Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 1.3: Apples

"Let us in! Let us in! Damn you to hell if you do not!" Freir roared.

Ari turned his head back and saw the xems looming closer, snickering.

"Let us—"

They fell through the door with Ari landing on top of Freir. The door shut just as one of the creatures lunged. Ari's heart raced. They had cut it close, far too close.

"Welcome."

Ari's eyes glared at the sound of the voice. He looked up and stared into a pair of smiling amber ones. It looked amused, delighted at the expression written across his face. Truly, it was a thing from the deepest corners of hell. Something that fed off of human despair.

It outstretched its hand, but Ari smacked it away, hissing with revulsion. He could get himself up. He did not need its help. As soon as he tried to rise from off of Freir, he fumbled back down, causing it to chuckle.

"Just in time for supper," it said. It grabbed Ari's arm and hoisted him up into its chest. "What a troubling thing you are."

Ari didn't bother to meet its gaze and instead surveyed their surroundings. He immediately noticed numerous people gathered around the tables, all staring. There were more women than men, and most had children with them. Fear was evident in all their eyes.

"Do not harm these people," Ari growled, his strength fading. He had little energy left, and was fully aware of this fact.

"If I wanted to, I would have done so already, don't you suppose?" Its eyes lingered on Freir. "Do make yourself at home."

It took Ari by the arm and dragged him up the stairs. Before Freir could make it to the steps, the demon turned and glared.

"Do not think to interfere."

It continued to take him up the second level and down the hall. As soon as it opened the door, it threw him inside the dimly lit room decorated with old unused furniture, dust, and cobwebs.

"I am much too tired for your morbid games," Ari said, gathering himself from off the floor.

"You are ungrateful and I had to show you where your ungratefulness would lead," it said matter-of-factly.

Ungrateful? "You have given me little reason to be grateful."

The demon stared at him, studying him almost.

"I had been wondering, you see, what is it about your blood...I would like to think there are many others like you with similar tasting blood, but something is not quite right. It is... familiar..." the demon said.

As it advanced, Ari clenched the dagger hidden in his pants just before he landed on Freir. It reached for his arm, but Ari swiftly pulled it down, flipping on top. With the dagger against its throat, he aimed to kill. Yet, it seized his wrist, overpowering him and causing the blade to slip from his hands.

Ari reached for it once more, but the demon flipped him onto his stomach, dragging him nearer. Just in the nick of time, he grasped the hilt of the dagger. As it closed in, Ari rolled sideways, narrowly missing its neck by a few inches. Instead, he drew blood across its cheek.

It backed away, for a moment, to assess the wound before its lips twitched. Its hand grabbed onto his legs and flipped him onto his back as it pressed its body weight onto him. Ari heaved. Its breath was on his cheek now. He closed his eyes as its hair tickled his neck.

"Apples..." it murmured, causing Ari's eyebrows to furrow. "It is not apples..."

Ari hissed under his breath.

"You will fight no matter how futile it is." Ari struggled with his arms but the demon kept him firmly in place. "Why would I ever want to kill a thing such as you when you bring me so much entertainment?"

"Have what you want from me. Do it, and be gone."

It dragged the dagger it had taken away from Ari down his neck until it cut his cheek, drawing blood. Ari braced himself for the inevitable bite, but it never came. When Ari opened his eyes he was met with a pair of burning honeyed ones threatening to devour him whole with one wrong move. One more mistake. This time, Ari knew it would act upon it unlike the time before.

"I am giving you mercy. Do not ever forget that," it warned.  

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[A/N]

Sorry for the long wait! But I have updaaaaaaated!

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