Page 77 of Emma & Edmund

"Please, Emma, don't believe him. My affection for you is my own, not commanded."

The grip on her arms was nearly crushing, but she refused to lift her eyes from the safe sight of the ground.

"Just let her go, boy. My business is with you."

"No!" Edmund snapped.

"Let me go, Edmund," Emma tried to say evenly, but her voice shook despite the effort. "I want to leave."

"Then let's. I'll bring you back-"

"I don't think that's for you to decide," the demon was beginning to sound almost bored, an eye roll evident in his tone. "She can leave. You may not."

"I don't listen to the voices of Lucifer," Edmund shot over his shoulder, snapping his attention back to Emma within the same second. "He's lying, Emma. You...and I...and..."

Edmund's words began to jumble together, and Emma felt his palms sweating through her sleeve.

"Let me go, Edmund."

"Not until you listen to me."

"I said, let me go."

"Emma, I-"

"Get your hands off of me!" Emma burst, shaking off Edmund's shocked hold. "I'm not some pawn for this strange game you have with this...this...thing. Nowlet me go."

"Marry me."

Now, that gave Emma pause.

"Are you even listening to a word I am saying?"

"I am," he said with all the seriousness in the world. "He said he's here because of our unwed lovemaking. It won't be debauchery if we're married."

"Well," a lilted voice across the field added, "not so much because of it, more so it unleashed-"

"You cannot be serious," Emma felt the corner of her lip snarling.

"I have never been more in my entire life."

Emma could hardly think straight. Was he actually proposing? With the actual intention of marrying her? And the witness to this proposition was a quite literal demon that claimed to be his father? It all felt so ridiculous, the laugh she barked out was only natural.

But then, so was the taken aback look that dawned over Edmund's face, his hands falling away.

"Emma, I-"

"You think I would marry you? Do you think I can introduce you to my friends? Bring you to my father? Even if you aren't the offspring of this...this..."

"You can call me Molek," the demon provided as if humored by the whole goings-on.

"I will not call you anything!" Emma shot at Molek, braving a look at him for the first time before turning back to Edmund. "Stop spouting nonsense and realize the situation we are in."

"I love you, Emma. And that's all I'll ever need in the face of evil. And if you love me too-"

"I never said I did," Emma quickly interjected.

She wished she could pluck the words out of the air the moment she said them. The ever-growing bud of affection in her gut twisted at the thought, and watching the way Edmund's face fell nearly broke her resolve.

---