The Devil's Smile:e Chapter One

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter



"Wake up." Enepsigos gave a soft groan. "We'll be late."
"Hmm?" Zepar rose from the bed, shaking his head. Enepsigos was nothing if not a late riser. Had it been any other day, she could have slept in, and he would not have cared, but today was important. The Ceremony was taking place, and he was the nephew of the Demon King, obligated to attend.
Enepsigos gave a low growl, shaking her head and rolling over onto her back.



"But it's so early!" she exclaimed. Zepar rolled his eyes. "The sun is up and everything!" his minion continued. "How horrid!"
"You really are hopeless," he sighed, moving away to get dressed in his best clothes. "I only let you stay because I knew you would't wake up on your own."



Enepsigos slowly pushed herself up and gave him a sly look.
"I hardly think that was your only reason."
"You're lucky I didn't make you sleep on the floor again," Zepar replied flatly. She gave a soft sniff, pouting.
"My Lord, you are so cruel to me sometimes!" Zepar continued dressing without turning to her.
"You deserved it for inviting yourself to stay when I haven't summoned you. Now are you going to get dressed or not?" Enepsigos finally sighed and gave in.



"Fine," she said, "though they're only angels. If they're so damn virtuous, patience should come naturally to them. I don't see why there needs to be such a big to-do over this anyway. We're just agreeing to the same old thing, like always. They should just give us the Mirror Valley without the Ceremony and let us all stay in bed. In fact, that's the best plan really. Come back to bed, Lord Zepar." She gave him another smirk and he simply stared at her with his flat glare in return.



"No," he finally said, arms crossed. Get up. I'm expected, and so are you. That's an order, Enepsigos. I won't ask again." With that he turned away towards the door, leaving her to catch up. She sighed, looking after him forlornly.
"Sometimes," she muttered to herself, "he's just no fun."

----------



"Oh, well this was worth getting out of bed for," Enepsigos sniffed sourly, glancing sidelong to Zepar who brushed her comment off with a blink.
"Don't be so annoying. I don't have the time to handle your impertinence right now. Once my Uncle arrives and the Lord of Morning passes control, you'll be free to do as you want. If you don't behave I will banish you back to the ether. I am not in the mood for your trite remarks today." Enepsigos's eyes narrowed a little and she licked her lips.
"Now that's not what you said last night," she grumbled, then perked up a moment at the sight of a large group approaching in the distance. "Oh look! Some of the angels have finally bothered to show up! Can I go play with them?" Zepar sighed, relenting at last, and closed his eyes with a small nod.
"Fine, go, but stay out of trouble." Enepsigos gave him a wicked look.
"I promise to seduce only one," she said earnestly, her eyes flashing as she hurried off, leaving Zepar alone.



Zepar stood, watching her teasing the angels in the distance a moment before something else caught his attention. Off to his left, in the woods of the Mirror Valley, he could hear...was that singing? He listened a moment, then checked no one was paying attention to him before slipping away towards the woods to examine the source.
The woods gave way to a glade where he was presented with a sight unlike any he had seen before.



An angel stood in the center of the glade, singing up to a number of birds. Mesmerized, Zepar took a step towards her, his feet snapping twigs and rustling the leaves about him as he moved. The birds startled and took off, soaring off into the air. The angel spun about, equally startled, to stare at him.



"Who are you?" she asked him, keeping her distance. "You're a demon aren't you?" Zepar licked his lips.
"Yes, it's true. But I won't harm you, little songbird." She was quiet a moment, still, watching him for threats like a wary doe. Finally she drew a breath.
"I should go. They'll be looking for me," she said in a quiet, hesitant voice. He caught his own breath, realizing he had been holding it, and reached for her, taking a step forward.
'She's beautiful,' he thought. But instead of taking his hand she took a slow step backwards, then turned and fled, hurrying silently into the woods back towards the Ceremony. Zepar froze, then let a small smile play at his lips as he lowered his hand and his head.
He heard then a loud cheer behind him and he cursed, realizing the Ceremony had begun while he had been off chasing haunting melodies and beautiful girls in the woodlands. He turned and hurried, making his way back through the trees where he managed to pick his way through the crowd to Enepsigos who stood now on the plinth of the Monument itself.

----------



The Monument had been built on the site of one of the worst battles between demons and angels in history, an architectural masterpiece of demonic and angelic work alike. It served now as a neutral place, a gathering point for the Ceremony and a sacred location where war would never be waged again.
Despite this, the truce between the Plane of Heaven and the Plane of Hell was uneasy at best. The Archangel Sidriel, Lord of Morning, and the Demon King and Nocturne Lord Beleth were not on good terms. The Ceremony was the sharing of the Mirror Valley, the neutral space between the Planes. Every six months it changed hands and ownership, and with it changed the seasons in the human realms to which the Mirror Valley was attached.
Even so, there was a general tension in the air with so many demons and angels gathered in one spot. Only the Lord of Morning and the Nocturne Lord and their advisors, councils, or heirs could stand atop the Monument together. All others had to be kept well back.
The angel Mihr made her way up the steps to join Lady Sachael at the far end of the Monument, murmuring her apologies for being late. Sachael turned a little towards her, keeping her eyes on the Ceremony in the center of the Monument.
"Where have you been, little one?"
"I was singing to the birds, but they flew away. I didn't mean to worry you or be late," Mihr said softly, glancing to the ongoing Ceremony between the Demon King and the Archangel.
"Well, nevermind," Sachael said with a smile. "At least you are back now. They're almost finished, and soon it shall be time to leave this place to autumn." She glanced to Mihr and smiled softly. "You can sing to the birds at home." Mihr smiled a little, then looked about, her eyes locking on the demon who had scared away the birds and crept up on her in the woods.



"Lady Sachael?" she asked softly. Lady Sachael looked to her.
"Yes?" Mihr hesitated, then bit her lip.
"Lady Sachael, who is he?" Sachael glanced over, her look bemused.
"That is Lord Zepar, nephew of the Nocturne Lord. Why do you ask?" Mihr turned away, giving a bright smile.
"I saw him and wondered," she replied innocently. "When we get home, we should have strawberries in cream." The change of subject made Sachael visibly relax and give a soft laugh.
"Alright," she agreed, but her smile slipped a little as she looked back to Zepar.
Mihr glanced back to him only a moment, and then Sidriel crossed to join them.
"Come," he said calmly. "It's time we leave this place."

----------



Mihr could not sleep. Her mind was racing with all number of thoughts. Zepar, the nephew of the Nocturne Lord. Did he feel the strange pull of the night as well? Perhaps all angels and demons did.
She felt a little discomfort at having run away from him. He had, after all, promised not to hurt her, and he had done nothing to suggest he would break his promise. But demons were meant to be dangerous, weren't they? She had always been told so. They were creatures of death, darkness, hedonism.
Why then did she feel the need to see him again, to seek him out, to make amends for running away and leaving him alone in that glade?
Enough. She had to do something. In any case, she had forgotten to check that the birds were alright, and she should at least see if they had settled down after their fright. She slowly rose, stepping through the mists of the Plane of Heaven, and made her way towards the gate to the Mirror Valley alone.

----------



Mihr found her way back without trouble, moving silently through the trees towards the glade. As she approached, she heard the snap of twigs underfoot and gave a small smile, wondering if she had been so lucky as to run into Lord Zepar. She peered around the tree, suspicions confirmed, and smiled.
"So you are here. I wondered. Did you come to see the birds again?" she said in greeting. He turned towards her, surprised to see her, then smiled himself.



In the darkness his eyes were like flint. He considered her.
"Actually I came here hoping to run into you." Mihr smiled.
"That's silly. Why on earth would you want that?" she asked, but she had felt something similar herself. He just gave her a knowing look, then reached for her hand.
"Come with me," he said quietly. "There's somewhere I want to show you."
He led them deeper into the Mirror Valley, to an autumnal lake that hummed quietly with life. He sank into a seat atop the bank, staring out at the lake and beckoning for her to join him. Slowly, she sank into a seat in the deep woods, taking it all in.



She sat with her back to his, embarassed at first to face him. For a moment there was only silence between them. Then, finally, unable to bear it, she blurted out the first thing she could think of.
"Is it true what they say? That over the mountains in the Plane of Hell the skies are red?" Zepar gave a soft laugh, leaning back a little and glancing back at her.
"Yes, it is. An odd question to ask." She ignored his comment.
"Are you the Nocturne Lord's nephew?" He raised an eyebrow and turned a little more towards her.
"That is unfair. You know who I am but I still don't know your name, little angel." She hesitated a moment, then glanced back, meeting his eyes.
"My name is Mihr."
"The beautiful Mihr," Zepar sighed, leaning back against a nearby rock and smiling as he considered the sky above them through the trees. "I'm glad our paths crossed again, Mihr."



"Why are you here? Truly?" Mihr asked him, considering him a moment, finally turning her body to face him properly. She wanted a straight answer from him.
He refused to give one, instead closing his eyes.
"The Mirror Valley is under our control now. I could ask you the same question." Mihr blushed, turning her face away and slowly rising.
"I came," she said forcefully, "to make sure the birds were alright. You scared them earlier, you know." Zepar sat up a little, eyes opening, and when he looked to her there was amusement in his eyes. He gave a bark of genuine mirth.
"Birds? You're out here for birds?"



He smiled up at her, twisting to consider her where she stood.
"You're refreshingly innocent, Lady Mihr." She blinked, taken aback.
"I...well, I..." Zepar slowly rose, his flinty gaze meeting hers in the darkness under the stars.
"Mihr, I'm going to kiss you. You should leave now before I do," he warned in a lower voice than he had used moments ago. She felt her breath catch and blinked.
"But I haven't seen the birds yet, and if I go then you will be alone." He turned his face away, closing his eyes.
"Better alone than with you at the moment," he murmured, then gave her a sly smile. "I promise to behave and stop frightening the birds, my Lady." She felt her heart sink a little.
"You really want me to go," she said quietly. He drew a breath, looking straight at her.
"No, but it's best if you do." She smiled slightly.
"Well, shall I come back again?" He gave a slight groan, grinning and pulling back.
"I shall be here tomorrow night as well if you wish. The choice to come back will be yours alone," he finally said. Mihr gave him a bright smile.
"Then I shall come and visit the birds tomorrow then. Perhaps I will see you as well." She pulled back and drew away, turning back towards the woods in the direction of the Heaven Gate.



When she had gone, Zepar grimaced, staring back towards the lake.
"Dammit, they the hell didn't I just go for it?" he demanded outloud to himself. Now he'd have to find Enepsigos. He wasn't going to sleep alone after that exercising such control over such a tempting situation. He sighed, turning back away from the woods and kicking at the dirt as he made his way back towards the Plane of Hell, muttering to himself, "Even Archangel Sidriel would have been proud of that display of self-control."


END CHAPTER 1