Gloom

Chapter 7

As far as I knew, this was not an illusion.

Neither mirrors, nor words of invocation, nor animal blood or mine, nor the  Ouija board , nor any of that crap. I didn't need any of that. He had appeared in front of me solely for saying his name.

The demon was looking at me with narrowed eyes, not moving. His black wings —so large they brushed the ground—, on the other hand, made slight, almost imperceptible movements, as if they were a totally alien appendage of his body. At that moment, I noticed that at the top of both of them, just at the point where they bent downwards, a small bone was sticking out at a point, like tiny horns.

He still didn't utter a word, and I, on the other hand, wasn't able to say anything else. He just kept his arms crossed over his chest, holding my gaze. Radiating an aura of danger, intimidating and arrogant.

"Did you call me to make you look like an idiot?" —She inquired suddenly, in a tone so surly and cold that a current of ice ran down my back.

I cleared my throat. I wasn't sure what tone my voice would come out with.

-Me too…

“This is,” he interrupted me, “without a doubt, the  most absurd summoning  that has ever occurred.

I bit my bottom lip, and couldn't help but look down. The hard timbre of her voice made me feel like I'd been slapped.

There was another moment of silence. Definitely, she hadn't premeditated exactly what she would say to her, because until a few minutes ago she had the almost absolute certainty that my little experiment was not going to work. And she did, but now he had no idea what to say. I didn't know how to talk to him.

"But it worked," I muttered, so low I wasn't sure he heard me.

"No, it didn't work," he clarified. I looked up from her and met her stern gaze. I never left.

My jaw dropped in surprise.

" What...?"

"I told you," he replied dryly. You can't kick me out if I don't want to leave.

"B-but…" I hesitated. That feeling… and the gadgets…

“I just tried to be more discreet.

A shuddering gasp escaped my lips. He never left. He didn't stop watching me like he had been doing for who knew how long.

I swallowed.

Another silence, even more tense and uncomfortable than the previous one, settled in the environment.

My breathing remained relatively normal, however, I couldn't get my heartbeat to stop its rapid pace. This feeling of being speechless made me remotely remember my time in high school, where I was so bad at speaking in front of everyone.

It felt almost identical, so my mind tried to push it away with haste and revulsion.

-What do you want? she demanded. She seemed to me to have noticed a change in the tone of her voice, but I couldn't be sure. Why did you call me?

Again, I cleared my throat.

"What you said..." I shook my head, to put my words in order. When I asked you what you wanted… You said that I… that I had defied you.

His narrowed eyes moved up and down, scrutinizing me.

"I know what I said.

I pursed my lips and took another breath, but still stuttered.

"I-I want to know what this is about." Why do you say that…  I challenge  your ability? What did you mean? What do you really want?

He tilted his head slightly, still frowning and serious.

"Do you really want to know?"

I swallowed again as my eyebrows came together. A pang of uncertainty coursed through me, and I found myself unable to admit it out loud. I went off on a tangent.

"Why did you call me  a creature ?"

The suspicious look in his eyes deepened. But, after a couple of seconds, one corner of her lips turned up.

-Because you are. He took a step forward and I suppressed a shudder. Let me understand this, first you make an effort to throw me out of your house, and you even dare to throw holy water on me to get it, and then you come and make a miserable effort to summon me.

"N-no, I don't…"

"Yes, you did," he cut me off, still smirking. You said my name, you wanted me to come. But why? Aren't you afraid of me anymore?

I clenched my fists tightly.

I noticed how my breathing began to go to the accelerated rhythm of my heartbeat. The mere act of talking to him was an enormous effort for me, and I couldn't understand why.

I racked my brain for a quick, believable lie, but I felt like lying wouldn't work on him, nor would being bold. And I chose to be honest.

"I'm trying hard not to be afraid," I muttered.

He made a leisurely movement with his head, as if nodding to himself. His penetrating gaze made me feel uncomfortable, so I crossed my arms over his chest as well.

"You are brave," he said as his frown softened. But keep in mind that there is a very fine line between bravery and stupidity.

I clenched my jaw, trying to suppress the unwelcome anger that washed over me.

"You're lucky it was me who found you and not one of my own," he continued.

I blinked as, amazingly, I felt an impending courage rise.

-Luck? How the hell…?

"First of all," he interrupted me again, reverting to his surly tone, "you don't even deign to make a proper summon, or even the measly attempt at one." And secondly, you order me around like I'm a dog. His gaze on hers intensified even more. Never in your life should you order a demon around if you don't want to be torn to pieces on the spot.

That threw me off balance.

"O-orders?" When…?

"You said:  'Azazziel, come here.'

My eyes widened in surprise. So, I bit my lip, feeling more uneasy than just now.

"I-I didn't mean it with that intention." Me too…

He let out a light husky laugh.

"Relax, chump." I thought it was made clear that I didn't want to kill you.

Another alien pang, from an emotion that I knew how to distinguish, pierced my chest squarely. What the hell did he call me?!

The heat of embarrassment engulfed my face in a second. I bit my tongue. The fear that still held him stopped the strange urge to spit out a curse word at him. 

"Explain to me what this is about," I demanded in a whisper, flushing to the neck. What's that you can't access my mind?

"It's exactly that."

"So you…  read  minds?" I couldn't believe it was me who asked that. However, at this point, it didn't seem so crazy to talk about extraordinary abilities… considering that he was talking to a supernatural being. He nodded, without erasing from his face that smile that was anything but friendly. But not mine?

"Ah, how smart you are," he replied with a clear hint of mockery, and immediately narrowed his eyes suspiciously. I can have knowledge of the thoughts of all human beings... But I am unable to access yours. And this…” she muttered through clenched teeth, exuding sudden anger, “is the first bloody time something like this has happened to me. Never, in all my years of existence, have I met someone like you.

I tried to assimilate what he had just said, but far from being surprised, I couldn't believe him. I narrowed my eyes, frowning.

-But why?

"That's what I'm trying to find out," he replied, raising an eyebrow, looking at me as if I were the stupidest person on the planet.

His feet took another couple of steps forward, and I froze in my place, knowing that if I backed up I would fall on the old sofa, and the last thing I wanted right now was to see myself even shorter than him.

Suddenly, he stopped a few meters from me.

"What are you hiding?" she asked suspiciously. I looked at him with confusion. It took me a few to understand what she meant. Then, uncertainly, I reached into the front pocket of my pants and pulled out the rosary I had saved. The demon looked at me without saying anything for a short time, with a very serious face. His bare chest swelled as he took a breath. Well, I understand that you don't trust me. I admit it, you're smarter than you look.

I clenched the rosary in my hand. I don't know if that made me feel good, or if it fed the courage inside of me.

Suddenly, the corners of his lips turned up in a new smile, one that struck me as suspicious.

"How about we make a pact?" she suggested.

My eyes widened, stunned. I felt that I lacked air in my lungs.

"A...  pact ?"

The malice in his gesture was heightened.

"You're going to help me figure out what you are," he said, and a shiver ran down my spine. I want you to give me some time to find out what is happening to that hard shell of a head. I will investigate the past of your relatives as well, to see if there is any anomaly between them. And I, in return, will give you what you want.

I was aware of the change in his voice, it became softer and more pleasant. I swallowed hard. The impression overwhelmed me to such an extent that I felt a slight dizziness.

"Do you want… my soul or something?"

-No. He shook his head. I only ask for your patience and that you do not omit important information. I mean, I don't want you to lie to me about trying to protect your family. I can't know what you think, so I need as much truth as possible. In return, I can give you whatever you want.

I wasn't sure my brain was processing all the information correctly. What the demon wanted was not my soul, but only to discover why, according to him, I was different? And in exchange I could get whatever I wanted?