[ A note from the author: MooCow125, I'm alright, thank you for asking. I've been taking a short mental break. I got the itch to write an independent novel. When a story worms its way into my brain I can't sleep until it's both partially written, and I have enough notes on the plot to remember where I'm going with it. (You should see all the files I have on this story alone.) I started the new novel last week and am already 15k words in, trying to get it out of my head so that I can rest. I only got a few hours of sleep last night because my mind just wouldn't stop whirring.
I have no intention of abandoning this story , if that's what you're worried about. I've had the ending planned out for too long to do that. Luckily, today was a slow day at work, so I had some extra time to write while my work computer ran.
I'll let you in on a secret; Reviews make me want to write faster… Hint hint, wink wink]
Aerwyna was in the mood to wear human legs. She walked through Redemption City toward the Grey Area portal. Increasingly familiar faces waved pleasantly at her, enjoying her refusal to wear pants. She knew they looked. She didn't mind. She hoped Ben would look, too.
A few other angels with demon soulmates coalesced around the portal. They were waiting for her. They'd become a sort of loosely organized club. The cherubs hated that they kept visiting Hell, and the other angels simply couldn't understand, so they exchanged numbers. It was helpful to be able to talk openly with each other about their demons, and the ups and downs of knowing who they were but being unable to spend much time with them. It was all rather bittersweet.
"Sorry I'm late," Aerwyna apologized, "I got a little distracted talking to a jellyfish."
"That's okay," one of her new friends said kindly, "the demons won't show up for another half hour or so anyway."
"Mine isn't coming at all," another one frowned. "Something about their boss breaking their knees for calling in sick. I hope they feel better soon."
Aerwyna opened the portal, bracing herself for the blast of intense heat. Nasty smells and anguished screams assaulted their senses. They stepped into Hell.
Cruci was waiting, scribbling something into a spell book. She was muttering to herself in what sounded like Latin, but Aerwyna wasn't sure. When the angels arrived, she looked up, pulled from her concentration with a start.
"Oh! You're here! Welcome." She closed her book, and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "You're early."
"Because we knew some of us would probably be late if we agreed on the actual time," one of the angels teased, elbowing Aerwyna. She elbowed him back. It was all in good fun.
Cruci let them inside. They were surprised to see the Ambassador and her own soulmate there. They were the only ones with the freedom to roam about wherever they wanted, so they had no need to be stuck in the Grey Area. They seemed to be checking the security of the building. Her soulmate was grinning creepily out the window.
"Dearest," he called to the Ambassador. His voice sounded like it was coming from an old dusty speaker.
"Hm?" She answered, flitting down to the ground. He indicated that she should look outside.
She peeked through the curtain. "Oh! He made it! I'm glad he was able to get away, I was worried the last factory shooting would hold him up."
"Are you talking about Ben?" Aerwyna moved to join them.
She looked out the window. Sure enough, her dapper demon's limousine pulled up. There was a mysterious blood spatter on the windshield, and one of the wheels appeared to have a bone wedged into the rim. Still, his car was cleaner than a lot of the others that drove by.
A demon with fiery red skin and black gloves hopped out of the driver's seat. They opened the back, allowing Ben to climb out. He straightened his tailcoat, and the driver closed the limousine door. Aerwyna perked up, excited to see him. Being around him made her happy. She wished he could come live with her in Heaven. Maybe one day he would.
A loud screeching sound turned everyone's heads. Speeding around a corner, a rusty van with dark tinted windows drove by.
It all happened so fast:
The van drove up.
Someone inside pointed a gun at Ben's limo driver.
Ben jumped in front of him.
The gun fired.
The van drove away.
Ben was on the ground.
Aerwyna screamed.
The limo driver cradled Ben in his arms, shaking him. He was shouting something, checking his pockets. He pulled out a potion vial. He poured it down Ben's throat. Too late. Ben went limp.
"Well, that's inconvenient," the Ambassador frowned.
Aerwyna blanched at her, "Inconvenient?? He's dead, you insensitive little-" she choked back a sob, trying to process what she'd seen.
"Ha! He sure is!" the Ambassador's soulmate laughed.
"Allie, she's scared, don't be mean," the Ambassador scolded. She turned to Aerwyna, who had gone very pale. She placed a cold hand on her arm, "he'll be back."
"What?" Aerwyna stared at her, confused tears rolling down her cheeks.
"He's human. There's only one way to end a human soul, and that wasn't it. The imp he took the bullet for, on the other hand, would have died permanently. This isn't the first time he's taken a hit for one of his employees, and it probably won't be the last."
"Oh, he's in for an excruciating time, though," the Ambassador's soulmate laughed again, "Regeneration is a torturous experience. He'll be screaming for quite a bit." He grinned as they watched the driver drag Ben's body back into the limo.
"I think I need to sit down," Aerwyna breathed. She felt sick.
The Ambassador helped guide her to a chair. "I promise he's fine," she assured her. "He just won't be able to meet with you today."
"Why would he do that?" She asked, not sure what else to say.
"Shakespie employs a lot of imps for several reasons," the Ambassador explained. "For one, there are so many imps in Hell that a lot of them are homeless and struggling. Human demons are considered more desirable for employment, since they'll come back when they're killed. Imps don't. But Ben has a big heart; He's made it so that our company has the highest percentage of imp employees in the Pride Ring."
"IMPloyees, you could say!" the soulmate demon joked. Aerwyna was too upset to laugh.
"Another reason," the Ambassador continued, "Is that imps don't make him hungry. Cannibals can smell human flesh like a shark smelling blood. Being around them is a temptation that makes him uncomfortable. So, the people he spends the majority of his time with are either imps or other cannibals. Because of that, he feels responsible for them. He cares about them more than most of Hell's bosses."
Aerwyna considered that. It certainly sounded like her Ben. But it had been so violent. She was shaking. "How many times has he died?" She asked quietly.
"I can't say," the Ambassador admitted. "He's been in Hell since before I was even born. But since I've been down here, this has happened a small handful of times. Last time, he was more upset about his jacket being ruined than the murder itself."
"Is that why the driver took his body away? So he can get his stuff back?"
"Uh…" the Ambassador hesitated, "not exactly."
"I expect he'll be inviting me to dinner soon," the Ambassador's smiling soulmate said jovially.
"Why would he be invit-" Aerwyna stopped, the realization hitting her. "Oh."
"Waste not want not!" the smiling demon winked.
"Has he made any progress with that? He's such a kind person, I'm sure he would be redeemed in no time."
"I'd go so far as to say he's completely ready, even without staying at the hotel. But I can't quite figure out a potion that's helped with the cravings. It's just so complicated."
"But he's been trying?"
"Very hard. But you have to understand, it's like trying to go off drugs. Without human flesh, cannibals go through withdrawals. It can get ugly. Willpower isn't enough."
"I wish I could help him," she sulked.
"Me too," the Ambassador sulked back. She seemed genuinely sad that she hadn't been able to help Ben. It made Aerwyna feel better. At least he had someone in his corner when she wasn't around.
"I want to go home."
"Of course. I'll have you notified when Ben is feeling better."
Aerwyna didn't bother to wait for her friends to finish up with their own demons. She just stood up and left without another word. Cruci offered her a comforting smile, locking the door behind her.
She disappeared to the shining coast near her home, lying down in the sand. The sun kissed her skin, offering some manner of comfort. She turned her head, imagining Ben at her side, a halo on his head. She wondered what he would look like as an angel. Would he still have sharp teeth? Would he look more human, like he had when they met? Would he have a tail, like hers?
She wanted to show him her world. Closing her eyes, she imagined the joy he'd have on his face if she could swim with him through the fields of shining shells. The moan of ecstasy if he tasted Heaven's finest sushi. The wonder in his eyes if he heard the song of holy sirens. There were so many incredible things she wanted him to see.
But she couldn't. He was there. And she was here. And all they had were brief meetings together in a building with barred windows.
Grief bubbled up in her chest, crushing her like a boulder. She pressed her palms into her eyes, trying not to let her imagination wonder what sorts of pain Ben was experiencing. Torturous. That red demon had called regeneration torturous. How could someone as sweet as Benjamin be subjected to anything described as torturous? He deserved sandy shores and clear waters, not guns and flame.
Whatever entity was in charge of divine judgement was messed up in the head. Ben was kind. The soulmate demons were kind. The witches were kind. What more did Heaven want? The injustice of Ben's damnation was infuriating. His cannibalism wasn't his fault. If someone were to take a child and inject them with heroine, would that child be sent to Hell for addiction, too?
She sat up, staring off into the horizon. There had to be a better way. Forever was a long time to spend paying for something that had happened over the course of a single lifetime. She made a decision. Regrowing her tail, Aerwyna dove into the water and swam home.
She was going to find out who really decided who got into Heaven.
Down in Hell, Elida dragged Alastor to the regeneration area to wait for Shakespie. Too many demons would get picked off by kidnappers and rapists in their vulnerable state. Unless you were powerful, clever, or lucky, freshly regenerated demons had a tendency to be victimized. Ben was a brilliant businessman, but he wasn't strong or especially wily. He was too normal. Elida wanted to make sure he got home safe.
"How long does this usually take?" She asked Alastor.
"That entirely depends on the demon. Could be minutes, could be days."
"How long did it take you, last time you were killed?"
"That has not happened for a very long time."
"I hope we don't miss him, the poor thing."
"Did you think to bring him a robe? Respawn doesn't come with clothing."
"Oh shoot, I didn't…"
"Not to worry, dearest, I can take care of it."
"You're the best."
"Of course I am, don't be silly."
"But I like being silly!"
"My sincerest apologies."
"I'll forgive you, in exchange for a ride."
Elida shrunk down to a few inches and sat on his shoulder. She kicked her hooves impatiently, her wings tickling against Alastor's cheek. He patted her head affectionately. She cuddled into the crook of his neck.
Out of the blue, Alastor felt an irritating pull on his soul, like a vacuum beckoning him into another dimension. Someone was summoning him in the living world, most likely for a deal. The timing was inconvenient, so he snapped his fingers. One of his owned souls appeared, looking scared.
"Keep an eye out for Mr. Shakespie," Alastor ordered. "Clothe him and bring him safely to his estate, understood?"
The soul nodded, neither daring nor able to disobey. They didn't need to ask who Shakespie was; everyone knew about the Ambassador's business partner. Positivity Potions had become a household name, especially in light of recent events.
"What's happening?" Elida asked, seeing Alastor fading.
"Hold on tight, love," he instructed. "We're going for a little trip. This ought to be fun!"
Sitting on the floor of his mother's basement, a teenager named Jake chanted the words, "Bayou Bloodletter, Bayou Bloodletter, Bayou Bloodletter…" While his emo-wannabe friends held a radio above their heads. On the floor, they'd drawn a demon summoning symbol out of red paint, then surrounded it with a circle of salt. The two together should hold their demon safely in place while they got their favor. And if the demon didn't comply? Well, then they'd be stuck there until they did.
As Jake chanted, he saw the circle begin to glow. Excitement filled him when a tall, shadowy figure began to take shape. A dark, narrow fawn with antlers and shining red eyes slowly materialized. It held an odd microphone as a staff, and it smiled down at Jake with a malicious grin. A glowing blue fairy sat on its shoulder, watching them curiously.
"Demon of the swamp," Jake said dramatically, "I call on you for a favor."
The demon narrowed its eyes, teeth bared and fingers tapping absentmindedly on its staff. "Do you, now?"
"We have you trapped!" Jake said confidently. "We'll only let you go if you do what we say."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. See the circle of salt? It's blessed with a spell of holy protection. Demons like you can't cross it."
"Oh, really?" The demon leaned down condescendingly, "And what favor would a group of children such as yourself require from me?"
Jake took an involuntary step back, more intimidated than he wanted to admit. He cleared his throat, puffing out his chest. "Ahem. Uh… We want magic. And money. Oh! And Sally wants a girlfriend. And-"
"Demanding, aren't we?" the demon interrupted, still smiling creepily.
Sally chimed in, "why do you have a fairy on your shoulder?"
"Shut up!" Jake snapped at her, "I'm the one who- ouch!" Sally punched him in the arm.
The fairy in question flew to the ground, growing in size until she was barely a head shorter than the demon. She still towered over the kids, the light from her skin illuminating the room. She drowned out all the dark shadows from the candlelight they'd spent the last of their allowance on.
"I'm no fairy, little one," she said in a sweet, melodic voice. Her presence made Jake feel light and giddy, like someone was giving his soul a hug.
"Wow!" Paul said behind his obnoxiously thick glasses, "Two for one deal!"
The demon's grin got wider, "What a funny little group."
"Hm..." The not-fairy hummed. "I wonder if you kids would be messing with the dark forces of the world if you truly understood what that meant."
Jake stuck his nose in the air, "You're both trapped here until we get what we want, so don't even try to trick us."
The not-fairy giggled like the tinkling of a bell, "Aw, look at you trying to be all big and tough."
And then she stepped across the circle of salt.