by Erin Trejo
“It is our job after all,” I remind him.
“And a job well done. I have no worries in passing down the torch to you one day, Kellin. You have proven to be very worthy of it thus far.” On the surface, I’m ecstatic but somewhere deep down inside of me there’s a spark of doubt. Would I want this to be my life forever?
“I’m glad you see it that way,” I tell him as I grab the lighter and begin lighting the candles. It doesn’t take long before everyone starts to arrive in the temple.
I finish with the candles and move to take my place on the left side of the altar. Rory moves up next to me followed by a few of the other guys. The women come in next, a sea of red robes as they make their way to the seats around the room followed by the women in white robes.
“This is going to be fun,” Rory says next to me. We can’t see each other’s face, but I can imagine his is lit up with a smile. I keep my head held high even as I see Ebony walk in and take her place next to my father. There’s a fire that races through me when I see her next to him.
“We all know why we’re here tonight. We’re here to offer Satan our newest member. Tonight she will be giving herself to the Unholy, to Satan, the giver of life!”
The crowd roars and chants as I stand and watch the girl make her way up onto the stage. The temple is set up inside of a large pentagram that was custom built to my father’s specifications. As she steps up in front of the altar, I step forward and reach for her white robe. She doesn’t make a sound as I slowly slip it down her shoulders and leave her standing naked. The chants continue as I pass off her robe and offer my hand. She takes it and I help her onto the concrete slab that serves as our altar.
“Prince of Darkness, hear us!” my father roars as she lays down on the altar, her legs bound on either side so that she’s sprawled open for all to see. In each of her hands, I place a black candle before stepping back into my place. My father moves, standing in between her parted legs with the white candle in his hand.
“Repeat these words after me. Before the mighty Prince of all Darkness and in the presence of all the demons of hell, I acknowledge that I am giving away my soul to Satan himself and I offer it up willingly.” Everyone is silent as slave number 6529 repeats the words.
“And now you will give yourself freely to Satan and all his darkness!” When my father finishes speaking, I grab the white candle from him and step closer to the woman, standing over her. Slowly I tip the candle, watching the wax as it falls and drops onto her flesh of her abdomen. Dad stands off to the side, keeping a close eye on things as if I could mess this up. I’ve done it hundreds of times in my life. I keep pouring, moving up her chest as I go. I see her tears from the corner of my eye, but I keep going as the chants keep coming. The more wax I pour, the louder they become.
When I’m finished, my father moves in between her parted thighs and rolls up his robe as he pulls his cock free. We all watch as he shoves into the girl, her cries ringing through the air. Each thrust of his hips causes her screams to become that much louder. When he comes, he steps back, grabbing the sword from one of the other elders. Then they trade places.
“In the name of Satan we bless thee with this symbol of the rod of life!” he roars pointing to the south. He continues to each side - east, north, and west - pointing the sword as he goes. All four elders take a turn with the girl as the rest of us stand in our places. When they’re finished, the goat is brought into the room. You can feel the anticipation of what’s about to come. There’s an overwhelming sense of peace that surrounds us in the moment. This is what my life has always been.
Another girl in white is brought onto the stage, kneeling in front of the altar. She is the sacrifice. She is the one who wasn’t completely broken, and that was the sign of our Satan that she must be used for a greater good. For a girl to be broken, she must wholly give herself over to us and the Devil. She must understand every aspect of our world and bow to us men. She must be able to give up who she is to the greater good and become submissive.
The goat is strung up by its back legs, dangling overhead. My father turns to me, passing me the sword, and with a nod I get to work. First the goat. Your cuts must be made with precision. You don’t want to cut all the way through. As the blood drips into the bowl beneath it, Rory moves to stand behind the girl on her knees. He reaches up and slowly pulls her hood from her head, letting it fall down her back. Her big blue eyes peer up at me, fear of the unknown dancing in them. She should be afraid.
“Chant with me!” my father roars and the crowd joins in. I take a step back, holding the sword in my hands, raising it above my head. My father says the words, but I drown them out. They aren’t anything new to me, and to tell me that I’m the spawn of the devil, well, you wouldn’t be wrong. I wave the blade through the air as Rory steps back. Then I swing. The cut is perfect. Not all the way through but enough to cause her to choke. Rory moves to grab the bowl, holding it to one side as he grabs ahold of her hair, tilting her head back. Her crimson red blood slowly drips from her neck into the bowl, mixing with the blood of the goat.
When her body becomes weak and the bowl becomes full, Rory lets her body fall to the ground.
“Our first sacrifice of the incoming members! All rise!” Everyone in the audience stands to their feet as the other guys move to untie the woman on the altar. I move toward her, holding my hand out, and as she takes it, I help her to her feet. Her legs tremble, her eyes so full of tears. None of these girls really want this life. None of them really asked for it, but it’s theirs now and there is no turning back. Rory hands me the bowl as I raise it above her head.
“In the name of Lucifer we ring about you, brightening the air with sounds of wisdom. We ask that you bless our coven in a way that only you can, oh dark one. With this blood, we ask that you give us the way to procreate and continue your legacy as you wish us.” With that, I tip the bowl of blood and watch as it covers her body, her pale skin before I stop. The remainder of the blood is poured into a chalice and presented to the woman in front of me. I take a step to the side, allowing the others the space they need to move around her.
“Drink!” my father screams as her shaking hands slowly move toward her face. When the rim touches her lips, I think she’s going to lose it. Most girls do at that point, but some surprise me. Ebony steps forward, resting her hand on the bottom of the chalice, helping raise it to the girl’s lips. She takes a small drink, gagging as she does before the chalice is then passed around to the elders. They each drink as I watch the crowd.
“Hail Satan!” the elders scream.
“Hail Satan!” the members scream together.
Four
Rose
There are two roads that lead into the woods. Either way you go, you are brought to a massive gate that reads Les Fleurs du Mal which translates to The Flowers of Evil. I suppose in some sort of weird way that is pretty satanic. Lucky for us we don’t travel that far and no one that I’ve ever heard of has been behind those gates.
“This is creepy,” I say as we climb out of Vi’s car. A chill races down my spine as I walk around to the front of the car. My eyes track the movements of the others; some I recognize from school, whereas others I have never seen before. Vi grabs my arm, looping it through hers before dragging me toward the trees.
“This is going to be epic. Look how sexy you are in that dress, Rose. If anyone is getting the dick tonight, it’s you,” she giggles. I wasn’t here looking to get anything. I was here because I didn’t want to sit alone. In reality that’s exactly what I should have done. I should have stayed in and studied like I’d planned to do.
“I’m not looking for any dick,” I remind her as we get closer. The bonfire in the center of the clearing is already burning into the night sky when we step into the mass of people. Music plays, people dance, others drink, but it’s the ones that laugh and have a good time that catch my attention. I’m not outgoing, at least not anymore. All of that has been siphoned from my life, and what remains
is this empty shell of a girl I used to be. I had no choice but to change who I was. They left me no other options. The day I ran was the day I become this.
“Stop being such a downer. You never have any kind of fun, Rose. I swear I take you to all the best parties and you only sit in a corner. Not tonight. Tonight you’re drinking, you’re dancing, and you are having fun.”
“She’s right!” someone screams next to my ear. I jolt as I turn to face the man. He’s probably around my age, alcohol wafting off his breath.
“And you would be?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.
“I’m the good time, baby!” Yeah, he’s drunk, and this isn’t happening. I start to walk past him when Vi grabs my arm laughing.
“He is not the good time. Come on,” she urges me deeper into the clearing. Rather than resist, I give up and let her drag me into the ring of dancing people when the music changes. Violet grabs my arms and starts moving to the music, and I finally loosen up and do the same.
A gust of wind blows, and a chill runs down my spine. Only it wasn’t from the wind. I know that feeling. It’s the feeling you get when evil is near. Vi spins around, dancing with some guy, as I slowly turn in a small circle looking for the danger. I can feel it, taste it on the tip of my tongue. The idea of them finding me sends a shudder through my body. Wrapping my arms around myself, I walk away from the crowd toward the coolers. I flip the lid on the first one before moving down the line. Each one is filled with more liquor than I care to consume tonight. Blowing out a breath, I move to the last one where a guy stands with his hand in the cooler. I wait for him to move before I pop the top open.
“Jesus, it’s like a liquor store,” I mumble under my breath. A dark chuckle sounds as I glance up and see the man staring at me. Ice blue eyes pop against his shaggy dark hair.
“Not a drinker?” he asks, his deep voice vibrating through my body.
“Not much.”
He holds his hand out, offering me the bottle of water he must have pulled from the cooler. Droplets of water trickle over his tattooed fingers as I stare.
“It was the only one left. Take it,” he says, breaking my haze. I swallow hard, reaching for the bottle. Our fingers brush against each other, and as I suck in a breath, he steps back.
“Umm…thanks for this,” I say, holding the bottle up before uncapping it and taking a quick drink.
“No problem. I hear these parties get a little out of control with all the drinking.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to one before tonight.” Something sparks in his eyes before he nods.
“Not your scene?”
“Not really. I’m not much of a party girl.”
“I wouldn’t be able to tell by that dress your wearing,” he says walking around the coolers, coming to stand directly next to me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Crimson is my favorite color,” he says, as he reaches up and runs his finger along my shoulder. Bumps dance across my skin, even as the uneasy feeling inside my stomach becomes greater.
“Why is that? Blood fetish?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Once again, I’m greeted with that dark chuckle that sends a chill over my body.
“Blood fetish? I can’t just like the color?”
“Sorry,” I grumble. This whole cult thing Violet was talking about must have gone to my head.
“Nothing to be sorry for. Why are you still here if you aren’t having a good time?” he asks, and my insides shake. What is it about him that makes me so uneasy?
“My friend is here. She’s having a good time.”
“Do you always like to please others?” The tone he takes isn’t a good one. Swallowing hard, I take a step away from him, but he counters each one. “Do I make you nervous?”
“No, I’m just going to find Violet.” Lie. He sure as hell makes me nervous and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.
“I didn’t even ask your name,” he says, those cold blue eyes assessing me even more. I can feel them burning through my flesh, just like the Devil himself.
“Rose.” Quickly, I turn to walk away when I spot Vi. I rush toward her, grabbing her arm.
“Can we go?”
“What? No! We just got here, Rose!” she squeals before bringing the bottle in her hand to her lips.
“There’s a creepy ass guy here and he’s following me,” I tell her. Her eyes narrow before she glances around.
“Who is it? Show me!” Oh God, she’s going to go all crazy on me now. Yet another reason I don’t like going out with her. She’s a badass when she wants to be. I glance around but I don’t see him where I left him.
“I… I don’t know where he went.”
“So that’s settled. We’re staying. Have a drink, it’ll calm your nerves.” Shrugging my shoulders, I grab her bottle and bring it to my lips. I suppose we could stay a while longer. He isn’t the first creepy guy that I’ve encountered in my life and I’m sure he won’t be the last. Taking a long pull, I can’t help but feel a tingle up the back of my neck. It’s almost as if I’m being watched, but every time I look, I don’t see anyone. I don’t see him. Maybe it’s this creepy forest we’re in or maybe all the stories are getting to me. Whatever it is, I don’t like it.
A few drinks later,I’m feeling more confident and a lot looser. My mind is in a better place and my body is moving with each thump of the music. People laugh, kiss, damn near fuck around the fire. The heat only intensifies when I feel someone behind me. I don’t need to look over my shoulder to know it’s that guy again. He has a presence that announces itself long before the man would ever have to. I keep moving until I feel hands wrap around my hips. Then I pause.
“Don’t stop,” he whispers near my ear, and as if my body had a mind of its own, I start to move again. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing or why I’m letting him touch me but the feel of his hands on my hips sparks a fire in me. He inches closer, his warm breath dancing over my skin as his body moves with mine. It’s almost erotic, the way he holds me, his breathing becoming heavier, hotter.
“Close your eyes, Rose.” His whispered words cause heat to stir inside of me, but I still do what I was told to do. I close my eyes, and he presses his body closer to mine. His hard-on can be felt but it’s his scent that makes me dizzy. Our bodies sway in the most delicious way, and when my eyes are closed, it’s almost as if we’re floating. I let the feeling work its way through my body. Before I know it, I’m lost in his touch. His hands slowly slide up my sides coming to rest just under my breasts. Heat spirals inside of me. His body is a hard mass of heat pressing into my back and I let my head fall back onto his shoulder.
“Rose,” he whispers my name softly and a shiver works its way through my body. His hands move around me, across my stomach. I suck in a breath, loving the way my body responds to him but hating it all at the same time. I’ve never felt like this. I’ve never let a man touch me like this. The sense of danger and threat linger around this man, clinging to me like a second skin. I should scream or yell for help but strangely I don’t, I can’t.
“What are you doing to me?” I ask softly as I lose myself even further into his whole being. Our bodies move as one and my stomach begins to tremble when his lips caress the shell of my ear.
“I’m going to take you, Rose. I’m going to watch you wither under my control.”
Five
Kellin
I yawn as I roll over and sit up, throwing my legs over the side of the bed. It was a long night. A great night but long. I can’t believe it’s been a week since that party.
I roll my head around, loosening my muscles before I stand and walk into the bathroom. Flipping the faucet on, I lean down and splash water on my face before looking at myself in the mirror. Some days I’m sickened by what I see. Others I’m proud. There’s such a strong contradiction to the man that I am. On one hand, I’m the devil worshiper that everyone pegs me for, the man with horns who could steal your next breath before you knew
I took it. On the other hand, I’m not sure who I am. This is what I’ve always been, but there has always been a lingering feeling that there was more to me than just this, more to who I am.
Shaking my head, I turn and start the shower. Letting it heat up, I strip out of my sweatpants and climb into the water. Just like the pits of hell, it scalds my flesh reminding me of what I am. I stand there and let the water scorch me when I feel someone climb in behind me. I don’t need to look to know who it is.
“Why are you here?”
“I hate him, Kellin,” she whispers, her hands circling my waist from the back. She lets her fingers trail over my stomach, over every muscle knowing what it does to me.
“You shouldn’t be here, Ebony. We both know what will happen if he finds out,” I remind her.
“I need some kind of relief, Kellin. My God, your dad can barely keep his cock hard for longer than five minutes. Just…please.” Her begging goes straight to my cock and she knows it. I spin around, grab her around the throat, and push her back against the tile wall with a growl.
“Who the fuck do you think you are? You come in here demanding a place on the throne, and now that you have it, you don’t want him?” I ask, keeping my burning gaze on hers. Ebony swallows hard, knowing what I’m saying is true. She wanted more out of this life. She wanted the empire at her fingertips, but that isn’t what she got. She got my father instead.
“It’s not what I thought it would be, Kell,” she whispers. This I know all too well. Instead of hashing things out with her, I remove my hand, grab her hips, and lift her until she wraps her legs around me. In one motion I’m inside her, fucking her until her legs tremble and her body tenses.
“You made your choice,” I grunt as I thrust harder. I once cared about Ebony. I still do but not the way I used to. She broke that part of me. She ruined anything that remotely resembled love. She tore it from my chest when she chose my father over me.
