Devil In Disguise

So It Begins

Nikolai

I haven't been this drunk in years, I didn’t remember the feeling and I don’t even know how this happened.

I try to walk in a straight line behind Andre. Surprisingly, I'm actually succeeding, but I still feel like I'm floating and that makes me laugh out loud. My cousin gives me a long, deep look when we get to my car.

"Are you sure you want to drive like this? I can talk to the owner, he’ll take care of your car."

"I'm sure, Andre. I'm not that drunk." I assure him, opening my door. Andre nods reluctantly and heads for his own car. Only then I give myself permission to look in the mirror and slap my face, forcing my eyes to focus. I know what I just said, but I am actually way too drunk to drive... I don't care at all, though.

I slowly leave the garage finding it harder that I would like and as soon as I drive into the street, I moan at the car lights making my eyes hurt. I blink several times but I keep driving in spite of the pain, surprised by my own stubbornness.

To be honest, I spend the rest of the way with my eyes half closed, trying not to kill someone. And everything goes well for a few seconds until suddenly... noise and darkness.

There's a loud beeping in my ears, and I can only see darkness. I try to move but as soon as I do there is intense pain all over my body so I stop and just grunt.

"Easy, don't move too much,” says someone near me, making me grunt one more time when they open my door and come closer to me, "Can you open your eyes?"

“No, it hurts.” I answer, unable to react. I want to ask what happened to me but I can't even formulate those words.

“Okay, I'll call an ambulance,” Announces the annoying woman and I feel her leave, but I manage to grab her arm before she does, “What's wrong? The hospital is nearby, they'll be here soon... Unless you don't want to?”

“No,” I answer, thinking a little clearer now and managing to open my eyes little by little, at least until I manage to see the figure of the woman who's helping me, “Private Doctor.”

"Okay... but first drink this, Nikolai," she says, bringing something to my lips and putting a hand on my chin to lift it. This woman knows my name? “It's water, it'll make you feel better.”

I listen to her for some stupid reason and drink the water she’s giving me, closing my eyes once again until I feel my head clear. Just a little bit.

"What happened? Who are you?"

"Someone crashed into you. I saw it happen and I came to make sure you're okay. My name is Agatha, I was at the club," She explains, making me understand. I nod and move my hand to grab my phone. I need to tell my uncle what just happened, but the woman stops me from trying, “I'm worried. At least let me take you to your private doctor.”

“Call my uncle,” I order, opening my eyes to her and managing to focus a little more, “Tell him what happened.”

“I will, but let me take you,” She repeats, taking both my arms in her hands and pulling slightly, “Come on, you can do it. My car is nearby, I'll call your uncle and take you wherever you tell me to.”

“Okay,” I reply, disappointed in myself but unable to control my actions. I must have hit my head.

I let the woman help me out of my favorite car, showing incredible strength when she manages to stabilize my long body next to her, even though I’m taller and way heavier than her. She carefully takes me to another car and once I'm in it, she gives me more water and asks for my phone to call my uncle.

While she talks to him and explains what happened, my eyes stop hurting and I can see my new Porsche 911 standing in the middle of this desolate street, with a huge crash on one side. Rest in peace, friend, that looks like it would be easier to buy a new car and just sell the parts of this one.

There's no other car in sight, by the way, just the one I'm in now. This was absolutely on purpose. Someone came directly to ram my car and ran away. It's not an everyday occurrence, but I can't say I'm all that surprised. London is full of people that hate me, after all. And from the intensity of the crash, this person was ready to kill me.

Honestly, I don't know how I'm even alive, a whole side of the car is actually destroyed. Looks like a miracle and I don’t even believe in those.

“Hey, Nikolai, it's gonna be okay. Your uncle told me to take you home, your doctor will be waiting there," She informs me and I feel safe immediately. I nod again and relax against the seat, telling her my address and grunting quietly again. I don't even know what I'm feeling because of the amount of pain in my whole being. It’s awful, but still not as bad as it should be.

By the time we get to my house, my mind is clearer. My eyes no longer hurt, just my body. Hernan identifies me on the co-pilot's side and opens the gates without asking.

Now I can focus on my savior.

“What did you say your name was?” I ask, studying the woman who helps me out of the car once again. Her head reaches my chin, she's thin and she's wearing a pair of high heels that look uncomfortable. I can't figure out how she was able to lift me up and help me walk when I almost put all my weight on her.

This feels like a fücking fever dream.

“Agatha. I'm the sister of the owner of the club you were in,” She explains slowly, giving me a friendly smile, but her eyes make me feel strange so I look away to my front door, where Alvaro is waiting for me.

I start walking towards him and follow him inside my house. I lay down on the couch as soon as I can and I let Alvaro do his thing. He asks me some routine questions and confirms that I need a fücking neck brace, pain pills and shoulder support for the next week.

“It was deliberate,” I say when he’s finished, without giving much information because the woman is still here for some reason. Alvaro nods to me and says goodbye before he leaves. I turn to her once more, “Thanks for helping me, Agatha, but I'm fine now. You can go.”

"Sure, I just wanted to let you know that I saw who did it," She says, making me frown. She stands up and my eyes follow her every move, “If you want to talk about it when you feel better, call me. I saved my number in your phone.”

➿➿➿➿

The last few days have been literally the worst of my entire life and my life has been shïtty since the beginning.

I’m still mourning my failure, I’m wearing a neck brace like a loser and I've been feeling paranoid like never before. I don't think it's a coincidence that just when our biggest deal of the year fails, someone tries to hurt me.

London is full of people who hate me, as I mentioned before, but people here don't do that sort of thing. They’re not usually this reckless and careless, which was one of the main reasons to move out of Russia in the first place. English people are more tasteful when it comes to dealing with their enemies, even when it’s about illegal business.

“Don't be stubborn, ask the woman. It would be normal for anyone to want to know who hit them.” my uncle advices, as trusting as always. His lack of caution has cost us enough, but I think he's right on this one and there's nothing suspicious about asking who tried to kill me.

I don’t answer, but when I'm home I finally call the number under her name like I’ve been wanting to do since she told me she saved it.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"I'm Nikolai. You helped me out last Friday."

"Oh, right. Nikolai," She repeats. Her voice sounds low and sensual when she says my name and I feel an unwelcome string of pleasure down my spine, “Do you want me to tell you what I saw?”

“Please. I would like to press charges,” I lie through my teeth. She makes a sound of understanding but stays quiet after that. I wait a few seconds but lose my patience pretty quickly, “So?”

“I’ll tell you tonight, if you let me buy you dinner,” she says, surprising me. For a second I don't even know what to say or what to do. Her tone is suggestive. “It's just dinner, Nikolai. Free food, the information you want and my lovely company.”

Fück that.

"Uh, of course... I'd just like to make it clear that I'm not interested in you,” I say, causing a little surprise sound on her. Normally I wouldn't be so direct and rude with a woman, but she was direct and kind of rude first. The last thing I need right now is a misunderstanding, “See you tonight?”

Agatha

"... I'm not interested in you" Nikolai says and my whole body freezes.

I’m using my power of compulsion on him since yesterday to make him lust for me and even though we’re just talking on the phone, he should be pretty interested in me. He should be fighting an orgasm right now from just hearing my voice, but obviously that's not the case.

This can only mean that Nikolai has more demonic blood in him than I had thought, there’s no other explanation. And even though it’s good confirmation that he's the person I need, I can't help but think... What if he's not just a demonic mortal? What if he's a devil in disguise, just like me?

What if at some point he tries to sacrifice my soul to save himself?

"Agatha, are you there?" He asks, sounding annoyed, "I asked if tonight was okay with you. I'm free after seven."

Just the thought of going back to hell makes my whole body shiver and I have to rub my burnt skin even though it hasn't hurt that much in days. I hug my legs and consider changing him for some other human. I don't want to take any chances.

"Fück. Meet me at eight o’clock at the restaurant of your choice, just send me the name. Goodbye." He mutters when he loses his patience and ends the call without waiting for me to answer.

I stay in the same position considering my options. I've already wasted a lot of time with Nikolai, watching everything he does until I'm sure he's the mortal I need and formulating the plan that can work with him especially. I don't want to spend any more time finding another one. I'll have to keep going with him.

“Belzat? Can you come here?” I call, waiting for him when I hear his confirmation. I still don't move from my bed, it's my favorite place in the world and I feel safe here, “I think my subject is a devil in disguise, too.”

My brother raises his eyebrows in surprise and thinks for a moment.

“I'd tell you to stay away to avoid taking risks, but Yzhabat won't wait long. He wants you to give him a soul, soon.”

“And what do I do if he tries to sacrifice me? I'm still weak, I couldn't fight him.”

“You're a devil, Agatha. You can take him down if it comes to it, I have faith in you. And, if that's the case, we can ask Kel for his help.” He says, shrugging his shoulders like it’s that easy. Like I’m not some weak shadow of a devil who got roasted like a chicken for years. I nod to him and I even smile, but I know it won’t be that easy.

Nikolai didn’t show any signs of being a devil in all this time, even when he was alone in his house, so maybe I’m just being paranoid... but whatever it is, he’s a very strong being. I don’t know if I like it.