The Devil's Playthings by Melissa Silvey

her any longer. But he had to try, because he wanted to continue to make her feel that way.
     
    “So what do you want to do today?” He chuckled.
     
    “I’d like to see a ballet,” she sighed, “since the zoo is out.”
     
    “Sounds wonderful,” he replied, and he gazed at her with bright red eyes.
     
    Emma changed into a bright yellow bikini, with a pretty yellow dress covering it. They held hands as they walked downstairs together, like teenagers. They ate croissants dipped in dulce de leche and fruit at poolside, then Emma removed her dress and dove into the pool. Luc pushed the button on the remote to close the curtains again, determined to swim with her and not boil her in the water.
     
    Happily they played together in the pool, he splashed her and tried to get away. As long as he wasn’t touching her, or thinking about touching her, he was in control. They played for nearly an hour, and finally she collapsed into one of the rattan chairs by the pool in giggles. And he did the same.
     
    He ordered her up the stairs so she could shower and dress for their evening out. And Rosa followed along shortly after. He sulked down the steps, past the public receiving area, down to the next floor; his private dungeon.
     
    There were no windows on this floor. The walls, floors, and ceilings were all soundproof, and everything was painted b lack. One room of the floor contained a huge closet with so many human clothes it could have filled a store. Another room contained a huge bed, and although he didn’t sleep he did meditate there, if that is what one would call the trance like state where he tapped into the Akashic Field. He had the power to access any knowledge that humans and angels had. The only things he did not know were the things that God Himself held secret.
     
    In this room he allowed himself to change shape; in this room he was the fallen angel. But not today; he felt the need to punish himself by not changing, by staying human. The one thing he did, as he looked at himself in the floor to ceiling mirror like in a ballet studio , was shorten the hair.
     
    Luc liked it, and he hoped Emma did too, because the long hair was gone forever. It was short, dark, and thick, almost windswept to one side. It made him look younger, and he liked that too. He wanted to appear more her age, and be more her age. He wanted to be free like her. And it was his goal to achieve.
     
    He waved his hand over his face , and he looked younger still . He looked twenty at most, a younger version of the man she fell in love with… or the man she should have fallen in love with. That was something she would never know, though, for she would fall in love with him; another goal for him to achieve. He nodded at the mirror he normally detested but kept as another way of punishing himself . He liked what he saw, and he knew Emma would too.
     
    He chose black tight jeans, a black t - shirt under a white long sleeve t - shirt cut into a v neck , and a black suede blazer. He looked young and fresh, and he felt it too. Even though he knew almost everything, had felt almost everything, he finally felt really alive.
     
    Rosa dressed Emma in a daring strapless mini-dress that matched her skin tone perfectly, with a bla ck lace overlay, which looked like she didn’t have much on. They topped the daring dress with sheer black hose and black peep toed shoes, and a heavy black fur coat. She wasn’t sure if it was real or faux, but it was so soft and warm it didn’t really matter.
     
    Rosa swept her long hair into a chignon, caught up with several small clips with wispy tendrils framing her face. She looked both mature and youthful at the same time. The look was finished with very light pink makeup.
     
    She wanted to make an entrance to impress him , so Rosa carried the coat behind her, and she st rode down the staircase proudly. When Luc caught sight of her reflected in the glass his chest ached. And when he turned to face her his eyes were