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“You know, I always loved butterflies.”
Uriel looked to the fish demon next to her in surprise. Dagon was a loud demon, much louder than Uriel had ever expected. She exuded confidence, she had to if she wanted to keep up with her Prince in Hell. Uriel hadn’t always admired her, but they had grown closer over the centuries. Closer than Uriel would like to admit, angels weren’t meant to love demons. Demons weren’t meant to love at all, yet Uriel could feel the waves of love rolling off of Dagon. It was a rush, like Uriel was being swept away by the tide. She couldn’t find it in her to fight it, on the contrary, she basked in the love the same way Dagon was basking in the sun beams.
“Why have you always liked butterflies? They must not taste good, even by your standards.”
Dagon laughed and rolled onto her side, looking at Uriel fondly from her position on the ground. She was bare, letting her skin and scales dry in the sun, “Butterflies do so much more than taste foul, they’re a sign of death. They make death pretty.”
Uriel cocked a brow at her partner from where she sat, the grass making her skin itch. “Why would they symbolize death?”
Dagon cooed, baring her sharp teeth as she smiled, “Butterflies are attracted to things that are decomposing. They lick the salt, sweat and blood from dying animals.”
Uriel rolled her eyes and leaned down to steal a sweet kiss, smiling against Dagon’s lips, “You’re an odd one, Little Fish.”
Dagon just keened at the affection, “But I’m yours.”
It was a fact Uriel had never thought she’d have to use for, another random fact merged into a fond memory she had, until one of her worst fears became a reality. Angels and demons were as alike as they were different. Demons were just easier to summon. It was why a summoning was something an angel just couldn’t ignore. Summoning almost felt like being struck, to Uriel it hit her like a kick in the gut from where she sat in Heaven’s largest boardroom. Her angelic name, whispered in a desperate prayer and sent to the heavens. She hadn’t run out of a room and leapt past the gates of the Silver City so fiercely in ages, but she knew who was calling her. Her demon, the only one she would willingly answer a summoning for. It was so desperate, a plea for help. Uriel would not let her go unanswered, no matter the risk.
*~*
Dagon had been her secret partner for centuries and had swam all over the Earth at that point. It was no hidden fact to Uriel that Dagon used the few underwater channels to go to and from Hell when she could. That being said, Uriel had never imagined finding her gasping in pain on the banks of the Amazon River. There were butterflies, their colors gloriously vibrant, fluttering around Dagon. They were flicking their little tongues against Dagon’s scales as she struggled to breathe. It was wrong, demons didn’t need to breathe.
“Oh, Dagon..”, Uriel knelt by her side, carefully swishing away the colorful insects that had gathered. She wiped the dirt away from Dagon’s face and the demon looked at her with a dopey grin, her eyes blurry. She was bleeding so much, coating the ground and her wet clothes in a dark and sticky substance.
“You came?” Dagon’s words were raspy, but it was to be expected from a demon facing discorporation. She was in pain, the holy dagger inbedded in her side. Uriel nearly prayed it wasn’t deep, but the inky blood pooling around Dagon as she gasped was enough for Uriel to understand. Dagon was facing more than discorporation, she was facing death. The fact washed over Uriel like a bucket of cold water.
She knelt down and pulled the blade from Dagon’s side before pressing her fingers to the wound. Perhaps she should have left the blade in, but holy blades never stopped burning. It was a burn without the cauterizing effect for demons, which would have continued to bring Dagon immense pain. She could see that it was deep, holy blades sliced through demon flesh like it were made of paper. Uriel exhaled shakily, “Oh Little Fish, who did this to you?”
Dagon’s side spasmed at the touch, but she looked at Uriel with such adoration that Uriel felt bad for causing her pain. She dropped the blade in the mud as Dagon croaked, “You shouldn’t be here, Darling. He’s looking for me, he’s one of you.”
“Who? Dagon, we need to get you out of here, come on!” She carefully pulled the bleeding demon into her arms. Uriel had always had a lot of strength, she’d been a powerful soldier on the battlefield long ago. Now it came in handy again as she stood, carrying Dagon like a bride.
Dagon wheezed in agony at the motion, clutching at Uriel’s now bloody shirt. Her pale skin was already looking whiter, the corporation was dying fast. Her scales were even losing their shine and Uriel felt afraid for the first time in a long time. Dagon croaked out, “Freckles, he’s coming to finish me off, you can’t be seen with me..”
Uriel began walking swiftly through the brush, only slowing down when Dagon needed a moment to breathe. Uriel knew there was a secret entrance to Hell tucked in a cave, she just needed to find it. It had to be close, Dagon must have been swimming to it when she’d been attacked. Ducking under some brush and seeing the faint outline of the cave, Uriel begged, “Who? Dagon please-“
There was a rush of wings then and Uriel tightened her hold on Dagon, not missing the soft whimper of pain. She turned her head and swallowed when she saw Sandalphon standing behind them, another holy blade in his hand. He had a glint in his eyes, one Uriel hadn’t seen since Sodom and Gomorrah. She had hoped to never see it again, it was unfitting of an angel to desire such bloodlust. “Uriel! Fancy seeing you here, you want to finish her off?”
Dagon closed her eyes and whispered against Uriel’s chest, “I won’t hold it against you, you know that.”
The biggest strain in their relationship was that Uriel was never willing to give up Heaven, despite the way she was treated there. Heaven wasn’t friendly or loving, it could be suffocating. Despite that, she loved her home, loved her coworkers and loved her siblings. Heaven would never welcome Dagon back, not the way Hell had accepted Uriel. Hell loved visitors, loved even more when Dagon and Uriel had carved their own lovenest in it’s depths. Uriel sucked in a deep breath and carefully knelt down to lay Dagon on a patch of moist grass, it was time to make a choice.
“This demon is mine, you can report back to Heaven.” Uriel kept her voice steady as she stood in front of Dagon. She could handle Sandalphon, usually Dagon would have been able to as well- unless he’d snuck up on her. If he’d had the advantage, he’d have been able to land such a devastating blow.
“And let you have all the fun? That demon has been on my radar for centuries!” Sandalphon stepped closer, chest heaving just a tad from having to run through the brush, “Got her when she was swimming this direction, hand her over.”
Uriel could see the image of it, Sandalphone swooping down while Dagon made her way toward the entrance of Hell. It would have been almost too easy to dip the blade into her side as she swam, she wouldn’t have seen him coming. She was fast though, demons were always wiley and slick. She’d have made it further downstream before her wound finally weakened her enough and she’d beached herself in the mud. The thought infuriated Uriel to her core and she drew her own blade, the sword that once flamed for Aziraphale. She’d had to go through many hoops to get it back after Armageddon had failed, but it was important for her to use it now. “She’s not going anywhere but back to Hell, even if I have to take her there myself.”
Sandalphon paused then, a look of disdain on his face, “You’re picking a demon over me? Over what Heaven stands for?”
Uriel sucked in a deep breath before she nodded, “I am, she’s been my partner for hundreds of years. I’m choosing her over Heaven, and especially, over you.” Then she lunged, swinging her sword down against Sandalphon’s shorter blade with a harsh cry. She wasn’t going to let him take Dagon from her.
Sandalphon stumbled back as she swung down before he pushed back against her blade, slinging Uriel a few paces backwards. Her feet dug into the Earth to stop her from skidding back into Dagon. She didn’t let it slow her down, instead she rushed forward again and met Sandalphon’s knife again. There was a clang of their weapons clashing together, but Uriel had wrath on her side. Sin was dangerous in angels, channeling it could lead to a major surge in strength. It could also tempt them into Falling, but now it was a risk Uriel was willing to take. She screamed and pushed harder against their linked blades until she saw an opening in his give, then she looped her blade under and rushed forward. Her blade barely grazed him before she turned, her shoulder ramming into the surprised angel in front of her, knocking the wind from his lungs. Sandalphon careened back hard into the trees behind them before slumping down. He seemed dazed and stayed sprawled on the ground. Uriel stepped closer to him, her blade drawn high-
Then Dagon rasped from her spot on the ground, her breaths coming in desperate pants now. It drew Uriel back to reality as she went and dropped down next to Dagon. Dagon was a distraction to the fact that Uriel had nearly done the unthinkable, she’d nearly killed another angel. Focusing on Dagon again, it was hard to miss that she was losing her fight. “Uriel.. Uriel..”
Uriel felt like weeping, Sandalphon wasn’t going to stay down for long with her having let him live. She was at a loss, what was she going to do? She reached down and took Dagon’s still hand, but then movement caught her eye. Dagon’s trembling fingers finished drawing a sigil with her own blood, then she looked at Uriel tiredly. God, she looked so tired. Dagon whispered, “Freckles.. Call for help.”
Help. Help was one sigil away. Maybe, just maybe, it would save Dagon’s life. Uriel leaned over and rested her hand over the bloody mark before she inhaled, closed her eyes and prayed.
The sigil glowed bright red and Uriel had to yank her hand away to avoid being burned. Then she smelled it, the stench of sulfur so strong it had her eyes watering. She gathered Dagon into her arms to pull her away from the heat of the sigil, only to gasp in surprise when Lord Beelzebub emerged from the soil. Their suit was crisp and clean but their eyes spoke of murder when they landed on Dagon. Uriel swallowed thickly, “She’s hurt, please-“
Beelzebub snarled then, almost ferally. They swooped into Uriel’s space, black claws extended and red eyes glowing. “I will rip you apart myzzelf for doing thiz!”
Uriel summoned her wings and tucked them around Dagon protectively, fighting the instinct to back away as she ducked under Beelzebub’s form. She was trembling as she spoke, “I would never! She asked me to do this to save her, please! Please, I can’t.. I can’t lose her!”
Beelzebub growled lowly, taking in the scene before them. They loomed over Uriel and Dagon before kneeling down. They pushed Uriel’s wing out of the way and inspected Dagon’s wound, the demon still gasping for air. She was smiling now, despite the pain, and reached out for Beelzebub, taking their hand with shaky fingers. It was enough for Beelzebub to exhale and then unfurl their own wings, all three sets. They were beautiful, long and black with the tips a deep red. Underneath, their plumage was shimmering like the night sky. It had Uriel’s mouth going dry. Beelzebub didn’t bat an eye at the angel’s shock, instead plucking their longest primary feather and resting it over Dagon’s wound. It began to glow, skin stitching itself together slowly.
Uriel couldn’t stop herself from uttering, “You’re Raphael, you- you’ve been missing for so long!”
Beelzebub curled their lip and snapped at Uriel, “Say that again and I’ll cut your tongue out.”
Uriel felt her mouth snap shut and Dagon wheezed in relief as the feather dissolved against her skin. Her wound had stopped bleeding finally . She curled into Uriel and shut her eyes, “Take me home, Freckles..”
Beelzebub watched as Dagon faded out of consciousness, knowing the intensity of a healing from one of their feathers could be enough to sap the remaining energy the poor demon had. They looked over as Sandalphon began getting to his feet and exhaled sharply, “Uriel. You love her, right?”
Uriel swallowed and pulled Dagon further into her arms, holding her like a bride once more. Her side was soaked in blood, but knowing that her wound was stitched up was enough for now. She tucked her wings away and nodded, speaking strongly, “I love her more than anything.”
Beelzebub held out their hand, a staff materializing from flies as they stood to face Sandalphon. “I hope you’re willing to prove that. She needs rezt, take her to Hell through the channel in the cave. Be prepared though, to get in you have to drown.”
By default, angels and demons had no need to breathe. Uriel had always liked the feeling of breathing, but the thought of letting herself sink into an inky abyss was terrifying. How would she know when they’d made it to safety? The concern must have shown on her face because Beelzebub gave her an almost soft look, “Relax, you’ll know when you’re there. Hell is not an evil entity, it will take you where you need to be.” Then they turned and stepped closer to Sandalphon, ready to fight for their new angel and their second in command.
Uriel swallowed thickly before clutching Dagon close and running into the cave. Beelzebub hadn’t lied, inside the cave was a deep pool. It was almost beautiful, swirling deep blue and black. She looked back in time to see Beelzebub twirling the staff to block Sandalphon before she took a breath and stepped into the pool with Dagon. One step was all it took for Uriel to be sucked down into the pool, she hadn’t even had time to scream. The water was cold, pressing as if it wanted to suck the breath from her lungs. It was dark, so dark her eyes couldn’t adjust to the light. Dagon was undisturbed in her arms, but Uriel felt like she was truly drowning. She flailed, using one hand to clutch at her throat before she finally opened her mouth and sucked in a mouthful of freshwater-
Then Hell opened and dropped them both down into Beelzebub’s office. Uriel gasped and sucked in the air she’d so desperately needed before she slumped over Dagon. They were sopping wet, Dagon’s hair sticking to her face. Despite everything, she didn’t stir. Uriel hunched over her desperately, breathing heavily as she finally let her tears fall. This time, instead of terror, the tears were full of relief because they were going to be okay.
*~*
Uriel ran her fingers through Dagon’s red hair, watching as the demon stirred. Both were bare this time, tucked into the blanket Uriel had gifted Dagon months ago. It had been their anniversary, one Uriel would remember fondly. It had been full of loving kisses and treats, Dagon having prepared sweets for Uriel to try for the first time. Uriel had long believed eating was immoral, but she’d been tempted by Dagon’s endearing smile to finally give in and taste the delicacies her demon had favored. After sweet wines and cakes, Uriel had presented Dagon with the blanket made of her own feathers and given Dagon her angelic name. How different would things have been if Uriel hadn’t? It was a dangerous ‘what if’, one Uriel didn’t let her mind drift to.
Dagon gave Uriel a toothy grin as she woke, not lifting her head. Her right side had been stitched up tightly by the feather, the demonic healing Beelzebub had used to stop the bleeding had been good enough that Uriel was hopeful there wouldn’t be a scar. It was barely noticeable now, it was just a raised pink line against Dagon’s skin. Dagon didn’t seem bothered by it as she gave a tiny stretch, letting her joints pop before she reached up and pulled Uriel’s hand to her lips, giving her palm a sweet kiss before asking, “How long was I out?”
Uriel sighed at the kiss and moved from sitting to lying down next to Dagon. It was nice, them being tucked into their room in Hell and letting the walls warm them. Hell was warmer than Heaven, it was something Uriel had always appreciated when she’d been snuck in to visit. “You were out for a few days. Beelzebub helped me get us here, I’ve never had to walk through Hell the way we did before. The demons.. They’re curious. Beelzebub didn’t let them hurt us on the way, though.”
Dagon nodded and hummed, turning on her side to face Uriel. She was smiling confidently, as if she hadn’t been the one that nearly died a painful death. “You’re one of their’s now, Beelzebub looks after their own. They fought for all of their dukes once, fought for me too when Leviathan wanted to keep me. You wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t accepted you.”
Uriel processed that information and sat up again. The blanket they were under shifted and covered their lap. It was odd, feeling at home despite being in Hell. After so long of calling Heaven their home, one day had changed all of that. She looked down at Dagon fondly and decided that no, the demon in their bed was home. Home was wherever she got to see that smile, see those eyes crinkle at the corner in delight over the misdeeds of humanity. The realization was warm, it felt like the tides of love she felt from Dagon as they just soaked in one another’s presence.
“You’re looking at me funny again, Freckles.” Dagon hesitated, “How are you?” It was a loaded question, Dagon may have been the one stabbed but Uriel was the one who had given up her right to go home. Sandalphon had likely told everyone that Uriel had run off with her dying demon partner, it never looked good. Beelzebub had delivered the news that Sandalphon had made it out alive and had strongly hinted that Uriel should lay low for a while. It was a good thing she had no intentions of trying to go back to Heaven.
Uriel reached for Dagon’s hand and gently pulled it to her lips, kissing her knuckles. It was better to not talk now, she wanted to just savor her partner being alive. She gently pulled Dagon to sit up, smiling as the demon came without much prompting, “Come dance with me?”
Dagon laughed softly and slid out of the bed, snapping her fingers and letting music start to play from the older cd player in the corner of the room. It never needed a cd to play, miraculously playing the song Dagon had desired. It was always fun, seeing what came to the demon’s mind whenever they danced. As the first words flowed from the speakers, Uriel’s hands moved to rest over Dagon’s shoulders. The demon began to sing softly,
“Down by the water, Under the willow,
Sits a lone ranger, Minding the willow.”
Uriel knew the words almost by heart, she had always fancied this song. It was one of the few she and Dagon had memorized together through their dates on Earth, so she cooed the next verse softly,
“He and his wife, Once lived happily,
Planted a seed that grew through the reeds.”
Dagon rested her hands against Uriel’s back, holding her loosely as they began to sway slowly. Dagon had always loved dancing, but she never had a very good rhythm. Uriel had been the one to teach her where to step and how to keep pace, many moons ago. She whispered the next verse, looking at her angel with pure adoration.
“Summers and Winters, Through snowy Decembers,
Sat by the water, Close to the embers.”
Uriel felt her lips raise into a smile on their own volition and she let her shoulders relax as they spun, her heart swelling with love as she sang along,
“Missing out the lives, That they once had before…”
They touched their foreheads together, eyes fluttering shut as they sang in tune,
“I wouldn’t leave you, I would hold you,
When the last day comes.
What if you need me? Won’t you hold me?
On the last day, Our last day.”
The song continued without them, Uriel sucking in a shaky breath and opening her eyes as they continued to sway. It was easy for her to think just how close she had come to spending an eternity alone. She’d been so terrified of losing her home at one point, carrying the guilt of loving a demon around like it was something to be ashamed of, for fear of Falling like angels once had and for much less, but that fear was barely anything compared to Dagon bleeding out in her arms. “This isn’t the last day, nor is it our last day. You’re stuck with me now, Little Fish.”
Dagon grinned then, her sharp teeth exposed and scales glistening in the lower light. She leaned in and gently kissed Uriel’s lips, just a soft peck, but the love behind it was the purest Uriel had ever felt. How could angels have thought demons weren’t capable of love? It was the biggest understatement Heaven had ever uttered, in Uriel’s opinion. Dagon rested their foreheads together again and nearly purred out, “There isn’t any other way I’d have it, Freckles.”