Angel Of Death

Ashley shivered where she was on the ground but it was not because of the cold weather. It was because of whoever was here with her. She was so scared and her heart raced in her chest as her imaginations ran wild. She thought of a lot of scary things. Was that one of the spirits she had thought of when she was entering this place?

Ashley was too afraid to make a sound or move an inch. Lightning shone into the room again, this time she saw clearly and her eyes widened.

He stood by the corner of the steps looking so scary, in all black again for that matter. Ashley didn't know whether to be relieved or even feel more scared. She didn't know what to do at all and soon she heard him speak then a loud thunder together with lightning followed.

"You're not supposed to be here!" Damon said coldly but firmly, giving her chills.

The lightning was even brighter this time and Ashley could see his hair looked wet. Was he in the rain?

He looked like the angel of death, not like she even knew how one looked but the point was he looked super scary. Ashley couldn't even find her voice to speak. Yes she was not supposed to be here but she had been a curious cat and at the end of the day, she was not getting the chance to survey the whole place like she had planned to.

In the next moment, Damon was standing in front of her and Ashley flinched. She was not expecting it. As the light came in again, she looked at his face and noticed the frown on it.

"Why did you come down here?" He asked her.

Ashley finally stood up from the floor and faced him. As she straightened herself, she shivered again and crossed one of her hands over her chest, holding the other and stroking it.

It was dark in the room so she couldn't see his face.

"I... I-I didn't...." She stammered in fear, not even knowing what to say. She didn't know what he could do to her since he caught her doing something he had forbidden others to do.

"Didn't you see the sign out side?" Damon asked his voice was low but it was good enough to send chills down her spine. He was demanding an answer from her and Ashley didn't know what answer to give that would be good enough to explain her curiosity.

"Come with me," he said and took her hand, pulling her along with him but Ashley stopped him. She was scared. Was she going to get punished for violating rules in his home?

Oh Lord, have mercy!

Damon stopped walking and turned back to look at her, he was still holding her hand.

"My.... my phone." She said removing her hand from his and turning around, bending down to look for her phone. Wow, she was really daring the already angry devil. Well, she needed an excuse, she didn't know where he wanted to take her to.

Ashley kept searching for her phone, touching the floor every where with her hands, hoping to touch it by chance. Soon she found it. She was glad she did but when she tried to put it on, it didn't come on. She was scared that it was broken due to the fall but she tried again and found that the phone just went off it self when it fell.

As it was booting, Ashley flashed the light from it in front of her and tried to stand up. But she saw another sleeping bat right in front of her which made her scream and that woke the bat. It flew directly towards her and she screamed again in fear and turned around to run but she bumped into Damon that was standing right behind her.

Ashley didn't struggle and just hugged him tightly with her eyes shut. She felt him stiffen at first but she was too scared to care about that and about what she did. She herself stiffened too, hoping the bat wouldn't touch her or get on her.

Strangely, Ashley felt safe as she hugged him, like nothing could hurt her at that moment. He was also soaked, which confirmed that he had been in the rain and even though his wet clothes only made her shiver some more she didn't feel like leaving him, yet.

A lot of seconds had passed when she heard him clear his throat, and that was when realization dawned on her. She just hugged him! She really just hugged him?! She knew she did but wait, she did! Ashley loosened her hold on him and moved back a little. Her cheeks flushed red and her heart skipped beats at the thought of what she just did.

She was scared of a bat and found comfort and safety in hugging an even more dangerous creature?! One she was trying to get away from seconds ago.

'What kind of human being are you Ash?' She asked herself.

"I - I'm sorry, there was a... bat..." Ashley felt embarrassed. She was being a scaredy cat. She could come down this dark basement boldly, not even knowing what was in it but just one bat and she being something else.

Ashley shook her head in the darkness. Just what kind of person was she? She couldn't blame herself though, it was her fear for bats that caused it.

Damon didn't say anything and the next thing she felt was his hand on hers and before she could do anything, a cold rush of air hit her face and she found herself in a different place. An illuminated room, her room.

How?! Was that the teleportation thing they could do? That was what it felt like?

She wanted to start asking questions but Damon beat her to it.

"You weren't supposed to be in that basement! I don't want to see you anywhere around there again. Do you hear me?" He said as if trying not to get angry.

Ashley didn't reply him and just stayed quietly, looking at the coat he was wearing.

"Do you hear me?" He said sounding louder this time which made her look at his face.

He didn't look angry but maybe there was a hint of worry on his face. If it was really worry, why was he worried?

Ashley looked at her hands. "You can't blame me, you were gone for so long and I was bored." She murmured. It wasn't a complete lie though.

"So my presence keeps you from being bored?" She heard Damon ask and looked up.

His eyes were gleaming with mischief.

What sort of mood swings did this man have?

Ashley's eyes widened immediately. What?! No!

"That's not..."

"What you meant? What did you mean then?" He said not letting her finish.

Ashley looked at him confused. What was he doing? Some minutes ago he was scolding her and suddenly he's teasing her?

"I..." She started but she saw him eye her from head to toe and her heart skipped a beat again. But then he frowned slightly.

"Did you leave the mansion today?" He asked.

She knew it was obviously because of the way she was dressed. "No, why?" She still asked.

He then raised his brows and put his hands in his pockets. "Why are you dressed up nicely?"

Something fluttered in Ashley's stomach. He just said she dressed nicely! He was moved by it? Why did it mean so much to her?!

"I... I... Um...."

She was still trying to gather her words when she heard him laugh shortly. Though it was a short laugh but God, it was a heartwarming sound that was just so pleasing to the ears and it strangely also warmed her heart. This would be the first time she ever heard him laugh, and it wasn't forced. It was great to know now that he could actually make that sound. It was just sad that she didn't watch him do it. Ashley wished he could laugh again. She wanted to see what he looked like when he did.

"Did you dress up for me then?"

Ashley's eyes widened again as she looked at him. Oh no!

Thankfully, she didn't have to say anything because he spoke immediately.

"I should be angry at you for going into that basement, I am angry since you clearly saw the sign... but... just because you're dressed nicely, there won't be any punishment." He smirked.

Ashley was surprised.

"You... you like it?" She asked.

Wait! He was really going to punish her?

He smiled and walked towards her, standing so close to her that there was literally no space left in-between them.

"I think I should let you know something." He said looking into her eyes then bent a little and spoke close to her ear while his hot breath tickled her skin.

"When next you think of wearing a red dress, as beautiful as this in this mansion, remember I am a demon. And demons don't joke with red. It makes us hungry." He said and moved back with a smirk.

And that only made Ashley's head almost explode with questions.

Hungry? Why did the color make them hungry? What was bad in being hungry?Ashley was left confused. Was he warning her or something? Did they hate the color or was it a color they... She didn't even know what to say there.

"So you people like it?" She still asked not understanding what he said all that for.

"It depends. Do you want me to say yes?" He asked back feigning a serious expression.

Ashley couldn't believe this man! He must always have a comeback.

"Where is Sephirah?" She asked instead.

"At her house."

"What happened last night. Why did you both stay out for so long? You didn't even say anything to me and got me so worried." Ashley ranted.

"You were worried?" He raised a brow surprised.

"Of course I was. I thought something terrible had happened to both of you. I thought it could have to do with the SAGE you talked about and you didn't even leave a hint to what you were going to do."

"Well, I'm back now. Unharmed." He opened his arms wide.

"You know what, give me your phone number."

"What for?" He asked and she looked at him questioningly.

"What do you think? So that I can reach out to you in case you disappear for so long again and get me worried."

He nodded and seemed thoughtful before he spoke. "I hardly carry a phone with me."

She raised a brow in question. "Why?"

"Why? Hmm. Let's just say... I consider it a burden." He said but that last part sounded somehow like a question and Ashley raised her eyebrows even more.

How the hell was carrying a phone with you a burden?

"Don't you have people you know and at one time or the other have to talk with over the phone?" She asked then she shook her head immediately. "Nevermind. I'm dealing with weird people too." She murmured.

"I heard you." Damon said and she glared at him. "I can hear murmurs really well." He nodded, stressing the 'really'.

"Then answer the question!"

"You already said nevermind." He grinned widely but when he noticed the daggers coming his way through her deadly glare, he raised his hand up, like he was giving in.

"Okay, okay. I'll be right back." And just like that, he was gone. Ashley blinked a few times, not used to all of that yet.

She wondered what he went for.

Ashley just stood like a tree that obviously couldn't move and then slowly, her lips curved into a smile.

She loved the way Damon was being.

He looked so scary and maybe angry? some minutes ago and now he was being so playful. Ashley loved this side of him, even though it was also annoying and what she didn't want before she came here but she preferred it to his other side.

Ashley was also happy that he thought her dressing was beautiful. She smiled as she realized that all the dressing up she did didn't end up being a waste after all. But she still didn't feel satisfied. If Sephirah was here when he said that then she would have felt satisfied and even want to see the lady's reaction.

Now, he just complimented her dressing, like Jacob had done. She didn't really know if he felt the same way she usually did for him. And she was still confused on that warning he gave her. Why did he even choose the word 'hungry'?

Well, to understand, she would just do exactly what she did today again, some other time. She would wear an even more beautiful red dress!

It just didn't seem fair on her part. This demon must feel something too!