Demon

"I didn't know what I was doing until his head was in my hands. What I saw and what was reality quickly became apparent after I cut his head off. The demon I thought he was, faded away, and he became my love, my partner." I squeezed my eyes shut. "I fell to my knees as my feathers fell, and the light was fading, begging for him and God's forgiveness, but it never came." I looked up at Tanner, "I was bound and tortured for a hundred years before I would be trusted to leave to take a soul and return."

"Interesting, your memories were altered," Tanner responded. I looked at him, confused because he heard my unspoken question. 'What is he talking about?' "The memory God received as he took your light is that you knew everything you were doing. But as the memory from the other shows, you did not. So when I touched you, giving you the vision, I took yours."

"Whose memory was that?"

"I don't know," Tanner responded.

"Why are you guarding Reed?"

"I'm not." Tanner smiled. "I came to find out why his angel was getting too close to him."

Tanner then chuckled. "Reed can just pull you in. I can see why his guardian liked him."

I knew Tanner was lying about something, but I let it slide for now. "Yeah, there's something there."

"He's good, Caleb. But, you need to leave him alone. Leave him pure."

I looked down. I couldn't promise that and what is the word of a demon anyway?

And I didn't leave him alone. Just a few weeks later, Reed and I were alone in my apartment. I couldn't feel Tanner's presence. I felt others, but I could shield them. They didn't have the same powers as Tanner.

Reed and I started kissing. I usually would put my subjects into a trance and change back into my demon form, but I couldn't. I wanted to experience everything with Reed. I wanted to share his true love given to me without my influencing him.

I had the necessary supplies needed for humans to make love. Though I like to leave my mark on them, I bought condoms. But Reed surprised me. Right in the middle of us removing each other's clothes, he asked if we could go bareback. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was trying to mark me.

"Aren't you afraid I'd give you something?"

"When did you last get tested?" Reed asked, and I conjured up a piece of paper.

"When I met you. Do you want to see the results? They're in the nightstand." I smiled. "When did you?"

Reed smiled. "The same. It's in my wallet if you want to check."

"Nope, I believe you." Like I can get anything. I started kissing his neck again.

He pushed me down on the bed, licked down my chest, and at this point, I'd have let him do anything he wanted. But, instead, he wasted no time and homed in on my cock. He took it in both hands, one at the base and the other at the head. Eyed it for a second before licking the head and then taking it in.

"Oh, Reed," I growled loudly. It took all I had in me not to push Reed's head down on my cock. But how he touched me felt so familiar, I couldn't put my finger on it. He was intent on pleasuring me. I let him, I could feel how hard he was, and he reached for the lube. I didn't stop him.

He turned me over on my stomach, and he laid on my back. He had lubed me up and was rocking against me, rubbing his cock between my ass cheeks, getting nearer to his goal. He had more than enough lube for me, he can't hurt me, but he didn't know that.

He pushes in, and it's magical. He's slow at first, making sure that I can handle it. Finally, I reach back, grabbing his neck and turning so I can kiss him. "Reed, fuck me, Babe." He doesn't hold back. He even puts me in a dominating neck hold, which chokes me, almost cutting off my ability to breathe. When he cums in me, I love it. Usually, I'd never let a human dominate me.

When he came down from his high, I turned him over. I just had to fuck him because I didn't cum when he fucked me. He was amazed, but I'm not human. Again he doesn't know that. I knew he needed to be prepared, so I got him ready for me. By the time he was opened and lubed, he was also very hard again.

I kissed Reed as I entered him. I can give him the illusion that he's taking in a smaller cock. But I'm still fucking him with a larger than human cock.

"OH HEAVENS, YES." Wow, that's a new one. Well, he didn't bring a particular entity into this. "More Caleb, I need you." I was trying to go slow, but he pushed me in with his heels against my lower back.

I've never given a human my entire cock, but Reed kept pushing me in. "Does this hurt you?"

"No! Just fuck me, Caleb." So I fucked him hard, and he clawed my back. He took everything I gave, and when I came, I swear the walls shook.

We made love a few more times that night, and he left the following morning. After that, I knew I needed to get out of town before I made the mistake of fucking him again and again. Because at that rate, by the end of the week, his soul would be mine.

Soon, Reed would start 'pining,' if you will. It would begin later that day. I know the cycle. I know how long the spell takes to begin working. But the problem with today's technologies compared to those of fifty years ago, better yet even twenty. Everyone didn't walk around with a phone in their pockets. I can't just avoid his phone call. Not as easy as I could back in the days of landlines.

I had left town for a day and couldn't stand being away from Reed. It felt like the spell had been placed on me as well. We talked on the phone, and I kept telling him I was away. Then a few days went by, and Reed just walked into my apartment. I didn't have the door locked, and I was in my bedroom.

"Caleb, where are you? I know you're here." Reed sounded pissed as he walked into the living room.

"Reed, what do you want with Caleb?"

Startled, Reed responded, "Oh, I didn't see you there." Reed continued, "He's avoiding me." I was watching from my bedroom. I didn't even know Tanner was in my apartment. "Why are you here?"

Reed looked at Tanner. "Are you two together?"

"No, Reed, we are not," Tanner responded.

Because of the connection we now have, I mentally told Reed to sit down, and Tanner heard it and watched him. Then he looked towards my bedroom and saw me. "When?"

"Just a few nights ago," I responded.

"When I wasn't even in this world? Did you show yourself to him?"

"No!" I closed my eyes. I knew Reed was completely oblivious to our conversation. Tanner was doing that. "I couldn't. It felt too good."

"So you were selfish?" Tanner got up and walked over to Reed, placed his hands over him, and a light encompassed both of them." I watched as Tanner healed Reed and broke his bond with me. I felt the moment it broke. I think Reed did too, because he looked straight at me, not even noticing the light that surrounded him.

"Where have you been?" Reed asked me, not even looking at Tanner, who was still standing next to him.

"I had to get away for a few days. It wouldn't have been good for you to be around me." I responded.

"You didn't like what we did?" Reed still completely ignored Tanner, who finally just sat down on the couch.

I walked from the bedroom, dropping to my knees in front of Reed, "No, I loved every minute of it." I knew I needed to show myself to him. So he'd run away. I mentally asked Tanner if he could soundproof the room.

"Yes," Tanner responded.

"Please do it," I asked him. Reed just looked between us. Then, I got up and took a step back from him. "Reed, I'm not what you think I am."

"What do you mean?" His eyes widened as my human form faded away, and my dark figure replaced it. He saw my burnt flesh, my broken boney charred wings. He could now see the glow of my green eyes. There was nothing to shield them from Tanner's light. "Wwwhaatttt arrreee youuuuuuuuuuu?" He jumped up and was against the wall, as far from me as possible, within seconds.

"I won't come near you, I promise. But Reed, please, just stay there." I told him.

"WHAT ARE YOU? TELL ME NOW?" He screamed.

"A demon." I turned around and walked to the farthest wall away from Reed to distance myself as much as possible. "I'm a demon." He was just staring at me.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke. "What were you going to do with me?"

I laughed but was telling the truth, "Try with all my might not to have sex with you anymore."

"What would happen if you kept having sex with me?" Reed asked. He was still flat against the wall.

"You'd die, and your soul would be mine, or I should say my Lord's." I lowered my head.

"Satan's?" Reed asked.

"Yes."

Reed's eyes widened in shock. I could see the fear reappear, and he ran from my apartment as I dropped onto my couch.

- Tanner -

A few days after Reed fled from Caleb's apartment, I hadn't heard from either one. So I made an unscheduled stop to speak with my superiors.

"Sir, I need to know more information than what I've been told," I asked.

"Are we getting greedy, Myca?" Laughed Michael.

"You have ordered me to keep a demon in the human world and a human safe from the demon," I responded.

Michael walked over to me. "Myca, come with me. Yes, it's time you should be filled in. But I'm not the one to do it."

*

I knocked on Caleb's door, I could hear him inside. Hearing him thinking if he stays quiet, whoever is on the other side will think no one was home and go away. Confirming no one was in the hallway, I walked through the door.

"Damn vampire," Caleb said, and I laughed.

I sat in the chair opposite him. He looked terrible. I sealed the room from his lord hearing him, as always mine can. "You can speak freely."

"Are there still killing squads?"

"Most of them have been disbanded, but there are a few left. Why?" I asked.

"Send one to me. It's time. I'm tired." Caleb did look tired and ready to die.

"You won't exist anymore, at least right now, you are," I responded.

"Akeele doesn't exist. Reed ran from me, and you can't keep healing him. I actually think something is wrong with me because I've been feeling strange. Before Lucifer comes and takes me, I'd rather face death."

I looked at Caleb when he said he was feeling strange and wondered what he meant. Reading his mind, he was in pain, physical pain. "I'll see what I can do." I know I didn't sound convincing, but I couldn't send the killing squads to him. I was ordered to keep him alive.

I decided to see how Reed was doing and if he had or would talk with Caleb. I think that would be the only way to keep him alive. I stopped at his apartment, the only other place Reed goes is work, so I walked into the bookstore.

"Reed?"

"Hey Tanner, what do you need?" I knew he remembered me sitting in the apartment when Caleb showed himself to him.

"Have you seen Caleb lately?" Just mentioning his name Reed jumped.

"NO!" He shook his head. "I mean, no, I have not."

"Is there anything wrong?" I asked.

"Why is an angel hanging around with a demon?" I turned around to look at the older man talking to me, and he smiled. "Correction. Why is an archangel hanging around with a demon?"

I smiled back. Caleb realized my powers before he discovered my rank. "Sometimes, there are reasons to hang around our enemies."

"He once wasn't your enemy." I watched the man take something from his pocket. He deposited a glass tube with a single glowing white feather on the counter, with part of it missing.

"After all these years, it still has energy." I turned my attention back to the man. "Who are you, and how did you come to have the feather?"

"Bishop Philip Michaels," the older man responded. "It was given to me for safekeeping by another angel many years ago. It has gotten brighter since the demon's been in town, but it's fading now."

"What do you mean it's fading?" I asked.

"If I had to guess, Bazeel is dying," the Bishop responded.

"You knew by looking at me, what I am, how?"

"I can see your light and his darkness, and I can see other spirits as well." He responded.

"Reed stated the first time you came in here that you said there were too many around when you asked to see the angel and demon books. How many of us have you noticed?"

"You should know. You're a powerful one," the Bishop responded.

"I don't have that ability."

The Bishop laughed. "Then you're not as powerful as Bazeel once was."

"He was a warrior angel and apparently has lost a lot of his powers since he fell." I looked over at Reed because he made a noise.

"Was that what he was trying to tell me?" Reed whispered to himself, but both the Bishop and I heard it.

"Yes, Reed. Caleb was an angel. He made a bad choice that cost him his wings." I looked back at the Bishop. "Why is he dying? I didn't send the assassin team."

- Reed -

I couldn't find anyone. Both Caleb and Tanner disappeared. I've gone to Caleb's apartment, even though he scared the living out of me. God, those glowing green eyes, I can't get them out of my mind. He was grotesque. He looked burnt and those bones. What were those? Were those wings at one time?

I made love to that. What was I thinking? And I still wanted him or it. Somewhere in me always wants him, and I don't know why.

When Tanner came into the bookstore and spoke with the old man, I could see him for what he was too. It was weird. Why did everything change? I asked Tanner if he was my guardian angel. He told me no, that he's an archangel, that my guardian had been temporarily reassigned.

This has to be one fucked up dream because my best friend can't be an archangel and my boyfriend a demon. I knocked on Caleb's door, hoping he would answer. The locks turned, and the door opened, but it wasn't Caleb.

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

"I'm looking for Caleb." Something didn't feel right, and I backed up, he was dark, but he looked normal.

The man smiled, and his voice changed. It became lower. "Caleb has claimed you." At that moment, Tanner appeared beside me.

"Leave him," Tanner stated.

"Myca, have you been demoted? Are you a mere guardian angel again?" Agares sneered.

"Leave him, Agares. He's not for you to take." Tanner responded.

"He's not the one I want, but he could help me find Caleb," Agares responded. "You healed this one, but the mark still remains."

"Caleb has marked many and left them...."

"But none have been guarded by an archangel. Why? Are there more angels around this one?" Agares asked. "If I went to grab him, would more of you appear?" Tanner only smiled and didn't answer his questions. "Ah, so this human is special. Let's talk. Call one of the others to protect him, so you don't think I'll do anything behind your back."

Tanner just nodded his head, and then a light appeared beside me, I looked over, and someone was standing there. He motioned for me to enter Caleb's apartment.

- Caleb -

The pain. I've not felt pain like this since I fell. The initial burn, and then all the torture until I broke to become evil. I don't know if I can handle this any longer.

I only travel at night. I can't always keep up my human form. At least walking the streets at night, people don't tend to notice you as much. I can construct an illusion to cover my wings and a few other details, but I sometimes can't even do that when the pain is too intense.

Giving up, I saw a building I knew I had no business ever stepping into. I walked to the doors and opened them. My footsteps echoed as I walked down the aisle to the front of the pews.

I knew there was someone in the room with me, but he said nothing. I felt his eyes on me the entire time I walked in his view. I could've blinded him so he would've never known I was even there, but I didn't care to make an effort. I was in too much pain.

I knelt down at an altar in the front and bowed my head at the statue that was before me. I could feel a little more of my life fading away as the pain intensified.

Not raising my head, I spoke to the man. "Father, I sense you didn't believe in angels or demons before I walked in here."

He cleared his throat before speaking. "No, I always believed in the Lord, our God. But I'd never encountered an angel or a demon. So, I didn't believe they existed." He breathed in a fearful breath. "My Monsignor always told me his angel visited with him all the time. I just always thought it was tomfoolery."

I chuckled and repeated the word, "Tomfoolery." I didn't turn to face the Father. I was still kneeling at the altar.

"This is a sacred place, and you're a demon?"

"Yes, Father, I am, and this is," I answered.

"But it looked as though you were praying just now." The Father said.

"I was."

"Why?" The Father asked, very confused.

I laughed. I was in so much pain, but his confusion made me laugh. I think that scared him more, so I looked back at him. "You don't know, do you?" He shook his head. "Do you see my broken and burned wings?" He nodded his head. "I was once an angel, but I was tricked by a demon and killed another angel."

"You're a fallen angel?" He exclaimed.

"Yes, Father. I am." I turned back to the statue and tried to get up and fell.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked.

I grit my teeth. The closest I had could come to a smile. "I think I'm dying."

"Where do angels and demons go when they die?"

"We cease to exist. There's no afterlife for us." I saw the Father's eyes widen, and then I saw a white hand reach down to me. I looked up into a kind face and smiled. "He would send you."

Tanner laughed, "No one else wanted to deal with you."

"Can you please finish me off and make it quick?" I asked. "It's like I'm burning again."

"I can't, Caleb. No one can kill you, not even a demon at this point."

- Tanner-

Arriving in the cathedral, I was amazed that Caleb sought refuge in a church. I looked down on him as he entered through the massive double doors. He looked awful. When the time came, and I told him that no one could kill him, his head fell back to the floor with a clunk. His breathing was labored.

"Reed, I've not felt him in a while. What happened to him?" Caleb asked. He was barely conscious. I knew the pain had to be horrible.

"He ascended, you should have never been attracted to him, but I was told why just recently."

"Ascended?" The Father asked.

"He was an angel, and he didn't know?" Caleb laughed. "An angel that didn't believe in angels and demons." He laughed until he coughed.

"Caleb, you can let go," I told him. "You can be at peace."

When I said those words, the cathedral lit up again. I knew another angel appeared. I didn't have to turn to see who was standing behind me. Instead, I saw Caleb's eyes widen and the name form on his lips before his eyes closed. "Akeele."

- Caleb -

The pain is gone. I know I'm lying in a bed. If I'm still alive, which I seem to be. Then I'm still a demon, and I know I will be tortured. It's been too many years since I failed to take a soul. Something moves beside me. A large wing covers me, and I feel warm.

I opened my eyes. I was staring into Akeele's, and I wanted to cry. Now that Reed had ascended, I could see Akeele's traits present in his human form. "My Love, I'm so sorry. I don't know how to ask for your forgiveness."

"Bazeel, I forgave you before you killed me. I knew you were under a spell." He reached under his wing and pulled me closer to him and kissed me.

Then I realized something was wrong. I didn't have anything protruding out of my back. My bones for my wings were gone. Akeele saw the panic in my eyes. "They will take time to regenerate. I know it has been a long time since you've been around when an angel has ascended."

"Ascended? Akeele, what are you talking about? I fell. God doesn't forgive our sins. So you shouldn't be here either." I responded.

The room lit up, and I recognized it immediately. It was mine and Akeele's old quarters.

"Maybe I can shed some light," Tanner spoke as we looked over at him. "Normally, when we die, yes, there's nothing. But in this case, Akeele's life force was tied to you."