My Demon

6. It's just a deal

[…]

After long and silent minutes walking through dark passages where I could only see the light of the firefly and only hear its buzzing, we suddenly stopped. It was a dark room where you couldn't hear or see anything, not even with my night vision. The firefly disappeared after passing through one of the walls and there I sharpened my gaze. My hands were impregnated with dark energy, I closed my eyes to concentrate more on my other senses, since I could not trust my sight, and I put myself in a position of defense. Usually Tuldirm wouldn't prepare a surprise attack on me, but sometimes, when he did it to test my reflexes... It really got on my nerves.

I heard the c***k of something to my right, my eyes widened and my claws prepared to shatter the throat of anyone who tried to attack me. But... Startling me too much, the lights of the torches suddenly came on, with an intense golden glow that blinded me for a few moments. After those seconds, I started blinking so I could see what was happening around me, and when I saw it... The expression on my face changed.

“Surprise!” Many voices shouted around me before even my eyes got used to the light again.

"What?” I asked, blinking a couple of times so I could regain my vision. I let my magic in my hands dissolve as I didn't feel any kind of danger. After a few seconds, I observed all the machiavellian creatures that were there, recognizing the vast majority having fought side by side in countless battles with them. But the ones that stood out the most were the ones that made me smile, although they also created some doubts, especially a red-haired man with red eyes who stared at me with a serious expression:

"Ukothri, king of seduction!," I said laughing when I saw him and Ukothri rolled his eyes.

“Come on, with the control you have over your entourage of succubi and incubi with that tool," I said, pointing in the direction of his crotch. “For me you have no other name.”

"I remind you that I am the king of incubi and succubi, I control the pleasure of my victims, and I absorb and channel much of my energy to obtain power, and that’s how I won many battles in my territory. Although with how libidinous you are... I'm surprised you haven't taken off my crown for a long time," Ukothri said explaining himself, as he fixed his glasses, and when he opened his eyes he growled, because I was no longer in front of him, -many of the things he said bored me-, and if I left I would get on his nerves, so that's how I came out winning, but I also heard him murmur a: "Damn cat...”

On the other hand, I approached the beautiful girl with orange hair and amber eyes, who smiled flirtatiously at me as soon as she saw me.

“Doknel, the beautiful queen of the most deceitful and evil demon territory in all our world—or king?” I said thoughtfully.

“Sometimes I don't know how to tell you because you've never revealed your gender to us,” I said with a certain mocking touch, at the same time laughing softly, being accompanied by Doknel's laughing laugh.

"You see, that's something that remains to be seen, but I'm telling you that I'll be whatever I want and what suits me best, dear. Now, you'll have questions, won't you?” Doknel asked me with a smile and I nodded crossing my arms, and soon the two kings stood in front of me.

"Why are you here?" I asked them curiously, and the first to answer was Doknel.

"I had to come because a certain kitten has put my servant in limbo," Doknel said with a sly smile, looking at me inquisitively while I was scratching the back of my neck in a nervous gesture. “It's okay, she'll get out of there soon, for now, come here, little rascal,” Doknel said, opening her arms for me to hug her. A gesture, which was soon reciprocated.

After a few moments we parted and looked at each other with a quiet smile, receiving a slight sharp look from Ukothri and before he could speak, I interrupted him, knowing that it bothered him.

“By the way, where is that destroyer and scoundrel god that I hate so much?” I asked doubtfully and soon I felt an arm around my neck without hurting me and dragging me back to then start to remove my hair.

"The one for whom you were crying is here!" That thick and deep voice, the strong grip and the slight mocking touch of the voice, –something I had inherited after so many years–, let me know that it was Tuldirm. When we started to struggle my ancestor did not stop laughing because I could not free myself from his grip since he exerted more force so that I could not escape.

"You i***t, I wouldn't have come here if it hadn't been for Zitu telling me you were desperate to see me," I broke free of his grip and then wrapped my arm around Tuldirm's neck to do exactly what he had done to me.

"Come on, come on, don't behave like little children," Doknel told us, separating us while creating peace between us, which coming from a goddess who loved to create chaos and deceive people, made this situation really ironic.

"Okay, okay, but now the million-dollar question is... Why did you set this up?” I said, pointing to all the guests who were there, creating too much noise at the different conversations that were taking place at the same time.

"Don't you know?" Tuldirm, my friend and mentor, said to me, with an arched eyebrow, as if what was happening was the most normal thing in the world, although I was really lost, so I shook my head. I had no idea why all these people were here. “Don't be begging Mir, you know for what this is, a messenger came to tell us. It's because of your millionth soul obtained, you i***t! This one took you longer, but I knew you'd have it in the palm of your hand!” Tuldirm said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

That's when it dawned on me... I looked around, and specifically at the banner where they put the number that marked "my record". Silence fell around me. I was locked in my own thoughts. This could not be, I don't know how they had found out about something that was not real! I had not yet obtained the soul of the blessed human I was with.

And a messenger already confirmed that I had complete it my possession? This didn't look good, who could have said something like that? A servant? A warrior? No, those were just using their intellect to dismember their enemies and breathe, some high-ranking demons? No, that was impossible. A damn messenger, but from whom? And for what?

Fuck, none of this made sense. The message never sent, the constant anger for following the damn rules and making the human feel comfortable even expressing her desire... And how long it was taking to get this damn soul.

Yes, that was not what made me most angry. Compared to the rest, this was the soul that had been most difficult for me to achieve in my entire existence, the others in two weeks maximum or with a simple snap of my damn fingers were already mine. Every being who knew me would think that I would have achieved this soul without batting an eyelid, but with Caeli it was not like that.

She didn't even want me around, she hated me with all her being, and she was too bothered by how good I made her feel when I fed on her, I know she hated it, that for her it was vomitive, but hey, one has his charms and sometimes even someone like her would give in. Although she continued to hate me, even with all the time, the attention and charm I had offered her, she couldn’t deny that she desired me and fell for me to make her wish to happen. She was unhinged, with a cracked mind and she was a tough woman to c***k, but with a kind soul that could be misunderstood for stupidity. Something I couldn't deny was... Lovely.

I thought with a slight smile and realizing that thought I frowned and everyone around me looked at me strangely.

"Is something wrong with you, Mir?" Ukothri asked me tilting his head, while I simply let out a laugh without grace.

"No, nothing is wrong with me," I said with the purest irony, making everyone frown at the tone of voice I had used.

"Hey, what the f**k is wrong with you, grumpy cat?" Tuldirm, god of destruction, asked me, looking at me with his arms crossed and his lima gaze fixed on my being.

I felt how all the eyes in the room were on me, I remembered at that moment Caeli's contemptuous tone when she spoke to me, how each movement took me further away from her and my goal, damn, this was just a damn deal! And having everyone's inquisitive gaze on my person, looking at me with hints of mockery, concern or sorrow when they saw me, made the thin thread of my sanity break and I shouted from the rooftops:

“There is no millionth soul! I'm still with the same human!” I screamed in exasperation, feeling my arms tremble as did my body as rage was flowing through my system. Following my statement, the only thing that was there was an awkward silence, everyone had been speechless, and staring at me.

There, the gaze of the king of kings, the god of chaos himself, Tuldirm. He left his gaze fixed on me, his eyes open with great surprise at what I had announced, I had even been able to see a slight bluish touch in his lime eyes, but as soon as I blinked, his gaze had darkened, his brow furrowed and his fists clenched.

"Ukothri, Doknel, clear the room," said Tuldirm in a serious tone of voice that made everyone, except me for my bad temper, goosebumps. No less was he the king of every living thing in our world.

“Now!” He shouted and soon the other two kings began to empty the place so that we could be alone.

Silence was present again, but this time it had become uncomfortable. The most likely thing would be that he would start to scold me for not having obtained a stupid soul. Before his intense gaze I simply buffeted and sat down in one of the armchairs that he himself had made appear with his magic.

He sat down in front of me, crossed his legs calmly, and rested his elbow on the armrest of the seat, just as his head had rested on his fist, letting his long bluish hair fall aside in that ponytail he used to make. There was no moment in which I looked away, that look that now instead of lime was gray, making his brown skin paler. I knew what that look meant, and it was something that got on my nerves. He didn't say anything, he just stared at me, making me feel small with his presence. Or at least trying.

"Are you going to tell me something or are you just going to stay appreciating my beauty?" I growled, wagging my tail from side to side anxiously. I hated those reproachful looks he gave me, I did it with all my heart, if I ever had one.

He sighed, it seemed as if he was tired, although he didn't understand why. But in his eyes I could see how a hint of sadness appeared, a blue and grayish tone gave him away, although that was something that only lasted a few moments, because soon that hint of sadness was transformed into one of seriousness, turning his irises slightly reddish.

“Tell me why Thomirchotch.”

I almost sang the song of Back Street Boys, but I stopped myself because it was f*****g stupid and I really should stop looking at human things and listening their stupid songs…

But I didn't say anything. I had no way of responding to Tuldirm's order, it was complicated, she was complicated and the whole situation shouldn't be. Everything has a reason, but... My lips had been sealed I looked at the flames of the candles seemed to increase in brightness, and after minutes that felt like an eternity, my voice came up trying to give an explanation, or at least, the only one that made sense in my head.

“She's not sure of her desire yet. That's all.”

"Is that all? Are you sure?” Tuldirm said with an arched eyebrow, as if he didn't quite believe what I was saying. But to be honest, what else could there be?

"Of course I'm sure, that woman doesn't have her desire clear, and on top of that she doesn't want to tell me. She repels me, she’s horrified, and she doesn’t trust me knowing the conditions. Otherwise, I'd have her soul by now," I said, leaning against the back of the chair, while letting out a growl of exasperation. “What else could it be?”

"Because you've grown fond of that human," Tuldirm said simply, and my whole body tensed up at that.

“The f**k did you…?!”

“It's easy to see it when you don't even know why you're in this mess. And I must warn you, that you must stop at this very moment. Take it upon yourself to devour that woman's soul, even if she has not told you her wish, use your powers, seduce her or make her fall for you and go for another soul," Tuldirm specified sharply while I was stupefied. Someone like Tuldirm, who never broke the rules, was demanding that I break them? "It's not recommended that a human and a demon be together for too long," in his voice he no longer showed that tone of reproach, it was a neutral tone, but really, between those words he could feel... Pain?

«No... It must have been my imagination,» I thought and shook my head and then stared at him.

“Don't take me for an imbecile, I would never get attached, especially from a human who doesn't have things clear and has serious psychological problems. What's more, I would never be fond of or feel an ounce of affection for any human being, demonic, monstrous or... any other being," I said with the most contemptuous intonation I had ever used in my long existence.

"Well, if you say it that way I'll have to believe you, but be careful Mir, affection comes in the most unexpected ways, even if you think we can't feel anything," said Tuldirm looking towards one of the candles, rather, towards one of the flames that seemed to have lost its yellowish tone to move to a bluish one, watching out of the corner of his eye how the figure of a woman was formed. Something that surprised me even more was that when I blinked, it returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

"What I have with this human is simply a deal, which will benefit me in one way or another, plus I'm not crazy enough to break a damn contract, then the sempiternals just f**k around and the shitty punishments come," I said and soon the ring on my finger began to shine more brightly, making a cunning smile furrow my lips. “For the moment I must go, my small, hard, stubborn victim is back," I said, getting up from my place to take a few steps away from the blue-haired king and thus create a door that led to the room of the girl who had summoned me. “But first I have a question, what the hell do you know about affection or love?” I took the doorknob, and at no time did I turn to look at him, I just waited to hear his answer.

"Me? The god of destruction? Know something about love? Please, little kitten, you don't seem to know me in the least," Tuldirm blurted out with his characteristic mocking tone, which for some reason sounded different.

"Heh, you're right," I whispered with a faint smile and shook my head. “See you Tuldirm, don't drink all the wine from the cellar in my absence, will you?”

"I don't promise you anything," Tuldirm replied and I let out a big laugh and then I waved my hand to say goodbye to him and thus enter the earthly dimension where a certain blue-eyed human was waiting for my arrival.

«What could I do today to have fun at your expense? My powers don't work so well with her... So I'll have to improvise,» I thought as I walked through the door with several entertaining ideas in my mind to get on Caeli’s nerves.

º º º º º º º

And with that thought, the demon disappeared from the sight of the god of destruction, who before the black-haired left, had a faint smile on his lips. But when the cat disappeared, Tuldirm's smile did the same.

The man shook his head and with a wave of his hand, the candlelights began to descend until they left a faint glow that barely illuminated the entire room.

"Ah... but if you only knew, my dear friend, love is a very, very cruel b***h," he said, letting out an unfunny laugh, to sigh again. “It catches up with you at the least expected moment and then leaves… Leaving you with a great emptiness.” Tuldirm's brow furrowed faintly and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. “It's no use crying over spilled milk, don’t you think Diavolo?" he said, looking at a non-existent point in the room and then, little by little, the lights went out with a wave of his hand. And so all was utterly silent, just as it had been that time long ago, and as perhaps it would be until the man's mind was tired of remembering.

[…]

Meanwhile, in the human world, an attractive demon found himself being ignored by Caeli. Something not out of the ordinary, because the artist was only continuing with her task at the desk, determined that she would not pay any attention to the devil, especially after having been feeding him those weeks, it was difficult to see him in the face again and honestly she preferred not to do it because she would undoubtedly feel bad for him and she did not want to put up with another damn sarcastic comment from the demon.

Tom grunted at the wall of ice that Caeli had created to ignore him, and although he shouldn't care about anything, if she continued with that damn attitude it would be a hell for both of them. But Tom knew that if he pressed the artist's buttons too hard, the only thing he would end up getting is to push her further away. It was frustraiting that he couldn't hurt her physically and psychologically beyond Tom's demonic nature, because he knew that would only push the girl further away. But he wanted to end that damn deal as soon as possible. Curious was that his destructive magic did not affect Caeli, beyond what his pact was, the magic seemed not to affect her in the same way, at least, not his... That human was a box of surprises, and perhaps that was one of the reasons why Tom didn't entirely dislike being around her. But seeing the disgusted face she made him drown that thought deep in his being.

Tom sighed angrily as he looked at the ceiling of the room. Until Caeli finished what she was doing, she wouldn't pay attention to him, though he didn't even know if she'd listen to Tom when she had nothing to do. As the minutes passed in which only the ticking of the clock could be heard and the demon felt how time passed too slowly and without receiving any kind of attention from the human, Tom turned his gaze to the girl, observing in detail what she was doing. Luckily Caeli didn't notice his gaze because she was really focused on her task, something that Tom found curious, especially considering that humans didn't usually let their guard down when a being of the night was so close to them.

That made Caeli a slightly more special human than most. But not too much in Tom's eyes, who was staring at the woman's movements, delicate and precise in her drawing, with a clarity and liveliness that were reflected in the piece of paper. Tom had to grant her that, she had style, and she was a great artist. Although he would never say it out loud, it was certainly relaxing to watch her draw and see how calm she was. Seeing her like this even made him not think that she had not told him her wish and that she kept him tied to her until the contract had been finalized.

A smile formed on his lips as he watched as Caeli frowned at an out-of-place line and angrily erased that same line. And at that moment he remembered his friend's words: “Because you have become fond of that human.”

The demon clicked his tongue and frowned at that. This was just a simple deal!

That the human was tooking so long it was not his damn fault! And that she was so greedy and indecisive as well as deranged either!

Faced with that frustration, the man smiled malevolently and descended until he was behind the brunette, he rested his feet on the ground without producing any sound, Caeli did not notice the presence due to her concentration, and Tom knew that. He slowly grabbed the girl's loose hair and pushed it aside, leaving her neck unprotected. Seeing that she did not react to that gesture because she was so extremely focused, he brought his lips to her neck and maliciously bit Caeli's neck with some force. Caeli's entire body stopped instantly, the pencil fell onto the desk, and her entire face turned a deep crimson colour. Tom smiled slyly, then licked suggestively the small wound he had created with his fangs, and so he hugged her by the shoulders to bring his mouth to the girl's ear and expel his warm breath on Caeli's skin, who soon turned to goosebumps. “Angioletto~... Please pay me some attention~.”

She, though slow to react to what the cat had done, broke free from Tom's grasp and walked away from him still with her face completely red. Her brow was conspicuously furrowed and her arms folded in a position of reproach.

“No! I'm not going to, perverted cat! Let me work! I'm busy and I can't concentrate with you doing that kind of...!” Caeli said, beginning to make asperations. “That!”

"Oh, come on my dear Caeli, wouldn't you rather it make you feel good? You're very tense, and I can help you to… Release stress ," Tom whispered sarcastically and she simply grunted at his statement and waved her middle finger at the man, who smiled slyly at the girl's behavior. “Someday you'll fall and you know it~” he said, getting dangerously close to the woman, almost cornering her against the desk as he turned her chair. “You will tell me your wish," he said and lifted her chin with two of his fingers. “And I will devour your soul and your body.”

"That’s what you think stray cat," Caeli said, pushing away the demon’s hand and turning back to focus on her task. And she put some earplugs – which she had taken out of the desk drawer – in her ears so that she would not hear the voice of the devil again.

But the boy took one of the earplugs, and calmly approached to Caeli’s ear to start whispering to her.

“The moment you have things clear, may you ask me for your wish and it will have come true..." Tom whispered as he began to caress the woman's skin from the tips of his fingers to her shoulder, slowly and delicately, making her bristle with the gesture, and especially with the man's hoarse voice that resounded loudly through her entire body.

“You will be mine.” The demon said, staring at the girl and she sharpened her gaze, looking sideways at the demon.

“And even before," Tom muttered playfully.

The colour of Caeli's cheeks—which had returned to normal a while ago—now had a faint pink from the voice that the demon had used. For Tom's tone had been hoarse, grave, with that mocking touch that he never took away from his tone, and that slight vibration she had felt in her breast. Those made the demon's words resonate within her with force. But that didn't stop the girl from reacting and elbowing him in the chest to push him away. Stealing Tom's breath by that action.

"Go away once and for all and let me work!" Caeli said, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Or I'll turn you into pure coal with the cross." Instantly hearing the last word, the demon moved away almost like lightning from the girl to begin hissing at him, causing her to let out a laugh at the older man's behaviour. «You're a complete fool,» Caeli thought, shaking her head as a faint smile settled on her lips. And then she frowned. «What the heck am I thinking?

The boy smiled slightly as she did, making Tuldirm's voice resonate in Tom’s head and soon his brow furrowed again and he shook his head. «It's just a deal, nothing more than that... If I let her believe that the crucifix is deadly to us, at least I can continue to persuade her. So in the meantime, I'm going to make this deal beneficial~» thought the demon as he turned into that beautiful cat with dark fur to lie on the girl's bed and close his eyes waiting for Caeli to finish what she was doing so he could bother her again.