17. Azazel

Chapter seventeen

Azazel

It's Nice To Feel Needed.

B eing a demon, I didn't require much sleep, not that I didn't need any. Lucky for Rai, I was still raring to go. If demons were trying to release Satan, that would only cause mayhem in both Hades and on Earth. I wondered if the three Empresses were aware. I had no way of contacting them on my own since I'd been banished, but I knew just the demon to lead me to another demon who could.

I materialized in front of a demon haunt I used to frequent when I was still welcomed. I stepped up to the door and didn't bother to knock, they wouldn't have let me in. I kicked it hard and the metal door went flying off its hinges, smashing into the demon guard who'd been minding it. He hit the wall, growled, tossed the metal door aside, then rose, as if ready to take me on.

"Mind your manners and step aside," I warned him.

"The Guardian's Bitch isn't allowed inside," the demon said.

"I can go past you or through you," I said as I came closer.

"Let him in," came the voice of the demon I wanted to see.

The demon who'd been blocking my path—foolishly so—moved out of my way and I entered the little gambling house. There was a mixture of demons and humans because this was a place where deals were made and lives were changed. Humans putting everything on the line for a chance at fame, power, money, good looks, it didn't matter. Whatever they wanted they could get for that hefty price.

I wasn't a soul-bartering demon, nor did I dabble in life, but the demons here did. A human could bet their soul for what they wanted, or years off their lives—a risky gamble to say the least. Win or lose, the price would have to be paid. But humans, as I had told Rai, were flawed beings who made this world the cesspool that it was. Destroying everything that was given to them. Demons... we just inspired them to do what was already in their nature.

I saw Edgar, the demon who ran the joint, and made my way over to his booth. Two female demons who'd been keeping him company parted ways and I took a seat opposite Edgar.

"Showing up at my place of business like this is bad news," Edgar said.

"Then I guess it's best that you tell me what I want to know so I can leave," I said.

Edgar frowned and huffed, but nodded. "What do you want, Azazel?"

I had to control my temper, because I didn't appreciate the disrespect put on my name. Before I'd been banished, demons like Edgar would never have dared to look me eye-to-eye. Never have dared to call me by my name. It was always "my lord" or "Sir" or "Grand Knight". Now, they felt emboldened to simply call me Azazel.

"Why are demons searching for children?" I asked, just getting to my point.

Edgar sat back into the booth and shrugged. "How should I know?"

I didn't like playing games. I allowed the indigo of my eyes to glow and I saw Edgar stiffen a bit, his jaw tightened as his eyes averted my gaze. "You better know something."

He took a deep breath. "If I tell you, they'll kill me."

"Humans... leave," I commanded.

"Hey, exile, you don't run shit here," shouted a demon. I turned to see he was one who'd been wheeling and dealing at a poker table in a game of life.

I pointed at him sending my Hellfire in his direction, igniting his body as he howled in agony. Immediately, humans screamed and raced to the door, climbing over each other in the melee to get free. Several demons also ran, those who had good sense at least. The demon who'd mouthed off to me was sent back to Hell for his trouble, the body he possessed burned to a crisp, but I controlled the fire so that it didn't spread... not yet, at least.

I turned back to Edgar, who was staring at me with eyes as wide as he could get them. His mouth was open, and sweat shined on his face as more dripped from his pores.

"Well?" I asked.

"Ah... um... Grand Knight Azazel..." he stammered.

Good, he finally learned his place and was showing me my proper respect. "I don't have all day."

"Look, sir. I really don't know much. I'm loyal to Empress Lilith, but everyone knows that there is a faction of demons who want to overthrow the hierarchy of empires. They want to bring Satan back and put him on his throne. They believe that's his rightful place."

"I know all this. Why are they looking for children?" I snapped.

Edgar licked his lips. "I just know rumors."

"And they are?" I prodded, one eyebrow arched.

"That a seventh woman gave birth to a baby two thousand years ago."

"But there were just six and the Guardians killed them," I said, because that was what I was led to believe all these years.

"I know, but remember, I said these are rumors."

"Fine, go on."

"It's said the seventh woman was kept hidden by a spell made from the blood of an Archangel."

Now, I was shocked. "Whose?"

"Lucifer's... Satan's, I mean."

If that was true, then maybe demons really did have a way to open his cell. "And so, this woman gave birth to a half demon—half human child who was kept hidden?"

"According to the rumor, it died."

If it died, then why are demons still looking for its human offspring? "What else?"

Edgar shrugged. "That's all I know, I swear, sir."

I knew he was telling the truth. No being could ever get a lie past me, which was why I knew Rai had feelings for me no matter how much he tried to deny it. I nodded and rose from the chair and as I walked out of the door, I released my control over the fire that had killed the demon and allowed it to spread. More demons ran past me out of the building before I teleported away. Edgar was small fish in the demon world, but a good source of information because lower demons had their ears to the ground. Before I returned to Rai, I wanted more information. I needed to prove to my stubborn partner that I was more valuable than he wanted to admit.

Even though, he was so cute when he frowned up at me. I'd pretty much watched him grow up and my goodness, did he form into a man that made me want to have him scream my name. But first, I had to earn his trust, because he'd spent his life learning to fear me. I'd been told of the visions he had of my past, which I was certain was nightmare fuel for him as he grew up. I made no excuses for what I'd done. It was what I was supposed to do. Unlike humans, angels and demons didn't have the choice to choose. Even now, I couldn't decide to go back to how I was. This curse wouldn't let me. I could only follow the path I'd been given, but I wanted Rai to walk it with me.

I wanted him to stop being afraid and distrusting of me. So, that was why I knew I had to bring him something he could use. And I thought it was time for me to collect on a favor.

***

I stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden, its location long since abandoned by its angelic Guards after Adam and Eve had been cast from it. The significance of this location was where Cain and Abel were born. It was the only place I could summon the Captain of Lilith's army. He was the first human I'd made contact with. The jealousy he harbored for his brother wasn't one of my making, nor did I make him want to kill his brother. All I did was tell him all of the uses a rock could have. It was Cain who decided to use it in violence and like with everything that happened in the Garden, if one gave into temptation, which was just human nature, they were punished.

In my opinion, it was just cruel on God's part. Why make a flawed species only to punish them when they do what you created them to do? If God was all wise and all-knowing, then even God knew everything that had transpired throughout human history was exactly what it was meant to be if people were given the choice to do whatever they wanted. They were made—according to them them—in "God's image", with the capacity to be both good and evil. At least with angels, they didn't have a choice. Lucifer was the exception and why he was cast out of Heaven. Humans were doomed and I wondered if Rai knew that.

I narrowed my gaze as the sigil I drew in the sand began to burn and turned to glass, a black smoke rising from the signs to shimmer before me in all of his shapeless splendor.

Cain.

"Hello, old friend," I greeted.

"Azazel. I cannot stay for long. What is it?" Cain replied, his voice reverberated through my body in a deep, gravelly tone.

"Something that may be as bad on Earth as it is in Hades. Demons are searching for kids and the rumor is that they want to unleash Satan," I informed him.

"Impossible."

"Maybe not."

"He has been sealed since forever."

"According to the rumor, a seventh woman gave birth to a baby that didn't live."

The black smoke shook and I couldn't tell what emotion Cain was feeling. Was it fear, anger, or annoyance?

"Impossible," he said again.

I rolled my eyes because whether or not he thought it was possible, it didn't take away from the fact that demons were searching for specific children. "Humor me, my friend. Say it is possible, who would know more about it?"

The black smoke flowed back into the sigil, but it was still smoldering, so I knew he would return as the gateway wasn't closed. I waited ten minutes before his smoke seeped back through the gateway sigil, shimmering before me once again in the shape of a man. That meant it took him ten days to get that information for me.

"The Demon, Baal, who was banished to Earth, he may know the answers to your questions," Cain said.

I knew the only reason he was willing to give me this information was because the three Empresses of Hell would not want to war with the members of Satan's army for control of Hades. They had long since gotten used to being in power and wouldn't willingly give it up. Baal was the first king of Hell, before Satan took over. Many believe that it was Satan who tempted Eve with the apple, but it was Baal's idea when he made a bet with Lucifer. It was to prove that God's creation that was favored by him over angels as Lucifer had believed, could be seduced by evil. According to the story as I knew it, Lucifer had claimed no human could be tempted, to which Baal wanted to challenge him.

In doing so, Lucifer did exactly what Baal wanted him to do, which enraged God. That was why he was cast out and since he'd made the deal with the demon, Hell was where he was sent. Humans might know his name best as Beelzebub.

I was sure Rai knew the history of the war that took place between Satan and Beelzebub as the two battled for control of Hades—Hell as it was known back then. This happened about ninety-five hundred years ago. Satan won and exiled Beelzebub from Hell and sent him to Earth. It took three Archangels to lock Beelzebub away, as he was that powerful. However, that show of strength on Satan's end was what made other demons want to follow him. But it also made some want to take that power from him. Five thousand years ago, Satan made the mistake of wanting to bring Hell onto Earth as his way to get vengeance on God for casting him out. He also wanted to make the humans who were so weak to temptation suffer his wrath. It brought the army of Heaven and Earth as well as Hell against him. That was when Guardians were created, the first one, Ade, who was bonded with the Archangel Azrael.

Getting to Beelzebub was going to be impossible on my end. After demons had tried to free him from his cell a thousand years ago, security was tightened, so to speak. Meaning only a fully bonded Guardian would know where to find him. I had no idea where he was or how to get there. It was enough, though. And something Rai could work with.

"Is that all, Cain?" I asked.

"That is all."

"Thank you, old friend."

The black essence descended back into the sigil and the low flames extinguished leaving glass that looked like ice with smoke coming from it. I teleported back to Rai's home, having no issues with entering, which was nice. I opened his bedroom door and saw him sleeping soundly and it was already late afternoon. He must have been exhausted. I took off my shoes and slipped under the blankets beside him. He looked so peaceful as he snored lightly. He was so beautiful and fierce, but now, he was vulnerable. I reached out, my finger so close to his lips, but I didn't make contact. I only wanted to trace their voluptuous shape. I wanted to see them part in a smile as he looked at me, even though he was just as sexy when he sneered.

He must have sensed that he was no longer alone, because his gorgeous turquoise eyes shot open and he stared at me.

"Why are you in my bed?"

"In your bed is where I want to be," I said.

He rolled his eyes, then flipped onto his back and wiped his beautiful eyes with the back of his hand. "Ugh, I don't have time for your shit."

"You don't have time to be lounging in bed either... but we could make time for a little fun," I flirted.

He looked at me and, taking me by surprise, he pounced on me, pinning my wrists to the bed. "You're a demon, I'd never stick my cock into you."

I arched an eyebrow at that. "Ooh, tell me more about how you want to fuck me."

There it was, it was quick, but there was a hint of a smile and he went to climb off me, but I stopped him, pulling him down on top of me. "You literally have full control over me... I know you're attracted to me. I can sense it."

His gaze darkened then—a telling sign—and one I wanted to see. It let me know even more that the attraction wasn't one-sided.

"I'd never let you stick your cock inside of me, either," Rai said.

"That's fine. You can ravage my hole all you want," I flirted.

"Jesus," Rai said, then climbed off the bed, and I allowed him, but not before I felt his erection against mine. "Did you find out anything?" he asked as he made his way to the bathroom to do his human business. The way he walked was sexy as hell, he sauntered with this air of arrogance, but also confidence. I bet he pissed everyone off in that snooty Guild because he just had something about him that stood out.

I rested my head on my arms and crossed my ankles. "I did, but you're going to need a real Guardian to move on this information."

"I am a real Guardian, asshole," Rai said behind the closed door and I laughed.

Yes, I loved his spice, so refreshing. "Not one who can access the cell of Baal, you'll know him best as—"

"Beelzebub, yeah, I know about him," Rai said, cutting me off with his know-it-all ass.

"Do you even know how to merge with me?" I asked. "It's not like you've been able to practice with you pushing me away."

"It's not something we practice. It's just something that happens," Rai said.

"When?"

"When I'm ready."

"You will need to get ready."

"Tell me more about Baal," Rai said, changing the subject.

I smiled. "He may know something about the seventh woman who was impregnated," I said, and that bathroom door swung open with Rai standing there with his shirt off. My eyes drank in the vision of him half-naked. Yes, I couldn't help but imagine how much we'd both enjoy him sliding his cock inside of me. His weight pressed on top of me, him pumping away between my legs. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to do it.

"What?" Rai shouted. "What do you mean a seventh woman?"

I explained to him all of the information I'd gathered while he slumbered away.

"Fuck!" he snapped and closed the door.

I heard the shower running for a few minutes, then he came out, a towel wrapped around his muscular, tapered waist. The training he'd undergone at the Guild had done him huge favors.

"Get out while I get dressed," Rai said.

"No," I smirked.

He threw me an annoyed look. "Fine. Look because you'll never touch." At that, he snatched off the towel and revealed the treasure I wanted to drop down to my knees and worship. His beautiful cock hung limp between his legs resting on dark, plump balls sprinkled with a bit of hair. "Damn, staring much?"

"I can't take my eyes off you," I admitted.

Again, I saw it, the hint of his smile. He turned from me, giving me a great view of his plump, muscular ass right before he slipped into a pair of black underwear.

"Awww, you could have taken your time," I said with a pout, then a smile when he threw me another annoyed look.

"Actually, I can't and you know this. Be serious, Azazel."

I sighed, because he was in full-blown Guardian mode and he wanted me to get in line. "Very well." I sat up and rose off the bed and as soon as he was fully dressed and armed with the weapons of his choice, I teleported us back to the Guild outside of its barrier.

"Wait, here."

"Of course."

I watched him take off in a full sprint across the lawn and was taken in by his sheer grace. I couldn't help but feel some type of ownership over Rai. Sure, I'd been linked to him, destined to obey his command, but he was also made for me. I could sense that much. He was mine and I would have him.