CODEX Part 2: The Secret Child of the Devil

The next morning, Zoe woke up with a headache and a sore throat. She walked inside the bathroom and washed her face, never expecting to see her image in the mirror so different.

The corners of her eyes were red like veins broke inside her eyes. She blinked a few times but nothing happened; it seemed like the corners were growing redder and redder. She also noticed scratches on her chin, signs of someone forcefully grabbing it, someone like Belial, whose fingers were sharp and burnt.

Zoe used makeup to cover the scratches but her eyes were impossible to cover so Zoe had to use sunglasses. Outside was winter and not sunny at all but she had sunglasses on.

When she got downstairs for breakfast, she only saw her father reading the newspaper and the maid. She quickly took a seat as far as possible from her father before the maid placed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her. Zoe noticed the strange glance the maid threw her when she noticed the sunglasses but she probably heard of Zoe's peculiar past already because she didn't utter a word and left for the kitchen.

"Your mother and aunt went out to buy things for the party. They plan on dragging you out to get your make-up and hair done." Magnus Lestrade started, his eyes never leaving the newspaper.

His tone had no feelings while announcing her schedule for the day.

"Are you alright?" Mr. Lestrade asked as soon as he put down the newspaper, "You wear sunglasses on a winter day, Zoe." It sounded even worse when he pointed it out.

"My eyes hurt but it will be fine. I spent too much time in front of a computer," she lied, "You don't seem surprised," She added when she noticed just how relaxed her father was.

Mr. Lestrade chuckled and leaned towards her.

"Can you blame me?"

She understood that feeling well. After a while, one gets used to surprises and strange responses to strange issues.

"Mom invited the whole neighborhood tonight?" She started randomly taking the fork and knife and cutting her eggs.

Her father nodded, having the same horrified expression as her. Not many noticed during her childhood especially not during her past problems in high school but Zoe was a lot like her father. Maybe they didn't resemble each other in looks but they had the same reactions to unexplainable and explainable stuff.

"You better call someone to come and act as your date or your aunt will find you one," He stated before he returned to his newspaper.

Her eyes widened and she remembered just what kind of men her aunt knew. Zoe shook her head quickly and removed upcoming images from her mind. She had to call someone as soon as possible.

The first on the list was Terry solely because he was the closest man, both physically and emotionally, that her family knew.

"I'm sorry but I'll come with my girlfriend."

She stared at the phone with a blank face, completely startled by his response.

"You have a girlfriend?" She sounded impressed.

The young human scoffed, "...what type of man do you think I am? Or did you think I'd have a crush on you even now?"

"Mehrdir would," she mumbled away from the phone.

"What?" He didn't hear well but he did catch the name Mehrdir in her sentence.

Zoe was comparing two males who had nothing in common and were from different worlds. It was a big mistake placing such different species on the same level and she quickly shook Mehrdir's image out of her head.

"Nothing. Just, I can't wait to meet your girlfriend!"

He chuckled and hung up.

Next on the list was Alec but she quickly erased it when she remembered he was seeing someone already and could easily expose her as an artist, which her mother did not approve of. In the end, she wanted someone who could lie not say stupid stories.

"Demons lie better than anyone," She mumbled to herself.

Out of reflex, Zoe almost dialled Ezekiel's number but she stopped in time. Maybe Ezekiel wasn't at home in the first place and maybe she already dragged him into her mess for a lifetime. He needed time with normal people.

Maybe Jasper could- no, no. he still had a lot to learn. She could call Henry or even Jake but if her mother started to talk about her past, they would get scared and she wouldn't be able to see them ever again.

Zoe groaned and dropped her head on the table, tired and frustrated. She raised her head a little to look at the time and sighed heavily when she realized she had little to no time until her aunt and mother arrived. Zoe also noticed the box she got from her grandfather, standing on the dresser suspiciously inviting. She grabbed it and got on the bed, putting it down and staring at it intensely.

"What's in here?" She wondered out loud.

The commander bit her lip and opened it. Inside the lid was an inscription in demon language and it was addressed to the commander, moreover, the commander's name was-

"Beelzebub." She whispered.

Inside the box was an old pocket watch from the Victorian era probably, if not even older. Zoe inspected it closely but it didn't look dangerous at all. If anything, it was an amazing accessory, albeit broken. She turned it and read what was carved on the back.

It seemed to be a response to what was written inside the lid.

"Nothing can shatter the loyalty of a demon." Zoe read out loud.

Maybe if she was normal, she wouldn't have understood the meaning behind those words but she wasn't and she felt her heart break a little. She took the box and read the inside text again.

"Between Heaven and Hell, the door is thin and inviting. Between Earth and Hell, the door is wide open. Thus, keep the demons out and trust the angels. Thus, hide the evil behind a curtain of mist and look for the light." She finished.

It was interesting how both messages were written by a demon and both messages were encouraging people to forget there is evil in the world and just search for the good and live peacefully.

The pocket watch was broken, unfortunately. It was stuck at 12 o'clock and it didn't have any mechanism inside. Once she touched it with her right hand, the clock's tongues turned wildly until they stopped at the right time, Zoe checked it on her phone.

Zoe sighed heavily, having already grown accustomed to oddities related to demons.

Did her grandfather know the truth about it? Did he ever read the message on the lid?

She didn't have time to ask. As soon as her mother came home, she was dragged out. Zoe gulped in fear and anxiety when she got pushed inside her aunt's car.

"We're going to have so much fun!"

Zoe doubted that.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. Her mother let her choose her dress but they forced her to look for heels. The make-up was light and made her eyes look bigger. Fortunately, by the time she was pushed into the car by her mother, her eyes already healed.

They decided to arrange her hair into a bun so her long neck and collarbone would stand out and attract the men, as her aunt insisted. Overall, the three women got pampered and the finished product was amazing.

The whole preparation took around four hours. When they returned home, the men were in suits and the living room was decorated with lights and colorful tinsel. Her mother loved to decorate herself but Christmas was an exception. Mrs. Lestrade liked impressive parties with decorations of high quality made by professionals so she hired a company and gave them more than they deserved.

The men of the house seemed surprised by their wives and daughters. Mrs. Lestrade looked amazing and younger than she was. Her blonde hair was curled up and the black dress showed off her long legs.

On the other side, Zoe looked like a younger brunette version of her mother, standing tall and imposing for a woman her age. It was amazing how Magnus Lestrade was looking at his wife with such sparks in his eyes like she was the centre of his world and she was shining brighter than the stars and moon.

Zoe felt happy for them but she also felt a tinge of sadness and disappointment for herself. She wanted to meet a man who would look at her the same way her father looked at her mother. Unfortunately, the man she chose will never do something like that.

"So Zoe, I have this colleague that will come tonight. He works in my law firm and he is both rich and handsome. What more can you wish for, right?" Her aunt said with a wide smile.

Zoe chuckled nervously but she had no choice but to nod her head and agree.

As her aunt was already planning Zoe's future with a stranger, the victim herself walked upstairs. She let the door to her room open and looked into the mirror at her reflection.

She was dressed in a fancy long sleeveless gown that squished her breasts together with diamonds knitted along the sides down to the tulle. It was a dark colour, unlike the bright red dresses her mother liked but it was definitely complementing her body figure.

Her eyes returned to normal once she touched the pocket watch but she was still scared that her orbs would spontaneously turn yellow. She wouldn't be surprised after what happened in the past and all the craziness she's been through.

"Zoe?"

At the mention of her name, the girl turned towards the door where she saw her grandmother smiling in a stylish dress. Zoe wouldn't expect any less from a former fashion designer.

"You look beautiful!" The old woman admired her niece, making Zoe smile.

Her grandmother had such a soft voice that she couldn't help but feel comfortable and protected.

"Thank you. You don't look very excited for the party, though." Zoe said as she watched the older woman come and sit next to her.

"I lived my life and went to parties when I was young. Now, I'm more interested in what my grandchildren want to do."

Zoe laughed. Her grandmother used to be a party animal but once she became a mother, she softened up and learned how to control her desires.

"I heard you got your present earlier," The elder started, the light in her eyes diminishing, "Did you open the box?"

"I did."

Her grandmother sighed and sat on the bed, her hands neatly placed on her lap so as not to crease her dress.

"What did you find inside?"

Zoe's eyes narrowed slightly at the older woman, her smile falling into a thin line.

"An old pocket watch,"

Her grandmother nodded and took a long glance around the room, sighing while doing so.

"This room doesn't feel occupied at all. It's empty and gives off such bad energy. It was never your room, not even when you were a kid. Your mother didn't let you live your childhood freely. She had a lot of rules and you broke them all," the elder said, chuckling at the end.

Zoe took a glance at her room and agreed that it didn't have any originality, her walls were empty, she didn't have many toys, and nothing really screamed it was her room.

"I'm sorry,"

Well, that was a surprise, indeed. Zoe turned to her grandmother with a frown.

"It wasn't your fault, why would you be sorry?" Zoe responded grabbing one of her grandmother's hands in hers.

The old woman's eyes saddened and she grasped Zoe's hand. She caressed it softly before she turned it around and pressed her thumb in the middle of her palm. The mark became visible and it started to glow, Zoe's eyes widening at what her grandmother was going to say about it.

"I was supposed to be the commander in this family. I hated it and passed it on to my best friend. She married the inheritor and they had a great family but years later you got stuck with this title," The old woman started softly, "I used dark magic to curse you. I didn't want to have the pressure of the commander or have my children suffer because of it. The demon told me that the deal would only backfire later on but I didn't care as long as it wasn't me. I didn't expect you to receive the punishment."

Zoe's hand slipped from her grandmother's grip and fell on the bed, the glow fading away along with Zoe's expectations.

"You knew the truth," She stated as she got on her feet and walked away from her grandmother, "You knew I could see ghosts and demons and you didn't say anything?!" She screamed, startling her grandmother with just how loud and angry it sounded, "You could have taken me in and helped me understand what was wrong with me but you didn't! You stayed aside and watched mom throw me into an asylum!"

Saying that Zoe was angry was an underestimation, she was having a mental and emotional breakdown because this time it wasn't a friend or an acquaintance, no, it was her freaking grandmother, blood from her blood.

She couldn't even look her grandmother in her eyes because she was afraid she was going to do something she would regret later. Zoe could feel that her eyes were changing, she could feel her whole body tremble in anger.

Once her eyes landed back on her grandmother, the yellow circle in her eyes became bigger and better defined in the place of her iris.

"I'm sorry. I tried to make another deal but they didn't accept," The woman continued in an apologizing tone.

Zoe narrowed her eyes at her, "Of course not! Demons are manipulative! They're smart and know when to attack and how deep to scar you to have you in the palm of their hand!" Zoe lashed out at the former designer.

The older woman raised an eyebrow and leaned closer.

"You seem to know that well,"

At the sound of that last sentence, Zoe wiped her sweaty palms on her dress.

"Of course, I know! I've been bullied by demons ever since I was a baby! They never showed kindness to me. They never offered me a deal. They played with me and with my feelings and now, now I have to fight for the one who helped me more than my family ever did! A demon, grandma! A fucking demon!"

The woman looked down fidgeting nervously. She was feeling awful but that was nothing compared to what Zoe felt every time she was pushed aside by people who considered her a freak.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to awaken so early. I didn't even expect you to be cursed. I tried to find an explanation and cover it up but it was in vain. And then, you moved to London and I lost track of your life!" The elder tried to explain but Zoe couldn't believe someone knew she was telling the truth, that she had always told the truth, and just...

Zoe wasn't going to show any remorse for her family. She got nothing from them except pressure and pain besides, she got chosen as the commander as punishment! Zoe became the commander just because her grandmother found a way to pass it to someone else.

"I'm not like you, grandma," Zoe started, walking closer to the elder, "I'm going to take responsibility for what I am. It's not even a curse anymore. It's a gift and you were so scared that you couldn't see the good it brings you," Zoe said coldly before she left.

Walking downstairs Zoe felt like crying. She really wanted to pour her sadness and disappointment into a good and long cry but she couldn't. The guests were coming and she had to look presentable.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, breathing in and out a few times before she calmed down. When she opened her eyes, she realized that everything was just a charade. She was nothing but another liar in the family.

The party began at 8 o'clock sharp.

Meanwhile, in her apartment, Mehrdir and Eneizar were standing in the kitchen, looking at each other.

"Did you feel it?" Eneizar asked fidgeting.

The greed demon sighed and rubbed his face.

"She's breaking. If we don't do something, she's going to be another puppet in Belial's hands. And we all know what happened the last time Belial interfered," Mehrdir responded with a frown.

The vanity demon groaned and scratched his head before he jumped on his feet and started to rub his back.

"We both know the truth about her family. They did everything in their power to make her the perfect child, they gave her everything as long as she acted normal. They thought she was hallucinating,"

Mehrdir knew all of the above, he was the main reason for that because he loved to mess with Zoe's head when she was in school. It made him feel good about himself but he never thought that she would turn the tables around.

"She's a real commander, Mehrdir. She gained this title when she stood up against Leviathan and Asmodeus. She dares to stand in front of Lucifer. She is one in a million and Hell knows that. Beelzebub knows that." Eneizar continued.

Mehrdir leaned against the table and rubbed his eyes, feeling like his body was going to split soon.

"It means nothing if she breaks now,"

It was amazing how much Zoe changed Eneizar and Iaosur. From demons who wouldn't care and wouldn't regret, they became so loyal and had every reason to be, she had the power to rule.

"Wake up and do something! You are the only thread she's holding onto. Beelzebub knows how much she loves you. Nothing stands between you and her, nothing but your pride as a demon!" Eneizar shouted and glared at the greed demon. He waited for an answer but when it didn't come, he rolled his eyes and left.

A few minutes later, the greed demon walked into her room and looked for something in the drawers.

Ezekiel was talking to Jasper when the demon barged in.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Ezekiel was surprised. He had never seen Mehrdir in such a hurry, not even when she was in danger and that said a lot about his personality.

"Prepare or find some suits. We're going to Zoe's Christmas Party." He announced.

The humans looked at each other in confusion.

"Why?" Jasper asked.

He still didn't know everything that happened between the demon and the young commander but it was so complicated from what he picked on.

"Because I'm going to admit my feelings and I'm sure you'd like to be there to see it."

Mehrdir was sarcastic but that line triggered something in Ezekiel, making him grab his phone and call for a renting shop.

"Hello? I'd like six suits, please. Doesn't matter the colour as long as it's dark." Ezekiel nodded at whatever he was told before continuing, "Can you deliver them in like, 15 minutes?" He frowned and nodded, "Alright. Thanks!" He hung up and smiled at the two males, "They'll deliver them in 15 minutes. You get all handsome!" Ezekiel said while looking at Jasper before he turned to Mehrdir with a frown, "You make yourself look human."

Mehrdir nodded and left right away.

It took only five minutes for Ezekiel, Chen, and Jasper to look classy. On the other hand, Gakhas made it difficult, the demon had a constant poker face and rarely showed a smile. In a suit, he looked like a teenager. Of course, that wasn't the case for Eneizar and Iaosur who looked young and charming.

Once they got the suits, Ezekiel realized how different they all looked. The demons had a certain pride and glow that made them stick out in the crowd. Eneizar and Iaosur were dressed in black suits, complimenting their height and bodies. On the other side, Gakhas was wearing a white-grey suit and looked ready for prom. Mehrdir was probably the biggest change since he finally looked like a gentleman in his dark red suit.

Ezekiel looked charming with his hair arranged and the suit making him look taller than he was. Chen finally looked like a man his age.

"Alright. I already called a cab, we're good to go." Ezekiel announced smiling at his friends excitedly and rubbing his hands together.

The demons weren't going to appear in the Lestrade residence and make a big mess. They hated the idea of taking the car but they complied. Of course, they whined for the whole ride but it was better than staying at home for Christmas.

Zoe rolled her eyes for the tenth time that night. Her aunt came over with a man who looked acceptable: he was as tall as Iaosur and as blond as Eneizar. But Zoe didn't fancy blond men, she liked dark-haired assholes with personality issues.

When he started to talk, Zoe blocked his voice out completely for the simple reason that he was already acting like a prick. She was sick of men like that, talking about themselves and their careers. She grabbed another glass of champagne and drank it in one gulp, taking another one as soon as the waiter passed by.

"So, what do you do?"

Zoe felt like groaning when he started to ask things about her.

"I work as an internet novelist," She mumbled, trying to create a better image of her work.

The man tried to hide his disapproval but he didn't do a good job at it. Zoe sighed and gulped her champagne in one shot.

"Do you usually drink so much?" He asked with judgment in his voice.

"No. I usually don't drink at all." She retorted.

She glanced around when he took the glass from her hand and placed it on the table. He pushed her towards the gigantic Christmas tree before wrapping his hands around her and starting to dance. Zoe noticed the happy and content gazes of her family but she felt like she was going to throw up.

Zoe danced one song, two songs but had no patience for the third. She told him she had to take a seat and regain her breath and surprisingly enough, he agreed and unfortunately followed her. Having someone following her wasn't strange as long as that person was either Ezekiel or Chen but this guy made her feel like she was being suffocated with attention.

Luckily, the doorbell rang and she offered to go and check it out. The guests were all there, and no one from the list was missing. Terry was having a good time with his pretty girlfriend, laughing and drinking as if only the two of them were in the room. It was annoying.

Zoe sighed and opened the door, expecting some pompous couple to scowl at her for being so late in opening the door for them. But on the other side was not a couple but six men dressed in dark suits and looking extremely fit. Ezekiel was the one who knocked so he was the closest, standing with a wide smile on his face. He looked like a neat puppy.

Her eyes inspected every man and couldn't deny how attractive they all looked in suits like they were actually human. Mehrdir was the last, in the back behind Iaosur and he was extremely uncomfortable. When their eyes met, Zoe felt butterflies in her stomach and a sudden pleasing chill went down her whole body. He was perfect.

"Who's at the door, dear?" Her mother asked approaching the door. In front of her were six handsome young men, "Who are these?"

Zoe's eyes moved on Ezekiel before she replied.

"My friends."

Her mother raised an eyebrow and stared at them. She did recognize Chen and Ezekiel from the hospital but the others were new.

"I invited them." Zoe continued.

Her mother nodded and let them in.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Louise asked her daughter once the surprise guests entered.

"I wasn't sure if they would come or not. They have their own families."

Her mother bought that reason and walked to her husband, glancing at the new guests on the way, especially the blond who winked at her flirtatiously.

Once the boys got comfortable, Eneizar and Iaosur each grabbed a glass of champagne and surveyed the living room. Most women weren't staring, which was a bit disappointing considering Eneizar was a beautiful demon. Iaosur couldn't help but laugh in bemusement.

"Did you think they would all stare at you?"

"Well...yes. People used to do that," Eneizar replied, not able to lie, but also taken aback. "Maybe I have lost my beauty after spending so much time with you," he added making Iaosur laugh even harder.

Gakhas and Chen grabbed some snacks. They weren't concerned with the party and why they were there in the first place. They came for the food, mainly.

Ezekiel and Jasper stayed behind with Zoe. She was dressed in a long dress, her hair was pulled tightly in a bun, and she had a few strings of hair let loose on each side of her face. She was beautiful and Ezekiel couldn't believe she was the same Zoe who fought demons.

"Why did you come?" She asked though she tried to keep her voice down.

"We don't know. Mehrdir and Eneizar went into the kitchen and had a chat. It ended up with Mehrdir looking for suits and here we are." Ezekiel responded and looked warily at her mother. She was staring at him intently while talking to a woman who resembled Zoe, "Your mother is freaking me out already." He added, hiding behind his glass of champagne.

"Ignore her." She added fast, "When did Mehrdir get this sudden revelation?"

"An hour ago. We moved fast." Jasper responded.

The inheritor was amazed by the decorations and the house itself. It was huge and it reminded him of home. His family would often gather for Christmas and have parties. That stopped when he got sent to Japan and his older brother moved out.

"You should ask Mehrdir." Ezekiel gave her an encouraging push toward the demon before he left with Jasper.

Zoe took a deep breath and walked towards Mehrdir. He was staring at her expectantly when suddenly, someone interfered. It was the annoying mediocre rich man that her aunt introduced to her.

"You disappeared for a minute. Let's-" He didn’t have time to finish his sentence when someone tapped his back and pushed him a little to the side, "Excuse me, who are you?"

Zoe was impressed that Mehrdir came and interrupted. He wasn't the type to act up as she noticed throughout time.

The demon stuck his hand out and the males shook hands, which was quite funny in a way.

"Mehrdir. I am Zoe's lover,"

The whole room seemed to freeze at that specific moment. The demon announced that loud enough for it to echo through the room. Her parents were taken aback but the demons felt like clapping.

"Finally," Ezekiel muttered with a wide smile on his face.

"Did you record that? Did someone catch it on tape?" Chen asked around excitedly.

But the one whose reaction mattered was speechless. Zoe couldn't move or think. Once realization hit her, her blue eyes widened, and she could still hear those words echoing in her mind.

Zoe's lover. Zoe's lover. Lover.

"Her aunt told me she doesn't have a boyfriend,"

The rich guy was partially right. Zoe didn't have one and Mehrdir was going through an existential crisis every time she told him she liked him.

"She has now," Mehrdir responded bluntly.

The demon narrowed his eyes at the human and squeezed his hand a little too tight. The human retracted his arm quickly and watched as Mehrdir grabbed his date and started to dance with her.

"I didn't know you can dance." She mumbled.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered.

"I can't,"

Mehrdir wasn't breathing but she felt his voice vibrate through her whole body.

"Who was that?" He asked while glaring at the human from the corner of his eye.

She wasn't sure if she should smile or not because then, everything would fade away and she would probably realize it was a dream all along.

"No one important," She whispered, squeezing his back, "Why did you come here?"

"Isn't that obvious?" He asked with a scowl.

Zoe tilted her head to the side and bit her lower lip. His eyes moved down to her lips and swallowed nervously, he really wanted to kiss her.

"No. Explain it to me." She licked her lips and smirked.

Zoe was aware of what she was doing but wasn't aware it was genuinely working. She was tempting him to kiss her in front of her family and a bunch of other people, an action that was preposterous for Mehrdir.

"Mehrdir?" She asked, his name coming out of her mouth as a breath.

His eyes moved up for a moment to catch the glint in her eyes. She was mischievous and had no idea who she was playing with however, Mehrdir smirked and leaned in. He shocked everyone but mostly himself when he kissed her. It wasn't deep or sensual but it was significant.

"I love you," He mumbled.

Zoe eyes widened and her smile fell. Her heartbeat was so fast that her heart could jump out of her chest any time and at the same time, she shuddered in fear. Mehrdir chuckled when he saw how red her cheeks got and pulled her closer.

"I love you, Zoe." He repeated softly, looking deep into her eyes.

She gulped the excess of saliva and the excess of nervousness. The young commander was a mess and Mehrdir was smirking cockily because he knew he was the reason behind her nerves. She rose on her toes and pecked him before she wrapped her hands around his waist tightly.

"I have always loved you," She responded, a bit muffled since she was hugging him tightly and her face was hidden in the crook between his neck and collar.

He chuckled and caressed her back softly. For the first time ever, Mehrdir felt like he did the right thing in his life. He was complete because he finally recognized his feelings and it felt like a lot of pressure just faded away.

"I feel like crying," Eneizar stated as the group gathered together. He glanced at Ezekiel and saw him shed a few happy tears, "You are-"

Iaosur covered his mouth, "Shut up and enjoy the sight. You won't see it again soon."

Eneizar rolled his eyes and pushed Iaosur's hand off.

"Isn't this amazing? I mean, even Beelzebub got tired of seeing him stalk her," Gakhas commented since he saw the two bicker about that, "I wonder why he didn't kill him and why he let him fall for her." The sloth demon wondered out loud.

Ezekiel took a hankie from the table and wiped his nose. Chen rolled his eyes and patted his friend bemusedly.

"Because he is the only one who cared enough to stay by her side. Even if it was an obsession in the beginning, he saw her grow up and become the commander. It may sound weird but I think it was fate," Ezekiel responded happily.

The demons glanced at each other before they started to laugh, well, except Gakhas who only rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't. It was Beelzebub's plan, I'm sure of it," Eneizar started grabbing everyone's attention, "The story of the commander is real and Beelzebub did fall in love with a human. The only difference between the tale and the truth is the pregnancy. The woman wasn't pregnant when Beelzebub found her, he got pregnant. He tried to keep her away but she was stubborn and even insisted on keeping his child. She was aware that he was a demon and that everyone in her village, especially the church, would try and kill the baby. He gave her a box with an ancient pocket watch that allegedly didn't function. But when it did, the mother died and the child was taken by Beelzebub." Eneizar continued his tale.

The humans were shocked.

"You mean-"

Eneizar didn't let Ezekiel finish his sentence.

"Yep. The commander is actually the daughter of Beelzebub, not his sister or whatever else people say. Unlike Lucifer, Beelzebub has always had big plans for the commander but none realized the truth and none accepted their fate. Zoe is the only commander that used her mark," Eneizar turned to Ezekiel and smirked, "You did that. You opened her eyes. That's probably why Beelzebub is fine with your friendship and accepts all the legacy bullocks,"

The human hummed and rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully, "So that's what she meant,"

It finally made sense.

Mehrdir and Zoe were talking in the corner when her mother came over. She saw them kissing and that was enough to draw her interest.

"Zoe, you didn't tell me you have a boyfriend,"

Mehrdir raised an eyebrow and squeezed Zoe's hand lightly, making her smile.

"We fought," Zoe responded, "But we're fine now." She continued, looking into those dark eyes that she loved so much.

Her mother inspected Mehrdir from head to toe and she quite liked what she was seeing. He seemed to be a serious young man with a nice career but with a troublesome personality. Something about him was dark and suspicious.

"Are you rich?" Her mother was blunt, just like her daughter.

"I might be,"

Her mother glanced at Zoe who was chuckling and enjoying his answers.

"Do you work? Or is your family giving you money?"

Mehrdir stared at the older woman with a certain superior glint in his eyes, "I have a business."

"What kind of business?" Her mother's tone changed. She was the strict woman Mehrdir remembered.

"This and that," He lied, smirking charmingly, "My agency represents students from universities and offers them help in their careers," He pointed at the two innocent humans. "I'm investing in them right now, they are promising young artists."

Her mother stared at Mehrdir with amplified suspicion. She had more questions for the man and she was curious what his family was like, especially since he seemed vague thus placing Zoe and the Lestrade family in the centre of the gossiping circle.

Thankfully, her sister called her over, needing her there when she was talking to an important businessman from London.

Louise turned to Mehrdir and forced a polite smile.

"Well, come visit us again, Mehrdir. What an unusual name," she added as she walked further away from them.

Zoe chuckled and hit him playfully.

"You are such a smooth talker but she didn't believe one word you said."

Mehrdir leaned towards her and whispered.

"Doesn't matter. She has no way to find out who I am and I am a demon. I have my ways of pursuing humans to believe me,"

"You clearly don't know how sly she is," Zoe added bemusedly.

Mehrdir was ready to respond when he felt his spine crack and legs suddenly tremble. He looked at the other demons and they were all going through the same thing.

Suddenly, an earthquake shook the house from side to side for a few seconds, taking everyone by surprise.

Once the earthquake stopped, Zoe's vision darkened and she leaned against the wall, hiding her eyes from the guests. People were moving around, impatient and scared even if Louise and her sister were trying to calm them down.

"Zoe, are you alright?" Mehrdir asked a slight tremble in his voice.

She shook her head and glanced at him, uncovering the true eyes of the commander. Mehrdir took a step back, gasping at the way he felt while looking in those yellow eyes. It wasn't the same as before, the power of Beelzebub seemed to fill her body and her soul looked

The war was coming.