The Demon's Pa

Alexander’s POV

I couldn’t get her face out of my head.

That look she had on her face when I had said her name, how her eyes had lit up before confusion had clouded them.

I frowned deeply, I myself had no idea how I’d know the name that had come out of my mouth. I didn’t recall her ever introducing herself to me with that name or hearing anyone ever say it before it had just slipped out of my mouth, somehow some part of me just needed to call her that.

I snarled, some part of me wasn’t a heartless demon, some part of me still loved Ashira.

My own thoughts shocked me. I had to kill her, there was no room for silly feelings and reminiscing about things that didn’t matter like the story of how I’d met her.

I eyed her unconscious body that was stretched out on the concrete floor with hesitation. She was lying on her back with her arms spread out like she was a starfish. She hadn’t moved since I’d very persuasively told her to go to sleep. After I’d told her to forget her eyes had glazed over and she’d given me an even more confused look before asking what was going on. I’d had no choice but to put her to sleep for a while which I could use to pull my thoughts together.

I hate to admit it, but I had completely freaked out when she said that me knowing her name meant that I remembered. Me remembering, was definitely not part of Clades’ plan. And he certainly wouldn’t be pleased in the least bit.

The air in the room dropped to a tense chill and all my senses went on high alert. A demon was here, a bloody powerful demon. I allowed my eyes to shift to a dangerous black, ready to attack, as I carefully looked around. A demon would be able to kill the unconscious vampire on the floor in less than a second.

Why was I even bothered by the thought?!

The shadows in the corner of the room moved, curling around each other before weaving together to form the rough outline of something that could only pass as a beast.

The beast was still within the swirling shadows around it for a moment before they pulled together and moved away from the wall. The devilish looking dark shape now had a rather solid looking form and I couldn’t help but bow my head, “Clades.”

The demon’s voice was a rasp of air and the screaming of a thousand lost souls, “Alexander Redmourn, the girl is still alive, she is lying right there. Kill her!” It screeched loudly.

“I can’t.” my voice broke a little in my unwillingness. A strong gust of wind came from behind me and I dropped to my knees with my palms braced on the ground, my head hung. Clades didn’t like my answer because he remained silent but for the low, dangerous growl of fury. I waited for the torture that was sure to rain down upon me for my dissent, but none came.

Two shoes came into my line on vision and only when the demon, in his human shell, placed a hand on my shoulder did I look up at him. His skin seemed to look even less real than it usually did. He was struggling to keep this form, it couldn’t contain him.

I swallowed when I saw the dark pits of nothingness, his eyes. He was absolutely furious. Even in his human form the pain of all the tortured souls he’d devoured didn’t leave his voice, “Why?” the demon hissed.

He would kill he, he was going to kill her if I told him that I had remembered something. My eyes drifted to the starfish girl before I cast them down again. I was a demon, lying was second nature to me so that’s just what I did.

I was grinning widely when I looked up at Clades again, my grin full of evil, “Because I am, quite simply put, having far too much fun toying with this wench.” Clades didn’t react to what I’d said at all. “How can I kill a creature that brings me this much amusement in my dreary life?”

He removed his hand from my shoulder and took a slow step backwards. His human form stabilised a little when he turned his head away from me to look at Ashira. Ash, I meant Ash Carson. He narrowed is eyes and bent down to trail his index finger along the form of her face. My insides turned at the sight of him touching her but I said nothing and dared not make a move.

“Easily,” He answered my question, “Killing her would be easy for a heartless demon.”

I blew all the air out of my lungs before I spoke, “Even one who finds such amusement with her?”

Clades sneered at me, “Amusement leads to affection.”

Well, there was no denying that in this case. “Do you want me to kill her right now, here, in front of you?” Please say no, I silently chanted.

The demon king laughed, “No, that would only screw up the plan I have for all these damned vampires. Your brothers need to pay for what they’ve done, just as you-” he paused and rephrased his sentence, “I will save them just as I saved you and then we will let chaos reign over this world once more.”

The faces of my brothers flashed before my eyes, how they were with their Promise angels. They loved them, and when Clades killed them they won’t remember their Promise angels, they won’t remember they loved them, just as I couldn’t remember. Slowly I turned my head to look at Ashira again.

Her face looked so peaceful. Her mouth was open a little – a human wont that she still had even as a vampire I assumed- and a strand of her hair was over her face. Even laying on the concrete floor sprawled out as starfish girl she was the most beautiful female the demon me had ever seen.

I used to love this female, hell, and now I wanted to kill her. No, I didn’t want to kill her anymore I wanted to love her again.

The way she always looked at me, she still had hope that I would remember, that I would come back to her and I wanted that. I wanted to remember and I didn’t want Clades to ‘save’ my brothers. I didn’t want them to have to go through this as well.

It was a good thing I made Ashira forget before I came to realise all of this or I wouldn’t have been able to do it. It was better that she didn’t know how I felt for now, surely she would just make it harder for me to control myself and get herself somehow killed by Clades in the process. I wanted her alive, with me.

“Alexander?” Clades asked harshly and I was pulled out of my thoughts.

“Yes?” I asked.

“I need you to save Heskel, Viktor, Norabo, Jagger and Nicolai when the time comes. I need you to be ready to kill them instantly when I ask you to.”

I wondered why Oberon wasn’t on that list but said nothing about it, maybe Clades wanted to kill him himself. I tried my best to keep my expression neutral, “Don’t you want to save them from this life yourself?”

Clades laughed. “No, I want them to feel betrayed by one of the few they trusted.”

“But they don’t trust me.”

He flashed a devilish grin, “They used to.”

I was silent. I didn’t want to kill them. I didn’t even think I had it in me to kill them.

I had the physical ability, but I still wouldn’t be able to do it.

When they had brought me here the only reason they’d succeeded was because I’d allowed them to take me. There was no way even all seven royals would be able to keep me down, not even with mors est in sancto.

“Very well,” I said, “I will kill them all when you give me the word.”

Clades’ form shifted more to a shadow again, “Good to hear.”

“What about their Promise angels?” I questioned.

“Leave them to me.” His voice rasped, “They are the only ones who can really kill demons, I will deal with them myself.”

I hesitated. “Kill?”

“Vanquish.” He stated, “Don’t let them near you when they are all together or you will cease to exist.”

I swallowed hard, “Permanently?”

“Yes.” He snarled, “You aren’t afraid are you?”

“Of course not, they’re just a couple of human females and two vampires.” Who could kill us, I didn’t add the last part.

The dark shadow seemed to grow with my words, “Good.” I loud hiss pulled through the air and the dark looming shape stayed silent for a moment as if listening to the ear piercing screech. “It seems like I am needed elsewhere. I will see you soon my son, the portal is nearly ready to let all of our demons come into this world.”

“Of course…” It took more force than it usually did to get the last part out, “Father.”

“What are you planning to do now?” the shadow growled out at me, “Break out of here?”

“No, I will pretend that I was never free in the first place and say captive till the time comes for me to be free.”

The shadow moved away from me towards the darker corners of the room again without so much as another word. At first it swirled roughly before seeming to disappear into the wall. The air around me noticeably became warmer again when the demon was gone.

I slowly pushed myself to my feet again and walked to where the chains hung from the roof.

When I was hanging from the ceiling again with the mors est in sancto painfully running over my exposed skin I looked at Ashira again and I felt a smile forming around the corners of my mouth. “Maybe, Ashira, my little kitten,” I whispered, “I can love you again.”

I cleared my throat and spoke clearly, “Wake up Ash Carson.”

I made sure to have the exact same conversation with her as the previous encounter, but this time, when she turned to walk away I didn’t call her back, I let her go.

And when she was gone, I freed myself once more. I stood around in the cold boring room till I could hear the morning birds starting to chirp outside. I knew that it would be safe to leave this place then since all the vampires would go to get some sleep then.

I stood in front of the wooden door for quite some time wondering if I would be able to transform into a shadow, like Clades had, and slip under it since it was locked and I didn’t want to break the door down. I didn’t want anyone to know that I had left, I was planning on going back.

Only the strongest demons could revert to their shadow forms in this world and I wasn’t sure if I had enough power to do so. It took a lot of concentration and focus but eventually I managed to get myself into a half shadow like form and squeeze through.

I floated against the walls of Viktor’s house in my shadow form feeling slightly like a little bit of a weirdo as I searched for Ashira’s room. Finding it was easy enough since her scent was all over the place and it was like a drug to me.

I slipped under the closed door and only when I saw that she was fast asleep did I take my human form again. At first I merely stood there, watching her from the door but when she didn’t move at all for a while I walked closer.

she was sleeping peacefully under nothing but a sheet and hugging one of the pillows tightly to her chest. When standing over her I could feel my eyes changing colour and becoming a dangerous black.

Hell, I wanted to drink her blood oh so badly.

I backed away from her and entered the bathroom connected to her bedroom to try and regain control of my bloodlust.

I nearly jumped back in shock when I got a look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were pitch black, just like Clades’ eyes always were.

A memory hit me then, something that I hadn’t seen in my time as a demon, but something I remembered from when I had still been a vampire.

Oberon’s eyes had gotten just as black when I’d questioned his feelings for Cherise that one time when I was confused about Ashira.

Vampires’ eyes didn’t get black when they got emotional, they changed to yellow.

The fact that Oberon’s eyes had turned to black could only mean one thing.

That was why Clades didn’t need me to kill Oberon.

Oberon had already been killed.

Oberon was a demon as well.