Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.
A Demon's Mate
Chapter Forty Five
Serena walked slowly through the busy airport sandwiched between Lucien and Edwin. Exhaustion was setting in as the she noticed the demons shorten their strides again to stay with her. Still, she had a feeling it was more emotional exhaustion than any lack of sleep.
The red head tried to remember the last time anything had been simple and realized that the last few weeks of her life had been overrun with high excitement and high stress.
'Note to self; never wish for something to happen.' Her steps slowed further. 'Now, it's over and I'm back home. And nothing's changed. Or, has everything changed? I don't even know anymore.'
"My lady?"
Lucien put a hand on her arm and Serena realized that she had stopped in the middle of the walkway and was staring at the floor. She looked up when she saw that he was talking but she wasn't hearing a word. Edwin came up behind the other demon, staring at her.
"Sorry."
Edwin pulled her to the side of the walkway as a family was passing them.
"I'm sorry." A hand dove through her hair and wanted to pull. "I'm sorry you have to watch me because I can't stay out of anyone's business and I keep falling into trouble. Which if you knew my life before I met Sebastian, it was downright boring. I don't know why I keep finding this shit, or maybe why I can't stay away from it. I don't know why I believed him or why I thought that running into a forest in the middle of the night around a house that was always under attack was a good idea. And I don't know where we're going. Because I don't even know where my mother is right now, I didn't call to tell her that we were coming in and she probably would've forgotten anyway. And I guess it really doesn't matter because there is no way that she would be okay with you two staying there."
"You forget that the Elder has had a century to wait for you. He already has a home prepared for your use." Edwin nodded and turned as the problem was solved.
Serena burst into tears. Both demons stood shocked for a moment before crowding around her and keeping passerby from seeing the redhead. No one should see an Elder's mate so vulnerable.
"Emotional overload." Lucien put a hand on her back and settled in to wait.
"What are you talking about?" Edwin was watching the passing crowds, warning all to keep going.
"Don't tell me that you can't see it." Lucien waved a hand at the red head. "She's one giant ball of emotion. She's exuding it. She's just calling for a feeding."
"Don't you even think about it." He moved to step between Lucien and Serena.
"Pain's not my thing. You know that." Lucien waved the other demon off. "Just as you know what I mean. Places of transit are no demon's territory. We need to get her out of here before some stupid, young demon thinks she's too delicious to ignore."
"I agree." Edwin looked around before sighing. "You start moving her toward the doors. I'll get the car out of parking."
Lucien nodded. "Hurry."
The other demon took off, moving fast enough the humans around them never noticed him. Lucien leaned down and slid an arm around Serena. He started walking, letting her bury her head in his jacket to block out the rest of the crowd. There were still far too many people that stopped to look at them or followed the pair with their eyes toward the exit. They should have thought this through more. Edwin was good at intimidating humans. Lucien was good at drawing them in. He couldn't use his power to make humans look that other way, as a demon that fed on lust, he basked in human attention. Sought it out and fostered it without remorse. He didn't know how to make them go away.
Pushing through the doors, Lucien breathed a sigh of relief when Edwin opened the back door of the SUV they had stored in long-term parking before heading out for Tokyo at the beginning of this mess. Untangling Serena took a few minutes more as the redhead was still mid-meltdown and clinging to his jacket. Finally, Lucien slid into the seat beside her and closed the door.
"Damn it." Edwin looked into the rear-view mirror as he slid into the driver's seat.
"What?"
"Luggage."
Lucien looked down at the red head and sighed. "Get us out of here and go back for it."
Edwin nodded and pulled out with one eye still watching the girl in the backseat. Slowly, the sniffling stopped as they moved around the outskirts of town and headed for the mountains. Traffic slowly branched off, each vehicle exiting to their own destination. Edwin watched them and wondered for a moment were any of them having as many problems as they were.
'Of course some of them are. Humans love conflict and problems.' The demon snorted at his own thoughts and turned his attention back toward the road.
In the backseat, Lucien took a deep breath and shifted to lay Serena across the seat. Moving easily, he slid into the front and leaned his head against the back of his seat.
"You have no idea how hard that was."
Edwin raised an eyebrow.
"As I said, pain doesn't really attract me, but she'd be delicious." The blonde shook his head. "I do not envy the Elder spending eternity with a soul that you would love to feed from."
Edwin's hand tightened on the wheel. "She isn't filled with wrath."
"She doesn't need to indulge in a specific sin. Calm pulses her even more when she's upset, like an exotic spice. It's...interesting and problematic at the same time. It almost makes me wish Emily was so dynamic." Lucien shrugged. "Of course, I wouldn't want to deal with trying to keep Serena in line. Good luck to the Elder is all I can say."
"I think both of you should not complain." The other demon's voice was harsh when the words finally made it past his lips.
Lucien opened his mouth but snapped it shut again before turning away. "Forgive me, my friend. I didn't think."
The vehicle made no noise as it coasted gently to a stop on the side of the small highway leading into the mountains. Edwin threw the engine in park as Lucien watched him confused.
"Edwin?"
"You drive." He jerked the door open and slid out onto the road.
Lucien jumped out and hurried around the vehicle, keeping his senses on the area around them. "What?"
"I will meet you there." He all but threw his partner into the driver's seat and shut the door.
"Edwin..."
******************A Demon's Mate******************
Edwin watched the taillights of the SUV fade into night before turning the other direction. He barely felt the wind as he ran for the familiar pull of power. Humans saw nothing, heard nothing. He was the wind blowing through the night, but there was none of the normal amusement that he always enjoyed from the state.
He dodged trees and kept away from the roads as much as possible. The wall of the estate he was looking for loomed in front of him and the demon was up and over in a single leap. The mansion was dark, the only light coming from a single room on the upper level. Edwin kept to the shadows waiting for the Elder to acknowledge him. He wouldn't be happy that Edwin was here instead, but it couldn't be avoided. He couldn't risk starting a fight with Lucien like he wanted to.
"Where is my mate?"
Edwin jumped at the voice that appeared beside him. He bowed automatically, trying to ignore the anger he could see in the Elder's stance.
"The other two are taking her to the house. They should arrive shortly."
"You are not with them why?"
Edwin closed his eyes as he forced the words out. "I...I am more of a liability at the moment."
Aiden smirked. "I don't think that you have ever been a liability. Even as a human."
The Elder shifted, walking closer. Edwin waited as the other demon moved around him, feeling his power push at him, sliding through the holes in his defenses. He didn't possess the power to keep his Elder out and chose to lower his control to make it easier for both of them.
"There is anger in you. Anger, I have felt building in you for quite some time." Aiden peered at his underling with swirling, red eyes. "I have wondered what causes it."
Edwin said nothing, only shook his head. The Elder slid the glove from his hand and laid his fingers on the other demon's cheek. Slowly, fingers trailed down Edwin's throat before resting in the center of his chest, cloth rippling away at will to leave smooth skin.
The Elder leaned over, whispering in the other demon's ear.
"What angers you, Edwin?" Power flowed from his voice, wrapping around the other demon. "Tell me."
There really wasn't a need to push hard. Everything was rising inside, straining to get out. "Why? Why him? Lucien's an idiot. I'm older than him, stronger."
"Ah. I see." The Elder waited, but nothing more came from Edwin. "You could take Emily from him. Being older and stronger."
Edwin's eye squeezed closed, every muscle in his body clenching and releasing. "I want to."
The Elder's power cut off in an instant, leaving Edwin adrift in a sea of his own anger with no anchor. His mind finally caught up to the words that had come from his mouth. The secret that he had spoken while under the Elder's sway. Knees buckled and the demon slumped to the ground, waiting for the judgment he knew would come.
There was nothing more important to demons than their mate. Edwin had essentially threatened the mate of a loyal member of the Elder's family. No Elder could not look away from that, even for another loyal member. And no other family would take him after such a threat. His only options would be death or a return to the Pit.
'I'd rather die.' Edwin breathed in the quiet of the night as he waited.
"What to do with you."
He looked up and saw the Elder had moved away. The older demon stood in front of him with his arms crossed as he considered the situation. "I'll die before going back to the Pit."
"Neither was what I had in mind." Edwin's head shot up as the Elder continued. "I used to think the same thing, when Lucien first brought Emily back."
"It wouldn't work. I know that."
"As I did." The Elder nodded with a grave expression. "I will however inform Lucien of the threat you pose. When we return, you will keep your distance from Emily or I will drop you back in the Pit before you can blink."
Edwin nodded, not moving from his place on the ground. "But, you cannot leave me with your own mate either."
"Do you wish to die so badly?" The Elder smirked. "You never once mentioned Serena. She's too much for you, while Emily is far more submissive. Easier to handle, easier to steal away. You're still a soldier and will always go for the objective most likely to give you what you want with the least amount of loss. But more than that, Emily has your attention because you have been around her for centuries. You have watched the two of them for centuries and you've been with Lucien almost from the beginning. What drives you has festered for some time. Perhaps, you could benefit from some separation after this is over."
Edwin nodded.
"You are familiar with the London area. Haagenti may have need of someone to oversee his territory while he returns to his home. I will contact him."
'Banishment it is.' "Thank you, Elder."
The Elder nodded. "Now, I believe that you still have a task from me to complete."
"Yes, Elder." Edwin stood, bowing to the other demon.
Both demons looked to the house as a sound, far too quiet for a human's ears came from the upstairs.
"He likes to bleed them out?"
"Hmm, he's quite fascinated by the death he believes they deserve."
Edwin shook his head. "I believe that you will be busy very shortly. Does he know?"
"No. My master has yet to realize that his wrath is mostly directed at himself, as well as the woman that he believes turned him into such a thing." Aiden brushed imaginary lint from his sleeve. "It doesn't matter. He'll see his mistake soon enough and the evil of his soul will give me strength for quite some time."
"I will return to your mate, Elder."
The Elder waved him off. "Go, and keep me informed of Serena's movements."
Edwin bowed once more and slid into the shadows surrounding the estate before disappearing into the night. Aiden looked up at the window again and shook his head as the last breath of his master's latest lover echoed through the dark.
"Honestly, as if I didn't have enough to do."
******************A Demon's Mate*****************
The little house was quiet when Edwin stopped just outside. No lights were on and the demon could feel Serena still sleeping deeply. She would probably be out until morning.
'One can hope...I'm sure she'll find her next disaster easily enough.'
Movement on the front porch drew his attention and Edwin held back a sneer at the black cat that jumped to the railing. Night-glowing eyes watched him carefully as Edwin walked forward and came up the small set of stairs leading to the porch. As he opened the door, the cat jumped from the railing and disappeared into the night.
Lucien sat on the couch, blue eyes shifting to Edwin as he set the bags in his hands down and closed the door behind him. Neither said anything as Edwin checked through the house for himself, even though he knew Lucien had already done so. Each window and door was tested, Serena checked on and wards reinforced before he came back to the sitting room.
The blonde didn't say a word as his partner settled himself into the chair opposite him.
"Serena hasn't woken up since we parted."
Edwin nodded, waited for the rest of the conversation that he knew was coming.
"The Elder called, shortly before you came back." Lucien stared at his friend with a smirk. "As I told him, I already know."
Edwin's head shot up to see Lucien shaking his head.
"Why do you think I never leave you and Emily alone? Why I only come up to feed with you? Why I always take assignments from the Elder with you?" Lucien leaned forward and put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "We've known each other since that damned Pit. The Elder, you and me, we've been together for so long. Do you think either of us are oblivious to the changes in you?"
Edwin had nothing to say as Lucien dropped his hand. "Though, I will also admit that I sometimes forget that you had no experience with being alone when you were human. You were always with family or your men. When we joined the Elder, it was the three of us. Even when others joined our family, it was the three of us. It changed when I found Emily. And now, the Elder has Serena."
Edwin nodded. "Change in an endless existence. It started with you and sometimes, I hate you for it."
"Sometimes, I hate you too." Lucien sighed as he leaned back into the couch. "I've tried to leave my human family behind for centuries but, with you around, they're never far away. You're everything that they wanted and you're more useful to the Elder than I am for the same reason. But, I have something you don't and I admit that I rubbed it in your face from time to time."
A curse slipped past Edwin's lips and Lucien laughed softly.
"Perhaps the Elder's right to talk to Lord Haagenti. It'll give you more time in the human world, anyway." He stopped for a moment. "And I don't remember a time when you weren't there."
"When I wasn't there to bail you out?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Right." Lucien threw an arm around the bigger man and pulled him forward until their forehead's touched. Edwin slipped his own around his friend.
"You realize, that will leave you alone as the Elder's trusted. At his and his mate's beck and call."
"Oh, damn it." Lucien threw himself back against the couch and covered his eyes. "He's going to have me doing everything."
A noise outside caused both to look out the nearest window.
"Teo will re-introduce himself to Serena tomorrow." Lucien looked outside and recognized a familiar silhouette moving through the trees. Shaking his head, the blonde pulled Serena's phone out of his pocket. "Knox called while you were gone. He wasn't aware that Serena had left London already."
"Hopefully, we will not have to deal with reapers here."
Lucien laughed. "If anyone could find a reaper, it'd be Serena."
*************A Demon's Mate***************
Serena woke to the sun on her face and rolled over in the bed. Her eyes opened and the red head sat up quickly. Everything about the room was unfamiliar, from the cloud-soft bed to the light blue painted walls. The bed, dresser, and seat by the window were all white with dark blue pillows and throws scattered around. For the most, the room was blank. On the table beside the bed, a lamp sat with a small crystal cat.
The red head laughed as she looked at the crystal piece certain who had put it there. Everything died away when she remembered last night. Serena put her head in her hands and wished that she could slink away and disappear.
A knock on the door made her jump a little.
"Would you like breakfast, my lady?" Edwin's voice was clear through the wood.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
Serena slipped out of the bed and realized she was still in the jeans and t-shirt that she had worn yesterday. Looking around, she tried to find her clothes but there were no suitcases in the room. She finally gave up and went to the door.
Lucien was the first one in her line of sight.
"Lucien."
"Do you need something?"
"Where are my suitcases?"
"Oh, one minute." He disappeared and then came back holding her bags. "I didn't want to bring them in last night. I was afraid that you would wake up."
Serena winced. "And have another breakdown."
"Don't worry about it." He set the bags down with a smile and pointed to another door across the room. "That leads to the bathroom. And the other is a small closet."
"Great, I'd kill for a shower."
"Do you need help with anything else?" He asked with a sly smile.
"Lucien!" Edwin's voice shouted from the other room.
The blonde smiled and slipped out the door.
Shaking her head, Serena grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. She stopped dead just inside the door. The blue and white theme was carried into the room with the pretty glass tiles in the shower and the white cabinet that held the sink. But, the center of the room was dominated by a large copper tub big enough for two, maybe three.
"Holy shit!"
Edwin and Lucien rushed the room, the soldier in first. Between the three of them, there wasn't any room to breathe in the small room. Both of them were scanning the room, looking for any threat.
"What happened?" Lucien came up to her first as Edwin was looking behind the curtains and checking the window locks.
"What is that?" She pointed to the tub.
"It's a tub."
"It's copper."
Lucien smiled. "Copper holds the heat better than porcelain or acrylic. It can keep the water hot for hours."
She went forward with her hand out and ran it along the shining, hammered edge.
"Later." Serena sighed and turned around to shove the demons from the room. "Alright, thank you for running but I really need a shower."
********************A Demon's Mate****************
Freshly scrubbed and dressed, Serena came out of the bedroom and stopped to stare at the rest of the house. She walked straight into the living room and saw the kitchen through the open concept layout. A stone fireplace went to the ceiling and was flanked by a wall of windows on either side, giving a great view of trees that surrounded them and a lake beyond.
A set of double doors was built into the windows to lead onto the deck. Wicker furniture set with pretty, pastel colored cushions beckoned someone to sit and enjoy the day in the peace. Resisting the urge, Serena went back inside to explore the little cottage. The beams on the ceiling had been stained a dark color to contrast nicely with the white ceiling and match the original floors that had been stained the same color.
In the kitchen, she was surprised to see Edwin cooking. Lucien leaned against the white cabinets with a smile as he waved her over to sit at the island. Dark stained butcher block gleamed under the pendant lights overhead.
"So, how do you like the house so far?" Lucien asked as he laid a full plate in front of her.
"It's beautiful." Serena took a bite of eggs. "I didn't know you could cook."
"The Elder taught both of us when it was clear that we would be watching over you." Edwin turned after sliding a pan into the sink that was already full of water.
"Edwin's a lot better at it than I am." The blonde leaned on the counter with a sheepish smile. "We'll take you for a full tour when you're done."
"I thought you would just..." Serena waved her hands around like she was making something appear.
"The Elder didn't want you to be fed using another demon's power."
"Could that actually do anything to me?"
"I do not believe so." Edwin shrugged as he dried the pan he had used. "But, I don't see any harm doing it this way either."
Both of them watched as she took another bite.
"Could you not do that?"
"Why?"
"Would you like someone watching you eat?"
Lucien smirked as he leaned closer, his eyes glowing. "I wouldn't mind."
Edwin leaned over and smacked his partner harder than Serena had seen before. "I see your point, my lady."
The two found things to do while she hurried through the rest of breakfast. After pushing the plate away, Edwin was quick to whisk it away.
"Now then, we still have a little tour to go on." Lucien helped her off the stool. "You've already seen the living room, kitchen and deck. Did you take a minute to look around the bedroom?"
"Yes." She followed behind as he led her to another door off the living room.
"There is a guest bathroom here." He opened a door to a small bathroom with a shower only that was decorated in white bead board and a soft green. In the shower, she could see soap and a bottle that she guessed was shampoo. "Edwin and I use this one."
Closing the door, he led her to another set of doors that looked like they led to the deck. Opening the doors with a flourish, Lucien stood back and waited for her to go inside. Watching both demons' reactions, Serena stepped forward carefully.
The room was nothing but windows. Three easels were set up in the center of the room, with a little table that could be moved to wherever she wanted. The bare wood floor had been sealed to protect against stains so she didn't have to worry about putting clothes down. Lucien waved her over to another door that should have led back into the house and opened it with a smile. The room was closed off, no windows but she could see a vent in the floor for climate control. Shelves lined each of the three walls and were filled with paints of every color she could imagine, oils and acrylic. Brushes, charcoals and pencils were lined up in little bins according to bristle size, hardness and type. Canvas in different sizes were shelved together on the bottom and sketchbooks filled the shelf above them.
"I take it you approve?" Edwin graced her with one of his rare smiles at her excitement.
"It's amazing. Everything is stored perfectly and there's everything that I could need." She took a look at the room's contents again. "He knows what my favorite mediums are."
"Did you think that he wasn't watching you the whole time? That the Elder wasn't taking note of your preferences throughout all the stages of your life?" Edwin stayed outside the room as there simply wasn't enough space for all three of them in the small room.
"Well, yeah. But..." Serena turned back to the supplies.
"There is also a private path to the lake and a private dock for your use." Lucien smiled as he left the room and waved her out.
"But..."
"It's not going anywhere. You can play in here for hours later." The blonde pulled her out of the room and shut the door as she whined.
"Besides," Edwin looked toward the door. "It seems that we have a guest."
"What? Who knows that we're here? Who even knows where 'here' is?" Serena tried to see out the window but couldn't see anyone.
Lucien moved across the living room to the small entryway. As he opened the door, Serena crept up behind him to peek around the demon. A young man stood at the door with a smile. He blue shirt was perfectly tucked into perfectly pressed khaki pants. Large glasses covered almost half his face. There was nothing really noteworthy about his appearance from the medium brown hair to his matching eyes.
"Michael?" The red head moved around Lucien. "What are you doing here?"
"You know him?" Edwin came up behind her.
"Yeah. He's in some of my classes..." She trailed off as she looked closer.
There was something about him that was so familiar. It wasn't in the looks, it was the stance, the attitude that radiated from him. She had never noticed it before, so why was it bothering her now? Something started to change as she looked at him. A smirk came over his face as he pulled off his glasses and his cheekbones shifted a little. Piercings appeared that hadn't been there when she had first looked and the hair lengthened, style changing.
"Teo!" Serena shoved Lucien out of the way to pull the other demon into a hug. "I can't believe that's you. How did you do that?"
"There are some demons that excel at taking on another's appearance." Edwin explained as she pulled Teo into the house.
"I can't believe that you're Michael. He's such a dork." Serena stopped in the living room and sunk into the plush couch while Lucien and Edwin took up places behind her. Teo took over the over-sized chair, looking at the white furniture with a sneer in his goth clothes that she remembered from Tokyo.
"Why did you run away from me?"
"I wasn't supposed to talk to you at all. I could see you about give up and figured that I had to do something." He leaned his head to rest on his hand. "You wouldn't believe the amount of trouble I got in over that."
"But why?"
"Gusion, who is the Elder of Tokyo, was unhappy with having to let another house's demon into his city. He laid down strict guidelines about what I could do or not do while in his city. One of those was that I was not to approach you at all. He ordered his demons to do the same. There was always someone watching you though."
Serena thought for a moment before shaking her head. "That's creepy."
"It was supposed to be reassuring." Teo smirked. "I thought you would be grateful after the events of our first meeting."
"I do appreciate the thought, but it's creepy."
Edwin leaned over. "What do you think we're doing?"
"Yeah, but at least I know you're there. I had no idea that I was being followed before." The red head turned back to see Teo fighting not to laugh.
"I heard that you haven't seen the lake yet." Teo stood up. "Why don't we do that now? The Elder was quite proud of the area in which he built. I'm sure he wants us to show it off."
"Okay." She stood as well, obviously not understanding.
Edwin and Lucien started to follow out onto the deck before Teo turned around. "I got this."
Both looked as if they wanted to argue.
"It's alright." Serena started out the door. "I still want to know why you didn't just be yourself during classes. It's an arts college."
"I like being someone else." He said closing the door behind himself.
"But why did you choose to be such a dork?"
The demons left behind watched Teo lead Serena down the stairs at the other side of the deck before looking at each other.
"I don't like this." Lucien waited for the spot of red to appear again on the path before looking to see Edwin's nod.
****************A Demon's Mate****************
Trees hung over the path on either side in a perfect frame and Serena had to smile at Sebastian's attention to detail. Little wildflowers bloomed on the edges of the walkway, looking like nature had graced the dirt path with beauty. She knew it was more a demon with an eye for details.
"He thought that you would like this." Teo walked slowly, giving the red head plenty of time to look around without having to run to catch up.
"How did you end up with Sebastian? They said that you transferred into his house."
"That's right. With how things were going around you all, the Elder looked interesting. And there were some things going on in my first house that I didn't appreciate." He pulled her along to what looked like the end of the path, at the edge of a hill. "Turns out I was just in time."
Serena stopped dead in her tracks. The end of the hill was really just the beginning of a steeper incline. Stone stairs were carved into the hillside leading down to the lake that could be seen from a great vantage point. Railings on either side were carved from wood with vines and little flowers to blend in with the surroundings.
"Wow." She touched the wood gently, not noticing Teo shaking his head.
"The Elder will be happy that you like it."
"Like it? It's amazing." Serena started down the stairs looking at everything around them. Wildflowers had been encouraged to grow along the hillside in patches of sunlight that filtered through the trees. Birds flew from branch to branch or picked through leaves on the ground.
"You may want to keep going."
The red head was still looking as Teo gently pushed her along. At the end of the stairs, a dock waited for them. It was separated in two sections. The first that greeted her at the end of the stairs was wide enough to accommodate furniture matching the wicker on the deck and a fire pit that was built in. Past the furniture, the deck narrowed to just enough for two people to walk together to the end. A little ladder led down from the deck to the water.
"He sure put a lot into this, huh?" Serena sat on the edge of the dock and let her feet hang over the edge.
"Glad you noticed. I can't remember how many times the Elder changed it over the years."
"Over the years?"
"Yeah, he's had this property for decades. It's where he stayed while he was waiting for you." Teo looked around them. "About once a year he would remodel it."
"It's still strange to me that he was so close my whole life. I didn't even know he existed until a few weeks ago."
"The Elder has watched you, your mother and your grandmother's lives. He had to stay close."
"I guess Will had a point."
"The reaper?"
"Yeah, he said that everybody had waited for me. But, my whole life I didn't know anything."
"It was a little like wanting to bang your head against a wall. Over and over." He looked out over the lake. "You have no idea how many times I wanted to shake you and tell you to remember. But, remember what? It hadn't happened for you yet."
Both sat looking over the water for a moment before Serena remembered their conversation earlier.
"You said that you transferred just in time. What did you mean?"
"Caught that, did you?" Teo smiled. "Have they told you yet that you were killed by a human that was being controlled by another Elder?"
"Someone mentioned it. Haagenti, I think."
He nodded. "Anyway, after the Elder had decimated the other's house, Lord Lucifer started looking into it. He found that several of the demons that had been trained by my house, including the Elder that ordered the attack on you, had been taught incorrectly. If they were taught anything at all."
"Isn't that the whole purpose of having an Elder? To teach you about being a demon."
The demon shrugged. "Some Elders don't think that way. Thankfully, they are mostly taken care of. Those that are still among us keep to themselves and their territories are considered taboo by others."
"That's not right."
"They haven't done anything to upset Lord Lucifer. Yet." Teo smirked. "Anyway, I had just asked to move to your demon's house when the Fallen descended on them. Each house keeps a record of the demons that are part of their family and I was still listed, so they tracked me down. The Elder stood up for me. Said that I had left the family because I knew something wasn't right and that I was eager to learn from him and his family."
Serena smiled.
"Of course that wasn't enough for Lord Lucifer."
"But, you're here."
He lifted his arm and pulled at a woven bracelet set with green stones. The stones were changing color with the light, or so she thought. He moved his arm into the shade of his own body and she could see the stones were pulsing.
"Lord Lucifer can find me at any time and in any place. Should he decide to change his mind."
"So, the smallest thing and..." Serena made a cutting motion across her throat.
"That's right. If the Elder hasn't killed me already that is."