The Demon Dance

By Alexandra Rose Porter

1) Callista (Calli) Leigh Rosier (H)2) Gabriel (A) (Fallen)

3) Michael (A)4) Kristopher (Kris) Daniel Black (A) (previously H)

5) Erik (D)6) Virgil (D)

7) Lucifer (D)(Ruler)8) Dameon (D)(Luci’s son)

9) Adrienne (Adri) Summer Rosier (D) (previously H)

10) Violet (Vi) Marie Brinton (H) 11) Alexandre (Alex) Joseph Black (H)

12) Roxanne (Rox, Roxie) Isabella Ives (D)

Preface;

A girl arose that had red mournful lips,

And seemed the greatness of the world in tears,

Doomed like Odysseus and the labouring ships,

And proud as Priam murdered with his peers.

--The Sorrow of Love

William Butler Yeats

“Where do you think you are going?” Gabriel shouted after me.

“Home! Anywhere! Just—anywhere but here!” I screamed in reply.

Just as I was about to walk out and back down the corridor, Gabriel doubled over in pain. His screams filled my ears and I whipped around to see him bent over on the ground. My primal instincts began to take over as the thoughts of help flitted through my mind. In a moment, I chose to abandon all thoughts of leaving and ran back to Gabriel’s side. I knelt beside him and held onto his back and leaned over to his ear.

“Gabriel? Gabriel what’s wrong?” I yelled into his ear, over his screams. He looked up at me, his eyes going from a glistening blue to a hellish red. At that moment, I knew what was going on. Gabriel was turning into, or relinquishing his body to, Erik. I knew this was bad, but I didn’t know how to stop it. After all, I had only heard of his ‘downfall’, and Gabriel never got the chance or never wanted to let me hear about his counter part Erik. So, doing the only thing I could think to do; talk to Gabriel and whisper words of encouragement, just as long as they kept Gabriel out and Erik in.

“Gabriel, listen to me ok? I’m here to help you! Do not surrender to Erik, alright? You cannot surrender to him! Don’t you remember what happened last time? He got you kicked from good graces and made into the most hated fallen angel in history! If you fall to him now, you’ll never get your life back! You’ll be giving up everything you have ever worked for! Don’t let it happen now!”

But it was too late. The pain subsided and the figure that was now before me was no longer Gabriel. The figure stood up and straightened out. The pure, white wings that Gabriel bared were now turned a dark, sinful black. The figure that now stood before me was malicious in every way, and now I had to deal with him.

“Hello. The name…is Erik.”

Chapter One; Lifelessness

So let us melt, and make no noise,

No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;

‘Twere profanation of our joys

To tell the laity our love.

--A Valediction: Forbidden Mourning

John Donne

My eyes slowly opened to the emptiness I called home. I couldn’t see anything in the darkness of my room. But then again, if I hadn’t covered up my window, the sunlight would have been illuminating it. I stretched my arms above my head and let my back crack. My head was pounding. I couldn’t even remember what had happened last night. Well, that wasn’t true. I tried not to remember what went on last night. I fingered the necklace around my neck and it felt warm to the touch as always. The blood colored stone in the middle was the hottest part of the entire necklace. The smooth metal around it just absorbed some of that heat. It was the one thing that was keeping me safe and sane all at the same time. If it weren’t for him, then I would never have been in danger in the first place. However, as much as I wanted him to be responsible for all the blame…I couldn’t admit he was. It was my fault too, and I hated myself for that. I threw off my double down blankets and got out of bed. Time once again to start my day. After the short shower and throwing on what would constitute my outfit for the day, I threw my hair up in a ponytail, put on my huge Halston sunglasses, the ones with the diamonds on the side, and walked outside. I blinked at the sudden brightness, even through my sunglasses. The brightness of New York in the summer time never ceased to surprise me. After all, the glass on all the buildings reflected the sunlight to the extreme, blinding me before I even stepped two feet out of my apartment. Walking down Fifth Avenue, where my apartment was, I met up with my best friends in the entire world, the only two people who could actually understand what was going on in the world of me; Callista Leigh Rosier. Mostly though, people just called me Calli. Those two people, my best friends, were; Violet-Marie Brinton, also know as Vi, and Alexandre Joseph Black, who was also know as Alex. Violet was a spitfire type of girl, like me. Also like me, Vi wasn’t exactly normal, or even fully human for that matter. Violet also had special abilities, sort of superpowers, but not. There wasn’t anything super about them; in fact, we hated them. They were what got us put at number one on the hunted list. Alex, on the other hand, identified with me in a different way. When we met, Alex was a mess. His only family, his older sibling Kristopher Daniel Black, who he called Kris, had become an angel. He had been shot before Alex’s eyes, and Alex watched as one of the only other angels I knew came down, Michael, and promised to save Kristopher’s soul if he agreed to become an angel. The thing about souls was if you didn’t become either an angel or a demon, then your soul wandered around in Hell, or whatever was constituted as Heaven, depending on how you lived your life. All people are born into good graces. It is the people who choose to do what they know is evil in itself that wind up falling from this natural born grace. Those who keep themselves in good graces, end up in their Heaven. After all, each person’s version of Heaven is different. So, naturally, Kris agreed to save his soul and became an angel. Alex watched the transformation before his own eyes, and it really messed him up. He never really accepted it, because everyone he told called him crazy, until I came along. Months before Alex had even entered my life, I had been through almost the same exact thing he had…only opposite. My younger sister, Adrienne Summer Rosier, was a different story. She was tired of living in my shadow. She hated being the weaker sister when it came to…well, anything actually. She wanted to be the star sister, the one everyone wanted. Though, she knew that would never happen. So, Adrienne took it into her own hands to make sure everyone knew that she could do something that would make her stronger than me, and also something I promised to never do. Adrienne decided to strike a deal with some of the most dangerous demons known to man. If they would make her a demon, prematurely, then she would do whatever they wanted. I haven’t seen my sister since then. When Alex and I shared our tales, we bonded. Then, Violet came along, and made our long time duo a trio. I stopped in front of Alex and smiled. He smiled back at me.

“You’re late, Calli.” He said. I rolled my eyes, though through my sunglasses, it was impossible to tell that I had done so. I hugged Alex as I spoke.

“I’m not late. I’m never late, Alex. You guys are just always early.”

“Bullshit, Calli. Next time, Alex and I are not waiting for you.” Vi chirped in and I hugged her as well. Taking my place in the middle, we walked three abreast down the avenue. We talked about random nothingness, until I started to feel strange. I stopped abruptly. I closed my eyes and simply breathed; using what little of my power I could use without letting anyone know that I was actually using them, to figure out exactly why I was so skittish. I opened my eyes and lowered my glasses, and turned to Violet.

“Feel that Vi?” I asked. It was so strong; I didn’t want to believe it at first. I knew though they were not after Violet this time. This time, it was me they were coming for. Of course it was me; because of last night. I knew it was a mistake.

“Yeah, I feel it Calli. I felt traces on you as soon as you walked up, but this goes beyond whatever you did last night. Someone is here.”

“Whoa…wait a second. Maybe someone wants to fill me in here?” Alex asked. Alex was purely human, unlike Violet and I, and so he had absolutely no idea what was going on. Once again, we had to fill him in, because it involved him. Once Alex had decided to stay with me, he had made himself a target too. Everyone that was close to Violet or me became an instant target. Alex understood the risks, but he also had an angel on his side; something Vi and I lacked.

“There’s a demon within a ten foot radius of us, Alex. A strong one.” I said.

“Virgil, Erik, or Dameon?” Vi asked me under her breath. I stood a moment and just let the seductive demon power trail over my skin. I shivered and then turned to her. I simply held up two fingers and she knew exactly that I meant Erik.

“Jesus, Calli. What did you do last night?” Vi asked. The thing was, Erik was the angel Gabriel’s alter-ego….sort of. They were two separate beings, trapped in the same body. Erik was my…well, not boyfriend. He was more of a lover than anything. I was actually the reason that Erik was here instead of Gabriel. Gabriel had been my boyfriend, and then one night, we’d gotten into one of the biggest fights we had ever had. Gabriel was always a gentle person, and he was never quick to anger. He didn’t even really get angry at anything, and that fight showed me the reason for that. The way that either of the two personas came to be dominant of the body was through strong emotions that fit them. For instance, Gabriel would have happiness for his, and anger was one for Erik. Whatever happened that night made Gabriel get angry, and that was my mistake. Gabriel was forced to relinquish his hold on the body to Erik. It was something that ruined my natural good graces. After all, being the cause for a powerful demon to be released wasn’t exactly something you’d put on a resume or anything, you know?

“It was a mistake Violet. I was so far gone I didn’t realize until the morning what had happened.”

“You slept with him. Again, Calli? Damn girl! This was the guy who ripped out your heart and burned it to smithereens! This is the same guy who stabbed you in the back. Literally!”

“I’m not proud of it, Violet!” I snapped. She looked at me like I didn’t even realize what this meant. To both of us. For me. It wasn’t good.

“Vi, look. I woke up, he was there. It took me a moment to figure out what happened, and I just…I told him to put his clothes on and get the hell out. At least I made sure to kick him out before I fell to pieces.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before? Why didn’t you call me right after it happened, Calli? It means they know where we are. We aren’t safe anymore.”

“They already knew where we were, Vi. How do you think Erik knew how to find me?”

“Adrienne told him, didn’t she?” Alex said as he finally caught up to what was going on. We were walking fast now, down Fifth Avenue and up another street I didn’t even both to notice which one. Alex was pretty sharp about what was going on in our lives, but then again he had to be. It was something that would help keep him alive. I nodded to him. Alex shook his head and Violet growled out in frustration.

“Did I mention how much I hate your sister lately, Calli?” she asked. The anger in her voice was quite clear. She really hated my sister, because it was usually Adrienne that was able to find us before any other demon. Well, we were connected, as most twins were. So, with the powers we both had, plus the new powers she had as a demon, Adrienne was able to sort of act as a…homing beacon to me for the demons. It was one of the conditions that came along with her deal. Every chance they got, the demons sweetened their end of the deal, because the fact they changed her before she was dead, they could change her back into a human if they chose to, if she didn’t go along with anything they wanted. My sister had always bitten off more than she could chew, but this went beyond anything she could possibly have done to hurt me. Sisterhood was not something we held in our vocabulary anymore. As far as Violet, Alex, and I were concerned, my sister was dead.

“Yeah, Vi. You mentioned it. Now, let’s go before he catches up.”

“You know we cannot outrun him, Calli.” Alex said. Always the one to point out the obvious. It was true, we couldn’t outrun him, but as soon as Alex and Violet were safely away and not paying attention, I was going back. I had to face the demons of my past, and that pun was so intended. As soon as we past Twenty-second Street, I ‘accidentally’ fell behind. Vi and Alex kept going, as I knew they would, unaware that I had fallen so far behind, and I completely stopped. I just stood there, in the now mid-day sun, and waited. It didn’t take him very long.

“Well now, I didn’t think you would make it this easy for me Calli-fornia.” He said. His voice was the same as it had always been. My memory didn’t even serve it justice. Erik’s tone was deep and demanding, smooth and rich, and it floated like silk down my body. Just hearing him talk sent unwanted shivers up and down my spine. He laughed a deep, throaty laugh seeing me shiver. I looked up at him, my eyes hard and cold. I did not want to deal with him; ever, ever again.

“Do not call me that.” I growled. I kept my voice low, just in case. You never knew who was listening. Erik smirked and it made his features become very prominent in his face. His dark blue eyes seemed bluer today, rather than looking black like they usually did. That however, could have been just because he was facing the sun. His jet-black hair had less blonde in it that the last time I had seen him. The transition from one persona to the other wasn’t exactly smooth. There was always some trace of whoever was dominant last apparent once it was all over. The last time they switched, there were blonde tips on the bottom of Erik’s hair. It was pulled back into a ponytail now, making him look more human than he normally would, but I could tell that the blonde was almost gone now. Had it really been that long, or did I just not want to remember anymore?

“You never had a problem with it before, Calli-fornia.” He said.

“That was a different time, Erik. Say what you came to say, and then leave me alone.”

“I can’t just leave this time, Calli. Virgil would have my head if I did.”

I just stared at him for a moment. Why was Vigil after me? Virgil was the second in command down there in Hell. Second to only Lucifer, of course, and he was sort of in charge of getting what needed to be done, done, which included getting me on their side. I’d already lost my good graces, but joining with them was simply something I could not do. Erik knew that, so he knew he was wasting his breath.

“Just leave, Erik. You’re wasting your time and breath.”

“I can’t leave Calli.”

“Get out of my life. Haven’t you spread your poison enough?” I asked him. I was getting angrier by the second. I didn’t want to have him anywhere near me again. His time of infecting my life was over, or that is what I kept trying to convince myself. Erik went to speak again, when he suddenly stopped and just smirked. That’s when I heard the footsteps. I knew who it was even before she spoke.

“Callista Leigh Rosier! You get away from her. Haven’t you spread your poison enough here?” Vi said, pulling me away from Erik and putting herself in-between us. It was easier to think when I wasn’t looking directly at him. I let out a breath and put a hand on Violet’s shoulder. She did, after all, have a tendency for violence. If she tried to fight Erik, I knew how it would end up. She was no match for someone like him.

“You know, Violet, that’s the second time someone has asked me that today.” Erik said. Alex was there then, and he put his hands on my shoulders. Trying to act like a big brother figure I guess, but Alex was only human. That was worse than anything when you were facing a demon. The weaker you are, the more you suffer, and the more enjoyment they get out of it. That was just the way of it.

“Come on guys. Let’s just go.” I said. Violet took a step towards Erik, and only my hand kept her from getting directly in his face.

“Tell Virgil, that we are not coming. We’d rather die first.”

“You know, if you die, you go to Heaven. If Calli dies, she just comes to stay with us anyways.” That threw Violet off for a moment, and then she regained her composure. She stared at him a moment longer, and then turned, and Alex turned me and we started walking away. Not even before we took ten steps, Erik spoke again, and it was all for me.

“You know Calli, if you really wanted to get this poison I spread out of your life, you’d stop wearing the necklace.”

“If I stopped wearing it, what would be coming after me, Erik?” I asked, without even pausing in my strides. I don’t think Alex or Violet would have even let me stop if I wanted to. Erik chuckled then.

“Everything and anything Virgil could throw at you.”

“Then why would I ever take it off?” I said, and then kept walking. I barely heard what he said, but I knew that the threat was real.

“I will find you, Calli. You know I will, and you will join us. You will join us.”

End Chapter One