Even the demon turned its nose up at the day old fish. Mike shrugged. “If you’re going to be that way – ”
“No, Master, I will eat it.”
Mike set the platter down, putting the plastic lid on top of it. He teleported it closer to the demon, who fell on it, devouring the plastic lid first.
“I still say it should be put out of its misery,” said the angel in his human guise, Dr. Frank Engele. Looking at him too long made Mike’s teeth ache, he was too beautiful for this Earth.
“Destroy it,” said Mike’s summoned demon, naked with the exception of a strategically placed bit of gauzy baby blue flannel at this groin. He stretched out lavisciously along one of the chairs. “And you won’t have any fun, will you, Francis?”
Engele took off his blazer and folded it neatly over a chair.
“Admit it, it’s fun, isn’t it?”
Mike ignored the banter between the two beings. Like a married couple, no matter who he summoned, they would always fall into taunting each other to do the exact opposite of what they were made for. Mike knew it was play, and it was their natures. Sometimes, though, he preferred the zombies and the ghosts. They were quiet.
The Circle demon licked scales from fingers and regarded Mike. “What does my master wish?”4
“What’s your name?”
“Bill,” said the demon.
“Your real name. Your summoned name.”
The angel stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves. “Allow me,” he said.
Mike watched the Circle demon, who wavered from side to side, undecided. He said nothing, made a motion with his hand, and the angel fell on the demon.
The Circle demon had no where to go, no way to defend itself against the holy blows of the angel as he punched the creature solidly in its weak spots. Mike stood up, and the angel stopped, not even breathing hard, stepping away from the demon.
“Again. What is your name?”
“Zaphriel,” said the Circle demon.
A demon with an -iel at the end of its name meant it was a demon of ancient fallen stock. If not one of the original fallen, then at least demon spawn of one. Mike assumed from the intelligence of the creature and how it took the blows of the angel that it was certainly the latter.
“Zaphriel. You will tell me everything.”
He wavered again.
“I’ve got all day,” said Mike, and went to get a chair.