Heaven made her way to the garden to see what her grandmother was up to and who she was talking to. She seemed to be having a good time but Heaven wanted to make sure that everything was alright and nothing strange was going on.
When she came to the garden, her grandmother was sitting very close to a half-dressed male demon, so close that their thighs and shoulders were touching. And he was telling her something in a low tone that made her chuckle. Clearly her grandmother wasn't as uncomfortable near those half-naked men as she was.
When Heaven neared where they sat, she became hesitant. She didn't know whether or not to interrupt them, but then she decided to do it, anyway.
"Grandma?"
Irene stopped chuckling and turned her head. "Heaven."
She stood up, and the male demon followed her with his gaze. "Were you looking for me?" She asked.
"Yes." Heaven replied.
"I am sorry. I met Nyle here…" She motioned toward the male demon and he smiled at her. "And he was kind enough to show me around and keep me company. Nyle, this is my granddaughter Heaven." She introduced her.
Nyle stood up from his seat and walked up to her. Taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles. "It is nice meeting you, Heaven." He said charmingly.
Heaven gave him a meek smile, not knowing how to react. Nyle was good looking. He was tall, strong and had a sunkissed skin. His dark brown hair was lighter on the tips that reached his shoulders, and his amber eyes were framed by long lashes. His face was angular with masculine features and a light stubble.
"Will you be back soon?" Heaven asked, since she couldn't ask what she truly wanted to ask in front of Nyle.
"I would like if you stayed for a while." Nyle told her grandmother.
Irene smiled at him and then turned to Heaven. "If there is nothing urgent, I would like to stay with Nyle for a while." She said.
"I will escort her back personally." Nyle added.
As if that would reassure her. "Alright." Heaven said. "Don't be out for too long."
When did they change roles? Now it felt like she was the grandmother.
As she turned and left them behind, Heaven wondered what had gotten into her grandmother. She was the one who said they would never belong here, so why was she spending time with that demon?
Did she get her message the wrong way? Heaven had encouraged her to meet people, but she hadn't meant the ones in this kingdom. They were supposed to go back home one day. She would just talk to her grandmother later and make sure there was no misunderstanding.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs she went back to her room, she walked passed the paintings of the devil's story. She came to a halt and looked at the one where he ate the apple. From the stories she had heard, it was Eve who ate the apple. Why was the devil eating it?
Who could she ask about these paintings? Would her grandfather tell her why he ate the apple? Was the story different from what she had heard?
"Aren't these paintings fascinating?"
Oh no. She knew this voice and as she turned to look at the man who looked so much like her mate; she grimaced in distaste.
He stood next to her, facing the paintings.
"What is fascinating?" She asked.
"The story itself and that everyone can watch it." He replied.
"And what about this?" She said, pointing at the part where her grandfather was leading everyone to hell.
The stranger nodded. "We are going to hell." He said simply.
"You can't know for sure." She told him.
"I know." He said, looking serious.
Heaven looked into his golden eyes. He did believe that he was going to hell.
"Do you want to go there?" She asked.
He chuckled. "Who wants to burn?"
"Then it is not too late to turn around." She told him.
He looked at her, amused. "Are you trying to convince me to be good?"
"Why not? You are trying to lead me away from my mate."
He shook his head. "Wrong. You are already away from your mate." He said, walking closer to her. "So you can either be alone or be with me."
"I choose to be alone." She said.
Again, his lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Look." He said, walking toward the painting and pointing at the image where Eve was eating the apple. "Do you know what the apple represents in the painting?"
Heaven shook her head.
"Temptation." He said. "The first to fall for temptation and sin was a woman."
Heaven crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you implying?"
He chuckled. "I am saying, women are not good at resisting."
Now it was her turn to laugh. This man must have had no woman to tell him no. She would happily disappoint him.
"You don't temp me so I have nothing to resist." She said.
He ignored her and followed the painting back to when Eve was created. "Eve was created for Adam. Women were created for men. Women belong to men." He turned to her. "Does that not upset you? That you were only created for a man?"
"If you put it that way is sounds upsetting, but I see it differently in my head.." She said, studying the painting.
The stranger became curious. "How do you see it?" He asked her.
Heaven went back to before Eve was created.
"This is what I see." She began pointing at Adam spending his days alone in heaven.
"God created man, and the man was in heaven. He had everything, but he was alone. Incomplete. So God created a woman to be his companion. To complete him." She turned to the stranger to see if he understood, but he waited for her to continue.
"A man is alone without a woman. Men need women. You are incomplete without us. Now does that upset you?" She asked mockingly.
A frown settles between his eyebrows, and she laughed. "Don't worry. It is the other way round too. Eve was Adam's mate, and he was hers. They completed each other. Some men might see it as a woman created for a man and therefore feel superior, but the order of creation doesn't matter. I have noticed that many demons feel superior to humans because they were created before them. It is a strange way of thinking. God's way of creating doesn't get worse with every creation."
She turned back to the painting. "Look. God didn't create Eve the way he created Adam. God didn't create her separately. Then we could say that they were different. Maybe one superior to the other. But God created Eve from Adam. She was a part of him. We all have the same origin."
He nodded. "You seem educated." He said, impressed.
Heaven was surprised. She hadn't even realized how deeply she had analyzed the painting. Now she found it fascinating.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"It is only how I see it." She said.
The stranger smiled. "The way you see it is accurate." He said. Then he went and pointed at something on the painting. It looked like symbols. "Do you know what is written here?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"God created everything in pairs." He said, reading the symbols.
Heaven's brain slowly started to work.
Everything was created in pairs.
Adam and Eve completed each other.
The devil ate the apple.
The apple symbolized temptation.
Devil was created from fire.
Adam was created from earth.
Fire. Earth. Apple. All of those were symbols.
Possession.
It could also mean something else.
"I need to go." Heaven said.
Lifting her dress up, she turned and hurried away. She didn't know where she was running, but with this information, she wasn't safe.
She knew exactly what her grandfather's interpretation was. Irene wasn't only his mate. She was his other half. They were a pair created for each other. Or even worse, she was created for him. He wanted to possess her.
He was fire; she was earth.
Heaven kept running, but she knew she couldn't run from the devil. He appeared right in front of her. Heaven halted, and her heart jumped to her throat.
"Oh Heaven. Why do you have to make things so difficult?" He smirked.