The Guardian Angel (The Guardians of Nine Heavens #1)

Chapter 9: Demon Guardian

Now she realised why this lad looked the exact opposite of an angel - with black torn wings, black hair, cold, icy blue eyes, the dark tone in his voice and the demonic laugh... He was not an archangel and not even a weak angel but instead, the most powerful demon of all, the Lord of the Underworld, the archdemon - the evilest being of all realms! She got dreaded - with her stupid and reckless sign-drawings, she had summoned him, and what's more - slapped him?! She would have no chance of surviving in the afterlife! This guy could hold grudges, for sure! She burst into tears and fell to her knees, grasping the surprised boy's hands:

"I beg you, mercy me! I didn't mean to offend you! Don't take me away! I'm not ready to rot in hell! I'm fifteen, I've never had a boyfriend, I don't know the happiness of this life yet. Don't take me away!"

She began sobbing like a child. The lad stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Um..." he stepped back and pulled his hands away from her, "Stop that. You're making me sick".

Hearing such a remark from him, Lily began sobbing even more:

"I'm going to rot in hell..."

The lad raised an eyebrow in slight surprise and disgust.

"Oh man..." he grabbed her hand and made her stand up, "Stop whining. No one's taking you to hell. I've had enough of you there".

"Huh?" Lily widened eyes and wiped her tears off. "What do you mean?"

"Ugh, you don't remember all the disasters you've caused me in my palace in hell?" Samael crossed his arms, "You used the best hot tub I had designed for myself, you slept in my favourite bed, you sang in showers with an awful voice adding even more torture to already tormented souls (including me), you never ceased to laugh at my demon servants for their 'funny noses', and you always stole my black scythe to utilize it for household! Its precious tip almost broke off!"

"Eh?" Lily watched him dumbfounded. He talks like a grumpy husband... She was astonished to hear there were hot tubs and showers in hell, demons' noses were funny, and the devil actually loved to chill on his bed... All of that sounded a little weird for a mystical realm in the underworld. "I... imagined hell in different pictures..."

"Well, there are various floors in my palace and outside there's either heating fire or freezing cold... But never mind that. You're not coming back, that's for sure! I've had enough of you! But... to be sincere, you weren't all that bad..." he abruptly softly rubbed her cheek. She got astonished - what did he mean? One second he had burst into rage and now he had affections towards her? Samael frowned again: "Still, I'm here to ensure you don't come back, and if you do, you're not to be doomed to remain in hell forever. This is for your own good..."

"Why would the devil care for a human so much..?"

"I'm still an angel - the angel of death. I was created to test humans and find out if they had faith and were worthy of the High Forces' grace or not. I was created to cause destruction to make you humans stronger. I was a part of that power, not understood, that always wished the bad and always worked the good..."

"That's how Mephistopheles says in 'Faust'. Don't copy others' sayings".

"Duh, it was my words and you humans copied them. I was created to never have mercy on anyone. My mercy was more destruction. However, I was one of the highest angels - an archangel. I was the elder twin of Archangel Michael".

"What? You're Michael's twin brother?!" Lily gasped - did Michael actually have the devil as a brother?

"Yes, but we were completely different. I had to live with the most burdens in my life. I sacrificed my position to test Adam and Eve and prove to other angels and the High Forces that they were not ready to live in the Garden of Eden. When my prophecy proved to be true and they got tempted by my trick, thus failed my test, they both were banished to the Earth, but the High Forces banished me too, and I ended up in the underworld. Since then, I worked from there to supervise humans and continue testing them, as well as to fight against dark demons and the Black Energy in the underworld. However, you, humans, perceived me as an evil being and considered me the lord of the underworld, so you began to fear me. You cursed me and despised me. I took on your hatred to let you purify your souls without directing your hatred towards each other, but rather a third, mystical being who caused you to be bad... In fact, all the evil you find around you is dwelt in your hearts and not in me". 

Lily widened eyes hearing such explanations from the devil himself. She had never heard any of this before.

"I'm sorry we caused you such pain..." she put a hand on his shoulder.

"It is fine. It is my destiny and I'm glad to serve my mission," Samael angrily looked away, disheartened that the girl saw him in such a miserable state. "But you, Lily, are very special to me, so I decided to guard you myself when I heard none of the angels had taken you under their protective wing".

"But, why am I so special to you?"

"That... is none of your concern. Now, if there is indeed no specific reason you called me for, I'm going to leave".

"Huh? Wait! Don't leave!" Lily grabbed his arm.

Samael looked at her with a slightly angry gaze:

"What is it?"

"If you disappear, I might think it was all a dream. I will get sad... I shall feel lonely again..."

"I said I'm your guardian angel, not your babysitter. If there's ever a serious reason, call upon me with the last sign you used today. I am a busy spirit. If I ever get bothered for no reason again, I shall punish you," he vanished in black smoke.

Lily gulped in fear once, and when the black smoke dissipated, she sighed:

"Such a grumpy guy... I don't even know how I can tame him..."

She hung her head - this kind of an angel was even worse than no angel at all!