by C. D. Gorri
Her white hair was sprayed straight up like spindles guarding a castle. The sight was a bit harsh on his poor bloodshot eyes. Yes, he’d had far too good a time last night, but it wasn’t with little pookie as much as it was with the whiskey he’d imbibed. And the magic he’d wielded.
It was nearing the last quarter moon and Avail’s beastie had been up for some good old-fashioned debauchery. As was the little Witch he’d brought along for the ride. Bambi was a trust fund baby and a Witch. He’d met her at The Thirsty Dog where he’d gone to partake in some booze and dancing, perhaps a little nookie with a stranger.
He thought he’d found the perfect partner for the evening in the wicked Bambi. The woman had been down for just about anything. Including skinny dipping in the frigid Blue Hole which was just a few miles from his home.
He’d used a few tricks with some ancient runes and conjured a little light show while they swam. He’d even allowed his Devil to play a little bit as well. Hoping for a little suck and blow afterwards. Not the card game.
And then it had all gone wrong. Bambi had wanted promises with her sex. That was a serious no in his book. Then the taunting came and out she went. Like a light.
“Well?”
“Oh Denise, what can I say? She wanted more than an evening’s entertainment. I simply didn’t see us headed that way.”
“Well, normally I’d say the girl had standards, but uh, I don’t think so.”
He stretched as he swallowed his aspirin and downed the tomato juice. Avail held his hot coffee carefully. Denise had a sadistic side and he’d caught her trying to burn his Devil once or twice over the years.
“Humph. How is that too hot for you?” She rolled her eyes and gathered the empty glass as he continued to wait for his coffee to cool down.
“I told you before, I’m not that kind of Devil, Denise,” he murmured and sipped the brew as it reached the perfect temperature. Heaven. He continued to sip with his eyes closed ignoring everything but the smooth warm liquid as it slid down his throat.
“Really, Avail? You took that silicone doll to the Blue Hole! Your grandmother is going to be furious with you.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Wait, how did you know?” He frowned.
The swimming spot had been shunned by locals for decades, but the Leeds family still enjoyed the crystal-clear waters. They were fed by an underground glacier though some still claim to be baffled by its existence. Whatever.
Still, he knew better than to take a normal to one of his family’s private haunts. He also knew better than to use magic in front of anyone. But he’d figured it was alright since Bambi was in fact a Witch. Even better, she had her own money. So he didn’t need to worry about her motives. Ideally, she’d been looking for a little light fun on a Friday night. That was all! How wrong he’d been.
“Avail, you need to see this.”
“hmm? What?” He turned and looked at the older woman who was staring at the television with her mouth hanging open.
“Pookie took pictures! Ha! Looks like you’ve finally did it this time. And look, an interview too-”
“Oh fuck! Turn it up!”
“Leedsy is a very naughty boy! Mmm hmm. He fed me whiskey and oysters on a silk sheet by the pool…I tell you the truth I didn’t mind spanking him, but the ball and gag was where I drew the line. I like it when my men talk dirty, you know?...Of course, that’s true!...Well, he insisted on wearing my thong as a choker…Yes, I’d be willing to go out with him again. He is a big boy after all, and his endurance is divine… I found his size to be more than adequate though his oral skills were slightly exaggerated…but that is nothing compared to what happened afterwards…yeah we both saw him…the actual Jersey Devil…”
For fucks sake! On and on, the insipid woman spewed lie after lie for the next twenty minutes while displaying scenes of Avail swimming while imbibing of the locally distilled artisan whiskey, Devil’s Bite, straight from the bottle.
How he loved that fiery smooth alcohol! Mason Lane, his friend and the owner of the distillery, created the label specially for Avail.
The perfect blend of piri, or African devil peppers, and burnt sugar, Devil’s Bite is distilled and aged for five years in casks created from local oak trees.
Avail had cases of the stuff back at Leeds Mansion. His childhood and now permanent home, as his grandmother was determined to globetrot for the rest of her days. Especially since grandfather was dead and buried.
He hoped this story wouldn’t carry to Egypt, where his grandmother was currently spending her time. She deserved. The shrill ring of the telephone snapped him out of his musings.
“Avail here.”
“Mr. Leeds, this is Mr. Henries, your grandmother demanded I find you.”
“Hello, Henries. Well, I’m at work. so I guess you found me.”
“Yes. I figured as much, and I don’t need to remind you that the launch of our newest campaign for Leeds Foundation, the one you initiated, to raise funds for at risk youth, begins today.”
“You don’t need to remind me. Our campaign, Leeds Foundation, Believe in the Future, was my idea as you said, Henries.”
“Yes, well, Mrs. Leeds was not a fan of this campaign. Coupled with your latest adventures, I am tasked to advise you that your grandmother is seriously displeased. She suggests you go home, Avail.”
“What? But there is a lot to do-”
“Denise will handle it. You are to go back to Leeds Mansion and ‘wait out the storm’. Those are her exact words”
“Tell my grandmother that she knows what happens at the end of the week-”
“She is aware.” Avail could practically see the blank expression on the lawyer’s face through the phone. He’d never quite pinpointed what sort of supernatural the man was, but his loyalty and devotion to the Leeds family had spanned decades, twelve or so to be exact.
“It’s almost the last quarter moon, Henries, and I have no intention of staying-”
“Mr. Leeds,” his voice deepened, “your grandmother has told me that if you refuse, she shall be forced to defer back to your grandfather’s original will. The one where you do not inherit until you have achieved thirty-eight years unless you marry before then. Do you recall the terms?”
“Yes,” Avail growled into the receiver, “I recall the terms. Tell Grandmother, not to worry. I am on my way home.”
Marked by the Devil Chapter One
“No, no, no,” Stephanie slammed her hands down on the steering wheel of her tiny car. The tiny Smart car was cute as pie to look at. Totally worth it too. Well, when she’d lived in the city it had been worth it.
But out in the boonies, also known as the beach town of Maccon City, New Jersey, the damn automobile was more trouble than it was worth.
The thing could hardly make it up the sandy dirt covered private road that would soon lead to the beautifully preserved cobblestone driveway of the illustrious Leeds family.
According to her research, the Leeds were one of the original founding families of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Like her own family tree, theirs dated all the way back to revolutionary times. What an interesting coincidence!
Not that she knew all that much about the state or her ancestors having grown up in western Pennsylvania. Stephanie had recently moved to Maccon City to be closer to her new job. A job she landed with the help of her two BFF’s.
She missed Cora and Leandra every day. The three of them did everything together! Had since they were teens at the exclusive, another word for stuck-up, Mrs. Parker’s School for Girls. Tucked away from normal teenagers in the wilds of Pennsylvania, the three of them had formed a little sisterhood. Vowing to always be there for each other.
They attended college together at the Brandywine campus of Penn State, opting to rent an apartment over dorm life. They even stayed, continuing to live together, after graduation. All working jobs in nearby Philadelphia.
Everything was fine until Cora got a job at a bank overseas. Stephanie was happy for her
brilliant mathematician friend. You bet she was. Only, her heart squeezed at seeing her go.
That shocking announcement was soon followed by another from Leandra. Her other roommate having decided to move to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming a stage performer.
Another devastating blow to the rather introverted Stephanie. Her feelings of abandonment aside, she managed to be happy for them both. Besides, they had helped her find the perfect job and town to move to before they left. In true BFF fashion.
I miss those two, she thought as she curved around the long, winding road. Too much time had passed between visits. Sure, they still sent her emails and texts. Especially Cora.
Stephanie was almost overwhelmed by her constant barrage of the latest dating apps and trends for her perpetually single friend. Sigh. They knew her too well. Fact check: She was way too shy to go to bars or clubs without her two BFFs there to bolster her.
