Craving Purity

13

Levi walked around the mansion for deciding he needed to get some fresh air. He walked out the back door to find a vast flower garden surrounded by tall hedges so it felt more isolated.

Without thinking, Levi entered under the white arch lined with white roses dusted with red petals. He wandered through the garden, admiring all of the flowers, until he got to the center and heard voices.

One he recognized as Paxton's. Even though they'd only met once, there was no mistaking Paxton's cold, deep voice.

There was another voice that sounded lighter, but Levi didn't recognize it.

"Someone else is here," the lighter voice said, sounding amused.

Levi froze as Paxton and a man he'd never met before came from around a corner.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," Levi said, even though he didn't hear anything they said. "I didn't even hear anything! I was just-"

"Who's soulmate is this?" the man cut off, talking to Paxton.

Paxton glared at Levi, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Greyson and Elijah's," he said in a gruff tone. "And he's supposed to be with them. Healing."

"Healing?"

"He tried to kill himself last night," Paxton said bluntly, making Levi pale and look down at his feet.

The other man sighed. "Don't be so rude," he scolded, earning a mumbled apology from the man. "I'm their Master, but my chosen name on Earth is Alastor."

"I'm Levi," Levi said softly, taking Alastor's outstretched hand, surprised when the man pulled him into a hug and released him seconds later.

Alastor chuckled at the shock on Levi's face. "I get excited when my sins find their soulmates. They did choose to be here on Earth for that reason!" He then glanced at Paxton with a disapproving look. "Well, most of them."

Paxton huffed. "I have other things to do," he said, shaking Alastor's hand before excusing himself to go inside and do his paperwork.

Alastor stopped Levi before he could slink off inside, not comfortable with being around someone who referred to the sins as his and called himself their Master.

"Sit with me, Levi," Alastor ordered, sitting down on a bench under a wisteria arch in the garden. "Would you like me to heal the cuts on your arms?"

Levi looked down and saw there was still a sweatshirt covering his arms, so Alastor shouldn't have been able to see where he was injured.

"I'm the Master of the demons, Levi," Alastor said, letting out a small laugh. "I can see pain on humans, and there is pain all over your arms and a significant amount in your heart and mind as well, but that is emotional pain."

"Are you Satan?" Levi asked, scooting away from Alastor.

Alastor pursed his lips. "There is no one leader of Hell, Levi. There are several leaders that oversea the demons of this world. My sins are high ranking and if they wished, they could become Masters as well, but Masters are meant to stay in Hell for the most part and they don't have soulmates. They must attend some meetings in our haven, but they don't reside there as I do," he explained. "So in a way, I am one of many Satan figures."

Levi nodded, trying to understand. "This is all pretty new to me," he admitted, making Alastor laugh.

"I'd be worried if you understood it right away," he said, standing up and walking over the the apple tree in the middle of the garden, picking one of the fruits and taking a bite of it. "What do you fear, Levi?"