Demon Wingman

Chapter 1

Luci had a problem. A couple of them, in fact.
Lately, he was starting to suspect that he might have a soul. He wasn't one-hundred percent sure, but he could feel something rattling around inside his tiny black body that hadn't been there before. And for a demon, having a soul was kind of unheard of. Oh, and it sucked.

It sucked that he felt sorrow now, and pity, and remorse. What the hell was up with that? Of course, he had felt shades of these things before, but they'd always been fleeting, easily shrugged off after a good laugh. They were never this intense.

Luci couldn't understand it - maybe gaining a soul was what happened when you gave up your immortality to save your friends - but all he knew was that he was feeling more intensely now than any demon had a right to.

And that had started to cause problems.

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The castle of Dreamland was abuzz with activity. So many servants preparing for the evening's very important dinner. The term 'very important dinner' was thrown around a lot in Dreamland, but Bean's dad the king said to forget all of those other times because this time he really meant it.

Although to Luci it was just another dumb, boring party. He could not give a rat's ass about whatever they were celebrating or commemorating or whatever. Something about her brother the lizard boy? He hadn't fully been paying attention. To him it was just another thing that Bean had to go to. And being her friends, that meant he and Elfo were dragged along too.

Well, normally it would have been him and Elfo. Tonight he was escorting Bean to this thing solo.

And even if he were coming, Elfo had been banished from Bean's bedroom while Bunty helped her change. A measure put in practice due to the hugely non-secret crush the elf had on her.

Luci was spared this treatment, being allowed to perch on the mantle while Bean sat on her bed pulling on her stockings and fastening them in place. Bunty then helped her slip into her dress, the wine-colored satin sliding effortlessly over her milky white skin.

Not that he was watching... or letting Bean know he was anyway. It was at least one good thing about his situation (and there weren't many). He tried not to be so crass as to openly ogle her, but Luci casually covered his eyes with his tail when he thought she was looking.

"I thought that the stains you'll inevitably spill onto it wouldn't show up as much on this one," Bunty smiled at Bean's reflection in the mirror.

"Thanks, Bunty," Bean sighed, managing a smile for her maid that Luci could see through instantly.

"I'll go tell your father and brother you're nearly ready," Bunty said as she made her exit.

Bean then slowly and - with even less enthusiasm than usual - began to fix her hair. It was another perk of Bean not knowing the truth, watching her brush her silky white hair was almost mesmerizing.

See, he was also in love, and that sucked too. That was his second problem. He didn't know exactly when it had started. Sometime after the whole kingdom-in-stone situation, maybe? All Luci knew was that one day he'd realized that these... feelings for her had snuck up on him, hitting him in the face like some kind of blunt feelings instrument.

It could have been a symptom of this new soul of his, but if so it seemed to be in cahoots with his newly-upgraded heart to ruin his life. Or at least his friendship with his best friend, Bean.

He couldn't exactly tell her any more than he could tell his friends about this new soul and fresh set of bold-flavored feelings he was experiencing. Luci wasn't about that life. He wanted to remain the cool, detached a-hole they knew and admired. He wanted to, but it was getting harder.