The Devil's Beloved, a Steamy MM Fantasy Romance (part thirteen)
The Devil and the Angel find each other at last
I haven’t baked the cookies yet.
I meant to. Last night I organized the kitchen, lining up the ingredients on the counter like a battalion of well-trained goblin knights. My plan was to sneak in and snatch a few of Agatha's eggs while everyone was asleep. I tiptoed towards the nest, but as I stood above the potted nursery, watching the scaled matriarch tend to her brood, something stopped me.
She was comforting her eggs with such gentleness. Dragons are not normally tender creatures, especially Empress Agatha; but she was curled around her clutch, humming a low, soft reptilian lullaby. I stopped myself, realizing with some remorse that were I to succeed in stealing her eggs, it would break her little lizard heart.
***
Blarg's girlfriend Nicole has been dropping by every day, bringing vegan pastries and a variety of flower teas. She insists on monitoring the nest's soil, always checking the humidity levels with the precision of a seasoned alchemist.
She insists that if the soil's too dry, the eggs will shrivel, but too much moisture will cause them to be overtaken by mold or rot. I always assumed an egg was hardy enough that all a mother had to do was keep it warm and drive off predators, but no, apparently, they require the a more precise approach.
Speaking of which, I've decided to try using chicken eggs in my new version of my mother's recipe. Bird eggs may not have the same consistency as that of a dragon, but something tells me my stubborn insistence upon using dragon eggs might have been without merit.
I’ll let you know how the cookies turn out.
But enough talk of maternal dragons and baking; it’s time to complete the final scene of The Devil's Beloved.
***
Satan left Singapore to follow another commercial jet, hoping travel from port to port might ease his turbulent mind.
Night turned into day. As the Sun rose, he marveled at the way its rays shone across the cloud line. It lifted his spirits for the briefest moment, until it reminded him of Heaven.
A flock of geese flew by. Satan considered changing course and following them, when something from above crashed into him.
Startled, he looked up, and saw the form of his beloved Tzyeriel.
He wrapped his wings around the angel, guiding their descent to the ground below. They crashed into a nearby field, startling local wildlife in the process. The pair were momentarily stunned as they lay together in a tangled heap.
Gradually, they started gaining their bearings. Satan couldn't help but stare at the beautiful, if slightly dazed Seraph. For a moment, he forgot about Hell and his own uncertain future; all he could see was the one he loved. He asked,
"Tzyeriel, what are you doing here?" The golden angel grinned and replied,
"Oh, I just thought I'd drop by for a visit, how about you?" Satan smiled sadly and said,
"They cast you out of Heaven because of me." Tzyeriel shrugged and said,
"They would have probably done it sooner or later, but at least I got myself a handsome prince out of the whole ordeal." He laughed at this in his own silly way. Satan smiled and found himself joining in.
After a time, a thought occurred to the former king. He said,
"Do you have any idea what we should do, now that we're together? I'd ask you to marry me, but our kind doesn't wed. Even if we did, I don't think anyone save a Vegas chapel would be willing to administer the ceremony."
Tzyeriel smiled warmly and said,
"Well, as I was falling through the sky, a thought ran through my head: If I'm living on Earth, I'll be able to go after the meanest of the fallen angels! When I was in Heaven, I could only punish them if I received the proper approvals. Now that I'm free, you and I could partner up and go on a wonderful millennia-long spree going after each of them!"
Satan chuckled and replied,
"That settles it then. Please stand up, I want to do this right." Tzyeriel did as he was told. Satan knelt on one knee before him, and asked,
"My dearest Tzyeriel, will you do me the honor of traveling by my side as my partner in punishment, my lover, and my dearest friend?"
The Seraph gasped, clasped Satan's hands, and joyfully proclaimed,
"Yes, oh yes!"
They held each other in a loving embrace, kissing one another ever so sweetly. Satan had lost his kingdom, his crown, and everything he’d once held dear, but had found his true love. In the end, that was all that really mattered.
The angels laughed happily as they walked toward the sunrise, hand in hand.
***
The cookies cooled down enough to sample. Hesitantly, I picked one from the rack and took a bite. It crumbled softly between my fingers. The chicken egg gave it a softer texture than my mother's recipe. It had a flavor that didn’t quite reflect my childhood recollections, but was pleasant nonetheless.
They’re not bad. Maybe they're not hers, but they’re not bad.
I placed several of the treats into an old metal box. Normally I use this container to hold my transportation orb, but as I seem to have misplaced the portal stone, it'll work as a cookie tin.
I think I'll walk to the local park with my treasure in hand. The sun will be setting in an hour; after the many months of sorting out this recipe, I'll take a moment to enjoy it by myself.
***
The park was quiet for the most part. A couple of teenagers were running through the grass, tossing a Frisbee back and forth, while a tall, lanky jogger ran along the pathways.
I chose a bench near a large elder tree, resting my arms against the sturdy wooden slats as I took in the receding rays of light.
The tin sat next to me, catching the remnants of the golden sunset upon its jeweled lid. I pulled out a cookie and took a bite. While chewing the crumbly morsel, there was a brief flicker out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw the shimmer of fairy dust. A silhouette draped in flowers moved through the shadows, hair flying wildly, with eyes that…
Oh, those eyes.
I rose, tin clutched in hand, crying out to him-
But he was gone.
I ran over, chasing his shadow, hoping I might catch some glimpse of him, but all I found was a single sparkling sunflower lying at the base of the old tree. I knelt and picked it up, feeling an odd mixture of emotions; some turbulent, others rapturous.
I called out in hopes he might be hiding in the trees, holding my tin in the air so he might see it. After a brief pause, I left it waiting for him at the foot of the tree. I lingered for a moment longer, but saw no sign of him.
I sighed, and headed home.
His name is...
No, that shall be my secret for the time being.
Stay close. I promise there’s light at the end of this path, even if we must walk through a little darkness first.
As far as my tales of angels, this last one may have ended, but in my next book I’ll begin the story of Abaddon, the scribe Rideriel, and what happened in Hell after Satan left his throne behind.
Until next time, dear readers...