She couldn’t believe it was so easy to convince Vergil to go to Egypt. It felt as if he was expecting her to say Cairo, Egypt. But why? Of all the other, more romantic places she could have chosen it was intriguing that he agreed with her decision.

After she returned to the table, her demon husband had asked her to choose a place to begin their real honeymoon and explained that the InterContinental was just a one-night thing. He wanted a trip around the world with her, but she convinced him to narrow it down to three countries. Egypt was their first stop. Once her business there concluded, and if she was needed back in the States, she would make some excuse to return home.

The airplane getting through some turbulence shook her out of her mental plans, making her tense up before grabbing the armrest a little too hard. Her lips became a thin line and she shut her eyes.

Damn planes!

She always felt nervous, moody, and got ear pain whenever she traveled by air, making every trip a miserable experience. She hated planes with passion but they were the fastest transportation form available, so she needed to put up with the infernal machines.

A hand, his hand, gripped hers and started caressing her skin in slow circles. The tingling sensation helped ease some of her tension, but it wasn’t enough. If only they possessed the ability to teleport anywhere with just a thought …

Wait a minute. Maybe her wishful thinking wasn’t so farfetched. Maybe her husband could teleport. After all, he was a demon.

“Do you think that a supernatural creature can travel faster than an airplane?” she asked out of the blue. “I would kill to meet one or, at the very least, one with the gift of teleportation.”

What the hell? Her fear of flying brought all this shit?

Vergil was tempted to read her thoughts and get some answers, but the memory of wiping her mind stopped him dead in his tracks. He shouldn’t mess with her head anymore.

“What kind of creature are we talking about?” The prince smiled, deciding on humoring her.

“I don’t know. Angels and demons maybe?”

“Why those?” Fear crept in the back of his mind.

“Because my major is about them? I always think of them first, then all the others like vampires or werewolves.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “Besides, I teach angelology and demonology. You didn’t know that? I thought you investigated me; isn’t that what the mafia always does?”

“Again with the mafia thing?” He sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a minute. “Yes, my mother had you investigated. Happy now?”

“Then you know how important this topic is to me.”

“The one about the plane?” he answered with another question and a half-smirk on his lips.

She grunted and fisted her hands in an effort to control her growing anger. How dare he joke about her biggest … no, her only goal in life? He knew she was referring to the existence of angels and demons. “You know what, you’re an asshole!” She got up from her seat and began walking away but his hand on her wrist stopped her.

“Mina—”

“Don’t touch me!” she screamed, pulling her arm away from his grasp. “You … You’re like all the others! Vile creatures who take pleasure from making others miserable.”

That seemed to give him a momentary pause before he pierced her with a stare colder than ice.

“Admit it, Mina. Your mother was crazy!”

She raised her hand and slapped him so hard her palm stung, then spat his face. “You talk trash about my mother again and you can say good-bye to your manhood.” Without another word, she turned and went to sit on one of the many empty seats on the farthest side of the plane, away from him. There she curled up like a ball and let her tears fall as she cursed him in all her known languages.

Vergil just stood in place covering his cheek and biting his lip to control the raging inferno inside. Anger and pain were wreaking havoc in him to the point he wanted to lash out at the first thing that crossed his path. Oh, how I pity the lost soul who talks to me right now!

He took his seat again, closed his eyes, and rested his head back, replaying the discussion over and over in his mind. She looked ready to kill me on the spot. Even before slapping him, her body was sizzling with so much divine energy that she scorched his cheek when she hit him. Thank the Gods of Old that he could cover himself before she could see the results of her power. And when she spat on him, her eyes were completely golden; that was why he refrained from doing something. Vergil wasn’t sure if he could survive a full-on attack from an Oriwóhem.

Hours went by while his dove continued crying. He swore her sobs and the salty smell of her tears were reaching him with the purpose of slowly driving him insane. Maybe it was working because he felt the intense desire to comfort her for his cruel words. It was a difficult feeling to describe for a creature like him, but he wanted to take back what he said and see her smiling again.

Flexing his fingers over the armrest, he sighed and raised a silent prayer to his mother for protection before going to the sobbing woman. I will regret this.

Halfway to his wife, the stewardess intercepted him and asked that he return to his seat. He only had to glare at her with his cold, blue eyes before the woman excused herself, fright in her features. Vergil smirked as he continued. Mortals were such scaredy-cats.

He found his wife silently crying with her head between her knees as if she were a little girl. Far from finding it pathetic, as he should, the scene just made him feel guiltier.

“I’m sorry, dove,” he confessed in a murmur.

She didn’t raise her head, just continued to cry as if he wasn’t there demining himself. What was wrong with her? Shouldn’t she thank him at least? He, a High Prince of Hell, was apologizing to her, a mere mortal! She owed him a ‘thank you’.

“I said I was sorry, Mina.”

The sobbing stopped but she continued to ignore him.

“I’m talking to you, Mina Larsa! Aren’t you going to say something?”

This time she raised her head and looked him directly into his electric blue eyes. “If you want forgiveness, you should be a little nicer.”

“I was being nice but you ignored me,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Nice? Yeah right. I won’t forgive you for calling my mother crazy. You, of all people, should know she wasn’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Take it as whatever you want.”

“Mina,” he stretched out the name as a warning.

“Look, husband, I may not see the supernatural, as my mom did, but I sense it, and all I sense coming off from you is darkness … a dense and terrible darkness.” She closed her eyes for a full minute before looking out the small window on her right. “Just leave me alone. It’s going to be a long flight and I want to sleep.”

****

Fear. Overwhelming fear washed over her while she watched three sets of terrifying red eyes coming out from the darkness to haunt her. Growling echoed in her ears as the infernal dogs—she supposed that’s what the creatures were and not something worst—bared their long, white fangs and barked furiously at her.

She tried to take a step back but was unable to do so; some force or strange power was paralyzing her body, making her easy prey for the ferocious beasts in front of her.

A deep, chilling voice spoke in Greek from the blackness that surrounded her and commanded the dogs to attack. She tried to move again but to no avail. The red eyes closed in on her and jumped …

Mina awoke on the bed shaking all over, sweating even with the air conditioner on, and feeling chilly inside. She buried her face between her hands and tried to shake away the terrible fear inside of her soul but couldn’t manage it.

Something evil is hunting me, something very evil.

“Is okay, dove. It was only a nightmare.” Vergil’s voice sounded sweet and caring as he held her, making her feel as if their discussion on the plane never happened.

“This one felt so real.”

“They always feel real to people.” His lips were suddenly on the curve of her neck and his breath caressed her skin. “But I can make you forget everything if you want.”

She jumped out of his arms and the bed so quickly she stumbled over the sheets. “No! I don’t want to forget again!” Mina gasped when her head registered what her mouth had thoughtlessly spilled out and covered her face between trembling fingers. Oh shit, what am I going to do now?

Vergil froze on the spot and his cold mask returned to his chiseled face. “What do you mean by ‘I don’t want to forget again’?” His voice was dangerously calm but colder than ever before.

“N-Nothing.” Shit, he wasn’t supposed to know I remember! Thank God he can’t read minds … or can he?

Her thoughts came to him loud and clear as he freed his ability. “Don’t lie to me, wife. Oh, and I should warn you, thanking God is unbecoming of a demon princess like you.”

Oh my God! Can he read minds?

“Yes, baby, I can,” Vergil said with a smug grin and walked up to her until his naked chest brushed against the flimsy fabric of her nightgown. “So … you remember what really happened on our wedding night,” he commented, turning his eyes a bright red.

“Please, don’t kill me.” She cursed under her breath, hating the fear in her voice.

“Relax, dove. I promised to not kill you,” he whispered while one of his arms snaked around her waist, trapping her against his body. “Look at you shaking from head to toe! Weren’t you the one who wanted to meet a supernatural creature some hours ago? Where is your bravery now?”

Her eyes opened in surprise at the truth in his words. He was right! How could she desire to reveal the existence of supernatural beings when she was afraid of her own demonic husband?

And the first step in stopping her fear was learning to trust in Vergil.

“My bravery is still inside of me.”

“Then you won’t run away from me if I transform into my true self right now?” His wicked smile told her he was merely toying with her.

“You wouldn’t dare, Vergil. Do you forget the sun is still out here in Cairo? Someone could see you!”

“You look so adorable when you worry about me. But the real question is why? Why you are worried?” A hand slipped down her neck, only stopping at the valley between her breasts. “As the daughter of an All-Seeing Eye, you must know none can see me if I don’t remove the veil that surrounds me.”

“Then, you are a high-class demon?”

“Touché.” The hand between her breasts moved to grab one while pointy teeth nibbled her shoulder. “I love that my pretty wife studies demonology. Makes my life so much easier.” His whisper made her tremble with a growing desire.

His eyes glowed even brighter as he trapped her against the bed and slowly removed the shoulder straps of her nightgown. Mina gasped and tried to get away, but he caught her. Those scarlet orbs of his were resurfacing her previous nightmares and she feared they heralded something bad coming her way.

“S-Stop,” Mina pleaded softly. However, Vergil continued his kisses as if nothing was said. Scared of him but trying to control herself, she pushed him off and ran to the open window. Feeling the warm daylight over her skin and seeing Cairo’s beautiful landscape while strong winds hit her face calmed the storm inside of her heart a bit.

Feelings of guilt and regret washed over him as he saw her run to the window looking so frightened. He battled with the urge to comfort her for a couple of minutes but ended up losing to his urges. Who would’ve thought he could experience guilt for taunting a mortal? She was already starting to change him, and he was almost sure it would not be for the better.

“Are you okay, dove?” he asked while images of her dreams ran rampant inside of his head. “Is this better?” The red quickly changed to the electric blue she loved.

“Yes.” She stared at the floor, ashamed of herself, but tears flooded her eyes when his strong arms embraced her. “I’m so sorry, Vergil! I don’t want to be afraid of you, but in my nightmares—”

“Shhh, I know, my princess.” He kissed her softly on the lips, basking in the way she accepted the gesture.

I need to see him transformed, that way I’ll conquer my fear. She had to start getting accustomed to him, otherwise they would never be able to make love again. What am I thinking? Is having sex with him my only motivation?

His sexy laugh interrupted her thoughts, and she eyed him warily. “Were you reading
my mind?”

“I couldn’t help it!” her demon confessed in between laughs. “Are you angry?”

“No, stupid, I’m not, but … would you transform for me?”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.”

“Then sit on the bed and don’t move from there.” He gave her a brief kiss, stood a couple of feet away, and then all windows—plus the curtains—closed by themselves, leaving the hotel room in semi-darkness. “I have sealed the room so no one can see inside or enter by mistake. Remember to stay there, okay?”

She nodded nervously but didn’t take her eyes away from him. The lights turned on a moment before she felt something stir in the air surrounding her. The heavy darkness she sometimes felt came full force, almost knocking the wind out of her chest. Is this his true power?

Vergil felt his essence free from the veil’s chains and closed his eyes, concentrating on transforming slowly for Mina’s benefit. Keeping the pants he was resting with on instead of summoning his demonic armor, he opened his blood-red orbs and waited for his wife’s scream.

*****************

A/N: Next week you'll see what happened XD