pets

Once they got out of bed and dressed for the day, Asuriel and Vaerion shared a quiet meal. It was… surprisingly comfortable.

"Your mansion is huge… doesn't it require a lot of upkeep?" Asuriel couldn't help but ask after a while, finishing the last few bites of her omelet. "I haven't seen any employees or anything; who makes the food? It's delicious."

"I wouldn't call them employees, but there are things taking care of the place." Vaerion chuckled, the sound deep and pleasant. "Primarily, imps maintain the mansion. Aside from them, I have a few lesser demons of gluttony that do the cooking."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Asuriel said. "I remember reading about them. They're lively little creatures that serve greater demons and devils, right?"

"Smart girl," the devil said with a smile.

Asuriel debated whether or not to ask, but she couldn't hold herself back in the end, "Are they cute?"

"Cute?" Vaerion's brow shot up in curious amusement. "I think they're ugly, but you can decide for yourself."

The man leaned back in his chair and casually snapped his fingers. "Thrak, come."

Instantly, a creature roughly the size of a large dog appeared before them, floating a foot above the ground. It had red, scaly skin and leathery wings, and protruding from behind was a scorpion-like tail. Its face was bat-like, with big ears and round, black eyes.

Despite only now seeing it for the first time, Asuriel found herself endeared to the thing.

"Master, master," the monster called, its voice gravelly and high-pitched.

"Yes, Thrak. Do a little spin for Asuriel," Vaerion ordered in a firm voice. "She's never seen an imp before."

Thrak obeyed immediately, gingerly twirling in the air, which properly showed its wings and tail. When it returned to its starting position, facing Vaerion and Asuriel, it lifted one of its hands to wave. Thrak's hands were small, but three long, clawed fingers were extending out, reminiscent of a bird's talons.

"Spin," Thrak said simply.

Vaerion looked at Asuriel expectantly, "Well? What's the verdict? Is he cute?"

Asuriel nodded thoughtfully. "Cute in an ugly way, like a pug."

"Did you hear that, Thrak? You're ugly cute," the devil repeated, a bemused smirk teasing the edges of his mouth.

Thrak nodded enthusiastically. "Ugly cute, ugly cute!"

"…Well, that just sounds pitiful," Asuriel responded. "Now I feel bad."

"Hey, that's the only compliment he has ever received. He's thrilled," Vaerion shrugged. "Anyway, Thrak is the most significant imp out of them all. He commands the lesser imps for me."

"So these little guys clean the rooms and stuff?" she asked thoughtfully. "I guess that's practical, and you don't even have to pay them. Saves time and money, right?"

Vaerion's brows furrowed for a moment before he burst into laughter. "I didn't expect that."

Asuriel frowned. "Huh? What's so funny?"

"I thought you'd say something like, 'You don't pay them?! That's cruel!'" Vaerion elaborated. "That's what a human girl would usually say. Instead, you're agreeing with my choice. How interesting."

"Oh…" Asuriel shifted in her seat, feeling a bit self-conscious. "I guess that's a little fucked up, isn't it?.. Thrak seems happy to be here, so I figured that's good enough. If they like the work, it should be fine if they aren't paid. What would a little imp even do with money?"

Vaerion agreed with a nod. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

Before Asuriel could continue the conversation, Vaerion glanced toward the foyer. He nodded his head to follow, "My assistants are here. Let's go meet them."

Asuriel stood from her seat and followed readily. She had grown curious about the two people Vaerion kept mentioning, especially since one would be… her temporary 'pet,' in the devil's words. When she and Vaerion entered the foyer, her eyes landed on two men who appeared to be waiting patiently.

One was a beautiful man with silvery-white hair that fell down his back in a ponytail and gray eyes, and the other was a bit taller, with short black hair and red eyes. The latter looked haggard and had a bandage around his head, but he was no less pleasant to the eye.

Due to their inhuman attractiveness and strange colored eyes, Asuriel could tell immediately that they were infernal.

Asuriel surmised they were likely powerful demons because they worked directly under Vaerion; according to what little she remembered about the infernal hierarchy, that made the most sense.

"The shorter one is Darion, and the taller, injured one is Kaine – the one who will be yours to command," Vaerion introduced. "And, despite them looking nothing alike, they are twins."

"Greater demons?" Asuriel asked.

Vaerion glanced down at her approvingly and gave a single nod. "Yes, they are greater demons.

Darion's eyes widened slightly at her words, but his expression remained calm. In Asuriel's eyes, he seemed responsible and level-headed.

Kaine's face, however, hid nothing, and he looked at her accusingly. "How did you know? You're just a human – and a bartender!"

Asuriel's eyes narrowed, irked by his attitude. Suddenly, all of the pity she had for his injury dissipated. She ignored him and replied with a question of her own, "What happened to your head?"

"I removed one of his horns," Vaerion explained before Kaine could answer, "because he disappointed me. Multiple times."

"Oh, I probably can't see it because of their human visages, right? I forget you all use them," Asuriel crossed her arms over her chest, glaring daggers at Kaine. "If you don't want to lose your other horn, learn to speak respectfully to your masters. In case you're slow, that includes me now."

Vaerion couldn't hold back a laugh. "You heard her, Kaine. Behave. I must fulfill her threat if she files a complaint with me."

Asuriel gave Vaerion an amused, knowing smile. Like it or not, if she ordered it, he would genuinely have to remove the demon's other horn. She thought it was funny that he would say something like that in front of them. He returned her smile with a sidelong glance, seemingly aware of what she was thinking.

Kaine looked away, embarrassed. Darion cleared his throat awkwardly and looked at Asuriel, nodding politely, "It's nice to meet you, Miss Asuriel."

"It's nice to meet you, too," Asuriel greeted pleasantly and stepped forward to shake his hand. "You can call me Asuriel."

"That's kind of you," he answered, giving her a short handshake.

When Asuriel's skin touched his, she suddenly felt a wave of emotions: mostly distrust and uneasiness. She pulled away, and the feelings disappeared. Were they coming from Darion?

"I'm sorry for the situation; I know you don't trust me yet," she apologized earnestly. It was probably frustrating for them. "It isn't easy to treat a stranger kindly when you know nothing about them. Ideally, Jae and I will figure everything out, and I'll be out of your hair soon. Once it's all over, I'll ask him to let you guys stop tailing me, too."

The demon seemed surprised enough that she would apologize, but Darion's brow raised at the name 'Jae' and glanced back to Vaerion for an explanation. Unfortunately, besides a glare aimed at Asuriel, the devil didn't elaborate.

"It's okay," Darion spoke, his voice tempered and formal. "If the master wants us to look after you, we'll do it. We appreciate your thoughtfulness."

"My apology was only for you. Your brother will have to earn one on his own." Asuriel shrugged, returned to her place beside Vaerion, and looked up at the devil. "When are we going?"

"We can leave now if you're ready," he glanced at the twins momentarily, then looked back to Asuriel. "Is there anything you'd like Kaine to do? Menial tasks are encouraged."

"Yeah, actually," she gave Kaine a devious smirk. "Go to Moonflower Bakery on the other side of town and get a box of lemon tarts. It's been ages since I've gotten to have them. Then, stop at the natural grocery on the opposite side of town and buy some oranges."

Kaine glowered down at Asuriel, his fair skin turning red with frustration, "Fine."