Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Devil’s Deal
By
Tessa Hastjarjanto
Copyright © 2019 by Tessa Hastjarjanto
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Narratess
www.Narratess.com
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First Published, 2019
Cover art & design by Tessa Hastjarjanto
Edited by F Teunissen
ISBN 9789083006543
Learn more about the Infernal Contracts series on http://www.infernalcontracts.net
For all the women who perceived someone’s good intentions as bad.
Prologue
Two silhouettes stood in the clearing. The only things visible were their wings: A pair of white and a pair of black. The rest was covered in dark clothing, to make sure no one could recognise them. The place they picked for their meeting was small, remote. No one dared to come to here as a giant beast haunted it. This was perfect for the pair.
They had to be certain no one could stop them: the ceremony shouldn’t be interrupted.
“Are you really okay doing this? There is no way back after it’s done,” the one with golden eyes and white wings whispered.
“Yes, I’m bored and need some fun. It wouldn’t be fun without something big at stake. It’s not like I would lose, I’ve already done it before.” The dark figure smiled, showing bright white teeth and a set of fangs.
“I hope you enjoy being human.” The other grinned, showing equally white teeth, but without fangs.
“You have more to lose. I was already banished. This is my punishment. You could lose what you have just for making this bet.” His dark wing twitched. Just thinking about having to go back to Hell made him shiver.
“If you’ve done this for a thousand years, it becomes tedious. I need something exciting, to get my blood flowing again. My last mission was long and boring. I don’t know why I was needed there.” The golden eyes didn’t blink. He was determined to follow through with the bet. “It’s not like a human’s death will instantly sentence me to eternal damnation.”
“It isn’t death you should worry about. Love is what will get you killed. Figure of speech, of course.”
“Yeah, yeah. You don’t have to share your love history with me. I know what happened to you and to others. It’s not like they will shut up about it upstairs. But I doubt a mere mortal will sway me over. Their love is fickle and they’re easily persuaded. They will pick one of us before I will be in any danger.” His white wings spread out, making himself bigger than he was.
“Sure. It could benefit me when you’re overconfident. Let’s get started.” Black feathers rustled through the wind and a howl sounded through the woods. The beast was awake.
His pale hand reached inside his coat and took out a candle and matches. He lit the candle, while his other hand reached into his pocket. The dark-skinned hand revealed a small vial containing a black liquid.
“Is that…? For real?” The golden-eyed shadow held the candle closer to the vial. A red shimmer reflected the candlelight in the black substance and shaped itself to mimic a demon’s face. He grinned and let out a peep of excitement.
“You better believe it, buddy. He always liked extreme bets. He was very willing when I asked. Especially when it was his chance to get another set of wings.” The shadow didn’t share the same excitement. This bet might be his only way out. He lifted the vial so the other shadow could see the black liquid moving in the candlelight. As he popped the cork, smoke swirled up.
Both of the figures started chanting in a forgotten language. They held the vial and emptied it above the candle while whispering the oath they prepared. The liquid slowly trickled out of the vial and black smoke rose from the now purple flame.
“The deal is sealed. I’ll see you soon. You know where.” The silhouette’s smile disappeared, only showing the tips of his fangs.
The hooded figure blew out the candle; the wax sticking to his pale skin as it splattered from the breeze and flew away.
The bet made that day wouldn’t only change the lives of everyone involved but had terrible consequences. Possibly for the world.
Chapter 1
‘Back to school’ campaign posters were everywhere. Nora wondered why people wanted to draw so much attention to this recurring event which isn’t even worth celebrating. One thing Nora liked about school was the routine. She didn’t have to think about what to do with her days, or what her future would be like short term. As long as she survived, she’d be in school for three more years. It wasn’t an achievement and definitely wasn’t worth celebrating. She even skipped her own birthday.
She liked her life. A normal teenage life without too much drama. Her classmates often went into town, hanging out in cafes. Nora preferred going to the library or a museum. The only drama she wanted, was inside the many books she read. Not like a regular teenager going through puberty; getting drunk on alcohol they found in the back of a closet. Nora had never thought of herself as the average Dutch teenager, but she didn’t mind.
Nora spent most of her time outside of school with her three friends: Felicia, Josy, and Emily. Felicia dubbed them the Fab Four, but they all hated it.
Their friendship existed because of Felicia. Josy and Felicia were friends since kindergarten. Emily and Nora joined when they entered high school. Felicia had two faces; one for the public and one in private. She was proud and didn’t want people to see her as weak. A few weeks after Nora became friends with her, Felicia had a breakdown in the school library. Her father promised to be at her first hockey game of the season and he had broken that promise. Work called him away. It was her debut in the first team and it meant the world to her. Felicia had kept it to herself, bottling up her feelings. That was the first time Emily and Nora saw the real Felicia.
Nora cycled to Felicia’s house after her last shift at the bakery. The Sunday shifts often ended early because they didn’t bake as much bread as on weekdays. Even though most of the city centre was open until five o’clock, the bakery closed around three because everything was sold out. Nora didn’t mind, because now she could see her friends again.
She headed to Felicia’s place for dinner and girls’ night. Since none of their parents agreed on a full-scale party, they had a self-care evening. Facials, mani-pedis, and lots of girl talk.
Felicia’s house was thirty minutes away, and the sun was scorching. Nora was glad she brought a change of clothes. Maybe she could take a quick shower before dinner. She cycled passed a small beach near the lake. Teenagers crowded the sand and water, some even jumped off the bridge. It was dangerous, but it didn’t stop them. They all wanted to enjoy the last hours of the summer break. Tomorrow they’d all be stuck in classrooms with temperatures asking for ice cream and tanning.
Nora looked forward to the classroom, to the comfort of her safe space. Safe without the peer pressure of taking off her clothes, of bathing suits and bikinis. Ever since she grew into her womanly body, she felt uncomfortable with men watching her naked skin. It felt inappropriate. Maybe it was her father’s conservative view influencing her, but she agreed that a bikini revealed too much. She wouldn’t want a boy her age see her in her underwear, and a bikini covers just as much, or even less.
A shiver went down her spine. Boys were never on her mind and the thought of one seeing that much skin unnerved her. Nora gathered more strength to race to Felicia’s and wash away that feeling.
A group of young men stood by the road; laughing, drinking, and smoking cigarettes. Nora felt uneasy. She scanned the area, but saw no one else. This was what she was afraid of. There have been attacks on women all summer, mostly by groups of young men. The police were always too late, and the attackers were different each time. It’s become unpredictable. This group was unpredictable.
Nora had no other option but to pass them by. Her grip tightened as she sped up. She tried to be as invisible and fast as possible. Her heart pounded as she approached the boys.
They were still laughing at their own jokes. One of them crushed a can in his bare hands, the last drops of the liquid spilling over his hands. The others laughed even harder. She imagined what they could do to her with such strength. It would only take one of them to hold her down, while the other two could do whatever they wanted. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, to get rid of the image.
One of them walked back onto the street, lost in his own world, and Nora’s path was nearly blocked. There wasn’t much she could do but ring her bell and hope he’d get out of the way. One of the friends jumped forward with his hand moving towards Nora. She avoided his gaze at all cost. She pedalled hard, hoping to pass them before he reached her. The thought of him grabbing her made her sick.
Nora held her breath. Just focus on getting passed there, she thought. Slip between the back of the boy and the edge of the street. From the corner of her eye, she saw the guy getting closer, his hand still reaching towards her.
The boy was still in Nora’s path. Nora’s tire nearly hit him as she passed him. Bare skin touched her as she passed. The fingers of the boy’s friend stroked her arm. An electric current ran through her body. She squeezed her eyes shut again, her arm tensed up, and her legs pushed down harder. She had to get out of there. She opened her eyes and saw the friend grabbing his friend and pulling him away from her. “Sorry!”
She heard the boy’s surprised outcry as he noticed Nora, but she didn’t want to look back. Nothing happened. Nora finally let go of that breath. It lasted no more than half a minute, but it felt like two hours. She shook the tension out of her hands one by one. The nausea was still present and her legs tired. Her heart rate slowly dropped.
She looked back at them. They were just boys having fun with each other, and they didn’t care for her at all. She imagined all of it.
A sigh of relief escaped her. She knew not all boys were out to assault women, but it was hard to silence the voice in her head. There was always a chance that one of them wanted something from her.
She calmed down a few blocks away when she entered the street, big villas lining up in an arc shape around the road. Nora lived in a terrace house, like most others in Lakeside. Villas weren’t as common and most of the people living in this area were a different kind of wealthy. Celebrities lived here. She had never seen one, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.
The girls wanted to have one last party before going back to school. Felicia only came back from Ibiza yesterday. Which of course meant it had been far too long between parties. Nora had worked in the bakery all summer, sharing the work ethic of her parents. She believed hard work was necessary to achieve your dreams. Felicia believed in parties.
Going to a party island, lounging on the beach all day, drinking mocktails, wasn’t her idea of a perfect holiday. She was saving up for a trip to Italy, to visit museums and see the architecture. Nora loved art history and her Italian roots made her curious about the history of her father’s birth country. She didn’t mind that they couldn’t take long vacations abroad every year. Both her parents had jobs that allowed them to spend time with Nora. She valued her family time more than an trip abroad.
Nora parked her bicycle on the lawn before ringing the bell. She put her keys away and wiped the sweat off her face.
Chapter 2
“Nora! You’re here. Did you get off work early?” Felicia hung around her neck as soon as the door opened.
“Yeah, we sold out early. Is it okay if I take a shower real quick? I’m sweating.” Nora took off her backpack and aired her sweaty back.
“Sure. No problem.”
“Are your parents home?” Nora didn’t see anyone, but the cars were on the driveway.
“Yeah, but I don’t know for how long. My mom is meeting up with her friends.” Felicia used air quotes. They all knew those ‘friends’. They were people she used, to get new clients. “My dad has been on the phone ever since we got back. I’m sure he never stopped working when we were in Ibiza. Oh, by the way, you have to come with me next time.”
“You know I can’t.” Nora’s face turned sour. Felicia tried to persuade her every year, and Nora always refused.
“Don’t worry about the money. I’m sure my parents won’t mind paying if I bug them long enough. You deserve a holiday. A real one. Your shoulders look tense and you could use some colour on your face. You seem pale, even for you!”
“I’m only tense because I worked out in the blazing heat after working a six-hour shift in a store without air-conditioning. Seriously, I’m fine and I don’t want to owe your parents anything.” Nora sighed.
“You wouldn’t owe my parents, you’d owe me. For the best summer of your life.” Felicia nudged Nora and led the way upstairs. Felicia’s bedroom covered the whole attic, with her own bathroom and walk-in closet. Nora has met no other teenager with both. Emily and Josy were already lounging on the bed with magazines and snacks.
“Hey Nora. Is there anything you want to eat?” Emily put another crisp in her mouth after she asked.
“We’re going to order in. My vote is for Chinese. There’s no decent Chinese on Ibiza and the buffet gets boring if you eat there for six weeks,” said Felicia.
“Maybe you should start cooking.” Josy laughed, since she was the best cook out of the four. Nora often helped her mother, but rarely made a whole dish by herself.
Felicia threw a pillow towards Josy which ended up on Emily’s head. The surprised and hurtful look on her face made Nora laugh.
“Hey, what did you do that for?” Emily didn’t see it coming, which made it even funnier.
“I’m okay with Chinese. Just order me a portion of egg rolls. I’m going to take a shower. Be right back.”
“Nora, have you done anything else besides the bakery?” Felicia asked after they finished dinner.
“No, not much. I’ve read a lot though. It’s nice to know that my to-read list is actually getting smaller now.” Nora stared at the ceiling waiting for the food to digest.
“So no secret summer flings in the bakery?” Felicia kept prodding.
“Hot boys don’t go to bakeries unless they have girlfriends. Moth
ers and grandmothers are the only people I served. There was one guy to pick up their kid’s birthday cake.”
“And no one at the library either?” Josy asked.
“I wouldn’t know. I only stared at the books when I was there.”
“Damn, I was hoping for some juicy gossip.” Felicia let out a big sigh. Not much happened this summer break, not for any of them.
“Sorry, my love life will never be interesting.” Nora knew that her love was only found in books. Novels, where true love always wins romanticised her ideas of love. She didn’t have divorced parents, like Emily. Or lost one of them, like Josy.
“You know what we need? A hot transfer.” Emily thought out loud. “You know, like in TV shows. A hot guy suddenly transfers and everything changes.”
“Don’t be silly. You’ve binged too many high school shows. This isn’t America.” Felicia nudged her friend.
“One can wish.” Emily sighed. She never had a boyfriend either, like Nora. Josy’s first and only boyfriend lasted three weeks. Felicia was the most experienced out of the four. She had moved from boyfriend to boyfriend since she was twelve; none of them held out longer than a month.
Josy was her usual quiet self, especially when boys were the topic. Nora often wondered if there was another reason for it. Felicia never asked her about boys or love. Even though they’d known each other for three years, it was like they had been friends for longer. What if Josy had a side Nora hadn’t seen in all these years? What kind of friend would she be?
“Josy, what about you? Is there anyone in your life?” Nora tried to be as casual as possible. She left her question open for any possibility.
“I don’t know, maybe?”
Felicia perked up. “Wait. You met someone, and you didn’t tell me?”
Devil's Deal (Infernal Contracts Book 1) Page 1
