by Dahlia Lu
“Mister,” she ran out of the room and chased after him.
“Grant.”
“Mr. Grant,” She looked up at him as they walked.
“Just Grant,” he corrected her.
“Grant, have you ever heard of any cases where a person can’t tell other people their identity?”
“You mean some post-hypnotic suggestion crap?”
“Yes!”
“No.”
“Oh,” she said, disappointed.
He handed her a business card. “I’m free this weekend for that photo shoot.”
†††††
He watched her walk away from a distance. The moment she’d touched him, he’d known. The other Trent probably didn’t feel it, but he did. From the moment of his conception, he had been feeding on her energy. He had lived in her thoughts and in her dreams. It would have been a pity if he couldn’t recognize her. If he didn’t, no one else on Earth would, either.
The dilemma now was whether or not he should acknowledge her. If he did, would she be in graver danger? Whoever had resurrected her and placed the curse on her was no ordinary person. If there was a goal that person wished to accomplish, he or she would see it through. If he exposed her now, what would happen to her? Was his power alone enough to protect her? If she was here, then who was the imposter who claimed to be his mother? Would Lucifer believe him?
As he watched her walk away, he had already made a decision to keep her a secret, even to his other self. He would let her stay the way she was now until he found out who was behind this scheme. At least now, she was not in any immediate danger. When the time was right, he would find a way to undo all of this.
†††††
Trent awakened in his bed.
The first thing he noticed was his reflection on the ceiling’s mirror. Several minutes passed before the reflection realized Trent was awake.
“Did I wake you up?” his reflection asked.
“No,” Trent replied. “Is something troubling you?”
“Yes.”
“Who was that woman?” Trent asked. “That demon you encountered tonight. You seem to be attached to her.”
“I’d rather not say,” his other self said. “Not yet, anyways.”
“You have been keeping more secrets from me lately.”
“For your own good, brother.”
Chapter 5: Faith in Love
Kali stared at the food displayed in the glass window and imagined how it would taste in her mouth. She didn’t have a single penny in her pocket and or a place to stay for the night. The weather doesn’t look too kind to her right now. The thunderclouds had been stationed above the city since this afternoon.
“Can I help you, miss?” a waiter from the restaurant she gazed into asked.
Kali hesitated for a short moment and then walked away.
“Hey, Sean!” the restaurant owner shouted to him. “I didn’t pay you to stand around.”
“I was greeting a customer,” the waiter replied.
“Where?” the owner asked.
“That girl,” the waiter pointed. “I haven’t seen anyone so beautiful before…”
“I didn’t pay you to look at girls either, now get back to work! There, greet that young man,” the owner pointed toward a costumer.
†††††
“Lucifer!”
Chevalier furiously banged on the steel front door of the mansion. The several minutes he had already waited had made him impatient. He quietly cursed himself when he remembered that he was also a demon. He concentrated on the double door and commanded it open. The door obeyed. Chevalier rushed into the mansion and headed down the long main hallway. He pushed aside the servants, who tried to stop him from intruding further.
“Lucifer!” he called out. “I know you’re here, we need to-”
His body froze instantly when he spotted her at the top of the stairwell. For a second, he thought his eyes played a trick on him. There she was in the flesh. Could it be true, that Lucifer had done the impossible? Such questions were futile now. He raced toward the top of the stairwell and reached out to her. Skye debated on whether she should push him back when he pulled her to his chest. After all, she had never met this man before. No, she decided, it might blow her cover. She could detect a faint demonic scent on him.
Chevalier slowly released her and gently held her face with his hands. His beautiful golden eyes searched deep into hers. “Kali, it is really you?”
“Yes.”
He gently rubbed her soft coral cheeks with his thumbs.
“But how?” He scanned her fragile body with his eyes. “How it is possible?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she replied.
He smiled brightly. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter,” he squeezed her tight in his arms again. “I’ve missed you like crazy!”
†††††
It rained like she had predicted it would.
Kali stood under the shaded front porch of a department store. It was late and the shops were preparing to lock up for the night. The bright lights shut off, one after another, and were replaced by the dim light of the streetlights. The dampness of the air made her body shiver. If she were home right now, she would be enjoying a homemade dinner. Afterward, she would curl up against Lucifer in their warm bed. It wasn’t long before Kali realized it was all a distant memory. She was all alone now.
Trent didn’t recognize her. How could he? She wouldn’t have believed it herself. Even if she wasn’t cursed, they wouldn’t have believed her, even if she told them.
Lucifer.
The priority right now was finding Lucifer. If anyone could see her true identity, it would be Lucifer. He would be able to save her.
†††††
The night grew much colder. Kali sat curled up against the wall to preserve body heat. Her breath instantly became vapor when it touched the air. Perhaps her brain was playing tricks on her, because she didn’t feel as cold as she had imagined she would be in this sort of weather. The good news was that the rain had stopped half an hour ago. Kali wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her tired head on her left shoulder. Slowly, she dozed off.
The sound of screeching tires woke her up. Kali opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by a group of men. They removed their safety helmets and laughed to each other. Kali could see their motorcycles parked off road through the spaces between their legs. She could smell trouble already.
“My, my, my! What have we got here?”
“Hasn’t your mama ever told you to stay off the streets at night?” they teased.
“Looks like it’s our lucky day, boys.”
One of the men leaned over and lifted up Kali’s face. She immediately smacked his hand away. There was a long pause after they caught a glimpse of her.
“She’s a real beauty,” one man finally broke the silence. “What are we going to do with her?”
“A face like that could sell for a high price.”
“Can we have a little fun with her first?” another man suggested. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up. “How about it, sweetie? Come with us and we’ll show you a good time.”
“Get our dirty hands off of me,” Kali said almost too calmly as she pulled away.
Her response made them laugh out loud. “Hear that? Even her voice is pretty.”
“This will be your last warning,” her voice was cool and composed.
“Or what?” they asked, amused by her threat.
One of the men grabbed her by her tiny waist and pulled her toward him. Her nails suddenly grew razor sharp. Her hands gracefully reached to the back of his neck. Before he knew what was coming, her nails dug into his flesh and got a grip on his spine. In a split second, she threw him over her shoulder as she fractured his neck in a single motion.
The other men were taken aback. They were stunned to see their comrade lying motionless on the ground. They came closer to check his pulse.
“He’s dead!
”
“You damn bitch!”
Two men pulled out their pockets knives and pressed it against her throat. “You killed him!”
She grabbed the knives with her bare hands. Crimson blood trickled down from the blade onto the cement ground. The men flinched when they saw the smirk full of bloodlust on her delicate face.
Chapter 6: Belongs to Darkness
Her vision was blurry. She squinted to bring her sight into focus. It was strange, because she had never had problem with her eyes before. She had 20/20 vision. All she could remember was waking up with a headache and barely being able to see a thing. There was a strange scent in the air. She could have sworn it was iron. And it was enticing.
Since when did she find iron ‘enticing?’
Her hands felt wet. She brought them close to her face to identify the sticky substance and saw a deep crimson color. The liquid felt thick and warm. Kali realized it was blood. Could it be hers?
She didn’t feel any pain.
Her vision slowly regained its focus. To her horror, she discovered several dead bodies only feet away. She knew for sure they were dead. Their bodies have been torn from limb from limb. The blood from their raw flesh soaked into the ground, forming a thick pool.
Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind. She tried to narrow down what could have killed them. The most suspicious and horrifying suspect was herself. But why would she? She didn’t even know these men, much less have the intention to kill them. Even if she left out that possibility, there was still a matter of how? She was only a -
Then it came to her. She was no longer mortal. She was now in the body of a full-fledged demon. And if she didn’t know better, she’d assume that it came with its own instinct. She wasn’t completely oblivious to what demons were. Over the years, she had learned how they operated, both psychologically and physiologically. Or at least, that’s what she liked to tell herself. It gave her a sense of awareness when it came to Lucifer. Despite the love between them, he was still a powerful and unpredictable demon. That wouldn’t ever change.
She could sense Death nearby.
Kali’s blood rushed to her head. It was too much to digest in one day. She had to find Lucifer, and fast. The instinct that shared the same vessel with her was dangerous. Worse, she had no clue when it would awaken again, much less how to control it.
A siren was approaching.
Kali realized this would not look good to the police. If she was arrested, her chance of finding Lucifer would become extremely slim. She quickly gathered herself and fled.
†††††
“Go away!” Grant shouted through the door. It was a bad timing. He didn’t want to be disturbed.
There was another knock.
“I’m busy!” His voice became furious.
The knocking persisted.
Grant cussed under his breath. He got out of bed and swung the door open, agitated. He had nothing but drawers on.
“What the hell do you think-” He hesitated when he saw her. “Hey, look. This is really bad timing,” he said. His tone completely changed. “I have company over and -”
“Grant?” a feminine voice called out from the inside. “Tell them to go away and come back to bed.”
Kali understood. “I’ll wait out here, then.”
Grant scanned the hallway outside of his apartment. “Out here?”
She nodded.
“Fine,” he stepped back inside and closed the door behind him.
The door opened again several minutes later. Two young, half-dressed females walked out of his apartment. They turned to Grant in a last attempt to persuade him to let them stay. Knowing Grant, it was futile. He lit a cigarette and made a gesture with his head to invite Kali in. As she stood up, the two girls cast her baleful glances.
Kali took his invitation to enter. The apartment smelled of a strong mixture of perfume, alcohol, and sweat. Kali turned to Grant.
“I could have waited,” she said to him.
He drew in a long breath from the cigarette and exhaled a waft of smoke. “Shouldn’t you be at home? I won’t be responsible if your parents file a kidnapping charge.”
“I don’t have a home,” she corrected him. She hadn’t found it yet, anyway. “And my parents passed away a long time ago.”
“What are you doing here, then?”
“You must know where Trent lives,” she assumed.
“Trent again?” Grant shook his head. “Girls these days are really crazy.”
“Even if I explain it to you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“You bet I wouldn’t,” Grant replied sarcastically.
“Please,” she begged. Her eyes gazed, mesmerizing, into his.
Grant looked away as quickly as he was able to. “You’ve got to stop with the staring. Remember, I haven’t gotten mine tonight.”
“I beg your pardon?” She looked confused.
“Never mind,” Grant heaved a long sigh. He paced to a nearby cabinet and took out his camera. “Let’s finish that photo shoot.”
“Now?” she looked down at her dirty hospital gown and her blood-stained hands.
Grant had been too focused on her eyes to notice the rest of her before. He grabbed her hands and examined them. “What happened?”
She didn’t know how to answer. “There were these men and…” She was having trouble saying the rest. Her voice was shaky.
Grant could only assume what any man would assume. “Did they hurt you?”
“It’s-” She didn’t want to be turned in to the police. She didn’t know if she could trust him. After all, he was still a complete stranger.
“No…I had a nosebleed,” she lied.
He was searching her eyes to see if she was telling the truth. When he realized it had nothing to do with him, he backed away. “The bathroom is at the end of the hallway,” he pointed the direction. “I’ll try to find some clothes that will fit you. My sister was about your size.”
“Wouldn’t she mind?” she asked curiously.
“No. She’s dead,” Grant said and left the room.
†††††
The hot steam felt good on her skin. She tested the water in the bathtub with the tip of her toe. When it felt right, she got into the tub and leaned back against the side. She tried to recall the last time she had the comfort of a warm shower. The memories were still there, but somehow seemed so distant. She couldn’t get over the fact that it had been thirteen years. Everything felt like it had happened just days ago. Well, it had for her, anyways. She didn’t expect to wake up one day and find her son had already grown into a young adult. She wondered what she had missed out on during that gap in time.
More importantly, what did Trent think of her? She hasn’t been a proper mother to him. Growing up without a mother is tough. She was the first to know that.
A voice from the distance called out to her. The voice became clearer and clearer until she could have sworn it was right next to her. Kali opened her eyes, and to her surprise, Arvin was sitting by the tub.
“Kali.”
With a shriek, she grabbed the nearest towel and pressed it against her chest for whatever protection from her exposure it could give her.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” he chuckled.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was both terrified and angry.
“Checking on your progress, of course.”
“What progress?” she asked.
“With you and Lucifer,” he teased. “It doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere.”
She turned her head away.
“Have you thought about it?”
“Thought about what?”
“Aren’t you one bit curious if Lucifer really is happy without you?” Arvin answered, straightforward. “If so, then trying to tell him the truth won’t change a thing.”
“It would!” she argued.
“What?”
“He loves me, Arvin! Stop with your mind games, I won‘t fall for them!�
��
“You have so much faith in him, dear Kali. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing for you.”
“Tell me where he is!” she demanded. Her tone was only half her own. Her amethyst eyes glowed fiercely.
“He is at the Auncien Mansion,” Arvin playfully swirled his fingers in the bath water. He knew it would intimidate her. “Look in the phone book, you can’t miss it.”
She stared at him skeptically.
He smirked.
“Why are you doing this, Arvin?” she finally asked.
“Maybe I’m curious, too,” he said innocently.
“No.” She knew for sure. “Not curiosity.”
“So you do have a brain after all,” he complimented her. He chuckled and faded into the shadows.
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
“Are you okay?” Grant’s voice asked. “You’ve been in there for a while.”
“I’m fine,” she managed to answer him.
“Okay, I’ll leave the clothes by the door.”
†††††
Grant worked the all angles with his camera. He still looked unsatisfied. Still, he tried to capture what he believed he saw when he first met her. She was breathtaking, and no doubt her pictures would be, too. That’s not what he wanted, though. He did not want to take just beautiful pictures. He had taken countless beautiful pictures, but every time he looked at them, they were as dead and lifeless to him as the glossy pieces of paper they were printed on.
“No,” he muttered softly under his breath. “That’s not it.”
He finally set down his camera.
She watched as he went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.
“I’m not a model,” she said when he returned.
“I know that,” he replied.
“What are you looking for, then?”