"I think it's time we departed, my love," Lord Virex said with a cold smile, as if nothing had happened. "This ball is becoming--- rather tedious."
Sera smirked.
"…Gladly!"
But what happened next, she couldn't have predicted in a million years…
Not only did Lord Virex hand his glass off to her mother like she was some low-level maid---
(Sera thoroughly enjoyed the look of shock on her mother's face!)
But he then stood right before her, smirking down at her.
She should have known it then.
This first-tier male donkey didn't smile unless he was about to do something---
Not human!
Before Sera knew what was happening, he'd sweated her up into his arms. The air filled with something she'd never felt before. The wind picked up around her, like she was caught in the middle of a whirlwind.
And then---
The sudden loss of ground beneath her feet!
The cold air hit her face, her hands, her---
Well, everywhere!
She took a quick look around and---
The world was gone!
Or rather…
It was miles and miles below her.
In short?
She was flying…
But since she couldn't fly, there was only one other possible solution.
She was falling!
A wail of unholy proportions erupted from her throat, as she clung to---
"I swear to GOD, woman!"
Lord Virex's voice came out harsh and angry.
"One more scream like that and---!"
Sera---
Didn't heed his warning!
"Oh, my god! Oh, my god! OH, MY GOD!!!"
She held onto him like a baby bamboo, her arms so tight around his neck, he could barely breathe…
"You are flying!"
She exclaimed, terror edged into every word.
"WHY ARE YOU FLYING?!?!?!"
A pause…
And then---
"Because walking would be inconvenient."
Sera blinked…
Once more for good measure, and then leveled the demon with a glare that would put most glares to shame.
"PUT ME DOWN! Or so help me, I'll---!"
"If you keep shouting like that," he hissed through gritted teeth, his eardrums singing the songs of his ancestors. "I WILL drop you!"
She froze.
Instantly.
Her head snapped up, her eyes narrowed.
"…You wouldn't!"
A pause.
Then---
A soft huff of amusement...
"Want to test that theory?"
He grinned in that infuriating way that made him---
Well…
Infuriating!
"Try and relax, My Lady," he said after a short pause. "You're safe with me."
Her grip didn't loosen.
Not even a little.
"You're enjoying this!"
It was an accusation as much as it was a fact.
He smirked.
"...Immensely."
She rolled her eyes---
And then decided to try to pinpoint their location.
She'd---
Never seen anything this beautiful in her life!
Below them, the city slumbered, the dim lights from the lamp posts looking like faint, dying stars. The buildings were dark and gray, surrounded by the splendor that was the King's palace.
And beyond that---
Forest.
Mountains.
An endless sea of mystery and wonder. The lushness looked untouched and pure, the mountains designed to be untouchable by the gods themselves. High above hung the skies, littered with stars in all shapes and colors. The light of the full moon shone bright, guiding home the lost wanderer…
It was spectacular…
"This is beautiful," she mumbled, without even thinking. "Have you seen this?"
She knew it was a stupid question.
Basically, the second she said it.
But she couldn't help it!
She glanced up at him---
Only to realize that...
He was already looking at her!
Not mockingly.
Not coldly.
Just---
Watching...
"You have a beautiful smile," he said softly.
As if he'd just voice a passing thought...
She blinked.
"What?"
"Nothing," he quickly corrected and adjusted his flight. The feeling left a whoosh of nerves in her stomach, and she held onto him even tighter.
Not that the demon had any problem holding her…
She was light as a feather compared to his immense strength. Not that she was small in any sense of the word. She was tall for a human female, with a slim build and a body that wasn't usually his preference.
(He didn't lie about that part)
But he found that there was something about her that he just wanted to---
Break!
Not her spirit.
Not her fire – no, definitely not that!
That was slowly becoming one of his favorite things about her.
But there was this wall around her.
A wall of mystery and---
And something else!
Something---!
"You care if I smile or not?"
Sera asked, since she couldn't shake the statement.
What did he mean, she should smile more?
She smiled plenty!
If the occasion called for it...
"Contractual obligation," he confessed. "Your happiness is important to our contract, remember?"
The words were immediate.
Effortless.
Detached.
They made perfect sense and explained everything!
And yet---
"…Right..."
Something in her chest tightened.
"...Thank you, My Lord."
Of course!
The contract...
Nothing more.
Nothing else.
Silence settled between them.
Not uncomfortable.
Just---
Quiet...
"Your mother is quite the character," he said after a moment.
Was he trying to start a conversation?
Or kill it?
"That's the understatement of the century," she snorted.
"Has she always been this cruel to you?"
Dang!
He noticed that, did he?
Sera felt her cheeks warm.
"She's inconsequential to this narrative," she mumbled under her breath, knowing full well that he could hear her. Besides being spiteful and sending her a lot of angry letters, her mother had stayed out of all her previous lives...
No chance of that changing now…
"And your father?"
"My father?"
She echoed and glanced up at him.
"The man with your mother," Lord Virex clarified.
"That person is NOT my father!"
She spat the words with so much venom that it even startled the demon. Who then grinned, liking her fiery passion – whether it was love or hate, he was beginning to learn that his Lady Seraphina never did anything half-measured…
"Who is he then?"
The question seemed innocent enough…
"He's just the man who married the woman who pushed me out of her third hole," Sera snapped.
A pause…
Then---
He laughed!
The Demon Lord genuinely laughed…
Surprised, Sera looked up---
And found that her heart skipped a beat!
For the first time, the smile actually reached his eyes, transforming his harsh features into something of otherworldly beauty. His horns made him look fearsome, but the silver in his golden hair softened it somehow. That, paired with the darkness behind him lit up by the stars, had her sucking in a breath.
He looked like the gods of old, who guarded the passageway to the underworld.
Hair-rising...
Yet, stunning!
"You sound like a demon," Lord Virex complimented her, his gaze easily finding hers. "So ruthless with your words."
Sera was about to protest, when---
"I like it!"
She blinked.
"What?!"
"It means you're trustworthy," he replied, not missing a beat---
And winked down at her!
That---!
Sera wasn't sure what he ticked off in her.
But she felt one part pissed.
And one part embarrassed.
Which wasn't logical.
But where we are...
A gust of wind blew their way. Instinctively, Sera pressed her face to his chest to protect herself, not realizing how intimate they were becoming. She also didn't really realize it at the time, but---
He smelled good…
Like cedar!
Rich.
Warm.
Slightly earthy...
It was strangely comforting after the day she'd had…
"After I lost my father," she heard herself say. "I was left to raise myself alone."
She didn't know why she told him.
But…
"He was the only real parent I had."
Maybe because she knew that he'd lost his mother young.
Maybe---?
She'd never told anyone that.
No one in all of her lives had ever been told that
She didn't feel it.
Not physically, anyway.
But something inside the Demon Lord---
Shifted!
"It was my mother for me."
That---
Lord Virex hadn't meant to say that out loud. And the second he did, he felt anger bubbling inside of him.
Anger at the woman in his arms.
Anger at himself!
Angry that he'd allowed himself to be this vulnerable in front of anyone!
And he braced.
Waited until it would be weaponized against him…
Sera looked at him.
Really looked at him!
His expression didn't change.
But his voice---
There was something in his voice that resonated with something inside of herself...
A pain she knew all too well.
"So we're basically both messed up thanks to our parents," she snorted a laugh, deciding it was best if both of them put all of this behind them...
"Aren't we the perfect pair!"
Lord Virex looked down at her, surprised that---
Well, he wasn't sure what!
But the knot in his chest loosened.
Revealing a mix of emotions he would rather not name…
"Brace yourself!"
He warned, before shifting his flight again.
Sera gasped, and then she suddenly felt solid ground beneath them again.
They landed!
And to her surprise, they'd landed on her balcony!
He set her down carefully.
Too carefully.
For someone who claimed indifference...
Sera stepped back.
"Talk about door-to-door service," she mumbled nervously---
And then realized that the flight had left her a mess!
"Never mind!"
She tried to brush out her dress and regain herself.
"…Thank you," she huffed, trying to pretend that her legs didn't feel like jello. "For tonight, Lord Virex."
She curtsied as custom deemed necessary.
But he didn't respond.
Honestly!
Did he like to see her suffer?!
"…Kael!"
She blinked.
And without meaning to, she straightened and looked up at him.
"What?"
He was looking at her.
His posture nonchalant.
Yet---
His golden eyes shimmering with something she'd never seen before...
"People I respect get to call me Kael," he explained. "Congratulations! You now qualify as one of those people."
Erm---!
What?!
Sera had no idea what to make of that!
Or what it meant for her that the freaking overlord of all demons "respected" her.
Probably nothing good…
But she couldn't let it stand unanswered.
"In that case, you can call me Sera," she replied, finding it hard to be this informal with someone she barely knew.
A pause.
He studied her.
Tilted his head.
Then---
Smiled!
Slow.
Amused...
"You look more like a Fifi to me."
Silence!
"A what?!"
Sera still hoped that she'd misheard things.
Or that reality had detached itself from her somehow…
FIFI?!
"I'll call you Fifi from now on," the Demon Lord proclaimed, sounding infuriatingly proud of himself.
"That sounds like a dog!" Sera hissed, stomping her feet in outrage. Threatening him, she held a finger under his nose, hoping it would put him in his place.
"You will NOT call me that! Or so help me---!"
He ignored her.
Of course he did…!
"MAID!"
He called out behind her, and as if summoned out of thin air, her maid appeared at her door, looking confused. And then froze in fear at the sight of the demon in her mistress's bedchamber.
Kael didn't even spare her a glance.
"Your mistress requires rest," he said smoothly, still ginning at his Fifi. "See to it that she gets it."
The maid nodded frantically.
"Yes, My Lord—!"
Sera blinked.
Indignant!
"Even my staff betrays me," she grumbled, which only seemed to amuse the Demon Lord more.
"Taking care of my fiancée is hardly a burden," he shrugged.
...Huh?!
But she didn't even have time to react.
He took the accusatory finger in his hand and leaned close---
Pressing a light kiss to her forehead...
Gentle.
Brief.
Gone too quickly...
"Good night, My Fifi."
This time--
It didn't sound mocking...
He stepped back.
Wings unfurling.
Dark.
Massive.
Beautiful...
And then---
He was gone!
Sera stood there, watching where he'd disappeared.
What---?!
Her fingers rose, touching the spot where his lips had been...
"…What was that…?"
The question lingered.
Soft.
Unanswered.
And somewhere deep inside her chest---
Something new began to grow...