Demon Snare (These Immortal Vows Book 1)

by Kestra Pingree

I’m one of the last people to make it into the classroom before the late bell rings. I sit down in my assigned seat and search for the familiar sight of the back of Rynne’s head—but he’s not there.

  I wonder if he’s just running late. But he still doesn’t show up, even as the teacher starts calling roll. He’s marked absent today. The whole time I’ve known Rynne, I can’t remember him ever missing class. Not once. I sneak a glance at my phone, but he hasn’t sent me any messages either. Didn’t he tell me yesterday that we’d make up for missing each other?

  Strange.

  When lunch rolls around, I still haven’t seen any trace of Rynne. I get my food in line with Didi and Connor. Once we’ve seated ourselves at a table in the cafeteria, I ask, “Have either of you seen or heard from Rynne today?”

  The twins exchange looks, and then Didi replies, “No. If anyone would have seen him today, wouldn’t it be you? You’re the one who has a class with him.”

  “Never mind,” I say. Of course, she’s right about that. It just isn’t like him… Well, neither was kissing that girl I had never seen before. Wyatt was acting weird this morning, too. Maybe I’m just overthinking things. Rynne doesn’t have to tell me every little thing in his life. He doesn’t have to text me every day. It’s not like I could handle talking to him or seeing him right now anyway…

  “I’m going to the Halloween party,” I say, changing the subject.

  The Johnson twins beam at me and speak at the same time, “Really?!”

  I wring my hands. “But I don’t know what to wear. Could you both help me pick something out at the Blu Boutique?”

  “Of course, girl!” Didi exclaims. “We got your back. It’s about time you used your employee discount, too. We’ll find the best costume in there.”

  Connor says, “Let’s dress her up in something gory, like a zombie or a vampire or something. Maybe a vampire. We could paint blood trails from your mouth.”

  “No way, Connor. You know Tasia hates blood and gore.”

  I can’t think of anything to say. When these two start scheming, I’ve learned to stay out of it.

  They spend the rest of lunch discussing what they’re going to do with me, and ultimately decide on… Well, they don’t decide on anything. They say they’ll know the perfect outfit when they see it after we go to the Blu Boutique and they try a bunch of different outfits on me.

  That’s when I start to have second thoughts.

  Since I don’t work today, it feels weird going into the Blu Boutique. I’ve never been a customer here, but I have worked here since it opened. I don’t know. It just feels wrong somehow. Gina’s ecstatic, though.

  “So, you’re going to the Halloween party?” Gina says after Didi and Connor took it upon themselves to explain the situation. Gina leans toward me and whispers into my ear, “We’ll make sure you’re the star of the party.”

  I blush and reflexively smile. This was definitely a bad idea.

  “Can I change my mind?” I ask, my voice coming out as a squeak when Didi rushes me into the dressing room with a bloodied nurse costume. “I thought we weren’t doing gore.”

  “It’s to humor Connor. If you really hate it, you don’t have to show him, though.” She shakes her head and shuts the dressing room door to give me privacy. “That’s the condition.”

  I sigh. Apparently, zombified nurses are iconic in the Silent Hill series or something. I wouldn’t know because I’ve never cared to look up those games or experience them, but Connor is obsessed with them. Based on what Connor has told me about them, they’re what my parents would call “a step toward evil.” Everything Connor’s told me about them is terrifying, but it doesn’t seem to affect his happiness.

  I absentmindedly pull my heart-shaped black diamond from under my sweater and rub it between my fingers.

  “Tasia, what’s taking you so long?” Didi demands as she knocks on the door to the changing room I’m occupying. She almost gives me a heart attack.

  “Sorry,” I reply as I tear off my clothes and put on the nurse costume. “Just a minute.”

  Oh. My. God.

  It shows so much skin. I’ve always been into clothes that are more comfort than standout. I mean, I’ve always dressed well. I don’t look like a bum or anything, but I tend to wear clothes that keep me under the radar, casual things like jeans, sweaters, t-shirts, sometimes tank tops… Dresses are especially out of my element, and well, this costume is a dress of some sort. I guess.

  I tug on the bottom of the skirt to try and pull it past my thighs, but nope. It’s not going to do that. It’s going to hug just below my butt and upper thighs. This is so embarrassing. I feel my face cycle through several shades of red as I stand there and look at myself in the mirror.

  “I’m coming in,” Didi announces when I can’t bring myself to say anything.

  I keep my hands on the bottom of the nurse costume, trying to keep the dress from riding up.

  “Is it supposed to fit like this?” I ask, my hands trembling.

  “Well, if it’s supposed to be anything like the nurse costumes in my brother’s Silent Hill game, then yes—but it isn’t showing enough of your boobs.” She grins at me and then giggles. “I don’t think that’s the one for you.”

  “I’m not showing Connor,” I say immediately.

  “Nope, you’re not,” She agrees.

  This is so… embarrassing.

  “Try this one on.” Didi hands me another costume before leaving the dressing room.

  I sigh when she shuts the door. Then I shed the nurse costume as quickly as I can. I’ve never seen anyone in Reverie wear something as revealing as that nurse costume. I wonder if anyone will for this Halloween party, or for Halloween itself, or if that costume is lost on this market.

  Instead of just putting on the costume Didi handed me, I decide to inspect it first. It’s supposed to be a kitsune costume. My parents have told me about kitsune before. I know a lot of random trivia about mythical beasts and monsters. When I was a kid, I asked my parents if mythical creatures really exist. They just smiled and said, “There’s some truth in every story.” Needless to say, I’ve never seen one. I’m sure those stories were told to warn people away from evil more than anything. I mean, if dragons were real, the news would be all over that. Evil is real, but it takes a much subtler form than what’s portrayed in stories. Even real psychics aren’t as glamorous as stories would have you believe.

  After inspecting the kitsune costume, I decide it looks like something I could wear and not feel extremely uncomfortable in, so I figure I’ll try it on—but I have no idea how to put it on. The main piece in this costume is a floral-print kimono. I’ve never worn one before.

  “Need help?” Didi asks through the door.

  “Please,” I reply as I do what I can with the costume on my own.

  Didi comes in and gets everything to fit, and then she ties the sash around the kimono expertly. She’s always been infatuated with fashion. It’s her dream to make her own clothing line. So, I’m not surprised that she knows how to work this kimono.

  I like the kimono itself, but the costume also comes with a pair of fox ears and a fox tail. The tail actually attaches in a way that looks seamless and not clunky at all. Kitsune have interesting lore behind them. In Japan, they can be viewed as both good and evil creatures. Some stories say they grow more tails the longer they live. My parents have only ever referred to them as evil, but I digress. There’s nothing wrong with dressing up as a kitsune. Is there? I don’t feel like there’s any negative energy surrounding me right now. I do have my black diamond, but still. Everything seems normal.

  It’s all about intent. My parents should know there’s nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween.

  “Look at the smile on your face,” Didi says. “You love this one, don’t you? Don’t say anything. I can tell that you do.” She grabs my hand—not giving me a chance to say anything—and pulls me out of the dressing room, eager to present me to Connor and Gina, I bet
.

  As Didi leads me to the front of the store, I hear shouting.

  “You should close down this demonic store this instant!” Jazmin’s rich and powerful voice rings through the store, and everyone inside turns their attention to her.

  Her presence always demands respect. She just has that feeling about her, even with her old age and short stature. But this isn’t her just demanding respect. My jaw drops open when I see the fury in her nearly black eyes. Then I see her black and almost untamable hair pulled back in an ankara headband with various charms and crosses pinned to it like she was anticipating walking into an active supernatural zone. More charms hang from her neck and she has rue in her hands. It’s like she’s about to perform an exorcism.

  “Doesn’t anyone even care about what happened to our Guardian Angel?!” she accuses, allowing her Kenyan accent to sink deep into every word. “This is madness! The Guardian Angel is more than a beautiful statue. It watches over us. It was built with love and the intent to protect all who live in Reverie. It was blessed by God. Now it’s in shambles, and you all continue on as if it means nothing. You turn a blind eye and invite more evil when our town has already taken a heavy blow.” She gestures around to all of us wildly. “You should be ashamed of your behavior!”

  Everyone in the store starts looking nervous, unsure of what to do or say about Jazmin’s outburst. Then Jazmin does what I feared she’d do. She looks right at me, accusing me along with everyone here. But I get the feeling she’s more disappointed in me than anyone else.

  “Ma’am,” Gina says calmly, “whoever did that to the Guardian Angel was out of line, but please don’t take it out on the customers here, looking to enjoy the party tonight. One person’s poor choice shouldn’t affect everyone else.”

  “One person’s poor choice is enough to bring down everyone else,” Jazmin says. “There’s something more going on here. You’re all just too blind to see it.” Her previous fire is gone and her voice is eerily calm, her eyes denouncing as she takes one last look around the building before leaving.

  Gina clears her throat. “Sorry about that, everyone. Let’s get on with our day and have fun at the party tonight.”

  I feel kind of sick to my stomach, but I try not to let it show as Gina and Connor also express their approval of the kitsune costume. The party is in just a few hours. I’m not going to back out now—but I really want to.

  I’m not prepared for this. I shouldn’t have been so rash. Maybe I’ll just go home. My parents can ground me for intending on going against them, and then I’ll have an excuse why I can’t make it to the party. No, I can’t. I’m not doing this to be rebellious. I’m doing this to prove a point to myself and everyone else. Nothing bad is going to happen. Someone made a poor choice when they desecrated the Guardian Angel, but that’s been addressed. Nothing else bad is going to happen. Halloween isn’t going to change anything in Reverie. We’ll enjoy the party tonight, celebrate Halloween, the Guardian Angel will be restored, and everything will be as quiet and peaceful here as it always is.

  “Stay with us, Tasia,” Didi says after I buy my costume. “Then we can all get ready for the party together. It’ll be easier that way.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I reply, but my stomach churns at the thought of the party. I’ve never been a fan of parties. If all of this upset hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be going for that reason alone.

  I follow the Johnson twins to their house. Susie and Carl Johnson, the twins’ parents, are already at the Conways’ mansion, since they volunteered to help out. So we have the place to ourselves. The house is clean, normal, charmless, and herbless, for the most part. The Johnsons are very lax about energies and the traditional Reverie way of life, so whenever I come over here, I feel almost normal.

  Connor turns on the large flat-screen TV in their living room to relax before the party. We don’t watch anything in particular and end up changing channels a bunch of times.

  “What we should be doing is playing some horror games to get in the mood, you know?” Connor says.

  Didi replies, “You’re the only one here who likes those games, so that’s two against one. Tasia and I aren’t interested.”

  He huffs but doesn’t mention it again.

  We hang out for a while, watching TV and talking until it’s time to get into our costumes. Connor’s going as a zombie—can’t say I’m surprised—and Didi’s going as a witch, a beautiful one instead of the classic green, wart-ridden stereotype. I suddenly find myself wondering if someone like Jazmin finds that stereotype offensive or just plain ridiculous. Probably both. Just because people around here call Jazmin a witch, doesn’t mean she approves of the name. I’ve never called her one, but I’ve also never thought about how it might be offensive to her, even when I think most people say it fondly.

  I rub my temples, feeling a headache coming on with all the rights and wrongs swimming around in my head today. Then my mind wanders to Rynne. I haven’t seen him all day. I haven’t gotten a single message from him either. It’s been easier for me to deal with everything by not having him around, but I’m starting to get worried. The twins say he’s probably just out sick today and resting. I know that’s the logical conclusion, but I’m worried. Maybe I should just give in and text him.

  I shake my head and remind myself I can’t do that. Talking to him right now would just make me fall apart. He’s fine. He’s just staying in his room today. He caught a cold or something.

  Didi puts me in charge of Connor’s makeup while she works on her own. I’m reluctant, but she tells me I just have to make a mess with some fake blood. I take Connor outside for that. I’m worried about the whole thing at first, but then it turns into a sort of gory art project, and I actually find myself enjoying it. If my parents saw me now, they’d be furious. I’m surprised with myself. I don’t like gore, but somehow making this mess is kind of fun. It’s not like it’s real blood.

  Speaking of my parents, it’s weird, but I haven’t heard from them either. They haven’t called me to see where I am. I was sure they would, and I was planning on just ignoring them, but it seems like they’re the ones ignoring me instead. They probably know I’m going to the Halloween party and they’re probably so disappointed they can’t even bring themselves to talk to me. Maybe Jazmin told them. I start feeling guilty and that uneasiness engulfs me again.

  I push the foreboding aside.

  “It looks like we just murdered someone,” Connor says when we’ve finished. We basically dyed the driveway in fake blood. “I hope this stuff washes out, or my parents are going to be pissed.” He scratches the back of his head. “Just head on inside and I’ll see what I can do about”—he makes a large sweeping gesture with his hands—“this.”

  “Good luck,” I say. Then I add quickly, “and sorry about the mess. I guess I sort of got carried away.”

  “No problem, Tasia.” He smiles. “It was good to see you let loose for once. You’re always so uptight.” His smile turns into a grin.

  I smile, my reflexive response, and then I make my way into the house. I find Didi in the bathroom, applying the final touches of her makeup. She looks stunning. Whatever she used shimmers in the light, and the sparkling purple eyeshadow accentuates her beautiful green eyes.

  “Just in time,” she tells me as she finishes powdering her face. “I just finished. You ready for the makeover of your life?”

  “I’ve never had a makeover.”

  “That’s my point. You’ve never let me do your makeup before. Now’s my chance to rectify that.”

  “Rectify?”

  She grins. “You won’t even recognize yourself when I’m done with you.”

  I’m not sure how I feel about that.

  I do a lot of sitting still and doing things like pouting when Didi tells me to. It feels like it takes forever. I make small talk with her while I wait for her to finish just so my mind won’t wander.

  “Look in the mirror!” she exclaims.

  I don’t
know how good I can look when my face feels this heavy. No wonder I’ve always gone light on makeup. I reach my hand up to scratch my face, but Didi catches my hand and warns, “Don’t touch.”

  Ignoring the itch, I turn to look at myself in the mirror. I look… like a different person. Didi used makeup that makes my face look super pale; it’s almost a blinding white. My lips are a deep red, painted with precise curves. There are perfect circles of blush on my cheeks. Dark eyeshadow and fake eyelashes change the look and shape of my eyes. It all makes me look like a doll—or more accurately, like a geisha. This probably isn’t appropriate in any way. Embarrassment consumes me as Didi completes the look by tying my hair up in an intricate bun and placing the fox ears on my head.

  “You look perfect,” she tells me.

  “I look like a painting,” I reply.

  “Pretty as a picture.”

  We hear Connor come in through the front door after that. “It washed away!” he says. “Are you girls ready yet? We’re going to be—” He doesn’t finish his sentence as he looks me over. “Who are you and what have you done with that nerdy girl named Tasia?”

  Didi hits her brother. “Shut up, you jerk.”

  “No! I think she looks great.” He grins at me. “You look great.”

  “Th-thanks,” I manage to say.

  “Well, let’s go then! We’re going to be late!”

  We drive separately so I’ll be able to just get up and go home when the party is over—or before. Didi and Connor know about my introvert needs. They know parties aren’t really my thing, and I’m grateful for that.

  When we pull up to the Conway Mansion, there’s this eerie fog created by an unknown number of fog machines. Lights are shining, adding to the atmosphere, and the mansion itself is decorated with all the best Halloween decor from the Blu Boutique—animatronics galore. I flinch every time one moves. Atmospheric music plays from a huge speaker system, and I can see a crowd of people waiting outside the mansion’s gates.

  Didi clings to my arm as we wait in line. “Oh my god! This looks amazing. I’m getting so excited.” She squeals and jumps up and down, still holding on to my arm and making my vision bounce along with her. “Sorry,” she tells me as she straightens my outfit. Then she grabs her brother’s arm and continues to smile and babble about anything and everything. She talks fast when she’s excited.