{"id":89,"date":"2024-04-11T15:27:43","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T21:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/?page_id=89"},"modified":"2024-04-12T11:11:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T17:11:07","slug":"as-above-so-below-chapters-11-13","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/?page_id=89","title":{"rendered":"As Above, So Below: Chapters 13 – 15"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CHAPTER 13<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira must have drunk a good portion of the bottle of vodka because when she woke the next morning, she was draped over the loveseat and had a pounding headache. She started to rub the sleep from her eyes and remembered who had sat on that couch the night before and jolted up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The movement was too quick, too much and too early. Her stomach turned over and she rushed to the bathroom. Kira stared into the toilet bowl as she heaved up the contents of her stomach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bile burned her throat and she filled a cup with water from the bathroom sink and rinsed her mouth before drinking the rest. She needed a plan. She couldn’t tell Pam and frankly, she didn\u2019t know anyone else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin was the only person she could trust with this information. Maybe together, they could think of something. Later, when the room stopped spinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she woke up the second time, she was freezing cold and everything ached. The tile floor of the bathroom was not a great place to sleep, she decided. Maybe better than the loveseat though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe she\u2019d get a new couch altogether and never have to think about the fallen angel\u2019s (probably perfect) ass on the cushion again. She peeled her tongue from the roof of her mouth and sat up against the tile wall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAzrin,\u201d she said out loud, almost breathless, and gasped when immediately a knock sounded at the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin looked worried when she opened the door. \u201cAre you alright, Kira?\u201d His face was set with genuine concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d she said. \u201cJust too much to drink. It doesn\u2019t seem fair to get hangovers in the afterworld.\u201d She winced at the fluorescent light streaming in through the open door, her head was still pounding. \u201cCome in, sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin walked past her and into the living room, he started to sit on the love seat, but Kira yelped, \u201cNot there!\u201d and he jolted upright and sat on the edge of the coffee table instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stared up at her with his brows raised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKira, perhaps you would like to put on some more clothes?\u201d he said, looking down at her bare legs, the t-shirt that barely covered her curvy hips, let alone her ass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She pulled the shirt down, cursing, and scurried into the bedroom. Azrin\u2019s lips curled into a smile as he caught a glimpse of her black panties and her round ass cheeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she came back into the living room, she was wearing leggings and a cropped t-shirt and any embarrassment was gone. She sat on the bar stool opposite where Azrin was now standing in the kitchen preparing coffee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat does it look like? I\u2019m making you some coffee. You said you had too much to drink. Isn\u2019t this what humans do when they intake too much alcohol?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, as if she was the crazy one. Kira just stared in amazement at the incredibly hot demon who was in her kitchen, making her a cup of coffee to soothe her hangover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI could just magic wand your headache away, but you\u2019d never learn your lesson.\u201d he laughed to himself as the coffee machine sputtered and hissed. He passed a mug of the steaming liquid to her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin took a sip from his coffee as Kira glared into her own mug. He must have remembered her coffee order from the cafe, because it was the perfect amount of cream and no sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, would you like to explain why you drank most of a bottle of vodka last night or why I\u2019m not allowed to sit on the couch?\u201d His expression was neutral, but there was a glint of playful curiosity in his black eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t sit on the couch, because\u201d she didn\u2019t know how to say it out loud. She blew on the hot coffee and sipped, sighing as the heat filled her chest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause he<\/em> sat there.\u201d She whispered and gestured toward the sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin set down his mug and braced his hands on the island, leaning over the counter and fixed his gaze on Kira\u2019s face. He could see the stress, smell the fear. Wondering who could possibly cause this woman to leak fear through the room, he said, \u201cHe? Who sat there, Kira?\u201d. His voice was calm but deadly serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira\u2019s hands flew up above her head. She almost knocked over her mug in her exaggerated movement. \u201cWho do you think it was? It was him<\/em>.\u201d She didn\u2019t want to say his name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didn\u2019t know if it would summon him, some sort of Beetlejuice situation. She wasn\u2019t interested in finding out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSatan?\u201d He inquired. \u201cSatan was sitting on your couch?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She put a finger to her pursed lips and looked around the apartment, expecting him to shimmer into existence at any minute. \u201cYes. Keep your voice down,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin leaned back against the counter again. He wasn\u2019t dressed in his tailored suit as she had seen him before. He was wearing tight black jeans and a black tshirt. The muscles in his biceps shifted as he clenched his fists and flexed his fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy did he come here? What did he say to you?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe wanted to know how I got into the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what did you tell him?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told him the truth.\u201d Kira took a gulp of the hot coffee, letting it scald her throat. \u201cI told him I just walked in and that you saved me and took me back here. I told him I wouldn\u2019t tell anyone what I saw there. Is he going to unexist me??\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her wide eyes were fixed on Azrin, looking for any reassurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t find any as he said, \u201cProbably not. Did he threaten you?\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, but he said he would send you to collect me and accompany me to the palace. He said he had questions to ask me, but not here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now his face shifted to true concern, maybe a tinge of fear in those depthless eyes. \u201cThe palace? Interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. He said that word too.\u201d She shivered, remembering the excruciatingly gentle touch. \u201cI guess he hasn\u2019t contacted you?\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d he shook his head, strands of black hair falling over his face. He brushed them back with a hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, what do we do? We need a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe?\u201d He mulled over the word, as if it tasted good on his tongue. \u201cWe can do nothing, but wait. And when we\u2019re summoned,\u201d here was the reassurance she was craving. \u201cWe\u2019ll go to the palace and hope he only wants to ask questions. I doubt he\u2019s going to punish you. It wasn\u2019t your fault the barrier let you in. Unless you have something you want to tell me?\u201d His eyes narrowed on her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira just shook her head. It wasn\u2019t exactly the reassurance she needed, but at least she wouldn\u2019t have to go alone. Azrin had scared those small demons, maybe the big ones feared him too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin broke the silence, placing his empty mug in the sink and turning to face the couch. \u201cAre you really never going to sit on it again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked toward the little cream sofa and swore she saw a shimmer in the air. \u201cNo, no I don\u2019t think I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, then I\u2019ll take you to the shops and you can pick out a new one. How about that for a distraction?\u201d His expression was smug, he was apparently pleased with his idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAPTER 14<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat don\u2019t you like about it? It looks just like the one you had before!\u201d Azrin was nearly shouting. They had been in every furniture store that Hell had to offer and Azrin was growing increasingly irritated with her indecision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly! It\u2019s boring. I want something new and exciting. Like that one.\u201d She pointed to a long black velvet sofa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s black. How cliche.\u201d Azrin rolled his eyes. His tail slashed through the air, causing other shoppers to go out of their way to avoid it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like it. It\u2019s soft. It\u2019s going in my apartment, what do you even care?\u201d She stamped her foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have to sit on it when I come over.\u201d he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen don\u2019t come over.\u201d She also crossed her arms over her chest, he didn\u2019t fail to notice the way it pushed her breasts up and almost out of the v-neck t-shirt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally? That\u2019s how you want to be? I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m even here.\u201d He stared down at her, challenging her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe neither. You know what? Why don\u2019t you just go. I can handle this on my own. I don\u2019t need your help.\u201d She took a step toward him, challenge accepted, and battle won.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFine. I will go.\u201d A swirl of black smoke and he was gone. Kira suddenly felt very lonely, but shrugged off the guilt and regret. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An employee approached Kira with caution, swatting the black smoke away. \u201cWould you like this one, Miss?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. I would like that one,\u201d she pointed again to the black sofa. It was the kind of thing she would have bought in the waking world if she\u2019d ever had enough money. Azrin didn\u2019t understand what that meant, couldn\u2019t understand, she thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan you deliver it? I don\u2019t have to haul it on the train, do I?\u201d she asked the short, brown haired woman in the blue uniform polo-shirt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, Miss. We\u2019ll take the old one away as well if you like. Just fill out this form here with your information.\u201d The woman handed Kira a piece of paper and a golf pencil. Either Satan had a sense of humor or was completely unoriginal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the purchase complete, Kira walked to a restaurant and ordered some dinner to go. She boarded the train and went home. The fight with Azrin had been a small thing, but it weighed on her. She shouldn\u2019t be fighting with anyone, least of all him. He was trying to help, afterall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she got back to the apartment she was impressed to find the new, black velvet couch in place of the old cream loveseat. It was huge and took up most of the small living room. But it was hers, and frankly, that was all she cared about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She thought to plop down right away, but opted to eat dinner at the kitchen island instead. Maybe she\u2019d lay down to watch tv later, she thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was lying on the sofa watching reruns of Lover\u2019s Island when she heard a soft knock. She rose and opened it just enough to see Azrin standing on the other side. He was still wearing the black t-shirt that hugged his muscled chest. His black eyes looked strange though, sad maybe, pleading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d she said by way of greeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to apologize and to bring you this.\u201d He held up a bouquet of a half dozen black roses, mixed with small red flowers she\u2019d never seen before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira swung the door open, but didn\u2019t wait for him to enter. She walked to the large couch and sat on one side, leaning against the armrest. Azrin shut the door behind him and took in the sight of her on the massive velvet couch. He opened his mouth to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t say it,\u201d she said, holding up a hand. \u201cI\u2019m well aware that it takes up most of the room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t going to say that at all. In fact, I think it suits you.\u201d He studied her for a moment, her gray leggings and the white t-shirt were stark against the black, but it was her skin that stood out to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Against the black fabric, her skin was like cream, punctuated with light orange freckles. The curves of her breasts peeking over the v-neck were incredibly distracting. It took some effort to pull his attention from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you have a vase?\u201d He said moving into the small kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d she said, unmuting the TV. \u201cTop shelf, next to the fridge. There\u2019s beer in the fridge, help yourself if you want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin reached up to the top shelf, wondering how she had managed to get anything up here. Kira turned to see him stretching, the muscles in his back straining and shifting, his thighs, his ass, that damned tail! She quickly turned her attention back to the television. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are you watching?\u201d he said as he set two beers on the coffee table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he sat on the couch, he sunk nearly six inches into the cushion. Kira glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He was sunk so far into the couch that his bent knees were higher than his face. She couldn\u2019t help but laugh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a terrible couch, I\u2019ll reinforce the cushions tomorrow.\u201d She said, chuckling as Azrin tried to prop himself up with pillows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wanted soft. I\u2019d say you got it.\u201d He had finally righted himself into a comfortable position. He took the beer from the table and drank almost half of the bottle in one long chug. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked at him sideways, \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d he answered, voice grave, eyes distant. \u201cI received a note today. We\u2019re to meet him in the palace tomorrow evening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell shit.\u201d Kira too drank deeply from her beer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They watched the end of the reality show in silence, Azrin getting up twice to get more beers, and then struggling all over again to get comfortable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the show was over, Kira muted the tv. \u201cCan I ask you a question? And get an honest answer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she looked into his face she found it was open, raw. She could have sworn she saw a familiar look in his eyes. A look she\u2019d seen a hundred times before, and often after several drinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo you treat all of the humans you work with like this?\u201d She asked at last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike what? With kindness?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more than that though. Do you drink coffee with them? Do you take them furniture shopping and then get mad when they can\u2019t decide? Do you bring them flowers and drink beer while watching garbage tv with them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sound that broke from Azrin\u2019s lips was delightful. Laughter, pure, and honest. \u201cI try to be nice to everyone. You win more favor with honey than vinegar, but no, I don\u2019t bring them flowers or sit with them on their ridiculous couches and watch garbage tv.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo why me?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Azrin tried to shift closer to her, but the plush couch was like quicksand. He ended up leaning toward her, propping himself up with an arm. His eyes were pools of starlight. She wondered if those were demon bedroom eyes and started to wonder what other demon features might look like in the bedroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause, Kira, you\u2019re not afraid of me.\u201d His intense stare faded and he sat back, relaxing. \u201cAnd I deserve to have a friend, don\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was not what she was expecting in the least. Hesitantly she said, \u201cfriends? Are we friends?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course we are,\u201d he laughed a little, perhaps nervously. \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t we be friends?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I guess you did save my existence. So maybe we are friends.\u201d She didn\u2019t know why, but she reached across the cushions, her palm turned upward. Azrin looked down at her hand and tentatively placed his on top, curling his long fingers around hers. She unmuted the TV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHAPTER 15<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira woke in the middle of the night. The apartment was dark, save for a soft yellow light coming from the kitchen. The TV was still on, some sort of infomercial playing in the background. Kira had a crick in her neck from sleeping on a rather firm pillow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the darkness of the room, the flickering light of the TV. When she twisted to get more comfortable, she found herself staring up into Azrin\u2019s face. The realization hit her that her head was in his lap, that her hair was loose and his fingers were tangled in the length of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello there.\u201d His voice was warm and comforting and Kira had the feeling that she could have stayed there for a long long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShit. I\u2019m sorry. I don\u2019t know when I fell asleep.\u201d She sat up, noticing a little wet spot on his thigh. Kira looked at him with big, pleading eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not the first time a woman has drooled all over me.\u201d A soft smile spread across his face. \u201cYou fell asleep only about an hour ago. Don\u2019t worry. It\u2019s fine. I should go though.\u201d He started to stand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re leaving?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, we have a busy day tomorrow. We both need rest.\u201d He was already at the door, his hand on the knob. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira\u2019s voice wavered as she tried to put her thoughts into words, \u201cAzrin.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He paused and looked back at her disheveled form on the couch. Her t-shirt was crooked, a hot pink bra strap falling out of one sleeve. Her hair hung in loose waves around her face and shoulders. He made a small questioning sound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d she said, \u201cfor being my friend.\u201d The soft smile crept back into his face and his eyes sparkled in response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back around two tomorrow,\u201d he said gently. Be dressed and ready to go.\u201d With that he was out the door and gone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kira felt utterly lost. She sank back into the sofa, thinking. Everything she\u2019d ever done in her life had led in some way to this point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She wondered if she would rather be dating Keith, married even, a big house and a lawyer husband, two point five kids. The image of Azrin\u2019s face ghosted into her mind, clearing away any thoughts of Keith or Marc or any number of men she\u2019d known in the mortal world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was something about him that she couldn\u2019t ignore. Something she didn\u2019t want to ignore. And now, she was going with him to the pit of Hell, to the castle of Satan, himself. She should be afraid, but she wasn\u2019t. She was, however, sleepy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Return to Chapter List<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHAPTER 13 Kira must have drunk a good portion of the bottle of vodka because when she woke the next morning, she was draped over the loveseat and had a pounding headache. She started to rub the sleep from her eyes and remembered who had sat on that couch the night before and jolted up. …<\/p>\n

Read More “As Above, So Below: Chapters 13 – 15”<\/span> »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-89","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108,"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions\/108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.CatesPress.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}