Raziel thought that over, whether she should have expected that question or not was something she was a little uncertain of, and her instinctive answer was no. However, just as Albaer’s mouth opened to say no, she gave it a second thought. She then closed his mouth and nodded.

A quick shrug and she said, “Alright, why not? Maybe it will drive the point home about just what you’re dealing with. I’m going to stand up, lay Albaer’s body down on the carpet, and then I will emerge. Don’t think you can run, I promise you that whether with my wings or with my feet, I can catch you. If I have to chase you down, I’ll ‘drop you off’ at home from a thousand feet up.”

Lisa shivered, there was no mercy to be had in that voice.

Albaer’s body stood up, stepped back, and then with glacial slowness lay down on his back.

Lisa watched with a mix of fascination and horror, it wasn’t lost on her that this ‘possessing demon’ was taking a great deal of care with the body of Albaer, and that was almost more disturbing than her presence in the first place.

The ratio of which was more disturbing however, began to change when she saw the demon come into view. Lisa inched herself back against the wall, spreading her arms with palms flat against the white painted plaster on either side of the corner to which she’d withdrawn, her feet pushing against the carpet, every fiber of her being eager to just put one more hair’s distance between herself and what she was seeing.

Rising slowly over the top of Albaer’s body, a red skinned demon woman was changing from translucent to a flesh, an honest to god demon, right down to the bone white horns emerging from the sides of her skull, which came to sharp points at the forehead.

The skin shone red as freshly washed cherries, trending toward the shade of darkened blood. She came into view straddling Albaer, the position looking lewd enough that Lisa’s horror was mixed with jealousy. Yet other than the nature of the position, Lisa could not feel any illicit intent. The demoness bent up at the waist and gave a lingering look to the sleeping young man. “Stay sleeping, my Albaer.” She said and stroked his cheek, then stood, her wings popped out from her back to spread wide apart, her arms stretched and she yawned to reveal vicious, knife-like teeth above and below in her mouth. On a more familiar level, had Lisa not been told that Raziel was a succubus, she would have guessed it immediately. From the sultry curves and breasts barely contained by the dark shaded top, with her flat, toned red belly exposed, and lean strong arms which carried talon sharp finger tips at the hands. The fact that the demoness before her had not sliced his cheek with her fingers was both a shock and a relief to Lisa, who remained as far from the monster of mythology as the cursed wall allowed her to be.

Raziel put a hand on her hip and waved the other up and down the length of herself as if to say, ‘take it all in’. “What’s that saying you humans like at surprise reveals? Voila? Ta-Da? Something like that?”

She didn’t wait for the answer to the question she hadn’t cared about, instead Raziel made a slow, steady, seductive walk toward the red haired human girl and brought her wings close so that the black tips pressed to the white plaster. Raziel then brought her hands in close, on either side of Lisa’s head, pressing her red palms flat. She bared her fangs and her bright ruby eyes caught the light to glint and cast Lisa’s fear filled reflection back at her.

“Do I need to say anything more, ‘human’?” Raziel asked rhetorically.

“I… no… no… no I won’t ever say anything! Never, I’ll never say a word… but is he happy? He likes you? Likes your s-sister? Can I talk to him?” She tried to lean and look past the demon, but the ink black wings obscured her view, their leather impenetrable to Lisa’s limited eyes.

Lisa’s heart palpitated madly in her chest, trapped under the demoness’ eyes, she sought an escape that didn’t exist.

“No. Not today. This has been hard enough and I won’t risk it. He needs rest, possession takes a toll on his body and on ours. Just remember what the consequences will be if you betray him again. I will drag you down into the pits of hell myself if I have to, Lisa. My sister got her way with you once, but I don’t trust remorse alone. Lots of people are sorry for the things they do, that doesn’t always stop them from doing it twice.” Raziel held back the sigh, but Lisa showed some unexpected backbone.

She clenched her fists and stared through tears of fear and frustration, “But is he happy?!” Lisa demanded.

“Of course not. What is this, one of your cartoons where a stranger comes along and fixes all the protagonist’s problems with a kiss? Are you stupid, little girl? His last childhood friend betrayed him for popularity, his entire town blames him for his father’s actions, his mother is always gone, how on earth could you think I or my sister can make him ‘happy’ through all that?!” Raziel hissed. “We do what we can for him, I will fight for him, my sister will heal him. We laugh, we play games, we do have fun, and…” Raziel smiled with quiet contentment, “he has a charming smile when he’s not being so serious. We make his life better, that’s all that we can do.”

“I want to make it right though! I have to!” Lisa quietly exclaimed, “I have to do it because…”

She looked down, her clenched fists unfurled.

“You’re not going to confess your love for him and expect sympathy from me, are you, human?” Raziel looked at her with incredulity, her dark eyebrows furrowed and her arms crossed in front of her chest again, but the bat wings still barred the way of Lisa’s eyes and where the boy quietly slept.

“No… no… What I mean is… the reason Albaer’s father did what he did, it’s because he was protecting my mother.” Lisa whimpered, the piercing gaze of the demon seemed to burrow into the depths of her soul, dredging up words that Lisa begged God to help her keep quiet.

But God wasn’t listening, only the succubus.

“You say that like that’s supposed to make sense.” Raziel said with disinterest.

“A lot of people knew about the scam… I know because it’s a small place. I heard my parents talking to each other and to others, and the way they always shushed me when I asked what they were talking about. Albaer’s father was part of it, but he wasn’t the only one involved. One man couldn’t do all that, the state prosecutors were after a lot of people, but Mr. Lamark was the key, he killed himself to take what he knew to the grave and let people go back to normal lives… our lives went on, and the whole town turned on Albaer.”

“Wow.” Raziel shook her head, “You’re awful, awful people.”

Lisa wanted to argue, but found no words that would allow her to do a good job of it.

“I don’t think anyone was supposed to get hurt but… nobody could have stopped things after a certain point, and then people started dying, including people here.” Lisa confessed, “I was a coward, I just wanted a normal life…”

“Hmpf, so first Albaer’s father was sacrificed on the altar of your convenience, and then Albaer follows. What a wonderful place.” Raziel hissed with disgust.

Raziel looked away from her and toward the door. “Just get out. If you really want to make things right, you can start by not making things worse. And remember this, if ever you do, I’ll never stop chasing you, if you want to talk to him, do it at school. For now, let him rest, he needs it.” Raziel said and moved her left wing out of the way, allowing Lisa to walk out alive.

The green eyed girl gave a lingering, longing look to the sandy haired boy and watched when, to her surprise, the demon crouched at his side and picked him up with the utmost care to avoid disturbing his rest, and then carried him back to his room without paying her any further mind.

And Lisa had no idea what to make of that… or anything else.