the red-head stood there awkwardly.
Lucifer cleared his throat, and the silence stopped immediately, attention drawn to his Darkness once again. "But what we are really here to discuss today, is the amount of power you displayed on the day 4th of May. A fireball of such magnitude is extremely difficult to form, even for many in this very hall today." Charlotte locked eyes with the Devil, and he tilted his head, digging in her mind for more information. "And I want to know how you did it, my dear..."

The information shocked Charlotte. Even she didn't know how she did it and the idea of her holding so much power was an exciting and yet scary thought. Would this put her in danger? Would she no longer be allowed to return to Earth? All Charlotte wanted to do was return to the Cullens'.

"So," Lucifer pushed on, "how do you channel enough energy to create such a surge of power? I've never seen such a large ball of fire come from the hands of a Soul Searcher!" Charlotte stared on as she thought of an answer, "I, um, I don't know." Her voice was quiet and yet everyone heard her. The insecurity was evident in her tone as she stood awkwardly in her place.

His smile dropped and he watched her shift under his gaze. "That was not the answer I was looking for," her told her. "Try again, dear. I've got forever." The room erupted in laughs and Charlotte looked around quickly, like a dear caught in the headlights.
"I just felt an overwhelming amount of anger and then heat, and I don't really remember the rest of it. Just ended up in that stupid alley again. You should really change that by the way, gets kinda repetitive after 500 odd years." Charlotte was being completely honest now, her fear had become boredom and she just wanted to go home.

The room that had erupted in laughter moments ago was now pure silence. Every pair of eyes rested up him as Charlotte threw her comment at him. No one had ever said anything so disrespectful and yet here she was; all manners forgotten as she stood before them.

The last thing that Charlotte has expected was for a smile to form on his face, let alone a small giggle. He was sadistic and his sudden shifts in mood were only leaving her more and more confused. "Charlotte James, I like you. I can see a lot of potential in you, my dear, and an eye will be kept on you constantly from now on. You may return back to Earth on the same day that you left," and Charlotte sighed in relief at this, "Maybe a few moments after. But remember, we're always watching..."

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Word Count: 1401