Alana looked up at him and smiled. He was a nice guy after all. SHe was still puzzled as to why he appeared to look more demon than human. She watched him for a moment.

"Are you sure you are not a demon? You do not look to be a human in the least bit. Your eyes are the wrong color and your hair is wrong."

She sighed. She was so used to being polite and honest she never considered that it might hurt his feelings to say this.

"I will admit I was an angel. A demon lured me in using trickery and I lost my chastity and my one chance at happiness. Now I am human and These things called emotions are horrible."

"There are humans in the world with unusual features too, I once saw a woman with hair red as blood and she had golden eyes! Completely human, well.. I suppose.. She fought like a devil though, I mean damn. I think its just my heritage that's to blame that I am as I am." James replied, in now did he truly confirm or deny that he was in fact a demon, though looked at her when she admitted to being an Angel. He stared at her a good long while and frowned slightly when she gave up what had happened to her.

Eventually he lowered his head a little, though still looked toward, her, a hand on the back of his head as he tried to think of something to say, though then looked at her shoulder again,
"You do realize what that means.. Don't you..? The mark on your shoulder means you are the servant of a demon.. And sooner or later he's going to come and collect. I've seen a great deal of those in my life." He mentioned, pointing at it but then withdrawing his hand, once again nervously seeming to consider something, "I c..-" James stopped, hesitating but then smiled, "I could help.. Its just that.."

James stopped a second then used his own hand to hit himself in the head once before looking at her and rubbing the spot on his head he'd whacked,
"I SHOULD help what the hell am I saying..?!" James stood suddenly, the chair sliding back behind him and he placed his hands on the table, leaning forward slightly, "Follow me.. Please?" He added, motioning for her to come with him and he turned, placing his hands in the pockets of the pullover and walking towards the stairs, up them and down to his room at the end of the first floors hall.

Alana looked at him a moment. She glanced towards the kitchen. She figured the landlady would be ok for now. She stood up and followed James to his room. She looked at him curiously. She wondered how he could help her.

She tried to look at the mark over her shoulder but she couldn't see it properly. This was strange. She made a circle trying to see what the mark looked like.

"Why do I have a mark and how did I get it?"

When they were in his room James closed the door after she'd entered and leaned against it, watching her make the circular motion was actually rather cute, seeing her turn like that left strange lump in his throat which he swallowed promptly and looked aside. His room was rather scarce, a bed, a cupboard for clothes, another for what little personal items he owned, with carpeting matching the rest of the hotel itself, white sheets and curtains. It certainly wasn't the grand palace of power most demons wished to attain.

"The demon who tricked you did more than just take your chastity.. He marked you as a plaything, a servant, only some-oen with power just about equal or higher could stake a claim of ownership over you, but once you are cursed with the mark of the demon you are forever bound by the rules of your current master until another one takes you." James mentioned finally, walking up to her and prowling around her quietly, keeping his eyes on her at all times, but he kept his hands to himself for now,
"They would cast you about, between masters, abuse you physically, abuse you mentally until you are either a willing servant or a fallen angel, as black-hearted and cruel as your masters. But you would always be their lesser and their toy. They can strip you of your wings, your purity, and then all would be left is to break your pride and your will." He stopped still between her and the window across, the room, becoming something of a looming shadow, though the glow of his silver hair and pale skin was only matched by the red tone in his eyes.

He watched her for her reaction but eventually sat down on his bed, patting the spare space at his left side,
"Atleast.. That is.. What could have happened, had I not found you first.. Sit please?" James smiled, looking forward as he rested his arms upon his knees, hunched forward slightly while he tried to think back, remembering the processes and the rules..

She followed him into his room and stood there watching him as he spoke. When he explained exactly what the mark would cause her future to look like she felt like she was going to faint. But she was slightly confused. He had mentioned Its a good thing I found you first and That only someone of equal or higher power. This made her think.

He motioned for her to sit next to him and she did although she was starting to feel scared of him again. Something told her there was something unusual about him. As much as he insisted on being human something told her otherwise.

"What do you mean could have happened and good thing I found you first? What could a mere human do to save me from the fate I am now caught up in because I fell for someone who didn't love me?"

"Well any mere human could do nothing. Why do you angels protect the humans if you do not even have any faith in their abilities? There was once a human so powerful he could have overpowered the supreme overlord of his time, but even then his old age would have caught up to him eventually," James shrugged to himself and smiled at her a little,
"And I never claimed to be human.. Nor did I deny being a demon.."

James closed his eyes for a moment, seeking the suppressors in his body and releasing them, only by small amounts so that his power was not so masked, the presence of a demon being felt within range of him, but he knew to keep it low, other angels would not come charging after him. He turned to looked at her again, his red eyes glowing once and he grinned,
"To these people I am just James.. And I like it that way.. I have lived a peaceful life for four years.." He sat a little straighter,
"I'm a forgotten name.. That's all I care for.." James smiled but then looked forward, breathing in and sighing as though relaxing. Suppressing ones power so much that it couldn't be defined or detected was like a snake, constricting the body and making it difficult to breath, but he'd grown used to it for so long that it was not even something he noticed until he unhooked the seals.

"To be honest I don't know just how powerful the demon who placed the mark on you is exactly, but its better than nothing.. However there's a problem.. If I help you it will mean you are linked to me and I will essentially be your master.." James looked aside to her, rubbing the back of his head a little, "The mark can never be removed.. You are cursed to bear it forever, the ownership can be changed this much I can try to do. I do not look to cage or contain or own anyone, you would be free to be what you will I'd never.. You have to understand its either me or the one who tricked you. Not that you can trust me any better now.. Knowing what I am."

Alana listened to him staring at him with her dark green eyes. She gasped when he let his full demon presence be made known. She fell off the bed as she backed away and landed on her head. She peeped at him over the bed with just her eyes. This primal fear of demons still coursed through her blood and she found it hard to fight that instinct.

"I am sorry."

SHe stood up and sat back down after he turned back.

"Your aura scared me. I have a very strong sence of auras. I understand what you are saying. I would not wish for Dante to claim me. I am afraid of him. I don't know how I couldn't sence that he was a demon. I have never failed in that before."

James face changed to one of sadness when he watched her retreat, images returned to his mind as so many beings from his past returned, so many lives taken, all with that same face.. When she fell he shifted slightly, wanting to check that she was okay but when she reappeared he relaxed, adjusting his position as he looked at her, waiting until she re-settled at his side,
"It's alright.. I understand.." He smiled weakly, turning to look at her again,
"It could be no more than a trick.. For you did not sense my demonic presence until I opened it to you, he may have done the same, or used an amulet or a ring, even a gem of some kind, enchanted to hide what he was," he replied, shaking his head, "Needless to say, it has been done.. Now let me see it," he motioned for her to come closer, leaning back slightly and toward her so he could inspect the mark more closely,
"Try not to be afraid of me.. I will not harm you. I promise." James added in a soothing manner, placing one of his hands upon her back gently, a smile on his features, "I will not abuse this mark, I will not abuse you or hold you to what it represents. But I still must ask, will you allow me to own you, for the sake of your soul?"

James had to ask this because where the previous mark had been forced upon her, at least if she willingly allowed him to own her this process would not be as harmful to her, he was beginning to remember the old ways, the stipulations, truths and lies about the mark and what demons could do with it. It was true that it could be used to control and own a person, but such abilities were once simply to keep them in line, yet now it was abused.. Used to entrap and ensnare the unwary, cause suffering and pain to people, and angels like Alana.
He was beginning to see why this Dante had chosen her.. Though again found himself confused.. Dante.. He was sure he knew that name, or at least remember it.. It seemed it would come back eventually, all that was left was to wait until he remember it more clearly.

Dante watched some more of the mischief going on. He had raped 12 angels so far. He thought he was doing good. He was sitting in a bar drinking and taking a break. He was tired. His other friends were off doing there own thing. They would be moving on t tommarrow unless the angels showed up unexpectidly and then they would fight them before they headed to the city of Novadoium.


When he asked to look at her back she nodded and leaned forward over his legs. She put her hands on one side of his legs and her knees on the other so he would have a good view of her back. The only thing bothering her about this position was that she could not watch him.

will you allow me to own you, for the sake of your soul? When she heard that she stopped breathing. How could she answer? Willingly give her soul to a demon. He could do anything to her. He could torture her. He could cause her to torture another person. He could make her kill an angel. She could feel tears falling down her cheeks.

"Yes."

"Don't get complacent, you arrogant bastard.." A woman's voice uttered as the fireplace flared up. A female figure appearing in the dancing flames that stretched out into the air, the nearby people stumbled back, yelling as the flames licked close, until a full solid demoness appeared, taking a few steps forward and folding her arms, a sneer on her face,
"You're wasting too much time out here on the mortal realm," She spat at a nearby table, said spit lighting the cloth there on fire, those around the table jumping further back
"DEMON!" One managed to yell, rushing at her with a sword, but she sidestepped the half-drunken man calmly and grasped him by the throat, squeezing his windpipe tight,
"Azaeril wants you to prepare to go to the next town, he wants it attacked by daybreak," There was a sickening snap and crunch as the man in her grips neck broke, his body emitting a few dying gasps before she tossed him out of the nearest window,
"Trash.. One more thing, try to at least capture a few of the angels you screw, our lord does not look kindly on those who greedily horde all the fun for themselves." She stared at another encroaching human, "Try it.. I dare you.."

James smiled placing his hand over the mark for a while until it began glowing, a warm essence surrounding it as the mark began to tremble and change, shuddering under the touch of the demon now changing it, claiming ownership of the one who bore its mark. It began to shift slithering around her shoulder and moving to her left where it sat, reforming intwo three half moons, two sitting parrallel of one another, symmetrical, a thir sitting confidently across them both, then a single line bor down the center, connecting all three. The glowing ceased, the warmth faded and James sat there for a moment before rubbing his head,
"Wow, guess the guy who got ya wasn't that powerful after all.." He stated in an odd, humorous fashion.. Of course he lied, he hadn't expected it to be the mark of a vassal tot he supreme overlord himself, but he didn't remember anyone in that position by the name of Dante.. But then, a lot of time had passed since he left the Netherworlds..
"There, it's done. You can sit up if you want to." He offered, placing his hands under her arms to help her back up, "I had grown to hate seeing that mark I have given you now.. But this is the first time I've ever been happy to see it.."

James looked around then rather quickly, eventually finding a cloth which he offered to her,
"It's not a flower.. But it'll do till I can get you another one."

Dante raised an eyebrow as the demoness showed up.

"Well if it iseant Petrota. What brings you down to this horrible place? Decided you couldn't resist me any longer? Just had to see me again my love? Can't live without me?"

He chuckled some. He did so love messing with his demon friends. He grabbed another beer and started to drink it.


Alana sat up when he finished. She took the cloth and wiped away her tears. She looked at him a moment.

"So now what happens?"

SHe was so sad and confused. So much had happened to her today. She had been tricked and taken advantage of, made into a slave for demons and now trusting a demon. She didn't know what to do.

The woman watched him as he attempted to drink another bottle. She reached to her hip, pulling up the whip and threw it forward in a single lash, the whip streaking towards the bottle and smashing through it, she didn't care if shards got in his face, or if he got covered by the foul human liquid. The whip carried on to impale the bartender against the wall at the back before she wrenched the whip away, it seemed to shatter and evaporate before growing at her hip again but a single spike kept the bartender impaled to the wall,
"Don't play coy with me just because you cant tempt me like other, weaker, less-lucrative play.." She replied, staring about at the other humans and sneering as she walked toward the bar, placing her left hand upon her hip, "Stop screwing around with these pathetic humans, sooner or later relaxing like you do, you are going to get yourself killed. And all before I get to enjoy that body of yours properly, the way I want and when I want.. Not like some pathetic angel meat-sack who has no choice but to take what you give."

========

"Well, you take a deep breath, relax, and we go back downstairs and see what Lucianna's cooke for dinner.. You really haven't eaten before?" He asked with a chuckle, standing up and stretching, though stopped, realizing something. He lowered his head for a while, placing his hand on his chest. For a moment a darkness gathered around him before slowly vanishing, the essence of the demon, his aura became weaker until it vanished and he sighed, looking at her again.

"Even if I wanted to command you, I cant without using my mana," He offered his hand to her with a smile, "Do you want to come eat? Lucianna is probably finishing up." James mentioned, waiting to see how she would respond to this, he had no plans to control her and it would remain that way.

Dante chuckled as the glass fragments flew all over and several managed to get into his skin causing several cuts. He smiled and closed his eyes.

"O foreplay is it my dear? I knew you wanted it but I never knew you wanted it this bad."

He stood up and walked over to her pushing her up against a wall. He licked her on the neck.

"Since you want it so bad why not take it now?"



Alana smiled at him shyly. She stood up and stretched inhaling deeply.

"I suppose I can try it. Do I have to eat? Or can I continue without it?"

Petrota smirked, seeming to become immaterial, beyond being gone she had instead turned her body into a walking flame, passing around him and becoming solid behind him once more, a smirk on her face,
"I'll have you, when I want you," the demoness walked towards the fire and looked over her shoulder a moment, grinning, "Now hurry it up or you may never have me," she exploded into fire again, catching the nearby humans alight before signing into the fireplace again and vanishing.

========

"Sorry but that's the way it is, mortals eat, if they don't eat, they get weaker and they die. Though even as a mortal , you have advantages humans do not. Some fallen had learned this and continued to follow their lifestyle of helping others. You're still blessed with the holy magic of an angel, you would still live longer than any mortal can. But you have been given weaknesses, and left vulnerable, or so they think." James explained this as though he had seen this often. He had.
"We demons can go millenia without eating, but by the end of a decade we become inert, unable to move, we simply linger, and gather power, slowly, over centuries, until a meal, however small, comes to us. There are some demons whose powers goes so far that they have had to be locked away for millenia at a time, banished to the darkest depths of the netherworld until a stronger one comes along to free them and bid they work for them. It is the way the wars are often played.."

"Also.." He added as an afterthought, "Try not to say you've never eaten before after the meal, instead say you've never tried whatever some-one offers as food, unless of course you have before."
He lead her from the room, back downstairs to the table where they had been before, a few of the regular drinkers were there, some stopping to see this new woman rather gape-mouthed. James took his seat and motioned to the other for Alana, smirking,
"Me personally.. I just like bread, warm bread, bread with jam, bread and butter, a classic of course, lord knows what else."

Dante sighed. She had killed this mood. Now it was time for him to finish his job so he could move on to the next city. He got up and marched out. He was mad right now. She was so infuriating. But no matter how mad he made her he could not fight the fact that he wanted her. He wanted her bad. He really did but he would never tell her this.

He sent a call out to his minions and went to his hotel room to wait for them to show up.


Alana frowned as he spoke to her about the food thing.

"I understand. What are we eating tonight? Is it going to taste like the nectar we ate as angels?"

SHe sat down next to him frowning at the other people gapeing at her.

"What are they looking at?"

"The ambrosian nectar is sweet or so I have heard, but there are many flavors to experience here so you may as well try something new, right?" James chuckled, still finding it a wonder that the Angels really were so foolish as to not share such an experience with the humans, but he supposed all those many flavors would incite more originality, and cause more issues between the Angels.

He looked around at the humans who were staring before clearing his throat, this action made them look away slowly, one by one. James then looking at her and smiling a little,
"The desires of men are sometimes minimal, but when faced with some-one so beautiful as you," He paused, bowing his head to her a little, "They can only stop and stare," he explained, crossing his fingers calmly and looking at her, "Get used to it for now, sooner or later they will simply know you and not stare, it is always this way," James smiled leaning back in his chair again.

==========

Lucianna, whom had detained Galvin for a moment, breathed out a momentary sigh of relief when she felt James' power die down, looking towards her husband and smiling softly,
"It looks like he concealed his power again.." She looked back to the food she'd been cooking, returning to it as she added in some more ingredients to a pot, "Here I was worried we may need to deal with him.. But isn't it odd, Galvin.. Now we're home to an Angel and a Demon.. It still makes me nervous.. But perhaps that is the way it is.."
She stopped a moment and looked back at him for a while, biting her lip as she walked up to him,
"Honey. How would you like to try for a child?" She asked with a smirk, hand on her hip.

Alana looked at the other guys with a frown.

"I thought I looked horrible. I did after all just lose everything that I thought was beautiful. Now all I am stuck with is permanant exile. I mean what could be worse than being here stuck with nothing but sorrow. How can I ever be truly happy again? I even lost the one I loved. He would never consider me again.Why would he ever consider being with someone who has lost everything that makes her an angel and atainable?"

She stared down at the table. She was never going to be happy.

"Being that your my master........is there anything your going to want from me?"


He looked at his wife a moment with a frown. He had not really thought about it. Children. That would be wonderful. He wondered if he would make a good dad. Yes he was sure he would. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I love you baby and I would love a kid or two."

"You haven't got nothing but sorrow here," James shook his head, "I brought you here to help you, Lucianna got you cleaned up, gave you clothes and gave you a place to stay as well as a way to earn it. Shalina said once that a happy heart is a working heart is a happy heart. And love, as I have discovered in my time, is a fickle thing, it decides who you love, never you. It will be his mistake to no longer consider you. As love is fickle, it is also something that one should be dedicated to no matter the consequences," James leaned back into the chair, looking over at her a frown coming across his face when she asked what he might want.

He thought about it for a while, he had often had old desires return, when fighting with humans in typical arguments, when seeing others in love.. There had been so many times he could have returned to his old ways but he didn't, and even given the chance now, he refused. He stared at her a little longer then smiled,
"No.. Nothing you don't want to give me. Don't think of the mark as me owning you, think of it as a safeguard from the control of other demons. I just happened to be the guy who could give you it."

==========

Lucianna smiled up at him for a moment, brushing one of his right arm with her hand though looked back at the pot a moment, just to check on it before she turned her head up to him,
"Thank you Galvin." She reached up with her right hand, cupping the side of his face softly, "You're always good to me, my love. The least I can do for you is bear us a child or two, the will be lucky to have a father with so good a heart. I'm not sure what they'd think about having a demon uncle, but James is like family to us, in his own.. Strange way I suppose.. Galvin, what do you think of him anyway? I discovered his heritage nearly a year after he'd been staying with us but that was more than enough for him to establish himself as friendly, polite and willing to humiliate himself for whatever reason. But in all these years I've never really asked if you thought it was a mistake or not to keep him here. I've certainly never seen you two at odds with one another."

She stared off into the fire close by the table. He was right. She could at least try to enjoy herself. She may no longer be an angel but she wasen't a demon either. At least until she managed to figure out how to become an angel again she would be good. She wondered if there was a way to do that or not. She stared at James a moment. He was a very nice demon. If she ever became a demon perhaps she can be a good demon like him.


He chuckled some and kissed her neck.

"I love you my dear. Don't worry tonight I will arrange a romantic dinner between the two of us and then we can enjoy ourselves. Maybe a bottle of wine. It would be so fun and then we can attempt to have our kids. Maybe twins my baby."

James watched Alana absent-mindedly for a while, smiling as she went quiet, at least she wasn't upsetting herself anymore, so long as she was happy he didn't mind her being quiet at all. The demon grinned a little leaning on his hand as he observed the fallen angel. Though for a moment, remembered sitting across the table from Shalina in her own home, she had offered what she could and the first thing he touched was soft, warm bread.. He supposed it was what got him started on it. No matter how upset he felt some days, freshly cooked bread always made him feel better.
He grinned slightly, leaning on both his arms again, staring at her a little closer but he was smiling in an odd way as if enjoying a show, something rather amusing.

========

Lucianna, stared at Galvin a while, frowning slightly before rolling her eyes as she broke away form him,
"Alright, avoid the subject, sweet-talker, but you know I'm going to hound you till you answer me, I don't like being tiptoed around," She prodded him in the chest once softly and returned to the pot, placing in a ladle gently stirring the contents softly as she checked on other things, though was mindful of what she was doing, turning her attention to Galvin once and pointed towards one cupboard,
"Grab me the flour, would you dear? After that could you just check the hotel quickly, make sure all the doors are closed? Open doors are a welcoming point for thieves and criminally curious."

Alana blushed as she noticed him staring at her and looked downward. She wondered what he was thinking. From her empathetic ablity she could sence that he was thinking very hard. She wondered what it was that he was thinking about.

"James What....What are you thinking about?"

She glanced up at him with a shy look on her face.


He reached up and grabbed the flour, handing it to his wife with a playful kiss following it. He took off out of the kitchen and checked on all the windows and doors. They were all locked properly and he set the alarm system. He went back to his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"All done my dear."

"Huh..?" James linked, waking up from his daydream and looking at her with a smile, "I'm sorry," he replied, seeming to red in the face again, as he settled back again, crossing his hands in his lap,
"I was just thinking how nice you look, to be honest even though you were ragged and worn down earlier, you still looked pretty, and now that you're cleaned up, well you are very attractive.." He placed a hand on his neck, looking towards the fire, "I don't.. Well.. I'm not often attracted to anyone.."
James looked in her direction and held his hands up shaking his head,
"Don't worry about it.. I have the same desires as any human has so its no surprise even I find you attractive,"

===========

Lucianna had finished with the cooking pot, dealing with dishing out the warm, well-spiced stew, though it wasn't too strong for weaker stomachs or tongues, the flower she used to coat the bread she'd been baking in a cool layer, though was careful not to overdo it. Alongside that she'd prepared a couple of salad bowls and so placed down a number of bowls in which to pour the stew,
"Oh?" Lucianna looked over her shoulder at him as she poured the last bowl, "Take two of these stews, a salad and some of the bread to James and Alana. I'll have our dinner ready, the orders wont start coming in till later." She pointed in the direction of the door that lead to the public eating area, "See if anyone wants a drink out there, also, that should be enough for now." She turned around, running her finger under his chin softly,
"And dont forget that bottle of wine.."

Alana stared at him a moment. She found this interesting. He felt an attraction to her. So like she had felt for........wait what was his name? She paused a moment. How could she forget him? How could she forget who he was. She sighed a moment and turned to James. She assumed it wasen't important.

"I see." was all she said.



He quickly brought the food to Alana and James to eat. He smiled at them and then ran around refilling drinks. When he was finished with it he grinned and went to the kitchen. He got a bottle of strawberry wine and brought it to his home. He also grabbed a few flowers. He opened the door slowly and handed his wife the flowers and placed the wine on the table. He got his special wine glasses. These were the ones they used on there wedding night and poured some wine.

"Here you go my love."

He handed her a glass.

James looked over at Galvin as he brought the meal for them, tilting his head a little then looked at the meal and grinned a little, he didn't mind what he was faced with when it came to eating, but he was glad that there was bread,
"Thanks Galvin, give Lucianna our compliments!" He waved to the woman's husband before looking back to the meal. He rubbed his hands together and pointed over to Alana's cutlery, "See the thing there with the prongs? That's a fork, and the thing next to it with a jutted edge is a knife. You use the knife to cut things up, and use the fork to put the food in your mouth. Well usually anyway, this kind of meal really only needs the fork, look."

James lifted his fork and pressed it into a chicken cutlet, holding it up, blowing on it softly then popping it into his mouth then chewing calmly. He swallowed it calmly and motioned to her,
"Give it a try, you'll like it."

=======

Lucianna had changed out of her cook uniform rather quickly, finding herself a simpler red dress to wear, though had opted to go barefoot since they were in the privacy of their own quarters. She took the glass quietly, staring at it softly for a while as she swirled the liquid inside gently. She then turned her gaze to him, raising the given flowers to her nose before crossing them over her lap,
"I see how it is, alright then you can sweeten me up, well continue that discussion some other time.." She brought the wine to her lips and drank a little before setting it down, "Our wedding glasses.. Oh you know what I like.. I loved these things. My friends always thought I was odd for wanting to marry a simpler man like you.. But you've always been sweet to me and treated me good. You deserve whatever you want from me, you give so much of yourself for me after all." She reached over to him calmly, placing her hand against his face again,
"You are always loyal to me, my love, thank you for all you have done.."