“YOU DARE TO SHOW YOUR FACE HERE?” A voice thundered through the castle. The deep, dark growl sounded to Dora as if Satan himself had spoken. She gripped Kieron’s hand as her heart leapt into her throat.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit …
“Aww crap,” Kieron said with a sigh.
Dora’s eyes widened when an enormous black demon flew into the room. Its body bulged with veiny muscles. It flexed its long fingers and toes. Sharp talons sprang out them as it hovered in the air over her and Kieron. Its scaly wings spanned the width of the room, sending hot air rushing into her face with every flap and causing her dark hair to blow around her. She stared up at the face of the demon. Its eyes glowed blood-red, and sharp fangs poked out of its mouth over its bottom lip.
“Dad, what the fuck?” Kieron cried. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
Dora gulped.
That thing is Kieron’s father?
“YOU’LL SUFFER A WORLD OF TORMENT FOR YOUR ACTIONS.” The demon bellowed as it landed on the floor in front of her and Kieron. “And you’ve really upset your mother,” it added.
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Kieron protested. “Dad, could you at least look more reasonable. We have a guest.”
“Fine,” the demon muttered. “But don’t think having a house guest will save you.”
Dora watched with awe as the demon shrank in size, and its skin became pale. It changed into a middle-aged man with slicked-back black hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a black suit and was attractive for an older man.
“Your mother has been flaying anything that moves since you missed her family barbeque.” Kieron’s father told him in a crisp and pleasant voice. “Now, who do we have here?”
A nervous blush warmed Dora’s skin as the man studied every inch of her with his eyes.
“This is Dora. I just saved her from a crazy holy man and invited her to live with us. So she’s moving in.” Kieron rushed his words, gripping her elbow and guiding her towards the staircase.
“Hold on there, sport, not so fast. Young lady, Dora is it? Come here please.” Kieron’s father beckoned her over with an elegant wave of his hand.
She heard Kieron groan as she walked over to his father and looked him in the straight in the eye.
This is gonna suck .
He held out his hand to greet her. “I’m Lord Lascher. It’s nice to meet you, Dora. You may call me Lionel.”
She glanced back at Kieron, who nervously shifted from one foot to the other while staring at them. Turning towards Lord Lasher, she took his offered hand and shook it, flashing what she hoped was a polite smile. “It’s um, nice to meet you too, Lord L—er, Lionel.”
“What brings you to Hell Dora, aside from my imbecile of a son?”
She heard Kieron groan again behind her, and she fought to conceal a grin. “I er, was being burned as a witch, and Hell sounded like a pleasant alternative. Kieron kindly offered his hospitality. I hope it’s not an inconvenience?”
“No, no, not at all, we have lots of room at Castle Lascher. It’ll be a pleasure getting acquainted with you, I’m sure.” Lionel’s pleasant smile helped abate any remaining anxiousness she was feeling. “So tell me Dora, did you burn as a witch and meet Kieron when you first arrived here?”
“Um, no, Ki—”
“Dad, come on! What’s with the Spanish Inquisition?” Kieron interrupted.
“I’m just making polite enquiries,” Lionel protested. “You were saying, my dear?” Lionel turned back to her with an inquisitive glitter in his dark eyes.
“Um …” She glanced at Kieron, who was shaking his head in an urgent manner. “No, I didn’t burn,” she said, trying to understand what Kieron wanted her to do.
“Ah, how did you die if you don’t mind me asking?” Lionel enquired.
“Um … I er, didn’t.” She saw Kieron slap himself in the forehead.
Lionel narrowed his dark eyes at Kieron before turning back to her. “I see.”
“Dad—” Kieron began.
“Don’t you Dad me, you little sod. Your mother is going to kill you again for this!” Lionel snapped at him.
“It’s not that big a deal!” Kieron shouted at his father.
“Not that big a deal? You’ve brought home a human—a live one!”
“She’s not like the other ones. She understands evil, and she’s a witch.”
Lionel shook his head and shot Dora a sideways glance. “Young demons, always thinking with their horns,” he sounded apologetic. “And you!” Lionel pointed to Kieron. “You’re lucky your mother is flaying in the kitchen right now, or I’d be scraping you off the walls.”
“What, er … Is there a problem with me being a human?” she asked.
“The thing is, Dora. Humans don’t come to Hell alive because we have a quota to meet. We create demons out of souls. If your soul hasn’t been condemned to Hell, we can’t do much with it. Souls are kept inside vaults in Hell, not inside soft little humans. It upsets the natural order of things around here when a living human drops by,” Lionel said, offering her a sympathetic smile.
“So, I can’t stay in Hell?” she asked.
“Not with a clean soul inside you, no.”
“And who decides that?” She got annoyed. Even Hell didn’t want her.
“Well the panel at Judgement Day makes the final decision.” Lionel frowned before examining her as if she was an interesting science experiment.
“So who do I have to kill to change their minds?”
Lionel laughed. “I like your way of thinking. Maybe there is hope for you after all.”
“She can take the test with me. Come on, it’ll be fun,” Kieron suggested to his father with a hopeful expression on his face.
“Do you think you’ve got what it takes to beat the darkest demons in Hell at being truly evil?” Lionel asked Dora.
“Can I cheat?” she asked. She was tired of being the outcast, and she was certain she had enough pent up anger to do some damage.
Lionel laughed again. “A good answer, fair Dora, you shall have your chance at staying in Hell. But …” He shifted his eyes towards Kieron. “We do not tell Lady Lascher about this. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Dad.” Kieron nodded.
“Not a problem.” Dora agreed.
“Good, now both of you, go to Kieron’s room. I need to break it to Lady Lascher that we have a guest for dinner.”
They turned and walked towards the staircase.
“Oh, and Dora,” Lionel called.
She turned and held her breath.
What now?
“Do try to break some rules before dinner. It’ll darken that soul up a bit,” Lionel said with a wink.
She grinned. Finally, something she would enjoy.
Dora paced the room to try to walk off some of the nervous energy knotting up her insides. She heard a deep sigh and glanced back at Kieron who was sitting on his bed and staring at his feet. “What’s wrong?” She spun on her heel to face him.
“I am worried. It is harder to keep you safe here than I thought it would be.” He stood up and walked over to her.
She backed away from him on instinct, which was confusing even to her. Now she was in Hell and had seen a demon, she didn’t feel comfortable with Kieron.
She studied him from a safe distance. He looked the same. His golden hair curled around the collar of his white shirt, which was now crumpled and grimy. His big blue eyes still shone with innocence. Well, right now they shone with surprise, but they were the same.
Something was wrong though. The questions filling her mind altered her impression of Kieron. The most frightening question remained unanswered. What was he underneath his handsome exterior?
A black scaly thing if his father is anything to go by.
“When was the last time you changed your clothes?” She attempted to cover up her reluctance to be near him.
His face flushed with embarrassment. “I-I—we were stuck on Earth, and you didn’t like
it when I stole things. What was I supposed to do?”
“Well, we’re not stuck on Earth now.” She pointed out. “Get chang—.”
“GYARRRRRRHG!” A female shriek echoed through the castle. Dora spun around to face the closed bedroom door. Her heart raced as she stared at the shaking wooden frame. Lights sparked under the door, and the wood panels bubbled out as if there was a lot of pressure behind them. The door continued to expand, stretching out into an impossible curve as pressure on the other side of it pushed against the wood.
A loud bang made her jump backwards in pure terror. She landed against a wall of muscle and shivered when strong arms encircled her waist.
Kieron?
It took her a long time to glance down at the arms around her waist.
Will they be human?
She sighed with relief when she peered down to see human-looking tanned arms around her. They were lightly muscled and adorned with a smattering of golden hairs. Her pulse raced when his hot breath grazed her cheek. She realised he was shirtless behind her.
“W-wha—what are you doing?” Her heart pounded for more than one reason now. The door expanded towards them with green and gold lights shooting out from under it. Meanwhile, Kieron stood half-naked behind her, which was doing all kinds of insane things to her insides.
“What you asked of me, Dora-minx. I was getting changed.” His voice was close to her ear. It was soft and tantalising. She forgot about the things on the other side of the door and inhaled a slow deep breath. She turned in Kieron’s arms and faced him. They stared at each other for a long moment of silence. Their heavy breathing was the only sound she could hear. He was going to kiss her, she was sure of it. She wanted him to.
What the Hell, right? If I’m going to lose my soul anyway why not enjoy myself for once?
A loud crash behind them broke the spell as the door exploded. She snapped out of her daze and looked over her shoulder towards the doorway. Green smoke filled the opening, and a silhouette of a woman holding a blade and some kind of slab appeared in mist.
Dora gulped as the shadow walked towards them. Her hands trembled against Kieron’s naked chest from fear and panic until the figure stepped through the haze. Dora frowned when a petit brunette wearing a sixties style dress and an apron stepped out of the smoke. She carried a chocolate fudge cake and a cake slice. “Kieron Lascher, you put a shirt on this minute!” The woman snapped at him.
Kieron groaned as he released Dora. “Yes, mother.”
Dora shivered as his warm hands brushed over her waist before leaving her.
“Dora dear, it’s so nice to meet you. Can I tempt you?” She offered her a piece of cake.
Dora decided it was wise to accept the cake rather than point out that Kieron was far more tempting right now. “It’s nice to meet you too, Lady Lascher,” she mumbled, helping herself to a piece of cake.
“Kieron’s such an awful host. Why, you must be exhausted, you poor thing. Come with me, and we’ll get you settled in your own room, shall we?” A sparkle of something insane glittered in Lady Lascher’s eyes. She was small and unassuming, prim and proper in every way, but she caused a shiver of fear to run down Dora’s spine when she looked at her.
“S-su-sure,” Dora stammered as she peeked back at Kieron for assistance, but he was shrugging into a clean shirt with a look of helplessness on his face.
She didn’t know what to do, so she followed Lady Lascher out of the room and into the dark winding corridors of Castle Lascher.
“You have a lovely castle Lady Lascher.” Dora couldn’t shake the nervous feeling as she followed the silent Lady Lascher down the long corridors of the castle. The walls were black glass, lit only by burning torches dotted randomly down the hallway.
“Thank you.” Lady Lascher turned back and flashed a brief smile at her, but the smile never reached her eyes. “All my friends call me Anika.”
Dora smiled back before averting her eyes. The woman gave her the creeps. She tried to shake off the feeling and peered at her reflection in the corridor walls instead. She was still wearing the same T-shirt and mini skirt from yesterday.
I need to buy some new clothes or something.
“Anika, do you know where I can get some clothes?” she asked as they came to the end of the corridor. They turned and headed down a narrow stone staircase, which appeared endless.
Anika remained silent as they walked down the stone stairs to what appeared to be a basement. She turned and studied Dora when they left the stairs and headed down a corridor in the basement. “I said my friends may call me Anika.” Her voice was cold, and her eyes glowed red for a second before her plastic smile resumed its place on her lips.
Oh fuck, Dora thought.
“Come. Let me show you to your room,” Anika said as she led Dora down the stone corridor and past several dungeons. She stopped outside a cell and opened the door before gesturing for her to enter it. “You’ll learn to summon clothing soon enough. Now you’re dead, you’ll find you are capable of much more than the living.”
Dora peered into the dungeon. It was a bare stone room with shackles on the walls and bars on the window.
Oh, double fuck!
She realised she was screwed. Lady Lascher was supposed to think she was a dead soul, but she was still alive and didn’t have any powers.
I don’t have access to a bathroom either, by the looks of it, she thought, peering around the room. “Um, not to sound ungrateful, but where do I sleep?” She stepped into the cell and eyed the hard stone floor.
She heard the door slam shut behind her and the grinding thunk of a lock falling into place. She spun around to see Lady Lascher’s evil smile through the bars of the cell. “On the floor until you learn to be a decent demon,” she hissed.
Dora narrowed her eyes. “Are you fucking shitting me?”
A force slammed into Dora and pinned her against the back wall. She could feel a hand gripping her throat and holding her up against the stone, but when she peered down there was nothing there. She glared at Anika, who offered her a polite smile while watching her through the bars.
Burning hot breath warmed her cheek as a dark voice growled in her ear. “If you think you’re good enough for my son, you’re sadly mistaken, bitch!”
“What?” She gasped.
“I said,” Anika replied in a polite tone through the bars of the cell. “You’ll have to join us for the family barbeque tomorrow.” Her voice was light and pleasant, nothing like the voice in Dora's ear.
“Do I have to stay here until then?” Dora asked as she tried to pull the invisible hand away from her throat.
“If you try to leave, I’ll rip out your entrails and paint the room red with them.” The dark voice growled into her ear.
“Get some rest, dear. You’ll feel better in the morning for it.” Anika smiled before walking away. As she disappeared from view, the force pinning Dora to the wall went with her.
Dora rubbed her neck and coughed.
Does she have a split personality or something?
She scowled and tried the door, but it wouldn’t budge.
She explored the room, trying to find a way to break out of the dungeon.
Screw the demon-in-law from Hell and my entrails. I always wanted a red room, anyway, she thought as she rattled the bars of the cell, attempting to break open the door.
Kieron paced his room with a knot of anxiety tightening in his stomach.
Where did she take Dora?
He knew his mother all too well and feared what she had done to Dora. His mother was unreasonable at the best of times.
The loud gong announcing dinner chimed, interrupting his pacing.
He flung open his door and raced down the sweeping staircase towards the immense dining room, hoping to find Dora waiting for him there.
He came to an abrupt halt when he reached the end of the long ebony dining table. He frantically scanned the room. Where is she? The knot tightened in his stomach when he realised the only
occupants of the room appeared to be his mother and father. While seated at the far end of the table, his parents turned to stare at him with curious expressions.
“Where’s Dora?” Kieron gasped.
His father shrugged, and his mother composed an innocent expression. “Who?”
“Where is she?” He slammed his fists onto the table in anger and fear.
“Sit down and eat your dinner. If you mean the new demon, she’s resting in her room,” his mother said.
“Has she eaten anything?” Kieron asked.
“She’s a new demon. She won’t be hungry for days.” His mother waved away his question. “Now sit!”
He panicked. She wasn’t a new demon, but he couldn’t tell his mother that.
“Which wing did you put her in?” Kieron’s father spoke up.
“The southern one,” his mother replied.
“Where we put the tortured souls?” Kieron exploded. His heart pounded with fear. What kind of torture was poor Dora going through in there?
“It’s not the best guest room to choose,” Kieron’s father said.
“It’s airy, and she’ll meet other souls there. I thought it’d help her adjust—Kieron if you don’t sit down and eat your dinner, I’m going to get angry.” His mother snapped.
He was furious, but he knew better than to cross his mother. He threw himself into the chair and began eating his dinner as fast as possible. He needed to get to Dora before something awful happened to her—the tortured souls were lunatics. If she were stuck in a dungeon, she wouldn’t be able to escape the crazy spirits who haunted that wing. He shot a helpless look at his father while shovelling a forkful of vegetables into his mouth.
His father frowned back at him and gave him a subtle nod. “Dora’s past the adjusting stage, my love. I think she’ll do much better in Kieron’s wing. After all, she is here to help him study for his exams.” Kieron’s father was a convincing liar.
“I thought she was a new demon. How can she help Kieron?” his mother asked.
“She was exceptionally evil when she as alive, my dear. I think she could best some of the teachers at the academy. You really do need to give her the chance to show you what she can do.” His father brushed his lips with a napkin and stood up.
Demonic Dora Page 6
