POV — AZAZEL,yes, still me.
That angelic curse struck me earlier, and I wasn't in the mood for further chatting. My left hand is still numb, and I'm drinking an herbal mixture in the kitchen of Naberius, our influencer.We all know that there are still two weeks until payday, and we also know how we were thrown out of Pandemonium on this mission.
When I got home, I messaged Naberius.
"An angel attack occurred."
I waited nearly half an hour for a reply. He was having lunch with Selma, and he had enough manners not to check his phone during it.Not everyone is as much of a brute as Marduk…
"This is serious. Who was attacked?" he wrote after finishing lunch.
"Me."
I saw that he was typing something else, but then he decided to call instead. According to him, something as serious as an angel attack could not be treated lightly over chat.
"Are you coming over?" he asked in a fatherly tone.
"I'm coming."
That "over" meant across the entire city, because Naberius lived quite far from me.
He had never been on a mission against angels before, so he watched my every movement with curiosity.He willingly went to buy herbs when he learned that after a salt-pillar curse you feel for hours as if your entire body had been stung by a giant nettle. He bought talismans as well.
I just sat silently at Naberius's kitchen table, sipping tea, until the effects of the angel's curse almost completely faded.
"So now they know. This is serious," he repeated in person what he had said on the phone.
"The 'ones above' know something."
He studied my face. He knew my story. I almost never mentioned the "ones above," but it wasn't difficult to bring them up now.
"They definitely know that I returned to the human world, and this is how they welcomed me," I added.
"It would be best if we go over all angelic magic at tonight's meeting and provide everyone with talismans."
He was enthusiastic, and I didn't remind him that, apart from him and Marduk, every one of us had already experienced all angelic curses firsthand. I let him prepare for the meeting in his own way.
It seemed he had voluntarily appointed himself my secretary. He informed the entire team about the angel attack.
No one besides Naberius was enthusiastic. It was an angel.The others had already seen angelic armies attack.
Yes, Marduk had taken his acquisition—the phone—with him to Pandemonium to follow the "case" from there, but Naberius couldn't reach him that afternoon. Marduk was busy with something.
"Should we call Lucifer as well?" he asked.
I smiled to myself. A single angel attack was not the kind of thing that would interest Number One. It was expected that the "ones above" would notice me. I nodded to the call. None of us had heard from him in days. I was simply curious whether he would answer.
He didn't pick up.
I didn't go back to my rented apartment to get ready. I found everything I needed at Naberius's place. Even a suit—for the concert. From there, I could go straight to hold the demons' meeting.
So—who's having a boring day, please?
I had many secrets from Betty, but I couldn't tell her that I had never been to a concert before. I hadn't been in the human world for ten thousand years.That's how it is. Those human customs that only developed a few centuries ago are new to me.
I sat between Tamara and Betty. That's where my ticket was for.
At the end of the performance, Tamara went to congratulate her sister, and I walked toward the exit with Betty.
It felt intrusive to take her hand again. We just walked beside each other like two strangers.Like a dance. One step back.
I had no relationship-building strategy—but Betty did.
She had already organized another program for the day after tomorrow. This woman is nothing but surprises.She suggested we shoot a few hoops. I had never played basketball, but I'd manage. I trusted that.
I had to hurry to the meeting, but I handed the talisman to THE WOMAN.
"Thanks for coming. Naberius said you'd already planned something with him for today. It's kind of you to help him build his career."
"Uhhh… so Naberius also took care of making sure I wouldn't have to explain why I'm leaving in a hurry," I thought.
I was grateful. I couldn't take Betty with me to the demons' meeting.And if Betty had suggested another program, it would have been awkward to refuse.
Naberius is a treasure on the team.
I said goodbye to Betty with a hug.Not too intrusive—but not neutral either.