Pure Hell (Seventh Level Book 1) (11 page)

“Are you okay?”

At the sound of Mark’s voice, Pamela stepped away and Anne dropped her gaze to her feet.

“It’s fine,” Pamela answered sparing her from embarrassment. “Those first waves of grief hit when you least expect it and it looked as if Anne needed a hug. You know how we girls are.” Anne looked up in time to catch her shrugging as if that should answer everything and Mark nodding like it was the gospel. “I’ll leave you two alone now. It was nice meeting you both.”

Pamela gave Mark a quick wave then turned eyes on Anne so hot, a new wave of lust caused her head to spin. Anne gripped the counter behind her to keep her knees from buckling.

“She seems nice,” Mark said as the door closed behind the blonde.

Somehow, Anne managed a smile. “My turn for that shower now,” she said a bit too brightly as she pushed away from the counter on shaky legs. As she started past him, he snagged her hand bringing her up short. “Are you sure you’re okay? Your face is all flushed and it looks as if you’ve been crying.”

She managed a weak nod. “I just need a shower and I’ll be good as new. I promise,” she added when he didn’t look reassured.

“We don’t have to do this,” he reminded her for the hundredth time.

“Yes, I do.”

He searched her face with his eyes, sighing heavily as if recognizing the futility of his continued arguments.

“Okay. Go take your shower.”

Inside the bathroom, Anne stared at herself in the mirror as she went over the events in the kitchen in her mind. It all happened so fast she didn’t trust her memory. Stripping out of her clothes, she turned the water as hot as it would go before stepping under the stream. She needed to wash away the sting of shame sitting heavily on her shoulders. Closing her eyes, she dipped her head beneath the water. The picture of Pamela’s lips parting as she moved toward her fired to life inside Anne’s mind and her channel pulsed in response. Her nipples hardened into painful points and she cupped them between her hands squeezing as she sought relief. Her eyes flew open and she glanced down at herself. She couldn’t do this. She had never, ever wanted another woman sexually. She pinched her nipples between her fingers and bit her bottom lip in an attempt at staying quiet. Moisture flooded her core and her eyes slipped closed again. Pamela appeared in front of her as the rest of the world slipped away.

“No one will ever know,” she whispered as her lips parted over Anne’s nipple.

The heat of her mouth came as a shock. Anne buried her fingers in Pamela’s hair drawing her closer. Her rough tongue lapped at her skin and circled the tight bead before her lips moved farther down Anne’s body. Her hands stayed busy, as well, massaging the globes of Anne’s ass between them. Pamela dropped to her knees and Anne lifted her foot resting it on the lip of the tub. Wasting no time, Pamela spread Anne’s pussy lips wide for her tongue. Anne dropped her head to her chest watching as the pink tip circled her clit before dipping inside her. White cream coated Pamela’s tongue and she purred as she swallowed it down. Anne’s head was spinning in a combination of lust and confusion. She no longer knew what was real and what wasn’t, but her body didn’t care. Her hips moved of their own volition as Pamela’s finger circled the strawberry hidden between her lips. No one touched her the way Pamela did and Anne wanted it. It was her dirtiest and most secret fantasy. It was something good girls didn’t do. Pamela increased the speed of her tongue and the tip of her finger entered Anne’s ass. The shock sent her spiraling over the edge and Anne tightened her grip on Pamela’s hair in order to grind her cunt against her mouth. A second orgasm struck as quick as lightning and the world went black.

*

A loud crash sent Mark rushing to the bathroom. He only knocked once before trying the knob. When it didn’t give, he lifted his foot, easily kicking the door in. Anne was curled into a ball inside the tub. The shower curtain had been ripped from the rod and was on top of her as if she’d taken it down with her in a fall. A quick inspection showed she wasn’t hurt but she also wasn’t responding.

“Come on, Anne, wake up.” He patted her cheek and then checked her pulse. It beat steady and he could see her chest rising with each breath. She was alive. Lifting her into his arms, he ignored the water soaking through his clothes as he strode into the bedroom. Once she was settled on the bed, he rushed back to the bathroom, turned the water off and snagged a towel from the hook. He returned to her side and rubbed her down with the towel, drying her off as well as he could under the circumstances. He tried to look at her as clinically as possible but it was hard with her completely exposed to his eyes. Luckily, his fear over her health overrode his body’s reaction to her.

To be on the safe side, he rummaged through her bag until he found a t-shirt and panties. It wasn’t easy covering up her gorgeous body but he carefully dressed her. He had a feeling she was going to be embarrassed when she came to, but he suspected it would be worse if she woke up naked.

With his task complete, he pulled his soaked t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside before climbing into bed next to her. He thought to pull her into his arms and offer his warmth, but as soon as his head hit the pillow, Anne’s eyes shot open. Her wide gaze seemed almost sightless as she stared at him.

“Are you okay?” He spoke softly, hoping she wouldn’t freak out.

She blinked rapidly as if attempting to bring him into focus. Her teeth chattered so hard he could hear them knocking together and he pulled her into his arms. She tucked her head underneath his chin. Her entire body shook until his own teeth rattled. He waited until it subsided before asking again, “Are you okay?”

“This place is bad. Horrible things happened in this apartment,” she whispered against his chest and he held her even tighter.

“What happened in the shower?”

“I don’t know what’s real when I’m here.”

“Did you see something?”

She shook her head. “I’m so tired.” Her voice sounded faint.

*

Anne slept soundly until around one-thirty and then startled awake without knowing what had caused her do so. She was going to sit up but Mark reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. Since they were both facing each other, she could see him staring at the corner of the room near her head. It was frightening to not be able to turn around to see what was happening behind her, but she could tell by the look on his face she didn’t want to know.

A sound of water dripping from a tap seemed unnaturally loud and close. Every muscle in her body tensed in anticipation of an attack. After holding her breath until she thought her lungs would explode, she finally whispered, “What’s going on?”

Mark’s eyes moved to hers and she could tell he was every bit as tense as she was. “Don’t move.”

She thought her mind would snap. If something horrible was behind her, she wanted to see it coming. Moving slowly, she rolled to her side. It took a few moments for her brain to process the scene and when it did, she gagged. A man hung suspended from the ceiling. His nude body was covered in deep gashes and blood seeped from each one explaining the dripping noise. His empty eye sockets and wide stretched mouth had bile rising in Anne’s throat. Beneath his body, a naked Pamela sat with her head thrown back allowing one of the streams of blood to flow over her face. With a knife gripped between her fingers, she slowly sliced across her arm moaning in pleasure as blood poured from each wound. A black horned beast knelt between her feet. The muscles of his back flexed and his head moved in such a way as there could be no doubt as to what his mouth was doing. The growling noises he made as he ate at Pamela’s pussy made Anne’s stomach heave.

She was more scared than she’d ever been in her life. Blood splattered the walls and chunks of flesh littered the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut and Mark slid his arm over her. With a sharp tug, he pulled her closer before inching them both off the other side of the bed. Pamela lifted her head and they both froze. She seemed lost in the throes of her twisted ecstasy and they slipped an inch farther away as she began to pant heavily. Her lips peeled back from her teeth as she snarled and her muscles began to jerk. Throwing her head back once more, she screamed and the black-horned demon transformed into a cloud of locusts.

“Holy shit,” Mark breathed behind her.

The locusts shot into the air and flew into Pamela’s mouth, disappearing. They were fucked. It was the only thing Anne was absolutely sure of. This time when Pamela lifted her head, her eyes honed in on Anne. She licked the blood from her lips.

“It doesn’t taste as good as you did.” She closed her eyes as if savoring the memory. “Your pussy is so sweet. It reminds me of honey and innocence. In case you’re wondering, your sister tastes very different. She’s more like wild berries and untamed desire.”

“What did you do to my sister?” Anne lashed out before she could stop herself and Mark held her back. Instead of becoming enraged, Pamela chuckled. A sickly trail of blood smeared across her body as she smoothed her hands over herself. A deep demonic moan fell from her lips as she cupped her sex.

“Move!” Mark yelled springing to his feet but Anne wasn’t as quick. Her feet entangled in the sheets. She twisted at the knot and made it halfway off the bed before Pamela stood. Anne froze in horror as Pamela’s body twisted at an odd angle and crawled up the wall. The man’s dead body hanging from the ceiling fell the ground with a sickening thump as Pamela slinked across the ceiling. Anne kept her eyes locked on Pamela. A scream ripped from Anne’s throat as she pounced. Mark dove for the bed, covering Anne with his body before Pamela could make contact.

“By the powers of light be gone!” he screamed and everything went silent. Keeping her eyes squeezed shut, Anne prayed harder than she’d ever prayed in her life. The sound of Mark’s breathing sounded strained in her ear and she could barely suck in enough oxygen to stay conscious with him squishing her to the bed, but she was too scared to move. Without warning, a heart-wrenching sob tore from her throat and Mark smoothed the hair away from her face.

“It’s okay, Anne. I swear. It’s okay. Come on, baby. Open your eyes.”

The sound of his voice finally penetrated her fear-soaked brain and she peeked one eye open. His body blocked out the rest of the room and his sweet brown eyes went far toward calming her racing heart. Shoring up her courage, she turned her head toward the blood-spattered wall to find only bright yellow paint.

Her mouth opened to ask what the fuck was going on, but the words lodged in her throat. Mark stood and tugged her to her feet as if she weighed no more than a doll. She peered around the room in shocked amazement. The room was every bit as clean as it had been when Mark carried her to bed earlier. It was as if nothing happened there.

Mark was throwing their stuff into bags. “Come on, baby. Snap out of it. We’re getting the fuck out of here.”

More tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t seem to get them to stop or tear her eyes away from where Pamela had been seated. “My sister,” she whispered hoarsely when she found her voice. “Oh my God, Mark. What did that thing do to my sister?”

* * * * *

Instead of heading straight back to Mark’s house, he drove them to an old greasy spoon a few blocks away from the apartment. The smells of food cooking and the sounds of people chattering helped to wash away the un-realness of what had taken place a few moments earlier.

Anne blew on the coffee trying to cool it off enough to take a sip. When she couldn’t stop her hands from trembling, a few drops spilled onto the table. Mark reached over, took it from her. He set it on the table.

“You okay?”

It would have been easy to lie but there was something about Mark. Once he had his full attention leveled on her, she wanted to tell him everything she felt and thought. “I’m lightheaded and queasy.”

He took her hand. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

She looked around at the neighboring tables to see if anyone was listening before leaning forward to whisper, “Are you certain? What if we were followed? What if whatever this is won’t leave us alone until we’re dead the same as Kylie?”

He released her hand. Standing, he waited for her to scoot over on the bench seat. As soon as there was enough room to sit, he slid in beside her. The moment they were side by side, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His warmth felt lovely in the chilled air-conditioned restaurant and the weight of his arm was reassuring. In spite of both of those things, Anne couldn’t stop a tear from sliding down her cheek. She wiped it away and tried to gain some control over her emotions.

Mark whispered in her ear, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

Anne looked into his eyes and wanted with all her heart to believe him. “Do you have special powers I don’t know anything about?”

He kissed the end of her nose. “Maybe one day I’ll show you my special powers but right now I’m going to take you home and put you to bed.”

Both of her eyebrows rose and a girly giggle slipped out before she could stop it.

He shook his head and grinned. “Alone,” he clarified. “You haven’t slept much in days and I’m not certain you’re capable of withstanding one more bad thing happening. When you wake up I’ll take you to talk to Madame Curion, but not a moment sooner.”

“What happened back there? I always thought Kylie was crazy seeing and talking to all those dead people, but even those things don’t feel as crazy as what we just saw. That was pure evil. I don’t understand why this entity or whatever it is would even be interested in me of all people. I have nothing in common with Kylie. I have never been concerned about the spirit world or what happens after death. In fact, I’ve always avoided the topic.”

She picked the coffee cup up again and took a sip. “I thought if I pretended Kylie was crazy, I would never have to see the things she saw or hear the things she heard. Living people are hard enough to comprehend. Why would I want to understand the dead?” She set the cup back down, but kept her fingers wrapped around it for its warmth. “Maybe I should have paid more attention.”