The Devil's Apprentice, page 1
The
Devil’s Apprentice
Patrick Stewart
Copyright © 2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the rights holder, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Foreword
This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance with anyone living or deceased is completely coincidental. This work of fiction is primarily based around demons and angels. It has references to god and the devil. If you are religiously inclined, please remember that this is a work of fiction not at all intended to offend you.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Epilogue
Author Comments
Chapter 1
His black hair was thick. It resembled more the spikes on the back of a hedgehog than human hair. He had red skin and two balls of black for eyes. The teeth were sharp, numerous and in rows of two like that of a shark. The demon’s name was Jamie Azarath, and Alex was having a pretty good day until he turned up and first annoyed him, and then frightened the fuck out of him.
Alex was twenty-one years of age and led a pretty unremarkable life. He worked night shifts as a security guard in an office building in central London. During the day when he wasn’t sleeping, he usually came to this café. It was a cosy little spot just around the corner from his apartment. It was quaint inside. Three single sofas of a dark grey fabric were arranged in a U around a tea table. There was a wood burning stove and past that were rows of wooden chairs and tables opposite the counter.
It was a quiet place too. Perfect for him to lose himself in his thoughts, work the brain and write away. Alex was a writer. Or at least, he was trying to write a damned book, something that he was currently doing a horrible job of. He had literally written the exact same line three times before hitting the delete button.
Sighing, he reached for his cold mug of coffee. Lifting it to his lips, he tilted the cup. Nothing. He recalled it being empty the previous time too, when he’d lifted it to his lips. Madeline, the sometimes-attentive waitress, came over with a decanter full of the stuff. But rather than pour it into his mug, she stood over him. Her elbow rested against the corner of the sofa’s backrest.
Alex looked up at her. She had pretty brown eyes and at nineteen, was two years younger than him. Madeline had that perfect golden mix-raced skin. At five foot seven, she was a decent height too. The coffee shop had chosen a smart dress code for the waitress - black skirt, white shirt. Thanks to the summer heat, Madeline wore a very short black skirt. Her white shirt had the top three buttons undone.
“That’s your fourth cup,” Madeline commented.
“Tired. Pour me another please.”
“You’ve come straight from your shift, haven’t you?”
“I showered first,” Alex said defensively.
“You should go to bed.”
“Want to come with?”
“To your bed, sure,” Madeline said, the corner of her lips twitched. “Gain ten pounds of muscle first.” She was about to pour him coffee when she stopped with the decanter hovering over his mug. “You can pay for this, right?”
Alex dug his hands into his denim jean pockets and fumbling about. He grabbed everything within, then placed the contents on the table triumphantly. “There ya go!”
Madeline separated the contents with her fingers. “Three buttons, two pennies and a string…”. She stared at the string with what looked like a seed tied to one end. Her eyes met his. “Jesus, Alex, this is sad. Where’s your credit card?”
“I think I’ve left it at home…”
Madeline frowned. “You’re not going to be able to pay for your first four then? I’ve gotten into trouble for giving you free stuff.”
“Sorry, didn’t know that,” Alex mumbled.
Madeline rolled her eyes. “My boss is a bit of a dick.”
“Want me to sort him out?”
“Sure,” she smiled. “Gain twenty pounds of muscle first though.”
“You said ten pounds of muscle earlier,” Alex muttered.
“Ten to sleep with me,” she winked. “Twenty if you want to take my boss down. He’s a big fucker.”
And with that, Madeline turned and walked away. Alex stared at her curvy behind. The short skirt accentuated it perfectly. He wasn’t ashamed that this mouth was hanging open some. He’d flirted with Madeline for a while now, but she’d never been this forward before. Alex made a mental note to hit the gym one day, then turned back to stare at the screen on his laptop.
After blinking rapidly several times, Alex rubbed his eyes. Exhaustion was catching up to him. He hit the save button on the word document several times before closing it. He was about to slam his laptop shut when he noticed the girl. She stood opposite him and wore a short floral dress. Her bare knees brushed against the coffee table.
Alex recalled seeing her sitting at the other end of the room. Her head had been buried in one of those fancy Apple Macs. She had brown mousy hair and wore large spectacles, nailing the geeky but hot librarian look perfectly, effortlessly.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” Alex waved a hand at her.
It was an awkward wave. Feeling foolish, he used the hand to gently close his somewhat antiquated laptop.
“I got you coffee,” she flashed him a smile, showing perfect teeth.
True enough, she had in her hand a red mug. She placed it on the table, then pushed it towards him. Alex took the mug and raised it to his lips. He took a sip. Yup, it was coffee alright.
He stared up at her, not sure what to say next. Alex had a talent for being a bit of an ass, for being able to make smart and quick comebacks. What he didn’t have a talent for was making charming small talk, which he figured was what he should do now. What was he supposed to say? She stood there staring down at him with an expectant smile. Thanks. You could thank her for the coffee, his brain yelled at him.
“Uh, thanks,” he mumbled.
“Alex, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Do I know you?”
She sat opposite him on the soft fabric sofa. “It’s Chrissy. We were in the same class in primary school?”
Alex eye’s narrowed. “Chrissy Skinner?”
“I think I was the only Chrissy in class,” she said, her smile so natural. “But yes, Chrissy Skinner. What are you doing?” she nodded at the laptop.
“Uh, trying to write a book…” Alex said hesitantly. It felt strange seeing Chrissy after so many years. He’d had the biggest crush on her about eleven years ago. A small fact that he’d never managed to work up the courage to share with her back in the day.
Her eyes lit up. “That’s so cool. What genre?”
“Fantasy at the moment.” He hoped she wouldn’t ask about the plot. Alex’s story was about a boy who finds out he’s a wizard and ends up going to wizarding school. So like Harry Potter was what pretty much everyone said immediately after.
Chrissy nodded enthusiastically. “What’s it about?”
Dammit, Alex cursed silently. “A boy who finds out he’s a wizard, then goes to wizarding school. It’s not like Harry Potter.”
Chrissy flashed him a smile. “Hey, JK Rowling doesn’t have a copyright on wizards being educated.”
“Exactly!” Alex thumped his fist on the table.
From behind the counter, Madeline turned her eyes on him, her brows furrowed. She spotted Chrissy. Her face lit up, she winked, then gave him the thumbs up. Alex looked away, hoping his somewhat pale skin didn’t redden too much.
“I do a bit of writing too. Been working on a fantasy myself,” Chrissy said. “Struggling to find a satisfactory ending for it.”
Alex stared at her curiously, wondering if that was why she’d approached him, because she already knew he was writing? It was a professional interest then, not personal. He supposed that made more sense. Alex was tall, but skinny and pale. His dark hair was usually messy and his choice of clothing wasn’t exactly hip. Girls didn’t randomly approach him for a conversation - especially not pretty girls.
Chrissy stared back at him, still smiling, though it began to wane some. Of course, it was wa ning. She’d said something and was probably waiting for him to respond because you know, that’s how conversations worked.
“Uh, I’d love to read it. I mean, if you want another pair of eyes looking at it?” he said quickly.
“Yeah, awesome!”
They exchanged emails. Not quite telephone numbers, but Alex was feeling cool about it. And then, some dude walked in and ruined his mood. Standing at well over six feet tall, he had blonde hair slicked back. He was wearing tight black jeans and a white V-neck vest that showed of what were regular hours at the gym. Or steroids.
He looked like a bit of a prick.
Chrissy jumped to her feet at his approach. He grabbed her by the waist. They kissed. Alex caught Madeline staring at him, making a sad face.
“Ready to go?” the guy asked, his voice suitably deep.
“Let me just grab my laptop,” Chrissy said. “Alex, Jamie Azarath,” she said, then darted off.
“Hey,” Alex said.
In response, Jamie gave a nod of the head, apparently clearly too fucking cool to waste words. And then it happened. His face changed. Literally. One moment, he was a white guy with blonde hair and blue eyes, the next moment, his skin was red. All of it. His face, his exposed arms and neck, it was all red. And not the sunburnt red. This was the devil red. Like Satan in pretty much every image anywhere. His hair had changed too. It was no longer blonde, nor did it seem like hair. Each black strand was as thick as a needle. His eyes were black like pools of ink.
“…what the fuck,” Alex muttered.
“What?” Jamie frowned.
“The fuck happened to your-,” Alex raised both his hands and pointed in Jamie’s general body.
“What are you seeing?” Jamie asked, his voice wary.
“I’m seeing you,” Alex mumbled. “But you’re all red and… your teeth. Jesus fucking Christ, they’re like shark teeth.”
Jamie grinned and Alex was sure there was a picture of him in the dictionary under the word evil. “It’s happening more and more.”
“What is?” Alex asked.
“More and more humans are seeing us for what we are. The veil is breaking.”
Alex wasn’t naturally slow, but his brain had frozen somewhat, and it took him awhile to process what Jamie had just said. Staring up at the beast of a being, he swallowed nervously. “If you’re not a human… what uh… what are you?”
Jamie smiled, and Alex leaned back against the sofa, feeling light headed. “What do you know of demons?”
Alex didn’t get a chance to answer the question. Chrissy appeared at that precise moment. Her Apple Mac was pressed against her chest with one arm. She wrapped the other around Jamie, her demon-looking boyfriend. “I’ll email you,” she said to Alex.
Jamie grinned as they walked out of the café. Alex was speechless as he watched in confusion and horror. Could Chrissy not see Jamie’s real face? Surely, she must be able to, right? But if she could, why was she willing going with him, so calmly and happily? Was she part of it?
Part of what? What exactly had he seen? A demon?
Alex laughed nervously. No. Jamie wasn’t really a demon. There was a perfectly good explanation for what he had just seen. One that did not revolve around demons. Trick of the lighting.
“She’s cute. He’s hot.”
Alex turned his head to see Madeline leaning against the counter, her eyes on Chrissy and Jamie as they climbed into the red Porsche 911 parked against the kerb.
“You didn’t see the red skin and spikes for hair?”
Madeline’s gaze turned to him. “What?” she frowned.
“The red skin? He had red skin?”
“Like… sunburnt?” Madeline asked, before adding as an afterthought, “I’d do them both.”
“Not sunburnt. It was like a devil- wait, you’re… you’d do them both?”
Madeline winked at him before she turned away from the counter and busied herself with her job.
Under normal circumstances, Madeline revealing her bisexuality might have piqued Alex interest more. He turned to stare out the door once more. The red Porsche pulled out and drove off. More humans are seeing us for what we are, Jamie had said. That meant not all humans could see Jamie for what he was.
If Chrissy couldn’t see Jamie for what he really was, did that mean she was in trouble?
Why could Alex see? More importantly, what the hell was he seeing? Was Jamie a demon?
Chapter 2
It was a week later and fears of Jamie being a demon had mostly faded away. Alex decided he’d either imagined the entire thing, or that he was drunk, on drugs or a combination of the three, maybe with a few tricks of the light thrown in too…
With that being said, he’d avoided the café and instead spent his free time writing in his apartment. It was late in the evening when he ventured out for food. He headed to his local Co-Op and grabbed an oven pizza and a pack of beers.
He was on his way back when he crossed paths with the angel.
As with the demon, the angel looked very much human at first.
He was with a girl standing on the sidewalk. Her back was pressed against the brick wall of the corner shop. He leant over her. Their lips locked together, one palm pressed against the wall, the other rested on her thigh at the end of her short skirt.
They looked like an ordinary couple. Alex decided to give them a wide berth as he passed on account of their over enthusiastic display of public affection.
And that was when it happened.
Wings sprung out from the guy’s back. Huge white feathery wings. Alex had to sidestep to prevent from walking into it. His bag of food fell onto the ground as he stumbled off the sidewalk and onto the road.
“Jesus- fuck man. What the fuck!”
The dude pulled away from the girl to stare at him. Alex was taken aback by how beautiful the man was. And that was the right word to use. Beautiful. Spectacularly beautiful. His entire body just glowed, as if, instead of blood running in those veins, it was beautiful white energy.
The guy stared at him with piercing blue eyes, a lazy look of annoyance in them. “Perv.”
“Perv?” Alex repeated, confused. “Your wings, they nearly-,” he paused, deciding him walking into one of the wings wasn’t the real issue here. “You have wings! Why do you have wings?”
The angel rolled his eyes. “Another annoying see-er. I’ve got wings because I’m an angel, dipshit. Now fuck off.” And with that, he turned to the girl and leant in to resume their kissing. His hand moved up her thigh and he hiked up her skirt. Two of his fingers dug into her now visible purple lacy panties.
But this time, the girl resisted. She pushed back with both hands. There was a muffled cry as the angel backed away a step. He felt his lips. There wasn’t blood, but the upper lip had changed to a dark shade of red.
“You bit me,” the shock clear in his voice, he slapped the girl across the face.
The colour drained from the blonde-haired girl’s face as her body slumped against the wall. She seemed badly hurt. But the angel wasn’t done. He grabbed her skirt and tore it off. Pressing his body against hers, he wrapped a hand under her inner thigh and raised her left leg.
The girl had recovered from being slapped. She fought back and managed to push the angel away enough to slip past him. Her face stricken with panic, she spotted Alex and rushed over to him.
“Are you just going to stare, or are you going to actually help me?” she growled.
“…he’s got wings,” Alex muttered. He was still staring at them. They extending out from slits in the back of his vest. They looked real. The wings were no longer spread out. They had retracted so naturally, much like an eagle’s would do if it found a nice spot to rest.
“Are you on drugs?” the girl asked. “Is that why you’re so pale and… messy?”
“What sort of drugs make you pale?” Alex muttered. “You can’t see the wings?” he pointed at them with both hands theatrically. “They’re like… their fucking huge and… magnificent… How can you not see them?”
“Magnificent? Do you want to make out with him? Are you drunk?”
Alex didn’t want to make out with the guy. And he was sure he wasn’t drunk. Part of the reason he’d left the apartment was because he’d run out of beer. That, and he figured dinner would be nice too. The guy with the wings had his eyes on the blonde. She was gorgeous and with her skirt torn off, her green sleeveless top just about covered her lacy panties. She was a sight to see, but the angel seemed bored.
