He watched in from atop an adjacent building as she walked into her own, she stopped once and looked up into the night sky then continued in. He watched as her hand went to her face several time and knew what it meant even if he couldn’t see her face. The dark storm clouds in his eyes were enough to mirror her own feelings. He knew that she knew what they meant she didn’t have to ask.
When she got into the elevator he circled around, he wanted to know which apartment she lived in and ensure she was safe. A light went on a minute or two later, he saw her walk into an apartment on the 20th floor. He flew off quickly when he saw her walking towards the balcony; it was hard enough letting her go. He wouldn’t risk temptation this way. He flew home.
Once he was within reach of the kingdom, he could see the fury of activities if he were to guess it could be because of Zuri.
He was quickly spotted and approached by Dagar his second in command that she had tasered. He placed his hand to his chest then head and bowed to Eros. “Commander, your parents and the high council would like a word.”
“Would they now?”
“I was instructed by the emperor to escort you.”
His lips pressed together but he nodded and flew alongside him, he could tell that Dagar wanted to say something. “Spit it out, Dagar.”
Dagar glanced at him from the side of his eyes then spoke, “The human, did she get back ok?”
Eros looked at him and wondered what his interest was; he hoped he had none because he would hate to have to rip his heart from his body. Dagar seemed to sense what he was thinking and quickly spoke again, “I was merely curious, she managed to evade us all with nothing but a small weapon even though it was quite powerful.”
Eros looked at him for a minute longer then replied, “She is fine and safe.”
Dagar nodded and asked nothing more, it seemed that Eros has already laid claim to the human unfortunately. It was not bad; he would have kept her locked in her basement to feed on and use for his pleasure for years to come.
They continued to the castle, once there they went straight to the great hall. It was where every council meeting, trial or judgement was held. Once you entered in the high council sat up high on podiums while stadium like seating that surrounded them were for the citizens who wish to attend.
The news of a human being in their midst brought out a drove of demons, all seemed curious about her and what would be done with her. Too bad, he thought, because he would alone no one near her.
He bowed slightly and addressed his parents, “Mother, Father.” Then he addressed the high council, “Council”
Dimitra’s father Marcus was the first to speak. No doubt, he was unhappy that Eros choose a human over his daughter.
“Commander Eros, would you like to explain to the council as to why when you captured the human you did not bring her straight to us?” Marcus asked with his nose in the air.
“Did your daughter explain why the human was here in the first place?” Eros responded.
Dimitra rose to speak but Marcus nodded for her to stay seated to which she obliged but her eyes blazed at Eros. He shrugged unaffected by her apparent anger, there was nothing she could do to him and she knew that as much as he did.
Eros father interrupted before Marcus could continue, “Where is the human now, son?”
“I will say that she is not anywhere near here.”
His father looked at him a sometime before speaking again, “You know that our laws states that we are to remain hidden from the humans and no human must know of our existence. If they do…”
“Even when she was brought here against her will?” he cut his father off with the question.
Everyone turned to the emperor, it was beyond rude and disrespectful to speak when either the emperor or empress spoke, yet their son did so and in defense of a human no less.
The emperor continued, “If they do, they are never allowed to leave. You know this law as much as every council member and citizen here does.”
“She is gone, and I will not bring her back. Dimitra is responsible for this transgression she should have never taken her, never have brought her here and never have brought her to me. I will not hold the human responsible for the selfish actions of another.” He looked straight to Dimitra as he spoke.
Then he turned to the rest of the council, “And you wanted what of me? Too, imprison her? Keep her from a life she was ripped away from? What of her family? What of those that may depend on her? Or was I do be the monster most humans think we are?” He looked to every council member including his parents then to every citizen before walking out.
He managed to keep his anger in check even though he wanted to rip Dimitra apart, she brought Zuri here and force him to have to let go of her. He would have been better off not knowing she ever existed.
Over the next two weeks, Eros was short-tempered and angry with everyone. The only peace he seemed to find was at home when he let his memory go and Zuri drifted throughout the space. Sometimes she would seem so real that he could touch her but always she faded away which raised his anger even more. After a while her imagine became a torture.
It was only for one night for Asmodeus’s sake, but it felt like a lifetime and too make things worse he could see many more. She never should have been brought here; he never should have let her go. But if she hadn’t been, he would have never known she existed, she would have never healed him, and he would have never known what his soul was missing.
He drank Lacadu liquor by the bottle with the hope that he would forget her. This wasn’t working he needed something else, something more to dull the pain that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Eros got up from the bedroom floor he sat on with Zuri’s shirt for the past hour. He would go to the underbelly yes, that’s exactly what I need, he thought. The underbelly was a gutter hole in the depths of Earth, where demons of all kinds lived. They were the outcast of the newfound demon world, the ones who couldn’t or didn’t want to leave the old ways behind.
They were the shunned ones, the bound and chained ones who could never break free from their prison. Therefore, they form the Underbelly, a barbaric and primitive society where it was prey versus predator, and everyone fancied themselves predator, but few actually were. The Pit was an abandon mineshaft that a few demons turned in a fight club. Demon fought each other and if someone happened to die, no one cared they loved it more. Eros fought to forget and to control his anger. Today it would be to forget so be it unconscious or too death. Either way he would get it from someone, or he would take it from someone. He would not let a under level demon kill him but either way it would be better than what he felt now.
He walked out of his house and towards the same tunnel that Zuri had ran and was going to jump from, he walked to the edge and looked down. Even now, the waters raged and swirled down into a dark pit that most knew nothing off.
He jumped.
He relaxed his body and let the current take him, he would branch off at the exact moment that would pull him into the underbelly tunnel. He readied himself not so much for the falling but the landing, he had come here so many times in the past that his body instinctively remembered what it had to do. He landed with both knees bent to absorb the hard drop then he straightened up and looked around him. He took a deep breath and walked to the rusted steel door, knocked then waited.
The door slot opened then slammed shut, the door instantly opened and a large gargoyle looking demon grinned down at Eros even with Eros six-foot three height, this creature still had several inches on him.
“Prince!”
“I told you not to call me that,” Eros growled back.
Pyro was the creature’s name raised his hands and walked back, “Sorry,” he said even though the grin never left his face. He knew Eros hated being called that, but he loved to rile him up, it made for a better fight and he never lost money once he bet on Eros.
Eros narrowed his eyes at him, he knew exactly what Pyro was doing but lucky for him he didn’t need the exact irritation tonight. He was ready to ready to go, he would get in the ring with whatever demon had a death wish and he was beat him until his skull cracked. Even then, he wasn’t sure he would stop not until he got her out of his blood.
“Haven’t seen you around for a while, Eros someone human been keeping you busy?” Pyro continued his dig at Eros.
Eros eyes shifted red, as flecks of blue threatened to consume it, not surprised that news of Zuri had reached even the bowels of their world, “If you don’t want to end up trying to figure out some other way to regurgitate whatever disgusting food it is your kind eat, you’ll stay away from me.”
Pyro grinned even harder and leaned down to Eros, “Come on Prince, you know I only eat humans, I bet yours would be tasty from what I hear.”
Pyro was on the ground for he realized what was about to happen, by then it was too late and before anyone in the underbelly noticed what was happening. Pyro’s jaw was already separated from his head.
He laid on the couch passed out when someone knocked on his door; he woke with a start and grumbled as he made his way to the door.
He yanked the opened, “WHAT?” he roared at the person at the door. Jasper however seemed unaffected by his outburst. He stood at the door eating chips and crunching loudly which only irritated Eros further.
“You look like shit,” Jasper said and showed himself in.
Jasper stared at him then smirked, “I heard you got into some fun at The Underbelly.”
Eros eyes narrowed, “He had it coming.”
Jasper shrugged, “I heard you removed his jaw and then strained him because he mentions the human woman?”
“Like I said he had it coming,” Eros turned and walked away from him.
“Are you going to do that to everyone to mentions her?”
Eros shrugged then huffed, “Why are you here?”
“Because I hate seeing you like this and you’re miserable to be around.”
“Jasper,” he walked up face to face with him seeing that he was a similar height but bigger because of the human food he constantly ingested, “do you think I care?”
Jasper smirked, “Look, I’m only going to say this once and what you do with it is on you. Go see her as smart as you are, I am sure you could find a way to keep it hidden where only you will know. Except for me… I’ll have an inkling.”
He watched as Jasper left and stared after him, “Fuck,” he ran his hand through his hair. He smiled as he walked up to his bedroom and happily slept for the first time in the two weeks since she left.
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