Of Light And Shadows

She was nervous. She stood outside Belphegor’s door wringing her hands for a moment before she found the courage to knock.

“Ev? Are you in there?” Jia called out quietly to him, hoping all at once that he was both there and not there. The conversation needed having but that didn’t make the thought of it a pleasant one

“Jia, hi.” His face appeared in the doorway and he stepped out into the hall to talk, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms across his chest.

Now the energy of the Demonic Realm was sustaining him, his skin had regained its rich tan and his dark hair was shiny and windswept. He looked healthier than she’d ever seen him. “You smell like the Prince.”

“About that.” She hesitated. “I...I spent the night with him.”

“I know.” Her eyes bugged wide in shock. “Vampire hearing is more sensitive than even a Demon’s,” he said, tapping his ear. Despite his grim expression a slight smile tugged at his lips. “At least you had fun.” Heat crawled up her neck as she looked away.

“It was more than fun,” she answered quietly.

“Gross, I don’t need details.” She heard a hint of humour in his tone.

“That’s not what I meant, doofus,” she retorted, elbowing him. He chuckled and shoved her gently in response. “I meant it wasn’t just a fling. I...We’re together now.”

“Chill, Jia. I know what you meant.” He pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and tipped his head to the side, dark hair falling into his eyes. “You don’t have to explain.”

“I feel like I do though.”

“You don’t. Kissing you was a confusing mistake and I shouldn’t have done it.” His brow furrowed. “I guess I just needed to be close to you.”

“You are close to me.” She reached out to touch his arm. “You’ll always be close to me, Ev. You’re my best friend.”

“I’m surprised you still want to call me that after how I’ve been behaving. I’ve been an asshole.” He swallowed awkwardly. “I know it’s not an excuse, but everything I love is slipping away from me.

"You’re the last stable thing I have and I guess I was jealous when I realised I wasn’t the main guy anymore.” He smiled and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you,” she grinned. “Can we go back to being you and me? Evan and Jia?”

“I’d like that,” he beamed. “Come on. We can go get some breakfast and you can tell me about you and the Prince.”

For the first time since he’d been changed, Evan spoke about Lucifer with no animosity. He offered her his arm and she laughed and took it.

“Ah, hold on," he grumbled. "I think it’s best if we make Bell come too.”

“Are you worried you might freak out or something?”

“No, but I don’t want to risk a repeat of my idiotic show last night. I’ll be right back.” He ducked back through the door and appeared again five minutes later with Bell in tow. The Demon blinked sleepily and yawned.

“I was having a good dream,” he complained.

“Hi Bell.” As soon as he saw Jia he stopped complaining and pulled her into a gentle hug.

“Good morning.” He yawned again as he stepped back. “I’m here to babysit.”

“Behave,” Jia chuckled. They set off towards the kitchens with Belphegor trailing behind a little. “You okay back there?” she called back to him.

“No, I’m tired,” he replied. “Waking me up so early all the time is going to give me wrinkles.”

“Like your beautiful face would ever wrinkle,” she teased, walking backwards so he could see her flutter her eyelashes at him. He grinned.

“Flattery does help to ease my pain.” Evan chuckled. “Coffee would also be wonderful.”

“Then hurry up,” the Vampire chided. “The slower you are, the longer you have to wait.” Bell rolled his eyes and sped up to walk beside them. Jia moved aside to let him between her and Evan and walked straight into something solid.

Steady hands caught her as she stumbled back, keeping her on her feet as she looked up into a pair of warm red eyes.

“Louie?”

“Are you alright?” He set her back on her feet and moved back to give her space. She nodded. “I was just coming to find you.”

“I guess I found you instead,” she mumbled, hyper aware of the two pairs of eyes staring at them.

“Belphegor, close your mouth. You look like you’re catching flies,” Lucifer said. He was dressed in a dark grey three piece suit with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. The memory of what he looked like beneath the suit made Jia blush.

“You did it!” Bell accused, pointing at them both. Lucifer raised an eyebrow while Jia’s skin turned magenta. “You corrupted my Jia!” He stepped forwards and folded her into a cinnamon scented hug, tugging her away from his older brother.

“Are you finished freaking out?”

“No! I don’t appreciate anyone playing around with my friends,” Bell glowered, hugging her tighter.

“Can’t breathe,” she gasped into the shoulder of his denim jacket.

“I’m not playing around with her.” Lucifer folded his arms across his chest. Bell let go of her suddenly and stared at his brother as his eyebrows crept slowly towards his hairline.

“You mean...” He trailed off. Louie nodded. “Finally! You waited long enough.” He grabbed Evander’s arm and started pulling him away.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Evan protested. “I can walk on my own, you crazy Demon.”

“Not fast enough,” Bell answered. “I’ll take care of him Jia, see you later.”

She blinked a few times as she watched her best friend being dragged away. He shrugged and waved at her before he was pulled down the stairs.

“Sometimes I swear Belphegor forgets that he’s thousands of years old,” Lucifer muttered. “He acts like a teenager.”

“You and your brothers are all so different,” she agreed.

“Do you mind that Bell and Evander now know about us?”

“Evander sort of...heard us.”

“Whoops,” Lucifer grinned.

Before she could register the smug look on his face he pulled her towards him and kissed her hard enough to make her knees weak.

“I’d apologise but there isn’t a single part of me that’s sorry.” His grin was crooked and her pulse started to thrum in response.

“You realise now that if Bell knows the whole academy will know by tonight, right?”

“I know.”

“And if your father finds out?”

“There isn’t much he can do about it from the capital and there isn’t anybody in the academy that has regular contact with him,” Lucifer shrugged. “If he comes here it’ll be a different story but for now we should be fine.” He paused. “I was actually coming to find you to talk about what I told you last night.”

“Do you know something new?”

“No, but I know somebody who does. I’ve been reaching out to several contacts in the human world.”

“How do you do that without crossing?” she asked, frowning at him.

“Witches. They can scry between realms.” He frowned. “They know something about why there are so many of us in that world and they’re willing to talk.”

“So are we going to scry them?”

“No. We’re going to visit them.”

“Are we going alone?”

“I plan on taking Sellik and Beelzebub with us. Asmodeus too.” He looked like he was deep in thought as he spoke.

“Why them?”

“Sellik is medically trained and if you get hurt so do I. Asmodeus is on excellent terms with the witches and Bee is...well, Bee. If we run into any rogue Vampires he’ll be useful.”

“Won’t Mammon be mad if you go without him?”

“He’s already there.”

“He is? Why?” She couldn’t think of any reason why Mammon would need to be in a different realm.

“The less you know about it, the better,” Lucifer replied. “If my father finds out about Mammon’s excursions he’ll kill anyone involved. Unlike me, you don’t reincarnate.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” she muttered. “When do we go?”

“Right after breakfast. I need to tell the rest of the Devils so they know we’re leaving.” He offered his arm to her and she took it without hesitation, falling into step beside him.

“Is this going to be dangerous for me?” she asked.

“No more dangerous than agreeing to be my girlfriend,” he replied.

“That also doesn’t make me feel any better.” He chuckled. “Dating you isn’t exactly safe either.”

“Exactly, so meeting some witches shouldn’t be a problem for you.”

He led her down the sweeping staircase and into the huge ballroom where everyone was eating, moving her in the direction of the table where the members of the First and Second Spheres sat.

“Good morning, Angel,” Asmodeus said as he swept over and bowed low to Jia. “And Lucifer, you’re looking especially handsome this morning.”

“You know that doesn’t work on me,” he replied, arching an eyebrow.

Asmodeus opened his mouth to say something else, and then he closed it and looked down at Jia’s hand hooked into the red eyed Demon’s elbow. She watched as he sniffed delicately and then he pouted.

“Dammit Luce, you always beat me to it,” he sulked.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You enticed Jia to bed before I even had a chance,” he winked.

“Do you make a habit of stealing Asmo’s conquests?” Jia asked him, raising an eyebrow of her own.

“No, he just likes to be dramatic when he doesn’t get his own way,” Lucifer answered. “This is his way of trying to get you to fall out with me.”

“Is it working?” the grey-haired beauty asked, batting his lashes at them.

“No,” Jia replied. “Behave yourself.”

“It was worth a try,” Asmo shrugged.

“Stop trying and listen to me. I need you to come with me to human world. Beelzebub and Sellik too.” Asmodeus nodded and moved to fetch them, stopping when Lucifer touched his arm.

“Asmodeus? This is dangerous and I need your help. I’ll explain everything to all of you at the same time. Please tell no one else.” Asmo nodded, his usually playful expression turning serious in a second.

Jia watched as he turned and left in the direction of the Infirmary. Her gaze travelled over the people gathered in the vast room, following him until he disappeared.

Evander was watching her from his seat. He turned to look in the direction Asmo had walked before turning back to her. His eyes flickered between her and Lucifer, a faint frown on his face. He got up and began making his way towards them.

“Looks like keeping our sneaky plan a secret is going to be hard work.”

“Vampires,” Lucifer muttered, “are so irritating.”