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Aster sat at a long table covered in a white cloth. The room was a full banquet hall, lined with burning candles; the table had some placed to look like a heart. She’d been curious how they were lit, but Isaac convinced her not to worry. As if on cue, the door at the far end of the hall slammed open.
“Sorry for the wait, sweetpea,” Isaac said with a sing-song voice. The way he’d sounded each time he brought her a gift. He was the one who asked her to wait here. It wasn’t surprising. “Took a little to get it just right.”
The large man wheeled a cart along the table. He stopped just out of her reach, he had said she’d never have to do anything here. He’d meant it, he barely wanted to let her walk on her own. The gaze he leveled at her made her spine tingle. A few steps closer then he bent close to her ear. She tried to turn her head, but one of his hands cupped her cheek. A silent request not to move.
“Made your favorite this time, plus something special I know you’ll love Sweetpea. Of course if ya tell me something ya want, it’ll be here,” She let out a strangled breath as he pulled away. Sometimes he felt overwhelming. A presence she could never describe. At the same time she craved that feeling more and more. To have Isaac be her world all while his eyes stayed locked on her.
“Isaac,” she whispered. Aster met his dark eyes. A hunger always sat right at the edge, something she knew well. The need to know more, to understand the world. It was the only reason her next words ever found her voice. “Who are you?”
He chuckled. Dark and ominous. How many times have they done this now? She asks and he pushes her to accept no answers. When he does he makes the truth vague. She’d learned his birthday, but not his age. That he wasn’t from anywhere she’s visited, but not the exact spot.
“Come on Sweetpea, ya don’t mean that.” Isaac set a dish with a decadent cake on the table. It reminded her of the ones her family made when she was young. Was this the time to push? “Don’t ya like what we have here?”
One hand to cup her face. The other grabbed one of her hands. Guided it up to his own cheek. She loved this feeling. The way he leaned into her hand. His eyes were dark and held something sinister. It was a warning, maybe a threat. Was she ready to see that threat followed through?
“Isaac…” He rubbed her cheek with his thumb.
It felt stupid to question it; to question him. But the way he arrived was part of it. One night he showed up as she left work. Asked her if there was anything she wanted. It had been a long tiring day so she picked something impossible. A necklace that had been lost for years, one her grandmother had given her. Isaac stared at her for a few seconds, then dangled it from his hands. It was the same one she’d thought of, even had the chip from when she dropped it.
That had only been the beginning. He brought her unbelievable gifts every day for weeks. Eventually he asked her out. Actually he asked if he could court her. That turned into trips all over. Places that were always a pipe dream to visit. A whirlwind change to her normal life.
“Isaac,” she breathed.
Her voice gave away her thoughts. He let her hand go and backed away from her. Pulled out a chair and took a seat near her. This time felt different. This time… she might have to keep pushing. From the tray, he grabbed a gown. Floor length, sleeveless. Black accented with gold.
“This’ll look gorgeous on ya, Sweetpea. We could have a ball. Somethin’ out of a fairy tale…” he said. She heard the plea in his voice. Begging her not to push.
It would be so easy to listen. Keep this life going. Where he’d taken her. How he’d treated her. Things she thought could only be fantasies. Even how they made it to this banquet hall together felt like a dream.
The last whirlwind trip. One that had to be delayed more than once because of her job. She’d worried he was annoyed that day. He’d been quiet, withdrawn even. If he left her she wasn’t sure what to do. Isaac felt like someone that had always been there. Since he’d arrived she felt whole.
That night was better than she could have imagined. After an entire afternoon where he felt quiet, he took her out to a park. The moon and stars shone brighter than ever before. Then Isaac, sweet and kind Isaac, got down on one knee. Grabbed her hand and looked at her in a way she couldn’t properly put to words.
“Aster, Sweetpea,” he had said. “I know we haven’t known each other too long. That I’m not what someone like ya deserves. But I am head over heels about ya. Have been since I first saw ya. Will ya be mine, sweetpea?”
Thinking back that added to the mysteries around him. It was a weird question. No ring to offer her. A request to be his . She did say yes. Jumped on him, wrapped her arms around his neck. Happily listened as he offered to take her to a place he knew. Where they’d be alone and she could have anything everything she ever wanted. At the time it felt romantic, but now…
“Isaac.” Firmer this time. He dropped the gown, grabbed her hands again. Leaned close, their noses nearly touching. When she tried to look away, he grabbed her chin with two fingers and made her face him.
“Sweetpea, ya want to go back to that life? Workin’ somewhere ya hate. Barely scrapin’ by, not sure what to do with yourself. Ya want to lose me that much?”
Aster steeled her nerves. She wouldn’t let Isaac scare her. They couldn’t play games for the rest of their lives. There was nothing he could say or do that would make her leave him. Of course she assumed he’d not leave her. Even though she was pushing this. She had to know. To use his own words, she was head over heels about him and couldn’t leave this wall between them. She leaned forward and kissed him. He hungrily reciprocated, but she pulled away before he was satisfied.
“Swee-”
“ What are you, Isaac?” she said. The kiss was her selfish goodbye. Just in case he did leave after this.
Isaac chuckled. Ominous, foreboding, almost threatening. Aster wanted to take back the words. Go back to the game where it all appeared normal. He leaned closer, moved enough that he could keep going until his lips reached her ear.
“Ah, sweetpea, I wish ya had kept that question in that pretty head of yours,” his voice was different. Darker. Colder. “Ya know I’ve never been able to lie to ya. Come outside for the answer.”
And he was gone. The candles all around the room had gone out. She was alone. It felt more like a nightmare than reality. Everything in the room slowly disappeared. Aster was left in a banquet hall bereft of everything, but the chair she sat on. It was cold too. A sudden earthquake made her regret everything up to this point.
Fear rooted her to the ground. What if this had been a dream? She’d leave the now dark hall to be alone in a bright white room. All of this a hallucination she crafted after the years of monotony. A crash from high above her shook the whole building. Aster desperately tried to make her body move, but it wouldn’t listen.
“That should have been stronger,” Isaac’s voice was all encompassing. Everywhere echoed with the sound. “Flimsier than wet paper.”
“I-Isaac,” she whispered. Maybe it was a weird joke. He would do whatever he did to light the candles and hold her. Make her feel safe. That too loud voice let out a dark laugh. It wasn’t something she recognized.
“Sweetpea, ya got to the count of ten to come out on your own. Ya asked now ya gotta see the answer.”
It felt like a threat. He’d never truly threatened her. Never scared her. Maybe he should have.
“One.”
Aster chastised herself for accepting things from Isaac. Things that she couldn’t explain. It helped her climb to her feet.
“Two.”
A few unsteady steps forward. The necklace alone should have made her suspicious. The way he looked at her though. Like the only one in the world. More crashes sent pieces of the ceiling to the floor around her. She fell back to her knees.
“Ten.”
Aster screamed as the top of the building disappeared. She couldn’t make sense of what had replaced the familiar roof. It almost looked like a finger nail. Too long and dark for it at the same time. Her scream died as the thing disappeared and she was left with an impossible being. Hard to comprehend, yet clear at the same time. Nothing made sense anymore.
The castle disappeared before she could even blink. Aster tried to move. She knew escape was impossible, but she couldn’t sit there and do nothing. Wind pressed her back against the ground as the impossible being moved. She was almost positive he crouched. That alone made it hard to breathe.
“Easy there, sweetpea.” Isaac’s voice was still so loud. It gave her a little hope.
“Help! Isaac please! I’m sorry!” she cried.
A chuckle followed by a sigh was all it got her. Wherever Isaac was he wouldn’t protect her. Aster screamed again as the nails from before dug into the ground. Pudgy finger tips closed in on her.
“I am helping ya, Sweetpea,” Isaac’s too loud voice sounded a little sad. Softer too. “Ya think my voice is safe for ya by nature. Now hold still a minute.”
The words reached her, but she didn’t process them. All she caught was the fingers moving closer to her again. Adrenaline gave her strength to stand. Before she could run the fingers made contact. So warm, it was almost reassuring. That died as soon as she was brought into the air. Aster let her instincts take over and started fighting. It didn’t matter how high they went.
“You’re as wriggly as a catfish, Sweetpea,” Isaac laughed. The voice vibrated through her now. More like she felt it than heard it. Even sounded a bit deeper than she expected. “I told ya to stay still. Not like it matters much. Like this you’re not only cute as a button, but the size of a small one too.”
Now the words sunk in. She fell still as she continued to move higher and higher. There was a flash of white then more flesh. Aster stopped in front of a familiar darkness. Eyes that had always felt deeper than the ocean. Maybe they were. The hold on her eased and she fell onto a soft platform. The flesh colored towers gave her a solid idea of where she was before he could say it.
“I-Isaac?” she asked. The impossible figure nodded. The wind knocked her into the pillars of fingers.
“Ya didn’t catch on til now, sweetpea?” The look in the eye before her made her shiver. It was her Isaac and wasn’t at the same time. “Ya always surprise me, I thought ya would’ve fainted before I got ya this high up.”
“What-”
“I know Sweetpea, I know. What am I?” Isaac’s fingers curled over her. An entire room just from his hand. “I’ll tell ya, but lemme get us both a bit more comfortable first.”
A loud version of the snap she’d grown used to made her ears ring. She slammed into the fingers above her. The soft fat on them didn’t cushion the impact enough. Her entire body ached. A groan left her just as the fingers opened up again.
“Did I hurt ya, sweetpea?” Soft and kind. The Isaac she knew, but still too loud. His hand was close to his face, but not where she expected. It let her take in more of him, notably the horns on his head. She’d heard stories of beings with them. Bargains for souls. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking.
One of the nails, probably claws, poked at her. Aster curled up and away from it. Her body ached, her mind was racing, and she wanted her Isaac. The one that had held her only hours before. Gave her a promise of safety and love. A life of her dreams.
“Sweetpea, are ya that scared of me?” he asked. “I didn’t want ya to know. Wanted to keep our little life goin’ as long as we could. I can put ya down if ya want. Gotta admit I do like holdin’ ya.”
“D-demon.” was all she managed to say. She felt the change from the man holding her. How his hand dropped a bit. The way he sighed just enough to push her a little. A force of nature.
“Yeah sweetpea, I am one. Or was one. As far as my kind sees me I’m an enemy. Don’t like that I’m strong enough to do as I please.”
Aster played the memories in her mind. Kind looks. Generous gifts. So many times he could take her and each she was given a choice. Even now he was offering her a choice. She managed to uncurl enough to look at him. To stare into his eye and see that he was hurt too.
“Ya want the whole story or ya want me gone now that ya know what I am?”
She forced herself to her knees. Hugged her arms around her. This was Isaac and he was nice to her. Said he loved her. Actually that he was head over heels which should mean love. Maybe it wasn’t and that was why it felt wrong. Why courting sounded out of place. Why being his hadn’t felt like the marriage proposal she read it as.
“W-who are you?” she whispered.
A laugh that almost made her feel better. She kept thinking about the stories. Everyone knew the warnings. Beware of demons, they’d hunt a strong soul. The more desperate for something you were the stronger a demon you’d summon. The risk was always if you got the strongest. They could bend reality, but didn’t always honor deals. There was at least one city that lived in infamy under the claim a demon destroyed it.
Now she sat in the hand of one. One so big she was maybe an inch tall in comparison. According to the stories it would mean Isaac was impossibly strong. It would also mean he had taken enough souls that he grew this large. The reason he wanted her scared her now. Tears slipped down her eyes.
“Hey now, sweetpea, ya don’t have to cry,” he whispered. “Not like ya made any deals with me. I’m still who ya know. Isaac. Don’t have a place I call home or people to have ya meet, but I am who I’ve told ya.”
“But…”
“I told ya, asking what was the change, sweetpea. Aster I’m a demon, but haven’t had a soul in centuries. Not since a curious human and angry demon tried to kill me and made me stronger instead.”
She was lost for words. So many questions ran through her mind. Why would a demon try to kill him if he was one? Why did he say he wasn’t one anymore? How was he here without a deal? If she remembered the stories right he needed one. Unless she was the target of someone else’s deal. That started a new set of tears and worse fears to enter her mind.
“Sweetpea, ya don’t have to be scared. I’m not here to hurt ya no one sent me after ya either.”
It felt like he was reading her thoughts. The hand she was on warmed up.
“Sorry Sweetpea, I am a little. I knew ya were gonna be small and with how small ya are didn’t wanna risk missin’ anything ya had to say. I’ll set us back to normal after I explain myself, deal?”
Aster tried to silence her thoughts. Avoid being heard and answered, but of course one had to slip out. Would agreeing sign her soul to him?
“Bad word choice, I’m sorry sweetpea. Deals for a soul are specific. I won’t be takin’ one from anyone unless they know what’s happenin’ and what they’re losin’. Especially yours.”
A few nods. The hand she was on moved. Tilted until she started rolling. Aster tried to dig her fingers into the skin. Hold herself from whatever he planned, but it was pointless. Gravity dragged at her until she fell from the skin. She landed on a soft sofa.
Before her Isaac set his elbows down and laced his fingers together. The platform that formed was used as a rest for his chin. It didn’t feel like she should be able to see as much as she could. The only explanation would be Isaac helping her to see. That didn’t seem right, but also made more sense than anything else.
“That a little better, Sweetpea?” he asked.
His mouth was so close. The breath behind his words pushed her into the soft fabric. Still she nodded. It would be better to get to what he had to tell her. Especially as fear started to build in her heart again.
“So?” she whispered. It felt impossible to get her voice any louder. Isaac had probably been smart to listen to her thoughts. The laugh she got only made her think a few choice words. Those made him flinch and she grinned to herself. It felt… normal.
“Like ya guessed I started out as a demon. See I was good at it. Made deals with fellas ya wouldn’t believe. Humans were a bit foolish from where I sat. Most thought they could trick me. Guess it was how I look and how I talk. Lemme think,” Aster managed to get comfortable as he thought. Watched curiously when his eyes brightened and a hand moved to his stomach. “That’s right. One said it was hard to be scared of a jovial, fat man. Didn’t make much sense, but that had been a mighty fun soul so I didn’t much mind.”
The grin on his face made her tense. He clearly enjoyed the memory. She didn’t know how demons ate souls, but… One of the soft fingers tapped her head.
“Sweetpea, did ya forget I know what’s goin’ through that head of yours. I enjoyed that human cause he was a hoot. Not cause of their taste. Another day I’ll tell ya how we use souls. A day ya don’t look so scared.”
Another day… Isaac’s expression darkened as she considered the words.
“Anyhow. After a few good souls I was lookin’ to be the next royal. Not many were happy about that. A few thought I’d been stealin’ other souls instead of doin’ my own deals. Sweetpea I can’t tell ya how angry I was hearin’ those rumors. I didn’t enjoy it, but I took pride in what I did. I’d earned every damned soul that gave me power.
“Some fella got sick of me. Thought he’d team up with a human to get rid of me. Didn’t work out how they hoped. Ya see, I caught on.” He stood. Aster’s heart stopped. She hadn’t realized he was sitting. Standing was worse, she couldn't even start to imagine what it would be like to stand near him. That was with whatever he did to help her recognize all of him.
“They wanted to make it so I fed off knowledge instead of good old souls. Well, I decided to play my own little game. Messed with the spell a bit here and there. In the end they were makin’ my power come off my own curiosity. Now ya might not believe it havin’ known me like ya do, but they really thought little old me would crumble with their spell. Took me to be as thick as two short planks. They’re little spell worked. I felt the change. How the souls in me kind of stabilized.”
Isaac leaned closer. His eye was near enough to touch. It made her heart hammer in her chest. A single blink made her nearly scream. He was doing this on purpose, but her scream wouldn’t be from fear.
“I’m sure ya noticed Sweetpea, if I’m curious I’m worse than a dog with a bone. That said, it worked better than I expected. It was a good thing I’d thought to get the humans out before their game. It woulda been a messy clean up after. Not many buildings stayed once I started growin’. Back then I’d settled where ya would be maybe half my thumb in height, Sweetpea.”
To emphasize the point he brought one of his hands right next to her. Pressed his thumb, claw down, next to her. The claw easily dug into the floor her seat was on. She stood right away. If… if she had to guess she was maybe a third the height of the finger. Possibly smaller. She shied back from it. From just how little she probably mattered when someone like this existed.
“Those two were the last souls I ever took, sweetpea,” Isaac whispered. The authority and confidence was gone. “The change made it so I could make myself look human without a deal. All the benefits too. Didn’t even have to keep the souls I took anymore. Set them all free. That made me somethin of an enemy among my own kind. Demons got together and stripped my wings from me. I don’t have a place to call home without those. They’re the key to hell.”
“O-oh…” The first thing she could manage and it was barely anything. He took his thumb from the spot next to her. A claw touched her face, made her look at him. It didn’t feel like he should be able to do this. Be so gentle when he was a force of nature.
“Like I said, I never enjoyed takin’ souls. Was glad to be free of it. Spent a few centuries wanderin’ around til I found ya. I wasn’t lyin’, never could lie to ya if I wanted to, Sweetpea…”
They sat in silence. Her own mind was empty while his probably raced. She couldn’t come up with a response. A feeling. Anything. His claws tapped her a few times. It made her spine tingle and suddenly the clear image of Isaac was gone. Fingers so large they were hard to understand. A face she could barely make out. A monster so big other monsters rejected him.
“Ya see, I wanted to be with ya. Thought I could play human, but it looks like I was as convincin’ as a wolf wearing wool. I took what I did away… Aster. Can’t hear your thoughts, not makin’ ya see me in a way ya would understand. This is what I am. I love ya. Might be hard to believe, but demons do love. I would do anythin’ to keep what we have, but if ya want me gone say the word. Can make it all be a dream for ya, even make ya forget all about me.”
“No.” the first time her voice sounded strong. The first time she felt like herself too. All of it was hard to understand. Nearly impossible to wrap her head around.
Isaac was a demon that drew power from curiosity. He was impossibly big. He’d lived for centuries like this already, but wanted her. Saw her and wanted something different. Aster reached out to the soft skin. Warm, comforting. This was her Isaac. Now there was a lot more to him, but he was hers. And she was his.
“Sweetpea… Aster, ya don’t gotta worry. No strings attached. No deals, no danger. Ya can have whatever ya want. Just like I always tell ya,” his voice was quieter. More like what she knew. It didn’t match what she was trying to understand as him. She dug her fingers into the warm skin.
“I… want us to go home,” she said. A little shaky. Not the confidence she wanted. Isaac jumped though. Pinched her between two fingers and pulled her up and up to his standing face. The eye before her shook. Fear, excitement, disbelief.
“Aster, I mean it. Ya don’t have to-”
“It’s a lot, Isaac,” she cut him off. Happy to see she could. “You’re a lot, but… you’re still Isaac right? Still the same person who I’ve been with this whole time.”
“Well… yes, but-”
“No, I want us to go home. Where I can think about this. Ask you things. And maybe… sometimes… we can be like this. I just need you to be more gentle. It hurt to slam into your fingers.”
“Oh sweetpea, I think I’m the happiest man in the world. I hope I can make ya happy. I know ya deserve better than a demon like me, but-”
“Don’t say that. You sound like I’m settling and I’m not I just-”
Aster was cut off this time. She was pressed to plump lips. For a moment it felt like she might slip between them, but the pressure against her kept her still. Isaac pulled away and she was able to see him again. His face with the image of the reality beneath it. Like he was far away and close all at once.
“Sweetpea, I don’t know how I convinced ya to be with me, but I promise I won’t ever let ya regret it.”
Before she could answer the world shifted. Isaac started to change. The first thing she noticed were the horns disappearing. It was weird and a bit terrifying to know he was a demon. The way he talked told her he was proud of his power and stature. Admittedly she kind of liked it too. Liked that he was doing what he could to make sure she understood. It was still Isaac and… she was in love with him.