***
Haven's thoughts chaotically dispersed in too many directions but she faked what she hoped looked calm to the demon. How dare he touch her? Oh God, how could she have enjoyed it? The look the creature flashed her way promised a severe punishment. While her body screamed and yearned for the danger, her mind steeled herself with the truth. He wanted to seduce her. The demon knew her inner desires and used them against her. He wanted her and would free her brother to obtain his goal. A game to see if he could claim her. Two could play and it was Haven's turn to move a bishop. Haven straightened her shoulders and spoke, "I will give myself to you, demon." Just not the way you want, dirty creature.
His dark eyebrows shot up with surprise. Well, she did knee his balls... She raised her chin. "How long do I have to be with you?" she asked again.
"Give me your name and I will give you a time frame." He stood utterly still before her, eyes watching every little move she made. His gaze so intense, she wanted to be lost in him, in that kind of intensity. She bit her tongue. Demons were not fuck buddies. Demons played with their prey before devouring everything they had to offer.
"Haven Rowe. You?" Her stomach turned. This is a mistake.
"Desiderus." He smiled. "You would be with me until I tire of you."
Haven rubbed her palms down her cheeks. "That could be years, decades...forever..."
"Yes. But what is his freedom worth to you?"
Could she give all of her time up so her brother would be set free? Haven pinched the bridge of her nose and imagined his face before hers. She pictured him as the small boy he once was, with shaggy brown hair and a baby face, the way he was before their parents died...
She'd been taking care of him. How could she call herself family, a big sister, a protector, if she didn't help him through his current issues as well? He was all she had. She could barter with Desiderus some, maybe it wouldn't be huge leaps in bargaining, but she could work some of it to her advantage. She could see his lusty interest... "Set a deadline demon. Give me a solid number, and I retain who I am. Which means you can't keep me from my job or my family for more than two days." He couldn't possibly believe she would follow through with it. If he did, dumb on his part. Haven smirked inside knowing full well she did not intend to give herself over to him. She just needed enough time to find a way to really free her brother before hell took him over. She shuddered to think about what hell would turn him into, what this demon might do to him, twisting his soul in new ways even the worst human couldn't imagine. Images of his body being skinned alive in the depths of burning flames made her swallow back her semi panic. The tortures hell spawn could think up were undetermined to humans, and she wasn't so willing to find out what they were first hand, or to allow Jeremy to either. There had to be some form of magic out there to take Jeremy from demons, or a loophole of some kind.
His eyes narrowed. "Ten years and you can't be gone from me more than two days at a time."
She would regret this. With a deep breath, Haven nodded. "Done." She glanced down at his hands. How did demon's seal deals anyway? "What happens now? When do you set Jeremy free?"
"I can't free him until my lord, Ba'al, has looked him over."
"Ba'al? As in the mythical king of hell?"
"The very one and only, nightmare to human kind." The demon's lips turned upward in a smug smile.
Haven cleared her throat. So Ba'al was real. She should have known. Of course his sigil was in the grimoire, and everyone talked about it, but it was just a sigil, something to keep demons in check. It wasn't like she'd known anyone who ever met the king of hell... "And you answer to him instead of the devil why?" Knowing her enemy would go a long way into finding a loophole out of everything.
"Ba'al's lust for the dark can only be sated by consuming dark souls. Ba'al curses men, for they are of strength and power unto themselves. He sates their sins, gives to them freely of their deepest desires, and then when their soul turns from white to deep purple, the heightened peak before a soul goes bad, Ba'al changes the male into a demon to take richly forever from the peaking soul. Forever settling on a climax never tipping over to drown themselves, condemning themselves to hell. He is my maker, my father, my master, and my king."
"Holy crap. I thought demons were fallen angels." Haven swallowed. So much to take in.
"You thought wrong, Haven Rowe."
So demons were once human. Realization settled along her spine tracing its icy finger as the thought of Ba'al making her brother a demon grabbed on to her heart. It was worse than she thought. Forever hell spawn, doing Ba'al's bidding. Pushing down her shock and disgust, Haven said, "I won't go with you until you have helped free Jeremy." She crossed her arms.
Desiderus stepped toward her again. She already had her back against the wall; there weren't many places to go from here. Her heart protested, hard, against her ribcage, but she couldn't be sure it was out of fear, exactly. Maybe in part, but the other side of her, the one hungry for attention and satisfaction, wanted those lips pulling at her nipples again and they instantly hardened at the thought.
"When he is let loose, there is nothing in this realm or the next that can save you from me. Keep that in mind in case you intend to change your mind. Now we must seal the deal."
He stood so close she could feel the heat rising from his body. "Handshake?" she said hopefully.
Desiderus smiled looking down on her. He grabbed a hold of her wrists, his thumb fluttered over the top of her skin causing gooseflesh to run up her arm, and she shuddered.
"Give me a kiss. Not a peck on the lips. An exchange with tongue and all, our saliva mixing, sealing us into a binding verbal agreement. The rest will come when the terms of the agreement have been met."
"And when those terms happen, do I have to fuck you or something?"
He cocked his head, as if he were considering what to say next. "No fucking will be involved in our binding."
The tension in her shoulders lessened. A kiss. She could handle a kiss with a demon. Her stomach knotted, repulsed at the thought of his forked tongue in her mouth. Nodding, Haven tipped her head up and waited for him to close the small distance between their lips. It happened so slowly, her heart ran rampant as she waited, eager to feel him, yet the lump in her stomach turned to a turmoil of nausea. She closed her eyes, unable to watch his approach any longer. When his lips found hers, instead of flinching as she thought she might, she melted into him, opening up for the demon as if she had done it a thousand times before.
His snake-like tongue slithered erotically into her mouth, flicking over her tongue, making promises of what he could do to her. She kissed him back, exploring him just as fully, and surprised it wasn't as distasteful as she originally thought. As swiftly as it started, he ended the interlude and pulled back. She fell forward, her body betraying her wish for him to come back and fill her again. Desiderus steadied her with a gentle hand and his glamour wavered, reminding her just how demon he really was underneath it all. Putting her fingertips to her lips, she slowly wiped them off.
"A contract then?" she asked. Haven didn't feel any different. Would a demon kiss binding an agreement make her feel something toward him? Instead of questioning it, she decided to let it go.
He nodded. "Do not run, Haven Rowe. Just as you can summon me directly with my name, I can find you at any time with yours. Don't try to slip away when there is no hope of it. I will be sorely disappointed if I have to drag you back to me."
His words sank into her, heavy on her heart. There would be no hope, no salvation. The second Jeremy was set free, she would be trapped. Before she allowed herself to get too worked up she encouraged the hardened enamel of anger to encase her emotions. Jeremy would be doing a whole lot to pay her back this time and if she ever saw him with any kind of magic again, she'd throw him out to his own wolves. Haven couldn't keep doing this to herself, or him. She wanted to be the one he looked up to, had made sure since the tragedy in her family to be there for him. When would it be too
much?
Desiderus regained her attention when his warm hand touched her cheek. "I won't run, demon. But know this will not be easy on you...I will be sure of it."
"Of that, my little human, I have no doubts." His form wavered and in circle of smoke, Desiderus vanished.
Chapter Four
Haven found herself on the edge of the city with a bag of marshmallows, some graham crackers, and chocolate. If she had to trap an unnatural she may as well get her chocolate fix while she was at it. The sunset over the city made for a damn gorgeous view for such a task. Easy to lose herself in sugar and colors instead of thinking about Desiderus and the bargain she'd made. She rubbed a hand over her face and then flicked her black hair back. Haven needed to get away, from all of it. Jeremy, who never acted like an adult. Her little brother whom she practically raised and who still lived with her. Bargains she didn't intend to keep, and just plain stress of the whole damn day. Which didn't include Gib and his freedom. She had no idea how to release him from a binding even he couldn't find the source of. Had it only been a day?
Haven squatted to make a circle out of rocks. A small fire would work for her s'mores. Nothing big. She didn't even really need the flames; just the heat to brown the marshmallows. She hoped the smell of burning sugar would entice the creature to her.
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the wild scents of flowers, pine, and something she couldn't quite place. Sweet and tangy. She stood, scanning the area. Beyond Westfall City, trees flourished in bold colors. The brown trunks jutted up from the ground blending into each other. Their green leaves called out to the ending rays of the summer sun. Shadows crept along the ground, moving with the light breeze shifting in and out. The honks from car horns burst through the silence from the city and Haven returned her attention to the fire. She picked up some dead wood pieces and dried brush, just enough to make her s'mores. Haven didn't need the police out here meddling when she was on a hunt.
Her parents had taken them out camping often and she valued those memories. Even the one that made her calf throb. Haven reached down and rubbed the scars on her left leg. She'd been nine at the time, camping in these very woods. The day was hot and she was squealing, running through the trees. Her father was chasing her. Haven hadn't come into her powers yet, and she never heard the warning. A rattlesnake came out of nowhere.
Haven clenched her jaw, swallowing the panic raising. She set the brush on fire and slowly added the twigs and thicker sticks. Her mind wandered back to Desiderus and her deal instead of the wretched snake. The fire crackled, snapping, and a wave of heat brushed against her exposed forearms and neck. She zoned out on a tree trunk, wondering about the demon's effect on her. She'd never been close enough to a demon for it to turn her on. She didn't even know they could be sexually excited. Though it made sense since demons had the very essence of sin engraved in their systems. And she'd agreed to go with him. Haven's chest tightened and she rubbed her throat.
How could she trade herself for her brother? She reached over, grabbed the fluffy white sugary goodies from her sack, and tore the bag open. The sweet smell hit her nose first and her stomach growled. S'mores were a much better thought than snakes, brothers, and demons. Next she opened the graham crackers, and finally the chocolate. Her mouth watered as she slid a big puff on a stick and held it over the small fire.
The sun had lowered and shone nearly in her eyes. She switched sides and the view of the city disappeared only to be replaced by several trees and brush. Turning the marshmallow, Haven bent closer keeping an eye on browning her mallow. It puffed up within moments, thickening, and when it was about to slide its numiness off the stick, she quickly moved it onto a graham cracker. The smell of a marshmallow smoked by the fire made her mouth water and a smile come to her. She carefully placed the chocolate on the hot browned puff and added another cracker on top, squishing it all together in melted awesome sugar.
Haven had the perfect s'more and couldn't wait to dig in. As her mouth closed around the sticky gooey melting corner, she spotted a bird with snow white feathers. They sparkled in the sunset colors. She barely had time to acknowledge the thick chocolate as she quickly swallowed and then dumped some of the marshmallows all over the ground near her. She licked her fingers and waited. The bird had to be the unnatural DAIS wanted, though it looked normal enough. Its legs were long and thin, with three claw like appendages in the smooth yellow foot. It took several steps in her direction and she felt the magic rise up from the creature, fluttering in the air as it came near. There weren't many perks to being a DAIS snare, but sensing some magic was a huge help. White feathers at the top of the bird's head bobbed as it moved and its beak came to a round point.
The hairs on the back of Haven's neck stood on end and deep down she knew someone was watching her, though she dare not turn to find out who. The bird stilled. So help me if whoever is there freaks out this creature I will tear him a new one. The creature's brown eyes turned ice blue as it gobbled up a marshmallow a few feet away. Haven wasn't even sure it tasted the sweet sugared substance. She knew what it was like to devour her favorite food.
Slowly licking her fingers, she kept her eyes on the bird. It moved tentatively forward, gulping down the puffs like water. Haven gently pulled the L-sac from her back pocket and slid it across her lap. She munched down the rest of her s'more licking the sticky sweetness from her hand.
When the caladrius was within her reach, she moved to put the sac over the creature and heard a snap, which brought the bird's head popping up before it bolted in the other direction so fast she barely saw it move. Damnit!
"Need some help with that, pet?" Desiderus's voice, strong and even, came from behind her. Her heart thumped in her chest, ready to break free. She should have known it would be him. Haven spun around to face the demon. He didn't bother to hide his true self from her.
Her breath hitched as she took in his size. He seemed larger outside, as if he could block out the sun completely from her view, leaving her trapped in his forever shadow. Steeling herself she raised a brow, cocked her hip as if he didn't intimidate her, and said, "You managed to run the creature off, so I don't think help is a word you understand." She clenched her jaw and let her finger toy with part of her L-sac, where he couldn't see her nervous hands.
"Perhaps help isn't my favorite word, but I do understand its concept. I helped the bird get away." Desiderus smiled.
"I don't need it away. I need to turn it into my employer."
"So you're angry with me for turning your brother into my, ahem...employer, but I should just allow you to trap such a beautiful creature? Hypocrite. I like it."
His words slid over her making her cringe. "It's not the same." She had to believe that, her brother was a person, the bird just a creature. Its IQ probably didn't go beyond food, sleep, and natural body functions.
"Of course it is. Jeremy is trapped. I trapped him and turned him in just as you intend to do. It wouldn't be fair of me to allow you to capture the bird since we've already made the deal for me to let your brother go."
Shocked by his rationalization Haven blurted, "As if you could keep me from getting the unnatural." Her words flew out before she could stop them.
"I accept the challenge, pet." He grinned.
"Don't call me pet!" She refrained from stomping her foot for emphasis. For god sake, the last thing she wanted to do was challenge the demon. She changed the subject, "And where is my brother? Have you freed him?" She knew full well he hadn't or she'd already be inside some crazy demon dwelling. Probably caged and crawling around for his—she shuddered—enjoyment.
"Again, Ba'al has him and until Ba'al looks him over, I have to bide my time. Should I tell you a third time in case you didn't understand? Most humans I have found are not so thick-headed."
She narrowed her gaze. "Talking to me like I'm stupid doesn't appeal to me, demon. I'll be on my way. Look me up when you have my brother, if you ever do..." She poked at him on purpose as she turned to walk
away. Ha! Act as if she's stupid, run off her catch? She didn't have to stand there and take it. What would he do, grab her and drag her to hell? The thought made her stop and look back at him. Would he actually force her into hell? Could he?
"It will happen, pet." He spat the new nickname like it was venom on his tongue. She must have hit a sore spot and for a moment she wasn't sure which he was talking about, letting her brother loose or forcing her into hell.
Despite her best efforts to stay calm, her body screamed at her to flee from the murderous look on his handsome face. Taking her body's advice, she ran.
***
Sweat formed on Haven's upper lips as she stopped behind a large tree in the forest beyond the city. Darkness had fallen, leaving her alone in the night, stars and a half moon barely lighting her way. It should have been beautiful to her, but in the midst of a demon following her, stopping to appreciate such beauty was a bad idea. Could he follow her this far in? How bonded were they? Could he just track her anywhere? The short of it was he could summon her by name at any time. She smiled to herself. He wouldn't summon her. She'd attacked his pride and challenged him to keep the bird away. Almost laughing at herself, she flopped to the ground, holding in her giddy chuckle. Adrenaline and all. He would be tracking the damn unnatural creature, not her. Hell, she should be following the unnatural too. Perhaps where the demon was concerned, she hadn't been so bright. Something about him threw her off kilter. Like him making my panties wet. Haven shook the thought away.
Impure Bargains (Impure series Book 1) Page 3
