29. Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Zelyah
H e’s preparing for another ritual. He’s giving the supernatural more fuel and power in this world. I need to stop this, or else who knows what will happen if whoever is behind this gets stronger. Zack has no idea the amount of trouble he’s in by killing humans and supernaturals.
“I need to hurry so we can get out of here. Someone may have heard or seen us and have alerted the cops,” Zack says, furiously writing those markings on the floor.
I fucking hope so. They need to arrest this lunatic before he does more damage. I can’t get out of my bindings, but as soon as they come, they’ll release my ropes, and I’m taking Zack with me and killing him slowly. I intend to make sure I stab him deep and painful for every killing, for every murder he’s committed. I’ll make him beg for mercy and not give him any. He’ll watch as I unleash my full wrath on him. At least that’s the plan in my head.
“So how, exactly, will that happen?” I ask in hopes I can delay him longer by having him multi-task.
“Well, I like my age now, and I gave him an extra kill. He’ll ask me what I want in return, and I’ll let him know I want you.”
Nope, not happening. I try again, moving against the ropes, and this time the shackles around my body tighten more
“Look, bro. You’re messing with a supernatural. They don’t give a shit about humans, believe me. He’s going to get here and kill us both. There are some really strong supernatural beings, and whoever this is will probably end up using us as slaves.” Maybe I can try reasoning with him and make him understand that what he’s doing is dangerous.
“Just wait, Zel, you’ll see.”
Nope, everything I’ve said went over his head. I can’t reason with this guy, which is probably why he was chosen. Whoever picked him studied him and knew he’d be an easy target. All he had to do was give Zack what he thought he wanted, and Zack fell right for the plan. The pressure is maddening. It feels as if someone is sitting on my chest. Now that the drugs have worn off, my claustrophobia rises to the surface.
“Zack, please stop.” The floor begins to shake. “At least untie me.” I hate being stuck, I hate elevators, small spaces, and not being able to move. I’m starting to panic.
“No. You’ll escape. Just a few more minutes, and once he’s here, I’ll untie you. Sound like a plan?”
Now he’s trying to reason with me, but that’s the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard. There is no way for a person, human or supe, to automatically like you. At least, I don’t think there is. Fuck! I don’t know. All I know is I need to untie myself before shit hits the fan.
“No, that idea sounds like a sure way we’re both going to die,” I scream out. I need to get out of these bindings.
“I’ll be honest, I’ve never done this one before. This is the other spell the man gave me. He said once I was satisfied with my age, use this other one.” Once he’s done, he stands up and pulls a piece of paper from his pocket.
“Oh Goddess, no. Zack stop!” I try again. Everything in this room is flying around me. I feel like we’re in the middle of a tornado, and he hasn’t even started saying the spell yet.
“I’m going to start chanting.” I can feel how bad this idea is in the pit of my stomach. As he opens his mouth, I can taste the sourness and wrongness this is manifesting. We’re both going to die because of this idiot.
“You fucking psycho, stop the spell,” I shout.
The floor begins to shake violently. Mitch is sucked into the hole, along with the desk and TV. The lights flicker. This is straight out of a horror film. It’s going to end very badly.
“You’re going to drag us into the hole, Zack!”
I’m immobile. I still can’t get out of these damn ropes. I can’t be dragged to this demon’s world. My chair keeps inching closer and closer.
Once the chanting stops, everything becomes eerily silent. What was the purpose of the ritual? The only thing I can hear is my heavy breathing and the panic of wanting to scream and get the fuck out. I can’t see Zack’s face, and I wonder if he’s still alive. He must be. He would’ve dropped on the floor dead if he wasn’t.
Zack turns around and faces me. This is not the man that I was talking to before. He tilts his head to the side, and it looks awkward and strange. His eyes are pitch black. I try to open my mouth to talk, but nothing comes out. I wouldn’t know what to say if I was able to say something, anyway.
“So, this is who you want, Zack?” He smiles down at me like he recognizes who I am. With my legs, I try to push myself back, but I barely move an inch.
“I can’t let you have her.” The voice is different, too. It’s darker. “You can pick anyone else, but not her.”
He takes a step, getting closer to me and there’s nothing I can do but stay there. I’m stuck. He lowers his face to mine and takes me in. It looks like he’s studying everything about me. He brings one hand up and caresses my cheek tenderly. I try to pull away.
“I’ll be back for you,” he says like a promise.
Great, Zack summoned a demon, but I just became the target.
The eyes change back to Zacks, and his hand falls down by his side.
“He wasn’t able to stay in my body for long,” he says, looking exhausted.
Whatever demon it was, he wasn’t at full power yet. Thank Goddess for that, or this night might have ended a lot worse for me and the population of earth.
“If I can’t have you, then no one can.” He picks up the gun from the floor and points it at me. My breath picks up. I guess I was wrong, it will end badly for me. This is it; this is the end for me.
Then the room starts to shake, and the hole starts swallowing everything in the room again. Zack falls, and his gun slips into the hole.
“Noooo . . .” he shouts as he watches the gun go down the hole.
The demon may not come out into this world, but he’s sucking me right into his. Fear runs through me as I imagine the horrors that await. Will it flay the skin from my bones? Feast on my soul for eternity? The possibilities in its twisted hellscape are endless. I’m only seconds away from finding out as the growing portal threatens to swallow me up. All I can do is scream as darkness closes over my head, wanting to plunge me into the demon’s grasp. This is a fate far worse than death.