The Devil's Fool: A Paranormal Vampire Romance Novel (Devil Series Book 1)

by Raven Steele

  Before I lost consciousness, a familiar voice said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Chapter 26

  My eyes fluttered open to a thick and heavy darkness. It was unbearably warm; great beads of sweat rolled down the sides of my face. I lay flat on my back against an unknown hard surface, and when I raised my arms, they thumped short against something solid. My fingers groped the flat surface above me, and I winced in pain when a sliver slipped through my forefinger. Coarse wood boards ran the length of my body six inches above my face.

  Mouth open, I sucked in the warm, stifling air. Where am I? I turned my head to the side and felt something brush against my cheek. I reached for it and rubbed it between my fingers. It felt like a plant. A memory stirred, and I inhaled deeply. The smell of jasmine was like a slap to my face. My breathing quickened as realization of where I was and what had happened came back to me.

  I pushed up against the rough wood. Surprisingly, it took great effort, and I wondered how long I’d been trapped in what I now recognized as a crudely made casket. For my body to be this exhausted, I must’ve been trapped for several days, if not weeks. My heart raced, and a knot tightened in my stomach.

  Using all the strength I could muster, I pounded my fists against the boards above me. At the same time, I bent my knees as far as they’d go and pushed upwards, but the boards didn’t budge.

  “Erik! Sable! Please. Get me out of here!” My cries punctured the darkness. The terror in my voice only made me cry harder. Over and over, I screamed until my throat burned.

  Finally, I begged. “Mom.”

  The word hovered above me, trapped.

  I thought back to the night’s events before my parents had taken me. How had they even found me? The only person who knew where I was … I stopped breathing. Liane. Was she capable of betraying me like that? We were best friends! But the more I thought about it, the more I believed she would turn me over to my parents. Maybe to get a reward.

  Fear turned to anger, and my body tingled, starting in my feet. Magic was coming.

  No! I closed my eyes tight and traveled to the one place that offered protection: Eden.

  It had been well over a year since I’d visited; the exact same time I’d met Boaz. The place was more beautiful than I remembered. Clear, seagreen water surrounded an island, lush with trees and grass, golden sand at its edges. A mountain swept up the west side. On its backside was a steep cliff that I’d jumped from many times in the past, but that wasn’t my goal today. I lowered myself onto the warm sand next to a purple flowering plant. Waves rolled to shore in a soothing pattern, one after the other.

  With my mind disconnected from my body, I could finally reason a way out of my current nightmare. My parents had taught me many things, but the only lesson worth remembering was that there was a solution to any problem. You just had to find one you could accept. I dug my toes farther into the wet sand, burying my feet.

  What I thought unthinkable had finally happened. Erik had threatened to bury me alive my whole life as a form of punishment, but I always thought it was just that—a threat.

  A wave to my left crashed to shore. In the distance, two dolphins danced upon the waters, jumping and diving. I had a vague recollection of speaking to them years ago. I smiled, the pain of my physical state completely gone. But I knew I had to return if I had any chance of surviving. And I did want to survive. I had to make things right and find Him, the one who finally set me free. Reluctantly, I left Eden but with a new, calm determination.

  Back in the crudely made casket, I pulled the jasmine away from my head and shoved it toward my feet. My fingers traced the wooden boards, carefully searching for any weaknesses. Eventually I found a slivered piece above my face that pulled off easily. I continued to pick at the wood, attempting to pull back its many layers. I flinched when my fingernail broke below the quick.

  I told myself to breathe slowly, concentrate. I couldn’t succumb to the darkness. I’d come so far in life and had overcome more obstacles than anyone in ten lifetimes. I wasn’t about to give up now.

  I tore off another piece of wood. Blood dripped from my fingertip and onto my cheek. I didn’t stop to give my fingers the time they needed to heal.

  I thought back to my time as Alarica. It felt like years ago, but in actuality, it couldn’t have been more than a week ago, depending on how long I’d been lying unconscious in this grave. My parents and Boaz thought their dream was finally realized when I was transformed. All they had lived for, fought for, was realized the moment they put that damned necklace around me and gave life to Alarica. But not even they could imagine the horror she would bring, and in the end, they, too, ran in fear.

  Who knew how many more would’ve been destroyed if it had not been for Him, the vampire who showed me mercy when I deserved none. He even had the opportunity to kill me after I'd lost consciousness but didn't for some reason. What did surprise me, though, was the fact that he'd left the necklace. Something I'd have to ask him about when I found him.

  Another wood chip peeled back. I switched to picking at the wood with my left hand, as the fingers on my right hand were too raw. I needed to give them a few minutes to heal.

  I would find Him. I would get out of here and find Him.

  I pried at the wood with my left hand, but it was almost as raw as my right, making it difficult to pick at the wood. Tears stung my eyes. I clenched my jaw tightly and continued to work feverishly at the boards despite the pain.

  I used my pinky, the only finger with any feeling left in it, to touch the hole I had created in the board. It wasn’t even half way through. I pushed on it as hard as I could and felt it flex under the pressure.

  Magic could fix this so easily. But that was what my parents wanted. To choose magic or be trapped forever.

  I chose neither.

  I waited a few minutes and then touched my fingers. They felt better. My nails had even grown back. I continued again, picking slowly at the wood. This time was much harder than the first. The wood in the center was more solid and didn’t give away as easily. I worked as hard as I could until my fingers needed to rest. Little progress was made.

  Time for a different approach. There was nothing in my pockets, but I did find the end of my zipper on my jacket. I wiggled it back and forth, twisted and pulled, until the small metal tab popped off. The end of it would last much longer than my nails.

  I started the process again. Hours seemed to pass, possibly even days. When I felt hopelessness and panic set in, which it seemed to do every so often, I would go to Eden. Time became irrelevant. That’s how it is with the dead.

  Sliver after sliver, the board eventually broke down. With my focus entirely on the task, I failed to notice a small piece of earth when it fell to my face–that is until a handful of dirt broke through. I covered over the hole with my hands and turned my head to cough out the dirt that had partially fallen inside my mouth. Then, very carefully, I curled my fingers inside the earth and around the rough wood edges.

  With all my might, I pulled the board down. It caved under the pressure like a battered melon, crushing my chest. I didn’t have time to gasp for air before dirt began to fill my nose and mouth. I quickly dug my bare heels into the bottom of the casket and pushed up, hoping I’d been buried in a shallow grave. My arms reached upwards and shoved dirt out of the way. The top part of my body soon became encased by moist earth, making it extremely difficult to move.

  I focused on my legs, the only part of me that could still move, as they were still partially beneath the unbroken section of the crudely made casket. I wiggled my feet under me, and with my knees bent, I propelled myself toward the surface and hopefully my freedom.

  My hands broke through to the cool surface above, but just barely. I tried to use my legs, but now they, too, were encased by the impacted earth. My hands, not far enough out to render any assistance, wiggled uselessly.

  The earth’s grip tightened around me like a boa constrictor. I tried to inhale a
ny last remains of air, but dirt rushed into my throat. As my mind burst into dark reds and blacks of impending unconsciousness, I thought of Him. I relaxed my body and pictured the vampire in my mind. I would take him to Eden, I decided. He would fit nicely there.

  In my mind, I was almost to Eden when something took hold of my hands and lifted me out of the collapsed grave. Night air rushed at my face, and I tried to breathe it in but only choked further.

  A hand clasped my chin and tilted my head back. Cold fingers reached into my mouth and scooped out the majority of the chalky dirt. After several coughs, my lungs finally filled with air.

  I collapsed to the ground, exhausted. A man’s legs stepped away from me and toward a tree. He appeared to be leaning against it, but I couldn’t be sure, as I was too tired to move the matted hair out of my eyes.

  I breathed quietly, trying to ascertain my surroundings with what little view I had. I appeared to be in a forest with thick vegetation all around. It must’ve been a full moon because the bright lunar light cast ghostlike shadows all around me. I wondered about the stranger who stood not far from me.

  Breaking the silence, the man spoke in a heavy English accent. “That happened to me once.”

  Chapter 27

  “What?” I asked. The word burned my raw throat.

  He unscrewed the lid of a water bottle and handed it to me. I barely had the strength to bring it to my lips and drink it.

  “Being buried alive,” he said. “It was a wretched experience.”

  When I said nothing, the stranger spoke again, “My name is Charlie, Alarica.”

  I winced at the sound of my former name and lowered the water bottle. “That’s not my name.”

  “Then would you be so kind to tell me what your name is?” he asked.

  I hesitated, not sure if I should give him my real one. Whoever this was, there was a good chance my parents had sent him to watch over the grave, which meant he already knew my name.

  “Eve. There is no Alarica.”

  “How can I be sure?”

  My brows furrowed. Wouldn’t someone sent by my parents know that I didn’t have the necklace anymore? They did put me in this grave, after all. But if we weren’t related, how else could he have found me? I chose not to answer him but instead asked my own question.

  “What day is it?” I swiped at the dirt on my face and around my eyes.

  The man’s jacket scraped against the tree as he lowered himself to the ground. “Tuesday.”

  “No, the actual date,” I said.

  “April 15th. How long have you been in there?”

  I swallowed hard, which made my throat hurt even more. That meant I’d been in that hole for almost two weeks.

  A wave of nausea washed over me. “How did you find me?”

  “Your mother told me … sort of.” He chuckled to himself.

  “To save me or kill me?”

  “Neither, actually,” he said.

  “Then why would she tell you where I am?”

  He hesitated. “She didn’t verbally tell me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Charlie clicked his tongue. “Basically, I read her mind. I’m psychic, you see. It took some time and some special convincing, but eventually her thoughts gave your location away. How did they capture you, anyway?”

  I lifted my hand and swept the hair away from my face, gaining a clear view of Charlie. Even though he was sitting down, I could tell he was tall by the way his crossed legs stretched across the ground. He looked to be in his mid-twenties and had curly brown hair that was long on top and short on the sides. Tight curls dropped below his eyebrows and into his almond-shaped, green eyes. He watched me, his expression full of concern.

  But appearances could be deceiving, especially with psychics. They could be excellent manipulators.

  “If you can read minds,” I challenged, “why don’t you just read mine and leave me alone.”

  “I only use my abilities when I have no other choice. So far you have been most cooperative.”

  “So if I stop answering your questions, you’re going to violate my privacy with your mind-reading skills?”

  Charlie’s expression turned cold. “I will do whatever necessary to be sure you will not hurt anyone ever again. It’s not about me or you. It’s about innocent lives, innocent people you killed.”

  His rebuke stunned me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just not used to people doing things other than for themselves.”

  Charlie’s warm smile returned. “There is much for you to learn about people and the good they are capable of. I’m afraid your parents skipped this important life lesson.”

  I remained silent, too ashamed to speak again.

  “Don’t worry,” he said as if sensing my thoughts. “It will take a long time, if not years, for you to learn to trust others. You can’t undo a lifetime of abuse in one day. But the most important thing you must remember, Eve, is that you are no longer a victim. They have no more power over you unless you let them.”

  “And how do I know I can trust you?”

  “Easy.” He jumped to his feet and came toward me. I cowered, unsure what he was going to do next. He raised his unarmed hands. “Don’t be scared. I just want you to touch my hand. I’m going to open my mind to you so you can see my true intentions, okay?”

  I nodded.

  Charlie lowered his right hand and held it toward me. It took effort, but I managed to raise my arm far enough to touch the back of his hand. A sudden flash illuminated my mind, and within that light, there were thousands of pictures, layers upon layers of Charlie’s memories: his first loose tooth, the Christmas when he got his first bike, his first kiss.

  The memories came so fast I barely recognized most of them, but I did learn something. Charlie was one of the good guys. His whole life was filled with laughter, kindness and love, so unlike my own.

  Satisfied, I withdrew my hand and asked, “How do you know so many things about me?”

  Charlie returned to his place against the tree. “Partly my psychic ability and the other part through our connections with different people. You’d be surprised by what I’m able to find out about a person.”

  I bit the inside of my lip and averted my gaze. Moonlight broke through the tree branches and encased me in its light. I wasn’t used to being in the light. If I were stronger, I would’ve slid into the shadows.

  After drinking more water and setting it aside, I moved my hand beneath my chest and pushed down on the ground, forcing my body upright. Charlie moved to help, but I raised my hand to stop him. I slowly maneuvered myself into a sitting position.

  “Can I ask how you ended up in this predicament?” he pried, his gaze lowering to the collapsed grave.

  “My parents captured me as I was running away. I thought they’d believe I was dead and not try to find me.” I paused at the sudden pain in my chest. Liane’s betrayal hurt worse than being buried alive.

  “Why would they think you were dead?”

  “A fire burned my house down. I was hoping they’d think I was in it at the time, but they obviously didn’t. They found me and gave me something that knocked me out. And when I came to, I was in there.” I motioned my head to the hole next to me.

  “What happened to Alarica?”

  “A vampire destroyed her. He tore this necklace from my, I mean, Alarica’s neck. It was controlling me.”

  Charlie frowned.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “It’s odd that a vampire, who doesn’t work for us, would do something like that and then not kill you.”

  “Work for you?”

  “I guess I should explain who I am and the company I work for.” Charlie brought his knees to his chest. “There’s so much to explain, I don’t know where to begin.” He sat for a minute and then continued, “Have you heard of the Deific?”

  I said nothing.

  “No, I guess you wouldn’t have, considering who your parents are,” he s
aid.

  But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I had heard the word “Deific” before. It was the only word my parents had forbade me to use. When I was ten, I’d said it after overhearing the word used by a guest of my parents. I’d asked my mother what it meant, and instead of answering, she grabbed me with inhuman strength and dragged me to the cellar where I remained locked up in the dark for days with only dirty water from a broken pipe to sustain me.

  When my parents finally released me, they lectured me for hours on how that word was not to be used, ever, in their house, and all the while a large feast of chicken and potatoes sat untouched behind them. I eagerly agreed to anything they said just to have one bite, but when they finished their lecture, they whipped me three times and gave me stale bread to eat instead. I never said the word “Deific” again.

  “The Deific,” Charlie began, but stopped and looked at me sitting awkwardly on the ground. My arms were shaking just trying to hold up my body. “Why don’t we go somewhere more comfortable and then I’ll tell you everything.”

  I shook my head. “I want to know now.”

  “If you insist, but I’m going to keep it brief. You obviously need food and a lot of rest.” He straightened his legs again.

  “The Deific is a secret organization created several hundred years ago. We have one purpose—to bring balance between good and evil. Whenever evil, regardless of what form it comes in, becomes too great, the Deific steps in. It doesn’t matter whether the evil is human, witch, monster, demon or vampire, the Deific always rights the balance by any means necessary. And that is why I am here. We discovered that a witch named Alarica was the cause of all the recent fires, ones that killed a lot of people. We’d never heard of a witch named Alarica, so we were very concerned.”

  “Did you come here to kill me?” If he had tried in that moment, I didn’t think I would’ve stopped him. It was what I deserved, wasn’t it?