A couple of months had passed since Adrian was tasked with Lilliana's rehabilitation and although progress was slow in his eyes, the doctors were impressed just how much he was able to "tame" her. Even though she didn't hide her anger about her past treatment, she was at least tolerant of their looming presence over their sessions. He tried to teach her forgiveness since there would be a slim chance of success working in the field if she held these bitter feelings to anyone that hurt her, but she found it hard to forgive. In her eyes, they reveled in her torture, but Adrian thought otherwise. As a sign of good will, he would invite each doctor separately for a meal in the human world. He wanted them to treat him as a friend rather than their superior and the amount of stress that was lifted off their shoulders was apparent. They explained to him that they were only following the orders of Dr. Peters and even if they disagreed with his methods, they were powerless against him. Although Reapers are supposed to have neutral feelings about human affairs, it was different when another Reaper was involved and most felt guilty about her rehabilitation, but couldn't find the courage to say anything. Adrian tried to give a comforting thought that he'll protect them if Dr. Peters tried to fire them for speaking up, but all of them were too scared to accept his help.
At first, Dr. Peters tried to keep his hatred of Adrian a secret, but he was letting the mask slip more often than not. Frustration seemed to be his default emotion and the poor doctors were usually at the receiving end of his anger. Adrian tried to keep to his word about defending them, but sometimes they would get fired without his knowledge. Though, those doctors were happy to be leaving such a toxic work environment, even if their career options were limited outside of the rehabilitation center. Initially, Lilliana was happy when someone was gone, but Adrian had to teach her sympathy, even if she felt like they didn't deserve it. Now, even if she seemed cold about a firing, she would say things like, "I hope they'll be okay" or "That's terrible for them" in an unemotional voice. It wasn't much, but it's a start.
As a sign of "trust", Lilliana let him in on a secret: the mirror that loomed over them in the examination room was actually a two-way mirror and on the other side were a group of doctors watching them. She could see through it because of her demon eyes and although Adrian had the same ability, he could never use it as freely as she could. He tested it in the middle of the night, when no one was around, and sure enough, through the mirror, he saw two rows of empty chairs and one chair on the side that seemed more comfy than the rest. He assumed that was Dr. Peters' special chair. Ever since that revelation, he was a bit more cautious about what he asked her and to be mindful when her responses were not the most truthful.
Adrian's recent sessions focused on what caused Lilliana's demonic instincts to emerge and how to control them. Using her eyes as indicators, he already knew that anger was one of them. Yesterday, he tested her reaction to blood, resulting in her eyes turning red with the mere scent or sight of it. It didn't even matter which type she was exposed to, whether human or Reaper; the reaction was the same. Though, reading about graphically violent battles or torture did not have any effect, even if she was invested in the material. He wondered how the mind wash could have prevented this since the mere scent could trigger her instincts, even if she was unaware it was in the room initially.
Today's experiment seemed strange, but he had her read some material the night before and report how she felt about them. Judging by her disgusted face when asked about them, she didn't like it too much. "You could have warned me about the explicit scenes in those stories!" she exclaimed as she sat in a chair in a huff and threw the books on the table.
"I didn't want you to suppress your emotions out of decency if I told you," he said as he observed her reaction. "That's why I wanted you to read them in private. If you felt a certain way while reading them, you would have had some privacy."
"Privacy in this building? Not a chance," she said with rolled eyes. "From what they taught me, we're not supposed to have those kinds of feelings anyway. They get in the way of collection."
"I wouldn't say that we are not supposed to have those emotions. They are natural feelings like hunger. If gluttony got in the way of collection, they wouldn't force you to stop eating. They would only ask you to curb your appetite. Why not the same for sexual urges? The suppression of them is just as harmful as overindulgence."
Lilliana scoffed. "And which camp do you fall into?"
He smirked. "Moderation, of course."
"If I asked anyone else, they would assume any sexual urge is a demonic trait."
"Just because lust is considered a deadly sin, that doesn't mean it's demonic. Even if lust was a trigger for you, that is simply another thing to control. Speaking of which . . . ," Adrian trailed off.
"Hate to disappoint you, but your collection of smut did nothing for me," she said with crossed arms.
"Well, they're not from my personal collection. I bought these at a human bookstore."
"They sell this rubbish in bookstores?" she exclaimed in shock.
"Well, not every bookstore. It was hidden away from the decent folk, but if you ask the right people, the possibilities are endless," he said with a shrug.
"Did you even read what humans find erotic? It's fucked up," she asked with concern. She pointed at various books as she listed their synopses. "This one is about a sadistic master that loves to torture his submissive maid. This one is about a dominant mother seducing her son's clueless best friend. This one has a weird fetish for legs. This one equated male orgasms with castration. Do I need to go on?"
"Your point has been made," he said as he gathered the books and put them aside. "Humans nowadays are told to suppress their urges, so they're finding their fixes in the weirdest outlets."
"Clearly. I've been around incubi and succubi and even they have boundaries for things like torture and consent."
"Sounds like you would know from experience," he said casually, but the blush on her cheek proved otherwise. "Or maybe not."
"D-Do you think I'm a loose woman just because I was raised by demons?" she said with her eye turning red out of insult.
"That was not my intention," he apologized. "I only assumed that lust demons would try to sleep with you to get your taste."
She got a bit quiet as she sunk into her seat. Her eye turned back green. "I . . . I never got the opportunity," she said meekly.
"I find that hard to believe. Lust demons consume sexual energy from whoever they sleep with and though humans are satisfying, one Reaper, in comparison, is like stuffing yourself in a buffet. I'm sure they were salivating just at the thought of sleeping with you."
"You sure know a lot about demons for a Grim Reaper," she said with an arched eyebrow.
"I have conversations with demon hunters from time to time and they like to talk about the demons that they slay," he explained with no hint of suspicion. As true as that was, having a demon partner was also informative, if not more so. "Did you feel uncomfortable about their advances?"
"Not really. Even if I wanted to accept them, my brother wouldn't let them get near me," she said before quickly putting her hand over her mouth. She had a habit of doing that whenever Bastille was brought up. She was conditioned to not see him as her brother since it meant that she had attachments to the demon world. Although it was clear to him that she would never disown him, she had to keep up appearances and usually tried to change the subject to avoid slipping up.
This time, however, he wanted her to slip. "I see. Bastille is quite the overprotective brother to his dear little sister, isn't he?"
She looked uncomfortable with his response. He could see that for a split second, she wanted to smile in agreement, but remembering that they were being watched made her keep her head down. It was starting to annoy him since the topics he wanted to talk about with her were the very ones that could get her in trouble. Somehow, he had to find a way around this barrier, but he had to be patient.
"Have you had a sexual experience with anyone?"
"I don't think that's any of your concern," she defended. It was safe to assume that she was what humans called a "virgin". This was an interesting discovery: Bastille's actions toward her sexuality confirmed Adrian's suspicion that Lily's human trauma was sexual in nature. With their human past behind them, Bastille was determined to prevent it from happening again, which deprived her of developing healthy sexual relationships. Adrian couldn't blame him for thinking this way, but he could hurt her in the process by denying her sexual urges, if she had any. In a weird way, he was training her to be a Reaper.
"Well, I don't know about you, but all this talk of sex is making me ravenous . . . for food, of course. Let's start cooking our meal," he said as he got up from his chair and she followed.
"So, what did your little experiment prove?" she asked.
"If lust was a trigger for you, you are already in control of your urges. I argue you don't have any to begin with."
"Well, I wouldn't say that," she said under her breath.
"Oh, is that a challenge?" he said with a smirk.
"Don't tell me you're going to try to seduce me just to prove a point."
"Of course not. Dr. Peters would rip my head off if I started flirting with my ward."
"And if he wasn't around?"
He was taken aback by her question before turning to her. "Only consensually, which I'm not sure applies here since I'm in charge of you."
"Fair enough," she said with a soft shrug. They walked to the kitchen and she proposed that she make their meal on her own. He did give her a book on gastronomy and she wanted to test some of her knowledge. He allowed it, which gave him time to work on a little project of his own. While she cooked, he had been writing something down on a single sheet of paper and although she was curious, he advised her to wait until he was finished. Though, the grin on his face as he wrote made her all the more tempted to take a peak, but she abided by his wishes.
Today's meal was shepherd's pie and he was proud of her for how well it tasted. She felt accomplished as she savored each bite, but in the middle of eating, he handed her the paper. He instructed her to read it and she did without complaint. Though, as she started to read, her bites were more paced out and he even noticed her gulping without taking a bite. She was transfixed by the writing and her breathing started to deepen. He chuckled when he saw the intended result on her face: her eye turned red.
When she finished reading, she put the paper facedown and said, "You're quite the writer, old man."
"I only write down experiences, not fantasies," he said with a giggle. "Makes it more realistic that way."
"Wait, so this . . . ," she said as she pointed at the paper, "This happened to you?"
"I won't confirm or deny," he said as he finished his shepherd's pie.
"Shit," she muttered. "I don't think I can look at you the same way ever again."
"That's partly the goal," he said as he grabbed his plate and the paper. "But at least I know lust can be a trigger and I'll be confiscating this so you won't get any funny ideas."
"Are you scared I'm going to touch myself if I read this again?" she said as a rebellious child would.
"You can do whatever you want in your room with your own imagination, but I don't feel comfortable with this being the fodder needed," he said as he walked back to the kitchen and immediately ripped up the paper. It was an interesting experience writing his own erotica, but he made sure to omit the name and nature of his lover. The last thing she needed to know was that it was her demon daddy pleasuring him.
It took many weeks of convincing, but Adrian finally got the approval to let Lilliana out on "field trips" to the human world. He tried asking Dr. Peters for a while, saying she needs to be exposed to triggers on a regular basis to learn to control them. He denied his proposal countless times and would have continued to deny them, but Adrian sneakily asked the Board directly since he knew Dr. Peters could not veto their decision. To his surprise, they approved it under the two conditions. One, if she were to escape or consume a soul, he would be at fault and punished for it. Two, Dr. Peters had to travel with them for observation. Although he hated the idea of him tagging along, especially since he wanted this time to be free of him, he accepted the terms.
To no one's surprise, Dr. Peters was furious when he heard the news. Though, he was able to delay the field trips a little longer by adding one more condition for his forced participation: Lilliana had to undergo a physical to make sure she was fit enough to go to the human world. It didn't seem like a big deal; all training Reapers get physicals before their final exam for the same reason. Plus, a blood draw at a yearly physical was the easiest way to obtain Reaper blood to stock Reaper hospitals. A lot of Reapers, including Adrian, would try to opt out of physicals if their supervisors weren't too stringent on the rules. Though, he had his own reason to not allow himself to undergo such scrutiny.
Although Lilliana was excited to venture into the human world after being away from it for decades, she was not thrilled with the idea of going through a physical. She was convinced it was just another torturous treatment disguised as a routine medical procedure and who could blame her for thinking that way. The last time they performed a physical on her was early on in her rehabilitation and they had to strap her down. He tried to assure her that it would be different this time, but she was still hesitant. It seemed Dr. Peters' plan to stop the field trips was working, but then Adrian made an offer: he would undergo a physical with her. She could pick up on his disdain for physicals, but instead of being suspicious, she actually found comfort in his offer and finally agreed.
The next day, the two made their way to the Reaper hospital, which was no bigger than a human clinic. After all, it was rare for Reapers to need medical attention when they couldn't get sick and normally avoided serious injury unless they were demon hunters. Since Adrian insisted she could travel without restraints, various Reapers were positioned along the route to make sure she didn't escape. They tried to be discreet, but their demonic eyesight could find them even from afar. Luckily for them, she behaved herself and even her eyes remained green the entire route.
However, that changed when they walked into the hospital and in the lobby were two Reapers she recognized: one with medium-length red hair and another with slicked-back brown hair. Both of them had their Death Scythes out, one in the shape of a chainsaw and the other in the shape of a pruner. Her eyes instantly turned red and she tried to lunge at them, but Adrian held her back. Though, he was surprised how much strength he needed to stop her. Doctors rushed to help him, but he insisted he had her under control.
"Just as demonic as you were back then," Grell Sutcliff said, but despite sounding confident, he had shaky hands around the handle of his Death Scythe.
"It was foolish of you to bring her here unbound," William T. Spears said, but it seemed to upset Lilliana more as she tried lunging at them again.
"Calm down, Lilliana! What has gotten into you?" Adrian asked before getting a good look at the two Reapers. They changed their appearances a bit since the exam, so he didn't recognize them at first. These were her fellow test-takers, the ones that were able to subdue her. Of course she would feel hatred toward them; in her eyes, they were the reason why she was sent back to the rehabilitation center.
"Mr. Crevan, the doctor is ready to see you now," a nurse said in a timid voice. "Would you like us to restrain her for you?"
"No, that won't be necessary. She is learning to regulate her anger," he chastised as he pulled her to the doorway, away from her source of hatred. Once they were out of her presence, she was able to take deep breaths to calm down. Though, the only thing that got her eyes to turn green was his disappointed face. "What was that?"
"I-I know I was a little over-reactive—," she tried to explain before getting interrupted.
"A little over-reactive? You acted just like you did when I first met you. If I didn't hold you back, you probably would have fought them to the death."
"Well it's a good thing that you were there," she grumbled as she crossed her arms. "Those two get to reap the rewards of my failed exam, being treated as heroes for handling the Demonic Reaper when it was all a lie." The last part of her statement got his attention, but before he could press for more information, they reached the examination room, where a doctor got up from her chair to greet them. She was a dark-skinned and curvy woman who had gray curly hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore minimal makeup except for a prominent dark purple lipstick, which matched her nails. Her white lab coat was open, revealing a simple white dress and matching kitten heels. Her spectacles were a thin metal and her jewelry was minimal.
"Hello Ms. Kiliamo. My name is Dr. Fleur N. Gale and I'll be performing your physical today," she said with a warm voice as she extended a friendly hand out for a shake.
Lilliana was hesitant, so Adrian reciprocated her gesture. "Thank you so much for answering my request, Dr. Gale. There are no female doctors in the rehabilitation center, so I figured a fresh face is what she needed to learn to trust others."
"I'm always happy to help out a friend," she said as she turned her attention to the younger Reaper. "I will make this as comfortable as possible for you since you haven't had a good experience with doctors. You tell me your boundaries and if there is anything that may cross them, I will explain my reasonings to ease your worries. Do you understand?"
"Sure, whatever," Lilliana responded, trying to act braver than she was.
Dr. Gale pulled out a hospital gown for her to change into. "Adrian, I'd like you to leave the room to give her some privacy."
"Of course," he said as he left the room and closed the door behind him. He took a few steps away so he wouldn't overhear them talking. Though, a thought crossed his mind and he started walking to the lobby, hoping to find Grell and William there. Luckily for him, they were sitting in the lobby and he was about to approach them, but they were in the middle of a conversation and nosy Adrian wanted to know what they were discussing.
"I can't believe they asked us to watch her. Surely they have enough demon hunters for that," Grell complained as he slumped into his seat.
"Not after the incident in New York. A good number of them were slain by a single demon," William explained as he kept a straight posture in the chair. "Besides, you know exactly why they asked us to tag along."
"Tch, all we did was collect the soul. We didn't do anything more than let the soul pierce her body and immobilize for a moment. I may have been able to stop her, but you?"
"What makes you think I couldn't handle her?"
"Well, you did fight her for a moment before I intervened and she had the upper-hand. She managed to knock off your spectacles and had you pinned to the ground. If you weren't so caught up with your emotions, maybe you would have had a chance, but she played you like a fiddle."
William looked away from Grell as he said, "That's a mistake I don't intend to repeat. I want to believe that she'll be like how she was when we first met her, but that girl never existed; it was a product of the mind wash. Her true self is the one we saw today."
"And that old codger thinks he can reform her. Clearly it's working out perfectly," Grell said with sarcasm.
"Compared to what I've heard, she has come a long way. As much as I chided him for letting her travel unrestricted, I'm actually impressed she listens to him."
"We'll see how things work out when the year ends. She may not even be your problem when you're promoted to supervisor."
"Who knows. They want me to watch her in the rehabilitation center since she would be in my charge if she succeeds. They believe I can learn Mr. Crevan's methods to use them on her when she is released."
"Well, she's not going to be an effective Reaper if she needs to be supervised constantly."
"We'll make that determination on her final day," William said as he got up from his chair to stretch. "And if she fails, she will be guillotined."
"Such a cold man you've become," Grell said with adoration in his voice as he twirled his hair with his finger. "I'm glad you've put those silly feelings for her behind you. It gives me room to wriggle into your heart."
"Please don't," he said curtly.
"Adrian," a voice called from behind him. He turned and saw Dr. Gale and Lilliana walk in his direction, but the doctor directed her to a nearby room. "Take a seat in that empty chair. They're only going to draw some of your blood."
"How much blood?" she questioned. "Last time, they nearly drained me dry."
"I highly doubt it was that much. They wanted some to test for irregularities, based on what the reports said. We only need a pint this time," Dr. Gale explained with a smile.
"Then have him do it with me," she said as she pointed at Adrian.
"No problem," he said as he walked to them. "Dr. Gale, do you mind drawing my blood?"
"Not at all, though you have to undergo your physical as promised."
"You have my word," he said with a smile. They sat at their seats with the doctors sitting on the other side with an empty blood bag and a needle connected by a tube. Lilliana tried to hide her nervousness, but a reassuring smile from her guardian was what she needed to put her arm out. He knew she wasn't afraid of needles, but rather the procedure itself. He had to assume that the last time they did this, it was painful for her since they most likely pricked her multiple times since she wouldn't sit still and the needle would have been ripped out from her resisting. The doctor was scared to see her red eyes, but she sat still in her chair until the blood draw was complete. Everyone in the room was relieved that everything was going smoothly.
"When's the last time you had a physical?" Dr. Gale asked Adrian as she was finishing up with his blood draw.
"Gosh, it's been a decade at least," he said thoughtfully.
"More like three," she chastised. "You know you're supposed to have them yearly."
"I'm aware," he said in a playful tone.
As she pulled out the needle and clamped the tube to seal the bag, she instructed, "Please follow me."
"Yes, doctor," he obeyed as he got up from his chair. Before he got too far, he looked back at Lilliana and said, "I think it's best for you to wait here. I don't think you want to wait in the lobby with those two there."
"No, I don't," she said, though now her eyes were red with hate.
The two elder Reapers left the room and returned to the examination room. He sat on the table, but she was quick to hand him a hospital gown. "Do we really need to go through this? You can just say I did the procedure."
"I'm not letting this opportunity slip past me. For decades, I've asked you to come in and you refused, even after I've treated your wounds from your little fights," she said knowingly.
"I didn't want to bother you with such a pointless procedure. Besides, it's not like my one pint of blood is going to make a difference," he argued, but her stern look did not care for what he had to say.
"You never know these days. Demons are finding creative ways to kill off demon hunters and more and more of them are being admitted to hospitals around the world. It's hard to find people willing to take on that risk."
"I know. They've tried to recruit me several times, but I've turned them down. It would be traitorous for me to go after Lucifer's kind just because I was ordered to," he said openly as he stripped down and put on the hospital gown. There was another reason why he wanted Dr. Gale to perform their physicals. Publicly, she is his personal doctor, but in secret, she had treated him whenever he got injured when he and Lucifer sparred and never reported his injuries. If she did, demon hunters would get involved and Adrian would be scrutinized. He trusted her to keep his secret and all she asked for was a letter of recommendation for a promotion.
"I'm sure your fuck buddy wouldn't like that," she joked as she put the stethoscope on his admomen, waiting to see his reaction. His increased heart rate made her chuckle. "Speaking of which, you haven't had to see me in a while. Are the two of you still meeting up?"
"Not as much as I'd like to, unfortunately. With Lilliana's rehabilitation, it's been hard to find time to meet up as often as we did."
"Well, all your efforts seem to be worth it. She's made tremendous progress in the short amount of time you've worked with her," she said as she started putting pressure on different points on his body to find anomalies or a painful reaction.
"I just hope it's enough. All they're focusing on now is the little scene she made in the lobby, saying she is doomed to fail."
"I wouldn't give up hope though," she said as she turned to a nearby table and grabbed a file. "They gave me the results of her last physical and it's clear that you are making a difference. Note her mental evaluation."
She handed him the file and he quickly read through it. As part of the physical, Reapers are surveyed on their mental health to prevent episodes that would need intervention. As he read her previous answers, it broke his heart a bit.
Q: Has there been a time since your last physical that was highly stressful or traumatic that could affect you negatively?
A: (written by the doctor) Patient is being treated at the rehabilitation center
Q: Have you had episodes of sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, or worthlessness that lasted for long periods of time?
A: I haven't had a moment not to feel that way because of you guys.
Q: Have you had episodes of fearfulness, paranoia, or anxiousness for long periods of time?
A: You're kidding me, right? I'm under constant surveillance and anything I do can result in a beating.
Q: Have you had irregularities in your appetite or sleep that lasted for long periods of time?
A: The doctors recently started depriving me of sleep in hopes that I would be more "workable" if I was tired. Plus, the food there is fucking disgusting and makes me want to starve myself rather than to eat that shit.
Q: Have you had moments where you find yourself having difficulty regulating your emotions?
A: You guys say I have an anger problem, but I bet you'd feel the same way I do if you were tortured all day and night.
Q: Have you had hallucinations of any of your senses about things that are not there?
A: Does dreaming of freedom count? I may daydream, but I know it's not real. You guys have made that perfectly clear.
Q: Have you felt the urge to harm yourself in any way, whether through deprivation, overindulgence, or self-mutilation?
A: I don't have to worry about that when you guys do that to me already.
"It shocks me that she kept her fighting spirit after all these years," Adrian said as he finished reading the results. "Any other Reaper would have broken under the pressure."
"But just like you, she isn't like other Reapers," she said as she handed him a piece of paper. "These are the answers she provided to me."
He took the paper from her hand and read through it, smiling at the difference.
Q: Has there been a time since your last physical that was highly stressful or traumatic that could affect you negatively?
A: I failed my exam to become a Reaper, but Adrian's involvement has been positive for the most part.
Q: Have you had episodes of sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, or worthlessness that lasted for long periods of time?
A: I may have them on occasion, but not being told that I'm a monster constantly has really changed my outlook on my rehabilitation.
Q: Have you had episodes of fearfulness, paranoia, or anxiousness for long periods of time?
A: I'm only scared that Adrian will go away and I'll be back to the old treatments, but he promised me he wouldn't leave until I finished my treatment.
Q: Have you had irregularities in your appetite or sleep that lasted for long periods of time?
A: I actually look forward to meals ever since Adrian taught me how to cook. If anything, I might be eating too much. And I've never had better sleep since I can feel relaxed, knowing he's around to protect me.
Q: Have you had moments where you find yourself having difficulty regulating your emotions?
A: I still have my anger issues, but we are learning to control that.
Q: Have you had hallucinations of any of your senses about things that are not there?
A: My paranoia of being watched makes me believe I hear things moving in the walls, but I tell myself it's just my imagination.
Q: Have you felt the urge to harm yourself in any way, whether through deprivation, overindulgence, or self-mutilation?
A: I haven't felt the urge to do anything like that, even under old treatment. Adrian is trying to teach the doctors that torturing me is not the way to treat me and I'm so thankful to have him around.
It almost brought a tear to his eye to see how she truly felt about him. She tried to act indifferent to his involvement, but it's clear that she was appreciative of it, maybe even more than she realized. He was glad that his words and actions were getting through to her. All he needed to do now was break down that barrier so she can start trusting other people. "Well, this has boosted my mental health," he said with a giggle.
"I was hoping it would. You can put your clothes back on before I survey your mental health. After that, you two are free to go."
"Thank you, Dr. Gale," he said with a smile that she reciprocated. Once they were done, she gave Adrian a copy of their results to present to Dr. Peters when they returned. They both passed their physical, much to his dismay.
The field trips to the human world varied depending on Adrian's objective. Sometimes, it was to simply observe humans or be integrated in large crowds to observe her reaction to a large quantity of fresh souls. Sometimes, he had her observe a scheduled collection to note the proper way to collect a soul with a Death Scythe. Other than a training Death Scythe during the exam, she was never permitted to have one of her own, so he had to commission one when she was released. She didn't need much intervention since she had learned to control her hunger for souls, which she admitted to him was not really a problem to begin with. She had tried consuming souls when she was with demons, but her body rejected it, forcing her to vomit them back up. She had tried explaining this to the doctors, but they never believed her. If she craved anything, it was the bloodlust from a kill.
Dr. Peters watched for any sign of deviance, but was disappointed when she was on her best behavior. The only times she let her behavior slip was when she found herself in the middle of a brawl that she did not initiate, but she wanted to finish. Adrian had to pull her away, knowing she might have killed a human if she let loose. He reminded her that Reapers were not allowed to kill humans, even if they were scheduled to die soon. They are only meant to observe and collect. She huffed at his explanation, but followed his directive from then on.
Despite her progress, Dr. Peters seemed to be more and more annoyed at her success. Adrian could not figure out why since this was the whole point of her rehabilitation even before he got involved. It was as if he didn't want her to succeed. On days she did well on a field trip, he would lock himself in his office, not wanting to speak with anyone. One day, he decided he needed a break and went on a week-long vacation outside London to clear his head. He instructed the doctors to maintain order or else there would be consequences. In other words, he didn't want them to break protocols because Adrian said so. The minute he left, the relief on the doctors' faces was infectious. Rules were laxed and a number of doctors went on vacations as well, making sure to return a day before Dr. Peters.
Adrian decided to take advantage of this newfound freedom and do something he knew he'd get yelled at for doing: he gave Lilliana's cell a makeover as a reward for behaving on the field trips. He brought in furniture of various colors, including a bookshelf for her collection of "borrowed" books. He replaced her lumpy mattress with one that felt like a cloud. He could tell it was comfortable since she fell asleep the minute she laid on it. He chuckled at her peaceful face and made sure to keep quiet as he continued to include little additions to give her room more personality. He looked at the cryptic poster and was careful to tear it down quietly.
However, to his surprise, a small dot stayed on the wall where the period was located. He tried scratching it off, only to realize that it had depth. It was actually a hole that was even painted black on the inside to disguise it. Someone was watching Lilliana in secret and that alarmed him greatly. He was about to wake her up to alert her, but he decided to take care of this himself. In the meantime, he put a vanitas painting over the hole to prevent anyone from using it.
He quietly left the room and immediately walked to Dr. Peters' office. He assumed that he would have a copy of the building's blueprints in there and he did not want to wait until he returned from vacation to ask for them. Besides, knowing Dr. Peters, he would deny any wrongdoing, even when presented with evidence. The thought that someone was sick enough to watch her in the privacy of her own room angered him, but he couldn't pinpoint who it could be. He couldn't imagine any of the doctors doing something so perverted in their already limited free time. She always had the feeling of being watched, but to deprive her of privacy in her own room was unconscionable.
He arrived at Dr. Peters' office and he tried to open the door, but as expected, it was locked. He looked around to make sure no one was walking by before letting his demon strength take over and breaking the lock. He had to remind himself to fix it before Dr. Peters returned to avoid suspicion, but that wasn't his worry now. For someone who wanted his underlings to keep the building in pristine condition, he kept his office in a mess of scattered papers and dust. Drawers were left open with papers hanging out of them. Some filing cabinets seemed to have dents in them, as if someone had punched them. Adrian tried to close the drawers, but they either were giving him resistance or they would slide out on their own. He heard shards of glass and ceramic crunch under his feet before noticing the silverware scattered on the floor. It was clear to him that Lilliana wasn't the only one with anger issues.
He rummaged through the drawers, hoping there was a method to Dr. Peters' maddening filing system. Though, on a particular filing cabinet that was surprisingly clean and free from dents, he noticed a scratch on the floor, as if the filing cabinet had been moved. He decided to push it in the direction of the scratch and was shocked to find a small entryway behind it. It was small enough for him needing to crouch to pass, but not so small that it required him going on all fours. On the other side, it was dark, but with his demon eyesight, he could see a shelf where a candle and some matches were resting. As he looked around, he saw three paths and decided to take one of them to see where it led. In no time, a small circle of light appeared and more could be seen down the hall at certain intervals. As he got closer, he discovered that the small circles of light were coming from holes in the wall. As he looked into it, he could see an empty cell. Sure enough, as he looked at other holes, he found much of the same.
He kept exploring more and realized that there was a hole for every room in the building, including the cubicles where the doctors worked privately. Apparently no one was safe from the watchful gaze of Dr. Peters. Adrian tried to follow the layout of the building from his memory until he found the hallway that led to Lilliana's room. He nearly passed her room since there was no circle of light to check, forgetting he put a painting over the hole for the exact reason, but he noticed a stool was positioned close to the hole and weird splotches of discoloration on the wall. On top of the stool was a notebook that was labeled "Lilliana Kiliamo" and a pencil. This sick bastard was taking notes while observing her! What could he possibly have noted?
He picked up the notebook, noting how flimsy it felt, as if it too was abused by Dr. Peters' rageful strength. He opened it and flipped to a random page, but what he read made his eyes turn red with anger. This is worse than what he expected. He wanted to punch the wall or yell at the top of his lungs, but remembering Lilliana was on the other side prevented him. He needed to confront Dr. Peters about his discovery and he needed to do it now.
Adrian informed the doctors and Lilliana that his session today would be delayed if not canceled due to an "urgent errand for an old friend". She was visibly upset about it, but he argued this was a good time for her to catch up with her reading. He recently gave her a hefty book that was over a thousand pages, so she would be occupied for a while. He even allowed her to go to the kitchen if she was hungry to make herself a meal, which he warned the doctors about before leaving. Unintentionally, this became a test for her to see if she would act civil toward the doctors, even if he wasn't around.
He traveled to the human world and waited patiently in the forest outside of London. Messanger owls can reach their targets quickly, even if they were halfway across the world, so he didn't expect much of a delay as long as Dr. Peters followed his order to come as quickly as possible. He only hoped that he wasn't petty enough to ignore it, but he made it clear that he didn't want anyone to know about their meeting. In the meantime, he read over the notebooks he found in his office, making sure to note damning evidence against him.
It was nearly midnight when Dr. Peters finally showed up, but despite being on vacation, he was wearing his lab coat. He no longer had to hide his anger out of decorum. "You left me quite a cryptic message, Crevan," he said as he pushed up his spectacles. "What could you possibly have found that needed my immediate attention."
"These," he said as he threw the notebooks at Dr. Peters' feet. He recognized them immediately as his eyes widened.
"Y-You broke into my office," he accused.
"I wouldn't have to if I didn't notice a little hole in Lilliana's room," Adrian said in a low voice, trying to keep his composure.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I was doing a little decorating in her room and decided to tear down that poster you must have hung carefully. You can't imagine my surprise when I found a hole that was big enough to see through."
"O-One of those doctors must have done it! I'll have whoever it was fired," he displaced, but nothing would convince Adrian of his false innocence.
"I wish a mere Peeping Tom was the issue, but unfortunately, that is not the case," he said as he stepped toward Dr. Peters, who stepped back. "Especially since the culprit could only look into her room through the path in your locked office."
"What path?" he feigned.
"A path behind a filing cabinet. Surely you must know about it, doctor. Not to mention that you have similar looking notebooks in your office that match the one I found in your secret hallway," Adrian said as he picked up Lilliana's notebook.
"That is an invasion of privacy! You have no right to go through my belongings," he barked.
"Oh, so you admit these are your notebooks?" Adrian said with a grin. Dr. Peters cursed under his breath at the realization. "Funny how you accuse me of invading your privacy when you were doing the same thing to your patient."
"Fine, I'll admit to observing her in her cell, but that is part of her rehabilitation to make sure she is taking in the treatment and not faking it," he confessed.
Adrian scoffed at his statement before turning to a page he dog-eared. "If anyone is faking anything, it is you faking your sympathy for her." He then started to read the passage:
21 June 1789
Patient had undergone electroshock therapy to rewire her brain. Humans have used this technique on their mentally ill patients with mixed results. Most result in a zombie-like state, but that would be a welcome change for her, who has fought us at every aspect of her treatment. Though, I enjoy her feisty nature. It makes her despair at the end of the day all the more devastating for her. Watching her writhe in pain as the shocks of electricity jolted into her temples and listening to her muffled screams through the cloth gag were almost too much for me and I had to excuse myself for a moment to calm down my excitement. When she was dragged back to her room, she didn't have the strength to even pull herself into bed. Her feeble attempts were amusing and after a while, she gave up and cried on the floor. It had been such a long time since she shed those delicious tears. I might need to continue this treatment unless she starts growing tolerant of it, like the others.
"Would you call that a proper treatment, Dr. Peters, if the desired result is to cause her pain?" Adrian said as he looked up from the notebook to observe his reaction.
"You are misunderstanding my words. When she grows tolerant of a treatment, she is not improving. Seeing the struggle is the only way to prove it is effective," he tried to explain.
"How is pain the only indicator of an effective treatment?" he said, slowly letting his anger show.
"Have you heard of a treatment that was pleasurable for the patient?"
"Yes, the one I am currently using on her and it seems to be working quite well, but you seem to hate that."
"How can you be so sure she will continue this behavior when your silly little rewards stop? I bet she will have a tantrum and go right back to her old ways," he said, mirroring Adrian's growing anger.
"You got to have faith that she will succeed. You have been against her progress since the beginning and have been sabotaging any chance for her to leave the rehabilitation center."
"How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" Dr. Peters said with an appalled face and a hand close to his chest. Adrian turned to another page and read out loud:
1 November 1799
The Board wants to test out the mind-washed Patient with the upcoming Reaper exam. She has become a mere puppet that will do anything she is told, no questions asked. Although the procedure to get her to this point was exhilarating to watch, the result has been such a disappointment. You could order her to eat human excrements and she probably would do it with a smile on her face. She has not fallen into despair for quite some time and it's starting to frustrate me. Not only that, but if she were to pass her exam, she will be allowed to leave the rehabilitation center and I cannot allow that. I may have found a way to keep her in my care by changing a single detail: exposing her blood has a high likelihood of undoing the mind wash. Whenever we tested it, she would slowly go back to her demon ways. Let's hope that the scheduled death is a bloody one.
"You can't blame me for exposing the weak spots in a mind wash," Dr. Peters argued.
"As much as I am against the idea of robbing her of her free will, you purposefully left out a crucial detail that could have resulted in her execution if things didn't work out the way they did," Adrian said.
"Then we wouldn't have a liability roaming the human streets and devouring souls," he said cruelly.
"She never consumed souls!" Adrian yelled, but took a deep breath to control his anger. "I would read the passage on the day she failed her exam, but it appears the pages are stuck together by a sticky substance. Care to explain what that substance is?"
"Probably some food or drink I spilled on it," he said quickly with a dismissive hand gesture, hoping to move on from the subject, but he didn't.
"Do you eat or drink during your observations as well? The same substance is on the wall and it is coincidentally at hip level when you sit."
"What are you insinuating?" Dr. Peters asked, backing away as Adrian tried to get in his face.
"I've met some deranged people, both Reaper and human, but never in my lifetime have I ever met someone as sick as you: someone who needs to witness the misery of others to get their rocks off. Tell me, Doctor, on your vacation, which suffering country did you decide to spill your sadistic seed all over?"
"That is outrageous! I would never divulge in such depravity! The Board warned me that you had eccentric beliefs, but I never thought you would go so far as to accuse me of masturbating to her suffering!"
"Well, it would explain a lot of things. You kept her miserable with your barbaric treatments so she would fit in with your fantasies and detested any treatment that resulted in her finding happiness, even if it was fake. When I got involved and started rehabilitating her properly, you were starting to get frustrated in more ways than one and tried to find new playthings to torture through your doctors, but none were as satisfying as Lilliana, were they?"
Dr. Peters felt cornered and the only way he could escape this was by attacking back. "And you think you are any better than I am? You're giving this girl false hope that will be stripped away the moment she slips. No matter what you do, she will always be seen as a Rogue Reaper that needs to be leashed. All you're doing is training her to be your good little pet that will do whatever you ask of her just so she can get a treat."
At that moment, Adrian let his anger on full display and his eyes turned red with fury. "How dare you insinuate that I would take advantage of Lilliana!"
"R-R-Red eyes! You're just like her: a Rogue Reaper! No wonder you wanted to get involved with her rehabilitation. You're trying to recruit her for some nefarious reason," Dr. Peters said with fear in his voice as he pulled out his Death Scythe in the shape of a giant scalpel. "If anyone were to find out, you and that girl would be executed and all your hard work would be for naught."
"That's not going to happen. I'll make sure of it," he growled.
"Perhaps you and I can cut a deal. I keep quiet about your little secret and in return, we return her rehabilitation to the way it was: miserable for the Demonic Reaper."
"You're insane to think I'd ever agree to such a thing."
"You don't have much choice, Crevan. You may be a Board member, but I'm sure even your legendary status isn't going to save you from falling from grace and onto the guillotine. It'll be easy to prove that you're a Rogue Reaper. So, what's it going to be: an exposé or a return to my order?"
"I think there's another option you should consider," a low voice said from behind Dr. Peters. Adrian's eyes widened at the sight of Lucifer behind the doctor and before either of them could react, he managed to grab the Death Scythe from his hand and stab him from behind.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Adrian yelled. The confusion managed to turn his eyes back to green.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm protecting my mate," Lucifer explained as he ripped the Death Scythe out of Dr. Peters' body, only to stab him over and over again, making sure to make fresh wounds each time. He reveled in the gasping sounds his victim made as life slowly started to escape his body.
"Stop!" Adrian said as he rushed to them to stop the carnage. He pulled Dr. Peters away from the demon and laid him on his lap, trying to find a way to stop the bleeding, but there was nothing he could do. The first strike went right through his heart and the additional wounds were to ensure he would not have enough blood to self-regenerate. In no time, Dr. Peters took his last breath.
"Such a waste of Reaper blood, but it couldn't be helped," Lucifer said as he hovered over them.
"Do you realize what you have done?!" Adrian exclaimed as he pushed the dead Reaper aside so he could stand.
"I saved your life! I thought you would be gracious to me for that," he argued.
"You may have caused more harm than good. He and I were on bad terms and everyone was aware of it. If his body was found, I would be the first person they would suspect of murdering him."
"But you didn't kill him. I did."
"And how do you suppose Reapers would react if they learned that you killed him? What business would a demon have getting involved in a fight against Reapers? You are guaranteeing that demon hunters will come after you."
"I think I can handle a few demon hunters," he said confidently.
"They'll do whatever it takes to take you down. If needed, they'll send every demon hunter in the world to kill you. I couldn't live with myself to know it was my fault you got hurt or even killed."
"Well, as long as we are mates, you wouldn't be alive if I were killed. We are connected by that mark on your wrist and mine," Lucifer said as he pulled back his sleeve to reveal the two thorny black bands that wrapped around his wrist. "And as your mate, I can feel your heightened emotions, including anger. I was surprised to feel such intense fury from you since you have managed to keep your emotions subdued. I figured something had to be wrong and I was proven correct."
"I was going to handle the situation in a way that didn't involve his death."
"Really? Then explain to me your 'foolproof' plan," Lucifer tested.
"I was going to report him to the Board to have him removed from his position. A man as sadistic as he was has no place in a field that promotes the well-being of patients," Adrian explained.
"But you let your anger get the best of you and unintentionally gave him leverage against you. I don't know how you could have found a way out that didn't involve killing him."
"I would have found a way," he said before Lucifer used a finger to lift his head up so they could see each other eye-to-eye.
"Can you just admit that I helped you at least a little bit? That man didn't deserve to live after everything he did to Lilliana."
"How much of that did you hear?"
"I've been here all day. I wanted to make sure you were all right, but you were so engrossed in those cursed notebooks that I decided to stay on the sidelines."
"So you heard the passages," Adrian said with a bit of blush on his cheek.
"Unfortunately. After hearing that, I understood completely why you were angry. I'd be lying if I said I didn't mix my anger with yours when I decided to slaughter him."
"So I have you to blame for revealing my true nature," he said with a soft chuckle. Lucifer reciprocated the chuckle, happy to see that his mate was slowly returning his usual demeanor. "We need to dispose of the body so no one can find it. Lucky for us, he was on vacation and kept his location a secret to avoid people bothering him."
"Leave that to me. We'll drain his body dry of any remaining blood and I'm sure there are some lower-level demons that would have a feast with the remains," Lucifer said with a sadistic grin.
"If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed you had all of this planned out even before you struck the killing blow," Adrian said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
"Well, unlike a certain Reaper, I anticipate every outcome to avoid surprise. A moment of hesitation could mean death," he teased, but his tone turned serious as he continued, "From the sounds of it, Lilliana's rehabilitation is going well?"
"Indeed it has. As much as that doctor tried to downplay it, she has come a long way since the beginning. She is trying to play it cool, but she is happy to have me around."
"I'm glad to hear. I trust that you will succeed in your mission and she'll be out in the human world a free Reaper. I may not like the idea of conforming to the Association, but it's better than keeping her imprisoned."
"Well, a certain demon got rid of my only barrier in her treatment, which will hopefully give me the freedom to do things the way I wanted from the start. For that, I must thank you."
If Lucifer had a tail, it would have been wagging from the amount of joy his gratitude stirred in him. "Of course. I would do anything for my mate. Speaking of which . . . ,"
"Not happening. I've been too wound up from the stress of this meeting and all I want to do is go back home and sleep," Adrian said as he stretched, feeling his spine pop at various points. Though, as he turned toward the demon, he saw his disappointed face. "Don't give me that look."
"I feel wound up too, but I want to release that tension in other ways," he pouted as he crossed his arms.
"Aw, does my demon want a reward for helping me out with my troubles?" Adrian purred.
"Maybe," he cooed.
Adrian chuckled at his indirect flirting. "How about this: dispose of the body as you said you would and come right back here. I'll show you just how appreciative I am of your help."
A jolt of lust rushed Lucifer's body as he used demonic speed to fling Dr. Peters' body over his shoulder. "I won't be long," he said as he extended a hand out to form a ring of blue flames which slowly formed into a portal to Hell.
"Oh, that reminds me," Adrian said as he pulled out a notebook that had his name on it. "Do you mind incinerating this for me? I didn't realize he was watching me too and I may be a little loose-lipped in the privacy of my room."
"Let this be a reminder to never let your guard down," Lucifer said as he took the notebook in his hand. Instantly, blue flames engulfed it until there was nothing but ash. He then turned his attention to the other notebooks and raised two fingers, creating multiple fires to incinerate each one. "We won't be needing those anymore."
"Thank you," Adrian said as he watched Lucifer enter the portal before it disappeared. He knew it was going to be a long night when he returned, but it might be exactly what he needed to unwind. There would be no sleeping tonight if Lucifer had his way and he usually did.
What lies ahead for Lilliana and Adrian? Will she be able to forgive those who have hurt her? Will there be consequences for Dr. Peters' death? Reviews are appreciated!