Everyday life with a demon

Alice felt the same earth-shaking aura as before. She couldn't see from where it was coming or to whom it belonged. In fact, she couldn't see anything at all. Surrounded by impenetrable darkness, the half-angel could only wait for anything to happen. The aura was getting closer and closer. She tried to move, run away, or even simply lay down on the ground. Alice couldn't do anything. She felt that whoever this aura belonged to was right next to her. Turning around, she saw a woman with short white hair with her back turned to her. Alice wanted to call out to her, but she neither knew her name nor even knew why she should do so. The center of the aura shifted from her to the unknown woman. As the white-haired woman turned around, her silhouette changed, now resembling the same smoke demon from before. It looked at her with those yellow eyes and vanished without a trace. The half-angel could only stand in darkness, feeling how an unbearable cold covered her entire being.

"...ice...Alice...Miss Alice." She felt herself being shaken by something or someone. Though she couldn't move, the cold got worse and worse with each passing second. It wasn't until she felt someone pinch her nose that she jolted awake, looking all over the hospital room, only to stop at an older brown-haired girl while the blue-eyed demon stared at her with a slight smile.

"Miss Alice, breakfast is ready." The older girl pointed at the tray on the shelf. A bunch of toast and a glass of juice. Her everyday routine. “Miss Lilim has already eaten, so you can start your interrogation after you have had yours." The brown-haired girl added, leaving the two girls alone. Alice turned around so that she sat more or less sideways to Lilim, making sure that her hair covered most of the scars. Under the cover of the night, she didn't bother with them as there was no way that she could see them, yet now Alice surely did not want the demon girl to see her like that. The scars didn't bother her, not even a bit. She just didn't want the black-haired demon to notice them, that's all.

"You know, it's somewhat adorable that you still sleep with the lights on." The voice of the demon girl, while being a honey to her ears, made Alice red as a beetroot as she frantically turned off the little lamp.

"It was a one-time thing, I swear!" The half-angel waved her hands with her face still as red as before, much to the amusement of the black-haired demon. "Um, Lilim, was it?

"Yup, though it isn't fair that you know my name while I don't."

"Oh right, I'm Alice, the half-angel of this Force." Though Alice couldn't say for sure, she could swear that Lilim momentarily broke eye contact as she mentioned her name. This and the mention of someone called Alicia last night made her wonder if there was another demon of which they should beware.

"So what do you want to interrogate me for? I come in peace if that's your concern."

"I don't doubt that." Lilim raised her brow. For an angel, or even half an angel, she was awfully friendly towards demons. She didn't mind, of course; anything was preferable to being dead. Though she doubted that it was genuine, she lived long enough to know such tricks. And yet, for now, she didn't sense any ill intent from the girl. Well, she should play along for a while.

"First and foremost, I would like to know if you know anything about those two auras that appeared last night."

"Shouldn't you eat first? And have some sort of notepad to write my answers down?" Alice sheepishly muttered that she had a good memory as she munched on her toast. "But no, I don't know them or what they want from me. And the second one I only ‘met’ last night, so I don't even know if they are related."

"Got it, next one. What were you doing in the forest? We have noticed your activity increasing in the past two weeks."

"Hey, were you spying on me? I hope I didn't show too much." Lilim added with a smirk. Seeing the redness return to her half-angel face, her smile grew even wider. The half-angel wasn't a treat, as far as she could tell. Good, at least she won't lose her head by teasing her too much, and for her defense, the angel was just too nervous for her own good.

"No! We just observed your aura; that's all, I swear."

"Hey, I was joking. Relax. Though, why are you so nervous? I won't eat you, unless you ask nicely."

"Could you answer the question, please?"

"Right, right. Just trying to survive, I guess."This time, Alice raised her brow. If so, then what did she do in that forest? It's not like her aura was constantly there. "I guess you could call me a vagabond."

"Wait, so you have no home of your own?" The shock in the half-angel's voice confused Lilim. She was a demon, after all, and demons weren't known for staying in one place. Though that was much more true for the demons of old age and not those like her.

"Not really, but it's nothing too bad. You get to meet a lot of interesting people, at the very least." Alice has now made up her mind. She had to ask Beatrice to let Lilim stay with them. If those two demons from before were in fact looking for her for some reason, then letting her go without a shelter was just asking for tragedy to happen. After all, she had to protect every civilian, no matter who they were.

"Right, say, do you know anything about Tetra, the four powerful demons?"

"It's the first time I've heard about them. So no, I don't work with them if that is what you wanted to ask next. I don't know how to prove this to you, though."

"Don't worry, I'm quite good at telling if someone is lying. A job requirement, if you will. But there is something else I wanted to ask you. Last night, you called out to some Alicia. May I know who she is?" It probably wasn't a good question. Lilim lowered her head and momentarily broke eye contact. The atmosphere grew gloomier with each passing second, and at this point, Alice knew that it was probably an answer that she didn't want to hear. "If you don't want to answer this one, then that's fine, really." The half-angel tried to reassure the demon girl. It seemed to work, as she finally turned to face the ginger-haired girl.

"I promise to tell you later, ‘kay?" And with that, Alice was done. There was nothing more she wanted to ask. Now all she has to do is ask Beatrice to let Lilim stay with them for a while, probably until they manage to get rid of those two demons and she can continue her fight against Tetra. Before Alice reached for the doorknob, there was one more question that crossed her mind. Something more personal with no bigger relation to the investigation.

"Um, Lilim, you wouldn't happen to see a white, short-haired woman?" Before the half-angel even managed to think if this was proper of her to ask, she had already said what was on her mind.

"No, I'm pretty sure I would have remembered someone with white hair. Sorry, I couldn't be much of a help."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Really, it's nothing serious. That last question was especially stupid for me. What matters is that you are fine." Alice wasn't the only one who could easily tell if someone was lying. Lilim knew that something bothered the younger girl, though she said nothing. Personal stuff was personal after all. “Though there is a possibility of you being assigned to stay with us for a little while. So if you are fine with that, then I will go and tell Beatrice that you are ready to go.” Lilim didn't oppose that. Having a place to stay, even if it was momentary, wasn't something she would say no to. Anything was better than sleeping in the woods or empty warehouses.

Alice returned not long after with a blonde woman who had a rather disappointed look on her face. While the half-angel tried to give Lilim the best smile she could, it was clear that something was wrong. The woman sat on the chair, and Alice quickly explained everything to the blue-eyed demon. As it turned out, Beatrice wasn't really pleased with the results of the interrogation and had to do it her way. The half-angel decided to wait outside.

It wasn't until an hour later that Beatrice finally called her in. Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was a rather exhausted Lilim. This interrogation seemed successful if the pleased look on Beatrice's face was anything to judge it by.

"So how did it go?" Alice asked while handling Lilim's glass of juice from breakfast.

"Well, our little succubus here is Lilim, daughter of Lilith. She is not related to or even possesses any knowledge about the two demons that appeared last night. Apparently, she has been constantly attacked by various demons in the last few months, probably as an act of assassination. It leads us to believe that Tetra might, in fact, see her as a potential threat, which in turn could make her an important ally."

"Does that mean that she will stay with us for a while?"

"Yes, until we either confirm or rule out the actions of Tetra or until we learn more about those demons."

"Thank you. So when should I get ready?"

"The sooner, the better. I still have a bunch of rapports to fill, and I'd like you to get accustomed to the new surroundings." The ever-formal and calm manner of Beatrice always left the half-angel in awe. It really seemed like no matter what would happen, she would always keep a level head and carry on with the orders. Unlike her.

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Having said that, both angels waited outside as the demon changed into her white dress. Being cleaned off the blood, it truly enchanted the demon's beauty. Though it looked like something was bothering her,

"I guess you didn't bring my katana here."

"No, sorry. It had to be confiscated for the time being. But if you want, I can go get it." Before Alice could go, Lilim stopped her.

"Don't worry. To me, Prince!" A black flame shot out of the succubus hand, forming the shape of a blade. As it faded, the black katana rested in her hand. The half-angel's eyes sparked at that. Her spear never did that. It only appeared quickly in a bright shine without anything fancy. Maybe it was a matter of the spell?

"Can you put it in a sheath? I'd prefer not to have any cut marks in the car." Beatrice eyed the blade. A black lead. Material that is only natural to Hell. If what the demon told her before was true, then while she was born there, she did not grow up there. If so, then how did she get her hands on it? Another question left for later. Lilim showed her something resembling a bandage that was wrapped around the hilt of the katana. The blue-eyed demon, in a matter of seconds, wrapped the entire blade. At least it was better than nothing. Leading both girls to the parking lot, she stopped before a yellow Opel Manta. Granted, it wasn't the newest car, but it was the one she was used to the most.

The road back home was rather uneventful. Lilim expected their ‘quarters’, as the blonde angel has called them, to be in the complex itself. Though it wasn't the case as Beatrice drove to the very center of Znena. Here it was. A seven-story beige residential block. Both girls left the car, but not before Beatrice hugged Alice tightly and told her to be safe as she drove off. The half-angel led the demon up to the seventh floor. Lilim stopped at the long balcony, taking in the busy town as cars filled the streets and people like ants moved on the walkway. Hearing doors unlock, she turned around to see Alice standing next to them, waiting for the succubus to come inside. Not letting the half-angel wait long, she entered what really wasn't that big of a flat.

One short corridor with opened doors on the left leading to a yellow and green painted room; one small living room with an even smaller kitchen right next to it; and to the right of it was another door, Beatrice's room, as she was quickly informed. Alice invited her to her room, and both of them sat on the still-unmade bed. The room itself didn't have much in it. Just one bed, a bunch of cupboards, and shelves that were filled to the brim with various stuff like mugs, some small stuffed toys, and other things like that that weirdly fit the half-angel. Then there was the small table with still-unopened cosmetics and a covered-up mirror.

"It's nice that your mom let me stay here." Lilim said as she noticed a photo on one of the shelves. On it were a much younger Alice and some women with white hair.

"Huh? Oh, um, you see, Beatrice isn't really my mom." Alice replied while fidgeting with her fingers. "Though she acts like one." She added with a smile, yet Lilim could see that something was off.

"I see. So, where's your mom? Does she also work there, in another town, or what? I guess she should also have a say in my stay." Though the demon decided to push further, it was quickly made clear that it wasn't the best thing to do as the smile faded off the half-angel's face.

"We don't really know where she is either. She vanished without a trace when I was younger. If I understood correctly, our previous house was attacked by some demons. Beatrice took me and ran. After returning, my mom wasn't there. Though she isn't dead, she can't be. I know it." Alice's nails slowly started to dig into her thigh, nearly drawing blood, yet the half-angel seemed to not notice. It wasn't until she noticed the concerned look on the succubus's face that she stopped. “Sorry, I'm sorry. I brought the mood down, and you must think of me as some crybaby." She added with a forced smile, wiping off a tear that made its way to her eye.

"So that's why you asked me if I saw someone with white hair." Before the half-angel could question her, the black-haired demon pointed at the photograph and said. "Look, how about we make a deal? In exchange for giving me shelter and some good food, I'll help you against this whole Tetra and look for your mom."This seemed to work, as Alice brightened up.

"You will? Though I can't ask you for that. The matter with Tetra is with the Holy See and with my mom..."

"Don't worry. That's the least I could do. I would feel bad about being a freeloader anyway."

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"No problem." Lilim said, standing up. She felt something soft under her foot. Much to the panic and flustered Alice dismay, she grabbed onto whatever she stood on. A magazine? With a bookmark in it? Wasting no time, she opened the magazine on the marked page. Lilim smirked. She didn't expect the angel to have this kind of magazine, but oh well. She would be a hypocrite if she said anything about it.

"It's not what you think, I swear! A friend left it here; it's not really mine!"

"You have good taste; that's all I can say." The smirk stayed even after she returned the magazine to the half-angel, who immediately showed it deep under her bed. “I promise to keep quiet about it. Though I wouldn't guess that you would be into women.”

"Can we go and show you the rest of the house, please?" Seeing how the angel was beetroot red, Lilim decided to go with her to spare her any more embarrassment. Despite the fact that there wasn't much to see, the succubus didn't mind. At least the half-angel smiled the entire time. She let her take a quick glance inside Beatrice's room. Which apparently doubled as some sort of small operational base. Three monitors were still turned on, showcasing various demonic auras across the city. For now, everything seemed peaceful. The living room was easily the most spacious part of the flat. One big couch, a small coffee table next to it, one bigger dining table next to the balcony, and a rather sizable TV

Not even half an hour later, Alice was done showing Lilim around. They still had some time to spare before Beatrice would return, and there weren't any demons causing trouble for now, so the half-angel had to think about how they could use the free time. Maybe show her around the city? That seemed like a good idea. Though there was still one matter at hand. She went to one of the wardrobes and was looking for something.

"Do you need help?"

"No, though there still should be a spare mattress."

"Save yourself trouble; I can sleep on the couch."

“Seriously?”

" Yes. Unless you don't mind sharing a bed."

"I mean, if there was no other option..." In response to that, she heard a succubus laugh.

"So you are saying that you would take a girl you barely know to bed? You ain't so pure, angel, are you?"

"Of course not." Lilim laughed once more.

"I meant no to the bed, seriously. I would never do anything like that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Nothing naughty before marriage and all that stuff. But really, you are too easy to tease."

"Now you are taking advantage of my innocence."

"Hey, don't think of me as some old pervert. I am a succubus with honor, you know?" This time, Alice was the one laughing.

“And who is easy to tease now?” Lilim smiled slightly, seeing the half-angel in a good mood. Her stay here may be the best thing that has happened to her in a long time. Even if it's momentary, it might be worth it.

"Say, how about I show you around the town?" Lilim had nothing against the idea. Before she could reply, a loud beeping sound came from Beatrice's room. Alice momentarily found herself before a monitor showcasing a map of Znena. A red dot was closing in on Central Park. Alice sighed. Of course a demon would attack right now. Without wasting any time, she summoned her armor and stormed out of the building, landing with a thud on the flat roof of another block, with Lilim following right after her.

"Where is the demon?"

"Close to a central park. Northeast from here." Alice felt Lilim grab her and lift her up. Then she saw a pair of large, black, feathery wings sprout out from her back. “What are you doing?”

"It will be faster this way." Succubus said as she took off into the sky, flying at incredible speed. In just a matter of seconds, both of them were above the park. Even from there, they were able to see a bunch of police cars, which cut off the path of a massive green snake.

"Zmeya? What is it doing here?"

"You know it?"

"Not personally. It was supposed to live in a forest next to Grad. I don't know what made it migrate from another town, but I can't let it roam around. Drop me on it!" The black-haired demon let the half-angel fall. In a flash, she summoned her spear, and before the snake could notice the threat, the spear pierced through its head. Zmeya thrashed around, breaking a few trees in the process, before it shook off the angel from its head.

"Sssslut!" The snake eyed the angel. In yet another flash, her weapon returned to her, leaving a bleeding wound in the demon's head.

"If you lie down and yield, I'll reconsider letting you go in peace. But tell me, did Tetra send you here?"

"And if they did, sssso what?" Zmeya lunged at Alice. The half-angel dodged the snake, getting its jaws stuck in the ground. It didn't take the snake long to free itself.

"I'll ask again. Did Tetra send you? What's their plan?" As a response, Zmeya spat out a green flame. Before it could reach the half-angel, another figure came down from the sky and, with a powerful wave of blue flame, destroyed the spell. Lilim made one more swing and cut Zmeya's lower jaw in half. The snake froze from pain before thrashing all around while spewing its blood everywhere.

"They didn't! They didn't! I sssswear I didn't hurt anyone, I sssswear!" Alice hesitated to deal the finishing blow. After all, it was true that he didn't hurt anyone. He probably wanted to scare anyone away from his new home, as otherwise the whole park would be in flames. But then again, she couldn't let him go like that. She should probably call for the recovery team to put him in custody for now, probably until they manage to interrogate him for full details. Before Alice managed to think this through, Lilim, in the blink of an eye, brought her sword down, and a powerful blue flame shaped like a wave cut Zmeya in half through all of his length. Alice could swear that the succubus eyes gleamed or even glowed blue as the snake was covered by a green flame.

"An advice for the future: You always kill a demon. I've lived long enough to know that." The coldness in her words shocked Alice. While she did see her kill other demons, it was in self-defense. Not one that was yielding. Though maybe she was right. It could deceive her after all. Seeing a smile return to the demon's face and the cold glow leave her eyes made her feel slightly more at ease. Still, she didn't know how to feel about Lilim.

"Hey, weren't you supposed to show me around town?" The black-haired demon asked, seeing the half-angel lost in thought. Alice quickly replied. Lilim wasn't bad; she had to have a reason to kill that demon. The half-angel knew that demons had a strong sense of honor, especially one related to combat. Alice herself knew that yielding was probably equal to cowardice in their eyes, and that meant death. Yet another roadblock on the way to having humans, angels, and demons live in peace. But maybe, just maybe, with the help of Lilim, the town of Znena might be the first where this will happen. Of course, there will be those who oppose that. Sad truth, but she will have to live with that.

Seeing how the demon was waiting for her, she decided to leave those thoughts for later. After all, they were all doing their best for a better future.