Snippet #2484130

An alarm cawed at me, startling me from my sleep and reflexively I reached out and smacked it to turn off the offensive noise. I exhaled, staring at my ceiling in the early morning light.

Waking in the dark was something I would never get used to. It was always light by the time I left home, but waking in the dark was unnatural, in my opinion. Also in the opinion of many scientists; something about the way our brains react to light. Seemed like a good enough reason not to wake up before dawn to me.

I was surprised to find myself in my bed, though I could have sworn I had fallen asleep on the floor. I concluded that either my mother or the demon, Lucifer had moved me. I thought about the scenarios while I showered and got ready for school.

My first thought of these options was that neither seemed very likely. My mom was in good shape, but for her to have done it she’d have had to get into the room and with me sleeping against the door it was unlikely that could have happened without waking me up. Even being a sorceress I doubted she could have managed that.

That left Lucifer.

Instinct told me it was impossible, but I tossed the idea over in my mind while I braided my long dark hair to my left side and let it trail down my shoulder. Looking at my hand I noticed the marks on my finger hadn’t come off in the shower either. I thought I recognized them, but told myself I’d have to think about it later and grabbed a ring to cover it up.

Could Lucifer have been the one to put me in my bed?

The demon was a jerk. There was no way he would have even come to see how I was taking the news. And even then I doubted he would even think to put me in my bed. He would probably just laugh at how pathetic I was, falling asleep in front of the door like a toddler.

But he had said that I was to be his future wife. Perhaps amidst the annoyance of being trapped because I had somehow managed to summon him there was tenderness?

Alright, maybe not impossible. Just improbable.

I wondered about the possibility of this as slipped on my black flats, left my house and walked into the sunshine. It was always inevitable in my mind how the sun could make anything better. It was warm today and I felt it like an embrace as I left the cool confines of my air conditioned home.

Soon enough I was settled in an ocean of students. Though admittedly amongst the people wearing pyjama pants and sweaters I was one of the better dressed ones. I had chosen a grey and orange silk maxi dress. They were comfortable, but it was nice enough looking that I didn’t worry about whether or not I bumped into a good-looking guy through the day.

There had really always been this hope of meeting someone, of being loved and loving in return. But somehow I was never really interested in anyone I met in that sense. Guys had asked, even girls had asked, and all of them I politely refused on the grounds that I wasn’t going to settle for being okay with the person I was dating. I wanted to be ecstatic. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us if I were biding my time with someone. So that’s how I ended up being a 22 year-old virgin.

The lecture began and I let myself get lost in it. Late students milled in, but I paid them no mind. So long as they didn’t interrupt me I didn’t care how much of their own money they wasted. I was looking down at my notebook scribbling a sentence down on the pad when someone sat next to me. Male, I assumed by the look of the shoes, black converse. I kept writing.

“You should have woke me, I would have walked with you.”

The husky voice in my ear was familiar enough that I nearly jumped out of my skin. Never mind the sensual shiver that raced down through every cell of my body, all seeming to end in the budding of my nipples. I tried not to notice that. Staring at him in panic I tried to remind myself that I was in a classroom with three hundred people and my reaction could easily lead to my own embarrassment. I swallowed and exhaled, whispering in earnest, “Lucifer. What are you doing here?”

He replied handing me a Student I.D. Card with his picture on it. “My name is Chris here, love,” he said and I found myself staring at his lips.

Snapping out of it I frowned and shook my head. “Don’t call me love. I’m not anyone’s love,” I whispered back snappily and looked down at the card for a moment before handing it back to him. “So you’re just going to stalk me now?”

“Until you make a contract with me,” he replied casually, leaning back in his chair. I tried not to notice the way the hem of his shirt lifted just enough to expose a thin glimpse of his skin.

“Go to Hell,” I shot back forcing myself to stare at the front of the room.

“I am trying to,” he answered.

I glanced back at him and couldn’t help but crack a smile at the absurdity. No one else would admit to trying to go to Hell. I resolved to ignore him for the rest of the class and got through it with minimal suffering.

The rest of the day was sort of like that. Lucifer shadowing me to, I could only assume, learn my pattern so he could devise ways to torment me in the future. It wasn’t too bad, at least until a boy from my Thursday class approached me on my break between classes asking to have a word with me. I excused myself from Lucifer’s ever looming presence and followed the boy to the hall outside the study area wondering what I wanted.

“Did you need the notes from the last class?” I asked. “I don’t have them on me now but I could e-mail them-”

“Ellie, I think I’m in love with you,” he blurted.

I stared at him for a moment. I couldn’t even remember his name and he was saying that he loved me. He wasn’t half bad looking. Tall, blonde haired and blue eyed with straight teeth and nothing hideous defecting his features. He had freckles too. I was sort of in between with freckles. I found them sort of endearing but I wasn’t sure if I really like them on boys because they always seemed to make them look like children. Still. The guy deserved a chance.

“Kiss me,” I said.

He looked shocked, but then smiled. He seemed to take this as an affirmation of my feelings. So he leaned in and brushed his lips across mine, gently at first and then with more pressure. And it just felt like skin rubbing against skin. I pushed him back gently and smiled sadly at him. “I’m sorry, I cannot return your feelings.”

He looked dumbstruck. “W-was it that bad?”

I shook my head and smiled. “No, no there was nothing unpleasant about it. There just wasn’t any feeling to it,” I replied shrugging.

“Can I try again?” he asked, well, his tone made it sound more demanding.

I shook my head again. “No, I’m sorry, no,” I told him. “Excuse me.”

Returning to my table and Lucifer I was surprised to see him staring down the boy. Actually I was sort of surprised to see the boy still staring longingly after me. Creepy. But Lucifer was my main problem. I didn’t need him going demonic on this kid and eating his soul or his first born son. Or whatever demons did when they were angry. I waited until his gaze turned on me and I felt one of my eyebrows arch.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. There was something sort of exhilarating about knowing a man was possessive enough to look violent when other men pursued you. But Lucifer wasn’t mine and I wasn’t his. Not really.

“What puckered your asshole?” I asked bluntly.

“Elizabeth Raven, you do recall that we are betrothed,” he said flatly, though he looked like he might be considering smashing the table into tiny pieces.

“Well first off I didn’t agree to that. Second, you didn’t appear and get all pissy all of the other times,” I replied. “Are demons even monogamous, anyways?”

My points didn’t improve his mood. “Elizabeth I did not spend all of my time in Hell watching your adventures on Earth. I have work to do. Are you such a girl who just goes around giving herself to every man who asks?”

“I thought Demons had v-card radar or something,” I joked shrugging. When he still looked cranky I rolled my eyes. “I am a virgin, Lucifer. So no. I just kiss every man, or woman for that matter, who professes some kind of deeper feeling for me.”

This stumped him. I could see the confusion flicker in his eyes and his furrowed eyebrows twitched a little. I tried not to smile. I had to admit the fact that the demon prince was puzzled was kind of cute. So I let him stew in his frustration for a little longer.

“Why?” he asked finally.

I tugged at the end of my braid and chewed at my lip. I’d never had to explain it to someone before, but I guess I owed the man my reasons. Not really owed him, but I owed it to the people he might try to track down and kill if I didn’t clear the air here.

“Well, I’m picky I guess,” I said.

“You call kissing everyone picky?” he deadpanned. I blushed a little.

“It’s not like I’m making out with them. It’s just a basic kiss. A test-drive if you will,” I tried to explain. When he still looked unconvinced I sighed and admitted defeat. I’d have to completely admit it. “Look, I guess I’m kind of crazy, but I just kind of believe that if it’s the one, or even a one, just someone I’m actually attracted to on a physical level at least, that it wont feel like… Well I guess not it wont feel like… it will feel like something else. I don’t know. Exciting? A rush? Like in those sappy books where it makes your toes curl.”

He was quiet for a moment and I stared at him, unable to tell if he understood what I was getting at. Then he burst into a fit of laugher. Hysterical laughter.

“You… you mean to tell me you wont…go out with someone…unless your toes curl when they kiss you?” He was spluttering between gasps and laughter.

My face was suddenly hot. He totally thought I was a twit, which was exactly why I didn’t really tell people. I gathered up my books and tried to ignore that he was practically crying because he was laughing so hard.

“Yes, as a matter of fact. I just don’t want to waste anyone’s time or get anyone’s hopes up.” I snapped. “Maybe if you’re lucky I wont find anyone by the time I’m like 40 and I’ll have to marry you to avoid becoming a cat lady. Then you wont have to be so jealous.”

Turning on my heel I stormed off from the table. I had to get to my next class. Demons in Anthropology. Then I could go home and look for a way to get rid of Lucifer so I could get on with my life.