by Avril Sabine
“What has this got to do with me being here?”
“You did tell me you wanted to hear everything. Have you changed your mind?”
Alyssa shook her head. “No.”
Nathan stared at her for nearly a full minute and it took all her willpower to remain quiet. Anger started to build as he made her wait and she forced it away. Anger was what had gotten her in this mess. The numbness was her best chance to get out of it. She forced herself to relax. There’d be nothing gained by trying to hurry Nathan. He liked being in control far too much.
“It’s not often we’re both fooled. Although I guess when we first hired them, they were exactly as they portrayed themselves. Life can sometimes change people beyond all recognition. I won’t go into all the details. But between the two of them, they nearly bankrupted our company while they lined their own pockets. They’ll never benefit from their theft.” A smile, a mixture of pleasure and cruelty, appeared momentarily. “They left one more problem behind. It’s a large piece of land, which if we can change the zoning, will restore our company. But people are too environmentally conscious these days. So we need to call a demon to change their minds for us.”
“A what?” Alyssa was certain she couldn’t have heard correctly.
“A demon.”
“But demon’s don’t exist.”
“Our manager and accountant wouldn’t think that. Well, that is if they were alive to think.”
Alyssa frantically tried to call back the numbness. As she listened to him speak so calmly of the deaths of others, she wanted to run. And she couldn’t. She was handcuffed to the bed. She forced her mind away from thoughts of death and shook her head. “They don’t exist.”
“Demons are real,” Nathan said softly. “My grandfather was the first of us to learn about them. He was an antiques dealer and came across a book on summoning them. He thought it’d be fun. Instead it turned out to be one of his most profitable finds.”
“They aren’t real.”
“Don’t you believe in God?”
Alyssa shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Nathan grinned. “Perfect. The demon we call will be very pleased with you.”
“Me?” Her voice came out higher than usual.
“What did you think you were here for? Demons need blood sacrifice to bring them into this world and bind them to the task. Living blood sacrifice. You’re the sacrifice.”
Alyssa shook her head. “You’re crazy, they aren’t real.”
“They’re very real. And you can’t conduct business with them without being marked.” Nathan undid the button at the cuff of his left sleeve and pulled it back.
A narrow black line with a hint of red in it slashed across his wrist, as if he’d tried to slit it. And yet it was more like a tattoo, or maybe a burn mark. It was part of the skin, not ink added to it. The mark went from the pulse point in the middle of his wrist and travelled to the outside of his arm where it ended abruptly.
“What-” her voice failed her.
“I believe it’s known as a demon mark. You have dealings with them that are deep enough, or even frequent, then it appears. Not many people tie themselves so closely to a demon to gain a mark like this. Or come in contact with enough to make such a mark. It took three demons to make it this long.” Nathan’s fingers traced the mark. “When you ask them to take lives it makes a longer mark. Calling on a powerful demon lengthens it too.”
“What… how… the blood sacrifice-”
Nathan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Have I finally got your attention, little rabbit? Have you taken your head out of the sand to see those headlights coming straight for you?”
Alyssa could only shake her head in disagreement. Words seemed too hard to form. The only word she could hear was demon and it caused all sorts of vivid images to appear in her mind. Ones that involved fire, blood, cloven hooves and horns.
“Surely blood sacrifice is self-explanatory. We need your blood, Allie. We’ll cut you so you bleed and use that blood to call the demon. Then you’re all his. And the only use he’ll have for you is dinner.” Nathan’s lips curved. “Demons don’t feed neatly.” His gaze remained on Alyssa.
She refused to give him the reaction he looked for. They hadn’t cut her yet. And they wouldn’t if she had her way. Her eyes dropped to Nathan’s left hand where it rested on his leg. The sleeve had dropped down to hide the demon mark on his wrist. She reached out and lifted the unbuttoned sleeve. Nathan turned his hand so she could see the mark. She ran her fingers over it and wondered if it had hurt. And how had he gotten it? Had it appeared? Had the demon put it there? She wanted to ask, but the words were lost. She didn’t know how to make them form.
“Curious, little rabbit?” Nathan asked softly. “It’s such a pity I couldn’t replace you. I even got Eric and Shawn to take me for a drive while you slept.”
“Aren’t you worried they’ll tell someone?”
Nathan laughed. “I’ve got a lot more I can tell someone about them. Some of it much worse than anything they know about me.” His tone became serious. “The drive was a waste of time. None of the fish would take the bait. And it has to be tonight. We can’t wait.”
Startled by his comment, Alyssa’s head jerked up and she met his eyes. For a fleeting moment she could have sworn there was regret in them. She dropped her eyes. She didn’t want him to see the turmoil in her own. He picked that moment to lean forward and she caught a glimpse of the handcuff key in the pocket of his shirt.
“But don’t for one minute think it was due to weakness. You amuse me. But not even for amusement will I risk our company. You’re not worth losing out on a billion dollar deal.” He whispered the words against her ear where they sounded menacing.
The image of the key that sat in Nathan’s pocket was burnt into Alyssa’s mind. She could think of only one way to distract him and keep him close to her long enough so she could get it. She turned her head slightly and her lips brushed against his. Her eyes met his and she saw the second of surprise before he willingly took what she offered.
She was surprised it was pleasant. Unlike Tim who she’d dated months ago, it didn’t feel like being attacked by an enthusiastic puppy. Nathan knew how to kiss, she’d give him that much. Her hand moved to hover in front of his chest, her eyes focused on his. She’d never kissed anyone with her eyes wide open before and it was disconcerting. Her fingers grazed his shirt and it took all her willpower not to glance down. Her fingers dipped into his pocket and brushed against the cold metal of the key. She caught it between them and started to draw it up and out of the pocket. She nearly had the key out when Nathan’s hand pressed hers against his chest and his kiss turned harsh.
Alyssa tried to pull away, but his hand at the nape of her neck prevented her. Without thought, she bit his lip and she felt her eyes widened in surprise as she tasted blood and he jerked away. The hand at her nape tangled tightly in her hair and drew her head back at an awkward angle. Her hand with the key was still trapped against his chest.
“Better than you have tried to distract me, little girl.”
“I’m not a little girl.”
“I saw your driver’s license. Barely eighteen. It takes more than that to become a woman.”
“Let me go,” Alyssa said through gritted teeth.
“You shouldn’t start something if you’re not willing to follow through.”
“Please.” The word was little more than a breath of air. She stared at Nathan, the taste of his blood on her lips and she wished she had a hand free to wipe them clean. Nathan’s eyes were expressionless again. She could only wait for his answer. Wait and hope.
He moved forward suddenly, his teeth sharp against her lip. She yelped and tried to pull away. His fingers tightened in her hair. Then he let her go and she fell against the metal bars of the bed head. The fingers of her free hand went to her bottom lip and wiped both her own and his blood from it.
“Now we’re even.” Nathan rose from the bed.
“Sure they are, little ostrich. And you’ll find out soon. The demon we call is going to love you. Such sweet blood.” He licked his lips.
“No!” She tugged against the handcuffs.
“What’s wrong, little rabbit?”
The words stilled her instantly. I won’t be a rabbit, she told herself firmly. I won’t! She glared at Nathan. There had to be a way out of this mess. So she’d failed at taking the key. There’d be other opportunities. She’d wait for them. “You’re crazy if you think killing me will solve your problems.”
“Oh it’ll solve them alright. Demons are very good at solving problems, if you’re careful how you word your demands.” He smiled.
Fear rushed through Alyssa and it took all her willpower to remain motionless.
“See. It won’t work on you now.”
“What won’t work?”
“My smile. I asked them to make my smile reassure people. To make them believe what I tell them. I wasn’t specific enough. It only works if you want to trust me. If you want to be convinced.” Nathan pointed at her. “And last night you wanted to believe. Now you don’t. That’s why you feel fear when I smile.” He smiled momentarily. “But it worked when I needed it to. Now it’s another toy to make the game more fun.”
Alyssa wished she’d bitten him harder. This wasn’t a game. It was her life. “Bastard.”
Nathan’s reply was another smile. “I’ll be back in a few hours. You have a date at three a.m. We can’t have you late for that.” Nathan strode from the room and let the door swing shut behind him.
Alyssa curled up in a ball at the top of the bed. “Oh God,” she moaned. She smothered a laugh. God! If there was any time in her life when prayers were needed, this was it. But not a single one came to mind. She’d never attended church and didn’t even know if she’d been baptised. All she could think to say was, “Oh God, help me. If you really exist, I could do with a bit of help about now.” When there was no answer to her whispered words, a shudder went through her. “I’m going insane. Believing in demons and gods.” She wrapped her free arm across her chest and closed her eyes. There was nothing she could do while handcuffed to the bed. All she could hope for was sleep so the time would pass quicker.
Time! How little there was left. And all the things she hadn’t got around to doing. There were so many of them. Alyssa emptied her mind again. She couldn’t think. Not without letting a scream escape. It seemed to be getting louder and more insistent. She thought of nothingness. Black, empty nothingness. She wondered if death would be like that. Her breath caught in her throat. She refused to let her mind wander down that track. Instead she started to count. She brought each number to mind in bright red. The colour of blood. Before she reached one hundred, she’d drifted off to sleep again.
Chapter Six
The brush of a finger across her lip brought her to instant wakefulness. Nathan crouched beside the bed. She could only stare at him. Stare and wait to see what move he’d make next.
“Time to get up, Sleeping Beauty. You don’t want to be late for your date with a demon.”
“I prefer to make an entrance.”
Nathan laughed. “An hour and a half till you die and still you make jokes. But don’t worry, Princess, as the guest of honour, you’ll make an entrance no matter how early you arrive.”
As soon as Nathan unlocked the handcuff from her wrist, Alyssa sat up and massaged where it had rubbed against her skin. She yawned and stretched thinking, sleeping too much is as tiring as not sleeping enough. She tried to keep her mind on safe topics. Ones that wouldn’t make her scream like a lunatic.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
Nathan waved towards the door. Alyssa slung her bag over her shoulder and warily walked towards the open door. She glanced to the left first. The door was closed. She had a feeling that was the way out. She turned right and went straight to the bathroom. As soon as the door was locked, she leaned against it. Time was running out and she didn’t have a clue what to do. Her eyes were drawn to the window. She even stood on the toilet seat. It was too small. Far too small. Maybe a child would be able to escape through it, but she couldn’t.
She quickly used the toilet and washed her face at the vanity. She stared at herself in the mirror. “Think,” she ordered herself. “Think.” Her voice broke and she quickly closed her eyes. Maybe it was best not to think. It brought panic closer. She dropped her bag on the vanity and pulled her brush out. She quickly ran it through her hair and then found her makeup. There was no way she’d face death without being as composed as possible. And looking as pale as a ghost wouldn’t help her create that image. Makeup would.
There was a knock on the door. “Time’s up.”
“I haven’t finished putting my makeup on.”
There was silence for a couple of minutes. “Open the door.”
Alyssa glared at the door before she opened it. She stepped back as Nathan entered the tiny room. His eyes went from her face to the makeup strewn on the vanity and then back to her face.
He grinned. “What a waste. If only there’d been another fish to hook.” He shrugged. “You have fifteen minutes. If it takes you longer than that, too bad.” He shut the door behind him.
Alyssa quickly locked it before she picked up her lipstick. As soon as her makeup was done, she slipped off her boots, and her skirt and pulled on her jeans. Boots were next and then she pushed everything in her handbag and slipped the strap over her head and one arm. She pulled out the water bottle, had a drink and refilled it. Nathan might expect her to die, but she didn’t accept she would.
When Alyssa opened the bathroom door, Nathan leaned against the wall. He pushed away from it when she continued to stand there. Without a word, he strode towards the door that had been closed every time she’d looked at it. The one at the end of the hall. He pulled out a key and unlocked it. As he held it open he turned to look at her. Alyssa had to force her feet to move. She wanted to run in the opposite direction. She felt light-headed from lack of food, numb through choice and a scream was desperate to escape.
She stepped through the doorway into a lounge room. An ordinary lounge room. Well, maybe not ordinary. Many people wouldn’t have been able to afford the leather lounge or the large flat screen television on the wall. But it was a lounge room, and she hadn’t expected to step into something so normal.
She jumped slightly when Nathan closed the door, but continued to face forward. She decided that would be her plan. Not to look back. Nathan brushed past her and headed for a set of French doors on the far side of the room. Alyssa forced herself to follow. Her feet reluctantly obeyed. She wasn’t tied and Nathan only seemed to be giving her half his attention. She wanted to keep it that way. Surely there’d be a moment when she could escape. As long as Nathan didn’t expect her to try she was sure she had a chance.
Outside they followed a dimly lit path to the front of the house. Nathan opened the door of the car she’d so stupidly climbed into. Even with a demon enhanced smile she should’ve known better. She hesitated and he pushed at her back so she either had to hop in the car or be pressed against it. The door shut behind her. Alyssa sat quietly and tried to appear relaxed. As Nathan reached for the handle of the driver’s door, she carefully pulled on hers. The door moved slightly, just enough she could release the handle and still have the door ready to open. She held her breath. She waited. As soon as Nathan was half in the car, she erupted from her seat, the door slammed shut behind her from the force she shoved it open with.
She heard Nathan swear, but didn’t stop. She ran as fast as possible. To the right of the house was what looked like untouched bushland and she aimed straight for it. Maybe she could hide in there. She stumbled on the uneven ground, her eyes trying to see where to go in the light cast by the full moon. Everything was outlined in silvery grey, with pockets of shadows to trip the unwary. She reached the tree line, and tried to increase her speed. It was impossible.
She wanted to look behind and see where Nathan was. Instead she reminded herself not to look back. She could hear his feet pound behind her, but she had no idea how far away he was. It became harder to breathe and her lungs burned. Her legs felt like fire, instead of blood, travelled through her veins. She had to find somewhere to hide. And then it was too late.
She felt the impact of Nathan’s body before she hit the ground. His weight kept her pinned. She twisted, tried to toss him off and struck out at him. He fought her, grabbed her hands one at a time and pressed them hard against the earth above her head. She felt sticks and stones dig into her back and side. Her heart continued to pound rapidly, her breath harsh.
“The little ostrich has found her claws,” Nathan mocked as soon as she was subdued.
Alyssa stared up at him, a dark shadow that towered over her edged in silver grey. She didn’t answer. It was all she could do not to scream. But at least this scream was one of frustration and anger rather than panic. Her breath was harsh in the silence.
“You’re patient. I’ll give you that much. But you can’t escape.” Nathan let her go and rose to his feet. “Don’t annoy me and I won’t track down your friend. If you come quietly she’ll be safe. You don’t want to mess with me, Princess. I don’t make a good enemy. And I like you. So come quietly and I’ll make things as easy as possible.”
Alyssa sat up and struggled to get to her feet. She ignored the hand Nathan offered her. As soon as she stood, she said, “You must go through a lot of friends then. Their survival rate must be atrocious.”
Nathan laughed. “Come on, Princess. You don’t want to be late for your date.” He draped an arm over her shoulders and she shrugged it off. He put it straight back and tightened his grip on her shoulder when she tried to move away from him.
Alyssa walked stiffly beside Nathan. She wished she could move away from his arm. She felt more confined than she had been by the handcuffs. She knew if she made another attempt to escape she had to succeed. She had no doubt he was serious when he had threatened Erin’s life. They’d been best friends forever. There was no way she was going to let Nathan anywhere near Erin.