“So, our last meeting,” Constance said, slowly strolling with Tra along the tight cobblestone road. “It was a mistake and all, but I really did appreciate the time. I just, well, you know it’s not right, and I’m going to pay by keeping this a secret the rest of my life.”
Constance being in a bittersweet mood agitated a brooding Tra Trevoc even more.
“He’s a weakling and a coward. You have no regret. You said so yourself.”
“Still, he’s my husband and more importantly it’s wrong for the children. You think I wouldn’t leave if it weren’t for them. He’s intolerable, but what kind of example would it be? “
Tra groaned as he reached to his backside. “You’re a terrible, terrible liar… you’ll be ostracized from all the important dinner parties if you leave him. It’s fitting, given that’s the only reason you’re really staying.”
“That’s part of it Tra. I’ll admit that. Please underst-”
“Fair enough, there’s no point in lying to you either Constance. You see, I have four other lovers, so your absence doesn’t fill me with as much gloom as you think. Plus, I was never much for short women, especially deformed ones,” Tra said, taking a small flask from his back pocket and splashing acid onto her face. She screamed a horrifying, high pitched shriek that echoed throughout the entire town as the flesh of her face burned off. Tra walked nonchalantly away as people in their downtown lofts peered out their windows to investigate the commotion.
“Whore,” he muttered as he turned into an alley and out of sight.
Tra Trevoc continued reading through the tome, Azazel standing nearby at attention like a soldier. The grandfather clock on the far side of the study ticking away distracted Azazel, who found the constant chime irritating. He rubbed his wet, pale goat-face impatiently as Tra calmly perused through his book with his bifocals, indifferent to the agitated annoyed creature, more than willing to tear the Victorian apart. Tra was dwarfish next to Azazel, standing at least a foot shorter than the beast. Tra did not have a warrior's build, instead having a lanky demeanor, his face yellowish and bony. Even with Azazel’s massive size, Tra saw him as little more than a gnat. The alarming aura about Tra mesmerized the demon, keeping him at bay longer than anyone else.
“Azazel,” Tra said. “It's considered bad form to get so worked up already. You've a rough few thousand years, and I'm thinking that you can muster up enough patience to last another few minutes or so. There, I’ve found a good stopping place, so now we can talk. I'm impressed with your history, but your usual methods will bring about much unneeded attention. We don't want mortals to start knowing of us and defending themselves, do we? ”
Azazel groaned. The last time he was in the company of men they knew he existed. Things were simpler then. Tra played with the handle of his sabre, leading Azazel to reach instinctively for his own axe. One aspect of Azazel’s existence never changed; he could not trust his own kind.
“To lead them to the wilderness to butcher them as you please. I must say I like your more barbaric ways. We rarely have a chance in this day to bring about physical pain. Emotional trauma, nuance, duplicity, that's where we make long-term progress in being well-fed. They don't automatically submit to the bigger and stronger, more nuanced now. Sometimes I rue the days of brute force, but times change and even we have to follow suit, isn't that right?”
“Maybe.”
“I'm reading that ‘maybe’ as a ‘yes’ for simplicity's sake. I enjoy your potential, and am going to allow you to work in my domain. However, I will let you know you're treading on dangerous ground. It's ones like you that inadvertently create beings much more powerful than you and I, and many who would relish the opportunity to defeat you. It would be a shame for you to be a meal for Rahab, and more importantly, it would make me look bad, and I certainly hope there won't be ANY trouble like that,” Tra said.
“I've been in existence a long time, eons longer than you.” Azazel responded.
“But it's a different world out there now. Different thoughts, different environment, and all that. Remember, you don't need to keep your true form. Looking more appealing and modest would help your chances. People today are much more apt to judge by appearance while pretending to be deeper than all that. Kind of silly. Come in your current form and they’ll refuse to acknowledge you exist at all, or worse, they may believe if demons such as you exist, other celestial beings exist too. The easiest prey are the ones who don’t know they’re about to be devoured.”
“I'll consider your advice,” Azazel said, sliding with difficulty through the exit. Tra watched the exit, then reclined back into his seat and resumed reading.