The Secret Child of the Devil

Hide The Evil Behind/Look For The Light

Next morning, Zoe woke up with a headache and a sore throat. She walked inside the bathroom and washed her face, never expecting to see her image in the mirror so different.

The commander had a red substance in each corner of her eye, like veins broke inside her eyes. She blinked a few times but nothing happened; the substance only continued to pour into her eye, darkening her image. She also noticed scratches on her chin, signs of someone forcefully grabbing it; someone like Belial, whose fingers were sharp and burnt.

She used make up to cover the scratches but her eyes were impossible to cover thus Zoe had to use sunglasses; outside was winter and definitely not sunny and she had sunglasses on.

When she got downstairs for breakfast, she only saw her father and the maid. She quickly took a seat as far as possible from her father before the maid placed a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her. Zoe noticed the strange glance the maid threw her when she noticed the sunglasses but she probably heard of Zoe's peculiar past already because she didn't utter a word and left the kitchen.

"Your mother and aunt went out to buy things for the party. Later, they will drag you out to get your make-up and hair done." Magnus Lestrade started, his attention still on the newspaper though.

His tone had no feelings while announcing her schedule for the day.

"Are you alright?" Mr. Lestrade asked as soon as he put down the newspaper, "You wear sunglasses on a winter day, Zoe." It sounded even worse when he pointed it out.

"My eyes hurt but it's going to be fine. I spent too much time in front of a computer," She lied,"You don't seem surprised," She added when she noticed just how relaxed her father was.

Mr. Lestrade chuckled and leaned towards her, "Can you blame me?"

She understood that feeling well; after a while, one gets used to surprises and strange responses to strange issues.

"Mom invited the whole neighbourhood tonight?" She started randomly taking the fork and knife and cutting her eggs.

Her father nodded, having the same horrified expression as her. Not many noticed during her childhood and especially not during her past problems in high school but Zoe was a lot like her father. Maybe they didn't look alike but their minds were working the same way and had the same reactions to unexplainable and explainable stuff.

"You better call someone to come and act as your date or your aunt will find you one," He stated before he returned to his newspaper.

Her eyes widened and she remembered just what kind of men her aunt knew; that was a no, no.

Zoe shook her head quickly and removed upcoming images from her mind. She had to call someone ASAP.

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The first on the list was Terry solely because he was the closest man, both physically and emotionally, that her family knew.

"I'm sorry but I'll come with my girlfriend."

She stared at the phone with a blank face, completely startled by his response.

"You have a girlfriend?" She sounded impressed.

The young human scoffed, "Is that such a big shock? I wasn't going to wait for you forever, you know," His response stung a little.

"But Mehrdir would," She mumbled away from the phone.

"What?" He didn't hear well but he did catch the name Mehrdir in her sentence.

Zoe was comparing two males who had nothing in common and were from different worlds.It was a big mistake placing such different species on the same level and she quickly shook Mehrdir's image out of her head.

"Nothing. Just, I can't wait to meet your girlfriend!"

He chuckled and hung up.

Next on the list was Alec but she quickly erased it when she remembered he was seeing someone already and could easily expose her. In the end, she wanted someone who could lie not say stupid stories.

"Demons lie better than anyone," She mumbled to herself.

Out of reflex, Zoe almost dialled Ezekiel's number but she stopped in time. Maybe Ezekiel wasn't at home in the first place and maybe she already dragged him into her mess for a lifetime; he needed time with normal people.

Maybe Jasper could- no, no. he still had a lot to learn. She could call Henry or even Jake but if her mother would start to talk about her past, they would get scared and she wouldn't be able to see them ever again.

Zoe groaned and dropped her head on the table,tired and frustrated. She raised her head a little to look at the time and sighed heavily when she realized she had little to no time until her aunt and mother will arrive. Zoe also noticed the box she got from her grandfather, standing on the dresses suspiciously inviting. She grabbed it and got on the bed, putting it down staring at it intensely.

"What's in here?" She wondered out loud.

The commander bit her lip and opened it. Inside the lid was an inscription in demon language and it was addressed to the commander; moreover, the commander's name was-

"Beelzebub." She whispered.

Inside the box was an old pocket watch from the Victorian era probably, if not even older. Zoe inspected it closely but it didn't look dangerous at all; if anything, it was an amazing piece yet broken. She turned it and read what was carved on the back.

It seemed to be a response to what was written inside the lid.

"Nothing can shatter the loyalty of a demon. Don't trust and don't love a demon. Don't trust and don't love me." Zoe read out loud.

Maybe if she was normal, she wouldn't have understood the meaning behind those words but she wasn't and she felt her heart break a little. She took the box and read the inside text again.

"Between Heaven and Hell, the door is thin and inviting. Between Earth and Hell, the door is wide opened. Thus, keep the demons out and trust the angels. Thus, hide the evil behind a curtain of mist and look for the light." She finished.

It was interesting how both messages were written by a demon and both messages were encouraging people to forget there is evil in the world and just search for the good and live peacefully.

The pocket watch was broken, unfortunately. It was stuck on 12 o'clock and it didn't have any mechanism inside. Once she touched it with her right hand, the clock's tongues turned wildly until they stopped on the right time; Zoe checked it on her phone.

The watch suddenly started to work and it moved on the right hour when she grabbed it and lightly squeezed it in her palm. She dropped it on the bed but the clock magically repaired itself, like it wasn't even stuck before.

Did her grandfather know the truth about it?

She didn't have time to ask. As soon as her mother came home, they dragged Zoe out. She gulped when she got pushed inside her aunt's car.

"We're going to have so much fun!"

Zoe doubted that.

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Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. Her mother let her choose her own dress but they forced her to look for heels. The make-up was light and made her eyes look bigger; fortunately by the time she went out, her eyes came back to normal.

They decided to arrange her hair into a bun so her long neck and collarbone would stand out and attract the men, as her aunt insisted. Overall, the three women got pampered and the finished product was amazing.

The whole preparation took around four hours. When they got home, the men were in suits and the living room was decorated with lights and colourful tinsel. Her mother loved to decorate herself but Christmas was an exception; Mrs. Lestrade liked impressive parties with decorations of high quality made by professionals so she hired a company and gave them more than they deserved.

The men of the house seemed surprised by their wives and daughters. Mrs. Lestrade looked amazing and younger than she was; her blonde hair was curled up and the black dress was showing off her long legs.

On the other side, Zoe looked like a younger brunette version of her mother, standing tall and imposing for a woman her age. It was amazing how Magnus Lestrade was looking at his wife with such sparks in his eyes, like she was the centre of his world and she was shining brighter than the stars and moon.

Zoe felt happy for them but she also felt tinge of sadness and disappointment for herself. She wanted to meet a man that would look at her the same way her father was looking at her mother; unfortunately, that man may never do something like that.

"So Zoe, I have this colleague that will come tonight. He works in my law firm and he is both rich and handsome. What more can you wish for, right?" Her aunt was getting excited already.

Zoe chuckled nervously; she had no choice but to nod her head and agree. There was no backup plan for that problem.

As her aunt was already planning Zoe's future with that handsome and rich man, the victim walked upstairs. She let the door to her room open and looked into the mirror at her image.

Dressed in a fancy long sleeveless gown that was squishing her breasts together with diamonds knitted along the sides down to the tulle. It was a dark colour, unlike the bright red dresses her mother liked but it was definitely showing her slim and elegant figure well.

Her eyes became normal once she touched the pocket watch but she was still scared that her orbs would spontaneously turn yellow; she wouldn't be surprised after what happened in the past and all the craziness she's been through.

"Zoe?"

At the mention of her name, the girl turned towards the door where she saw her grandmother smiling in a stylish dress. Zoe wouldn't expect any less from a former fashion designer.

"You look beautiful!" The old woman admired her niece, making Zoe smile.

Her grandmother had such a soft voice that she couldn't help but feel comfortable around and protected.

"Thank you. You don't look very excited for the party, though,"

The old woman chuckled, "I lived my life and went to parties when I was young. Now, I'm more interested in what my grandchildren want to do."

Zoe laughed. Her grandmother used to be a party animal but once she became a mother, she softened up and learned how to control her desires.

"I heard you got your present earlier," The elder started while walking inside the room,"Did you open the box?"

Zoe nodded, "I did."

Her grandmother sighed and sat on the bed, her hands neatly placed on her lap as not to crease her dress.

"What did you find inside?"

Zoe's eyes narrowed slightly at the older woman, her smile falling into a thin line, "An old pocket watch,"

Her grandmother nodded and took a long glance around the room, sighing while doing so, "This room doesn't feel occupied at all. It's empty and gives off such bad energies. It was never your room; not even when you were a kid. Your mother didn't let you live your childhood freely. She had a lot of rules and you broke them all,"

Zoe was curious where that was going.

"I'm sorry,"

Well that was a surprise, indeed.

"It wasn't your fault," Zoe responded and sat next to her grandmother.

The old woman's eyes saddened and grabbed Zoe's hand. She caressed it softly before she turned it around and pressed her thumb in the middle of her palm. The sign became visible and it started to glow, Zoe's eyes widening at what her grandmother was going to say about it.

"I was supposed to be the commander in this family. I hated it and passed it on to my best friend. She married the inheritor and they had a great family but you got stuck with this title." The old woman started softly,"I used dark magic to curse you. I didn't want to have the pressure of the commander or have my children suffer because of it. The demon told me that the deal will only backfire later on but I didn't care as long as it wasn't me. I didn't expect you to be the victim."

That frail hand slipped from her grandmother's grip and fell on the bed, the glow fading away along with Zoe's expectations.

"You knew the truth." She stated as she got on her feet and walked away from her grandmother, "You knew I could see ghosts and demons and you didn't say anything?!" She screamed, startling her grandmother with just how loud and angry it sounded, "You could have taken me in and help me understand what was wrong with me but you didn't! You stayed aside and watched mom throw me into an asylum!"

Saying that Zoe was angry was an underestimation; she was having a mental and emotional breakdown because this time it wasn't a friend or an acquaintance; no, it was her freaking grandmother, blood from her blood.

She couldn't even look her grandmother in her eyes because she was afraid she was going to do something she will regret later. The building annoyance and the anxiety were growing fast and she could feel her eyes getting teary and a chill crawl up her legs.

Once her eyes landed back on her grandmother, the yellow circle in her eyes became bigger and better defined in the place of her iris.

"I'm sorry. I tried to make another deal but they didn't accept," The woman continued in an apologizing tone.

Zoe narrowed her eyes at her, "Of course not! Demons are manipulative! They're smart and know when to attack and how deep to scar you to have you in the palm of their hand!" Zoe lashed out at the former designer.

The older woman raised an eyebrow and leaned closer, "You seem to know that well,"

At the sound of that last sentence, Zoe's wiped her sweaty palm on her dress, "Of course I know! I've been bullied by demons ever since I was a baby! They never showed kindness to me. They never offered me a deal. They played with me and with my feelings and now, now I have to fight for the one who helped me more than my family ever did! A demon, grandma! A fucking demon!"

The woman looked down fidgeting nervously. She was feeling awful but that was nothing compared to how Zoe was feeling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to awaken so early. I didn't even expect you to be cursed. I tried to find an explanation and cover it up but it was in vain. And then, you moved to London and I lost track of your life!" She was coming up with reasons that couldn't stand in that discussion.

Zoe wasn't going to show any remorse for her family. She got nothing from them except pressure and pain; besides, she got chosen as the commander because of a freaking deal! Zoe became the commander just because her grandmother found a way to pass it to someone else.

"I'm not like you, grandma," Zoe started, walking closer to the elder, "I'm going to take responsibility of what I am. It's not even a curse any more. It's a gift and you were so scared that you couldn't see the good it brings you," Zoe said coldly before she left.

Walking downstairs she was feeling like crying. She really wanted to pour her sadness and disappointment in a good and long cry but she couldn't. The guests were coming and she had to look perfect.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, breathing in and out for a few times before she calmed down. When she opened her eyes, she realized that everything was just a charade. She was nothing but another liar in that family.

The party was beginning at 8 o'clock sharp.

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Meanwhile, in her apartment, Mehrdir and Eneizar were standing in the kitchen, looking at each other.

"Did you feel it?" Eneizar asked fidgeting.

The greed demon sighed and rubbed his face, "She's breaking. If we don't do something, she's going to be another puppet in Belial's hands." Mehrdir responded with a frown.

Eneizar agreed. The vanity demon groaned and scratched his head before he jumped on his feet and started to rub his back.

"We both know the truth about her family. They did everything in their power to make her the perfect child, they gave her everything as long as she was acting normal. They thought she was hallucinating,"

Mehrdir knew all of the above; he was the main reason for that because he loved to mess with Zoe's head when she was in school. It made him feel good about himself but he never thought that she would turn the tables around.

"She's a real commander, Mehrdir. She gained this title when she stood up against Leviathan and Asmodeus. She has the courage to stand in front of Lucifer. She is one in a million and Hell knows that." Eneizar continued.

Mehrdir leaned against the table and rubbed his eyes, feeling like his body was going to split soon.

"It means nothing if she breaks now,"

It was amazing how much Zoe changed Eneizar and Iaosur; from demons who wouldn't care and wouldn't regret, they became so loyal and had every reason to be; she had the power to rule.

"Wake up and do something! You are the only thread she's holding onto. Beelzebub knows how much she loves you. Nothing stands between you and her; nothing but your pride as a demon!" Eneizar shouted and glared at the greed demon. He waited for an answer but when it didn't come, he rolled his eyes and left.

A few minutes later, the greed demon walked in her room and looked for something in the drawers.

Ezekiel was talking to Jasper when the demon barged in.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Ezekiel was surprised. He had never seen Mehrdir in such a hurry; not even when she was in danger and that was saying a lot about his personality.

"Prepare or find some suits. We're going to Zoe's Christmas Party." He announced.

The humans looked at each other in confusion.

"Why?" Jasper asked. He still didn't know everything that happened between the demon and the young commander but it was so complicated from what he picked on.

"Because I'm going to admit my feelings and I'm sure you'd like to be there to see it."

Mehrdir was sarcastic but that line triggered something in Ezekiel, making him grab his phone and call for a renting shop.

"Hello? I'd like six suits please. Doesn't matter the colour as long as it's dark." Ezekiel nodded at whatever he's been told before continuing, "Can you deliver them in like, 15 minutes?" He frowned and nodded, "Alright. Thanks!" He hung up and smiled at the two males, "They'll deliver them in 15 minutes. You get all handsome!" Ezekiel said while looking at Jasper before he turned to Mehrdir with a frown, "You make yourself look human."

Mehrdir nodded and left right away.

It took only five minutes for Ezekiel, Chen and Jasper to look classy. On the other hand, Gakhas' face was making it hard; the demon had a constant poker face and would rarely show a smile. In a suit he looked like a teenager but wasn't acting like one. Of course, that wasn't the case for Eneizar and Iaosur who looked young and charming.

Once they got the suits, Ezekiel realized how different they all looked. The demons had a certain pride and a certain glow that made them stick out in the crowd. Eneizar and Iaosur were dressed in black suits, complimenting their height and slim bodies. On the other side, Gakhas was wearing a white grey suit and looked ready for prom. Mehrdir was probably the biggest change since he finally looked like a gentleman in his dark red suit.

Ezekiel looked charming with his hair arranged and the suit was making him look taller than he was. Chen finally looked like a man his age, really charming and a bit maybe like a host; but that was because of his personality.

"Alright. I already called a cab, we're good to go." Ezekiel smiled at his friends excitedly and rubbed his hands together.

The demons weren't going to appear in the Lestrade Residence and make a big mess. They hated the idea of taking the car but they complied; of course, they whined for the whole ride but it was better than staying at home for Christmas.

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Zoe rolled her eyes for the tenth time that night. Her aunt came over with a man that looked acceptable; he was as tall as Iaosur and as blonde as Eneizar; Zoe didn't fancy blonde men, actually.

When he started to talk, Zoe blocked his voice out completely for the simple reason that he was already acting like a prick. She was sick of men like that, talking about themselves and their career. She grabbed another glass of champagne and drunk it in one gulp, taking another one as soon as the waiter passed by.

"So, what do you do?"

Zoe felt like groaning when he started to ask things about her.

"I work as a webtoon artist," She mumbled.

The man tried to hide his disapproval but he didn't do a good job at it. Zoe sighed and gulped her champagne in one shot.

"Do you usually drink so much?" His tone ticked her off.

"No. I usually don't drink." She retorted, the man raising an eyebrow at her cold response.

She was glancing around when he took the glass from her hand and placed it on the table; he actually pushed her towards the gigantic Christmas tree before wrapping his hands around her and starting to dance. Zoe noticed the happy and content gazes of her family but she was feeling like she was going to throw up.

Zoe danced one song, two songs but had no patience for the third. She told him she had to take a seat and regain her breath and surprisingly enough, he agreed and unfortunately followed her. Having someone following her wasn't strange as long as that person was either Ezekiel or Chen. She closed her eyes and fidgeted, feeling like she was being suffocated with attention.

Luckily, the bell rung and she offered to go and check it out. The guests were all there; no one was missing. Freaking Terry was having a good time with his freaking pretty girlfriend. It was annoying because everyone was having fun except Zoe.

The young woman sighed and opened the door, expecting some pompous couple to scowl at her for being so late in opening the door for them. But on the other side was not a couple but six men dressed in dark suits and looking extremely fit. Ezekiel was the one who knocked so he was the closest, standing with wide smile on his face. He looked like a neat puppy from what she could see.

Her eyes inspected every man and couldn't deny how attractive they all looked in suits; like models taken from fashion magazines. Mehrdir was the last, in the back behid Iaosur and he was extremely uncomfortable. When their eyes met, Zoe felt butterflies in her stomach and a sudden pleasing chill went down her whole body; he was perfect.

"Who's at the door, dear?" Her mother came behind her and checked out what was happening. In front of her door were six handsome young men,"Who are these?"

Zoe's eyes moved on Ezekiel, "My friends."

Her mother raised an eyebrow and stared at them. She did recognize Chen and Ezekiel from the hospital but the others were new.

"I invited them." Zoe continued.

Her mother nodded and let them in, "Why didn't you tell me?" Louise asked her daughter once the surprise guests entered.

"I wasn't sure if they would come or not. They have their own families."

Her mother bought that reason and walked to her husband, glancing at the new guests on the way, especially the blonde.

Once the boys got comfortable, Eneizar and Iaosur walked towards the table, each grabbing a glass of champagne and surveying the living room. Most women weren't staring, as they were used to because almost every man in the room had some kind of charm; the demons were fitting in, not drawing attention.

Gakhas and Chen walked towards the table and grabbed some snacks. They weren't concerned with the party and why they were there in the first place.

Ezekiel and Jasper stayed behind with Zoe. She was dressed in a long dress that was showing off her figure, her hair was in a bun and had a few strings of hair let loose on each side of her face. She was beautiful and Ezekiel couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Why did you come?" She asked, though she tried to keep her voice down.

"We don't really know. Mehrdir and Eneizar went in the kitchen and talked about something. It ended up with Mehrdir looking for suits and here we are." Ezekiel responded and looked warily at her mother. She was staring at him and talking to a woman, "Your mother is freaking me out already." He added, hiding behind his glass of champagne.

"Ignore her." She added fast, "When did he get this sudden revelation?"

"An hour ago. We moved fast." Jasper responded.

The inheritor was amazed by the decorations and the house itself; it was huge and it reminded him of home. His family would often gather for Christmas and have parties. That stopped when he got sent to Japan and Caleb moved out.

"You should ask Mehrdir." Ezekiel gave her an encouraging push toward the demon before he left with Jasper.

Zoe took a deep breath and walked towards Mehrdir. He was staring at her expectantly when suddenly, someone interfered. It was the annoying mediocre rich man.

"You disappeared for a minute. Let's-" He didn’t have time to finish his sentence when someone tapped his back and pushed him a little to the side, "Excuse me, who are you?"

Zoe was impressed that Mehrdir came and interrupted. He wasn't the type to act as she noticed throughout time.

The demon stuck his hand out and the males shook hands, which was quite funny in a way.

"Mehrdir. I am Zoe's lover,"

The whole room turned to them at that specific moment. The demon announced that loud enough for it to echo through the room. Her parents were taken aback but the demons felt like clapping.

"Finally," Ezekiel muttered with a wide smile on his face.

"Did you record that? Did someone catch it on tape?" Chen asked around excitedly.

But the one whose reaction mattered was speechless; Zoe couldn't move nor think. Once realization hit her, her blue eyes widened and could still hear those words echoing in her mind.

Zoe's lover. Zoe's lover. Lover.

"Her aunt told me she doesn't have a boyfriend,"

The rich guy was partially right. Zoe didn't have one and Mehrdir was going through an issue every time she would tell him she cared.

"She has now." Mehrdir responded bluntly.

The demon narrowed his eyes at the human and squeezed his hand a little too tight. The human retracted his arm quickly and watched as Mehrdir grabbed his date and started to dance with her.

"I didn't know you can dance." She mumbled.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I can't,"

Mehrdir wasn't breathing but she felt his voice vibrate through her whole body.

"Who was that?" He asked while glaring at the human from the corner of his eye.

She wasn't sure if she should smile or not because then, everything would fade away and she would probably realize it was a dream all along.

"No one important," She whispered, squeezing his back, "Why did you come here?"

He scoffed, "Isn't that obvious?"

She tilted her head to the side and bit her lower lip. His eyes moved down to her lips and swallowed; he really wanted to kiss her.

"No. Explain it to me." She licked her lips and smirked.

Zoe was aware of what she was doing but wasn't aware it was genuinely working. She was tempting him to kiss her in front of her family and a bunch of other people.

"Mehrdir?" She asked, his name coming out of her mouth as a breathe.

His eyes moved up for a moment to catch the glint in her eyes. She was mischievous and had no idea who she was playing with; however, Mehrdir smirked and leaned in. He shocked everyone but mostly himself when he kissed her. It wasn't deep or sensual but it was significant.

"I love you," He mumbled.

Zoe eyes widened and her smile fell; her heart beat was so fast that it could jump out of her chest and at the same time, she shuddered. Mehrdir chuckled when he saw how red her cheeks got and pulled her closer.

"I love you, Zoe." He repeated softly, looking deep into her eyes.

She gulped the excess of saliva and the excess of nervousness. The young commander was a mess and he was smirking cockily because he knew he was the reason. She rose on her toes and pecked him before she wrapped her hands around his waist tightly.

"I love you too, you idiot," She responded, a bit muffled since she was hugging him tightly and her face was hidden in the crook between his neck and collar.

He chuckled and caressed her back softly. For the first time ever, Mehrdir felt like he did the right thing in his life. He was complete because he finally recognized his feelings; it felt like a lot of pressure just faded away.

"I feel like crying," Eneizar stated as the group gathered together. He glanced at Ezekiel and saw him shed a few happy tears,"You are-"

Iaosur covered his mouth, "Shut up and enjoy the sight. You won't see it again soon."

Eneizar rolled his eyes and pushed Iaosur's hand off.

"Isn't this amazing? I mean, even Beelzebub got tired of seeing him stalk her," Gakhas commented; he saw the two bicker about that, "I wonder why he didn't kill him and why he let him fall for her." The sloth demon wondered out loud.

Ezekiel took a hankie from the table and wiped his nose. Chen rolled his eyes and patted his friend bemusedly.

"Because he is the only one that cared enough to stay by her side. Even if it was an obsession in the beginning, he saw her grow up and become the commander. It may sound weird but I think it was fate," Ezekiel responded happily.

The demons glanced at each other before they started to laugh; well, except Gakhas who only rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't. It was Beelzebub's plan, I'm sure of it," Eneizar stated grabbing everyone's attention, "The story of the commander is real and Beelzebub did fall in love with a human. The only difference between the tale and the truth is the pregnancy; the woman wasn't pregnant when Beelzebub found her. He tried to keep her away but she was stubborn and even got pregnant with his child. The truth is that she tried to take her life and get to her lover but that would have only sent her to Satan so Beelzebub took measures. He gave her a box with an ancient pocket watch on which he carved a protection spell. It was his way to say good bye forever." Eneizar continued his tale.

The humans were shocked.

"You mean-"

Eneizar didn't let Ezekiel finish his sentence, "Yep. The commander is actually the daughter of Beelzebub, not his sister. Beelzebub is lying to himself, covering every ounce of truth but I have my ways. Unlike Lucifer, Beelzebub has always had big plans for the commander but none realized the truth and none accepted their fate. Zoe is the only commander that took the title as a gift not as a curse," Eneizar turned to Ezekiel and smirked, "You did that. You opened her eyes. That's probably why Beelzebub is fine with your friendship and accepts all the legacy bullocks,"

The human hummed and rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully, "So that's what she meant,"

It finally made sense.

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Mehrdir and Zoe were talking in the corner when her mother came over. She saw them kissing and that was enough to pique her interest.

"Zoe, you didn't tell me you have a boyfriend,"

Mehrdir raised an eyebrow and squeezed Zoe's hand lightly, making her smile.

"We fought," Zoe responded, "But we're fine now." She continued, looking into those dark eyes that she loved so much.

Her mother inspected Mehrdir from head to toe and she quite liked what she was seeing. He seemed to be a serious young man with a nice career but with a troublesome personality. Something about him was dark and suspicious.

"Are you rich?" Her mother was blunt, just like her daughter.

"I might be,"

Her mother glanced at Zoe who was chuckling and enjoying his answers.

"Do you work? Or is your family giving you money?"

Mehrdir stared at the older woman with a certain superior glint in his eyes, "I have a business."

"What kind of business?" Her mother's tone changed. She was the strict woman Mehrdir remembered; the one who forced Zoe into an asylum.

"Music business," He lied, smirking charmingly,"My agency represents students from K University. I'm sure you heard of Yun. He is one of the best entertainers and teaches Ezekiel and Chen," He pointed at the two innocent humans.

Her mother sighed and nodded. She had more questions for the man and she was curious what his family was like, especially since he seemed so mysterious thus placing Zoe and the Lestrade family in the centre of the gossiping circle.

Thankfully, her sister called her over, needing her there when she was talking to an important business man in London.

Louise turned to Mehrdir and forced a polite smile, "Well, come visit us again, Mehrdir."

The demon nodded and smiled like a gentleman. Her mother blushed faintly and walked back to her husband and sister, glancing still at Zoe and her mysterious boyfriend.

Zoe chuckled and hit him playfully, "You are such a smooth talker,"

Mehrdir leaned towards her and whispered, "Not enough. If you look at her, she's still glancing every so often and doubts who I am and what I do,"

"That's because you appeared at the opportune moment and she doesn't believe in coincidences," She added bemusedly.

Mehrdir was ready to respond when he felt his spine crack and legs suddenly tremble. He looked at the other demons and they were all going through the same thing.

A sudden earthquake moved the whole house from side to side for a few seconds, taking everyone by surprise, even the demons.

Once the earthquake stopped, Zoe's vision darkened and she leaned against the wall, hising her eyes from the guests. People were moving around, impatient and scared even if Louise and her sister were trying to calm them down.

"Zoe, are you alright?" Mehrdir asked, a slight tremble in his voice.

She shook her head and glanced at him, uncovering the true eyes of the commander. Mehrdir took a step back, gasping at the sight of her demon eyes. He could see it in the way the yellow substance filled her whole eye while her pupil widened itself and became completely red. Those eyes didn't just change out of nowhere and both Mehrdir and Zoe could feel it;

The war was coming.
♠ ♠ ♠
Done! The second part is done and we're finally getting to the grotesque part of this trilogy!

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