Devil's Deal (Infernal Contracts Book 1)

by Tessa Hastjarjanto

  Nora took a sip. It tasted normal enough. “I’m sorry. It just seems there’s still something inside me that doesn’t trust you yet. Please, don’t take it personally.”

  She turned to see Ben’s wings. Her fingers slid over the feathers. It felt so real. She remembered stroking an owl one day, and the feathers felt the same. Not like the synthetic ones she used for her DIY projects before.

  “They look so real. Where did you get them?”

  “Don’t ruin the magic. Knowing where it came from might pop the illusion.” Ben winked at her and finished his cup. “You don’t look like you’re having fun.”

  “I’m not. Not really. I came here for Josy and Michael, but I don’t want to see Felicia. I’m afraid that she’ll go off on me if she sees me here.”

  “I hope you don’t take it personally. Her bad attitude might have nothing to do with you either.”

  “Why do you think that? Josy says she’s like her normal self when I’m not around, so it must be me. If you take me out of the equation, she would be who she always was. I just don’t know why. If it was something I did or said. I thought we were the kind of friends who could talk about anything. Even when we fought before, she always said what was on her mind. Now she just shuts me out. It’s driving me nuts.” She clenched her hands. Anger welled up inside her just thinking about it, but it felt good to share her worries.

  “One of my old friends always told me to stay out of girl fights and I’m starting to see why. I’m glad I’m not Danny. I hope you two will figure it out soon. If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to tell me, okay? I want to be a friend. So I hope we can move past whatever it is between us.”

  Nora looked at Ben and their eyes met. For the first time she didn’t see the piercing blue ice, but the colour of a tropical sea. The inviting blue waters, cold enough to cool you off, but warm enough not to give you chills. It was a comfortable feeling. Her stomach was finally quiet.

  “I think we can.” Nora smiled at him and he returned it. The cool light of the moonlight made his skin look almost transparent, like an angel.

  A scream startled them. They went inside to see what happened when another scream came from the living room.

  Nora saw a girl sitting on the ground, trembling, pointing at Danny. Her eyes were wide open and filled with terror. Her friends tried to keep others away and Felicia was next to her with another girl trying to calm her down.

  Nora and Ben went to Danny. “What happened?” Nora asked.

  “I don’t know. I was talking with these girls and suddenly I heard a scream from across the room. This girl pointed and looked at me, like I’m the Devil himself.” Danny looked worried and uncomfortable.

  The girl had a crazy look in her eyes and couldn’t look away from him. Someone turned the music down which made the mood even creepier.

  “Maybe we should go outside. Give her some space. Maybe she’ll calm down once you’re gone.” Nora put a hand on Danny’s arm.

  He nodded and followed Nora outside, Ben only steps behind them.

  “You demon! You shouldn’t be here!” The girl tried to get up and charge Danny, but her friends held her back.

  Felicia turned around and saw Nora with the boys. Anger replaced her worry and Nora knew her night wasn’t over yet.

  People left when the music didn’t come back on; the party mood evaporated. Nora and her group waited outside until things had quieted down. People stared and whispered when they passed by the group.

  Josy and Michael found the three of them after most of the people left. Danny explained what happened, but he had no idea what made the girl say those things.

  “I know she’s a senior, and she’s rarely at school. I don’t know why. People say all kinds of things, but I have no idea what is actually true,” Josy said.

  “I’m sure Felicia will know everything soon enough.” Nora knew she would do everything to figure out what happened. The girl ruined her party and she better have a good reason for doing so.

  “You!”

  Nora cringed at the voice of Felicia shouting. Her stomach turned and the serene feeling she had before was gone.

  “I didn’t invite you and for a good reason. You really have some nerve showing up here.” Felicia stomped across the grass, Emily chasing her.

  “Hi Felicia. Nice party.” Maybe she shouldn’t have used sarcasm.

  “Stop that. Why are you here? Are you so desperate for attention that you had to crash my party?”

  “I wasn’t the one who crashed your party. That girl was. I’m a plus one of two people.” Nora pointed at Josy and Michael. Josy tried to hide behind Ben’s big wings and Michael looked at the sky to avoid Felicia’s death stare.

  “You’re bad luck. Every time you’re around, something happens.” Felicia’s anger turned her face red, matching her spandex outfit.

  “Really? You want to blame this on me? I wasn’t even in the house when this happened. This is something between Danny and that girl. Why don’t you cross-examine Danny, see what he has to say? Maybe that’s his ex-girlfriend, and he ghosted her, I don’t know. Not everything is my fault. And I’m certainly not so egocentric that I think this world revolves around me. Unlike you.” The anger and frustration had built up long enough to explode. She knew Felicia would be angry with her, but to blame this on her wasn’t fair at all.

  “Licia, that’s not fair.” Josy had a hurt look on her face. “It’s not her fault.”

  Nora walked over to Michael and turned to her. “It’s okay, Josy. I really want to be friends with you, but I don’t want to force you to choose between the two of us. That wouldn’t be fair of me either. Michael, maybe we should leave.”

  Felicia crossed her arms and said nothing. Her face was still a grimace with no regard for anything but Nora. Emily stood expressionless behind her, not knowing what to do.

  Chapter 10

  So much happened the past weeks and all kinds of emotions overwhelmed her. She woke up often, sweating, but she couldn’t remember her dreams—only a feeling of dread lingered. It often left her feeling tired even after she slept for more than eight hours.

  It was early Sunday morning when Nora woke up from another dream that left her shook. A darkness enveloped her whenever she closed her eyes, like a heavy blanket weighing her down. The world had lost its colour, and she had difficulty finding the light.

  Maybe going to church would help her. It’s been years since she went, but it might give her some guidance. Even if it didn’t, church felt like a second home.

  The church downtown wasn’t anything like the churches built in the Middle Ages, the ones you see in all the pictures. This whole city was built after 1970, so most of the architecture was new. The cold brick exterior was continued inside. Despite it being a Catholic church, there wasn’t much adornment or decoration. Even the art were only printed posters with a nice frame. Nora didn’t feel any connection to the building. It wasn’t as awe-inspiring as the churches she had seen in pictures. Even older Dutch cities had more beautiful churches.

  St. Peter’s Basilica was the church she wanted to see the most. No other church would come close in terms of beauty. But she wasn’t going for the architecture or beauty today, she was looking for something else. Spiritual guidance didn’t depend on how the church looked, but rather who was there. She liked and trusted the people here.

  She snuck into the back to listen to the sermon. The room was filled with faces she knew from her childhood; some more familiar than others. Old age wasn’t for everyone. There were only a handful of people under twenty.

  Artwork of Biblical scenes covered the walls. A painting of Mary with baby Jesus stood out among them. It was the most colourful and touched Nora on an emotional level.

  She couldn’t explain why, exactly. Mary’s eyes were just as mysterious as Mona Lisa’s smile. She could see the love for Jesus, but there was more. Whoever painted it had more talent than they knew.

  Seeing it reminded her to be kind t
o the people around her, no matter how bad they treated her. Maybe her friendship with Felicia would never be the same again, but she had to try to fix Felicia’s vindictive mood.

  “Hey, never thought I’d see you here.” Danny’s voice was soft, but close.

  Nora turned around to see him leaning on the chair next to her. “Likewise. I didn’t know you came here.”

  “The church has always felt like a safe haven for me. That’s probably the most important thing about churches. No one judges you, but offer help on how to be a better person.” Danny sat down next to her. “I can guess why you came here.”

  “Yeah. Things have been… difficult.” Nora kept looking forward. Most of the people were listening attentively to the pastor. She hoped their conversation wouldn’t bother him.

  “I’m sorry. It seems our coming has unleashed something in Felicia. I’m sure you will overcome this, Nora. You’re all strong women.” Danny sat up straight, towering above the old ladies sitting in front of them.

  “Thanks, but that’s not really helpful right now. I want my friend back and I know Josy and Emily want that, too.” Nora fiddled with her coat. It was still a topic she didn’t like and it made her anxious.

  “I’m sorry.” Danny looked down, thinking about what to say next. “I don’t know how to help you. The easiest thing would be for me, or both of us, to disappear.”

  “Why would you? You got away from your family and school just started. No, there must be a way to solve this without you leaving.” Danny’s suggestion took her by surprise. She felt guilty for pushing her problems on him.

  “Thank you. I’d like to stay here as well. I like the people here and I’m only just getting to know you. I want to know more about you. I wish Felicia would let us talk.” The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

  Nora thought about a solution. One thing popped up in her mind, but it was a long shot. “There’s one thing you can do.”

  “What’s that?” Danny looked up surprised and eager.

  “You could go out with her. Give yourself to her and then let her tire of you. Once she dumps you, it’s over.” The more she thought about, the more sense it made to her. She could forgive his weird attitude of the past months if he could fix it.

  “What? I can’t… give myself to her. Is that necessary?” A blush appeared on his cheeks.

  “You’ve never…” She didn’t expect someone who looked as good as Danny did, to be a virgin. Although it wasn’t uncommon.

  “No, of course not. I’m an a—I believe that I should at least save my virtue for the one I love. And I know that’s not Felicia.” He was still a bit flustered.

  “Sorry, I thought since you flirted with so many girls, you’d have a lot of experience with them.” She regretted making assumptions.

  “No, not at all. I try to be nice to everyone, but girls misunderstand nice for being interested.”

  “What can I say, your smile is enchanting. And I believe many girls would happily live with the illusion that you like them. There’s just one who’s a bit too clingy.” She thought Danny lived the life of a teen idol, with girls fawning over him. And all of them thought they were the centre of his universe, as long as he noticed them.

  “Yeah…” Danny closed his eyes for a second. Maybe hoping this was all a dream, Nora wasn’t sure. The pastor kept going, ignoring the few people who whispered in the back. Two older ladies on the other side of the aisle were deeply engaged in their gossip and didn’t hear a word of what the pastor had said. Nora knew them, and she also knew they would go talk to him and praise his interesting sermon.

  Nora thought about another solution. “There’s another option. Maybe she’ll be less interested in you if there was a better looking guy for her to chase.”

  “And where would I find one? I don’t particularly know what defines a good-looking guy.” Danny shook his head and turned to her. His amber eyes looked golden in this light; warm and inviting. “But let’s stop talking about her. I want to talk about you.”

  “Why me? I’m not that interesting. You’ve lived in Italy, that’s way more interesting than my life here.” Nora considered her life to be dull. When someone asked her what she did all day, reading was her answer. Most people didn’t understand how much she loved books and why she would choose them over doing something else.

  Lakeside wasn’t the most exciting city either. The city centre was limited to shops and a few places teenagers wanted to hang out, like the cinema and a small arcade hall. Life in Italy must’ve been more interesting than this. There was so much more to do and see than here.

  “Maybe you’ll allow me to judge that for myself. I think your life in a city like this is more exciting than living somewhere surrounded by grandmothers who were trying to set me up with their granddaughters.” Danny had a sad look on his face. Nora couldn’t figure out if it was because he missed a girl or something else.

  “Do you miss it?” She asked, hoping to find out more.

  “What do you mean? Italy, or the grandmothers?” Danny couldn’t hide his teasing smile.

  “Italy, of course.”

  “Well, the food was good, and the people were nice. Passionate. They say what’s on their mind and how they feel. They’re not afraid to express themselves. That’s why the art here is so different. Artists hide their feelings behind abstract shapes, instead of putting it out there.” Danny’s expression changed when he talked about Italy, like a hidden love was unlocked.

  “I think I know what you mean, but we had painters like that as well. Maybe you know The Night Watch or the Girl With The Pearl Earring. You can’t deny they are just as great as Italian paintings.” Those were just the two she could name, but she remembered the Rijksmuseum was filled with beautiful artwork. It was the only museum she’d been to she could visit every week and still discover new things.

  “I must admit that your Golden Age has produced some great works, yes.”

  “You think we’re cold and emotionless?” She never knew they viewed the Dutch as such. Down to earth, yes. Sober, maybe. Straight to the point, absolutely. But did that make us cold and emotionless?

  “I think Italians are more passionate. The Dutch are more reserved and down to earth. I don’t mean that as a bad thing. Just different. You’ll see when you go to Italy yourself. You don’t see it in your family?”

  “I have only met my grandma, and she’s very different from my father. She’s more outgoing and has an opinion, but don’t we all? She adores me, but so do my mother’s parents. I can’t really say I see a real difference.” Nora hadn’t spent enough time with Italians to recognise the difference between the two cultures.

  “You must go to Italy and visit your grandmother,” Danny insisted. “Do you have any other family there?”

  “I know I have an uncle, but I don’t hear much about him or his family. I suppose he’s married, with kids. My grandmother only speaks Italian and I don’t understand much of what’s she’s telling.”

  “Are you studying Italian? Maybe I can help.” Danny unleashed his charming smile.

  Nora couldn’t help to be taken in by his offer. “I am, although slowly. There’s still regular school that I need to focus on. I’ve been taking Spanish and understanding Italian has become a little easier since some words look alike. But I’m still nowhere near good enough to hold a conversation.”

  “Well, let me know if you want to practice. I’m available.”

  Nora sighed. “I wish being friends with you was easier.”

  “Aren’t we friends?” Danny looked surprised

  “We are, but someone’s being a bitch about it.” It sounded meaner than she wanted, but she felt bad about Felicia’s attitude.

  “Oh, right.” Danny thought for a minute. “I’ll be here next week and probably every Sunday following.” He winked at her.

  “I don’t think the pastor would appreciate it if we talked through his sermon every week.”

  “But we could talk after the sermon ove
r a cup of watery coffee.” He nodded towards the beverages and cookies near the door.

  “I’d really like to be friends with you. You don’t seem like a bad person and I know I don’t have to lie when I say I’m not interested in you, romantically. You’re just not my type. I’m sorry.” Nora tried to make it into a joke remembering how interested he was in their first week. It was better to be up front about it, whatever his intentions were.

  “Ah, that’s okay. I’m glad to know not everyone is shallow. It seems high school is filled with girls who seem to think appearance is everything.” A flash of hurt crossed his face for a second.

  Nora changed the topic quickly. “I don’t believe Italy has none of that. I mean, fashion is like a second religion in Italy. The bigger cities are filled with expensive brands and people who buy it.”

  “It’s true that Italians care about their appearance, but they fall for more than just looks. It’s as much about attitude as it is about appearance. Don’t judge too quickly. It’s not the Christian way.” He winked at her again. His tone was serious, but he was right. Nora shouldn’t judge something she knew nothing about.

  “I’ll try not to,” admitting her fault Nora saw the pastor heading their way.

  “Good morning. It’s nice to see more young people here,” he said.

  “Good morning, pastor. Thank you for having me again.” Danny responded.

  “I do have to ask you to leave. We’re hosting a private baptism soon, Maybe you can continue your conversation somewhere else.” The pastor tried to be as polite as possible while still being strict.

  Nora and Danny nodded, gathered their things and went outside.

  “I’m going home. I still have homework to do.” Nora headed towards her bicycle.

  “Me too. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waved goodbye as he stepped back in the opposite direction.

  “If Felicia lets you.” Nora laughed, but it hurt.

  “Don’t think too much about it. Try to enjoy the little things. We can talk again next week, alright?” Danny squeezed her shoulder before he left.