in this seaside fort.
Beelzebub walked across the fort's hall, kicking aside some broken spears. A few angel bodies still littered the floor, and Beelzebub grunted. "Guys, really, clean up the mess," he said, and several demons fluttered down from the walls to do his bidding. They lifted the bodies and dragged them out from the hall, smearing blood across the floor. Beelzebub grimaced.
Leaving the hall, he stepped into the basement and opened the door. The sound of cackling demons greeted him alongside the stench of bodies. The demons were flapping around Bat El, tugging her hair, pinching her arms, licking her. The young angel was struggling against them, flapping them aside, tears in her eyes. When the demons saw Beelzebub enter, they froze and fluttered into the corners, cowering in the shadows.
"Oh, hell," Beelzebub said. What was wrong with his demons today? He stared into the shadows, the flames from his eyes piercing the darkness. Those demons who had tortured Bat El burst into flame, then fell to the ground, turning to ash. Other demons cowered in every corner, peering at him with burning eyes.
"I told you not to touch her," he said in disgust. Angel bodies still covered the floor, tooth marks in some. The bodies stank. "And clear out these bodies." Like wanton children, these demons were, he thought. You had to watch them every moment.
He knelt by Bat El, who had dropped to her knees, panting. She turned her head aside, as if to hide her tears, and rubbed her fists against her eyes. Her hair fell over her face.
"I apologize for this," Beelzebub said. "Come with me, sweetness. Please. We'll find you a more suitable place to stay."
He tried to take her hand, but she shook him off and rose to her feet. She tossed back her head and began walking upstairs, leaving the basement. She tried to walk steadily, head held high, but could not hide the tremble in her knees. Beelzebub followed, a small smile on his lips. When they reached the main hall, the demons were clearing away the last bodies.
"I found a chamber in the tower," Beelzebub said to Bat El, "with a simple cot, a bible, and a harp. It seems sparse but comfortable enough for now. Would you like to stay there?"
Bat El refused to look at him, staring at the bare wall where once Michael's painting had hung. "That was my chamber before you took this fort."
"Perfect. Mind if I show you there? I wouldn't want you to step into the room and find demons in your bed."
Bat El said nothing, but her face paled, and her fingers trembled before she clutched them. Beelzebub nodded. "Let's go."
They ascended the staircase up the tower and entered the small, round chamber. Indeed, several demons filled the room, playing dice and drinking from bottles of bloodwine. At the sight of Beelzebub, they knelt.
"Leave us," he said, and the demons fluttered out the window, leaving their bottles and dice behind.
"Such dirty creatures, aren't they?" Beelzebub asked Bat El, kneeling to collect the empty bottles and dice. He tossed them out the window and heard the glass shatter in the courtyard. "Not like us angels."
Bat El said nothing. Beelzebub didn't have to be a mind reader to hear her thoughts. You are no longer an angel. "Angel, fallen angel, same stock," he answered her thoughts with a wink.
"Thank you for seeing me to my chamber," Bat El said, not looking at him, her voice a study of emotionless courtesy. "Thank you also for freeing me from my tormentors. You may leave now."
"I thought I'd stay and talk for a while," he said.
Still Bat El refused to look at him. "I have nothing to say to you."
Beelzebub sat down on the bed. He sighed inwardly. What are you doing here, Beelzebub? he thought to himself. What do you want here? Of course, he knew the answer. Let's face it, buddy. Your wife's a scaly dragon, and you're looking for some consolation with another woman. Another part of his mind protested, reminding him that he did love Zarel, and that part of his mind was
Beelzebub walked across the fort's hall, kicking aside some broken spears. A few angel bodies still littered the floor, and Beelzebub grunted. "Guys, really, clean up the mess," he said, and several demons fluttered down from the walls to do his bidding. They lifted the bodies and dragged them out from the hall, smearing blood across the floor. Beelzebub grimaced.
Leaving the hall, he stepped into the basement and opened the door. The sound of cackling demons greeted him alongside the stench of bodies. The demons were flapping around Bat El, tugging her hair, pinching her arms, licking her. The young angel was struggling against them, flapping them aside, tears in her eyes. When the demons saw Beelzebub enter, they froze and fluttered into the corners, cowering in the shadows.
"Oh, hell," Beelzebub said. What was wrong with his demons today? He stared into the shadows, the flames from his eyes piercing the darkness. Those demons who had tortured Bat El burst into flame, then fell to the ground, turning to ash. Other demons cowered in every corner, peering at him with burning eyes.
"I told you not to touch her," he said in disgust. Angel bodies still covered the floor, tooth marks in some. The bodies stank. "And clear out these bodies." Like wanton children, these demons were, he thought. You had to watch them every moment.
He knelt by Bat El, who had dropped to her knees, panting. She turned her head aside, as if to hide her tears, and rubbed her fists against her eyes. Her hair fell over her face.
"I apologize for this," Beelzebub said. "Come with me, sweetness. Please. We'll find you a more suitable place to stay."
He tried to take her hand, but she shook him off and rose to her feet. She tossed back her head and began walking upstairs, leaving the basement. She tried to walk steadily, head held high, but could not hide the tremble in her knees. Beelzebub followed, a small smile on his lips. When they reached the main hall, the demons were clearing away the last bodies.
"I found a chamber in the tower," Beelzebub said to Bat El, "with a simple cot, a bible, and a harp. It seems sparse but comfortable enough for now. Would you like to stay there?"
Bat El refused to look at him, staring at the bare wall where once Michael's painting had hung. "That was my chamber before you took this fort."
"Perfect. Mind if I show you there? I wouldn't want you to step into the room and find demons in your bed."
Bat El said nothing, but her face paled, and her fingers trembled before she clutched them. Beelzebub nodded. "Let's go."
They ascended the staircase up the tower and entered the small, round chamber. Indeed, several demons filled the room, playing dice and drinking from bottles of bloodwine. At the sight of Beelzebub, they knelt.
"Leave us," he said, and the demons fluttered out the window, leaving their bottles and dice behind.
"Such dirty creatures, aren't they?" Beelzebub asked Bat El, kneeling to collect the empty bottles and dice. He tossed them out the window and heard the glass shatter in the courtyard. "Not like us angels."
Bat El said nothing. Beelzebub didn't have to be a mind reader to hear her thoughts. You are no longer an angel. "Angel, fallen angel, same stock," he answered her thoughts with a wink.
"Thank you for seeing me to my chamber," Bat El said, not looking at him, her voice a study of emotionless courtesy. "Thank you also for freeing me from my tormentors. You may leave now."
"I thought I'd stay and talk for a while," he said.
Still Bat El refused to look at him. "I have nothing to say to you."
Beelzebub sat down on the bed. He sighed inwardly. What are you doing here, Beelzebub? he thought to himself. What do you want here? Of course, he knew the answer. Let's face it, buddy. Your wife's a scaly dragon, and you're looking for some consolation with another woman. Another part of his mind protested, reminding him that he did love Zarel, and that part of his mind was
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