I jerk awake with an intense shock to my body. I feel like I just had a bad dream. Yes, another. I stare at the ceiling, all carved at an angle covered in dark old wood much like the rest of the cottage. I realise that I am lying in bed, propped up properly, covered in the red-wine silky sheets. I sit up in the large bed unexpectedly feeling small. Looking around the room I notice there isn't much to it. A bed, a fireplace just opposite us, slowly dying, a few chests of drawers, a mirror and an armchair covered in a vintage pattern. I look down onto the bed and see Damien peacefully sleeping beside me. He looks nothing like what one could imagine the Devil to look like, never mind how the Bible describes him. No horns or red skin and a long tail.

I know I won't be able to sleep again, and even though the night is still very dark, the moon sparkling and casting its shadows, I decide to get up. I push the silky covers off of my naked body and slowly rise to my feet. The wood makes a screeching noise causing me to look back at Damien to see if I've woken him up. Thankfully, he is still fast asleep.

Exposed, I walk over to the other side of the bed to grab my panties from the floor and slip them back on. Pausing to look at the sleeping Devil in his big bed. I gaze at him. Analysing his face, trying to find anything that doesn't look human, but apart from his eye colour he looks exactly as he did when we first met. My hands keen to touch him, brushing my fingertips on his warm cheek but I resist, biting down on my finger to subside the urge in case I would wake him up. The sheets are only covering half of his body, his torso is uncovered, his abs out for me to admire. I blink and bite down on my lip as I continue to look at him. Is he really the Devil? He looks more human than I can comprehend.

I hear a screeching sound coming from the living room. I turn around and quietly walk over there careful not to make too much noise with the old floors. By the sofa I grab a hold of Damien's black sweater. It smells like him, like cinnamon. I inhale deeply as the wool material passes by my face as I pull it over my head. Rather clumsily slipping my hands into the sleeves.

Again, I hear a squeaky noise and when I turn around twisting on my toes like a ballerina, I see the black cat I saw earlier sleeping on the porch, sitting by the door. How did it get inside? It purrs silently as it starts walking towards me. When its near I lift it up into my arms and gently caress it. Its fur is so soft. Much to my surprise the cat doesn't fight back when I hold it in my arms like a baby. In fact, it snuggles further into me and my embrace. I cannot tell if the cinnamon scent lingering on Damien's sweater also has an effect on animals too or if its just me. 

Holding the cat in my arms, I sit down on the floor beside the fireplace in the living room. Staring at the slowly dying blaze I find myself wondering and debating whether I should stay with Damien now that I know his secret. He must know the pressure he is now putting on me, keeping his secret like this. And do I really want to still be with him? I could very easily just grab my things and run for my life. Surely, he cannot hold me hostage against my will.

I frown thinking about how there is a part of him that scares me, but I still loved him, and he said he loves me too so clearly it must be all real. I should stay with him. But how long will all of this last? I'll be ageing whilst he won't.

I hear a strange sound coming from outside. It's like a howling, similar if not the same to that of what I have heard in the forest. Fear begins to consume me, but my curiosity bids me to stand to my feet. The cat jumps off and walks beside me as I creak open the double glass doors on the other side of the cottage. Barefooted, I step out onto the porch and let out a scream when I see a wolf not too far away standing there and growling. Its black with dark gloomy eyes.

Within seconds Damien is by my side with just his jeans on. He wraps a protective arm around me, and his eyes search the area until he makes eye to eye contact with the wolf. I peak up at him and see that he is rolling his eyes.

What is he doing?

"Abaddon," he says in an authoritative voice.

When I look back, in place of the wolf I see quite the handsome man standing in some kind of airy pirate kind of clothing. An open white cotton shirt revealing his chest. He begins walking towards us his hands opened wide as if waiting to be hugged. His black hair cut to his shoulders, floating behind him like a cloak.

"Lucifer," he says, his voice deep.

Damien lets go of me and walks over to the man. They hug patting each-others backs. Damien's hand rests on his shoulder as he guides him towards me and pauses standing just inches before me.

"Is this the human you speak of?" he asks him. Smiling, his eyes move from Damien to me. He stares me down and I begin to feel self-conscious standing in front of a stranger in just a sweater and my panties.

"Yes, this is thy Annabelle," says Damien to him. Why are they talking like they are from a different time? And then it hits me, they are more than likely centuries old. Thirty- three centuries kind of old.

"How do you do?" he says grasping my hand and placing a gentle warm kiss on my knuckles.

I smile shyly my other hand is tugging on the black wool sweater trying to cover as much of my legs as possible. My cheeks flush from embarrassment. Damien notices and mouths to me to go and grab the rest of my clothes to get dressed as he starts talking to distract and guide his 'friend' into the living room.

I quickly tip toe back into the bedroom and pick up my washed-out black jeans off of the floor and slip into them. Completely ignoring my socks and boots, I turn around and the cat is there. It's following me around and for some reason I am finding comfort in it. I pick the cat up, cradling it in my arms and walk into the living room. His friend is sitting resting on the sofa all slouched down as if he was chilling around in his own home. Damien is reheating the fire. A devilish figure standing half naked. Poking the wood with a metal rod.

"Ahh there she is!" he says as he turns around in his overly relaxed position to look at me. A big grin is surfaced on his face.

"Who's this?" I ask Damien as I step closer standing by the bookshelf. The dusty books are tickling my nostrils.

"The names Abaddon, ma lady," he praises himself standing up. "The demon of apathy," he takes a very extra bow. Ha! He seems very full of himself.

"But you may call me Aba," he adds as he sits back down, slouching in the same way that he was before.

"Sit Annabelle," says Damien to me as he puts away the metal rod. He stills and watches me as I walk over to the sofa and sit on its arm not wanting to get too close to Aba.

"My cat seems to be very fond of you," he adds as he comes to sit on the sofa beside me.

"Salem," he says quietly as he pets the cat on the head. It purrs as he touches him.

"Abaddon, what are you doing here?" he asks turning his attention to the demon of apathy. He suddenly sits upright as if they are about to get down to business.

"Incubi and Succubi are causing more trouble than necessary again," he replies, sounding like he is answering a command. Their friendliness now completely gone.

"Who's incubi and Succubi?" I blurt out my question quickly before Damien even has time to think of a reply to what Aba just told him.

"Demons that have sex with the living," he replies with a smirk. My mouth opens into a big O shape. Damien is glaring at him as if he doesn't approve of him answering my question. Is he always like this with other demons?

Either way, I am very shocked by his answer. I had no idea that demons could come crawling the earth and lure humans in to have sex with them. But what for? To sin? To toy with them. I cannot even imagine how that is even possible. But you're fucking with the devil my subconscious screams at me.

"Don't act so surprised," he adds still smiling.

"How is that even a thing?" I ask dazed, afraid to hear the answer.

"There are all sorts of demons crawling the earth, don't worry yourself with it," answers Damien looking up at me, then turns to face Aba, "You can tell my adviser that I'll be back soon, hopefully within the hour, and tell Lilith to be there, I need to have a little talk with her," he says all stern and threatening. But what does Lilith have to do with this?

"What do you mean all sorts of crawling demons on earth? How can they interact with us?" I ask stubbornly.

Damien gives out a loud sigh as I stand up staring down at the two beautiful men in front of me, pleading for one of them to answer me.

"Well you fucked the king of hell haven't you," comments Aba laughing at me, "How do you think that worked?"

Damien stares at him, angrily raising his voice, "That's enough Abaddon! I'll see you soon, go, you are dismissed."

Aba rises to his feet, standing straight he says, "As you wish, sir", he turns to face me and bows his head, "I bid you a good morning Annabelle," and with that he is walking towards the front door quietly shutting it behind him. Momentarily, I wonder where he was going and how he was going to get there.

Damien stands to his feet, brushing his hand through his hair. I set Salem down onto the sofa and gaze at him.

"Is there something more you aren't telling me?" I ask gently.

Damien comes up to me, his hand reaches down to my face, stroking his thumb on my cheek. I close my eyes and sink into his embrace and let my hands clasp onto his arm muscles to support my tired body. How can I possibly see myself leaving when his hold of me is making me so needy for him? Craving his touch, his scent, his everything.

"Enough talk about this, you must be very tired, it's passed 3am," he says softly.

"Huh?", my eyes shoot open and glance up at the old grandfather clock ticking away, it read 3:30am on the dot.

"Oh, but I'm not tired," I wine.

"You need to go back to bed, you've a lot to think about when you wake up," he says as he scoops me off my feet and lifts me up bridal style and starts walking over to the bedroom. I giggle at the sudden act but allow myself this opportunity to rest my head in the crook of his neck to devour his scent once again.

"Oh, but I'm really not that tired," I try saying but I'm interrupted by giving out a gentle yawn. Perhaps I was a little tired. Emotionally and physically.

He tenderly places my sleepy body back into bed and I nuzzle myself into the bed sheets. Hmm, they smelled like him, lemons and cinnamon. He pulls the covers up to my chest and brushes my hair away from my face.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours, sleep Annabelle."

"Hmm, where are you going?" I ask trying to open my eyes but failing miserably. I'm feeling so fatigued.

"To do my job, I'll be back before you'll wake up," he says and leans in to softly kiss my lips. As soon as he begins to pull away, my hands grasping his, I fall into a profound sleep.