THE DEVIL AT THE DOOR
1283 Words
Naya stared at him.
The room seemed to shrink around her.
The stranger stood in the doorway, perfectly still.
His words replayed in her mind.
I am the reason you died in your last life.
Naya's lips parted.
"My... what?"
He didn't answer.
Behind him, the creature remained on its knees.
It was trembling.
Actually trembling.
Naya looked from the creature to the man.
Whatever he was...
The creature feared him.
"Who are you?" she asked again.
The man's eyes remained fixed on hers.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Naya frowned.
"I didn't come here because of you."
"I know."
"Then why are you here?"
His jaw tightened.
"Because they found you."
The creature suddenly snarled.
The sound was so deep that the windows rattled.
Naya screamed and stumbled backward.
The stranger's eyes flashed.
"Enough."
One word.
That's all he said.
The creature immediately lowered its head.
Naya's blood ran cold.
Zuri grabbed her arm.
"Who is that?"
Naya whispered,
"I don't know."
The stranger heard her.
His gaze moved briefly toward Zuri.
"She shouldn't have followed you."
Zuri's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
Naya stepped between them.
"Leave her alone."
The man's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"You protect her?"
"Of course."
"Even now?"
"Especially now."
Something almost resembling amusement crossed his face.
"You haven't changed."
Naya's heart skipped.
"What does that mean?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he walked into the house.
The creature immediately crawled backward.
Naya watched him approach.
There was something terrifying about the way he moved.
No hurry.
No hesitation.
As if nothing in existence could possibly threaten him.
He stopped in front of the creature.
It looked up.
"Please."
Its voice sounded different now.
Weak.
Human.
The man tilted his head.
"You knew the rules."
"I didn't know she was yours."
Silence.
Naya's eyes widened.
Yours?
The stranger's expression became cold.
"She belongs to no one."
The creature swallowed.
"But the prophecy—"
"Do not speak of it."
The creature immediately bowed its head.
The man turned toward Naya.
Their eyes met.
For one strange second, Naya felt something inside her chest pull toward him.
Not fear.
Something else.
Something she didn't understand.
She hated it.
She stepped backward.
"Stay away from me."
He stopped.
"You still say that."
Naya's forehead creased.
"Still?"
He looked at her for several seconds.
Then his expression changed.
"Nothing."
"No."
Naya shook her head.
"You keep saying things like you know me."
"I do."
"You don't."
"I've known you longer than you can remember."
"That's impossible."
"Is it?"
Naya opened her mouth.
No answer came.
The old woman suddenly spoke.
"Azrael."
The stranger looked at her.
"Enough."
She trembled.
"She deserves to know."
His expression hardened.
"No."
"She has a right—"
"I said no."
The room went silent.
Naya looked at the old woman.
Then at him.
"Azrael."
She repeated the name.
The moment she said it, something happened.
The mark on her wrist burned.
Naya cried out.
A strange symbol appeared beneath her skin.
It glowed dark red.
Azrael's entire expression changed.
For the first time, genuine alarm appeared in his eyes.
He grabbed her wrist.
Naya tried to pull away.
"Don't touch me!"
He didn't release her.
His fingers tightened around her wrist.
The mark began spreading.
Thin red lines crawled beneath her skin.
Naya gasped.
"What is happening?"
Azrael stared at the mark.
His voice was suddenly low.
"How long has this been happening?"
"Since last night."
His eyes snapped to hers.
"Last night?"
"Yes."
"Did you dream?"
Naya froze.
"How do you know?"
"Answer me."
She swallowed.
"Yes."
"What did you see?"
"Fire."
His expression darkened.
"A castle?"
Naya's heart stopped.
"How do you know?"
"Thousands of souls?"
She stared at him.
"Yes."
"A black throne?"
Naya couldn't speak.
Azrael's grip loosened.
He looked almost disturbed.
"What?"
Naya demanded.
"What did I see?"
He released her wrist.
"Nothing."
"Don't lie to me."
His eyes narrowed.
"You don't understand what you're asking."
"Then explain it!"
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because if I tell you too soon, they'll hear you."
Naya stared at him.
"Who?"
Azrael looked toward the ceiling.
For a moment, his expression became unreadable.
Then he whispered:
"The ones beyond the Gate."
A violent tremor shook the house.
The old woman gasped.
Zuri screamed.
The creature suddenly looked toward the window.
"No."
Azrael's face hardened.
"What?"
The creature began crawling backward.
"They're here."
A sound rolled across the sky.
Not thunder.
A roar.
Something enormous moved above the house.
Naya looked toward the window.
The sky had turned black.
Completely black.
No clouds.
No stars.
Nothing.
Then a single beam of white light pierced through the darkness.
It struck the ground outside.
The creature began screaming.
Azrael looked at Naya.
"Stay here."
Naya shook her head.
"What is that?"
"Something you cannot fight."
"I can decide that myself."
His eyes narrowed.
"You're stubborn."
"You're annoying."
For one brief second, he almost smiled.
Then the white light grew brighter.
Azrael stepped toward the door.
Naya grabbed his sleeve.
He stopped.
She immediately released him.
"I..."
She didn't know why she'd touched him.
Azrael looked down at her hand.
Then back at her.
His expression became strangely soft.
"You really don't remember."
Naya frowned.
"Remember what?"
He said nothing.
He walked outside.
Naya followed.
"Naya!" Zuri shouted.
But she couldn't stop.
The moment Naya stepped outside, the air changed.
The temperature dropped.
The entire street was empty.
No people.
No cars.
No sound.
Above them, the black sky seemed to split open.
And something descended.
A figure made entirely of white light.
Two enormous wings spread behind it.
Naya stopped breathing.
An angel.
Not the beautiful kind from paintings.
This creature was terrifying.
Its face was hidden beneath a golden mask.
Its wings stretched across the entire sky.
Azrael looked up at it.
The angel spoke.
Its voice shook the earth.
"Azrael Veyron."
Naya's eyes widened.
So that was his full name.
The angel continued.
"By order of Heaven, surrender the girl."
Azrael didn't move.
Naya's heart pounded.
The angel pointed at her.
"She does not belong to you."
Azrael's voice was dangerously calm.
"Neither does Heaven."
The angel's wings opened wider.
"She carries the soul of the woman who betrayed the order."
Naya stared at Azrael.
"Who?"
The angel's gaze settled upon her.
"Your former self."
Naya felt the world tilt.
Azrael's eyes darkened.
The angel raised its hand.
A spear of white fire appeared in its palm.
"The reincarnated bride must die before she remembers."
Naya couldn't breathe.
Azrael stepped in front of her.
The angel laughed.
"Still protecting her?"
Azrael's voice became something Naya had never heard before.
Not calm.
Not amused.
Not human.
"You came into my territory."
The ground beneath his feet cracked.
Darkness began spreading around him.
The creature inside the house screamed.
The old woman fell to her knees.
Even the air seemed to bend.
Azrael slowly looked up.
His eyes burned red.
"You should have brought an army."
The angel tightened its grip on the spear.
"We brought one."
Naya looked toward the horizon.
Her blood froze.
Hundreds of white lights were appearing in the sky.
Then thousands.
An army of angels.
Descending toward them.
Azrael didn't look surprised.
He simply reached behind him.
His hand found Naya's.
His fingers closed around hers.
Naya stared at their joined hands.
"Why are you holding me?"
He didn't look at her.
"Because when they attack..."
His eyes remained fixed on the approaching army.
"...I need to know where you are."
Naya swallowed.
"Why?"
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he whispered so quietly that only she could hear.
"Because I've already lost you once."
The first angel descended.
And Hell's war began.
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