The Pact
Book Two:
Sailor Ray and the Dark Descent
Alex Villavasso
Copyright 2016, Alex Villavasso
All rights reserved
This novel is a work of fiction and is a product of the author’s imagination.
All events, places, and characters are either fictitious or portrayed in a fictitious manner. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form except by an authorized retailer or once written permission from the author is received.
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Cover Illustration by Jeff Brown
Cover Typography by Natasha Snow
Editing by Amber Bungo
ISBN-13: 978-1537690759
ISBN-10: 1537690752
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Table of Contents
Blurb
Prologue: Scorned
Chapter 1: Hell’s Fury
Chapter 2: Alive
Chapter 3: My Darkest Night
Chapter 4: Marked
Chapter 5: The Hunt
Chapter 6: Meeting Sarah
Chapter 7: A Mother’s Love
Chapter 8: Afterthought
Chapter 9: Chasing the Blue Devil
Chapter 10: Deliverance
Chapter 11: Search and Destroy
Chapter 12: The Dark Descent
Chapter 13: Vartal The Wicked
The Pact Book Three: Sailor Ray and the Beautiful Lie
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A Note to the Reader
Sailor’s Descent
About the Author
Looking for More?
Blurb
Captured—that’s what I am.
I tried to save Benjamin Evans, a local bartender, but instead, I ended up in a bit of a jam; strapped to a chair, with nowhere to run. The only option left is to fight, although I’m not sure how.
Torture is the name of the game.
Who sent me? What do I want with Ben? Why was I at the nightclub? He used to ask me those questions, but he stopped not long after our session began. Now he plans on hitting me until I finally break, which is unfortunate, because I have no intention of dying here and I won’t be broken.
Despite what that demon prick has to say, I won’t be his vessel or whatever he has planned for me. I have my own agenda, like saving Benjamin and getting answers about my parents’ deaths.
I’m going to escape one way or another, and when I do, there’ll be hell to pay.
Prologue: Scorned
And so it was, I fell. I fell from the Heavens, cast out by my father’s command, the stars and universe scolding me in my descent. I felt rejected, cold, and I grew colder by the second, as his spirit left me in my fall from grace. Like balls of fire, we plummeted, alone and devoid of His love. Heaven was sealed from me. I could see it—the guards stationed around the gates with flaming swords, preventing my return.
As my body plummeted to Hell, I remembered the time we spent together, how magical it was. The smooth stones that brushed across my feet as I walked with Him will forever be my greatest memory. Even now, a weaker part of me longs for His embrace.
It was me and seven others who fell further than the rest. Hell is not our home, but the place of our confinement. We were in Hell, but not of Hell. Imprisoned, and bound at the core, destined to wait in agony, covered in darkness, devoid of contact. To my brothers and sisters, I am but a ghost, a legend. And though my strength is only a mere fraction of what it once was, I grow stronger by the day, tethering life from the soul of a girl named Sailor as she tries her feeble attempt at revenge.
So be it.
Through her, I live, and soon I will be free once more.
Chapter 1: Hell’s Fury
His fists weigh on me like cobblestone, cracking against the side of my head with every successful blow. He takes his time, slowly spacing the pain with moments to reflect on why I have yet to cooperate with his demands. It’s no more than a second or two, but it makes all the difference when I’m at his mercy. Who sent me? What do I want with Ben? Why was I at the nightclub? He used to ask me those questions, but he stopped not long after our session began. He knew I was resilient, so instead of asking the same questions over and over again, he promised that he would make my life a living hell until I told him what he wanted to hear. The option to talk never came to my mind. It was no secret that the second I spoke, he’d kill me. He wants to break me, and he claims I’m no different than the others. He’s sadly mistaken.
I’m far from broken, and with every hit, he only adds to the raging fire burning within me. He was right when he said that there was something sinister brewing within me. It’s beyond Alfonse. Possibly some kind of demonic love child born from past trials and current tribulations; nurtured by no other than the demon that rests within me, but completely my own.
While he’s beating me, I don’t squirm. Instead, I fantasize of all the ways I plan to rip him limb from limb. I’ll be damned if I end up being his little bitch in the afterlife, and to be honest, I’d much rather have him on his knees in the realm of the living.
“Had enough yet?” The demon stops to taunt me as my blood empties out onto the floor. His cocky demeanor only makes the thought of killing him even sweeter. My eyes hone in on his full lips holding a luscious smile. Just the way he looks at me drives me mad.
“Not even close.” I spit a mouthful of blood into his face, but he seems not the least bit repulsed by it. He wipes it away and his expression returns to his standard mischievous grin that I’ve learned to hate.
“I like you. I like you a lot. You’re a fighter. What a precious spirit.” The demon chuckles and my stomach twists in disgust from his odd sense of infatuation. It’s a slow, casual laugh. The kind you would have with a friend sharing stories or while on an intimate date with a lover. He gravitates towards me and lightly strokes his fingers along the perimeter of my face, gathering traces of my blood before running his hand through my hair. The strong smell of iron hits my nose and I visualize streaks of red contrasting against my long brunette hair. “I’m so sorry I have to do this. I wish there was another way.” His voice is surprisingly empathetic, soft. Almost like day and night when compared to how it was only minutes before. He sinks to meet me at eye-level and studies me. His eyes cast a reflection and I see myself, beaten and bruised. The demon holds his gaze and tilts his head to the left as he scrunches his brow and sighs. Pin-needles run down my spine as his face creeps closer. I have no clue what he’s looking at or trying to see, but the eeriness and sudden change in his demeanor is more than enough reason to be on guard. “Hmm. Perhaps, there is…” The depth he holds in his eyes vanishes as I watch them drift off to the side, entranced with a new train of thought. “Be right back…”
He leaves me as a bloody pulp, frustrated and confused. I keep my head down, ignoring the small river of blood that travels down the side of my face, my attention locked on his traveling feet. They tap across the concrete floor of the warehouse and travel two flights of stairs before I hear a door shut. I wait a final moment before I exhale in silent relief.
“Damn it,” I whisper. “This is some real deep shit.
” I lean my head back against the spine of my chair and hear a sharp chink from the chains that bind me. I exhale again and flinch at the pulsing pain my jaw emits. With my gaze directed at the ceiling, I look into the light that sways over my head. It’s bright, disorienting, and makes my headache worse, but I refuse to look away. The warm light soothes my sore face.
I close my eyes and let my thoughts drift as I bathe in its warmth, but only for a second or two—just enough to remind myself that paradise exists outside of this hell hole. As I re-center, I notice that the warehouse is deadly still. Silent. So silent that I can hear the electrical humming of the bulb above me.
Where’s Ben? My mind snaps at me.
Above anything else, the thought streams through my head, taking center stage. I haven’t heard as much as a scream or a cry for help since we made it here. He isn’t the strong, silent type. No, not by a longshot. I rummage through my head again, trying to track the time, but it’s overshadowed by memories I’d rather not recall, aka, me getting the shit beat out of me.
Wait. That’s right.
There was an echo. It was low…but it carried easily. How could I have not heard him? Unless…yeah, soundproof. The walls have to be soundproof, no doubt about it. That’s why it’s so quiet.
“Damn it, seriously? That doesn’t even make sense,” I grumble and sling my head forward, away from the light. My forehead begins to throb from the blood rush, so I swing it back to its upright position, frustrated.
Giving up already?
“What makes you say that?” I lash out louder than I should. I wait for a response, but Al, my demon companion, is quiet. “It’s called thinking, dumbass. I still plan on making it out of here alive.” My blood begins to boil and I exhale slowly through my nostrils. “Your snarky remarks aren’t helping either…got anything useful to say? If not, shut the fuck up and let me think.”
And here I thought you had a heart of gold, Alfonse snickers.
“You’re no help,” I mutter between clenched teeth as I slightly tug on my restraints. His snicker fades as I hear a door open. One-by-one, I hear the tap of dress shoes clicking down the stairs.
He’s back and I’ve got nothing.
My gut twists and I feel my heart begin to slam against my chest. He doesn’t speak until he’s in front of me. His attire is different. He’s changed. He now wears a long-drawn business jacket, black with a matching dress shirt and slacks. I try to ignore the syringe the demon dangles in his hand, but my eyes have a mind of their own. He skips all formalities and goes straight for my hair, yanking it backwards. The tension teases my roots and stretches my neck as he jerks my head to the side. My heart picks up and I hear the muffled sound of rushing blood, throbbing in my ears.
“You can come out now,” he says casually. “I think she’s ready.” Ready for what? I’m not stupid enough to ask, but I’m pretty sure I know what he plans to do. The demon still has my hair in his grasp, but I’m able to see a second figure approaching from the corner of my eye. “Well hurry up, we don’t have all day!” he scoffs. “Petty demons, eh? What can you do?” A quick chuckle escapes his lungs while he looks at me, but I can’t seem to find anything humorous about the situation. “Tough crowd.” He laughs again, confident that he’s won. “Now this may sting a bit.” In one fluid motion, he jabs the syringe into my skin and pushes down on the plunger. “But try to relax.”
“Gah!”
His hold on my hair tightens and I hear his smile inflected in the demon’s voice. “Atta girl.” He positions his body in front of me and slaps me on the cheeks lightly with his free hand before letting go of my hair. Instantly, my head sinks as if it’s a hundred pounds heavier. I struggle to raise my head to meet his eyes, but my body is too fucked to move. The room bends and the lights suddenly brighten and then fade from view, only to brighten again. His accomplice says something but it sounds like its miles away—a whisper, even though he’s only a few feet from me. I scrunch my brow and shake my head to dismiss the dream-like haze that threatens to overtake my senses.
“Hard shit, huh? As you humans say,” a disoriented voice echoes through my head as I stare at the floor, at a loss to logically explain why it seems to be stretching. “Having trouble focusing, I see.” The accomplice snaps at me twice, both times the sound registers a couple octaves lower than it naturally would. I struggle to lift my head but it barely moves. He hunches down to meet me. “Good. It’s working,” the petty demon confirms.
“In a little bit she won’t even know where she is. Then she’ll be ours.”
“Wha…id you…ject me…ith?” My words tumble out my mouth in a stupor. My head sinks and the room begins to pulse again, causing my eyes to momentarily drift to the back of my head.
“Industrial-grade Sphinx.” He laughs. “A shockingly effective elixir for aiding in demonic possession. Thank the boys and girls down at the club you ransacked for your dose. Works like a charm in normal situations. Care to know how it works? Well, first it numbs the body ever so slightly while the serum knocks away those pesky blocks in those human heads of yours, and then…ugh, never mind. I don’t want to spoil all of the fun. I’m not that evil. But if you must know—a bit of heroin, some cocaine. Hallucinogens. Um, a mild sedative. The good stuff…things that probably shouldn’t be mixed,” he muses. “Top it off with a few special herbs from down under, straight from Hell’s kitchen, and you got yourself a stuporing, incoherent, demon-ready human. As you know, it’s all in the soul.” He taps in the middle of his chest and my eyes flicker from the pulsing sound it emits. “This drug saps your will and ability to fight back. You’re virtually just another meat sack, turning ripe for the picking. Well, I shouldn’t say that. You’re no ordinary hunter, I’ll give you that. But you are human…at least part of you, for sure. And I assume you have a soul, so therefore you can be possessed.” His words are like mumbles to me and I can’t seem to remember why what he’s saying is so important. “You’re a tough one, but this stuff is extra potent, Nephilim. I’m not taking any chances.”
I’m no Nephilim, I whisper, but then I realize my voice is only a daydream.
“As time goes on, the more of that poison your cells suck up, the weaker you’ll become. I can feel you slipping away already. If you start to feel like you’re dying, don’t worry. We’ll be right here to take over once things get bleak. In case you didn’t know, Sphinx works wonders for demons. Nectar of the gods, eh?” He rubs his finger along the tip of the used syringe and licks the remnants of the blue drug. “Lucky for me I don’t mix business with pleasure, although your case in particular is something special.” I try to say something, but my mouth hangs open, unresponsive to my commands.
“Is she ready yet?”
“Calm down,” the lead demon murmurs. “Give it a few. We don’t want any problems with the possession. Time is on our side. All will be well once we have her. We’ll get what we want and more.”
“Al-pnse,” I’m barely able to speak through the fog that clouds my brain, but I’m sure I said something this time. Positive. My jaw runs slack as the last of my energy leaves my body. My head drifts forward but a cold, masculine hand halts its descent. The warm air from his nostrils tickles my face. Why am I afraid again? I can’t seem to remember what they want or why I’m here. It was something urgent. There was a boy and we were on a…date? His hand feels nice around my chin. I don’t resist as he moves it from left to right, only exhaling in warm ecstasy as my neck rolls from his raw strength.
“Yeah, she’s just about finished. You must have really done a number on her beforehand.”
What? Finished what?
“Quite.” My head resets to its default position, still guided by his hand. “I’m about to go in. If for any reason my vessel gives you problems once he awakens, don’t hesitate to kill him.” The man in front of me slowly exhales in my face, releasing a dark mist that pours out through his nose and mouth. A sense of dread stirs in my gut as his essence transfers over to me, but I am too weak to
turn away. The void in my stomach grows and I briefly grab hold of my senses. It’s possession—he’s trying to possess me. The black mist chokes me as it forces itself into my mouth, but with the last of my will, I do my best to resist his advances. He grunts and another wave of his essence flows from his mouth into my throat. The room grows darker, even though I’m still in complete control of my body. My body feels heavier than before and my vision is slowly getting worse. The lone flicker of light I see is shrinking, blending in with the surrounding darkness.
The lead’s face disappears from sight and my world turns completely black. After succumbing to the darkness, time drifts as I peer into nothingness, and then, a familiar voice snaps me from my dark fantasy.
My vision returns to me and I see the orange door to the warehouse bust off its hinges and scrape across the dull concrete floor. The sound doesn’t register quite right. It reminds me of a low pitch from an un-tuned violin. Why does it sound so weird? That’s right—I was drugged. Sphinx. Focus. Come on, Sailor. “Get away from her!”
The lead demon breaks away from my body just as bullets begin to cut through the sky. I heave oxygen into my lungs, solely by reflex—I was suffocating and didn’t even notice.
His black mist shifts into a tar and penetrates through the ground below my feet while rounds fire into his vessel and accomplice. I scrunch my eyes as the second wave of rounds fly through the air, still adjusting to the onslaught of chaos brought about through the revival of my senses. The sharp pings of bullets ricocheting rattles my eardrums, causing me to wince while I remain helplessly bound. Eventually, the firing stops and a set of footsteps march my way. I struggle to lift my head but it fails to move.
“She’s a mess!” A voice cuts above me, tearing through my skull. So loud. Why is he so loud? “You, stick with me. The rest of you, secure the area and look for the others. We got Sailor, now we’re looking for a boy and a girl. Stay tight. In and out.” Something triggers in my mind. It’s only a flash, but I know it’s something urgent.
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