by Helena Shaw
The Demon’s Song
Helena Shaw
First Kindle Edition 2014
Copyright 2014 Helena Shaw
Published by Jynxed Moon Press
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holders.
Edited by Veronica Hardy
Cover images provided by © aarrttuurr & artem_furman | Deposit Photos
Contents
Also by Helena Shaw
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Also by Helena Shaw
Maxed Out
Salem’s Secrets
Chapter One
A dark shadow crept out of the darkness and rolled across Cadence’s eyes as she stepped out of the shower. She blinked away the dark spot and rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands until her vision cleared.
They’re getting worse, her mind told her, but Cadence refused to listen. She had too much else on her mind to acknowledge her own fears about the strange shadows she constantly banished from her line of sight.
No, what was on her mind right then was praying that she didn’t look too ridiculous in Jane’s blouse and blazer. Her roommate was voluptuous and sexy, while Cadence was, at most, petite. When she first tried on the borrowed blazer that was now hanging on the back of the bathroom door, she practically swam in it.
Ignoring the mismatched outfit, Cadence ran a comb through her dark brunette hair. It was nothing to style it, just a quick blow dry and her chin length bob looked as good as it was going to get. She always wondered about growing her hair out longer, but she didn’t like putting in the work. Even when Jane told her that her short hair made her already large brown eyes look bigger, she just couldn’t be bothered to grow it out.
Jane had left some makeup by the sink for her to put on, but she decided against it. Jane had been trying to get her to dress sexier and wear makeup since they’d become friends in high school, but Cadence always resisted. It just wasn’t her thing.
Jane’s mother had once joked that the girls should switch names. Jane was anything but a plain Jane, while Cadence always thought she fit the image of ‘plain’ so much better. She was happier with a book than at a party, while Jane was out every night with different dates.
It came to a shock to everyone that Jane moved to the tiny town both girls now resided in. It was just an hour outside of New York City and she moved there after spending a year at community college. She took a job at the only bank in the village of Gravenhurst and made the move while Cadence was studying literature at Cornell.
Jane’s unexpected move wasn’t the only one that came as a shock. The shadows that had come and gone from Cadence’s vision since she was a child started getting worse last November, right after her twentieth birthday. She’d seen an eye doctor about it, but he just called it stress and recommended she see the campus shrink.
The psychiatrist wasn’t any better. He threw a bottle of pills at her, but they only made her lethargic and her grades had already begun to slip. The pills didn’t help anything but her decision to drop out before the end of her third year. She already wasn’t getting what she wanted out of school, but the pills ruined the last of her motivation to keep at it, and she pulled out of her classes just before spring exams.
Her parents were furious. They already frowned on her decision to study literature over math or science, but dropping out was the last straw. They cut her off and with no one paying the rent on her shared student apartment, she faced homelessness and worse.
It was Jane who had come to her rescue. She’d told Cadence she was renting an older, if not in perfect condition, house in the center of Gravenhurst, population 652, and asked her to come stay. They hadn’t seen each other in a year, but Jane was the only one to come to her aid when she needed it most.
With no other options and a weird sense of wanderlust, Cadence fled New York City and found herself at Jane’s rustic, if a little drafty, home.
It was a good switch, if not exactly what she was expecting. She got off the pills and started writing again, but her attempts at finding a job were dismal at best. Gravenhurst was a town of farmers and a few commuters. Jane couldn’t even get her a spot at the bank and soon she’d been living rent free at Jane’s place for four months.
Instead of money, for the time being Cadence paid her way with cooking and cleaning. She wasn’t very good at either, but it was better than doing nothing other than sitting on her ass reading all day. While Jane was at the bank, Cadence swept, scrubbed, cooked, and wrote. It wasn’t the best situation, but they made it work.
In the end, it was Jane who found Cadence the job. One of her clients at the bank was a secretary with Crane & Partners, a legal firm that filled a strangely out of place glass building at the edge of the village. One of the lawyers was looking for a new secretary and Cadence found herself suddenly employed at the firm.
It was her first day and she was struggling to get ready in time. The office had a weird dress code for the secretaries, which meant that Cadence was borrowing the two black blazers and couple white blouses that Jane owned until she got her first paycheck and could not only buy her own work clothes, but finally contribute to the rent.
“I look ridiculous,” Cadence groaned as she stepped out of the small, slightly musty bathroom.
“You look fine,” Jane said, but her eyes betrayed her. Jane wasn’t overweight, not really, but she had a large bust and curvy hips which meant that her clothes sagged on Jane’s slender, short body. “A few safety pins and no one will notice.”
With the safety pins in place, her outfit was as good as it was going to be. At least the skirt and shoes were her own, and she slid them on as she moved to the front door.
A sudden crack of thunder filled the house and both girls groaned.
“Again?” Jane moaned. “That’s the third storm in under a week.”
The weather had been exceptionally rainy for early October and instead of walking to work, it meant that both girls were taking Jane’s old junker.
“Does it normally rain like this?” Cadence asked, though she knew the answer was no. The entire town was waterlogged and the coming cold of an early winter didn’t help matters.
“I doubt it,” Jane said as she grabbed the keys to the car. “Come on, we better run so we don’t get soaked.”
Despite running the ten feet to the car, Cadence’s blazer was soaked through as she threw herself into Jane’s car. It was a soggy start to the day that Cadence could only hope would get better, though she held out no expectations.
She’d googled Crane & Partners when she had the interview, but she’d found next to nothing online. Even her interview was vague and gave her no more than what she found through Jane’s computer. The building was out of place in town and no one knew much about it. She didn’t even know anyone who worked there, beyond the secretary that Jane knew through the bank.
The drive was short, but Cadence’s nerves were already shot and the thunder overhead didn’t help matters. A shadow crept across the rain as they drove and she rubbed her eyes until they hurt in an effort to make it disappear.
“You’ll do fine!” Jane assured her as she pulled into the small parking
lot that lined the side of the short glass office building. Jane’s car stuck out in the worst way as she pulled into an empty spot between a Mercedes SLK and an Audi R8. The only car in the lot that didn’t look brand new was a classic looking black car that only belonged one place. A museum. The vintage car with its sleek lines and subtle elegance looked dangerously sexy and despite the showy toys in the lot, it was the classic that drew Cadence’s eyes.
“Thanks,” Cadence said as she reached across the car to give Jane a hug. “For everything. Really.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jane assured her. “Get to work!”
The rain showed no signs of slowing and Cadence had no choice but to make a run for it. At least her heels were low so she didn’t need to worry about breaking an ankle as she sprinted the short distance between the car and the door.
“Good morning,” a stylish blonde greeted her from behind the large black desk that filled the entryway.
“Morning,” Jane replied as she shook the rainwater out of her hair.
The storm was only getting worse and rain pounded against the windows while lightning cracked across the sky. It made the brightly lit office seem almost dark as Cadence approached the desk.
“Um,” she stuttered, not quite sure where to begin. “I’m Cadence Lowry, it’s my first day.”
“Yup,” the young woman nodded. “Suzanne Crawford is waiting for you in human resources.”
“Thanks,” Cadence said. “Um...”
“Second floor, one of the girls will show you,” the receptionist thankfully offered.
“Thanks,” Cadence said with a sigh of relief before she moved to the elevator. It was only one floor, but she didn’t want to hunt for the stairs or risk sweating even more than she already was.
The building was, at max, four stories, but the second floor was bustling and busy. As she stepped off the elevator and into the wide open space she saw six secretarial desks that lined the center of the open office with glass walled offices lining the walls.
“Um, excuse me,” Cadence forced herself to say as she approached the closest desk. “I’m looking for human resources.”
“Oh,” the short, slightly heavyset woman said as she stood up from her desk. She was wearing the exact same black blazer, white blouse, and black skirt that Cadence wore, as was everyone else sitting at the desks of the office, but she offered Cadence a friendly smile as she said, “Come with me, I’ll show you.”
“Thanks,” Cadence breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s my first day and I’m so nervous.”
“We’ve all been there,” the woman smiled at her as she shook Cadence’s hand. “I’m Amy, you must be Cadence.”
“That’s me,” Cadence nodded. “How did... um...”
“Don’t worry,” Amy said as she started to walk across the expansive, open office. “You’re taking over for Olivia, right? We’ve all gotten the memo.”
“Oh,” Cadence said. “Sorry, that makes sense.”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Amy assured her. “We’re all real nice here. Most of the staff commutes from the city since Mr. Crane moved the office out here, but the small town mentality has really grown on us. My husband and I are thinking of moving into town. Do you live here?”
“Yeah,” Cadence told her. “About four or five months now. It’s okay.”
“We should definitely go for coffee or something over lunch,” Amy said. “The girls and I were already talking about taking you out for your first day, if that’s okay.”
“Yeah,” Cadence said, her smile growing. “I’d really like that.”
Her nerves had been so distracting since she’d walked into the office that she didn’t notice the change until they got to the HR office door. The building, though darker from the storm, was free of the shadows that had plagued the edges of her vision since she was a kid. Even with the high stress of her first day of her first real job, there was nothing trying to creep into the corners of her eyes.
“Suzanne?” Amy said as she knocked on the glass door of the HR office.
“Come in, come in,” Suzanne said as she stood up from the desk.
Suzanne had to be about forty, but she had a warm smile on her lips and wore a red shirt rather than a white one. Her copper hair had a light streak of silver and she exuded warmth.
“You must be Cadence,” she said as she leaned forward and shook Cadence’s hand. “Amy, thank you for showing her the way.”
“No problem,” Amy assured her. “And Cadence, don’t forget about coffee!”
“I won’t,” Cadence told her as Amy left Cadence and Suzanne to talk in private.
“I’m glad to see that Mr. Norsworthy has selected you as Olivia’s replacement,” Suzanne said as she sat back down.
“I know I don’t have a ton of experience,” Cadence told her.
“Don’t sweat it,” Suzanne waved it off. “Honestly, the secretarial work could be done by monkeys. We can teach you anything. It’s all about personality and discretion. Our clients require a lot of privacy and as long as you can keep work at work and not discuss it at home, you’ll do just fine.”
“I can certainly do just that,” Cadence told her.
“Excellent,” Suzanne nodded. “Now, we do offer competitive benefits that you’ll be put on at the end of your first week. Payday is every other Thursday. All I need is for you to sign the employment agreement and you’re all set.”
With her name on the dotted line, Cadence officially had her first real job.
“No time like the present to get started,” Suzanne said before she picked up her phone and dialed. “Olivia, if you could come to my office. Cadence is here.”
Olivia arrived within seconds and like the other secretaries, she was wearing the same black and white ensemble, but unlike the other secretaries, the young woman that Cadence was taking over for was tall, slender and had beautifully styled hair. She could have been a model, rather than a secretary.
“Hi!” she greeted Cadence and leaned down to give her a friendly hug. “Oh my god, you are adorable.”
“Um, thanks,” Cadence said as she awkwardly hugged Olivia back.
“I’ll let you two ladies get to know each other,” Suzanne said. “I’m sure Olivia is capable of showing you the ropes.”
“Totally,” Olivia assured them both. “Come with me, I’ll show you where you’ll be working.”
When they were out of the HR manager’s office, Cadence stopped Olivia. There was one question that was burning inside her and she couldn’t put her mind at ease until she asked.
“Listen,” Cadence said. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” Olivia told her with a smile.
“Everyone here seems so nice,” Cadence said. “That’s awesome, but if it’s so great here, why are you leaving?”
“Me?” Olivia laughed. “No, I’m not going anywhere. I love it here!”
“So why am I taking your job?” Cadence asked.
“I’m getting promoted,” Olivia told her with pride radiating from her. “At the end of this week, I’m officially becoming Mr. Crane’s executive secretary.”
“Wow.” Cadence couldn’t help but be impressed. “That’s awesome. Congratulations.”
“Thanks!” Olivia grinned. “Now come on, let me show you your new desk.”
Cadence’s new desk, or Olivia’s old one, was just like the others. Hers was at the back of the right row of desks and as Olivia went over Cadence’s new duties, all the other secretaries stopped by to say hello and remind her about getting a drink over lunch.
“God,” Cadance breathed after an hour of going over what were, admittedly, very simply tasks. “I can’t believe I was so nervous. I thought everyone here would treat me like, well, the new girl.”
“Oh you’re so cute,” Olivia laughed. “Seriously, we’re all friends and we stick together. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“I know that now,” Cadence said. “I just can’t believe how luck
y I am.”
“Hey,” Amy said as she came by her desk. “Ramona just called. She and the big man are on their way down.”
“Thanks,” Olivia said.
“Does she mean Mr. Crane?” Cadence asked.
“Yeah,” Olivia nodded. “He’s a little intimidating, but he likes to make an appearance down here with the peasants once a week or so. Probably to meet the new girl. You know, you.”
“Oh god,” Cadence said, her nerves instantly returning.
“Oh don’t worry,” Olivia assured her. “He’ll just say hello and then head back upstairs. Just be yourself.”
The warning that they were given wasn’t far enough in advance for anyone to prepare for Mr. Crane’s arrival. As the elevator opened up, all the secretaries stood at their desks and Cadence followed suit.
From the back of the office, Cadence couldn’t see much over the other secretaries’ heads. She was the shortest one in the office and even on her toes, she couldn’t see a thing until the other secretaries began to sit down.
“Mr. Crane,” Suzanne greeted the head of their firm as she left her office. “Glad to see you.”
Their voices echoed in the open office and Cadence couldn’t help but stare as Mr. Crane and his soon-to-be-former secretary met with the HR manager. Cadence struggled to keep her eyes down, but she listened to them intently.
“I believe my firm has a new employee,” he said.
“Yes sir,” Suzanne said in her cheerful voice. “Right this way.”
Oh god, Cadence’s mind raced. She didn’t know why she was so scared, everyone else had been so nice to her, but she couldn’t help it.
“Look up,” Olivia said under her breath before she stood to greet Mr. Crane. “Sir,” she said as she shook his hand. “Ramona.”
“Good to see you,” Ramona said. “I can’t wait to get you upstairs.”
“Me too,” Olivia agreed, her voice a much more formal candor than earlier. “And this is my replacement, Cadence.”