Page 77 of Deal with the Devil

“Don’t worry…I can’t die.”

No sooner had the words passed his lips did an unhinged, rotten jaw wrap around his throat and rip out a life ending chunkfrom it. Knox’s head snapped off his spine and hit the floor with a resounding thud. The lights died and everything was black.

And for a moment, in that stillness, she didn’t react. It hadn’t sank in. It wasn’t real. It was just a nightmare.

Then the book opened and snapped it’s jaw tight and it all came crashing back to her. Flames like glowing rubies scorched up the walls, whole pillars made of bright red. The room was drenched in her anger. It radiated off her in waves on uncontrollable fury. Her hands trembled.No.He lied.No, he said he can’t die.He lied.He promised.

Amelia didn’t realize she was screaming until she was standing over Rick’s headless body.Record scratch.She turned on her heels, inch by inch, staring wide eyed at Declan. He stood at the center of the room, holding up Knox’s head by his uncracked horn.He lied. He lied!He lied!

She bolted across the room with speed she’d never had before. The front of the book hit Declan first as she bashed Knox’s head out of his hands.He doesn’t get to claim him.Amelia swung again, catching the vampire by the chin with the edge of the book.Knox doesn’t get to just leave me.She bound up above Declan and drove the book down over his skull.He doesn’t get to die!Flashes of the forest bled in with flashes of the red room. In one blink she was breaking the driver’s face in. In another, she was bringing the spine down onto Declan’s face. Flash, she was in the ring, trying to push a kid off her. Another, she was in the office, stomping her foot down onto Declan’s chest and tearing his arm off with her own fangs bared.

Horns poked at the flesh on her forehead as she chucked the arm over her head into the flames. They burned brighter. She ripped off a foot. Brighter. Amelia ripped and tore and shredded with her quaking hands until it was just his head. Then she opened the book and stuffed it inside.

Once the book bit down onto Declan…the red stopped.

The flames died and she was left in the dark again…alone again…

Twice Knox had made a deal with her.

Twice Knox had left her.

There was no pulsing of magic, no pressure of madness, nothing. Just the thick, empty darkness and the stench of decay.

Amelia sat in a sticky puddle for a long time, clutching the tome to her chest. It was quiet for once, finally satiated.Why did he lie.Amelia spun in her own mind, replaying it. Like he’d done it on purpose. He looked her dead in the eyes and lied, knowing Declan was coming for his throat.

He’d lied to her…breaking their contract. A small, singular candle lit up on the desk across the room. Behind him, a grinning crone sat. Her long, gnarled fingers were threaded.He broke the contract on purpose.The crone nodded, sitting back in the chair.Why?

“Why does anyone do anything, sweetheart? Madness!” The crone let out a wheezing laugh.

Amelia climbed to her feet. The office faded away and she was in a cottage. A bubbling cauldron sat in front of the crone instead of the desk and candle. She stirred it steadily, watching Amelia as she stumbled into a new realm. “Wait…where am I?”

“The Nightmare Realm.”

“How?” Amelia spun slowly, soaking it all in. The cottage was small with exposed rafters and dangling herbs. It smelled of fresh thyme and lavender soap. A wooden counter covered in bottles as well as cutting boards full of things caught her attention. Knox’s horn sat on one of the chopping blocks. Split and in pieces, but she’d know those purple and black things anywhere. Her legs wobbled under her as she rushed to the counter. Amelia snatched up a chunk of them on one hand, holding the book to her chest in the other. “Bring him back!”

“I can’t, dear.” Persephone, the witch from the woods, shook her head.

Amelia stomped closer, rattling the horn before the woman. The cottage and Persephone were much larger now, as if Amelia were a dwarf and the cottage were ogre sized. Amelia shook the horn again. “I said, bring him back!”

Her voice broke as fat, stinging tears trickled down her cheek. Persephone immediately snapped a long fingernail out and caught a single drop. She slipped it into the cauldron, the whole concoction glowing purple and gold. Amelia fell back. Her back hit the counter as it felt like a dragon sat on her chest.Please, bring him back.

“I can’t, dear. I’m not in possession of his soul.” Persephone grinned at Amelia mischievously.

Amelia’s face fell. “That’s right…it…it belongs to me now.”

“Such a smart thing you are.” Persephone reached out a hand to Amelia. Uncurling her fingers, she waited till Amelia could peel the horn chunk from her palm. Amelia dropped it into her hand, hugging the book to her chest with desperation. It purred in delight. Persephone plopped the horn into the cauldron. “But I can help you get him back, my little horror, for a deal.”

“Little horror?” Amelia furrowed her brows.

“Now, now Amelia,” Persephone snickered, her yellow gaze snapping up from the cauldron. “You didn’t think you’d get out of thishuman,did you?”

Amelia opened her mouth to speak only for her mouth to dry up.Get out of this human?Amelia’s heart hammered in her chest as she glanced down at the book.Didn’t I just tell Knox I wasn’t strong enough to use the book? Now it bent to my will?How did that happen? It happened because she’d gotten Knox’s soul in the transaction.

“What am I now?” she squeaked.

“Like Knox, you’re a little eldritch horror now. Different flavor, but a Nightmare all the same. Take a look.” Persephone nodded her chin toward the wall behind Amelia’s head. The blue-haired, used to be human woman turned inch by inch. Along the cottage wall was a jagged cut of glass. In a grimy, slimy reflection, she saw herself. Blue hair, round face, nose with a slight break in the middle, bushy brows. Amelia Armstrong. However, there was something behind her, hovering over her shoulder like a shadow. She grabbed one of the many destressed towelettes on the counter and wiped away the grime. Instead of Amelia, there was a shadow. Three yellow eyes blinked back at her with a grinning, open maw of razor-sharp teeth. Tendrils of smoke danced around her shadow reflection. Long, curling horns poked out of her nightmarish reflection. Amelia reached out, studying her reflection that mimicked her.

“Is it reversable?” Amelia croaked, glancing over her shoulder at the crone.

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