Erin listened to Cienna's reply in interest.
”How did you handle all this information back then?”"I didn't know what it was. We didn't know." Julie began pacing the room again, returning to her story.
"As she walked in the room, Julie reacted to her wrist. I realized mine was burning as well, and as I looked down it was glowing brighter now. She said something in Coptic, but I couldn't understand. I was so confused, even more so than I had previously been. The tattoo demanded I do something. I didn't know what. All I could do was stare at her beauty. She wore white fabrics and had gold jewelry all over her; on her neck, ears, hands, head, ankles. She also had some makeup. It seemed she was royalty."Erin stared at present-day Julie as she described her, as if she were back in ancient Eygpt.
"As a Demon, you're supposed to know all languages. That was the one subject that I'd always had a problem with. I could only pick up bits and pieces of sentences in Coptic, and could only say a few words. So that's what I did. In theory, I asked her who she was. In reality, I told her she had a nice lentil. She looked at me strangely and laughed, walking toward me. She seemed restless, like me. She reached out her hand in an open palm and after staring blankly at it for a moment I took it. In that moment, everything made sense. The pulsing of the tattoo stopped and everything became clearer. It seemed something had happened to her too, because she looked at me with eyes a little wider. And when she spoke...not only could I understand her, but it was beautiful.""She said, 'I can tell you're not native to these lands, by your cloths and the way you speak, yet you are blessed by the gods like I am. Who are you, stranger?' I could not reply. I was taken away by how soft her hands were and how confident and radiant and beautiful she was. I let it all soak in. I knew then, that I was a special Demon.""The Pharoh commanded that Julie show me to her quarters, and off we went. As we walked, she said 'You have not answered my question, so I will answer it in my own words. I am Jumoke Abayomi, a simple villager until these symbols appeared on my wrist. It seems that my name is on your wrist, so I can only assume that whatever this means is your name. I will ask again; who are you?' She had so much elegance and curiosity in her voice that I had to answer. I told her that I was Erin Stout and that her name was too hard to pronounce so I would call her Julie Ambers, and she giggled. She asked what my name meant, and I told her that I did not know. She seemed confused by this. When we reached her quarters, I was surprised once again. They were magnificent and lavish."She stops for a moment, recollecting everything. The moment is long, as she remembers what happened.
"Ancient Egyptians, even Julie, were quite strange. They praised their gods, had strange rituals, and had little shame. They had decided that the markings that had appeared on our wrists meant that we were selected as 'holy' by their gods. After we had entered her quarters, she guided me alongside her and...she bedded me," Erin spoke in embarrassment, an awkward smile appearing on her face.
"L-Like I said before. Demons aren't supposed to love. But after spending days with Julie, I realized what the universe had done. It had fucked me over. I was destined to love this woman and there was nothing I could do about it. And believe me when I say that I-I tried. But the universe kept drawing us back together every time. And that's what tore me a-apart."Erin realized that she had stopped next to Julie, stroking her hair, and was crying once more.
"I was greedy. Fuck, Cienna. I was so fucking greedy back then. I had realized after a while that it wouldn't possibly - couldn't possibly - last forever. She was a human, and I a demon. I would out age her, and she would be swept away with the rest of history."She paused again, this time for longer. Ten slow minutes passed before she spoke again. Within those ten minutes, she stared at Julie Ambers and stroked her hair. She gave the Egyptian a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Only a few years after we had gotten married, I proposed a solution to her. I said, 'What if, like the gods themselves, we could live together, forever? What if we could love?' She had told me that would be wonderful, but it was just a far away fantasy. I revealed my Demonic form, like she hadn't already known, and took her by the wrist. I looked deep into her eyes and told her my fears and my hurt. I didn't want her to leave me. She believed in an afterlife, but I would never be there. She would be alone, by herself. I-I couldn't bear the thought of that. She was terrified, wanted me to let her go. Said that we shouldn't mess with the balance of things. And I said, fuck, Cienna, I said, 'Then just once dance for me, my Lotus.' And she agreed." Erin stared at Julie and then looked up at Cienna. She began rambling.
"God fucking dammit, Cienna! She said she would dance with me! And I knew that by dancing, I would bind us together. But she didn't. I bound our souls without her consent, and she didn't know until those last few seconds. She looked up at me with wide eyes and asked me what I had done, and I told her that we could love each other forever now. And I kissed her, and I sealed it, and then we spent so long together! But we were one, and the universe moved on and gave her new Soulmates. I grew so envious, and I didn't want her hurt. I avoided them in all ways possible, by killing and scaring and threatening them."Erin was spitting out the words now, backing away from Julie. She screamed the last few words.
"I'm a fucking Demon, Cienna! I always have been and will be and I hurt her, I ruined her, I took her away, I scarred her, and I-I loved her! I-I loved her...." She fell to the ground on her side, curling up and sobbing once more.
It was obvious that the Demon was a mess.
