CODEX Part 3: Between Heaven and Hell

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Phoenix," Chen whispered while trying to sound mysterious.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes and pushed him aside, opening the door and going straight to the bar.

"He seems to know this place well," Jasper mumbled, glancing around curiously.

Zoe glanced at her legacy and saw him chatting with the bartenders. Truthfully, Ezekiel seemed to fit the club more than she imagined.

The Phoenix was a bar that let everyone in as long as they weren't underage but of course a big part was underage even if they looked older. They got stamped at the entry and they got in without a problem.

There were two bars: one in the basement, called The Basement, really long too in the very front part, behind two columns. On each side of the room were small, incredibly small, couches and along the center were bar stools. That was it.

The upper side was really different. It was made out of four rooms. One was the dancing stage where Zoe could already see lots of people crowding. Next was a room with only tables and couches. The third was the one they walked in once they ascended the stairs. It was simple and didn't have anything in. These three rooms each had a small bar. The last room was dark, with tables and chairs, only for recreation.

Ezekiel was at the bar in the second room. He was talking to a very tall guy who seemed to look like a fairy. She tilted her head to the side and walked closer to Chen.

When they got in front of the bar, Chen copied Ezekiel’s actions, he greeted everyone but kept talking only to Eric.It was weird because if he was an albino and had red hair, he would’ve looked exactly like Beelzebub.

Chen turned to his friends and pointed at the bartender, "Me, Zek and Eric have known each other since high school. We used to come here often,"

Zoe couldn’t take her eyes off the tall guy, "So this is Eric?"

Chen chuckled and nodded.

“Eric, these are my new friends,” He started from the person further away, “Charlie, Mark, Luke, Jasper and this is Zoe,”

Eric’s eyes widened at the mention of her name.

“I know you! I’ve seen your picture somewhere before!” She glanced at Chen out of reflex but the boy raised his hands in surrender; he didn’t have anything to do with that, “Ah, no! Not from Chen. I saw you on the panel of a comic forum. You’re the author of Fallen,” He added, helping out his friend.

She raised an eyebrow and leaned against the bar, intrigued what her picture was doing in a comic forum and what they were saying about her and her work.

“Very perceptive,” She heard Charlie mumble.

“Did you read it?” She asked after she brushed off her supposedly guardian.

Eric laughed; he had a very wide and loud laugh. She glanced at Ezekiel from the corner of her eye, bemused because somehow, all three friends resembled a kind of puppy.

“I read it twice. When you finished it, I wrote a letter to the publication and asked them to give the fans the bits they didn’t publicize,” He said that with so much pride that it freaked her out a little.

“He actually did it but nothing happened, of course,” Ezekiel whispered to her.

Zoe bit her lip and stared at Eric. He didn’t have any idea how Fallen was created and everyone like him had no idea what was behind those heroic actions of an angel that didn't exist.

“Do you want to see my new sketches?” She asked, surprising everyone,. “You can come over sometimes and I’ll show you,”

Eric's eyes widened while the rest of the guys stared at her warily. That wasn’t a good idea.

“That would be awesome!”

She smiled cutely and nodded, “Any friend of Ezekiel and Chen’s is always welcome,”

The two culprits glanced at each other uncertain but Eric was suddenly happy that Chen called him out of nowhere.

“Are you really sure about that?”

As time passed, Ezekiel and Chen got glued to the bar and started to reminisce their past. Mark and Luke decided to take the chance and have fun so they went straight on the dancing ring and started to dance. Of course, Mark was pretty good at it since he was a dancer but Luke was stiff like a rock; yet, the good looks helped a lot because girls were throwing themselves at him.

On the other side, Zoe chose to drink something soft and take care of her sanity; it was really fragile, after all. Charlie was drinking alcohol like it was water and he was perfectly fine. They were standing next to each other and Charlie didn’t know what was sadder: her not having fun or the awkward atmosphere in the club.

“About what?”

Charlie leaned back and chuckled, “Don’t play stupid. You just invited a stranger to your apartment,” He sighed and raised his hands behind his head, “If I didn’t know better, I’d assume you want to sacrifice him,” He seemed amused by his own joke.

Zoe decided to shrug that last comment off as quick as possible, “I asked him because he is a fan. I treat my fans with care,”

Charlie scoffed, “I’m sure you do,”

She clicked her tongue and turned her attention on her friends. Jasper was chatting with a girl at the bar and it seemed it was leading somewhere; she hoped it was not her or Mark’s apartment.

While Zoe was busy admiring her friends having fun, Charlie decided to take the matters in his own hands. She was supposed to do something crazy that she would either forget or regret in the morning and she was drinking juice, for fuck’s sake.

He didn’t need any nudge from a demon to switch her juice with something else. Charlie sneaked out of the view and asked for vodka with cranberry before he bought another cranberry juice just in case and went back to her. The host gave her the alcoholic beverage and smirked.

It didn’t take long for her to finish it; she drank it like it was nothing. Charlie walked to the bar again and asked for another glass.

Eric was in charge and he was worried; he saw her drink the beverage too quickly, “Are you sure it’s fine? She looks a little tipsy,”

Charlie scoffed, “I want to get her drunk, not tipsy,”

Eric’s eyes moved on the skinny guy; he was emitting some really bad energies and the atmosphere around him was overly dark.

Charlie glanced at the bartender and waved him off with a nonchalant attitude, “Chill. If something happens I’ll get her to dance a little and pee,”

Eric didn't seem convinced, “What if she gets sick? Maybe I should get Zek-“

Charlie grabbed him by the collar and brought him closer to his face, “Listen here, Eric. You’re just a bartender. Do your job and give me what I asked for,”

Even if he was tall and could easily intimidate some clients, Charlie’s eyes were different. Eric could feel fear crawling up his spine and he wasn’t sure why because Charlie looked weak from every aspect.

The bartender gave up quickly and poured the drinks for his customer. After the older man left, Eric turned to Ezekiel and Chen who moved from the bar on the dancing ring. He chuckled when he saw Chen almost falling over a girl but stopped quickly when his head turned towards Zoe. It was only her and that weird guy.

“How are you feeling, Zoe?” Charlie's question was in the norms of innocence. Of course, his wicked smirk wasn’t. especially when he placed the alcoholic beverage in front of her and watched her drink half of it on the spot.

She hummed, “I feel good,” Her eyes were getting cloudy and she was eager to do something; she had no idea what but she wanted to feel the adrenaline, “Let’s go dance!” She suddenly got up and grabbed his hand.

“Who am I to say no?” He chuckled and got dragged by her on the dancing ring.

They started to dance together but a few other guys joined the circle. Charlie sneaked out easily and went to the bar.

One other person was there.

“You got her drunk,”

Hans was there with his friends. He didn’t expect to see Zoe and Jasper entering the building. Their energies were overwhelming and the mist around Zoe was moving around uncontrollably.

“Her soul is fucked up and you got her in a position where she might lose herself,” Hans continued, watching the brunette dance with strangers.

Charlie chuckled, “You can take notes, if you want. You’ve been nice after you tried to kill her. What changed?” He asked.

Hans turned to the host with a grim expression, “I wanted to escape my fate by giving her soul to Asmodeus. It seems he had other plans. Now, the war is just around the corner and Hunters are taken in and used like they are demons. Besides, the brotherhood smelled some of us and locked them up like rabid dogs,”

Charlie raised an eyebrow intrigued, “And why are you giving me so many details?”

Hans chuckled and drunk his whisky in one shot. He placed the glass down and turned to look at Zoe, “They want to lock up and torture us until they get answers. They ask stupid questions about things that aren’t real. They have no idea how Hell is like and they think the commander and inheritor will take their places on the throne. They think the war is against humans,” He spit out in anger, “The war has nothing to do with humans. It’s pride against pride. She and Jasper are going to make the difference that will change the course of the war,” He sighed and leaned back, “One word can change it all,”

Charlie frowned, “What word?”

Hans glanced curiously at the host, “Why don’t you ask your master? He’s been holding tight on your little soul for something. Go ask him,” He chuckled and left the room.

Charlie narrowed his eyes at the glass he held in his hand.

Beelzebub was a sneaky bastard and would always keep something to himself; something important.

Zoe wasn’t sure how much time passed but she was feeling like in a dream. The lights and figures started to mix and the music sounded so far away. She was intoxicated and her mind was working overload.

Someone grabbed her from behind and started to dance –or more like rub himself- against her. Her whole body was like jelly and she was getting goose bumps.

Ezekiel noticed the man rubbing against her and he quickly walked to her. He pushed the man away and raised her head, his eyes immediately widening when he saw her cloudy eyes.

“Zoe? Did you drink?”

She groaned and fell in his chest. Ezekiel looked around and noticed Charlie at the bar. The older man raised his glass in greeting and winked.

Ezekiel sighed, “He got you drunk.” Saying that out loud made him angry,“Fucking prick, he planned it from the beginning,” He swore more under his breath.

“Zek?” Her voice was hoarse and her head was spinning, “I think I’m drunk,”

Ezekiel scoffed and wanted to tell her one word or two about alcoholic beverages; besides, she was old enough to know not to drink if she wasn't good at it.

She leaned on him for the whole way to the couches. He put her on one and bent in front of her, rubbing her hands and keeping her focused.

“Look at me. Focus on my face, alright?”

She narrowed her eyes at him and slapped his face before feeling like that was too much of a movement.

Eric saw it coming and gave Ezekiel a glass of water, “Here,”

When he noticed how drunk she got, the bartender got some water and went to help. Ezekiel took the glass and helped her drink some of it. Afterwards, he splayed some on her face; she had to wake up or else who knew what could happen.

“Zek? I don’t feel good at all,” She was wasted and she was getting sick.

Eric’s eyes widened, “You should get her home. I’ve seen cases like this before. She’s going to throw up and she’ll feel like shit the whole day tomorrow,”

Ezekiel sighed and intended to get up but she pulled him back down quickly.

“She’s not exactly the drunk I imagined her to be," Eric muttered, rubbing his chin while watching one of the best web artists roll her head and feel like puking.

Ezekiel glanced at his friend as he squeezed her hands, “Well, she’s not exactly the girl you imagine her to be either. Someone has to get her home but someone has to keep an eye on Jasper too,”

Eric stared at his friend in confusion, “Jasper? Why?”

The shorter man rubbed his neck and searched for the inheritor. He wasn’t in the room so he was probably dancing somewhere.

“Let’s just call a cab,”

Ezekiel nodded, “Yes. You do that. I’ll go inform the others,”

While Ezekiel was searching for at least one host to look out for Jasper, Zoe was going from a bad state to another. Eric took Ezekiel’s seat and she grasped his hand without realizing who he was.

“If I fall unconscious, throw me somewhere far from here,” She groaned.

Eric frowned, “What?”

She grunted and reached out for his face, almost smacking him in the process.

“If my eyes suddenly become black-“She started as she leaned closer to him, “-run,” She whispered.

“Excuse me,” The man who appeared in front of them wasn’t exactly intimidating but just like Charlie, Eric could feel something really dangerous coming from him, “I will take this idiot from you,” He said before he grabbed her and pulled her on her feet.

Zoe's eyes widened for a second. feeling her stomach get mad with the sudden movement.

“Be careful!” Eric jumped on his feet when he saw her reaction, “She’s going to throw up if you’re not careful!”

The stranger glanced between the woman in his hands and the bartender, “She’s going to be fine. She’s big enough to take responsibility,”

Eric scoffed, “What does that have to do with anything?”

The demon rolled his eyes and wrapped one arm around waist, “She will be fine once she gets home. I’ll take her. Tell the others to have fun while they can,”

Eric nodded unconsciously and watched Zoe walk away with a stranger.

When Ezekiel got back, he didn’t find the victim anywhere but he found Eric staring ahead, thinking about a lot of things.

“A guy came and took her. He said he’ll take her home and you should have fun while you still can,”

Ezekiel’s expression was really hard to decipher; it was something between worry and angst.

“Was he grumpy?” Ezekiel asked but the bartender shook his head, “Was he short?”

“He seemed to care for her yet when he pulled her up, I swear I saw him being quite content that she was suffering,”

Ezekiel blinked before he rubbed his back and sighed heavily.

“It was Mehrdir,” The taller man was confused so Ezekiel had to clarify that part,“Her boyfriend,”

That was definitely precious information for a fan like Eric.

“She has a boyfriend?”

Ezekiel shook his head before he nodded, “Yes-No-It’s very complicated. She said she loves him a few times and he said it once or twice but it’s not in their nature to love so-“ He stopped when he realized he was saying too much.

Eric furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “What do you mean?”

Ezekiel shook his head and walked away.

“Wait! What do you mean?” The bartender pestered his friend.

For the first time in a while, Ezekiel could understand Zoe. Eric was following him around, asking for details. That was probably how he followed her when they first met.

The whole ride home, Mehrdir got the chance to see his master in a different posture. The nice girl got drunk; really drunk. She wasn’t the type to drink or go to clubs; but she did. He was amazed how her mind was taking the stupidest decisions and how easy she could give in.

“Are we there yet?” He heard her moan.

Mehrdir noticed the cab driver glancing at them from time to time. The demon rolled his eyes and got ready to scare him a little when she grabbed his arm.

“I’m going to throw up really soon,” She mumbled and let her head fall on the crook of his neck.

Luckily, they made it home before that could happen. Once he opened the door, Zoe ran in the bathroom, not giving a care how she looked in that moment; she was in pain. Mehrdir walked behind her and held her hair back so she wouldn’t get it dirty.

Zoe was feeling really bad and the room was spinning around even when she had her eyes closed. The feeling of throwing up was making her feel like she was giving up her soul and her throat started to hurt once she consumed all the remains in her stomach. She was throwing up yellow substance which was probably gastric juice.

She dropped next to the toilet and wiped her eyes. Mehrdir flushed the toilet and helped her up. She was still dizzy and her head hurt a lot; actually, her whole body hurt.

The demon turned on the shower and put her in the tub. She started to shudder since he turned on the cold water.

Zoe winced at the coldness, “How is this going to make me feel better?”

Mehrdir placed the shower over her head, forcing her to close her eyes and let the cold water hit her skin; somehow, it wasn’t that bad.

“Shut up. You got yourself in this state,” He grumbled, his eyes watching her intensely.

She glared at him, “I only drank cranberry juice.”

Mehrdir scoffed and moved the shower on her face. She was forced to close her eyes and mouth.

“You drank two medium sized glasses of half cranberry juice and half vodka,” He gave her the news bluntly.

Her eyes opened suddenly

“What?” Her tone changed. It wasn’t the one of a woman in pain who just threw up. No, it was the one of the woman he knew; the one who was a regular guest in Hell, “Who spiked my drink?”

The demon chuckled and turned off the water.

“Really, Zoe? Someone spiked your cranberry juice?” He was making fun of her.

The woman hated when that was happening; she’s already had traumas with that bemused expression of his.

Zoe got on her feet and told the demon to leave the room. He did, even if he wasn’t sure if that was a good decision. When she walked out, she was stumbling in nothing but a towel. Mehrdir couldn’t help but let his eyes wonder; she was skinnier than he remembered but she was slowly gaining weight with time.

“Stop being a pervert,” She mumbled after she noticed him staring. It was impossible not to with how much intensity he was doing it.

She entered her room but let the door open for him before she dropped the towel and changed into her white gown. She got in bed and closed her eyes.

Zoe felt a breeze and turned on her side, finding a body lying there. She opened her eyes and looked up into those black orbs.

“You’re not being a greed demon right now,” Her statement amused him.

He leaned in and touched her nose with his. Looking into each other’s eyes, it felt different than before.

“Do you want me to be?” He whispered.

She was still a little bit dizzy but once she gazed into those black eyes, it felt like the pain disappeared.

“We’re all alone right now.” He breathed on her lips, his eyes staring into her blue eyes with a new kind of twinkle.

“I want you,” She whispered.

She shuddered slightly when Mehrdir grabbed her neck. His hand moved down and sneaked around her waist. He pushed her down and hovered over her, leaning close to her ear and licking her earlobe.

“You have no idea what you have just done,” He whispered, “I’m a greed demon, Zoe,”

She pushed him enough to get a good look at his face, “Then act like one.”

She was crazy. She was playing right in the demon’s den but she wanted to enjoy it, at least. Zoe did love him.

In that moment every rational thought in Mehrdir’s head disappeared. He leaned in and captured her lips, staring cute but evolving into rough and passionate.

Taking her lips from his, she began to work on removing his shirt. His eyes were glistening with lust and his voice was husky. Zoe’s eyes started to shine in excitement. She chuckled and rose for another quick kiss. His hands made quick work of her gown. She arched her back to allow him to take the dress off, before she pulled his pants down. As soon as they were off, he was lying between her legs. Zoe wasn’t wearing a bra which only let the two completely naked; none had any undergarments. Mehrdir smirked and bit her neck softly. She arched subconsciously and moaned.

They made out for a few more minutes, his hands roaming all over her body until he started to fondle with her breasts. She didn’t make any sound. As he was kissing her, he pressed his knee to where she ached for him. Surprisingly enough, she half moaned and half hissed.

All he wanted was her and nothing mattered in that moment. Without the slightest bit of warning, he thrust into her, making her moan, hands raking down his back, leaving red lines all over the flesh.

“You’re not a virgin,” His statement was bold but he genuinely didn’t expect it.

She chuckled and brought him closer, “I’ve been drunk once before, in college.” He moved inside her making her take a moment to gulp, “You were too busy to notice it but I slipped away for a few hours while you were not looking,”

Mehrdir chuckled and intertwined their hands above her head, “That won’t happen again.”

It was incredibly cheesy but she loved it.

Mehrdir leaned in and kissed her so hard that he drew tiny bits of blood. She growled and started to move in the same rhythm with him. As she took his lower lip between her teeth, nibbling on it, he groaned, thrusting harder, making her let out more sensual sounds. The erotic dance between their bodies made her arch against him, pressing her breasts against his chest. He let out another growl as he started to grind faster until her eyes closed and her nails dug harder into his back.

Zoe rolled her head back and moaned. With one particularly deep and hard thrust, Zoe could feel her orgasm nearing. She scratched his back while he pumped once more, deeper than before. Her nails dug in his back again and pulled him down on her and whispered something she had no idea what meant; it was in the demon language.

Mehrdir frowned but brushed it off quickly. He noticed her eyes going all white for a moment before they came back to normal. He pulled out when they both finished and grabbed her chin.

“Zoe?”

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she growled at him. She dug her nails into his back and scratched him. He hissed in pain and held her head on the pillow.

“Snap out of it!”

She growled again leaving Mehrdir with no choice. His eyes became yellow, just like Beelzebub’s; that was a trait he inherited once he changed the masters. Her sign was shining brightly and the sign on his wrist started to bleed. The demon placed his hand on her forehead and mouthed some weird incantations. She squirmed a little until she dropped down cold.

Mehrdir sighed and rolled over. Her state of mind was so fragile; only had to let her guard down for a few minutes and a demon would crash into her.

When Ezekiel came home, he didn’t expect to find the door to her room wide open. He only took a peek but closed the door quickly when he realized Mehrdir was watching Zoe like a stalker. Of course, that wasn’t out of place. They were naked. That was traumatizing; only imagining it would make Ezekiel shudder.