Good morning. 

This is Michael Mandrake with a few words about my story in the anthology, Only That Night.

My offering is a short called Demon Be Mine, which is a tale of an Angel, Calisto, (Model pictured is the muse, Andrei Andrei) who falls in love with a demon, a soul catcher by the name of Valios. The two have a tumultuous past at best and now through Calisto’s trickery, they are reunited for one night of full blown passion but is it what both of these immortals desire?

I have to say, I really enjoyed how the story came out and look forward to writing the full blown version of it in the coming months. BTW, the full will be called In Search of the Soul Catcher released on our own pub imprint, Triad Literary. 

Demon Be Mine Blurb: Valios, the soul catcher demon, is searching for his longtime companion and meets him at his club that same evening. This someone isn’t a complete stranger. What will happen when he finds out who his newfound friend is?

Here is a snippet from the short

Shrouded by darkness and kneeling in a deserted alley below, Calisto retched repeatedly after taking pleasure in too much of the earthly libations he was given. Despite his perfections which had dwindled since he was kicked out the heavens, Calisto could not handle the amounts nor the mixes of liquors he’d partaken of this evening and now he was paying the price, much like any normal human would when consuming too much.

“Ugh…I…” he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, attempting not to hurl once again. The bile settled in his stomach, causing him much discomfort in his abdomen, and his head spun as if he’d been on a ride that would not cease. “God…you…” Calisto held onto his midsection, cursing his maker with every sharp tinge. “I’ll…I shall become…great once again…” In seconds, his wings disappeared, melding in with his skin underneath the large overcoat. The feelings subsided slightly, giving Calisto little relief as the change from higher angel to fallen servant began. Calisto breathed a deep sigh and curled up in the fetal position, leaning against the cold wall. His eyes widened and a stray tear fell from his eyelid. “Thank you for having mercy on me…somewhat. I suppose the archangel takes great pleasure in my demise but…” Calisto moistened his chapped lips and swallowed hard, still fighting the boiling liquid in his stomach. “As I said, I shall rise again. Not as one of yours but perhaps one of his?”

The moment he finished his statement, the white clouds in the dark night sky turned grey, and the air quickly transformed from modestly cold to bitterly chilly. Small raindrops fell from up above, pelting the ground and creating puddles on the pavement.

Calisto flashed a sly grin and blew hot air on his cold fingertips. “You don’t like that do you? Well…” Calisto chuckled to himself and rubbed his hands together. “Too bad, my dear Creator. We have come to an impasse that cannot be solved any other way. If you wish to kill me, strike me down now but know this. In this life or the next, I shall be mighty again!” Calisto shook his fist at the sky as if he were mocking God. Knowing this kind of action could be penalized by eternal death, Calisto closed his eyes and braced himself for God’s wrath to come upon him. He wrapped his arms tightly around himself and lowered his head between his knees, teeth clenched, preparing for the swift blow the creator could have in store for him. Instead, nothing happened. Only flashes of lightning bolts above his head, causing the earth to shake slightly below him. A rumble obviously felt by human passerby, sending them into small panic.

Surprised, Calisto slowly lifted his head and nibbled on his bottom lip. “So you are giving me another chance? May I ask for what oh great one?”

He waited for the answer to come telepathically into his mind and when he heard it, he only nodded and immediately hopped to his feet. “You really do care don’t you?”  The strength of his maker returning to him, adrenaline flowed through his veins, and all hurt was taken away in just that small span of time. “I thank you for this. You are indeed the most forgiving,” Calisto bowed his head and made the sign of the cross over his chest. “And now I shall attempt to find what is missing in my existence but I cannot do this in my current state.”

Once again, Calisto lowered his lids and breathed in deeply, transforming himself from angel to human within seconds. His body shuddered and Calisto’s muscled shoulders hunched over invoking much pain in his biceps. His chiseled jaw and otherwise clean shaven face became fleshy with a full-fledged beard and mustache above his lips. The bags under his eyes doubled and the well-defined frame changed to a somewhat bulkier one. A body he was never accustomed to.

When he finished, he looked down at himself, shaking his head in disgust. A burly bear, hmm? I’ve never been attracted to men of this sort but perhaps this special someone will be.

Calisto pulled the jacket tighter around him and cleared his throat to begin his journey across town. Exactly where he didn’t know but in his heart of hearts, he was following a certain individual. A being from his past he’d always had affection for but could never bring himself to love.

That being was the soul catcher. Valios. The one he fought in the last war between heaven and hell. This was what caused the argument between him and the Creator.

Calisto desired to have one night with one of the deadliest beings to ever roam the earth.