Seven Devils All Around You WHO Raguel and Genna Nayar (and Sariel) WHAT Finally, a reunion. But not the kind Raguel was expecting. WHERE Dot's Diner WHEN February 28, 9 pm (backdated) RATING PG
Despite having been returned to his rightful body - as much as he could claim it to be - Raguel had yet to have a meaningful interaction with Genna. Their paths had crossed a handful of times, but the most he'd ever received was a curt greeting and something that almost resembled a glare. Unsure of what indecencies Erik Lang might have subjected her to during his prolonged absence, he merely assumed that she wasn't quite ready to accept that he was back to the version of Erik she had known before.
It was still disconcerting to him that he seemed unable to sense her presence, although when he'd voiced his concerns to his sister, she had reassured him that the girl had likely just taken his advice and finally warded herself. This idea, paired with the fact that other than her silence, nothing else had seemed amiss with Genna when he'd seen her, helped to put his mind somewhat at ease. Still, he felt he owed her more than the explanation he’d given her the last time they'd met in her dream.
Dot's Diner had seemed the best place to hold such a reunion. They had frequented it often, as Genna had shown herself to be rather fond of their selections of pies. It also gave their meeting a more public setting, so that if she still felt uncomfortable being around him, she could at least have some support from her fellow townspeople should she choose to solicit it.
He had sent the message to her phone, and arrived promptly at eight fifty-eight to wait for her at their usual table. The waitress had seemed skittish at first sight of him, but relaxed greatly when he politely took his seat and ordered his usual cup of coffee.
“Glad to see you back to normal, Mr. Lang,” the young woman had told him.
“It's good to be back to normal,” Raguel had replied with an apologetic nod. “I'm sorry if I distressed you in any way when I was... not myself.”
The waitress had just given him a polite smile and an awkward twitter as she left to fetch his coffee. With a resigned sigh, he settled back into the booth and waited for Genna to arrive.
Genna wasn’t feeling like herself. The was to say, she was herself, but there was also a space that had been hollowed out inside of her where the demon lurked. She’d been losing time less and less lately, not because she was growing stronger or because the demon was growing weaker, but because he seemed content to let her take the wheel for the most part. What was worse was that for the most part, he no longer saw a need to lock her away in the dark. Ever since that night, he’d let her keep her memories of what was happening, whether she was in control or not. No, letting her keep it implied some sort of benevolence. He took pleasure in knowing that she would remember every traumatic detail of his actions.
Somehow, some way, Eri- - no, Raguel - had returned to Erik’s body. That was how it seemed the last few times she’d seen him, at least. Genna half expected it was a trick, either one Erik had thought up on his own or something that the demon had set in motion. It was too convenient, she’d told herself. Wishful thinking. The truth was, she’d barely been able to look beyond his telltale crisp suit without the nausea rising up within her. It didn’t matter who was wearing that face; she just didn’t want to see it.
When she’d gotten the text, she’d been determined to ignore it. The demon had other plans. She’d only been able to watch as her body went through the motions of showering and getting dressed to meet Raguel at the diner.
Isn’t an angel the last person you’d want to see? she’d asked internally.
Sweet Genevieve, the demon’s silken voice had slithered through her mind, he’ll only have eyes for you.
I’ll tell him the truth. I’ll tell him everything. She wanted desperately to sound strong. Even more, she wanted to be strong. As strong as Raguel believed her to be.
You can try….
His laughter had lingered until she’d arrived at Dot’s. As soon as she entered, she earned a smile from one of the passing waitresses. “It’s good to see Mr. Lang feeling better, isn’t it? He must have been going through a lot lately - but I bet you know all about that.” After a beat when Genna didn’t offer a comment, the waitress motioned to where Erik was sitting. “Your usual banana cream?”
“That’s fine.” Still not in control of her own movements, she turned and headed for their usual table. She supposed she could only be thankful that the demon wasn’t forcing her to look at Erik as she sat down across from him. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on the table between them.
“Hello,” was all she offered, her voice dull to her own ears. The last time she’d been sitting here with him was the night she’d found out who the real Erik Lang was. It felt like a lifetime ago.
Raguel had looked up and smiled as Genna entered his peripheral vision. Even with her sitting in front of him, he still could not feel her presence. Sariel must have been right. By one method or another, Genna had masked herself from detection by higher powers. The best course of action, he told himself, given the town’s recent record of chaos and harm. Still, somewhere in the back of his mind, an alarm began to sound. Her voice seemed flat, her greeting oddly out of character. Then again, she looked uncomfortable simply looking at him. For a brief moment, the desire to punish Lang all over again rippled through him, before it was squashed by the greater calm of his being.
“Genevieve,” he greeted her, his voice warm. “I’m happy you decided to meet me.”
He paused as the waitress returned to their table, leaving his coffee and Genna’s pie with a soft smile before she moved on to check on the next table over. It was strange how much comfort he felt from such a familiar scene. And yet, there was still something that made him uneasy about it all.
“We haven’t had the chance to speak in some time,” he offered. “I thought that you might want to know that Erik won’t be bothering you again. And I am sorry that he ever had cause to.”
His gaze dropped to the warm darkness in the small ceramic mug before him. In the diner’s fluorescent light, he caught the shadowed reflection of himself on the liquid’s surface. It struck him that his face, clean shaven though it was again, looked older and more worn. His hair seemed grayer, his eyes darker. Had Erik Lang truly aged himself so much in his brief resurgence, or had it been Raguel’s own actions that had brought about such changes? A contemplation for a later time, he told himself. One he would likely seek his sister’s counsel on.
“You look well,” he finally said, unsure of what else he could say.
Genna wanted to burst into tears. The demon wouldn't let her. For all the warmth in his greeting, as welcome and familiar as it should be, she could only hear Erik's voice now. True, the angel lacked the same lewd undertones that seemed to coat every word Erik spoke with a slimy film of filth, but it was too close for comfort. Just like she could barely bring herself to look at him, until her head was forced up and her dark eyes landed on that once beloved countenance.
It wasn't him, it wasn't his fault, he hadn't abandoned her on purpose. She was supposed to be strong. He'd told her she was strong. She was the one who'd failed him. But even looking at him brought back memories, the feel of Erik's mouth on her body, the taste of cigarettes on his breath, his hands and…. The nausea rolled through her.
She looked well? A manic laugh welled up inside of her. It lodged in her throat, manifesting only as a brief, strained smile. "I do?" The question was followed immediately by, "I am." Those weren't her words. "It's good to see you." No, no, no, no. That wasn't what she wanted to say.
"Erik - " She couldn't continue. His name, her voice. You don't know what he did to me. You don't know what they both did. I'm not well. I'm never going to be well! But the words wouldn't come out. The harder she fought against the demon's control, the tighter her throat constricted, until she could only cough and gasp for air. She grabbed at her water glass, gulping down the cold liquid as she relinquished control to the dark presence within her.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I think I'm coming down with a small cold. But you don't know how relieved I am to know you're back for good."
Raguel couldn’t help but wince a little when she said his name. That name. That unfortunate reminder of his own sins and those of Erik Lang. He covered the reaction with a weary smile and small shake of his head.
“Perhaps it’s time I found a different name,” he mused. “One that’s not quite so... memorable.”
He looked to Genna as she drank from her glass, curious that it seemed as if her life depended on the action. He’d seen people do it before - usually after having consumed something far too spicy for their palate, but he supposed that coughing fits were cause for such behavior as well.
But there was something about her words that rang false. He sensed no microbes in the air, no sign of any type of infection. Allergies, perhaps, as humans were wont to jump to the worse prognosis, although Genna had never struck him as the type. It was all just so very... odd.
“If you’re feeling ill, we can do this at a later date,” he offered. Although he was gratified to hear that she didn’t completely hate him, he was also wary of her response. Something was amiss, and he was determined to figure out what it was. He would have been able to tell if it was some type of spirit possession, so then perhaps she really had soured to his presence, and turned to conspire against him. The thought made him feel uneasy; Genna had been nothing but a friend, a confidant. He owed her more loyalty than to begin lobbing conspiracy theories against her.
“Perhaps you should go home and rest,” he added. “I promise I will still be here when you’ve returned to health.”
A new name? Did he really think that would change anything? But no, he didn't know. He couldn't know. Could he? He wouldn't be sitting there across from her as if everything was back to normal if he knew. He wasn't that cruel. He'd never been cruel to her.
No, this wasn't his fault. This was the thing inside of her. It was reveling in her discomfort, her pain, her inability to look the angel in his eyes - in Erik's eyes - and it laughed as it forced her to lift her head and do so anyway.
After gulping down three-fourths of her glass of water, she sucked in a deep breath of air, thankful that the restriction was only a memory now, but still afraid of what the demon had in mind next. But it was Erik - no, Raguel - who offered her the possibility of a reprieve. Saving her still, even if he didn't know it. She just didn't know if the demon would allow her to leave.
Clearing her throat tentatively, Genna nodded. There was no resistance. Perhaps they'd tempted fate enough for one day. "That may be for the best," she said slowly, her gaze falling to the table again. She focused on his cup of coffee. "I really am relieved that you're back." She meant it this time. Maybe she couldn't quite look at him without being forced to do so, but knowing that the man sitting across from her wasn't the one who'd been in her apartment last….
Not just in your apartment, the voice taunted.
A shiver ran down her spine, accompanied by a roll of nausea. She pushed herself out of the booth and stood next to the table for a second. "I'll see you when I'm better," she told him, but honestly, she had no idea when that would be.
“When you’re better,” Raguel repeated softly, bidding her farewell with a short nod.
He watched her go with a hollow look in his eye, somewhere between sadness and suspicion. Something was certainly not right with her, although until he could precisely identify what that might be, he was hesitant to pursue it directly with Genna. It was at least somewhat encouraging to know that she didn’t wholly despise him; he doubted her relief was simply a statement made to placate him.
Then again, she had looked ill as she left the table. A frown shadowed his face as he searched for some nearby source of dark energy that might have triggered her sensitivities. He found nothing more sinister than the man at the counter contemplating a dine-and-dash evening, which was both worrisome and a relief.
Humans have a delicate constitution, he tried to convince himself. She may have eaten poorly prepared food, or be suffering from an affliction of the immune system. He left enough cash on the table to cover the bill and a substantial tip, and excused himself from the diner, lost in thought. Still, it may be something else, something she does not feel comfortable sharing with me.
Without surprise, he found himself at the back door to his sister’s business. Perhaps something she would be more open to sharing with Sariel. He took a moment to compose himself, knocked sharply on the door, and waited for his sister to open it. As usual, she took her time, leaning against the frame with one arm thrown up over her head as she swung the door open.
“Sorry, we’re closed,” she drawled with a grin.
“I’ve yet to see you close for me,” Raguel replied, stepping briskly past her into the shop. Sariel looked after him with a hint of indignation as she shut the door.
“Doesn’t mean I couldn’t,” she teased. “You never know, I might find someone else to play with for a while.”
“We both know that’s unlikely,” Raguel muttered.
“But not impossible,” Sariel added with a shrug, sidling up behind him. “After all, I had to find someone to entertain me when you were stuck in that teenager.”
With a short, dismissive sigh, Raguel turned to face his sister. “I have a request to make of you.”
“Oooh.” Sariel stepped in close, molding her body to his as she let her index finger caress his tie. “Is it a fun request?”
“I need you to speak with Genevieve.”
Sariel gave an overly dramatic disappointed sigh, accompanied by a matching pout. “I thought you just met with her.”
“The meeting was short lived, and ill met.” He took a step back to distance himself, his sister’s unyielding draw already starting to distract him. “Quite literally, in fact. She seemed quite ill, and not at all pleased to see me.”
“Well, for six months, that face did nothing but try to get into her pants,” Sariel told him, answering his retreat with one of her own. She returned to the counter where she’d been working prior to his arrival, checking on her latest concoction. “Can you really blame her? Poor thing is probably traumatized from the harassment.”
“I’m keenly aware of this,” Raguel said, his tone somewhat defensive as he was offended that his sister would even entertain the idea that he had not considered Genna’s feelings in the matter. “Which is I why I came here tonight.”
“Oh, is that the only reason?” she asked, giving her hips a little wiggle. Raguel shut his eyes for a moment.
“I came to ask if you would speak with her,” he pressed on. “I know that you’ve built a friendship with her as well, and perhaps she might be more open to share with you what it is that’s troubling her.”
Sariel stopped stirring and looked back at her brother with a wide smile. “You’re so cute when you’re worried. Okay, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.”
“But, you have to promise.” A look of warning crossed her face. “No eavesdropping.”
“I would never -”
“Ah.” She held up a finger to silence him. “You can’t lie to me, dear brother. Not about this.”
With an indignant tug at his suit jacket and a brief look away, Raguel finally let out an acquiescent sigh. “Alright. No eavesdropping.”
Satisfied, Sariel returned to her stirring. Raguel watched for a moment, mesmerized by the fluid motion of her wrist, the delicate hold of her long fingers, until he realized that even through this simple act, she had begun to seduce him yet again.
“Call on me when you’ve spoken with her,” he said, by way of an awkward farewell. He returned to the door, leaving the shop and its warding before he vanished, seeking out a place of quiet solitude where he could contemplate the state his life had fallen into. Rejected by his dearest friend, bewitched by his sister’s charm, left drifting aimlessly since his expulsion. He was confident that he would find his way again, he always did. It would simply take time to right himself.
But first, Genna. For now, she was all that mattered to him.