Reality crashed against my head, a feeling like a cold egg breaking against my skull. The demon that I had dreamt about for decades was not kissing me. No. That would have been weird. Instead he was breathing into my lungs, forcing me to gulp in drastic breaths that he released, while something warm wrapped around my shoulders.
"There, that should help you acclimate to this environment" He said, then patted my head.
The pat on the head solidified my reality more than anything else. I did hesitate, the fear that was in my heart spreading out towards my limbs, making the cold spread from the top of my head down to my toes. My reality had shifted when my demon embraced me and I could feel his strong arms. Then again when I realized that the kiss was not a kiss, but a spell to help me breath the toxic fumes in this dimension. My final reality check would commence once I could mentally handle what I was about to witness.
The demon was talking to me, his soothing voice a lullaby to my ears. This did help my heartbeat stabilize, but it was not enough. I needed a boost of confidence and his voice was not enough to fulfill that wish.
"Adira, you are a fully grown and capable witch. You can handle this, no matter what. You must face reality and look at yourself." I mentally chided myself. I finally opened my eyes, looking dead ahead, a forced tunnel vision. Step one is a success. The demon across from me seemed to be making small talk, not sure as I had cut off my sense of hearing in my panic.
I forced myself to look down at my body instead of the demon before me. Not only did the demon cast a spell to help me breathe, but he also put a thick robe around my nude body. I could see dainty feet beneath the folds of the robe, the long fabric hanging past my small frame by at least ten inches. The dark blue of the robe was similar in color to my own eyes. The thick fabric felt similar to cotton, but soft as silk, and fluffy as cotton balls. Overall, it was the best feeling I could imagine, a counter to the turmoil inside my head.
I could feel the tears burning as they gathered ready to spill down my plump, baby like cheeks.
My first death was at the age of ten, as was my second death. I don't know if the cause is the two subsequent deaths so close together, or if this would have happened regardless with my first death being so young. In any case, each of my deaths that I have experienced always brings me back to this body. My ten year old self.
I could hold it in no longer and fat droplets poured down my face. I was in my ten year old body again. It would take me eight years to look like an adult again. I would once again need to experience puberty and growing pains. Through my tears, which every death I had experienced to date never made me cry, I watched the demon turn around and his smile fall from his handsome face. Decades, no centuries I dreamed of holding this demon, of giving him my everything, and I was finally able to touch him, to hold him…and I was ten again.
"I'm sorry, I know it must be hard coming here. You won't have to stay here forever…" His soothing voice made my heart stutter, but it was useless. All he was seeing was a child, an adorable kid's body.
I realized he had been telling me why I reincarnated in the demon realm instead of Earth as I did with my previous deaths as well as some nonsense to try and make me comfortable here. But to tell me I wouldn't be stuck here forever was a bit of a stretch. Demons couldn' t leave here at will, so how could he ensure that I would be able to?
"I'm okay now. I just didn't want to be ten years old again. I'm ok. Can you repeat what you were saying. I'm better now." I told my demon. In my tearful mourning he carried me over to a chair where he was rocking me back and forth, just as a parent would for their injured child.
I wanted to bury my head in his chest and hide. Even in my ten year old body I could appreciate his physique, the chiseled chest, the wide shoulders…he was an Adonis with the physique of a warrior. I could feel butterflies filling my small body, the adult mind useless in this child's body.
The adult me had saved my body, heart and soul, just for this demon. The nightly dreams were never sexual, but I still felt a sexual pull towards him that I never felt from any witch or human, much less a fairy. I thought fate had made him just for me. My heart was on the verge of breaking once more at the thought of my childish body. I would soon resort to more of a child-like state with my emotions as well. Even with all my memories and experience…I hope this demon was prepared to raise an adolescent, pre-pubescent witch.
I looked up into his red vertically slit pupils, surrounded by orange and yellow irises. He had laugh lines around his eyes. HIs mouth was curved up in a gentle smile. He had one dimple on his right cheek. Both ears were pierced with what looked like bones as the jewelry with an intricate design engraved in it.
He had several piercings, one on his right brow but two on his left. The same ivory looking jewelry and engravings on the jewelry there too. The lip ring was the only ebony colored jewelry, the circular piece hugging his bottom lip. He looked to be in his early thirties, a handsome man that would make anyone drool.
But me, I was ten and being treated just like a ten year old by the demon I have loved for over two hundred years.
"I'm happy you remember me. I was not sure how the magic worked. When you died the first time only a piece of your soul came here to heal. With each death, more of your soul came. The last time you died, I could actually feel some of your body heat. I began to suspect that your next death would bring all of you here, and I was correct. I can smell the fairy blood you carry inside you, but you also have the same amount of demon blood. Tell me your story. I must know how you became such a person." He had stopped rocking me, instead of looking like the kind demon he had shown me all this time, I saw the real demon beneath the flesh.
A daunting realization hit me. I was not dead because he was curious about me.
Where I had dreamt of this demon, this man since I was five…he did not. I was an anomaly, something to study. I could feel all of his thoughts and feelings flowing inside me.
I needed to watch my words, I could feel the danger wrapping around me, like tentacles tangling in my veins.
"My father is the only offspring of the Fairy King and a human. My mother was a witch who could hide her aura. She passed as a human until she died. I was already in the military when she died and had broken contact with my family. She sent me a dream message before her death. She told me that she was a witch, one that could hide her abilities. I don't have any demon ancestry." I replied, in as much of a matter of fact tone as I could handle with my child-like voice. I could sense his desire for facts only, so I refused to elaborate or try to use flowery words.
The demon sat me down on the chair and walked away. He was fiddling around with bottles and such on a long wooden table. He grabbed a clear bottle and added a few other liquids, then turned around to face me once again. "Drink this, it will help you heal." He said as he walked back to my sitting form. I reached out to take the glass, brushing his hand as I did so.
He was lying. It didn't seem as if this would kill me, but it was not to heal me either. I looked into his direct gaze and tried to show my trust and sincerity in him, hoping that if it was dangerous, then my silent plea would halt him just a little. His expression never changed.
Nor did he halt his actions in any way, instead he wrapped my hands around the glass and brought it up to my lips. Forcing my hand to move, until I willingly opened my mouth and let the warm but sweet fluid flow down my throat. The flavor was similar to hot chocolate with a hint of mint and raspberry. It tasted delicious. 'If I died on Earth and came here, perhaps if I died here I would return back to Earth,' I soothed myself as I drank every lost drop he held to my lips.
Instead of death though, I felt my body warming up, a gentle influx of power that seemed to awaken. I felt invigorated and spunky. A rise in energy and endorphins rushed throughout my body, awakening my serotonin, making me happier than I had ever felt before. I could feel the rush of positivity flowing through my veins.
'Perhaps this was a brew to help me heal.' As that thought entered my mind, my body began to glow until sparks were flying off me. The warmth never got too hot, but I watched as my flesh gradually burned and the ashes danced in the air. Yet, the serotonin and endorphins kept pumping through me, causing my body to become an oxymoron as my flesh literally burned before my eyes.
I was gently burning, my flesh turning to ash, and yet the demon was looking at me with so much joy, increasing my sense of happiness in turn. Demons were truly evil creatures. Killing me so gently, making me so happy.
I didn't feel any pain whatsoever, so I focused my attention on the beautiful demon before me, his glee in my death made my heart pinch just a bit. Not as much pain as when my fathers flames engulfed me, killing my dreams and ideals of a strong and perfect father.
This hurt in a different way, made it a bit more painful because of the joy I was also feeling.
I had saved my everything for him, and he was standing there watching my body gradually float away in the breeze. Little burnt dandelions, except I wouldn't plant and make anew as they did…
This is ok. This is what I should have expected. I reached up, I just wanted to touch him once more before my death.
Instead of plump fingers my bones grazed his cheek. Seeing my hand without any ligaments, muscles or anything…just the white osseous matter, similar to the jewelry in his ears and eyebrows, I finally lost my rational thought as I succumbed to darkness. Even as I lost my awareness, my heart thumped once more as I watched the demon's face glow with so much pleasure. I tried to smile back at him, but it was useless. I no longer had any flesh and muscle to show such beautiful expressions with.
I finally lost all consciousness. I'm a bit anxious. All my other deaths resulted in this demon caring for me until I re-awakened. What would happen to me this time? Where would I go?