Enraptured Page 5

  “Keep your head down,” hisses Jake. I quickly look at him, and then back into the crowd. Into the eyes of the people I’m passing. My swiveling head, and wide eyes have drawn human attention. It won’t be long before the demons notice, and I’m not sure I want that right now.

  “Sorry,” I mutter, embarrassed by my mistake.

  “Don’t worry about it. We just need to keep low until we get to the auction,” he whispers, his hand finding my arm and gripping it tightly. He expertly steers me through the thickening crowd. We’re clearly entering an open market. The sounds of voices grow heavier, as does the stench of human bodies pressed against each other. I think I hear the sound of a whip cracking through the dense air, and move to look above the crowd again, but Jake’s tight squeeze on my arm reminds me to keep low.

  “What auction?” I ask.

  “Just because you don’t have a plan, doesn’t mean that there isn’t a plan,” he explains. Which explains nothing at all, because I’m still in the dark.

  “Can you elaborate?” I ask.

  “No, there really isn’t any time.” He pulls me closer to him, so that I don’t get lost in the crowd.

  “Jake,” I hiss at him, grabbing his arm to stop him. “What the hell is going on?”

  He stops and turns toward me. His eyes drink me in, sadness suddenly clouding his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I really am, but there’s only way you’re getting in there.” His points over his shoulder. It’s a large building, clearly a palace or something in the distance.

  “And why do I need in there?” I ask. I know why, but I don’t want to know the answer. Buildings like that aren’t good places to be. I don’t know the layout, and if it’s hard to get in, that means it’s going to be even harder to get out.

  “Because that’s where the upper-level demons are,” he tells me. His mask is back in place.

  “Okay, so how am I getting in there?” I ask.

  “There’s a weekly auction. Humans for servants, and other delights,” he spits out. Disgust written all over his face.

  Understanding races through my mind. Despite the heat surrounding me, my skin erupts in chills.

  “You’re putting me in the auction,” My whisper is sharp, accusing. And maybe a little scared.

  “Yes,” he says, shame coating his voice. I look into his eyes; his shame is deeper than just me.

  “Is this something you…” I trail off, because I really don’t want to know the answer.

  “Let’s just get this over with.” His shoulders slump. My heart breaks again..

  “Fine,” I say quietly. I don’t like the idea of being sold to demons, but I haven’t got many other options at this point.

  We continue pushing through the bodies. In the time that we took to stop, the amount of bodies around us has gone from crowded to overwhelming. It’s not until we get closer to the raised platform where a trio of beautiful demons stand that I start to sweat. The three ‘men’ standing on the platform are all sharp angles, and muscles. It’s definitely intimidating to know that I’ll be going anywhere with them. Well, I will be if I’m selected. This is so fucked up. My stomach gives a sharp twinge of pain, and nausea bubbles up. Not now. I take deep calming breaths and somehow the sickness that was rising up my throat manages to sink back down into the pit of my stomach where it churns, but doesn’t rise again.

  The demons are scanning the crowd now. As soon as one raises his hand, the people surrounding us still. The auction must be starting.

  “Tell me what’s happening,” I whisper to Jake. My back is to the front of his body, as he’s standing directly behind me. He wraps his arms around me, and for a minute I’m home. I want to cry, because his arms around me hurt so much. The wound of losing him reopens, and I’m a gaping hole instead of a human girl in Hell. Tears burn my eyes, and my breath stops. I think Jake feels my body and soul breaking because he holds me tighter. He turns me around to face him, as he steps back. We get swallowed by the crowd. The hot, smelly bodies surround us and give us cover from the all-seeing demon eyes.

  “Tyler,” he breathes when he takes in my human-wound-pain form. He puts his lips to my hair, and kisses me there. Then he pulls me back and stares into my eyes. All of my pain, the last year without him, the fear of my current life, it must show on my face, because the hard mask on his face breaks completely and he kisses me. It’s a reawakening, and a farewell. We both know it. It’s not closure, but it’s as close as I’ll ever get with my first love. It’s more than I could hope for.

  “They’re going to call you up there, glance you over and take you,” he whispers into my ear, moving my body back toward the front of the crowd. It’s slow going. People aren’t willing to give up their spot easily.

  “How do you know?” I ask. He’s turned me so I’m facing the front. The auction has started. A woman, probably mid-thirties, is standing in front of the frighteningly beautiful demons. They turn her around, they give her little shoves. I can’t hear what they are saying to her, but it must be brutal, because she’s got huge tears streaming down her face. Before I can blink, she’s shoved off the stage, and back into the crowd. She lands on several people, taking them down with her. Cries of pain rise above the low hum of the crowd, and suddenly the area is thrown into a terrifying silence.

  “I just know,” Jake answers my long-ago-asked question. His voice is low, so low that I don’t even know if it’s real. Black eyes scan the crowd again, a more subdued and sober crowd. People seem less eager to go up and face the music now. Jake stands me taller; I try not to shrink back into him.

  “Keep your head down,” he hisses again in my ear.

  I tuck my chin down to my chest, but keep my eyes up. I spot when they notice us. A quick nod is thrown Jake’s way, and suddenly I’m being escorted toward the demons. Every instinct in my body says, flee, run, hide. These are very dangerous demons, yet Jake keeps moving. I’m near panic by the time we climb the six stairs leading up to the top of the platform.

  Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. This is bad. This is really fucking bad. Sorry for all the cuss words, baby, I mentally apologize to my fetus. Quick words are exchanged, between Jake and the demons. It all seems like an old song and dance for them. Which makes my throat tighten. I want better for Jake. He deserves better than eking out an existence in Hell selling humans to demons. I want to rage to the Heavens on his behalf, but I know that won’t get me anywhere. In all my years of knowing about demons, I’ve never seen the Heavens open to help. Never.

  Before I know it, I’m being taken from Jake’s arms and led to the back of the platform. I see now that there is an escort of human slaves waiting around a cage. My cage, it seems. I defy Jake one last time, one last rebellion before I lose him again forever, and turn my head to watch him. He stands there, silently watching me go. Mask in place. Hardness set. My heart is completely fucking broken.

  I want to drop to my knees and weep for the boy I loved. I want to yell Thank you, and I love you, and I miss you. Over and over again. I want to take him into my arms and kiss him. I want to forget Kade, and life, and the baby, and stay with him. Anything to take away his hardness, and carry some of his burdens. But I’m weak, and human, and tragically woven into the fabric of another person’s life. Because if it were just me, if I didn’t have this baby, that’s exactly what I would do. Instead, I put my head back down. I act weak, which isn’t really an act right now. And I allow myself to be chained, and led off like a lamb to the slaughter.

  4

  The Demon Within

  I’m in that cage for hours. But I’m not alone. Soon it fills. One person, two, then ten, fifteen. Twenty. I lose count , because we’re so crammed in here I can’t tell where I stop and everyone else starts. I silently sing a song in my head to keep from dying. A figurative death, of course. Although who knows, a literal death might be waiting right around the corner for me. The sun sets in this weird not-earth, Hell. More human slaves surround the cage, and somehow, they lift it off t
he ground and onto wheels. They attach it, and start to push. Tears well in my eyes as I watch them struggle with the weight of everything. If they falter they get whipped. If they look like they might even falter, they get whipped. It’s a terrible thing to witness.

  I send up a silent plea, please let me survive this. Please show me how to help these people. I don’t care what they did back home, because the average person doesn’t deserve this. And from personal experience I can say that most humans aren’t terrible.

  The trip is short; we’re not very far from the palace, but on the backs of the skeletal slaves it seems to drag on. They could march the new slaves to the palace much faster than this, but that would defeat the point, wouldn’t it? By the time we reach the palace I think we’ll all know. Don’t bite the hand that feeds us, or else we might end up breaking our backs carrying a fresh crop of slaves. Since I was the first in the cage, I’m still on the outside.

  My side is facing the back, so I have a clear view of the three demon auctioneers following us. They sit on plush cushions, being carried by more slaves. They don’t seem to mind the slow crawl that the cage is taking. Instead they chat and laugh. I catch them throwing hungry looks back to the cage, and my mouth dries. Please, please, please don’t let me end up alone in one of their bedrooms. I want to get swallowed up into the crush of human bodies, but it’s impossible to move. The jostling of the cage makes my stomach roll, and I hope I don’t puke. Although from the smell of things I wouldn’t be the only one.

  Just let this be over soon. I manage to move my hand enough to feel in my pocket; the spell from Maria is still in there. A calm settles over me, knowing that I can get out of here at any time. Hopefully. This trip is taking too long, I’m getting antsy. Yet every time I feel like I’m going to scream, all I have to do is open my eyes and see the poor people shoving us up the long winding road. This is a five-star fucking hotel compared to that.

  Finally, we stop in front of the palace. It’s even bigger up close. It’s clear that it houses a bunch of people…err demons. The entire ruling class of the underworld must live here. The door to the cage is unlocked, yet we still sit. The new slaves hate being here, but they fear being out there more. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Disobedience isn’t going to do them any favors this early in the game, and from the stern voices of the demons it’s certainly not a good start. If I were anywhere near the front of the cage I’d be out, but here I am, stuck in the very back. Note to self, next time get a spot near the door. Finally, we start moving, it’s a slow crawl, but it’s better than the standstill. It means I’ll get out of this stinking mass of bodies.

  As I near the entrance to the cage I can see that we’re being separated into groups. The demons direct people into different lines by some random attributes. I watch as closely as I can to try and figure it out. It only takes me a few minutes. Above average looking people to the left, the rest to the right. Left is the front of the palace, right is a path to the other buildings of the grounds. I want to go left, because if Kade’s here, which I don’t see why a soon-to-be Prince of Hell wouldn’t be, that’s where he’ll be. But I have no illusions about how I look. I know I’m pretty, but I’ve just been sucked from earth into hell, walked for miles, and been sold into slavery. I look like shit. I can only hope they see the potential. Looking around me I see the local population. They look tired, but nowhere near as haggard as I feel.

  Since the crowd has thinned a bit, I take the time to pull my ponytail out, and run my fingers through my hair. Once I’m relatively sure it’s sorta smooth, I throw it back into a neater ponytail. It’s not going to do much, but I feel a little bit better. They say confidence is half the battle of being seen as pretty. It feels like an eternity has passed before it’s my turn to stand in front of the beautiful assholes again. And once again they give me a quick glance over. I hear one ask the another one if I was the one Jake brought. That guy gives a nod, and I’m shoved into the left line. Thank you! Hallelujah!

  The last of the cage is quickly emptied, and we’re ushered on our way. We don’t go through the front entrance. Instead we’re escorted into the back of the building. A few women meet us at the back door, and they take over from there. We’re quickly stripped of our clothes and shoved into a shower. The water is hot, not too hot, but hot enough to be a shock. Some of the women shriek, but some, the ones who probably haven’t been dead for as long, moan with pleasure as the hot water cascades down their tired bodies. I’m with them. A hot shower, even one where I’m scared out of my mind, feels good. It’s hard to shower with my hand clutching the spell, but somehow I manage to do so, and keep it semi-dry, I hope.

  Towels are given to each of us as we exit, along with a black dress. I breathe easier when I see that it’s a maxi dress with an empire waist. It’ll hide the bump at least. It’s surprisingly modest compared to the clothing the older slaves are wearing, but maybe you have to work your way up to next-level stripper. I mentally slap myself. I don’t know these women, or why they are obviously sexually pleasing demons. Plus, I mean, I’m carrying a half-demon fetus. So, who am I to judge?

  We’re given a few minutes to get dressed, and to make ourselves look presentable. There are brushes and makeup. I brush my hair so that the long strands fan out behind me. There’s nothing I can do about them soaking into the back of my dress. I doubt I have 45 minutes to blow-dry it. I follow the lead of most of the women and put at least a little bit of makeup on. It’s definitely not anything like the sexy smoky eyes of the seasoned slaves, but it’ll do.

  You can feel the anxiety crackling through the air. This is it, isn’t it? This is the final stop, the lowest you can go. Or maybe it’s a step up for these women and men. I see the men now, they’re dressed in black dress shirts, and black slacks. We’re all barefoot. Which is fine on my aching feet, but not so great for a quick escape. I want to squeeze the hand of the girl standing next to me, who looks to be about my age. Tears are flowing down her face, her fear easy to read. Every time a man bumps into us, or comes near us, she flinches. It’s not hard to see that she’s been mistreated, and badly. Rage burns in my bones. I want to save her, I want to save them all. Even the ones who look bored instead of scared. Even the ones who look happy to be here.

  The scantily-clad female slaves line us up into straight lines, and then lead us out of the backroom closet we’ve been stashed in. We’ve been given no instructions; in fact, no one has spoken since we entered this hellhole. Still we all know to follow quickly and quietly. Keep your head down, Tyler. I remind myself. That last unspoken command is the hardest for me. I want to look for Kade. I want to plan, and know where my exits are, but I don’t need to get caught before I even start.

  So I do it.

  Until…

  I hear a familiar laugh ring out. It’s deep, and throaty. It promises so many dark, delicious things.

  It’s fucking Kade.

  My head snaps up quickly, shooting a stare into the direction of the laugh. And I see him. He’s flirting with a woman in a form-fitting red gown. He’s wearing a tailored tux. He looks fucking amazing. Head down head down head down pounds into my brain, and I lower my head. He hasn’t noticed me, but why would he? It’s not like we’ve got this amazing connection that transcends Heaven and Hell. Except, we do. But then again, he’s not expecting me either. I can’t decide if I’m angry with him, or understanding of his situation. He’s a demon after all.

  We make our way to the end of the room where we are lined up against the wall. A look from the leading slaves lets us know that we should remain still and silent. Like, no shit? It’s a fucking demon party, and we’re slaves. What person in their right mind would make a fuss right now? Except me. I feel like making a fuss, because here in the back of the room I can watch Kade more openly. And he’s still flirting with that damn she-demon in the red dress.

  A glass is tapped, and the focus of the room zeros in to the demon holding it. He’s a large guy. Muscular, good looking like all the other upp
er-level demons in the room. Beautiful, to lure in innocent humans. Makes sense. I don’t know who he is but he looks powerful, this Glass Tapper demon.

  “I’d like to thank you all for joining me tonight,” he starts. “It’s not often we get to gather and let loose like this.” He chuckles, the room chuckles, hardy-fucking-har. It’s obvious by the plush environment, and the general boredom of the demons that they do, in fact, gather like this.

  “I promised there’d be a purpose to this gathering,” he says, and the room suddenly seems more alive. People are now waiting for his news.

  “No, no, it’s not that. We’re still deliberating on the new Prince, but we’re getting closer.” He smiles at the room, which seems to deflate at this announcement. It’s then that I notice there’s a clear divide. There’s the people by Kade, and the people by another stupidly, disgustingly, good-looking demon. He’s all dark hair, and dark eyes. Moody, broody, and sour. He’d be a hit on earth, girls would flock to his dark looks and cocky attitude. Unlike Kade, he looks like he lacks a sense of humor though, so I’d have no trouble stabbing him. Not like I had any trouble stabbing Kade either, at least not at first.

  “I’d like to welcome back Javier,” he says and waves forward a hulk of a man. Vomit suddenly fills my mouth, and I have to swallow it down quickly. Javier is the stupid brute that killed Jake, almost killed me, and lived. Rescue Kade, and get the fuck out, Tyler. Don’t even think about it. Except I do think about it. Vividly, for at least ten whole minutes. And those ten minutes put me way behind, because suddenly we’re moving. The demons have taken their seats at the tables littered throughout the room. Kade sits at the head table with the Red Lady. His opponent sits on the other side of her. Glass tapper sits in the middle, and Javier is on his left.

  The line of male slaves pass by the table first. The demons muttering approval at the human-husk hunks before them. Then my line is making their way in front of the table. Again, the urge to run is racing through my veins, and vomit is racing up my throat. I force both away. I kind of need Kade to notice me. Otherwise I doubt I’d get close to him. The whispers start up again. I watch Kade. He smirks with the Red Lady as they judge the human meat for their display. It’s all so fucking sickening. I want to reach out and slap him. I’m waiting for his reaction though. I pass by him, and his eyes glide over me, and no sign of recognition registers from him. I know for certain that I am going to beat the ever-living shit out of him. And I’m going to love doing it. Stupid fucking demon. Stupid fucking Tyler Reed.