Opening one of the clear doors grabbing the white handle and pushing it forward, I start to walk out of the foyer area of the library onto the curved archway leading to the center of the building. There waiting with full patience is the cab driver and just nearby Megan is already walking towards the cab holding onto a cup of her coca latte.

I know that to me that this date is just a distraction only to complete the first trial. I still got this ‘the internal struggle will endanger both halves’ creeping into my mind. Maybe, my human side and my demonic side are like yin and yang. It needs balance. Syril told me those demonic hellions who are after me want that unbalance. The real question is why. The prophecy did its best to tell me what I need to know, but it did not tell what I should do.

Looking at Megan, I realize I need to make it up to her. She dressed for the occasion and for me to treat her like this seems wrong a bit. Hopefully, I can make it up to her by taking her to that French restaurant she alluded about.

“Hey Megan, sorry about this, but I had to see something that was important for ‘my project’.”

“That is fine. I just pray that this wasn't the date.”

“No it’s not. If it’s okay, we can go to that French restaurant, the Oasiso.”

She giggles showing a grin, “It’s actually L’Oasis.” She corrects the name.

“Well like you said. You ready.”

“Like I ever been.” She zips the last bit of her latte and throws it at the trash can nearby the Pedestrian crossing sign just a couple of feet away. After she finished it, I open up the back passenger door from the left side; she enters in the car and I soon follow.                                                                          ***

The cab pulls up to the restaurant. I’m able to view the new place where the sign hanging above the arch roof show the French colors and a fleur-du-lis sign; the building overall looks like a rustic French village.

 As we left the cab, Megan and I enter into the interior where the maitre d' is waiting for us. The man wearing a tight black tuxedo outfit and I could see him also wearing a red fabric around his waist. He looks at us grabbing two of the menus, and sees me with his beading eyes glaring at us.

“Welcome to L’Oasis. Follow me to your table.” In an accurate French accent, he takes us to our table right in middle. I quickly pull out the chair to allow Megan to sit.  I then sit down myself on the other side. I glance at her as she continues to smile glowing just because she made it here.

I wonder if she been here before. Understanding this place is like one of those grandeur spots rich people like to go to; does her father come here more often. If he would, the maitre d’ would have remembered Megan by her name. The maitre d’ mentions what we want to drink and then Megan tells him, “An iced tea.” He looks over to me where I respond, “A coke.” He nods and walks away to get the drinks.

Before long, one of the waiters comes along to see if we are ready to order. I look at my menu sheet to see what to choose and I think.

“You chose something?” I ask.

“Yes I did.” She looks up to the waiter and elegantly says to him, “I will like to have the spinach salad with the feta and yogurt garlic dressing.”

“Will do, madam.” He replies. After he writes the order, he looks to me. “And for you sir?”

Glancing at the menu sheet, I finally made my decision. “I will like to have the grilled chicken breast with the honey mustard glaze.”

“Will do, sir.” He replies once again after jotting down the info. As he heads out, the maitre d’ brings out our drinks. Then he goes back to his duties.

Waiting for the food, all I can think is about is what the prophecy said about me. I know me half to tell Mal about the prophecy. A server soon appears. He looks young, but seems older with pale, ice skin and his blocky eyebrows, and double chin comes near our table. He brings out Megan’s salad where he puts it near her side.

“Thanks.” She said.

He nods and before he leaves, he turns his head to my direction showing a snobbish glance. And then he says something.

“Hi you doing, Devos.” He says.

I look stun when he asks me that. “What you said?”

He ignores me and walks out to the back near the kitchen area. I just continue to look at the spot where that waiter was and be bewilder. How did he know I was a Devos? I need to find out. I try to get Megan’s attention.

“Hey Megan, if you can excuse me, I half to go the men’s room.”

“Okay.” She says giving off a sly look and then continues eating her salad.

I get up from the table and head back where I see the restrooms are right nearby the kitchen area. I walk all the way slightly opening the door giving it a crack. Observing to see if anyone is watching me from behind; no one is. I leave the door alone proceeding my way to the back hallway seeing the young waiter who was the snobbish one exiting out of the restaurant back door. Spotting him, I follow my way out as well.

Exiting out of the back door, it leads me to an alleyway. I survey the area only to see trash and a dark blue dumpster. I turn to my left to see the snobbish waiter smoking a cigarette.

“Hey!” I yell trying to get his attention.

Over a few seconds, he begins to look at me.

“What you said about me being a Devos?” I say.

He smiles and drops his cigarette from his hand. Stepping on it by crushing it.

“Clever Devos, you got me there, but you’re not fooling me.” He says.

Realizing he has to be a demon in disguise. “No ordinary person tells me that I’m a Devos; just like you told me, you’re not fooling me, demon.” I state with conviction.

“Finally! I can stop acting like a Noblood.” He says.

“You can tell your boss Asmodeus, he is not getting to me.” I declare.

“Oh, but he is. You just don’t know it yet.” He says.

Looking around my back left side and then my right trying to see if he is here. “Is he here?” Pondering if this is a sneak attack.

“No, but he’s waiting. He wants to talk to you.” He says.

“Never! I’ll die before I even meet him.” I yell.

“So you want to commit your downfall.” He says.

The demon shows off his snobbish smirk, and his blue eyes begin to turn pitch black. The same thing Purson did.

“The name is Mammon.” He says.

“Mammon?” I ask.

“Yes, and I want to tell you so you know who is going to kill you.” He states in such a self-confident attitude. Yet I thought he wanted to bring me to Asmodeus.

“So what, you kill me and disappoint your boss!” I yell.

“Asmodeus won’t even know.” He replies. And then he pulls out his right hand where a fireball emerges. Mammon starting playing with the fireball like if it was a toy ball bouncing back and forth in his hand; he soon begins to bounce the fireball with a faster pace. He then throws the fireball like he was throwing a fast ball.

Feeling I need to dodge that quickly, I just fall to the ground hitting the wet, gravel ground a little hard as the ball misses by mere inches. I turn my head to see the fireball hitting the dumpster. The blast rocks the dumpster slightly. I turn back to see Mammon who again creates another fireball from his right hand. Unlike Purson, who was a bit aggressive, Mammon is a lot more aggressive.

Before I even have a chance to get up, Mammon is about to throw his second fireball. Realizing I have no time yet knowing I have demonic powers myself, I want to see if I can physically use them instead of just letting my demonic side taking over. I instantly pull out both my hands thinking something can happen.

Mammon sees me doing this action, and he chuckles a bit.

“What are you doing?” He asks mockingly as he laughs trying to think I cannot do anything.

“You’ll see.” I reply back by giving off a smirk.

Mammon stops laughing and goes back aggressive as he throws the second fireball.

I know I cannot keep on dodging these attacks. I have these powers, so I need to use them. As I extend both my arms to the full extent, I try to close my eyes, but I slightly open up my right eye. I hold my mouth bracing whatever the impact will be.      

As the fireball comes right at me, I just hope and wonder what I’m actually going to do. I feel the intensity of the heat from the fireball as it comes roaring and rolling straight to me. I have this sense of confidence that I can stop the fireball. Do not know how, but I feel confident.

Unexpectedly as the fireball heads straight to my hands, I notice a strange tingling into me. I then notice my hands where I fully open up my eyes to see somehow I created sort of a shield. The shield blocks the fireball as the fireball explodes causing the blast to force me to go back. The blast throws me into a pile of cardboard boxes. Luckily, the boxes help ease my landing, but I’m even more surprise I created that shield. So if this is one of my physical powers, it cannot be just a shield unless I half to blast off multiple force fields like being Susan Storm.

Mammon is a bit startle to what he just witnessed. I see him getting angry.

“So you want to play like that, Devos. Let’s play!” He yells out as he creates a series of fireballs and starts throwing using both his hands.

I immediately get up from those boxes and as those fireballs coming dead aim at me. I feel if I block his last fireball; I can do it again. Instead of pulling out both my hands, I try to see if I can get into my demonic side and sensing something I throw out right hand forward where I fire a shield-like blast and then do it again with my other hand firing another.

Each of the shield blasts begins to block each fireball coming towards me. As Mammon sees his fireballs are not getting to me, he sneers to the fact I’m actually standing up to him. Then disappears as a swarming black cloud making those swoosh noises; I look up to see it is not there. Then I hear a swoosh behind me, as I suddenly see Mammon’s right arm coming around my neck and start grabbing me into a chokehold.

As my I gasp for air glancing his arm trying to squeeze down my neck, Mammon speaks as my eyes turn to see Mammon and he sneers again.

“You can’t win Devos.” He says.

“Want to bet.” I respond.

“Your wish.” He says as he smirks sinisterly and then morphs back into that black cloud making that swoosh going up very fast and flies away to the distance.

Mammon escapes unlike Parson, but I do not really know if I’m going to see that demon again. Worrying about Megan, she probably thinks I flake on her. I hurry myself back into the restaurant to try to finish this date without any more distractions.

I head back to the table where Megan and I are sharing. I see her eating what seems to be dessert. It looks like a French pastry. Before I get a chance to sit back down and checking myself to see if I’m safe, I glance at my left shirt cuff to see it is a bit burnt. It looks like the blast I took did make an impact. Before Megan notice me, I roll up both my sleeves. I soon sit back down where I check to see my grilled chicken is there and could be cold; then I look back up to see Megan.

“Caden, you seem different?”

I try to see what she is talking about and she soon directs her attention to how I rolled up my selves. “Oh!” I giggle a bit. “I washed my hands, and I kind of forgot rolling them back down.”

“Well, I like the look. As for your food, it’s been over ten minutes.”

“I had to go. Really!”

“Whatever.”

I smirk a bit and hoping this date can finally be normal. I start to see if I can eat the stuff where lucky me it is still warm. For almost half an hour, we finished dinner and dessert. I paid for the dinner where we depart from the restaurant and then the cab driver, who brought us to the library and here, returns to bring us back home.

For over twenty-five minutes, we head back to Megan’s residence. I exit out of the cab first where Megan follows. I escort her walking across the bricklay driveway to a curvy pathway to their porch approaching her front mahogany door. I stop as she reaches to her door about to open, but before she turns the knob, she turns around.

“I enjoyed this day. It was fun!” She says.

“Great. I enjoyed this too.” I say chuckling.

“So see you at school on Monday.” She says.

“Yeah!” I say.

She opens up the bronze knob and before she enters, she comes across and kisses me on the lips. A very short kiss. I’m stunned while Megan smiles and waves bye to me as she heads inside.

“Bye!” I wave back. She closes the door. I lost my feelings on the way she kissed me. It was nice for her to do that, and I enjoyed it. However, that kiss does not change things. I do not feel anything. I start to think about Liana. I need to make sure I can be her friend again. And what do friends do when one of them feel the other betray that person, treat them.

                                                                ***

Inside Reaux’s Bakery Goods,  I able to see Mr. Reaux about to quit shop until I hustle in; he sees me.

“Hey, Mr. Reaux, do you have two sugar cookies?” I ask.

“Yes I do!” He replies with his Cajun accent. He heads to his display counter and take two of the sugar cookies; he puts in one of those slip bags and reaches it over to me. I grab it and give Mr. Reaux fifty cents.

“Thank you, Caden. You go tell Liana hello for me, you hear.” He says.

“I’ll make sure she’ll know.” I respond back to him.

I wave bye at Mr. Reaux as he waves back to me. I quickly get back into the cab. “Thanks. I’m sorry but I don’t even know your name.” I say.

“My name is Cort.” He replies.

“Cort, cool name.” I say.

“Caden’s a cool name too.” He says.

“Thanks.” I say.

“Where to now, Caden?” Cort asks.

“Take me home.” I reply back.

“Will do.” He answers.

Cort starts driving the way to Adam Street where my neighborhood and my house are. About five minutes into the drive, I sit back to the leather seat getting my iPhone out of my pocket to check to see any recent messages. The only ones are my mom telling me to come back home safely while Megan text me if we can do this again. Before I think about that, I see no messages from Liana. Liana is taking this hard, and maybe just maybe these cookies which she love will hopefully ease her pain or whatever she is going through.

As I lay my head back, I hear an eerie sound. I turn around to see from the back window a black cloud is flying straight towards the cab.

Needing to warn Cort before it is too late, “Cort! Stop the car!” I holler.

“What?!” He asks confused.

“Cort, stop!” I yell.

Before he has a chance to step on the brakes, the demonic black cloud rams into the car. Feeling the car like feeling an earthquake rocking a building, Cort urgently hits the bake. The cab stops hard hoping that cloud-like being is gone. Suddenly there is silence.

“What was that?” Cort asks.

Trying to keep calm, “I don’t know, but I feel this isn’t over.” I reply.

“What you mean by that?” He wonders.

And then out of nowhere, the back window implodes; the glass breaks to the inside as the black cloud then breaks the front window. I hold my head down using my hands to protect any shards of glass hitting me. I look to see Cort.

“Are you alright, Cort?” I wonder. “Cort!” I holler his name.

He gets up a bit after covering himself. “Yes, I’m fi…” Before he have a chance to finish the black cloud comes in from the front passenger side breaking the glass and then throws Cort with such force, the front driver side door rips apart with Cort flying into a glass display window of a closed store.

“Cort!” I yell to see if he is alright. I try to open the door to see if he is alive or not, but then the black cloud swooshes in and rams the cab from the exterior knocking me down lying on the seat. I get up where the cloud flies back around and this time comes through the back driver side window breaking the glass. The cloud spears me with mere force the left passenger side door is ripped off and I’m thrown hard to the pavement road.

A bit sore in the back, I get back up on my feet slowly to see the cloud roaming around the damaged cab then flies away. I quickly run towards the store window where that cloud threw Cort into. Trying to see if he is alright, to my horror, blood is coming from the back of his head; flowing through his ears; and his eyes just staring  up not even moving a muscle.

Shock to see Cort is dead.

Getting enraged for what happened to Cort, I notice the black cloud flying away. I want to get justice for Cort, an innocent man who had nothing to do with this, so I run after the black cloud trying to see if I can find out why is this demon after me.

***

I follow the cloud-like figure into the forest. Running into the forest stepping over rocks and the dirt, I realize it is least a two mile distance from here back to the town. Deep in the area surrounding by long oak trees, I run into a stumble trying to see where that black cloud went.

Looking up, my eyes grab sight of the black cloud flying in circles. I try to get its attention.

“Hey!” I yell at it forming my hands like a megaphone around my mouth trying to focus on me if I’m lucky. “Do you want me?” I yell again.

How I said it, the black cloud swooshes down to the ground level. The cloud reforms into more of a human-like figure; I could see a face forming and to my surprise. The cloud transforms into Mammon.

“You!” I scream knowing he escaped the last time and now seem he ditched his waiter outfit, so he wears an all black suit, pants, and black tie. His black eyes lock on to me.

“Did you miss me?”

“Why you killed him…”

“Oh, you mean your friend. That Noblood got in my way.”

 “I’ll stop you before.”

“Really?!” He smirks again and starts laughing a bit. “Well, I hope you don’t mind I invite a few of my friends.” He raises his hands up in the air maybe issuing a signal.

As my nerves go nuts, I look up to see a parade of black clouds coming swooshing around me and near Mammon. The clouds all form into demons using human disguises and wearing black attire. I then turn back to Mammon as he tilts his head down continuing to smirk. I look around seeing this was a planned ambush. It is like ten demons surrounding the perimeter. They all look serious. And then I hear one starts to speak.

“Caden!” The figure walking behind Mammon and then walking in the front. His voice is very timid; very fierce. Unlike most demons I seen all having black eyes, this one has red eyes and his skin very ice cold; and his wavy black hair wearing dark grey and a dark grey trench coat.  He has strange markings on half of his face.

“You may not know me, but I surely know you.” He says with his domineering tone.

 “Who are you?” I ask cautiously.

The red-eye demon smiles with a forceful suave coming from his body movement.

“My name’s Asmodeus.”

I stand back extremely alarm. The main demon that has been after me is here.

Asmodeus is here.