......

He stood beside her, listening keenly to her footsteps which indicated that she was she circling round the transparent sculpture, studying it. He activated his magic sensor and felt her lift her hands. She reached out and touched it, tracing the lines that made up its stomach. For some reason which was vividly known to him, he felt fire begin to burn in him, that earlier fire he had felt when she had looked straight into his eyes and insanely demanded that he kiss her. The fire spread quickly, like flames on gasoline dunked hay, ravaging his entire icy system. It worried him, it so worried him. How on earth could she be able to do that? He had always undoubtedly thought that he was incapable of warmth. But, here was her presence proving him wrong. That's right! It was her presence that brought about this inexplicable warmth to an old ice demon such as him.

'It looks so much like you,' she said. 'If only you could see it.'

'I know what I look like Nine,' he said looking in the direction of her voice. While he had been thinking, she must have moved backwards to admire the statue. And, he hadn't known. He never lost concentration like this, ever. She was doing things to him, messing with his head and he hated it. He hated how her presence brought warmth to his being. He hated how her molliscent voice seemed to soothe his demon. He hated that she made him feel with her having to hurt. He hated her existence yet welcomed it.

'Was it five or six years, since you lost your sight? I doubt you look the same from when you could still see. You must have aged a bit, haven't you?' she asked him.

'I carved the sculpture,' he simply said to her. His reply left her dazed.

'No way!' she said.

'I carved it about four full moons ago,' he continued to say despite her epic state of denial.

'There is no way that you would have done that! No way!' she squealed. He found his lips lifting into a smile, something he rarely did. Even his facial muscles didn't respond quickly because they must have been wasting away like an unused car engine.

'Well I did.'

'How?' He didn't answer her question. He simply breathed in softly and brought his two palms close to each other as if a ball was in-between. Then, there was a small white whirl around his hands and ice began to form into a glassy ball. He began to sculpture. When he was done, the white whirl melted away leaving the sculpture. He stretched it out towards her.

'Here, have it.' He heard her come forward to take it. Their fingers brushed as she accepted it. He heard her exclamation of awe.

'This is...this is me!' she said. 'What sorcery is this? I am sure it is because you can not see a thing.'

'Really?' he asked her with a small chuckle. Through his magic, he felt her nod her head.

'Yes it is. Who on earth are you? No, what on earth are you? Now, will you tell me or shall I find out myself?' she asked him, an underlying threat in her shrill sassy voice.

'Remember Nine,' he began in a complacent manner, yet utterly prepared for the worst. 'I am Abaddon, an ancient ice demon. I am the fourth of the seven rulers of the kingdom of hell.' He heard her gasp in shocked surprise before he finally felt the sculpture that he had just given to her begin to drop to the floor because she was totally surprised and discombobulated. He halted its fall with magic, causing it to hang unsuspended in midair, dazzling her further. He smiled once again -Was it a smirk maybe?- at her. He did so, happily because she had actually and finally come to believe his identity after putting him through a lot.

'Just remember that sometimes it is only good to be bad' ...