by Allison West
The door slammed shut behind Bray and he jumped, slightly nervous while in his own skin, quite literally. Eilith's razor sharp teeth disappeared as she looked far less menacing. She stepped closer, examining him from head to toe. "You still have too many clothes on, boy."
"My name is Bray," he said, correcting her. "I will do whatever you ask of me, so long as you don't touch a hair on Willow's head and let us free."
She stepped away from him, turning for a moment to consider his request. "Yes and no." Eilith spun around to face him yet again. "I will agree not to kill your little Willow, though I find it ironic you ask of such a favor considering she's not even yours. You have no idea what you're dealing with, Bray."
He shivered at the mention of his name on her lips. Maybe 'boy' had been a better choice. It was less emotional, more distant. Could he ask her to call him that again?
"I want your word that you won't hurt her," Bray said. "She's under my protection."
Eilith glided closer, leaning in, smelling him as she exhaled a soft, putrid breath.
Bray's eyes slammed shut and his nostrils flared with a scrunched nose. This was going to be hell. Willow would owe him big time when they were done with whatever the hell this creature was.
"You think you have any power here at all?" Eilith laughed, her breath caressing his neck, a sharp tongue skimming over his skin just below his ear, drawing blood. "I could eat you alive, and no one would ever know what happened to you."
Swallowing nervously, his eyes opened, feeling the drip of blood cascade down his neck. "Are you a vampire?" he whispered.
"Some call me an energy vampire," Eilith said, "but no. I am an ordinary Nightblood turned demon." She reached behind her back and revealed a scroll and a feather pen, already dipped in ink. "Sign your name so we can complete this transaction."
The lump that had once formed in his throat grew even bigger. "Demon?" He hadn't wanted to believe it might be true.
"Demon Sorceress, the one and only." Eilith sounded quite pleased with herself.
He took the pen, his actions again not his own as he stared at the scroll. He was back in charge, if only for a moment, while she let him willingly sign his name. What choice did he have? He wasn't giving away his soul, only his virginity. That didn't mean anything to a demon, right?
He tried to read the detailed, super small print that looked like a series of dots. Was it even in his language? It didn't look like it.
"Just this once," he said before touching the ink to the paper, the letters sparking and sizzling as the contract was bound.
The moment he had finished scribbling his name, he blinked and found himself bound to Eilith's bed, naked, his arms and legs restrained.
"I'm going to have my way with you, Bray."
She disrobed at the snap of a finger and his eyes raked over her body. For a demon, she was hell hot. Her breasts perky, her mound of curls looking inviting, Eilith looked every bit like a human while naked and approaching the bed.
His body betrayed him, sprouting an erection. He hated being a teenager. Eighteen sucked, and quite frankly, the fact he was giving it up to a demon sorceress, it was a story he wouldn't ever tell anyone.
"Don't be afraid. I won't bite." Eilith climbed above his body, her fingers soft and delicate as she touched his chest and down across his stomach. Her mouth licked at his Adam's apple and down toward his navel.
"Please. I just want to fuck." The words left his lips, both surprised and relieved as she shifted on the bed. In truth, he didn't want her to be anywhere near his cock with those razor-sharp teeth and tongue of hers.
"All you had to do was ask." Eilith eyed his manhood, pleased with her ability to arouse him. She didn't go slow as she mounted her hips against his, thrusting his cock inside of her tightness.
Bray gasped, unprepared for the moment to happen. She thrust once, twice, then by the third time, his body tightened and his fingers clenched into fists. She had restrained him and it was probably for the best, or he might have regretted pulling her closer or wanting to throw her onto her back.
It hadn't taken long. After several thrusts, he moaned and felt her body spasm around his cock. As he spilled his seed, she came against him. It was unlike anything he had experienced, and yet, he wasn't sure if it was because she was a demon or sex was truly that good.
Honestly, he was glad it was over, even if it hadn't lasted very long.
"Not bad for a virgin." Eilith untangled from his body, climbing off and using her finger to flick at his wrists and legs, unbinding him. She did the same to redress. "I bid you goodnight," Eilith said, snapping her fingers as she redressed him and tossed him back into the room with Willow.
"Where the hell have you been? What happened?" Willow asked, glancing him up and down.
He didn't know how he looked, but he imagined it wasn't good. "Don't ask." He didn't want to talk about it, ever.
Lil jumped at the sound of a soft rap on the door. She stared out the window, wanting to find Bray and return home. Already, she was on edge, and being cooped up wasn't helping. "Come in," she said, not that it mattered. She was at their mercy.
"Hi." A girl with long, chestnut hair and warm brown eyes poked her head into the room. "I'm Arianna. You must be Lil?" she asked, not waiting for a response as she perched at the edge of the mattress. "You're from the other world."
"That's right," Lil said, wondering why Arianna was here.
"Rawlie mentioned you might be a little flustered."
"Flustered?" Lil asked. That wasn't the word she would have used to describe what she felt. "What I am is frustrated! My best friend was kidnapped. I'm stuck in a world I didn't even know existed a week ago, and I have to fight off a demon sorceress to save him."
"You won't have to do it alone. We still train at the academy. I mean, we're a small group, but you're not on your own."
"If you don't mind." Lil pushed herself off the bed. "The only help I need is for someone to show me the door. I'm leaving."
Arianna's eyes widened. "No, you shouldn't. You can't. I mean, you can if you really want—no one is forcing you to stay—but it isn't safe. Eilith will seek you out as well. She's taken Willow, probably to gain access to your world. Willow will keep your friend safe."
Lil walked out the bedroom door and down the hallway. "Jamie!" She wasn't about to leave the young boy at the academy. "Get your bags. We're leaving." Lil walked over to Jamie's door, opening it.
He stood beside the dresser, shaking his head in disagreement. "We can't." Jamie's eyes filled with fear and trepidation. "We'll be killed the minute we leave. Even if we stole Rawlie's car, we wouldn't get far. He's the protector, Lil. He's the only reason we're both not already dead."
"Protector?" Lil scoffed at the notion. "Right. Show me the way out, Arianna. We're not going to be hostages in your home."
"Eilith isn't far from here. She'll sense when you've stepped onto her territory," Arianna said as they descended the stairs. "We can't protect you outside the academy, Lil. This place is like a sanctuary. You leave, and you risk everything. You'll be dead before sunrise."
Lil was determined that they were trying to scare her. "I'll be fine." She was going to rescue Bray and then find a way back to her world. Hopefully, upon rescuing Willow, she'd send them home. Not that any of it truly made sense, but she'd deal with that later. Right now, her focus was on her best friend.
Arianna led her down to the main floor. "I'll tell you everything, Lil," Arianna said, her voice calm and steady. "We need your help, and you need ours. This is Nightblood Academy, Lil. We have the weapons and tools to train you."
Lil stood just before the French doors to the garden, situated in the center of the academy, outside but safe. "I don't have time to train. We need to leave, now."
"We will soon, but first, follow me," Arianna said, pushing open the doors to the garden. They stepped into the warm air. It was the view she'd seen from the bedroom. Pink, flowering magnolia trees stretched as far as the eye coul
d see. A white iron table sat under two trees, along with matching chairs. They looked old. Lil took a seat, resting her hands on the table. "Let it be my decision." She didn't want these people to tell her what she had to do.
"We don't have days or even weeks," Arianna said. She didn't attempt to lie to Lil, as far as she could tell. "Give us one day. A few hours to prepare you before we all journey across Orenda for Eilith's castle. Besides, there's no possible way you'd find your friend without us."
Lil exhaled a heavy sigh. She hated that this young woman across from her was right. "Fine. Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving. With or without your help. Tell me everything I need to know."
"Eilith has been in power for the past eight years," Arianna said. "She's wreaked havoc on our world, destroyed homes and families. A few survived and now live in places like our academy, where she can't enter without burning." A dark blue ribbon threaded with a square blue tile nestled against Arianna's chest. The necklace dangled above her heart, shimmering like diamonds in the pink sun. Lil's eyes were transfixed momentarily by the pendant, before she blinked twice and looked away.
"Did Rawlie tell you the story of Pandora's box?"
Lil nodded. She'd known the legend, just hadn't realized it was true. A story from another universe, a parallel world.
Arianna glanced back at the house before continuing the story. "In our world, we believe the Mystics recovered Pandora's box and placed the contents safely back inside where they belong, buried in concrete and stored in an unnamed tomb. Eilith found and opened the box, yet again. She unleashed a fate far worse the second time. What your world saw as disease and famine, our world had already seen once. The Scourge came with Eilith and it spread through Orenda fast. She was already a powerful sorceress, a Nightblood. Perhaps that was how she discovered its location. After she unleashed evil, it infected our world like a disease. It tore apart flesh and sucked the souls right out of the living. It was horrifying to watch. Eilith sought older souls first. Rawlie thinks it's because the older the soul, the more experience and knowledge she gains from it."
"And Willow? Jamie?" Lil asked.
"Willow was a young, promising student at Nightblood Academy. She hadn't come into her powers until after the devastation occurred. Eilith underestimated Willow, letting her survive."
Arianna watched as the door swung open and Rawlie stepped outside, approaching the two girls at the table. "It doesn't make sense that she abducted Willow, unless she's planning something," Arianna said.
"What could she possibly be planning?" Lil asked.
"Arianna," Rawlie interrupted their discussion. "Get inside. It's time to get Lil suited up and prepared for tomorrow."
Lil raised an eyebrow and glanced at Arianna. She didn't delay. She would accept whatever help they were willing to provide. "Prepared, how?" she asked eagerly.
Rawlie leaned down, his face just inches from Lil's. "Yes. We're going to get you prepared to fight Eilith and save your boyfriend. We're running out of daylight."
Rawlie pushed away from the table and headed inside the sanctuary.
"Come on," Arianna sighed. "He's right. We need to prepare, and the only way to do that is to give you the sword and get you in gear."
"He's not my boyfriend," Lil muttered under her breath. Not that it mattered; no one seemed to listen to her. "What sword?" Lil stood up from the iron table. She followed Arianna inside the mansion, now ever so curious and wanting to know what was happening. It felt like they were giving her pieces of the puzzle while she begged for the entire story.
"Of course, you didn't think we'd throw you at the mercy of an insanely powerful sorceress without a weapon?" Arianna asked, shocked. "What do you take us for, monsters? We're not like Eilith. We don't enjoy watching slayings, human or otherwise."
Lil stood in the training arena, staring up at the tall ceiling with horizontal wooden beams holding the building in place. Her gaze moved back down to the gray-cushioned floor. It was strange to walk on, like memory foam from back home.
Lil dressed in protective gear that looked like ordinary clothing. She zipped the dark brown jacket tight to her chest. It looked of leather but felt heftier. She wouldn't get used to wearing it overnight. The black pants were less skin-tight than the jacket, but still rather close-fitted. Closer than most of the jeans Lil wore. She slipped on matching brown sneakers coated in the same material as the jacket.
"Why am I wearing this?" Lil asked, watching as Arianna and Rawlie came out of a closet, carrying a sword like none she'd ever seen. It took the two of them to carry it to Lil. The sword was thick and delicately carved, and the handle was braided, the design originating just beyond the base of the sword. A series of intricate holes and designs separated the handle from the steel of the blade; the holes were just big enough for Lil's small hands to grasp the sword horizontally for close combat.
"This is heavy," Rawlie said, showing it to Lil. "Your blood is different, though. You should be able to carry it easier—we think." He handed the sword to Lil.
She reached for the handle and hesitated before she lifted it into the air. It was lighter than she had imagined, having watched the two of them carry it. With ease, she whipped it through the air, slicing back and forth. Arianna and Rawlie took a quick step back to keep from getting hit.
"It worked," Arianna gasped.
"What do you mean?" Lil reached around with the sword, sliding her hands into the small space, and practiced another slice through the air.
"A Nightblood not of this world, it makes you stronger," Arianna said. "If Eilith has any inkling, she'll want you dead. Bray, too."
"Can't Bray defend himself if he's stronger?" Lil asked.
Rawlie frowned. "It only works with certain elements. The sword, for example. Of course, when you return home, your powers will be muted. Like it never happened."
"What about the design on my fingernail?" Did it mean an inkling of power remained back home?
Arianna gave Rawlie a confused glance.
The door swung open and a boy a few years older, with short, sandy brown hair, stepped into the room. His skin was pale and he had honey-brown eyes as well as delicate pink lips that frowned with his brow in concentration. "What's she doing here?" he spat, setting eyes on Lil. He didn't look the least bit pleased to lay eyes on her. "I told you not to involve her!"
"Calm down, Hudson." Arianna held up a hand.
Lil lifted the sword, prepared to fight him if she had to defend herself. She wasn't letting anyone come between her and Bray. Maybe he was only her best friend, but he never let her down. She owed him that much.
His brown eyes locked on Lil's. "Calm down?" he asked. He couldn't take his gaze from her, no matter how hard he tried. He spoke as if she wasn't even capable of hearing him. "You think bringing this girl to Orenda is going to save Willow? Do you see the way she holds the sword?" He laughed and reached out to snatch it from her, only to find Lil whirling it back and forth through the air. "Careful, or you'll poke your own eye out," he said. "Maybe you ought to. It would save us the trouble."
"It's why we're here, to train her," Rawlie said. "We're not throwing her into battle with Eilith without at least basic training."
"Please, tell me you're not serious! Yes, a day or two of training and the eternal suit. Do you think that's going to save either her or Willow?" Hudson asked with disgust. He glanced again at Lil. "You're nothing more than a copy. A duplicate of our friend. That doesn't make you one of us. Take that damned suit off and go home. You're not wanted here."
"You don't have to be such a jerk." Lil refused to back down. So this was his concern. Not the girl standing in front of him, but the fact that she might cause more harm than good. "Willow isn't the only one missing!" Lil shouted at Hudson. "Eilith took my friend Bray, too. I'm not leaving." Fuming, she stood her ground, sword in hand. "Fight me if you want. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, it's not like I could, even if I wanted to." She didn't want to admit that less than an hour ago, she was ready to run a
nd find him. The fact she had the sword in her hand, made her feel different. Perhaps it was entirely in her head that it gave her power, or maybe it was the fact she had traveled to a parallel universe. Nothing else made sense.
Rawlie walked over and stood between Hudson and Lil, holding his arms up to keep them apart. "That's enough! I need you both with your heads attached. Get yourselves in check. Hudson, if you're going to help, I need you to teach Lil the proper way to fight with a sword. Otherwise, find Jamie and bring him here to train. I don't need you getting into a power struggle with the new girl."
Hudson rolled his eyes. "I'm not an errand boy. Send Arianna to find Jamie."
"Fine, I'll go," Arianna said.
"Good enough for me." Hudson grinned. "Now you want a lesson or two in using that sword, Lil?" he mocked, taunting her.
The smile sent a chill through Lil, making her stomach flop. If it was up to Hudson to train her, she was doomed. He had it out for her, no doubt. "I, uh, I'm sure I can figure it out on my own." If Hudson knew anything, it had to be about fighting. He didn't seem to get along with anyone. She'd known a few bullies in her high school. Hudson definitely seemed the type. If only she could wipe that smirk off his face. Unfortunately, she knew nothing about fighting or swordplay.
"I doubt that. I'll help you, if only so that you don't get all of us killed."
"Gee thanks," Lil said under her breath. She turned, attempting to use the sword on her own, ignoring him.
"Let me help you," Hudson said, his tone firm but almost softer.
Rawlie stepped out of the training arena, leaving Lil alone with the deranged psychopath. She tried not to show fear. With a resigned sigh, she handed Hudson the sword. "Fine."
It was heavy and Hudson struggled to hold it, but not before first stabbing her once in the chest, causing her to hit the ground with a thud. "First mistake, rookie. Not being prepared. Now, get up!" he demanded at once. "Don't be a baby. Eilith would have slit you open and gutted you by now. She's not going to wait for you to get on your feet."