Hate by K.A Knight
Xaph sweeps into the room with a roll of thunder from Heaven and his holy father. His white wings flare in anger, his golden halo floating above him, spinning faster with his fury. He wears his white robes tied with golden leaves, his feet clad in sandals. His blue eyes lock on me with hatred upon where I sit in his chair. He slams the door shut, his light fighting my darkness in the chamber, clashing in the middle of the room as we both fling our power at each other. A test, as always, to see who is stronger.
“What are you doing?” he screams, stepping forward, and for a moment my darkness retreats a bit, but with a mental flick I shoot it out and it hits him, throwing back his golden power until it curls into him with a pained groan. He likes to think his light is the strongest, but everyone knows darkness always wins. It’s where people seek power and conduct rituals, letting out their fantasies and energy. It’s where they find solace in warm blankets, their hate, anger, love, and hope all coming together. It’s where they hide. Light has only one thing to offer, shining on you...spotlighting everything.
No, darkness will always win. I will always win, and it’s about time the angel realised that. I never cared to prove it before, never needed to. I could do this job with my eyes closed, but now...now I have something I need...I want.
Her.
It gives me a purpose, something to use, and there is nothing more dangerous than a demon with a mission. He must see it, because he falters for a moment, unused to me pushing back as much. His eyes flicker nervously, wondering what hell I will bring down on Earth and the humans he cares so much for.
They pray to me for redemption and him to save them...he is worried I will walk among them, killing and seeking bloodshed, bathing in the pain and death. Maybe I will, but first I will find her. I will find my mate, the one who called me from my slumber. If it is a trick, I will wipe this world clean of sinners and saints alike. If it is not...it’s unknown, something I have never faced before. I have nothing to offer in the way of love or kindness, my heart is as black as my forms and power, unbeaten for thousands of years. I live in hate and darkness with betrayal and lies wrapped around me. She will hate me, but I don’t care, I will take her anyway. She will be mine, to do with as I wish, chained to me for eternity, forced to burn with me—a cruel outcome, but I cannot stop it now. It is fate, it is destined...she is meant to be mine.
“Xaph,” I greet conversationally.
He straightens his back, lifts his chin, and steps closer, showing he is unafraid. I smirk, we both know that’s a lie, for there is nothing the angel fears more than me. One day I will be his downfall. We have been locked in this game for thousands of years, light versus dark. I do not know who will win, but it was my only entertainment until now, the only creature who could stand against me.
“Demon,” he replies, refusing to call me anything else, even after all these years. He hates that I have a seat on the council, but this world needs balance and light and dark to lead. If I did not, it would fall into chaos. “Why are you awake?” he demands, his holy power ringing with truth and calling the same forth from me, but I snort at the simple trick he tries to wield on me. He should know by now I keep things close to my chest, never to be used against me. Lies are my usual and my power comes from secrets, those whispered into the night, both mine and theirs.
“Why not? I was tired of sleeping.” I grin, flicking my fingers and setting the torches in here alight, pretending to examine my nails as he glares at me. His holy righteousness takes over as he steps closer yet again, his wings still spread like a declaration.
“You should not have been able to break the spells holding you,” he states. It’s not a question, so I don’t answer and he carries on, his voice growing angrier with each word. “It is my turn to rule and yours to sleep, this is out of place, you will upset the rules of nature and our world. You cannot be awake, demon, it is not right!” he finishes on a scream.
I turn my head, not my body, no doubt looking disjointed, and stare him down. “Is that right? I do enjoy the chaos of breaking the rules,” I purr, my voice wrapping around him like a tightening leash, probing for chinks in his armour. That’s the thing with being so good, so angelic, there is always a part of you, a dark little voice that wants to break the rules, who craves the chaos and wrongness I bring. I exploit it now.
My darkness curls through those cracks, those doubts, and pushes them, the voice in his mind urging him to give in. I see him battling his beliefs, his nature, as I thread my power through him like a puppet, showing him just how strong I am. How powerful. How I could have this whole world on their knees before me as I walk through their worship of fear and death.
“Demon, stop!” he orders, his voice shooting out like bullets, but I just laugh, still relaxing on the throne. This is almost like the time he tried to perform an exorcism on me. I grow bored though and pull back, it was enough, a warning. He is breathing heavily, his sweat covering his brow as I sit there unbothered. “Why are you awake?” he asks again, his voice shaken now that he is aware of just how formidable I am. I wonder what he would think if he knew I could possess him.
Tilting my head, I watch him as I decide what to share. “Not for you, or your seat. Do not worry, angel, I do not crave your power or the love of your people. I have a different purpose, it will take me away from you.”
“You are not to leave this place! This is our duty!” he retorts.
“I do what I wish, do not test me again, angel,” I warn, my tone exploding like a volcano and he flinches.
“We have had enough of your reign, of your unruly behaviour. You represent our people, you are a leader now, vowed to protect and guide our populace. A hundred years awake, five hundred asleep, that is how we work! You cannot break tradition or your vows on a whim!” he protests, but just then we are interrupted by the servant. He scurries into the room and throws himself on the floor between us.
“Yes?” we both say at the same time, and the angel cuts me a glare as I grin.
“M-Masters,” he offers worriedly to not offend us, I do have a tendency to kill them. Once we had to replace him nine times in one week, that was a good time. “There has been a disturbance.”
“A disturbance?” Xaph repeats with a frown, and I shrug at him, already bored with this conversation.
“Yes, master. Unrest, unbalance,” he explains quickly.
“Someone is trying to rise above their station?” I muse and Xaph frowns.
“Maybe, do you know anything else?” he inquires, addressing the servant.
“It is to the south, master, towards the dragons’ homes. There is a crack forming, they are breaking back through into the world.”
“What? Why?” Xaph fumes as I grin, I did say I enjoy chaos, after all.
“Well, it looks like you have your hands full, angel, I will be on my way,” I comment before standing, and he turns to me with a heavenly glare.
“You will do no such thing. We must determine why you are awake, and as a leader you are duty bound to investigate this disturbance, which does not mean killing them! Or have you forgotten your blood oath, snake?”
Damn oaths, I hate them, pesky bastards to break. Last time I tried I sunk Atlantis, fun times.
I sit back down, smoke curling around me as the chair burns under my anger. He does not understand. My duty is no longer to this world or the people under us, but to finding her, to claiming her before she is snatched away. If they knew I had a mate, that she was out there...they would do whatever it took to take her and make her theirs, to control me. She is my one weakness and she is left alone in the world, unprotected as I face an infuriated agent of God.
