I raised my head up, legs stiff from being curled up to my chin. I stifled a yawn, then tugged at my clothes, feeling them scrunch up around my waist. Wanting to stand, I glanced around the chamber. Everyone had left to greet the arriving guest, leaving me with the opportunity to stretch out my limbs.

Slowly easing myself up off of the marble floor, I reached up to the ceiling, staring at its rafters. Quickly, I slid my hand down the front of my attire. The off-white dress flowed down to my knees, the button up top, covered by a dirty apron.

Silently sliding down the west wall, I positioned myself just as I had been. Having sat here for the past six hours, I knew I would not have an opportunity to stretch again during the next four hours of sitting.

The walls were faded to a dull gray, inclosing only a throne, which was black as night. There were three doors exiting the chamber. Two at the front of the room, and one at the far back, used only by the servants.

The fiery light outside couldn’t reach me, as I silently froze, the stiffness of the wall contributing to the fear and sickness inside of me. In the three months that I had been here, I had come to develop a sense that enabled me to feel when the Demon Master is near. Sweat would collect on my lower back, sending shivers up my spine, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. My legs curled closer to my chest, and I hugged myself.

The double doors opened, revealing, not a man, but something resembling a human male appearance. His pitch black hair fell above his black eyes, his enormous body was pale and straight, holding in place muscle filled limbs.

Ascending the stairs to his throne, the Demon Master sat atop it, looking down toward two hooded figures. Not to my surprise, they had knelt down, heads to the floor. “Again,” his mellifluous voice bounced off the walls. “tell me why you have come.”

One of the hooded figures looked up, not to the Demon Masters face, but to his chest, and spoke. “There have been threats, Master, to your life.”

The Demon Masters laugh was beautifully frightening, as he bent forward, placing his elbows on his knees. Putting his fists under his chin, he asked, “And has this not happened before?”

The other figure rose to his feet and spoke, “Master, it has happened more times than I can count, but this is different. The threat was made by the Cacodemons of Gehenna,” at the mention of the Cacodemons, the Demon Masters face became attentive.

“I have had threats from them before as well.”

“Yes, but, um…” he trailed off, the hood of the dark robe turned toward me. I quickly averted my eyes. He spoke once more, “the messenger was very specific as to the reason why they want to take your life.” There was a pause, and my curiosity got the better of me, as I turned to face the demons. They stared back, both the hooded figures, and the Demon Master himself. I turned away.

“Go on,” the Demon Master said.

“The messenger was told that the reason for the Cacodemons rebellion was because of the treaty. They feel that it is not your right to decide weather or not they can take human lives-”

The demon master interrupted him, “Well have the messenger go back and remind them that I am a powerful Demon, and if they ever have a complaint again, they can come discuss it with me personally.”

The treaty with the human world was a problem for most demons, as well as a problem for me. The contract was formed out of fear of the Demon Masters powers; the fear that he would one day destroy all human life. After concluding that a compromise would be best for us, the king, my father, invited the Demon Master and his court to our world, for the process of contracting a suitable treaty for both worlds. That was the first time I had ever seen him.
Walking toward the council chamber, I was to be appearing at my father’s side in the negotiations. My mother was against it, feeling that I was too young. I had won the argument though, stating that I was seventeen, much older then the age of fifteen, which was when you had your coming of age ceremony, considered a functional adult.
He had on a black shirt, pants, and a black tie. His nose was perfectly symmetrical to his eyes, and ears. He had startled me, rounding the corner just as I did, and almost knocking me over. I felt his huge hands steadying my shoulders saying, “Excuse me princess.” At first, I thought it was a castle guard, it wasn’t until he had already passed, that I turned around and realized, it was the Demon Master. Before entering the chamber, he turned to look at me, studying me. He smirked. The image would remain in my mind for most of the meeting. Until he smirked at me again.

“I want,” my fathers words were in the back of my mind, as I was stunned by the Demon Masters purely white teeth. “nothing more than for this arrangement to go smoothly and finish fast, making both parties happy in the process.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” the Demon Master conceded. “and I have only one thing that I want in exchange for never harming your word, or the people on it.” At that, I started to pay attention to what was really going on around me. It seemed too simple. Give the Demon Master one thing, and he will never harm us again?

I sat next to my father, fully expecting the Demon Master to ask for a thousand human souls in exchange for no further harm. I was wrong. “Princess Ada is of the same age as me, and she has taken my interest. I would like her as a servant in my court.”

That was how I ended up here, on the floor in the Demon Masters throne chamber. The hooded figures had left, leaving the Demon Master and me alone once again. In truth, I was fascinated by him. His features and his manners were ones that I did not expect a demon to have. But you would never hear these things spoken out of my mouth, the Demon Master thinks of himself highly, always knowing that he is the best demon. Now though, he seemed deep in thought, staring at the wall in front of him.

There was an awkward feeling in the pit of my stomach that someone was watching me. I turned to my left. There was a serving demon, although from the outside she looked human. I stood up, knowing exactly why she was here. She thrust the tray of food at me, only giving me time to whisper a thank you before she had disappeared.

I had never inquired what exactly the meat was on his plate, always imagining some poor animal, or worst, human being slayed in their bed late at night. I chose to ignore it, and concentrated on the dark liquid in his cup. I had come to find out that it was, and I quote, “none of my damn business!” from the payer of servants, Melchom.
I slowly walked to the front of the chamber, breathing in my mouth, out my nose, in my mouth, out my nose. I waited several second at the foot of the throne steps before the Demon Master noticed me. In my mouth, out my nose. He motioned for me to come forward. In my mouth, out my nose. I stood in front of him, and he studied the food. In my mouth, out my nose.

He sighed, “I don’t really feel like eating.” He had never said that before. What was I to do now? In my mouth, out my mouth, wait, in my nose, out my mouth? My breathing technique was jumbling up in my mind, leaving me with nothing to concentrate on except the Demon Masters feet.

I sensed his smile, and looked up as he took the tray out of my hand. He walked down the throne steps. “Come on.” We had exited the throne chamber through the double doors, leading me to receive furious glares from the other servants. I sensed his smile again. The Demon Master then dropped his tray. There was a rush by the servants to clean up the mess, and then I was pushed around the nearest corner.

The Demon Master bent low, and snatched up the end of my dress. I instinctively pushed it down. “Why are you-?”

“Did I speak to you?” he interrupted, his face no longer holding a pleasant expression. I flinched, shook my head. Then we presided forward, rounding more corners and descending dozens of steps, all the while the Demon Master held onto the dress like a child’s hand. I thought this to be odd though, and constantly tried to push it down, not wanting anyone to see my underwear.

We approached another set of double doors similar to the ones in the throne chamber. Using his other hand, the Demon Master opened the doors. I was shocked, wondering why there were not servants here to open the doors and cater to the Demon Master.

Upon entering the chamber I noticed only one thing, the books. Shelves that were taller than the Demon Master himself were lined up side by side, extending farther than I thought possible. I was impressed and excited.

I had always been fascinated by books. The stories that one person could create through their imagination were touching, and inspiring. The stories were sad, happy, and everything in between.

I watched the Demon Masters face light up. “Why is there a library here?” oh no, I had forgot that I wasn’t allowed to talk. He seemed to forget about that rule though, as he answered me with a calm face, “it was built by the last Demon Master.” He got a vacant expression as he continued. “I don’t think anyone else knows about this place, and I’m hoping no one ever will.”

He turned toward me, letting go of my dress. I backed up a couple of steps, frightened that he was just showing me this place so he could kill me in it. He stepped forward. I stepped back into a shelf. He stepped forward again. Shifting to my right, I slid past, brushing my shoulder against his chest. With chills, I swiftly walked down the aisle, looking at the books toward my right.

They didn’t appear to be in any specific order, so, looking back to where the Demon Master was standing and not seeing him there, I picked a book off the shelf. The title was worn off the cover, but before I could open it, there was a slight tingle on my back. I looked up, and saw the Demon Master staring back at me.

I stepped toward the shelf and turned around, feeling my face heat up. He took the book from my hand, careful not to touch my fingers. He examined it, offering me a chance to try and escape again.

Inching toward the side, I ran to the end of the aisle. Looking back, I found that the Demon Master was still there, leaning against the book shelf. He smirked. Then I ran. Turning every corner I came across, I soon found myself in what appeared to be the heart of the library.

There were oddly shaped tables and cushioned chairs in the small carpeted opening, offering up comfort and rest. I glanced around, and then peeking through a couple of shelves, saw the Demon Master. Watching him walk toward me, I ran in the opposite direction.
I don’t know why I ran. It was because I thought he was going to hurt me, but soon, I found it to be exciting. It was like a game of hide and seek, except I was looking to be found. The sudden appearance of the Demon Master before me was exhilarating, making me catch my breath. Soon though I had no breath left, and chose to go back to the chairs.
Scanning my surrounds for any sign of the Demon Master, I picked a book off of the shelf, preparing to sit down and read. Lifting the book up though I was face to face with the demon master. Seeing him on the other side of the shelf, I crouched to the floor. Crawling toward the tables, I bumped into a pair of shoes.
I sat up and laughed, no longer afraid of the Demon Master, though I had no clue why. I had heard the stories of him taking many lives, but this game was thrilling. I was also convinced that if he had planned on killing me, he would have done it already. Right?
The Demon Master picked up the collar of my dress, and brought me to my feet. His face was set in a pleasant expression, as we left the library. On our way back I tried to memorize the way we had come, wondering if I could somehow go there again on my own.










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Dinner that night was soup. Well, my dinner was soup, but everyone else around me in the servants dining hall was eating a red meat, that dripped juice. My soup was “specially” made to “suet the nutrition needs of humans” as the cook, Kobal, said.

I sat next to a demon serving girl who, like every night before, devoured her meal in less than five minutes, glancing my way with every bite she took. I should expect to be isolated, seeing as how I’m the only human in the court, yet I keep hoping that one day I will walk into the dining hall, and someone will talk to me.

About thirty minutes after I had started to digest my super, and after all the servants had received their pay from Melchom, she came to my table. Looking around at the deserted hall she sat down across from me. “Why are you here?” she asked me stiffly, glancing over her shoulder more times than necessary.

I was wondering the same thing about her as I answered, “I’m not sure what you mean?”

“You are the princess of the human world, and I know that you are here as one of the conditions of the treaty, but why?” My face must have portrayed the confusion I had inside because she explained herself farther. “Why did the Demon Master request you, as one of the conditions of the treaty?”

I searched my mind for the answer, then, finding none, said, “I assumed it was to insure that my father would not attack the demon world for fear that he might hurt me.” Melchom shook her head mumbling to herself, “Humans are never any help.” Then she was gone, leaving me alone once again.







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*

The nights at the castle were the start of the day in the human world, and although I had been down here for quite some time, I was still reluctant to sleep when everyone else did. Tonight however, I felt increasingly tired with every motion I made while getting ready for bead. I had just pulled my nightgown over my head, when I started to feel dizzy. Taking a step toward the bed, I felt my legs give way, my head hit the floor.

I awoke to the sound of birds. It was odd at first; never had I heard birds chirp in the demon world. Then I had realized that I was in my bed in the human world. I pulled the covers close to me, feeling the fabric in between my fingers, fully convinced that I had never before been to the demon World.

My mother entered the room, kissing me on the forehead and explaining what my schedule for the day was, just as she did every morning. “You have to go straight to your fathers’ chambers when you are finished with your afternoon classes. Then you will be going with him to meet the Demon Master for the treaty process.” She rattled off a few more places for me to be at certain time before I stopped her. “What did you just say?”

“That you have to meet with a minister to-”

“No before that,” I interjected.

“That you have to go see your father.”

“What did you say after that?”

“I just told you sweet heart. You have to meet the minister of public relations.”

I just shook my head, instantly forgetting what my mother had said, persuaded by my mind that it was just my hearing that was going bad.

The rest of the day went as usual until I skipped lunch to read in the library. It somehow looked different then when I had entered yesterday. There seemed to be fewer shelves, and no cushioned chairs to relax on, just wooden stools. The ceiling seemed taller than I remembered, leaving room for the hanging crystal chandeliers to fall a good ten feet above the book cases.

I rounded a corner, looking for a decent place to sit away from the windows. I got this strange feeling that I wasn’t allowed outside, nor was I allowed to talk. I considered this last thought to be understandable, seeing as how I was in a library.

With every turn I made, I got the feeling that someone would be there, waiting for me to find them. Then, looking to my left, I saw what appeared to be a man. Black hair and black eyes that were perfectly symmetrical to his nose and ears. His smile was blinding as a deep, tranquilizing voice in my head repeated, “Excuse me princess, excuse me princess.”

“Excuse me princess.” I turned around to find servant staring at me oddly. “Pardon the interruption Princess Ada, but your father has requested to see you.”
“Yes that’s alright I was just-” I turned around to show her who was talking to me, but only found a statue. Sighing I commented, “oh never mind, I’m just tired.”

I followed the servant, looking back at the statue. His right arm was raised over his head in triumph, a sword at his side, lodged in the chest of his marble victim.

I paid no attention to where we were going, assuming that the servant knew her way to my fathers chambers. Yet, as I entered the door, it was not his chamber, it was my room. “Why am I-” I didn’t have a chance to ask the servant any questions, for she had exited the room, slamming the door in my face.

I was exasperated. Feeling that I should just give in before hand, I slid off my shoes, then looked up. Its face was obscured by protruding thorns, yet its eyes were as clear as day, sinking into its face. With skin a watery blue/green, it reached out it arms.

I tried to scream and back away, but couldn’t do anything. I felt as if my whole body had stopped, my chest wasn’t rising along with my short breaths. Hands appeared out from under a robe, claws sharpened.

Then I was pushed back, plopping onto my bed. I could see the statues back, white marble slowly turning into black cloth. The statues hand now wielded claws, bringing them down into the face of the thorn demon. The back somehow seemed familiar to me as I had a flash of it descending stairs, the hand holding onto someone’s dress. My dress.

“Who are you?” I screamed over the grunts and moans of the hand battle, most coming from the blue demon.

The statue man turned around commanding, “Snap out of it Ada! It’s not real! The demon has taken over your mind! Fight it!”

His face seemed inhuman, and just as I realized that he himself was a demon, the neck of the thorn demon snapped in half, causing a string of screams to echo through my mind, sending it into an explosion of its own, as it caved in on itself. My vision went black.







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*

I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling nauseous. There was a wet cloth on my forehead that was threatening to fall over, but as I reached for it, there was a voice somewhere above me. “Let me get that for you.”

The voice had startled me, but not enough for me to open my eyes. “What happened to me?” I asked instinctively, forgetting were I was.

“A Nybbas demon attacked you in your sleep. He implanted visions and dreams into your head to make you believe something that was not true.” The voice above me answered. It was deep and calm, pressuring me to fall back into slumber.

I felt the cold air on my bare legs and stomach, compelling me to believe that I was not wearing any clothes. Pushing my palms into the mattress, I heaved myself into an upright position on the bed.

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw that my body was only covered by underwear and a small undershirt. I gasped curling into myself and holding on tight. “Where are my clothes?”

“You were burning up last night, so I took them off.” It was the Demon Master. I hugged myself tighter. He got up saying, “don’t worry, I was only making a joke. I had a servant change you. I had told her to put clothes on you but…” He trailed off. “I guess she just, forgot.” He exited the chamber leaving me to hide under the covers.

I did not leave that chamber-who’s it was I had no idea-even at supper time when Melchom came to me. She had brought me more soup, and a cup of the dark liquid that the Demon Master drank. Handing it to me, she mumbled, “Make sure he gets this.” I had asked her why she was bringing me this, she was not a servant. “Because he trusts me,” was what she said, but I never didn’t understand what it meant.

About ten minutes later, the Demon Master came strolling in. “Melchom came in, she brought you that cup.” I pointed to where I had placed it on the bureau. He swallowed it all in one loud gulp, retreating to a chair in the corner of the chamber. He closed his eyes, and relaxed into the cushions.

Watching him tentatively, on a bold move I asked, “what is that drink that you have every day?”

He smirked. “Not that it is any of your concern, but, it helps Me.” his head tilted to the side, giving me a chance to see his long lashes flutter over his cheeks.
“Helps you do what?”
I could tell he was enjoying my curiosity; his face would twitch upward with every word I spoke. “To be the Demon Master.”
I didn’t understand. “Did the past Demon Masters have to take it as well?”
His smirk was no longer there, as he sat up, opened his eyes. “No.” I wanted to ask why, but decided against it. Then to my surprise, he continued, “I am not like the other Demon masters, I was not born here.” My eyes widened. “My father was human. My mother was a Ronwe Deumos demon, living off of the homeless souls in your world. She was looking for another soul to feed off of, when she saw my father walking out of the pub.”
I waited for him to continue, remembering that the Ronwe were inferior demons, but the Deumos was a female demon with four horns, and a crown. I studying the way he rubbed his brow, eyes scrunched together at the floor. He sworn under his breath, “She had said, that even as she sucked the breath out of him, he was asking her her name, wanting to know her life’s story. His kindness, she had said, was what stopped her feeding.”
The Demon Master sighed. “Then, after years of loving each other, she had me, killing her in the process. My father tried to raise me, feeding me what a human ate, and what demons ate. It wasn’t enough to hold my appetite.” I was no longer curious. It looked like it hurt him to remember all of this; I just wanted him to stop, to talk about something else.
“That drink,” he pointed to the empty cup. “is a combination of herbs, and other stuff that a Charon made for me while I was coming to the demon world for the first time. It sustains my hunger, preventing me from attacking those I love.”
I am not sure why I said it, but it was out of my mouth before I could stop it, “I didn’t know demons could love.”

His face hardened. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about demons.”

“Is that why I am here? To learn about demons?”

“What?” he asked, leaning forward; I could see the anger in his eyes.

I took a deep breath. “Is that why you made me come here? So that I would see that demons are nice too? Is this all so that when I become Queen of the human world, we can still have the treaty? Was this some sort of political agreement?!” I might have gone a little over bored and screamed more then I should have, but I wasn’t going to back down; I wanted to know why I was here.

The demon master laughed that horribly beautiful laugh. Standing up he asked, “Is that what you believe this is? A political statement to the universe?” I shrugged my shoulders. “You are more ignorant than I previously thought.”

“What did-” The Demon Master had come to sit next to me on the bed. A silent scowl was all I could muster at his act. He leaned back, clutching to the dress that I had put on earlier. His fingers played with the frayed fabric, sending shivers up my spine.

“I am still amazed at how much you have not learned since you have been here,” he paused. “with me.”

My face burned with embarrassment, as I watched the Demon Master relax into the quilted covers around us, closing his eyes. He remained still for many hours and I watched him, memorized by the way his chest fell with his every breath.

I hovered over his body, arm outstretched, wanting to touch his midnight hair. The mattress beneath me faltered and, losing my balance, I toppled over onto the Demon Master.

I could feel his chest through his shirt. The skin was so cold it burned me. Yanking my hands away, I was rolled over by an invisible force, and then pressed into. I lay flat on my stomach, a pillow thrust into my lower back. It was like an arm placed around your best friend, tender and careful.

I turned my face toward the left. The Demon Masters cheeks were flushed, and his face twitched, although his eyes remained closed. I reached up with a hand, and grazed his hair, petting it softly before I felt my eye lashed slide down to meet my cheeks.







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*

The mornings were the same as they had previously been. I woke up alone, telling myself that last night was just a dream, saying that the argument was plausible by the fact that I had had dreams like that before. Then I dressed in the same dress that I had been assigned in the beginning. Off white fabric that flowed to my knees, and cover by an apron

While walking to the servants dining hall, I received glares that were more fearsome than ever before. I could not see the reason why they would be anymore mad at my than usual. But I did know that they were mad, seeing as how I had been tripped twice before I had gotten to my table with a plate full of eggs and toast.

The serving demon, who had always sat next to me without ever saying a word, now slammed her try down next to me and spoke. “Well, may I be the first to say, that I am happy for you.”

She smiled brightly and patted my back a little too hard. Confused by her statement I asked, “I’m sorry, but what are you talking about?”

She took a ravenous bite of her meat. It dripped onto her apron as she answered through a mouth full, “oh God, The King, and the Demon Master all know what you did. There is no keeping something as scandals as that out of our minds.”

I thought about what she had said. I knew that most demons could read mind, so the part about every demon thinking the same thing made sense. But what didn’t was what they were thinking of.

“If I was ever asked, I would answer that this is a good thing. If we had a human ruling the Demon world, then we might be able to get away with more things, seeing as how you people are all about the emotional state of things.”

My eyes widened. “What do you mean a human ruling the Demon World? Who?” I could see that she was now the confused one.

“Its ok, we all know that you and that Master have a thing for each other. It’s only logical that your bodies would feel something too.” Her voice was starting to nauseate me. “Of course your babies might be messed up a little bit, but,” she snarled down her last chunk of meat. “we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Right?” she got up and smacked my back some more, knocking me into the table.

I stared after her as she walked away. I needed to think about this. What had these demons thought I did last night? Did one of them pass by the chamber we were in and misunderstand?

I couldn’t decide what to do, which in a way was a good thing because whatever I was doing, I didn’t want all the demons in the court to know about it. But after they had all left the dining hall, I was convinced that I had to think things through by myself so, using my memory skills, I followed the path I had previously taken to the library.

As soon as I reached its doors about fifteen minutes later, I complemented myself, knowing that most people would not remember the way after one trip. Slowly I pried the door open making just enough room for me to slip in. shutting the wooden doors, they slid quietly into place, barely making a noise. It was bigger than last time. I slipped past dozens of book cases toward the middle of it all.

Sighing heavily, I fell into a chair. Propping my head on my knees, I began to think. How could the whole court think I did that with the Demon Master? Did I do that with the Demon Master? Was I violated in my sleep, and he was boasting about it to everyone?

The thought overflowed my brain, leaving me with endless questions and no answers. The silence of the library contributed much to my tiredness. I dipped my head to the side, and slept.


The dream was nothing but light, and pressure, soon after accompanied by a cold heat. The sensational pressure I had felt drifted away with a wind that had gone as quick as it had come.
Then there was more pressure. Too much to be just a dream. My eyelids flickered open only to see nothing. The library was empty.
“Why are you down here?”
I screamed and jumped into the air, landing on my bottom on the floor. I heard his laughter before I saw his face. It was flushed with a smile that could knock the heavens out.
I was flushed. “I came down here to think,” I answered him.
“About what?” the Demon Master teased, sitting on the arm of the chair.
“Well, there seems to be some talk going around about,” I hesitated, the blood rushing to my face. “well they, the other demons in the court, seem to think that…we are in love…with each other…” I tried to read his expression but was confused. His eyes looked angry, while his brow scrunched in with struggle, and his mouth was set in a smirk.
The silence was defining, making the air tense. Then he finally announced, “I am not an emotionless person, Ada. Did we not establish that last night?” I nodded. “Would you think the worlds would end if a demon falls in love with a human?” I thought of his parents, knowing that even though the Demon Master birth had killed his mother, the worlds did not end when she fell in love with his father.
I shook my head. His expression relaxed into a readable one that said he was glad. “But I don’t know,” I said, “I don’t personally any demon that has fallen for a human, so maybe the worlds would collide?” I was only joking, but it didn’t seem funny to him.
He answered me seriously, “well you now personally know a demon who has fallen in love with a human.” I was about to ask which one, but after looking into his eyes, I found out my answer. “And the worlds are still intact, right?”
We both smiled, but our smiles faltered after we heard a big crash coming from upstairs.
“What was that?” I asked, instinctively getting to my feet.
“We might have been wrong, the world might be ending.” I could tell he was joking, but it worried me still.
He held to the edge of my sleeve, and then dragged me out of the library. The passage to the throne chamber consisted of the Demon Master always stopping before we turned each corner, silently sliding toward turn, and popping out with his hand in the air.
I thought this act to be ridiculous, but after the first couple of time he did it, I realized why. In case someone snuck up from the corner, he would be ready to strike. That also led me to believe that the court was not in a good state at the moment. Then, as we rounded our last corner, the Demon Master struck out at a source I did not see.
“Oh my! I wish I could have the Demon Master smite you for scaring me like that! But it just so happens that you are he!” Melchom was there, clutching her heart and the money purse.
Laughing surrounded us as Kobal came into view. “If only the demons had given me the power to imitate your face-” then Kobal mutated his face to look exactly like the terrified and angry Melchom.
I thought this to be funny, but Melchom did not as she promptly slapped Kobal in the face. “Anyhow, let’s go Ada,” Melchom said motioning me forward.
I shook my head. “To where?”
“Safety,” the Demon Master said, ushering me toward them.
“Wait, what’s going on?” I gasped. “Are the worlds actually ending?”
The Demon Master chuckled, “no Ada it is not, but we are being invaded by the Cacodemons.” His face became serious. “This means that I need you to follow Melchom and Kobal, they will get you some were safe until after the battle is over.” He then left, patting my hair as he passed.

“This way.” Melchom led me to the right, Kobal followed from behind, always looking over his shoulder. I had never been this way before and, glancing around, wasn’t sure I ever wanted to come back.

The stone walls were slick, and black oozed out of them. We had climbed more stairs then we went down when I finally asked, “were are we going?”

Kobal turned around. “Good point, where are we going?”

“You don’t know?!” I screamed at him.

“Wasn’t my job.” His answer was simple, but irritating. “Therefore, Melchom? Where are me going?”

“Your right,” Melchom stated, turning around to face us. I stopped; the air was tense with danger. “It’s not your job.” Melchom twirled around me, striking Kobal in the stomach. She was so fast he had no time to react, and he tumbled to the floor.

I ran, only making it two steps before she clutched my arm from behind. “What happened?” I asked. “The other day you said that the Demon Master trusted you.” I was withering under her claws.

“That was his first mistake.” Her voice was unfamiliar, containing a rough snarl at its edges. She swiped up both my hand, twisting them behind my back. “Let’s go, Princess!” She spat the words in my ears.

There was an endless increase of stairs, making me trip and contort under Melchom`s increasing pressure to climb faster. We reached the top in a struggle. I tried going back down, but she grabbed me by my hair and yanked open a side door, stuffing me through it.

I wobbled but regained my balance realizing that we were in the rafters of the throne chamber. I glanced down, watching the scene unfold before me.

The Demon Master was fighting three Cacodemons at once, ripping one apart just as another appeared. “Don’t you see how vicious your beloved is?” Melchom asked me, her voice fully set into a rasp.

I watched the Eudemons, good demons, fly in through the upper windows, descending down into the situation below. They joined the Daimons, the minor demons, and the Demon Master in destroying all the evil that had entered the court. Although it was frightening to watch the Demon Master tear into the throats of the Cacodemons, I said, “He is not my beloved.”

“Well,” a voiced boomed from above me. “we will just have to see about that.” I turned to see a Cacodemon. Thinking back, I remembered him. His brooding shoulders, scared chest, red skin, and disgusting muscled face had appeared in one of the books I read in the human world. He was the head of the Cacodemons, controlling them with his immense power. I had also read that in most occasions in demon history, the head of the Cacodemons was next in line to be Demon Master.

He smiled at me; the site had turned my stomach over. Jumping from the window ceil to the rafter, he approached. I struggled as mush was I could without falling to my death. I tried to get away, but Melchoms grip just tightened.

“I would think it interesting to find out if the Demon Master has really fallen in love with a human,” he snarled at me. Melchom let go of my arms and I swung on her, knowing it was useless, that I was weaker than her.

Although I was right, and she dodged me, I had managed to swipe the knife that she held at her belt. I tucked it into my apron, just as the head as the Cacodemons grabbed the ends of my hair. He yanked them upward, and pointed his own knife at my throat.

“Demon Master!” he bellowed to the fight below. The Cacodemons stopped fighting and snickered to themselves as everyone in the chamber looked up. “Do you want this?!” The wildness of the Cacodemons voice was frightening.

The Demon Master was the last to look up. His face revealed nothing to the Cacodemons, but his eyes contained fear for the first time scene I had met him. “What do you want?” The Demon Master yelled upward, his voice strong and confident.

The Cacodemon laughed, causing the rafters to shake. “I want the throne! And the title Demon Master!”

I could see that there was a struggle in the Demon Masters decision. “And what are doing up there Melchom? Why do you not attack him?”

“She is not yours to command. She is working for me.” the cacodemon raised his voice so as to be heard.
I would think that all the demons felt betrayed, some swayed their weapons and the Eudemons had risen up, their wings beating softly, preparing.

“Call them off or ill slice up her face!” I couldn’t help but whimper, not so much at the threat but at the scream in my ear. The Demon Master was surprised at my cry, and held out his arm, signaling the Eudemons to calm down.

“Do you trust me?” I heard the Demon Master ask without moving his lips. I didn’t know how that was possible, but I answered aloud, “yes!”

“What?” the Cacodemon asked me. “What did you just say?” I cursed at him. “She sure is a feisty one, if you don’t make a decision soon I might just take her for myself.”

“Do it.” The Demon Master commanded to me, again without moving his lips.

I breathed. In my mouth, out my nose, in my mouth. I had brought the knife up. Out my nose. I forced my body backward, at the same time slicing through my hair with the knife. The scene seemed to play out in slow motion, and at the last second, I threw the knife as hard as I could at the Cacodemon.

Then the world went faster, as I fell, wanting badly to scream, but not able to open my mouth. I thought that my life would flash before my eyes, as so many other people had told stories of it happing, but it didn’t. I just kept hearing the same reoccurring sentence, “Trust me. Trust me.”

I landed softly with a thud in the Demon Masters arms. I opened my eyes and saw that I was still in the air, clutching his shirt I saw wings. Looking more closely I saw that the feathers might have been made of silk they looked so shiny. The wings were attached to the back of the Demon Master.

“I didn’t know you had wings,” I stated absently, stretching to touch them.

They were moved out of my reach as we landed on the ground, the fighting was still going on around me. “There are a lot of things you don’t know about demons.” I looked into the Demon Master face, finally realizing that my skin was burning coldly.

I jumped and cried out at the sting. The Demon Master instantly released me, apologizing. I assured him, “it’s ok, and it’s not your fault that your skin is abnormally cold.” I smiled at him, something that I had yet to fully do in my time here. “Thank you.”

A flaming arrow was shot in the Demon Masters direction. I pushed him over, feeling something warm touch my skin.

“Retreat!” I heard a squeaky voice coming from above. I looked up, watching the head of the Cacodemon fall, Melchom standing behind him. She had called out the command, and the other obeyed, jumping through windows and slamming doors open. Melchom turned to me. “I will be back to kill you, Ada, and then I will be the Queen of the Demon World!” she shrieked, cackled, then leapt through a window.

I laughed at her proposal, watching the Eudemons and Daimons go after her. Then I stood there, watching the servants take out the dead bodies and sweep.

The serving girl who sat with me at meal time came up. “You were brave to do that,” she complimented. “for a human at least.” I thanked her, and she left with the other servants.

“Kobal!” I shouted to the Demon Master, realizing that he might still be on the floor somewhere below us.

“Don’t worry little lady.” Kobal came up behind me. “I am fine.” I sighed in relief. “Master, I am sorry, Melchom had attacked me, and when I came to the Princess was no were to be found.”

The Demon Master rested a hand on Kobals shoulder, “its fine, and I thank you for fighting till the end.”

I was starting to feel dizzy, which didn’t make any scene because I had not gotten hurt, right? I looked at my left arm; it began to sting, as burns appeared. “Are you alright princess Ada?” I heard Kobal ask.

I think I nodded, but wasn’t sure, all I remember was hearing the Demon Master say, “Ada.”






*




*




*

I was greeted by a crushing sensation on my upper left arm. Whimpering in pain, I sat up. “You are not supposed to turn over on that side,” the Demon master said in my ear.

I turned to him, “how am I supposed to know what side I turn onto when I am sleeping?” I asked. “Should you not be watching me?”

He raised his brow. “I was, but you turned over before I could stop you.”

I realized that I had spoke out of line, but wasn’t punished for it. “Am I allowed to speak now?”

“I don’t think I could stop you even if I tried to,” the Demon Master sighed, leaned back in the bed and again, played with the hem of my dress.
It was different this time, the dress was a light, almost see through blue. And although it flowed down to my knees as the other dress did, the top went straight across the top of my breasts, connecting to the sleeves which stopped between my elbow and shoulder.
“I am going to talk serious now,” he stated, as if to reassure himself that there would be no jokes in this conversation. “there has been much talk about the raid last night, and talk about you. I want you to stay, but some demons have pointed out that you are a human, and just like during last night, are vulnerable.” His eyes seemed to cherish the fabric of the dress, letting it slip over his palm. “I only want to protect you so, for your own safety you should-”
I couldn’t stand the way he was talking, acting as if he might send me back to the human world. For my own sanity and selfishness I interrupted, “yes you are right, I should stay here.”
“That wasn’t-”
“I think you make a good point, if you want to protect me then I should probably stay in the Demon World.”
“But you would be safer away from-”
“I realize that I will miss my parents but,” I tried to cut him off whenever he talked, afraid that when he asked me to leave he might know that I have feelings for him when I refused. “but what if the demons decide to raid the human palace? You heard what Melchom said, she is going to try and get to me wherever I am, so I might as well stay with you were I know I have a better chance of living.”
I was hoping that I had won my case without him being suspicious, but I knew it was too good to be true. I watched him smirk and sit up. Then, just like a little kid, he whispered in my right ear, “Are you in love with me, Ada?”
My face flushed, and I turned away. He chuckled under his breath, and then held it for a long time, until I looked at him. He was staring at the red patches on my arms and legs; they corresponded with the way that the Demon Master had held me when I fell from the rafters.
His face fell. I assured him once more, “these things don’t even hurt anymore.” I poked at each one of the red patches, trying desperately to lift his spirits; not wanting him to think that he had hurt me.
He smiled stiffly at me and then leaned back down, staring at the ceiling. I accompanied him, feeling a small space of air filter between us. I placed my arm down next to his, feeling him tense up. His skin was icy cold, but as I left my arm there I became used to it and felt it heat up.
I turned my face to the Demon Master. He was watching me, trying to find pain in my manner that would let him know that this touch was too much. I smiled, and then flushed, seeing him do the same.
“By the way, how did I hear your voice in my head, but you did not move your lips?” I thought the question to be serious, but the he took my hand in his and laughed.
“I am the Demon master, Ada; I can do a lot of things.”
“Then, if you don’t mind me asking-”
“I mind.” He interrupted.
I ignored him. “What was your name before you became the Demon Master? I know that everyone must call you Demon Master, but I also know that you did have a name. One that your mother gave you.”
He sighed heavily, smiling at how he played with my fingers. “Kasdeya.”
“Just like the fifth Satan?” I asked.
“Yes, he was my mother’s father. My father told me she had said it was a strong name to have, that it would give me a chance to succeed in the future.”
“And now look where you are,” I commented, smiling at the ceiling.
“And now look where I am,” he repeated, clutching my hand tighter.










The
End