Carved by Angels Ch. 03

Rebecca had caught his eye, her bright red dress made her stand out in the monotone colors of business men and women she walked with across a street. She had family, a large one as well, but beyond caring, Sajery started a relationship with her. Whether or not the human was flippant with her heart mattered not, for within a month, she professed her love which must have been true. Adonis accepted her soul without qualms and encouraged him to find another.

Small and petite were the ones he went for: Adrian, Gwen, Thomas, Ryan and Payden all had small frames, rather short, and graceful. One of them had been an acrobat at a famous circus fixated in one city. He was lithe, limbs willowy and taut with lean muscles. Another was a gymnast aiming to become a professional some day. Thomas and Ryan had been swimmers. And Payden had been fresh out of the whoring business the day Sajery met the youth.

Sajery remembered offering the human a place to stay for a night, treating him with kindness that had been unknown to him since he had become frigid within. Payden had, just like Kichay, cried in his sleep that first night, gripping the covers in shaking hands. The reason that had the young human go into such business, remain in it for as long as he did, and then cry about his choices, Sajery found out with much effort.

That one night of shelter turned to a week that turned into a month and following ones. The familiar pace threatened to melt his icy heart, every whimper and shy kiss echoing Kichay's, right down to the pitch and the way those expressive eyes had turned to meet his in shame and a hope of happiness.

After a long, steady climb, Payden had stripped himself of his usual sleep boxers and laid himself on the bed they shared. With his light sapphire eyes shimmering with barely contained tears, the human asked for them to go beyond sweet kisses, early morning pleasuring, and slow explorations of what love was. Petal-soft lips parted to form those three little words, and this time, rather than immediately summon Adonis, who was surely listening attentively, Sajery had smiled and caressed the youth's curving cheek gently. But he heard Kichay talking quietly as he always did, his words not clear, but the emotion still touched Sajery.

Unknowingly, Sajery had taken too long in replying to Payden's request. A single gesture and sentence rocked the surface demon to the core.

The young human had taken his hand within his own small one, and held it against his cheek, tearing eyes meeting his in such torment,

"Am I unlovable, Sajery?"

He had loved the human, incredibly gentle and understanding at how sensitive the younger's body was as they slowly moved towards completion. His lips had skimmed over the sweat-sweet skin, nipped gently at an earlobe, and sealed over Payden's mouth when the human released with a wail. Although he groaned the human's name into the crook of his neck as he met his zenith, Sajery knew that inside, his heart cried for Kichay.

While Payden had curled beside him, the demon stroked back his shiny blonde locks to reveal a sweet, contented smile on his scarred face. The process of love was always the same, and although he did everything the same way he had done with Kichay, his loved had remained dormant. A mere memory or thought of Kichay sent his soul to immeasurable heights that none would ever achieve. With a parting kiss, something he had never given to the five that had been before Payden, Sajery summoned Adonis to his aid and stole another heart.

The additional six souls had taken four years, making a total of nine years served to Adonis and Kichay. Bitter tears, screams, and pointless arguments with the soul collector had been regular occurrences, but the nine years was nothing compared a demon's lifespan. For some reason Sajery had survived many fatal blows from an assassin sent to kill him to stop his plan to regain a stone and revive a fallen. Blood had spilled everywhere from each hit, but death did not take him. Perhaps death understood his unfinished business and yet showed painful mercy on his soul, doomed to not burn in the hottest corners, but possibly live another moment without his beloved.