Forbidden Bond To The Devil

Elysia’s POV: Life as an Angel wasn’t as blissful as one would think it would be. At least not for me. I always struggled to fit in among the other angels, who seemed to effortlessly embody everything I found so difficult. It also didn’t help that I was half Angel and half demon. I was the bastard child of my father, the Lord of Angels, and my stepmother along with her daughters never failed to remind me of my father’s mistake every opportunity they got. The sun dipped below the horizon casting a warm golden glow on the garden that I was currently laying in. I could hear the grand preparations in the distance, the clinking of glass coming from the ballroom, I could hear the love-strong quartet as they practiced one last time for the party tonight. My father’s estate was rife with extravagance and grandeur, while I lay on the floor of the garden loneliness threatened to swallow me whole. It was my coming-of-age party, I turned twenty today and it meant that I could now take an oath and become a full-fledged Angel of paradise but I didn’t feel the excitement like everyone else did. I didn’t feel like I belonged here or deserved to even be an Angel. It didn’t help that right from the moment I could understand words, my stepmother and sisters had never failed to remind me that no matter what, I would never be a true, pure Angel of my father’s paradise. I would never be able to do cool light tricks like they could, and my silver hair will forever have that streak of black that was the evidence of my father’s infidelity. “Here you are. Father is tearing the whole place down looking for you.” Simon, my stepbrother and the only sibling I had a working relationship with said from the entrance of the garden. I pulled myself to a sitting position just as he moved to settle beside me and the silence that passed between us was one that I was used to by now. “He should know I would be here. It’s the only other place I ever come to.” I responded after a while and my brother offered me a smile which I returned. “Are you excited? It’s your coming-of-age party and you get to take the oath and be a full-fledged Angel!” Simon said and the excitement in his voice made me giggle. “I mean you tell me, was your coming-of-age party exciting?” I asked, sitting apple cross cross so I could face him better. “With father’s extravagance? Every coming-of-age party for all of his children is always a beautiful event. Plus, you’re his favorite child, you should see all the things he has done for you.” Simon responded, flicking my forehead with his fingers. “Ouch, that hurt,” I said, rubbing at the spot to drive away the sting. “It was supposed to. Come on, don’t give the man a heart attack looking for you. Let’s go get you ready for the biggest coming-of-age party, paradise has ever witnessed.” Simon pulled himself to his feet as he spoke and he reached out to help pull me to my feet. Simon escorted me into the mansion and just as we entered I heard my father’s voice. “Elysia! Haven’t you given me enough grey hairs? Do you intend to kill me before it’s my time child? Where have you been?” He said, rushing towards me to pull me into his arms. “Your hair is still as white as snow Father and you’re immortal. I don’t think you’ll be dying anytime soon.” I said, giggling as I accepted the hug that he offered. “You look as beautiful as always my darling. I have a gift for you. It’s waiting in your room. Wear it. Now hurry along and don’t come back out until you’re the most beautiful version of yourself. The guests are starting to arrive and I need them to see how stunning you are.” My father smiled, then gestured for Simon to take me to my room. “Yes, Father,” I responded as I took the hand that my brother offered and moved through the grand stairs that led up to my room. “Have fun!” Simon said just as we got to the entrance of my room and I nodded, waving him off before pushing open my door. My room bath in darkness was unusual and I reached around the wall hoping to find the light switch, and once I did and flipped it on, my stepmother, Fiona, sitting on my bed with a large box in her hands had a small scream tearing out of my throat. She had a menacing look on her face as usual and I hovered by the door, scared to approach her. “Elysia.” She called, and the way that she said my name, almost like it left a bitter taste in her mouth had me hating it for a second. “Why are you here?” I asked, taking a cautious step further into the room. “It’s my house, Elysia. I can choose to be wherever I want to be.” She responded, her tone icy, and as much as I wanted to retort, I knew it wouldn’t end well for me so I chose to keep quiet and wait till she revealed her mission. “Your father gifted you some fine things. As always.” She said and while she spoke, she pulled out a smaller box from the large one sitting on her legs. When she pulled out its content my heart seized to beat in my throat. It was a necklace, not just any necklace but one with a pendant that held a tiny bottle. It was called the Elixir of Life and had been in my family since time immemorial. Its powers were only whispered about and nobody dared to openly discuss the necklace outside the family. It had been in the custody of my father for a very long time and now, he was gifting it to me? “Do you know what this is Elysia?” She asked and I nodded. Every Angel knew what the Elixir of Life stood for. My stepmother chuckled, a wicked, bitter laugh that made the hair on my arms stand. “Sometimes I wonder if your dead mother still has her dark powers hovering over your father or maybe it is the dark powers that reside deep inside you that still control him because it’s hard to believe that of all his pure Angel children he would gift the Elixir of Life… to a demon.” “Half demon. Plus my demon traits are recessive so in other words I am an Angel. I would never do anything to harm the paradise or Angels as a whole and I love my father with all my heart. He-“ “Save the sermon for the people who care for it. A demon is a demon, Elysia. You have no place in paradise. Your soul should be condemned to the underworld where you belong. I keep telling Micheal it was a mistake to raise you amongst the purest beings in the world but once again he’s blinded by whatever darkness you possess. You’re his doom but he refuses to see it. I just want to remind you that you’ll never fit here, you might be taking your oath tonight, but you’ll never be a full-fledged Angel. For the rest of eternity, you'll be an outsider, never truly embraced by those who are pure.” She tossed the necklace towards me as she finished and I barely managed to save it from hitting the floor. Fiona rose from the bed, letting the box on her leg fall to the floor spilling the dress and heels that had been neatly placed inside for me, before making her way out of the room. I should have been used to this by now, it wasn’t the first time I had been reminded of my impurity, but something about this particular one cut through me deep. ‘You’re his doom.’ The words echoed in my head over and over again and I couldn’t immediately figure out what it meant. I loved my father and I would never cause any harm to come to him. Fiona was wrong. I pushed all the negative thoughts aside, slipping the necklace onto my neck, it sat perfectly and the sight of it made me smile. I hurried through a bath when I checked to see how far gone the time was and after styling my hair, I slipped on the beautiful dress that my father had no doubt purchased for me and when I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I was stunned. The dress hugged my every curve, the color bringing out the warmth in my skin and the elegance in my eyes. I looked beautiful and that wasn’t something I could tell myself all the time. Just as I struggled with my heels, a knock came on the door and before I could acknowledge it, my door was being pushed open to reveal a stunning-looking Simon. “I didn’t say you could come in.” I chided him but he only chuckled, moving to settle at my feet and help with the straps of my shoes. “You look beautiful Elysia,” Simon commented once he helped me to my feet, and as his eyes roamed my body and settled on my neck a frown painted his face. It was gone almost as soon as it formed but I didn’t miss it. “He gave it to you.” He said and I nodded, swallowing heavily to ease the lump that had formed in my throat. “Protect it with your life.” Simon didn’t give me the chance to respond because he began leading me out of the room and towards the grand ballroom. I could see the determination in his eyes, the weight of something hanging unspoken between us, and I made a mental note to ask him about it at the end of the night. “You ready?” Simon asked as we waited behind the closed doors for the host to announce me. “No, but it’s too late to go back now,” I responded and he agreed with a chuckle, leading me into the applause-filled room as the doors were pulled open. The hall had been decorated beautifully, the guests in their finest attire, all their eyes turning toward us as Simon and I made our entrance. I could see my father at the end of the room with a wide smile on his face and Fiona was standing beside him, a frown painting hers as always. I could see my step sisters to the side and even from my position I could hear the snickers and grunts of disapproval as they stared me down at that moment, I was most grateful for Simon’s support as we walked down, else the rage burning behind their eyes as they stared me down would have been enough to make me trip. “My daughter, you shine brighter than the stars.” My father whispered once I was close enough and I blushed to the tip of my toes, ignoring the snort that came from Fiona. “Angels! We are gathered today to witness Elysia, first of her name and last of my children take her oath and become a full-fledged Angel of paradise. This ritual as we all know signals-” My father began his voice echoing through the grand hall. But I wasn’t listening anymore as the hair on my neck stood and a slither ran through my spine. The aura in the room had changed to something dark, piercing, and foul, it was almost like death filled the air but before I could warn my father about it, the doors were blasted open by an unforeseen force, filling the room with a deafening roar. Hades was here. But why? What could the demon King be doing in paradise? The answer was clear in the wicked gleam in his eyes as he surveyed the room, the air around me became to thick to inhale when his dark piercing eyes landed on my frame.