I could not have been more nervous.
I fidgeted as I sat on the stairs, staring at the door. Azger had left a few hours ago, pleased and certain that my look would pass Requiem's requests. They had kept me up most of the day and night, making sure my look was perfect and that I was fully educated on demon customs and what Requiem would expect of me. I almost wished I had simply listened to the message the Demon King had left me, but I had no doubt that most of the information Azger was giving me was not in the message. Requiem loved to take advantage of others by omitting information and I yawned loudly as I tried to fully wake up.
Although I had been able to take a short nap after they left, I was still exhausted from all Azger had put me through. I know I owed them far more than what they had given me, but the demon prince insisted that all they wanted was for me to show up his father and win my right to be with Luc. My heart had pounded as I remembered how they had tilted my head that last time, beaming a bright and hungry smile at me.
"Ravishing." Had been the word that flowed from their lips as they sank back into the floor, and I couldn't help my body's reaction to the memory. As far as I knew, Azger was a full-blooded demon, but my reaction to their voice had me questioning that. Vampires weren't the only race that could entice pleasure from their victims, but I had no way of knowing what Azger was without asking them. On top of that, I doubted that Azger would actually tell me.
"Always questions." I sighed, glancing down to my heels as I tapped my foot. The dark black material shimmered as I moved my leg and the teal underlayers of the skirt pooled on the steps beside me. I leaned back on my hands as I stretched out, and I felt tempted to stretch my wings as well but decided against it. Azger had guessed their magic could last for six hours with my dislike of demons, which hopefully would last our date. My wings were more about not having angels attack me than anything to do with Requiem, so as long as I didn't lose my temper, we'd be fine.
A knock to the door finally came, and I stood as I took one last deep breath. I hesitated for a moment when my hand touched the handle, but before my nervousness could stop me, I swung the door wide open.
Requiem filled the doorway and I felt the hate rise in my chest almost immediately. Remembering Azger's warnings, I swallowed it as best as I could and beamed a charming smile up at the Demon king.
"Hello Requiem. You and your party are welcome to step inside." I offered, moving from the doorway as I invited them in. Requiem remained silent, bending down as he stepped inside, Luc and two more demons following him. Luc was purposefully shrouded in a fire cloak, so I couldn't see what he was wearing and I fought to hide my frown. Requiem really was trying to be as cruel as possible, forcing Luc to see what I was wearing, but refusing me to see him. His plan was probably to reveal Luc once he decided I had "failed", probably in an effort to make me feel like I had failed Luc.
"Hm." I turned my attention back to the Demon King as he made a noise of displeasure, making sure to keep my smile as I placed my hand on my hip. I could tell he was examining my outfit and by the scowl on his face, it was clear Azer had done a good job. His thin red mustache was twitching as he growled softly and his wild maroon hair seemed to move with his annoyance. The King himself was wearing his usual; a sharp business suit, accented with his house's signature red and gold diamonds and triangles. He wore four rings on each hand, signaling his eight marriages that provided him with his multitude of children. I noticed the single black ring on his hand and couldn't help but wonder if it represented Luc's mother.
"You do appear capable of following instructions." Requiem finally frowned and I took another deep breath as I fought to keep my smile against the disgust his voice caused. I would not let him win this.
"I would hate to disappoint, Requiem. You have done me a great service and I wish to do the same." I offered, resisting my desire to bow as I remembered Azger's words. Instead I lifted my head higher, still meeting the Demon King's gaze as I continued. "After all, I am being afforded the honor of taking your son on a date. I must do my part to support him."
"Well put, Evangela." Despite the compliment, I could hear the frustration in his voice. It was clear that I had met this first part of his challenge and he was not happy about it. However, per his own deal, he couldn't just decide that I failed simply because he wanted to. "The reservations have already been made. Stella and Cissi will see you there and ensure you fulfill your part."
"Understood." I accepted, still refusing to bow my head as Requiem scowled, bowing back out the door as he left. I watched until I couldn't see him anymore, finally turning my attention to the trio that remained. Cissi and Stella were both in their male forms, but were still wearing tight black dresses accented with red. Their matching blue hair and bright blue eyes suggested that they were twins, but it was also possible that they simply shared the same mother. They were both holding the fire cloak that hid Luc and with a smooth movement, revealed the vampire to me.
I had never seen so much of Luc's skin before in my life, and I found that I couldn't look away as the vampire smiled softly at me. The black jacket that graced his torso was so low cut that it barely covered anything, and the golden chains that connected the two halves only accented his pale skin. It seemed to serve as both a jacket and a cloak, dragging almost down to the floor as the fire red interior flashed with his subtle movements.
The dark red and gold belt that ran around his waist was more ornate than even my headpiece, filled with swirls and sharp angles that accented his demonic side. I couldn't tell if his pants were actually black or just such a dark red that they appeared black and they perfectly blended into his boots which I could tell for a fact were black. The heels and underside were obviously a fire red like the inside of his jacket and I turned my attention to his face.
He was wearing a black and red circlet, with two small gold gems hanging in his hair. I had to admit it only made him seem more like the royalty he was and his red eyes were accented by makeup, making his soft smile only more striking. It was clear the outfit was designed with both of his forms in mind and I resisted the urge to frown. Exactly what else was Requiem expecting from this date.
"Evangela."
"Dear Evangela." My attention was drawn back to the pair, with each now holding half of the fire cloak. They were smiling brightly at me, their politeness a far cry from Requiem's fake acceptance. When they spoke, it was always in unison, causing my smile to twitch. "We should progress the night, so we don't miss our appointment."
"Of course," I agreed, walking straight past them up to Luc. The vampire's glee was more obvious up close, and I couldn't help but wish we could speak candidly. I wanted to tell him how amazing he looked, to ask him what he thought of my dress, but I resisted, knowing that Requiem had requested Luc and I only spoke when needed. "Your Highness."
Luc nodded as he took my hand, lacing his long nails with my pointed gloves as we followed Cissi and Stella back out to the car. I felt as he gave me a quick squeeze and I had to resist the desire to look up to his face. This may have been our first formal date, but this was more of a show for Requiem, and I returned the gesture as best I could. One day we could have a real date, but for now, we needed to perform well and show Requiem we could play his games.