"Angel...wake up," Mammon whispered, the inspiriting heat from his mouth landing on my scalp.
My nose brushed against his neck as I shook my head. I wasn't able to get any sleep until now, although it wasn't much. I had found composure in the fact that Mammon would be awake whilst I slept. My core was still nonplussed by that dream. I didn't understand why I had it on the exact day the raven-haired asked me to sleep beside him.
I needed to apprise Ezekiel about this.
"Angel. Come on, get up."
"Adona...go away," I blurted in my half-asleep state, but immediately gawked at him after consuming my words.
"Adona?" He frowned bemusedly.
"She'd always wake me up in Heaven. I just thought-"
Mammon chuckled, "Telling more stories huh?"
"Always, Adona," I joked as he pecked me on the forehead before removing his arms, and holding himself up.
"Angel?..." I opened my eyes right after closing them. He seemed to be calling me a lot this morning. "Why the fuck are there...rings around our bed?"
"Wha-"
I paused as soon as I shot up from the impression of my body on the sheets; the sight was enough to divert me from the fact that he had said "our bed." There were golden wheels within wheels around the bed, making it look like an old-fashioned carriage—not to mention that it was afloat also. Mammon must have been freaked out, but I was relieved to see that another one of my powers had returned. "It's just one of my powers. I probably activated it by accident."
My core must have triggered it when I had that...dream.
"Seriously?" The raven-haired looked over the edge as though it was a balcony, "We're fucking floating too?!"
I touched one of the rings for it to dwindle, and bring the bed back to the ground, so Mammon would stop being dramatic, "Not anymore."
"Hell, your powers will be the end of me."
I laughed before gazing at the outline of an eye appearing on both my wrists. Similar to Ezekiel and his animal spirits, the two eyes were like my pets—but exemplary. They didn't need to be fed, played with, and didn't bother me at all. Hence, exemplary.
"Well, that's new," Mammon commented, gazing at the black marks. "Maybe I should get them as tattoos."
I flushed; my face went red so much that he probably thought it was my natural skin colour. I didn't approve of tattoos, but I found his offer winsome.
"I mean- I think you've tattooed your body enough. But anyway, how'd you sleep?"
"I slept great actually, no nightmares at all. What about you?"
I didn't want to make him feel bad by bringing up the dream. He would probably think that he was contagious. "I slept great too."
"Does that mean you'll sleep here...again?" Mammon questioned as he stood up, shaking his mussed up black hair.
"Only if you make breakfast again."
He smirked, "Why, did you like it that much?"
I nodded proudly at the raven-haired as he bent himself over the bed slightly to retrieve his maroon jumper. Then, something caught my eye.
Three scars on his rib, each a bit angled with small patches on top of them, like someone had picked at them viciously. I frowned. Seeing those scars woke something up from hibernation within me; I wanted to treat those scars again, even though they had already healed.
I caressed the lines with my thumb softly, "What happe-"
Mammon's fingers swathed my wrist almost instantly. My eyes widened. Did I hurt him? No, those scars were fully healed, I couldn't have!
His entire hand was shaking, and I could practically see all the blue veins of his hand jutting out. I could have forced his hand off me with facility, but I didn't want to hurt him any further. His hand continued to compress my wrist, as his emanations did my core.
This aura...it couldn't be because of me.. right?
"Mammon you're...hurting me," I muttered, peering up at him. The raven-haired finally let go of my hand, but still didn't look at me. The lust for revenge spouting from him was immense and staggering, just like when Mammon had received that phone call. "I'm sorry...did I hurt y-"
Mammon spun around before storming out of his bedroom, and shutting the door with all his might, issuing in one of the maimed and empty bottles to topple. I let no time go to waste and followed him, but then I heard the clicking of a lock.
I stopped dead before the bathroom. He...really locked himself in there. I lightly knocked on the door as I offered abundant apologies yet, no answer.
I pressed my back against the door as I descended down steadily onto the floor, my face covered by my hands to hide it from the eyes of shame. Why? Why didn't I just keep my damn hands to myself? Why did I have to touch him? A fragment of me knew that it wasn't my fault, how could I have known, yet I blamed myself for it.
I wrapped my arms around my right leg, letting the other fall as I rubbed my wrist. It didn't hurt, but by consoling my wrist, I was consoling my core. Mammon's minacious gaze was all I could think of. He looked at me like I was a monster, like something he needed to take immediate revenge on. I was swaddled in his aura, so much that even I was beginning to feel a thirst for revenge gathering in my throat. It was so intense. I didn't even realise that I was crying, until the droplets had fallen onto my trousers.
I knew demons were cruel...but I didn't want him to be like that; I wanted him to be different from the rest, but that felt like a crass desire. I knew from the start that demons, and angels could never be with one another in tranquility, how they differed from eachother and yet, I acted on my brazen urges, thinking it would somehow work out. But what I didn't understand was that we would have to make it work; it wouldn't just magically resolve itself, and the threads that constructed the core wouldn't just heal on their own.
I was going to knock again but stopped myself. Perhaps, Mammon just needed some time for himself. I wiped my eyes with my fingers. I couldn't...give up on him just yet. Those..scars must have been the result of something traumatic, especially if it were to make him, a demon, act like that. The body of a demon heals rather quickly, and those scars seemed to be with him a good while—but why? Unless it was inflicted by another demon or angel, it had no reason to stay-
I gasped, eyes widening as my mind wrapped around the grim thought. Zalgiur. It made sense. Weißstein was a small town, there was no way the two hadn't encountered each other at least once. They were both complete demons, not demis. And considering the nature of demons, they could have piloted themselves into a brawl.
I tapped the bathroom door with my knuckles.
"Mammon...please come out." I couldn't just sit here. Whatever befell him, should be but my primary concern, it should be him, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm...but it's okay- if you're angry. I understand."
I heard not even a slight swish. He could have been knocked out in there for all I knew—or possibly even worse. I sighed, lowering my head. When was Mammon going to come out? My anxiety waxed the more time he spent in there.
"Please...talk to me Mammon," I whispered, the commencing confident tone turning into a quiet, doleful one.
I felt bad for annoying him like this. But I wanted to be in there with him. I desperately wanted to be the one to comfort him. My head leaned on the white door as I brought my heated body closer to it. I hoped that somehow my aura would enter through the gaps and give him a type of succour—it sounded stupid rather, it was stupid, but an angel's air could help calm anyone down. I could feel his character getting nearer before stopping, presumably at the door. I smiled. I wondered if he was sitting on the other side of the door.
I shut my eyes as I slowly regained my ataraxy. Whenever Mammon was going to come out, I would be waiting out here for him.
𓆩♡𓆪 𓆩 𓂋 𓆪 𓆩♡𓆪
The long-awaited sound of the lock acted as my tocsin. Mammon. I looked up, and right away our eyes stuck to each other, guilt in both of our pairs.
"Mammon-"
The raven-haired knelt down, his arms swooping under me before picking me up. Mammon was still shirtless. My hands craved to touch him, hold him close, but I didn't want to hurt him again. He ambled, with me in his arms, out of the corridor and into the kitchen. I had a million reassurances stored in me for him yet, I couldn't disenthral my mouth from the unseen stitches.
The raven-haired set me down on the kitchen island before letting his hands grip the edge of the counter. He was looking down, his hair inhibiting me from musing at his eyes.
Neither of us spoke for awhile.
"He told me I was weak."
My brows snapped together, "Who?"
"The leader...of the gang," he began, "I was one of the first ones to join. I didn't have anything to live for...an' I'd lose nothing by joining it."
My guilt had curdled into shock at the vulnerability in his voice. I had never expected a demon to buttress an emotion like that.
"I was ...fourteen."
Fourteen?...I wished that Mammon was lying to me, but I knew he wasn't. An angel wasn't even adjudged mature until they had reached the age of five hundred. All the reprehensible things they would see, occured after that age, yet Mammon had already seen those abhorrent things at only fourteen.
"He wanted the fucking world from me- 'cause I was a demon." His nails scraped against the granite surface slowly. "I was strong and ruthless, but not enough for him. I couldn't take it. Those scars you saw...I did it to myself. I took my knife and cut myself."
I stared at his head as the tears began rising up from my waterline, blurring half of my vision. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't have been more wrong.
"He found out. Tore off my shirt and- picked at my cuts. He yelled at me for awhile, and told me that if I weren't so weak...my m-" The raven-haired cut off his sentence by exhaling, almost like it was his way of stopping himself from going on further.
"My punishment..was to kill dogs. Ones that looked just like my old one. He told me it was going to make me stronger."
Tears were rushing down my face, anger and sadness thrashing around in my stomach. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
How could anyone possibly be this despicable?
To force someone to kill an animal they considered their companion?
"I wanted to leave but I couldn't. All my...friends were in that gang, and I was the only one who'd talk back to save 'em." Mammon shook his head as he sighed. "They never understood why, they all thought he was a fucking hero."
"I'm sorry..."
The raven-haired immediately looked up at me with a fretful, yet surprised expression, "You're crying..."
"And here I thought you were cruel...just like the rest," I whimpered, "I can't- believe you went through all of that...alone. I'm so...sorry."
He cupped my face with his harbouring hands, wiping away my tears as he smiled. And still, my hands remained on my lap.
"You aren't...weak, you've stayed strong for so long. I...won't allow you to suffer alone anymore, Mammon."
"Luka," Mammon whispered. "Hug me."
I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing his head and body closer to mine. "How could he be so...vile? Just thinking about it makes me want to-"
Torture him.
To humans, that was a born desire, though for an angel such as myself, it was alien. I had never wanted to harm any being, no matter how much I despised them, no matter how horrid they were. Why was this happening?
"Want to what?"
"N-nothing."
Mammon took my word for it and spoke nothing else. We held each other, and gave one another our reassurances through our skin, and scattered kisses. Perhaps it helped him, but it didn't help me. Rage was still bubbling at the pit of my stomach. Why was this world so unfair? I knew well not to question any of the Lord's decisions yet, I didn't understand why something as revolting as him was walking on this earth, intact.
"Mammon, about the leader..was it...Zalgiur?" I could feel his body immediately stiffen as soon his name exited. He pulled away from me slowly.
"How did you-"
"The scratch marks...they're still there. Only a demon could leave marks like that," I answered. I had to be careful about mentioning Zalgiur, I couldn't have him close up. "I could- get rid of them...if you'd like."
His entire face lit up with hope, though I could tell he was trying to curb it, "Could you?"
I smiled, "Lift up your arm for me."
Mammon raised his right arm as I set the wheels within wheels free. We both watched as it made its way over, like a bug, to his scars before disappearing under them. "The fuck? Where'd it go?"
"Relax. It's just healing your skin."
"Is it supposed to feel tingly?"
"Probably."
The raven-haired's mouth opened—possibly to yell at me for not knowing—but closed as he gaped at the scars. "All the other scars and bruises I had, all healed...except these."
It took a lot of effort to suppress my growing anger. He definitely did that to him intentionally. "I'm proud of you Mammon...for being able to go through that for so long, and I'm glad...you were able to tell me."
The rings arrived back to my wrist as he eyed, and hesitantly brushed the area where his scars were once stationed, "They really are fucking gone..."
"Yeah...they are."
Mammon placed his hand on the back of my neck to pull me in for a kiss. His lips were still quite puffy from waking up. "Guess your powers aren't that bad huh angel?"
I screwed up my face, "I still don't know what you have against them."
He chuckled before taking my hand and pecking it, as though to apologise.
"I'm gonna' go take a shower an' I'll make us some breakfast after. Sound good?"
"Sounds perfect," I replied as I slid off the reinvigoratingly cold counter.
"Feel free to join!"
A red colour was brought to my cheeks, and I suddenly felt like pressing my face against the counter. "Repent!"
I could hear him snickering. I didn't understand how he was able to crack jokes after bringing up such an upsetting theme, but I suppose that was just my Mammon. I started striding over to the front door, my hand taking hold of the phone in my pocket. I couldn't brook the fact that Zalgiur was still out there, void of any active search or consequences. Even a fool would know that he served as a threat to this town.
After closing the brown door quietly, I leaned on the metal railing in front of it, the ringing of my phone filling my ears.
"Hello, Lukie?"
"Ezekiel," I said, "The leader of the gang Mammon was in- is Zalgiur."
"What?"
"You need to find him, immediately."
"Luka, how can you be so sure? Where is all of this coming from?"
"I'll spare you the details but...Mammon told me."
The albino let out an audible sigh, "You do realise that Mammon isn't trustworthy. There's been increases in demonic activity around the entire universe, I cannot worry about something that is factless."
I bit my lip in aggravation. I understood why he had thought that Mammon wasn't trustworthy, but it simply wasn't relevant in this case. Had Ezekiel seen, and felt what I felt in those moments, he would need no proof. "But you trust me, don't you? You know I wouldn't just say this for no reason."
"I do trust you, but my point still stands. I cannot make these decisions without evidence."
I scoffed. I wished to keep what happened between solely Mammon and I yet, how was I going to prove that Zalgiur was the leader?
"Ezekiel, he is no different to Azuth, and we cannot make the same mistake again, and just let him roam around free. You can either send some angels to find him or...I will look for him myself."
"Luka! What's gotten into yo-"