Chapter • 15

•⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅•

A part of Asmodeus seemed unable to believe what he had just heard, but another part seemed happy to see me finally changing my way of thinking.

It was as if he was trying to decide if he wanted me as someone who needed protection, who sometimes seemed happy, and someone who clearly didn't know what love meant, but finally had individuality.

"Asmodeus" I called out to him snapping him out of his trance "I'll be fine, even if I'm not with him."

Those words didn't seem real, not least because a part of me - whether it was the reading part or a fragment of what Asra felt for Callisto -, still wanted to be by the king's side.

"You..." he stopped "if you say so."

He muttered as if he was trying to convince himself, as if he believed my words, even though they seemed surreal, and I knew they did.

Callisto had been my addiction, my obsession. Whether it was as who I was before or as Asra.

I could still remember all the times I had protected him in fan forums, in social media comments.

Callisto didn't deserve the ending he would get in this cruel story, but now... living as Asra, I couldn't help the feeling that he wasn't fair to his concubine. To the woman who had apparently saved him.

I swallowed dryly.

"Thank you..." I spoke lowering my gaze.

"For?"

I smiled. A forced smile, but in a way, true.

"For being here and putting... believing in me."

For believing in me when I don't even know if I can.

He opened his mouth and then closed it giving me a corner smile.

"You are Asra Mostrengar. You can do it" his words were like a dagger in my heart, because I knew I wasn't Asra, because I knew that confidence wasn't mine, but still, I felt something warm.

I wanted it to be for me, I wanted Asmodeus to consider me as he considered that poor girl who would die for love.

"Asmodeus" I called him again as he finally broke away from me and started walking towards Lucifer's mansion.

The demon looked over my shoulder.

"What... do you think about people who die for love?" was what I wanted to ask, but... I smiled.

"You actually roll around a lot more than I do while walking" was what I actually said and I saw the blond's face crumble into a slack laugh.

"It's not my fault you're so hot" he said throwing his hair back.

⋅• •⋅

Before I knew it, we were walking through the third territory in less flashy clothes.

It had been Asmodeus' plan, obvious.

"It's the fastest way" he said as he threw me simple, colorful...distinctly ugly clothes.

Asra would die before wearing something like that, but for me? Well, it was no big deal. After all, in my life as a Callisto fan, I wore sweatshirts 80% of the time.

So while it was a surprise to him that I could wear something like that, to me it was pretty much normal.

"You look good" he joked as he ruffled my hair "you draw a lot of attention" was what he said about the change and I couldn't deny it, after all Asra's hair was a unique trait.

Hair as red as the blood that ran through the mortal's veins. I could still remember Elaine's words when she first met her, "Your hair is red...perhaps for the blood of those you have killed?"

When I read that I remember finding it amusing, after all Asra was the kind of person who would kill without a second thought, but now... what the hell did Elaine have to do with it?

It was annoying that she always acted like the lady of truth when all she did was steal someone else's place and kill the person who fell in love with her and condemn a poor child for sins that didn't even belong to her.

Elaine was not a heroine. She was a fanatical asshole and this new way of thinking of mine might just be out of selfishness, because I was Asra now, but... did it matter? It wasn't wrong.

Elaine had done everything for her God, but he... he hadn't even lifted a single finger. Not even when Asmodeus almost raped her, he still did nothing to help her.

Now, knowing Asmodeus, I knew somehow that what he did to Elaine had been a way to scare her, he would never do what he threatened to do. But I remember Elaine's desperation when he said what he would put her through. I remember the way she simply accepted it because that would be "God's will".

It was dumb. It was very dumb.

"Asra!" Asmodeus calls to me in a whisper "damn..."

Before I could turn around, he grabbed me and put me against the wall. Asmodeus' body was so close to mine that I wondered if I wasn't going crazy, but his head rested on my shoulder and I felt his lips on my neck.

I shuddered.

"What?" I mumbled perplexed.

"Shi..." he whispered in my ear "the king is in the third territory."

I raised my gaze and faced Azrael who was checking the streets while guards patrolled everywhere.

WHAT THE FUCK DID THAT MEAN?

"You didn't say you were coming..." he muttered and when one of the guards approached

"Hey you two!" I heard the armored guard call out and Asmodeus kissed me, his lips brushed mine as he pressed me against the wall.

"Leave them...don't be a fucking empath" another muttered.

Right. I tried to get myself situated.

It wasn't a big deal, it was just a way to get rid of the guards. Just a way not to get caught using magic and disguising ourselves among the people.

And Asmodeus was right, I didn't tell Callisto, because I knew the answer, I knew what he would say and how he would make me stay, but I didn't need that, I needed to change things, I needed to stop Elaine from having a chance to...

The blond demon's lips parted from mine as soon as the footsteps moved away and he sighed sliding one of his hands through his hair that was now short and brown.

"Frankly..." he grumbled "he really is a maniac."