Chapter 24: Meeting the Demon Kings
"I'm sorry. My mind was gone for a second," she explained and Locious exchanged a look with Sandy. Even though they had spent the last fifteen minutes trying to bring her back to reality neither of them said anything. Pretending they hadn't noticed anything amiss they followed the man through the dark corridors. There were many closed doors and the thick walls didn't allow anyone to peek inside. The distribution of the offices was similar to the Society but from the outside no one could know what was happening inside. Locious, for the first time, didn't complain. It was better if Rose only met Dexaryz that day.
They finally arrived at their destination. A massive dark metal double door stood before them; the handles were made of pure gold. The surface reflected their faces and Locious noticed Rose had her mouth wide open, astonished by the extravagant display.
"Demons are... different from us," he started but suddenly a grave snort startled them. A low voice that seemed to surround them mocked him.
"Well luckily we are. Imagine if I had to live as repressed as you," Xar said, opening the doors and looking at them. Usually he kept his intense green eyes—the ones that gave away his demon status—hidden as if he were just a normal human with a shady business. But when they visited, he allowed himself to show his real self. His light hair was shaved short as usual and his demonic Aura was completely exposed.
"So the rumors are true... You have a special skill," he added with a sardonic smile when his gaze landed on Rose.
"How...?" Locious didn't let her finish; he stepped in front of her, hiding her with his own body. He did it without thinking and hearing Xar laugh about it was nerve-wracking. But his own attitude was indeed very concerning and it put him in a tense mood.
"Because he is greedy for information. That's how he knows," Locious said without looking at her. There was something strange brewing inside him. Just having Greed so close to her, impacting her with that demonic Aura, almost made him lose his mind and send every peace pact to hell.
"Interesting…" Xar focused on him again with squinted eyes and a mocking smile but he remained silent and Locious was grateful for it. He wasn't sure how he would answer if he asked for an explanation for his unusual behavior. Xar moved aside gesturing for them to enter and went back to his desk. It wasn't much different from the one at reception; it was also black with lights embedded in the surface. They were deep green, though and shone creating different shades of green. However the most impressive thing was the wall made entirely of glass behind his desk covering the whole width of the office.
He heard Rose gasp. The view was as breathtaking as it was disturbing. Sometimes the glass showed the city; other times it flickered showing Hell itself.
"Is it distracting? I can cover it if it's your first time seeing Hell," Xar offered, glancing at her one more time. Locious looked at her too and noted she was as pale as a sheet of paper. He had completely forgotten that she was a newbie after all. They had been through so much in just a couple of days that he didn't consider her as a trainee anymore. He nodded to Xar and guided her to one of the chairs in front of the desk while Xar pressed a button and a heavy red velvet curtain covered the wall.
Suddenly a thought popped into his mind. He had seen the scene a lot of times before. Indeed, he had spent a whole year working for them but had he ever asked if it was a projection or a real window? Now that I think about it, how did Xar know what I was doing in Hell all the time? Does it mean he is like a demon big brother? he thought and his hands trembled. That was a time he didn't really want to reminisce but thinking that he may have been seen 24/7 was even more terrifying. Luckily a loud shout brought him back to the present.
"Sandy!!!" A man burst into the office and threw his arms around her. She grunted at the strength of the hug and after a moment she finally forced him to let her go.
"Why is your hair like that? Didn't Xar tell you to change it when you are here?" Berlion scolded. Without a word Sandy changed her hair to brown and braided it, which made her look like a completely different person. Greed and Locious exchanged a look.
Why does he make her change her hair color? Is this bastard keeping crucial information from me again? He wondered but with so many people around them he couldn't directly ask, so he decided to push the doubts to the back of his mind. When the time came he would make him tell him.
"Uncle Berlion! I'm not five anymore," she said with a pout which made her look even more childish but no one said anything. The scene was nothing out of the ordinary. She was a spoiled child there; who would dare hurt her? Least of all make fun of her relationship with her uncle.
"Uncle?" Rose whispered leaning toward him and Locious realized they had never explained Sandy's connection to the Demon Association.
What's wrong with me? I have been so inside my head that I just skipped every single lesson I should be teaching her. He was pissed at his own neglecting performance and wanted to berate himself but it wasn't the time or place so he answered her.
"He is her father's brother. He was a Demon Emissary until he fell in love with her mother," he explained. By the look on Rose's face he had only added another layer to her confusion. He scratched his eyebrow and gave her the final piece of information. "Her mother was an Angel Emissary. They met on a mission and fell in love. After that they left the Society and the Association together. Sandy... she chose to be an Angel Emissary when she was called for her trial."
The only answer he got back was a muffled "oh."
Probably her brain was trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together but he had no time to waste on explanations. He needed to ask what Greed had discovered about the drug and then clear his head in order to be the boss everyone needed, for as long as he could. He just started to form the question when the office door swung open again. This time it hit the wall with a loud boom and everyone turned to look alarmed by the sudden intrusion.
"Where is my pretty little Angel?" a voice sang. It was a melodic chiming sound that reminded Locious of a rattlesnake. A chilling voice he remembered too well and made his hands sweat.
Against his will Locious felt his cheeks flush. He turned and saw Greed watching him with a wide smile, his eyes shining with mischief.
Oh God, I am literally in Hell.
****
Rose was frozen; her brain felt stuck and yet running too fast at the same time. She couldn't form a decent thought. First she had met the Demon King of Greed, who had a perturbing sight in his own office; then she found out her friend had ties to the Association, and now she was meeting another Demon King. She was sure of it. Just his presence was intimidating despite his casual words. Sandy had warned her that Demon Kings had the Demonic Aura effect, similar to the Angel Aura. But hearing about it and actually experiencing it were a world apart.
This one was nothing like Xar. His Aura was suffocating, making her feel things as if she were drugged again. When she saw Greed she felt a sudden impulse to invest money or find a new job but the feeling quickly faded. Whereas this one made her mind fill with images of naked bodies, sweat, and dirty words whispered between moans and pleas. It took a moment for her head to clear and when it did she could finally pay attention to the man who had called Locious HIS.
His long dark hair flowed down his back even though there was no wind inside the office. His eyes were scarlet red and his smile was purely seductive. It widened when he looked at Locious revealing long sharp fangs. He smiled even broader at something he saw in Locious, his tongue licking over his teeth. There was something about him that was appealing to an extreme and it gave her the impulse to grab Locious and hide him away.
He moved his tall and slender body through the room. He was wearing dark clothes beneath a long coat that floated with every step he took. It was pitch black but the embroidery was a deep cherry red. Each line seemed to shine, making him look like a walking magnet of sin.
He put his arms around Locious's neck and buried his nose in the hollow of his throat. Rose felt a wave of jealousy hit her but the sheer strength of this person's energy had her immobilized. She looked at Locious; his face was red. So red that there was not even a hint of his creamy skin color.
What the heck?! He's turned crimson… Is he so angry just by that or is it something else? she thought, her eyes wide. What is going on? His first time was with me. He said so, and he wouldn't lie. I saw his shaking hands and his lack of knowledge. But what if...?
Her train of thought was interrupted by a sudden laugh.
"Oh my Hell! HA HA HA! Did you get knocked up my dear Locious? Ha ha ha! Was it you?" Lux said finally looking at Rose with a smile. He reached out to touch her but before he could say a word Locious grunted.
"Don't you dare, Voluxxus."
All eyes locked on Locious but Voluxxus just laughed it off and sat on the long couch next to Xar's desk. "I can't believe you've finally joined the dark side. Shame on you. I thought you would wait for me to tie the knot." He made a fake sad face and Locious scoffed as if the thought were hilarious.
"In your dreams Lux," he answered coldly but there was a lingering smile on his lips and his Aura didn't have a killing intent. It was strange; Rose thought Angels and Demons would be at each other's throats but it almost seemed as if they were all old buddies.
"Bet!" Lux chirped. Locious rolled his eyes but didn't retort. Rose hoped it would end there to save some face but Voluxxus had no intention of letting it go. He clapped his hands, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Are you going to end up like your friend? The three of us can go to so many good parties! He is so much fun... I remember one time we traveled to Greece together and let me tell you... there were so many people there and he worked them up without breaking a sweat for hours. He even—"
"Oh shut the fuck up!" Sandy interrupted him mid-sentence. She was also red but hers was definitely due to undisguised anger and disdain. "Don't compare yourself to Locious; he has standards. People like you are... simply disgusting."
"Oh thank you! You are so sweet. But c'mon! As if you were really so pure and—"
"ENOUGH! Have some class, Lux. You are a Demon King; why are you having so much fun with Angels? Traitor," Xar said and smiled but no one dared to say a word after his shout. The relaxed atmosphere was broken and his face became gloomy. His tone of voice, now grim and stern, made everyone's smiles fade completely. "Anyway... there is something you need to know. Berlion... bring the boy. Let's talk business."