Demon's Deal

Lilac’s eyes opened to a cream-colored ceiling. It took her a minute to remember where she was. The pain she was in had been reduced to an inconvenient ache throughout her body. A blanket slipped on her as she sat up.

By her bedside, Alan jumped to his feet. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she said. A yawn overtook her. “I feel like a zombie, though. How long was I asleep for?”

“Two days,” the nurse’s voice sounded from a few paces away. Lilac turned her head to see her approach.

“Two days, huh…” Lilac stared into the void of nothingness before realization kicked in. “Wait. TWO DAYS?!”

The nurse nodded as she reached her bedside. “I put you to sleep until your condition stabilized enough for you to go home.”

“Why would you do that?”

“It’s easier to treat you that way, and it helps you avoid the pain,” she said.

“I was worried you weren’t going to recover,” Alan breathed. “I don’t know what I’d do if I accidentally killed or permanently injured you.”

“You waited here for me to wake up…?” A blush rose to her cheeks. Whether it was simply embarrassment or something more, she couldn’t tell.

“Not the whole time. But I was here quite often.” His face sunk into a troubled look. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Lilac. I’m supposed to fight demons, not my acquaintances.”

Lilac internally cringed. ‘If he knew, would he be feeling any kind of remorse right now?’

“Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” The hero asked.

An idea popped into Lilac’s mind as quickly as the question came. “You can be my partner for the Plumrose Ball!” she grinned.

Alan flinched. “The Plumrose Ball?”

“Yeah! I want to go with you. Is that okay?”

“I mean… I don’t have a partner yet, so that works. I’m just a little surprised,” he said.

Lilac’s heart jumped into a somersault at his approval. “You won’t regret it!” She said with the largest smile she could muster. “I’ve been meaning to ask you for so long.”

“Normally girls aren’t the ones to ask… But you don’t strike me as a normal girl.”

A giggle escaped her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Uh, nothing really,” he scratched the back of his head. “You just seem different from other girls.”

“Oh, I’m as ordinary as they come.” Lilac paused for a moment. ‘Am I not doing a good enough job at fitting in? I thought I was doing pretty well…’

“And I’m not the hero,” he muttered to himself. “Anyway, I’m sure there are other guys that would be more fun to be with at the ball than me.”

“No way! You’re the one I want.”

Alan glanced away for a second. “Even though I’m not a good dancer?”

“I can teach you!” She beamed. If she hadn’t altered her appearance, her devilish tails would surely be wiggling with excitement. “I haven’t gone to any huge parties or anything, but I can dance pretty well.”

“I don’t know…”

Quickened footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by Emmalyn nearly sliding past as she attempted to stop. “Lilac, you’re okay!” She burst into the room and threw her arms around Lilac, forcing Alan out of the way. “I was so worried when I heard you were injured!” She cried.

Scarlett appeared in the doorway, her breathing heavy. “E-Emmalyn, please slow down…” After a moment of catching her breath, she entered the room and joined the rapidly growing group around Lilac’s bed. “H-how are you feeling, Lilac?”

“Better,” Lilac gave her a thumbs up around Emmalyn’s body that was still latched onto her. “Thanks for coming to check on me, you two. It means a lot. Now can you let me go, Emmalyn? I’m still a little sore…”

“Oh, sorry!” She released Lilac and jumped to her feet. “It seems I got a little carried away. I’m super glad you’re doing okay!”

“S-so am I,” Scarlett added.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Lilac said.

The redheaded nurse returned from the back of the room. “Let’s give her some space, shall we? I know you all have been worried about your friend, but she’s still recovering.”

All three of her visitors shifted to create more room around the bed.

The nurse stopped next to Emmalyn. “Your tests have been completed.”

“Tests…?” Lilac tilted her head. “What tests?”

“While you were recovering, I analyzed your body to find out what caused your condition. I must say, I’ve never seen a genetic composition quite like yours before.”

Color drained from Lilac’s skin. Did the nurse find out she was a demon? But if that were true, why was she acting so calm? She shook her head, hoping that wasn’t the case. “Weird, I’m just a normal human…”

“I never said you weren’t,” the nurse responded. “I meant your genetics are more complex than most people’s. There could be a number of reasons for that. Do you happen to use dark magic?”

“Um, yes… Why?”

The nurse placed a hand on her hip. “I thought so. It looks like your magic is somehow infused into your blood. Since light is the opposite of dark, the magic in your blood nearly shriveled into nothing. I’ve never seen a condition like yours before, but… I think that if you were hit a few more times, the magic would’ve entirely disappeared. You might die if that were to happen.”

Around the bed, the visitors exchanged shocked glances. “You mean there’s magic in her blood that’s sustaining her life?” Emmalyn inquired.

“Yes, that’s accurate,” the nurse confirmed. “I haven’t figured out why yet. It could be a curse, or maybe someone infused you with dark magic to save your life in the past. Do either of those sound accurate?”

“I don’t think so,” Lilac answered.

“Do you mind if I take a blood sample to study?”