Page 51 of Unbinding the Demon
A thick shroud of silvery clouds rested heavily in the awakening sky, draping low over the valley like dolorous curtains of bleakness. Snowflakes softly flitted down upon the frostbitten land, catching on the window panes to frame the bottom of the frosty, fogged glass in powdery white. The bedroom was dark and dreary, but the winter-dwelling birds still sang their chirpy matins, filling the gloom with a pleasant melody.
I sighed as I stretched beneath the coverlet and fluttered my dry, irritated eyes open. Pepper Paws was snuggled up against me, curled into a small ball with his precious little nose tucked into the crook of my neck. “Hey, Peps,” I whispered while stroking his soft head and pointy ears. He stretched his cute kitty paws, spreading them out before curling his tiny jellybean toes in toward himself. With a heavy heart, I blinked up at the crack in the ceiling a few times, second-guessing whether the events of last night had been real.
I couldn’t remember how I had ended up in bed, so I figured I must have passed out while still up on the cliff. My braid had been undone, setting my chestnut waves loose upon the pillow. The blood, soot, and grime had all been washed away, and I was wearing one of Azathoth’s big black T-shirts.
I pried my weary eyes away from the ceiling to look over at Azathoth... only, he wasn’t there? The spot where he normally slept was a bit rumpled, but it looked like he had never come to bed. With that sudden realization, I sat straight up. “Azathoth?” I meekly called out, but received no response. “Azathoth?” I called a little louder, with a slight tremor of alarm.
Oh no... He didn’t leave me and return to Hell, did he!?
I panicked and leapt out of bed. Pepper Paws mewed in annoyance, but I didn’t pay him much mind. In my haste, I didn’t notice that both the Teloch Axe and my swords were leaning against the far corner of the room next to the dresser. If I had, I wouldn’t have worried so much. But instead, I began freaking the fuck out. “Azathoth!?” My bare feet pattered across the cold, creaky floorboards as I hurried out of the room. The fear of abandonment gripped my heart. I didn’t know what I would do if he left me. I had just lost Lacey, and I didn’t think my heart could take it if I lost him too.
No, no, no! Where is he!?
My trembling hand froze just as I was reaching out to grab the railing at the top of the stairwell. Belzar’s familiar bark faintly echoed from out back, and relief filled my soul. My eyes watered, and I scurried down the shadowed hallway and into my art studio. As I rushed over to the large diamond-paned windows, I stumbled over a small easel with a painting of a chillaxed, groovy elephant shrew wearing sunglasses and a beret while playing some smooth jazz on the trombone.
Damn elephant shrew painting!
My hands latched onto the cold wooden windowsill as I caught my balance. Like in the bedroom, the glass was frosty and fogged, so I used the side of my fist to wipe away a little circle. Tiny beads of water trickled down the glass from where I had cleared my view, while I peeked out over the yard toward the lake.
Big fluffy snowflakes softly fell from the dismal sky, and the ground was dressed in a chilling gown of glimmering white. Azathoth’s huge figure cut a striking contrast against the bleak winter scene, appearing like a dark silhouette amid all the snow. He stood by the water while throwing a large stick overhand. Belzar enthusiastically chased after it like it was the greatest damn thing in the world.
My heart constricted in my chest at the sight of them, and I needed Azathoth’s comforting arms around me. I turned and ran out of the room. But as I passed one of the guest bedrooms, I caught a glimpse of wavy blonde hair and stopped. With a slight touch, I pushed the wooden door open a tad bit further, causing it to softly creak, and peeked in at William’s sleeping face.
He looked peaceful as he slept, with the soft rise and fall of his chest easing Esquire up and down. The sweet, plump kitty was sprawled out over William’s chest like a gelatinous purring blob of orange and white fluff. I blinked away tears, thoughts of Oliver filling my heart. Guilt gnawed at me, knowing William would soon feel that same ache. I still couldn’t believe it had all been real, and I was beyond distraught that someone like Oliver had met such a cruel end. He had only ever wanted to keep us safe, and we had failed him.
I turned away, allowing William to rest while he still could, and quickly headed down the creaky steps into the foyer. I threw on my boots, then rushed outside without bothering to put my hoodie or pants on. I just wanted Azathoth.
The cold kissed my cheeks with its bitter, frosty lips, while my misty breath fanned around my face. A row of glistening icicles dangled from the overhanging roof as if the cruel heart of winter had frozen the tears of the heavens, turning them into crystalline thorns. Snow heavily weighed down the branches of the lamenting spruce, drooping them all the way to the prickly wild rose bushes below.
Fluffy snow crunched beneath my boots while I scurried along the now-hidden cobblestone path. A lively band of black-capped chickadees flittered about in search of seeds. With each hop, they left a delightful trail of tiny footprints behind. I paid little attention to the birds as I raced past them, causing them to disperse in a flurry of flapping wings. My focus was on the demon in the backyard.
“Azathoth!” I hollered while flailing my arms to get his attention as I rushed down to the lake.
Upon hearing my voice, he turned with a look of surprise and slight confusion. “Gwendolyn?” He was in his human illusion, with his hair pulled back in a loose, half-up, half-down style.
I stepped over some lingering deer prints and fell into his strong embrace. “Azathoth.” A gentle wave of sorrow washed over me, and I began to cry.
He drew me close, wrapping his arms around me in a warm embrace, softly shushing me. “What are you doing out here in just boots and a T-shirt? You’ll freeze,” he asked with concern.
My fingers grasped at his black denim jacket. “I’m sorry. I just got kind of scared when I woke up and you weren’t in the bed like you normally are. So I rushed out here.” I sniffled and rested my cheek against his chest. “For a minute, I thought you had left and gone back to Hell.”
“Gwendolyn...” He lifted my chin gently, and I found myself looking into his warm, golden eyes. A few loose strands of his raven locks danced in his face as the snow softly whispered around us. “I’m not going to leave this world without you. You are beloved to me, and I will never abandon you. That I promise.” His lips brushed against my forehead, and his grip around me tightened. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up. I didn’t think you’d be awake yet since you’d only slept for a few hours and the sun hasn’t even fully risen.”
I gazed up at him with a glossy-eyed smile. “I’m sorry again. I guess I just overreacted a bit, that’s all.” My trembling hand wiped a stray tear from my cheek.
He took off his warm jacket and wrapped it snugly around me, engulfing my senses in his fire and spice scent. “It’s okay. I understand. You’ve been through a lot of trauma these past few days. You don’t need to apologize,” he said with a tender smile while caressing my cloaked arms. “Well, since you’re up, would you like to go sit by the lake?”
I glanced out toward the rippling water, then replied with a small, sad smile. “I’d love to.”
Belzar pranced over to us as Azathoth wrapped his arm around my back and began leading me down to the rocky beach. “Good, because I’ve just cleared the bench off.” His gaze twinkled with love and warmth.
My hand reached out to stroke Belzar’s furry head as we walked. Little white speckles clung to his fluffy obsidian coat, and a smile danced in his ferine eyes. “Good morning, Belzar.” I smiled in amusement, now knowing he actually understood what I was saying.
“He says good morning to you too,” Azathoth chuckled.
We both sat down on the small stone bench beneath one of the wise oaks. A plump gray squirrel nibbled on an acorn atop one of the frosted boughs above, while flecks of snow caught on the mossy trunk below. Icicle-adorned limbs stretched out over the shoreline, making our little waterside sanctum feel more like an icy fortress.
The lake appeared black in the gloom, encircled by a pale ring of ice that glistened like a halo around the water’s edge. A couple of croaking ravens soared over the lofty snow-embellished mountains, which towered against the austere skyline. The cold seemed to have laid its frosty kisses upon every barren branch and evergreen needle. Each tree slept enshrouded in a veil of snow and ice as they silently lined the rocky beach. A loon called off in the distance, while a mighty stag snacked on a crunchy shrubbery on the far shore.
I snuggled up into Azathoth’s warm side, with my cheeks and nose becoming rosy from the chill. He squeezed me closer against him with one arm, teeming with love as we gazed out over the dreary yet serene lake. Belzar nibbled on the bottom of his front paw, drawing the slightest bit of blood. He then stamped it into the snow a few times while whimpering in excitement.
“Why is he doing that?” I asked with concern as I cast my gaze down at the little crimson spots dotting the ground.
“He wants to show you that he now has red blood,” Azathoth explained with a smile. “When I healed him up on the cliff, his abyssal rot healed too, and his heart started beating. He’s a genuine living wolf now! I’d even say that he could now be considered a hellhound, with his demonic soul and all.”
Belzar let out a joyful yip, then bounced around playfully. “Wow, congratulations, Belzar!” I exclaimed with a cheerful clap of my hands. Secretly, I wasn’t too sure what the significance of that was, but they both seemed pretty excited about it.
“You might also be happy to know that emergency personnel have been searching what’s left of the town all morning. So far, they’ve found many survivors, including Mrs. Chuong.”
“Really!?” I asked, while snapping my gaze over to him with wide eyes. “Do you think any of the corrupted survived as well?” My curious tone became softer.
“Yes, lots of them did, but I took care of it.” He shrugged. “There were many lined up along the barrier. I assume they must have been stationed there, waiting for it to fall.”
My lower lip trembled at the memory of Adelstein’s sick and twisted face hovering above mine. I recalled him telling me that exact same thing, like venom spat from the mouth of a viper. “Adelstein had mentioned that,” I whispered, with tears threatening to spill again. “He killed L-La—” I wanted to share what had happened, but I couldn’t manage to say her name. The thought alone sliced deep into my heart, a raw wound left in silence. Voicing it would only turn my heartache into an undeniable truth.
“Shhh. You don’t need to say it. I already know what happened. Belzar told me.” He turned and wrapped his other arm around me in a comforting embrace.
I leaned into him for a few minutes while sobbing. He gently shushed and caressed me, assuaging my pain the best he could. Belzar whimpered and rested his head on my lap like a sad old porch dog named Rover. His pointy black ears caught the falling snow as they flattened back in sorrow. A single paw slipped up and nudged my thigh.
“What did you end up doing with her body?” I eventually managed to ask. My hand stroked along Belzar’s soft, damp fur, my eyes brimming with tears, and my lower lip trembling.
“I moved her beneath an old willow tree on the outskirts of town, where she was found by a few firefighters. They assumed her death was caused by hypothermia, since she had no injuries.”
Although I found solace in his answer, I continued to sniffle and shake. “The last thing she said was to tell Darrell that she loves him.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I think we should also tell him what really happened. He’s a good guy and deserves to know the whole truth.” I peered up at his face to gauge his reaction. I wasn’t sure if he’d be okay with Darrell knowing the truth about him or not.
“I agree,” he stated softly. “Over the past few months, I’ve come to view Darrell as a friend, and I find him trustworthy. Plus, I don’t want to deceive him, especially not about this. However, I think it would be best to let him grieve first, before shocking him with the truth about what I am and what really happened to Lacey.” His thumb caressed a tear from my cheek. “He should know that she died a hero. I think that’s the least I can do to thank her for saving you.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet and nodded in agreement. The merciless grasp of despair held my heart within its ruthless clutches, and guilt consumed me. Although I knew if Adelstein had killed me, then a lot more people would have died. But I still wished I could have somehow gone in her place. She deserved to live more than I did, and the hurt of knowing she died saving my life was unbearable.
“Oh, that reminds me.” He stuck his hand into his jacket pocket, tickling me a bit, then pulled out a beautiful, glimmering sapphire necklace.
I gasped at the sight of it. Unlike the necklace that Adelstein had baited me with, this was one I recognized. “Aunt Elowynn’s necklace? But how? My dad was the one who inherited that?” I asked with confusion.
A wide, handsome smile spread across his face. “Well, when I had my brief brush with death, Elowynn summoned my soul to Tirnanog, a magical otherworld created by the fae. Only the brightest of human souls are permitted to enter there while they await reincarnation... which is a horrifying place for a demon. I woke up wearing flowy white pants and had to swat a sparkling butterfly away like a pesky mosquito.” He handed me the necklace.
My pale hand wrapped around the silvery Singapore chain, while my face lit up with excitement. “So wait! You mean you actually saw her!?”
“Yes, I did.” His large arm squeezed me closer against him. “In fact, she was quite eager to speak with me. I was finally able to apologize for what I did, and thank her for releasing me from The Abyss... and also for asking you to forgive and unbind me.” He smirked knowingly.
I blinked my gaze away from his, my cheeks flushing as I looked at the dazzling, deep blue gem. It glittered with captivating luster against the pale, snowy backdrop of the lake. “Yeah, well, I should be thankful for that too, I suppose.” I smiled as he stared at my profile with endearment. It was true; if she hadn’t asked those things of me, I probably would have never forgiven or unbound him. I inwardly laughed. She always did manage to give me impeccable advice.
He caressed up and down my arm. “She asked me to tell you she loves you very much and that she wanted you to have it.” He pointed to the necklace, then gave me an apologetic look. “Apparently, she was quite displeased when your father took it. According to her, he would have eventually sold it for booze money, anyway. I had to swing by your parents’ house to steal it from them... I’m sorry you grew up like that.” His voice was soft and laced with deep remorse.
I bit the inside of my cheek and turned my gaze away, feeling a surge of shame. It was embarrassing that he had seen the impoverished shitshow that was my dipsomaniac parents and the squalor I grew up in. “It’s alright. At least I’m out of there now. Plus, I spent most of my time at Aunt Elowynn’s house while I was growing up, anyway.” I mustered a faint smile, shrugging to cloak my moment of humiliation. “But hold on, my parents live in Cedarville? How did you cross the barrier?”
He chuckled. “Now that I’m unbound, regular magic has literally no effect on me whatsoever.”
With a loving smile, he took the necklace and unclasped it. I turned around and moved my hair out of the way to let him put it on me. Belzar removed his head from my lap, then laid down in the fluffy snow beside us. My fingers loosely grasped the gem as his warm hands grazed my neck. “Was this all Elowynn wanted?” A small giggle chimed out of me as he playfully kissed just under my ear from behind.
He moved my hair back in place as I swiveled to face him. “No, actually. She told me she’d forgiven me long ago. So, I asked her if there was anything I could do to repay her for her grace and assistance. She then had me promise her three things.”
“What were they?” I gazed up at him with wide, curious eyes.
“Well, the first was getting you the necklace.” He twirled it with his finger and smiled. “It looks beautiful on you, by the way,” he added with an endearing twinkle in his eyes, causing me to blush. The book suddenly appeared in his hand with a black poof. “Secondly, I have to destroy this damn book.” A maniacal grin flashed across his face as he held it out and shook it once.
“What!?” I squawked. “But that’s a priceless specimen of anthropodermic bibliopegy!”
“Yes, and I can’t wait to roast the last remaining piece of Yevorah’s bitch ass.” He wickedly smirked, then continued to elaborate. “While looking over this, I discovered that the young apprentice who had distracted me while Yevorah cast the binding spell wrote it. She later used Yevorah’s skin to bind it, adding extra magical properties to preserve it over time.” His smirk softened into a small, sad smile as he looked down at the book. “That’s also why I’m extremely vilified throughout its pages. She hated me for killing her master and wrote some pretty nasty and untrue things about me. She even included a curse for anyone who dared to release me. After reading it, I’m honestly shocked that Elowynn was even brave enough to summon me.” He ran his hand through the ends of his snow-flecked hair, his eyes reflecting his sorrow. “Which makes it all the worse that I ended up killing her.”
Upon seeing how guilt-ridden he looked, I wrapped my arms around his large frame and squeezed as tight as I could. “Azathoth, even though I miss my aunt and wish she were still here, I’m glad she summoned you,” I said while smiling into his chest.
He hugged me in return, the action overflowing with love and relief. “Thank you,” he whispered. The snow continued to fall all around us as we stayed in each other’s embrace for a little while longer. Then he kissed the top of my head and leaned back to look into my eyes with a devilish grin. “Now then, let’s torch this worthless piece of written garbage, shall we?” He held the book up, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Light it up!” I giggled, pointing to the sky with glee.
He held the book out in front of his face, resting it flat in his palms. Then he blew a bright stream of flames from his mouth as if he were gently blowing out a birthday candle. The flames hissed as they engulfed the blackened leather and aged yellow pages. The paper edges curled up into pale gray ashes, then floated up into the equally gray skyline. I inhaled the smell of smoke while watching the ashes and some still-burning pages flutter out over the dreary lake. They swirled down with the falling snow and then sank beneath the rippling black water.
“Sayonara, sucker!” He laughed as he excitedly tossed what was left of it up into the air and threw a whirling fireball at it. An umbrella of crackling sparks shot out all around like fireworks, then delicately trickled down to the icy ground.
We both laughed while his arm wrapped back around me, and then we were silent for a while once again. Bright rays of the dawn began to bleed out over the eastern mountains, piercing through the veil of crestfallen clouds. They illuminated the land with a beauteous, warm glow, setting the icy mountains ablaze in a display of glittering gold and deep blue. The falling snow sparkled as it caught the early morning light, making the world around us feel like an enchanted winter garden. I leaned into Azathoth’s radiator-like embrace with contentment, taking in the beauty of it all.
A few mallard ducks landed peacefully on the silvery, shimmering water, creating golden ripples that fanned out around them. Well, all but one dopey duck, who ungracefully crash-landed with a big splash and a bunch of frantic flaps and distraught quacks. Its little flipper feet desperately paddled up in the air to right itself. Then it bristled its feathers and swam along, probably hoping its comrades hadn’t just seen that.
As I admired the tranquil scenery of the lake and the glimmering ice-adorned mountains behind it, I thought of the night Azathoth and I had spent out there in the boat. I smiled at the treasured memory of us professing our love to one another and snuggled closer against him. I realized it didn’t matter where we were because my home would always be in the arms of the demon whom I loved.
“Azathoth?” I asked, interrupting our silent moment.
“Yes, Buttercup?”
My thumb caressed the back of his tattooed hand. “Do you remember when you first asked me if I loved you, and then you asked if I would ever leave this world with you?”
He turned to look at my profile with love twinkling in his golden gaze. I was still staring off toward the mountains. “Yes,” he whispered, and a smile fluttered across my lips.
“I would still leave this world with you.” My words were soft, almost a whisper, as I continued to peer over at the golden, glittering peaks. “Even to Hell.” I turned to meet his gaze with the smile still on my face.
His citrine eyes glowed with overwhelming love, mirroring the gilded sunrise which softly bathed his features. “Oh gosh! Aza — ” He abruptly yanked me up onto his lap and cut off my startled gibbering with an excited kiss. One of his hands caressed my cold, rosy cheek, while the other held me firmly against him. His lips smiled with joy as they danced against mine, the world glittering all around us. My hands glided up his warm, hard chest, then wrapped around his neck, burying themselves in his lustrous obsidian locks.
He gazed at me with complete adoration as he pulled away, taking his time. “I love you,” he whispered breathily, a smile dancing on his lips as his thumb tenderly brushed my cheekbone.
“And I love you,” I said with a slight giggle. “But, um, I don’t think I’m ready to go just yet. Not after everything that's happened,” I added with reluctance, while shifting my gaze back and forth between his eyes.
His smile softened and a look of compassion fell across his face. “I understand and agree. You need time to grieve and heal.” He placed yet another tender kiss on my forehead, holding me close. “We’ll leave whenever you’re ready. I don’t care if it takes a week or a decade; I’ll gladly wait for you. There’s no rush.”
“Thank you.” I squeezed him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck. “So, what was the third thing Aunt Elowynn asked of you?”
A sly, wicked grin stretched across his face. “Well, it was an easy commitment, since it was something I already fully intended to do.” He shrugged. “She gave me her blessing and had me promise to love and take care of you... for all eternity .”
I scoffed playfully and played it cool, even though his words made my heart flip with joy and butterflies flutter in my stomach. “Yeah, well, I still haven’t agreed to be your bride or whatever for all eternity. Maybe I should make you earn your way into fulfilling that promise,” I teased.
“You’re right, you haven’t agreed to be my bride for all eternity... yet . But you’re still mine for all eternity.” He hugged me tighter while laughing evilly like the psychotic devil he was. I gave him an are-you-fucking-kidding-me? look. “When you drank of my evil, that strengthened the bond which my claim creates to the point of no return. It’s unbreakable now. Even if one of us were to die, it would remain. We’d just have to wait for the other to reincarnate, that’s all.” I glared at him as he peppered kisses all over my irritated face. “You’re quite literally stuck with me forever, Buttercup.” He booped my nose. I angrily bit at his dumb finger, causing him to chuckle. “Hey, don’t get all feisty on me! I got Elowynn’s blessing to do what I did, and I now have a necromantic covenant to uphold, after all!”
I may have acted angry, but deep down I was thrilled and comforted knowing he’d always be with me. Besides, if Aunt Elowynn gave him her blessing, then what the hell, fuck it! I trusted her judgment enough to gladly stay with a crazed, menacing demon for all eternity! I was madly in love with the big, diabolical oaf, after all, and there was no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with.
“So now what? Are you going to scorch my soul or whatever it was to complete our weird matrimony thing?” I questioned, waving my hand in a circle.
He laughed again. “Yes, but not yet. I don’t intend to do it while your grief is so fresh. Once it’s subsided enough, then I’ll properly ask you to become my bride. I don’t wish to force or rush you into the final step.”
“Thank you.” I smiled up at him with a look of love.
The snowflakes continued to twinkle around us in whimsical whirls, as his lips charmed mine into a loving kiss. I quivered beneath his warm, spellbinding touch, enjoying the comfort of his strong embrace. Once the kiss broke, emerald green connected with glistening gold, and we stared deeply into each other’s eyes.
“Azathoth, I’m glad that you’re my demon.” I gently placed my hand on his cheek.
He leaned into my touch with a loving smile. “And I’m glad that you’re my Buttercup.”
We stayed within our ivory canopy of oak and ice for a while longer until the golden dawn resigned to the midmorning sun. Once we went inside, we sat with William by the warmth of the crackling fire and drank some hot tea. Although the rest of the day was filled with heavy sorrow and grieving, I was grateful to have had Azathoth by my side to comfort me through it.
And as we continued to mourn the loss of our loved ones, the wintry skies continued to weep their glittering tears.