Crave (7 page)

Jared: Did he find you?

It was her turn to delay. She didn’t know how to tell him what was happening. Elizabeth struggled with all that was going on. They both were led into a false sense of security. Not just herself and Jared—but her parents. They’d all been under the impression that her coming here would keep her safe until they figured out a way to break the contract, and hide her out in the world while she went back to living.

Jared: Beth?

Breaking out of her melancholy, she went back to the task at hand—finding a way out.

Beth: Yeah... I’m still here.

Jared: Did he? Is he there?

Beth: Yes, he’s been here a few days now.

Jared: FUCK! You need to leave NOW!

Beth: Where the hell am I supposed to go?

Jared: Beth, you need to listen to me.

Beth: I have always listened to you... Jared, you’re all I have. I can’t trust anyone else.

Jared: I know, and I’m going to keep you safe. I promise.

Beth: Jared?

Jared: Yeah, Bethy.

The little nickname he called her filled her heart to bursting. Elizabeth had no clue what Jared looked like, she just knew when she’d reached out on the devil possession forums, he’d answered and no one else.

Beth: I’m scared.

Jared: You should be. If you weren’t, I’d be scared for you.

Beth: So, what do we do?

Jared: I have been doing some heavy research, looking into other cases where people claimed to be trying to get out of deals with the Devil.

Beth: And?

Jared: And I need you to get to a phone. We need to talk. I don’t trust you being in that place, and me telling you this information.

Beth: I’m afraid to leave. I keep hearing things outside. If I go out there, they will do something. I can’t. Not right now.

Jared: +39 347 5555555

Beth: What’s this?

Jared: My cell. I need you to get up before dawn, that time of day is when Heaven and Hell are said to touch. It is like a ‘safe’ if you will for all creatures in the planet to roam. You will leave at that time, look it up on your phone when dawn is and head out. It would help if you had something like blue lace agate, celestite would be better.

Beth: I have both!

Jared: Good girl, take the celestite in your pocket and he won’t be able to track you for a bit, it will fuzz him out. That is a stone of angelic protection. Basically it is said an archangel will be hovering blocking you from anything evil.

Beth: Does it count if you’re promised in wedded bliss to the king of all pain and suffering?

Jared: We are going to find out. Just get out, call me, and I will give you details. I’ll get you out, I promise.

Beth: Thank you.

Jared: Don’t thank me yet, we have to pull this shit off and I’m scared as fuck he’s gonna figure it out and hurt you.

Beth: I’ll be careful. I just... I just want freedom.

Jared: I know, Bethy.

Beth: Night.

Jared: Night.

Elizabeth was too nervous to think. How she was going to sleep? She decided it would be better if she stayed up instead of risking closing her eyes again. She pulled a chair up to the window, tucking her legs under her body. As she leaned forward and rested her head against the pane, she thought about everything. Up until this night, she’d had no hope, but she knew with Jared beside her, they would find a way—he would find a way. Together they would end this bullshit, and she could get on with her life that was currently stalled by some crazy asshole. Elizabeth took a deep breath and settled in for the night, awaiting dawn.

*****

E
lizabeth had eased out of the convent without issue. She felt no eyes on her for once, no one getting in her path and questioning her about her movements. Relief flooded her once she got into the main part of town. She only knew of one place that would be open this early, the grocer at the end of the row. He opened up at dawn every day for the people working the vineyards just outside of town. She’d made friends with the man when she first got there and she was sure he would allow her to use his phone. She felt the weight of the celestite stone in the pocket of her hoodie. Shoving her hands in, Elizabeth locked it in her fist and moved faster. The sun was slowly crawling its way over horizon and she wanted this call done with before anyone knew she was missing. Her twenty-four hours was nearly up. Somehow she got the feeling if he got too impatient, he would just snatch her anyways.

Finally making it to the end of the road, she saw the dull glow of the grocer. Elizabeth nearly ran the rest of the way. She was slightly panting when she entered. The old, weathered face of Mr. Crose greeted her and she felt instant ease.

“Morning, my little bird. What brings you here huffing and puffing this early in the morning?” His heavily accented voice was hard to understand. She smiled and moved toward him quickly, worried at any moment the beast would show up and suck her into his realm of hell.

“I need to use your phone, if that is okay, Mr. Crose,” she asked with trepidation.

“
Si, Si,
come.” He walked her over to the public phone and, after patting her on the back, shuffled back to the front counter.

Fumbling with the notebook in her hand, Elizabeth quickly turned to the page with the number on it and dialed. The tell-tale double ring of Italian phone lines filled her ears and she waited, her heart pounding. On the third ring, Elizabeth started to panic, unwanted tears filling her eyes as her throat got tight and pained.

A click.

“Fuck, thank God! I thought you forgot, or something happened.”

His deep, husky voice washed over her and she nearly collapsed to her knees in thanks.

“Bethy? Beth, it’s you, right?” His panicked whispered tones did warming things to her body. He sounded handsome, and a little bit dangerous.

She shook off those silly thoughts and answered.

“Yes, yes, it’s me.” Her voice a little hoarse from the running, she took in a deep breath to calm her thumping heart.

“Fuck, if it ain’t good to finally hear your voice, Bethy. I thought you would just disappear one day without ever knowing—” He paused. “You know what, nevermind. We need to get you the fuck out of that fucking hole. Look, I made a mistake, a huge mistake. Or Asmodeus is just that fucking clever with the shit he drops around the web. Who would have fucking known the devil knew how to make fake webpages?” He scoffed.

“Or he has a concubine doing it for him,” Elizabeth stated.

“You know, together we could start a country.”

She laughed. She couldn’t help herself. The relief, and finally hearing his deep husky voice did things to her body that made her want to weep.

“Well, that was a nice sound, Bethy. Promise you will do that again when we are face to face.”

“Face to face?”

“Yes, no more of this online bullshit. I just finished my semester and I’m going to meet you. I stayed up all night researching. I couldn’t sleep, I was too stressed out. I was worried, I didn’t want him...” He couldn’t finish. Elizabeth didn’t want him to either. “Anyway, you are literally in the belly of the beast, Bethy. Like Satan’s main haven of followers. It is even rumored that a gateway to hell is under the convent.”

This time her knees melted right under her and she hit the stone flooring hard. A whimper escaped from her parted lips and she felt the tears fall down her cheeks. Fear, regret, and anger all rioted for a front row seat with her emotions.

“I’m sorry. I mean, you looked it up too. We all thought it was legit.”

“It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault, Jared,” she whispered.

“It is, but let’s not talk about that now. Right now you need to know two things. One, I think your parents are still in on this. I think they knew about this place, or were told and sent you knowing you would be heading right into the jaws of the asshole.”

“How do you know this?” she nearly screamed into the phone, but maintained an odd level of calm at this knowledge.

“Because they were just in Forbes magazine last week boasting as one of the top ten business of 2014 after a huge financial loss the year before, Bethy. I mean, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it fits. According to the contract, once he has the female, the family prospers until her death.”

She nodded, not even realizing he couldn’t see. Her silent tears still fell as defeat became a very real thing.

“But I have good news.”

“Oh, really, what?” she scoffed. God, she sounded bitter.

“Hey, I need you strong, Bethy! Do you hear me? Get your ass up. I have a plan. You need to work with me here, got it?”

Elizabeth didn’t answer for a long time. She just stared in a daze towards the front door and the pretty dawn that waited to greet her and send her to her fate.

“Fuck,” she heard him mumble under his breath. “Please, don’t give up on me now.” She could have sworn she heard a faint English accent come out in him. His rich, husky voice dropped to a deep baritone and it knocked her right out of her stupor.

Elizabeth got to her feet slowly. The heat of the rock in her pocket distracted her for a moment before she smiled.

“I’m here. It’s okay, go on,” she whispered.

“Okay, you need to get yourself to Polignano A Mare. You are about eight hours out from it. It is a small sea side town. Just before you hit the rise that will take you down to the coast is a very small farm with a vineyard attached. Three monks are living there. One doesn’t speak, and that is who we are looking for. I already wrote to him. He got back to me and said he would be more than happy to help you. I have a car that will be waiting for you tonight to take you at this same time. You have cash, right?”

“Yes, I gutted my savings. I have a lot actually.”

Hope started to fill her. She might just be able to do this. The stone in her pocket seemed to get uncomfortably warm and she reached in for it. It sizzled and she yelped.

“Beth! Beth, what is it?”

She hissed as she pulled her hand out of her pocket and looked at the angry red tips of her fingers.

“The stone—it burned me.”

“Fuck, Goddamnit! He’s there.”

“What, wait, hold on...” She darted her gaze around and the only person she saw was Mr. Crose at the front counter stacking up gum on the racks. “No, I see no one.”

“Look, Beth, you need to leave now, and act normal. Same fight, same you. He can’t suspect anything. You might need to stay up again another night—dreams, well, he can get into dreams.”

Elizabeth froze. A tremor sliced through her body as she parted her lips to answer but nothing came out but a violent whine.

“No, Beth, tell me you haven’t been dreaming about him, please, bloody hell!” the accent was back and it wasn’t enough to rid her of the fear.

She decided to lie.

“No, nothing happened. Just worried about not sleeping again.”

Elizabeth heard his very loud sigh of relief through the phone. The air brushed against the mouthpiece and she had to move the phone away from her ear.

“If you take a nap during the daylight hours you will be fine. He’s strongest at night. That’s his domain and he can play however he wants. No rules, no limits, just remember that okay, love?”

Love?

Closing her eyes tight, Elizabeth swallowed, “Yes, I’ll remember.”

“Good. Now, get going. He is close to you if the stone is that hot, just—please, be careful.”

“I will, Jared. Bye.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Elizabeth set the phone lightly back on the receiver and felt the instant weight of Jared being gone. He made her feel stronger for some crazy reason. She made her way silently out of the store, mechanically nodding towards Mr. Crose, who eyed her warily. Stepping out into the warm sun, she halted. The stone in her pocket flared to life, the heat nearly unbearable—but she refused to get rid of it.

Leaning against a very posh looking automobile was Asmodeus, or she liked to call him, the beast, and she would continue to call him that.

He was all suave handsome air. The man walked in the room and panties dropped, women and men swooned, and he emitted a low-level heat that shot straight through any rational walls and nearly had you begging for him. Asmodeus pushed away from the car and reached a hand out to her.

“Join me for a drive, my sweet one.”

It wasn’t a request.

––––––––

T
he posh looking automobile was a Bentley Continental GT, in blazing red. As Asmodeus walked away from it, his grin accompanied the heat of flames, which began to lick the paintwork like a seductive temptress.

“I do hope you weren’t thinking of, as we say in hell, ‘doing a runner’. It would disappoint me to think you hated me that much, Elizabeth.”

“No, I was out for some candy. I have a fixation; I am American. And the air in the abbey is stale. The morning walk did me good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” The flames licked at his body. He could see the trepidation in her eyes at the sight of his tricks. The deep reds, the burnt oranges and purples hugged him, unwilling to let go. “Passion, it is my favorite emotion. After sex, love and lust, I like wine, fine wine, and Italy can boast some of the best. Italy is one of my favorite places: good vineyards with excellent restaurants. I’m going to Barbaresco vineyard. Care to join me? It’s a nice drive. You’d make it very enjoyable for me. Call it my treat for staying around.”

“I’m very grateful of course, but I have things to do at the convent. They’d be concerned if I didn’t return.”

“Oh, I’m sure they wouldn’t miss you. After all, they are caring for you because of me.”

“I need to go.”

“You need to get in my car, Elizabeth.”

“No, I...”

“Get in the FUCKING CAR.”

The grin grew bigger as poor sweet Elizabeth was held in his devilish spell, unable to move anywhere but the car. Oh, she struggled, but it amused him as the door opened by itself and she climbed in. Asmodeus got in, slipping into the deep luxurious black leather. He sighed with pleasure as the seat hugged him. Looking to his right, he watched her, unable to do anything against her will. Moving his fingers, the seat belts moved, slipping over her chest. They pulled tight and she moaned as the black material emphasized her breasts, making them prominent. The zip of the hoodie slipped down by itself, revealing the tank beneath. Asmodeus sighed as the sight of her breasts aroused him, her nipples hard and pushing out of the thin cotton.