8. Beelzebub
Belphegor came back while Bree was at work and the rest of my brothers played Rock-Paper-Scissors to determine who was coming in his place. They didn’t include me, and I took the opportunity to beat them all to it. As long as one of us is on Earth, the rest have to stay behind. Whoever won would have tried to portal here, but they would have been too late. I hope they’re pissed.
She wasn’t home when I took a portal to Earth. Switching to a human form, I found a buffet and sat at a table, feeding off of human’s inability to stop themselves. Asmodeus, Satan, and Belphegor all said that what they fed off of her was twice as much as a building full of sinners. I want to feel that.
I searched for her aura every few minutes, tracking her through the town. I waited at least half an hour before teleporting inside her apartment. No one was in the living area, but music was coming from one of the two bedrooms. I followed the noise and found a child playing with blocks and singing songs. “Hello.”
He pauses his singing, and slowly turns to look at me. I know I’m an imposing figure, whether in human or demon form. A small little boy sitting on the floor must think my seven-foot-tall human form is twice as big. I squat down, trying to make us the same height. It’s not really working. “My name is Beelzebub.”
I hold out my massive hand for him to shake. The boy is cautious, as he should be. Children are more sensitive to “evil” and the supernatural. Their imagination is broader, and their smaller brains can comprehend more than we give them credit for. They’re also more susceptible to influence. It’s why our list for Hell’s inhabitants doesn’t include humans under the age of seven.
Seven is more than just a ‘lucky’ number. It’s the number of Balance. Everything is equal on each side and when you’re the most likely to be influenced by what goes on around you.
His miniscule hand falls into mine, and he gives a strong shake. “I’m Rellick.” I show him my best smile, which he returns, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Rellick’s eyes give me pause though I make sure not to show it on my face. His eyes are gold with a green outer ring. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue, however the gold ring in his eyes resembled Lucifer’s after he descended. “Bee-elle-zee-bub.”
“That’s right, little man.” His pronunciation and way of speaking is very advanced for someone of his age. Maybe he’s older than his size suggests? “How old are you, Rellick?”
“Tree. But Mommy says it’s almost my birthday! I’m going to have cake! Do you like cake? Is it your birthday? How old are you? You look old. My mommy is old, too.” Well, I guess Rellick has decided that I am not a threat. “Mommy is making me chicken nuggets. But there’s no French fries. But I can have ranch. Do you want to play blocks with me?”
Damn! This kid talks a mile a minute. “How about this, little man. I’ll go get some fries and I’ll be right back. Work for you?” At his eager nod, I teleport to the nearest restaurant. I fill a basket with fries like I’m completing an order, and teleport back to Rellick’s room.
He freezes when he sees my feet. “Woah! How you did that?!”
Before I could answer, Brianna yelled across the apartment. “Rellick. Food’s ready!”
“Can my friend come, too?” Rellick gets up and runs into the living room.
“What friend, sweet boy?” I follow behind the kid, making sure my steps are loud.
“Bubby!” Am I Bubby? A scream pierces the room, and something is thrown at me.
Watching this gorgeous angry pixie throw a bottle of ketchup at me has to be the highlight of my day.
She’s in only a large tee and shorts that could pass for underwear if we’re honest. It’s a sight to behold. Her hair is lifted off her face into a messy bun at the top of her head. I was so focused on her body and the way it fills out her shirt, that I missed the movement of her grabbing a metal bat. Not until it hits me upside the head. Fucking fuck! That shit hurts! I don’t drop to the floor because I’m a King of Hell and I’m made of stronger stuff, but I will definitely have a headache.
“Who the fuck are you?!” Bree yells in my face. “Why are you in my apartment?! And with my son?!” She moves to swing the bat again, and I catch it.
“Mommy, no! He’s my friend! He’s magic!” Rellick’s tiny arms try to wrap around his mother’s waist. He’s trying to protect me… Oh, I’m claiming him.
Brianna begins to calm… actually, no. Not calm. She relaxes a little at Rellick’s words. “Magic?” she mumbles. She takes in my full appearance. My chocolate-colored skin. The black shoulder-length dreads that turn a bronze-orange tone towards then end. My eyes are the same orange color. I wouldn’t say I’m muscular in this form. I’m strong, yes, but I have what some humans would call ‘a dad bod.’ I think I’m rather handsome.
With the way her eyes light for a second, I would say Bree thinks I’m handsome as well. “I brought fries.” My attempt to appease the Mama Bear is not appreciated.
“Which one are you?” The bat now hangs at her side while her other hand is shielding Rellick behind her back from me.
I don’t answer her the way she expects. “Beelzebub.”
“Not what I meant.” She knows which one I am. I can feel it. Her eyes take in all of me a second time, focusing on my eyes. I can see the moment she realizes who I am, but she says nothing.
Brianna pulls out a chair at the table, lifting Rellick into it. She ignores me while grabbing the ketchup bottle off the floor. Once she gets him settled, she grudgingly walks to me until we’re face to face… well, face to chest. “Thank you for bringing fries.” The words are mumbled, like she’s forcing them through her lips. Bree takes a deep breath, her moss green eyes meeting mine. “Would you like to eat with us?”
She didn’t want to offer, though I can take a guess why she did. She knows I’m a king of Hell, which has to be intimidating. I also made friends with her son. Maybe I should have gone to her first, but this way got me what I wanted. She’s unable to kick me out now. Not without Rellick being upset. Am I sorry for using underhanded tactics? Ha! No.
“Thank you for offering.” Brianna sits next to Rellick at the head of the table, and I take the seat next to her, across from her son. She grabs the fries, gives some to Rellick and then hands the rest back to me. “You don’t want any?” I ask her.
“No, thank you. I’m okay with just the chicken nuggets.”
I stare at her in confusion. She’s a nice sized woman. Bigger in the hips and chest than the average woman today. I love her curves. It means she participates in my sin. Why isn’t she eating? “I grabbed a lot. You can have some. And I can get more if you’re still hungry.”
She takes a deep breath, seeming to calm herself. Taking a quick glance at her son, her eyes focus on me as she says, “I understand that you are Gluttony but I’m not all the hungry. I’ll be fine.”
Now we’re having a conversation. “How’d you know?” She points at the basket of fries, and I shake my head. “No. That’s not it. You knew before the fries, Honey.”
“Honey?” I make a point to not answer her until she answers me. With a roll of her eyes, she understands. “Orange. It’s not hard to guess. I know Pride is purple because of his eyes; and the suit he was wearing had a purple handkerchief. Sloth is blue. Greed and Envy are obvious. Lust had pink fur. Wrath had red skin. Only color left in the rainbow is orange and you’re the only sin left.”
“I like oranges.” Rellick’s voice pulls my gaze away from Brianna. “I like strawberries, too. And grapes and bananas. But not carrots. Not even in ranch.”
“What about cookies? Or cake? Or ice cream? Do you like sweets?”
“Oh yeah! I love ice cream! And icing!” His little body leans forward over his plate. “Momma even puts icing on my waffles sometimes,” he whispers. As though it’s a secret between us; even if Brianna is the one who makes his food.
“Icing on waffles?!” I respond in a low tone, returning his excitement. “I can’t believe I never thought of that! I bet that tastes delicious!”
Rellick nods his head enthusiastically. “It really does!”
“Well, we should taste it, then.” I snap my fingers, using my powers to make waffles appear on the table with different flavor icings. Rellick’s eyes grow wide, comically covering most of his face. “Which should we try first?”
The ecstatic child opens his mouth to respond, but it’s Bree’s words that reach my ears first. “Nuggets first.”
It was said with finality, and yet I couldn’t help badgering her a little. “He’ll be full. Can’t he eat this instead?”
Brianna’s cheeks flush, and she rises from the table. She grabs my wrist and pulls, attempting to drag me away. I give Rellick a wink as I follow her to her room. Closing the door behind me, she spins; furious. “If you ever undermine me in front of my son again, you will never come back!” She’s trying to keep her voice down, but it’s rising with her rage. “I let you stay because you made friends with my son, but I don’t give a flying fuck who you are or who you think you are. We aren’t in Hell anymore! You’re in my fucking house. You want to stay? You abide by my rules! Don’t like something I say or do? Pull me aside and tell me. Or just whisper it to me! Do not ever disrespect me in front of my son again! We clear?”
She was mesmerizing. Watching her stand up for herself was a serious aphrodisiac. I can respect the fact that she is in charge of her own home. I demand it of my demons in Hell. Also, if I want to bind her to me, she has to be willing. If I piss her off to the point of hatred, she’ll never want me. I can play by her rules. “Of course, Honey. I apologize. You’re his mother. What you say goes.”
Her shoulders relax and she lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, I lean towards her. “You’re welcome, Honey.” I give her a second to get accustomed to me being in her space. Her chin rises and her gaze drops to my lips. I want her to want me for more than just a kiss. Reaching behind her, I grab the door handle, opening it and moving away. “Should we go back to him?”
The mention of her son breaks her out of her reverie. “Right. Yes. Let’s go.” Bree starts towards the open door then abruptly turns to me again. “Why do you call me Honey?”
“Ever heard the phrase ‘catch more flies with honey?’ Well, as King of Gluttony, I am also known as Lord of the Flies.” I squat down so we’re the same height. “And you’ve caught me, Honey.” I gently kiss the tip of her nose before walking past her to the dining table. She’s still standing there in a daze when I sit, and I don’t even try to suppress the smile that grows on my lips.