Demon's Journey

“I saved her for him,” Andrea said and pouted. “You can’t have her.”

“She’s my prey just as much as she’s Palan’s,” Raea said and snorted. “I’ll have you know, I’m practically your sister-in-law now. Palan wouldn’t mind if I took something from him.”

“What. No way,” Andrea said and shook her head. She tugged Palan’s neck. “It’s not true, right? How can you trust someone you haven’t even spent a year with?”

Palan hummed and rubbed his chin with one of his arms. His other three arms held Andrea and ruffled her hair. “There’s certain circumstances where we can trust one another,” he said. “She won’t kill me if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Hasn’t she already done that once?” Pyre asked and rolled his eyes. Palan glared at him while Andrea’s eyes widened. “Yeah, that time she killed herself and you died too, remember?”

“Yes,” Raea said and placed her hands on her hips. “That did happen.” Her eyes narrowed at Palan who turned his body to block Andrea from her sight. “Remember why?”

“You’re still thinking like that?” Palan asked. “I thought we’ve already made our peace with that issue.” Andrea popped her head over his shoulder to glare at Raea, but he used a hand to press her back down to his chest.

“What’s the issue?” Andrea asked and peered at Palan’s face while pouting.

“She’s jealous of you,” Palan said and tweaked her nose.

Andrea yelped and pulled away, crinkling her nose and rubbing at it with her hands. “And she ought to be,” Andrea said, sticking her tongue out at Raea. “I’m adorable, and she’s not.”

“Palan,” Raea said in a flat voice.

Palan sighed. “Are you really going to let a child get underneath your skin?” he asked and raised an eyebrow. “You’re better than that, aren’t you?”

Raea’s eye twitched. Was Palan complimenting her? Why did it feel so manipulative though? She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest while closing her eyes. She was afraid her wrath would take over if she stared at the mocking expression on Andrea’s face any longer. “But I get to have Sariel, okay?”

“That’s fine,” Palan said. He had already made up his mind to kill Abaddon. And it’s not like he needed Sariel alive. He could have Cleo store the angel’s head after she died. “She’s all yours. Just keep her head intact as a precaution.”

“What! I spent so much effort trying to keep her alive for you,” Andrea said as her eyes widened. Her irises blurred as a layer of tears coated the surface of her eyes.

“Don’t give me that look,” Palan said and pinched his sister’s cheeks, spreading them apart and causing her to cry out. She batted his hands away and glared at him, rubbing her face with her hands. The tears in her eyes were gone. “Since you saved her for me, then it’s fine if I give her away for someone else to kill.”

Andrea lowered her head. “I guess,” she said and sighed. “I just didn’t want her specifically to get the prey.”

“Why don’t you like Raea?” Palan asked and tilted his head.

“Because she’s definitely a no-good person!” Andrea said. “You’ve heard her voice. Anyone who can bewitch someone just by talking can’t be good by nature. I can’t help but think you were tricked somehow. I mean, look. You even have so many people you’re traveling with.”

Palan glanced to where Andrea was pointing. He pointed at Cleo and said, “Extremely convenient bag.” Cleo puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms. He ignored her and pointed at Pyre. “Encyclopedia.” Pyre didn’t respond. Palan pointed at Cory and paused while furrowing his brow. She beamed at him, causing him to snort. “Stress ball for my tail.”

“Hah!?” Cory asked, her mouth falling open. “That’s all you see me as?”

“Then what about her?” Andrea asked and pointed at Raea who was squatting in front of Sariel. “Is she really my sister-in-law?”

“She’s…,” Palan said and hesitated. Raea turned her head and stared at him. “Probably, yes. The closest thing to a sister-in-law you’ll ever have.”

Andrea’s face fell as her shoulders drooped. She rested her chin on Palan’s shoulder and sighed, blowing her breath up at her hair, causing her bangs to fly upwards for a brief moment. “Really?” she asked. “Really, really?”

“Yes,” Palan said and nodded at Raea. She smiled at him. He could at least give her a little victory.

“Fine,” Andrea said and wrinkled her nose. “But I still don’t trust her.”

“Well, you should,” Raea said and rolled her eyes. “The more you trust me, the less danger you’ll be in.”

“She’s threatening me,” Andrea wailed and tugged on Palan’s neck.

“I think I understand how you felt when I verbally sparred with Owen,” Palan said to Raea.

“Yes. I imagine this is close,” Raea said. She frowned. “Whatever happened to Owen anyway?” She shook her head and redirected her attention towards Sariel. “I believe you were in the middle of begging for your life before I was distracted. Do you want to proceed?”

Sariel stared Raea in the eyes. “If you kill me, then you’ll really lose,” she said. “Is this what you wanted to become? Is this what your parents wanted you to become? A killer? An angel weaker than her sins?”

“Wow,” Andrea said and blinked. “She got awfully arrogant in the short time I left her alone. Maybe I should eat her feet too.”

Sariel paled but continued to stare at Raea. “Well, Raea? Is it?”

Raea frowned as black flames flowed out of her hands.

Sariel sat up and crossed her legs. “Are those flames your choice, or is your wrath speaking for you? Think hard about this, Raea Caelum. You used to be a greater angel of patience. Look at what you’ve become. Selena used to praise you for—” Her eyes widened as she lowered her head. Raea’s arm was embedded in her chest up to her elbow. Sariel coughed out a mouthful of blood and met Raea’s gaze.

“You’re right. This isn’t what I wanted to become,” Raea said and pulled her arm back, leaving a gaping hole in Sariel’s chest. “But it is. I am my wrath; my wrath is me. This is who I am now. I’ve accepted it.” She rose to her feet as Sariel fell forward, her head landing against the cave floor with a thud. Raea bit her lower lip and hung her head. It looked like she wanted to cry.

“I think I like her a teensy bit more now,” Andrea whispered to Palan.