28. Dagon
Chapter twenty-eight
Dagon
Morning came too soon. I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, to keep memorizing every inch of him, and to hold him close.
What we shared yesterday was something I never thought I'd have. The feeling of my cock buried in him, the sounds of his moans, and the look on his face when he came, those moments were forever engraved in my memory.
But it wasn't just the physical. Our bodies were connected, they fit like they were meant to, and it was my heart that soared in ways I couldn't begin to explain. I'd never felt anything so complete.
I dreamed of staying wrapped in that warmth for days, but reality had other plans. We were back on the road, and I was starting to hate it. Diablos was tired from everything. All I wanted was to be home, to have Di safe.
Home? Well, that was out the window now. There was no way King would welcome a demon with open arms. Even if said demon was his son. An angel having a demon as a son? I snorted at the thought.
“What are you thinking about?” Di asked.
“Just thinking about everything,” I said, raising our intertwined hands and kissing his knuckles.
Ever since I let out my powers, Di seemed more relaxed. He said he trusted me, right? At least I was glad I could give him that. I will keep him safe, no matter what.
Di bounced in his seat, and I arched a questioning brow.
“Can I ask questions now?”
Trying and failing to hold back my smile, I said, “You can ask me anything.”
“Can you tell me more about the demon clans? I’m sooo curious.”
“There are five clans, as King mentioned. Every clan has different powers. But first, I need to mention what life in Hell is like.”
“I’m scared to ask.”
I shrugged and chuckled, “It’s probably not what you imagine. Starborns and Nightborns don’t live in the circles of Hell where torture and stuff happen. The place where I used to live was pretty much the same as the surface.”
“Surface?” Di was transfixed by everything I was saying.
Part of me exhaled with relief that, instead of freaking out, he wanted to know more.
"That's how we call the human world. Anyway, it was much the same. Though it was always dark, and there were flames. Lots of demons who wanted trouble."
I shrugged, not knowing how to describe it. It was normal shit for me, or at least it used to be.
“And Starborns and Nightborns live together in that place?”
“Yes and no. Everyone has their own territory, and there are some mixed parts.”
“But don’t you hate each other?”
“Demons hate everyone for the most part.” I sighed, knowing I was nearing the not-so-good parts, “You have to understand that Hell was very different from here.”
“Didn’t you just say it was the same?”
I could see his confusion. I wasn’t doing the best job of explaining.
“I meant the same in terms of buildings,” it was the closest explanation I could think of, “But our lives were different. Demons don’t have families like humans. Family means little to nothing for demons.”
We still had two hours until we arrived in the town. We had plenty of time for me to explain some things. If there were Starborns there, I needed Di to understand how demons functioned and to listen when I told him to stay back.
“Starborns and Nightborns are born. They have parents like humans. Fireborns are born from Hell’s flames.
Soulborns are created from parts of souls that end up in Hell.
Nightwalkers are corrupted entities, demonic, mindless creatures that listen to orders.
Though, in rare cases, I’ve heard there are cognizant Nightwalkers. "
"For Starborns, when a demon is born, the parents’ purpose is to train them and teach them what it’s like to be a demon. That’s it. There’s no parental love or connection of any kind.”
Di tightened his hand around mine. It was probably hard for him to imagine this. It was natural for me. It was all I knew.
King was the first person to ever show me what a family and a father meant.
Actually, that wasn’t true. I had my brother. He was my family. We were one of the strangest pairs of demons back then. Demons didn’t look at their siblings as a family but as competition. What King showed me was what a human family and father looked like.
Darius and I were seen as an abomination.
Did we care? Hell no. It was us against the underworld, against our so-called parents, and I hoped it would always be that way.
Di squeezed my arm, sensing my feelings, and said, “You don’t need to speak about it.”
“No, I want to. Anyway, Starborns are the strongest. Only the most powerful of us have familiars.”
“Blue. Blue is your familiar. Wait, aren’t familiars a witch thing?”
“There are no witches, though maybe there are some humans with magic. Anyway, familiars are magical creatures we’re born with.”
“So, there’s magic?”
“Yes. No. I mean, it’s complicated.”
Di gasped, “Holy shit, you’re one of the most powerful demons!? That’s what you said. Only the most powerful ones have a familiar.”
I stole a glimpse at him. He had the cutest shocked expression on his face.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Like, I can’t be shocked. My boyfriend is one of the strongest Starborns.”
He froze and tried to pull away his hand. Hell no.
Before I could say anything, he added, “I mean, brother. No, eww. I mean family. No, this doesn’t sound right. Not that you’re not! You're family! I meant, I- I mean, we did some things, but we never put a label. Not that-”
I cut off his panicked rambling with a kiss. I wasn’t worried about the road since, well, I was a demon. I could drive with my eyes closed and use my senses. Still, I didn’t want to worry Di, so I pulled back but didn’t look away from him.
“Diablos Hughes, will you give me the honor and be my boyfriend? Though I see it as a downgrade. Or no, it’s actually an addition.”
“What?”
“You’re already my man.”
“Cocky much? Too self-assured? Bossy?”
The mischief in Di’s eyes and the smirk on his face were hot as hell.
I shrugged and smirked back, “You know I’m right.”
“Definitely a demon,” he murmured to himself. “How didn’t I see it earlier?”
Both of us laughed at the joke.
Damn, I never thought I’d have this with him. Now I just needed to make sure I didn’t screw up. It was a possibility. Especially since I hadn't told him everything.
I could've done it yesterday, today, or right now. However, something was holding me back. At first, it was fear. But now I wasn’t so sure. Of course, there was fear, but my intuition was telling me to wait. Why? I had no idea, but I’d follow it.
“Back to the clans. We can also control and create fire, much like Fireborns. They,” I hesitated but decided it was better to share this, “are the demons who inflict punishments on demons who go astray in the underworld or against Lucifer. Soulborns inflict torture on humans in Hell.”
Di shivered, but other than that didn’t say anything else. I gave him some time. Everything I was saying was a lot.
“Okay,” he nodded.
“Okay?”
“Yes, okay. Stay away from Fireborns.”
“Oh, so they scare you but not the others?”
“They sound kind of like the worst.”
“What?”
Did he hear anything I just said?
“Think about it. If they deal with the punishments for other demons, can you imagine what imagination they would have? I mean, if it were my work, you bet I would've run wild with ways to torture someone. And they don’t just torture anyone, they torture demons! So, yes, Dagon. Note to self, run if there’s a Fireborn. ”
Most of the time, I was amazed at how Di’s brain worked. Holding back my chuckle, I continued.
“Next Nightborns. They’re called shadow demons.”
“Let me guess,” Di interrupted, “they turn into shadows.”
“Yes.” Di’s jaw dropped as I continued, “They also control the shadows and have black mist. Soulborns don’t have powers. Their purpose is to torment the worst human souls in Hell. Nightwalkers, well, they are demonic creatures that came to be from corrupted entities.”
“I need a notebook. Wait, no! I need you to write a book for me.”
“A book, really?”
“Of course. How am I supposed to remember all of this?”
“You will remember it, won't you?”
“I will,” he confessed with a shy smile, “but think about how cool it would be to read it in a book?”
“You and your books,” I made sure my voice showed how happy I was that he was talking with me about his passion, “I may write it if you want.”
“Really?”
“Anything you want.”
He stared at me for quite some time but didn’t say anything.
We spent the rest of the drive talking about demons. I told him the truth. Even though I knew a lot, there were also things I didn’t know. I left that place when I was young. There was more to be learned and seen.
Di seemed most worried about the Fireborns and the Nightwalkers. I didn’t have the heart to explain to him how they were no threat to us. Starborns and Nightborns were the ones we should be worried about, and I couldn’t help but worry that I was taking him straight into the clutches of Starborns.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said reassuringly.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You don’t need to. I can see it all written over your pissed-off face.”
“I’m not pissed off,” I argued back.
“I know you aren’t. You’re just hiding that you’re worried behind your glaring. What was Adam like?”
Adam was the demon who saved my life and to whom we were going now.
I was grateful for the change of topic, “He wasn’t like the other demons. He was responsible for training us.”
“Training?”
“Yes. Up until their fifteenth birthday, demons develop their powers. Adam was one of our trainers. He was strict, of course, but he acted differently toward Darius and me. He didn’t try to tear us apart like some of the others.”
“He cared about you?”
“Care is a strong word for a demon in the underworld. Things are different there, remember?” I thought back to our time with him, how he tried to help us escape, “But yes, I think he cared.”
After that, I told him a bit about Darius. We were brothers, but we were also very different.
While I tried to follow the rules, he was the rule-breaker who constantly got us into trouble. Of course, I always followed him to ensure he made it out alive.
While I had dark hair and dark eyes (most demons do), he had light brown hair and amber eyes.
I wasn’t sure if this made him feel different.
He didn’t have a familiar which also made him feel like something less.
I always tried to tell him he was a Starborn and powerful, regardless of whether he had a familiar or not.
It hurt speaking about my brother, but Di was there for me.
It made it a bit easier. I wanted to talk about him.
I hadn't forgotten him. I would never forget him, but before, it was too hard and suffocating to let out anything about him.
Now, I wanted to remember the good times while also feeling the pain.
“Thank you for sharing your brother with me, Dagon.” A gentle smile grazed Di’s lips, but I didn’t miss the mist in his eyes. “I would love to hear more whenever you’re ready.”
“Thank you,” I choked out. It was all I could say.
Ten minutes later, we neared the town Adam had told me about. The moment we passed the border, I tensed and sensed ten Starborns. That was more than I imagined. My powers rose to the surface, and my eyes stayed shifted.
I didn’t have time to wonder if I I was making the right decision. I was confident I could protect Di.
Not wasting any more time, I sped toward the outskirts of the town where I felt the Starborns.
It was time to meet and greet some long-lost demon friends.