Condemned to Hope’s delusive mine,

As on we toil from day to day,

By sudden blasts, or slow decline,

Our social comforts drop away.

--On the Death of Dr. Robert Levet

Samuel Johnson

Chapter Four; Flight

I awoke from my thick sleep enveloped by the sweet scent that I recognized as Erik. I opened my eyes to see the demon lying beside me, still dead asleep. I yawned and tried to move out of the circle of his arms. Naturally, I couldn’t. I tried once more, and only succeeded in waking him from his slumber. Fantastic.

“Good morning love.” He said.

“Stop calling me love, ok?” I said. I couldn’t deal with it. I wouldn’t deal with it. No matter what I said last night, I couldn’t let myself fall in love with him. Well, fall deeper in love with him. Oh no. I had to escape from him and Hell alike. There wasn’t enough love for this demon in my heart to make me want to give up my soul for him. I could never live in Hell and he knew that. So, why did he have to make it difficult for me to get away from him? Was it possible he loved me too? No, it wasn’t. Demons just weren’t capable of such emotions. I sighed and sat up, rubbing my temples to try and get my brain to start working again. Erik got off of the bed completely; the first sensible thing he had done the entire time I’d been held hostage. I gave him points for that one.

“Would you like some new clothes, Ms. Rosier?” he asked coldly.

“Oh cut the goddamn bullshit Erik. All I asked was for you to stop calling me love. That doesn’t mean that you can’t call me by my regular goddamn name.”

“Oh, I’m sorry the manner in which I address you is so bothersome to you.” He said sarcastically. God and Goddess damn it; I really, really was starting to hate this man—demon—person. I gave him possibly the coldest eyes ever given in history and then got off the bed. I padded over towards his armoire and opened it. As I suspected, there was still at least ten or fifteen outfits there of mine. The liar. He had told me he’d burned the remains of my clothing that I’d left there. I took out a very nice, very sophisticated looking black top with a scoop neck and short sleeves and a pair of jeans that accentuated my every curve. I walked over towards his bathroom and shut the door. I always found it funny how he kept a mortal style bathroom in his place. Of course, it had probably been all for me anyways. I looked at the shower, which looked very clean, as if it had never been used before. I shook my head. I never really took Erik for someone to have everything crisp and pristine. Of course, he really had no use for the room anyways, except maybe to wash up a bit when he brought a mortal down to have his way so he wouldn’t frighten her too much with all his power. Of course, mortals were very delicate creatures. Very easily frightened by the most simplistic things. One little power display and they run around like chickens with their heads cut off screaming ‘Witch! Witch! Burn her, burn her!’ at the top of their lungs.

“Do you have any real mortal amenities? A toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush even?” I asked him as I opened the door again. There was no point in going in there if I couldn’t do anything that was productive. He looked at me and shook his head.

“I got rid of that when you left.”

“That’s what you said about my clothing.”

“I knew you’d be back. But the rest of it was just cluttering up the room and I couldn’t be bothered to find somewhere to store it.”

“Because you’re just that lazy, or because you enjoy provoking me?”

“Both.”

“That’s what I thought.” I said and padded out of the room. I had so much energy. I had to get rid of it. I had to get out of here. I didn’t like how the demon could electrify every single nerve ending in my body without ever touching me. I wanted to get out and wash his scent from my skin, get him away from me, and get the rest of his kind away as well. I needed help. I needed…I needed Violet and Alex.

Ok, let’s see if I can still do this. I thought to myself. I needed to mentally reach out and get Violet so Erik wouldn’t know exactly what I was doing. I went back to the bed and spread out, and heaved a heavy sigh. I wanted him to think I was thinking about what to do. I hoped he didn’t realize what was actually going on in my head.

Violet? Vi, if you can hear me, please.

What the Hell do you want, Calli? Violet’s mental voice said. I silently rejoiced.

I need your help Violet. I’m...look. I’m sorry for what happened. I am. But I ran into Adrienne and she got me down into Hell. I can’t get out on my own.

Well no shit, Callista. Apology accepted, but this isn’t going to be easy. It’s practically suicide.

That’s why I figured you’d be up for it.

Of course. I’ll see what I can do. Just try to wait a bit while I figure out a plan.

I’ll try, but I cannot guarantee that I’ll succeed.

With that, I shut my silent connection with Violet and opened my eyes with another sigh. I looked over at Erik, who was changed and looked nice and clean. Not to mention rather nonchalant about everything. I hated that he could do that. It pissed me off.

“So, where do we go from here?” I asked him. He looked over at me and raised an eyebrow.

“You really want to know what I think?”

“Just tell me before I change my mind about your opinion, Erik.”

“Ok. Where do we go? I had hoped you would change your mind and join us. I’m getting sick and tired of having to chase you all over. I’m tired of having to make sure no other mortal or immortal alike thinks he can touch you, because you’re mine. But most of all? I’m tired of you not giving in to what I know you know what we both want.”

I watched Erik with pure awe. He’d come right out and said it. Well, almost. He wanted me. He had been making sure no one else got near me. I was his. It made my heart irrationally beat faster at the declaration. I knew the instant he heard it, because he turned his head sharply towards me. My whole body was alive from top to bottom. The heat crackled between us with an intensity I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Erik…”

“Calli.” He growled. That sound made a shiver travel up and down my spine. I was on the edge of giving in. I had run out of time. I couldn’t wait. I silently said my apology to Violet as I rose and headed towards him. Before I realized it, I was in his arms. The next thing after that was the feeling of his lips claiming mine in one fell swoop. It was demanding and insistent, and every last bit of intoxicating as they had always been. I let a whimper escape me as I leaned my head back, allowing him to let his tongue sweep in. It was dizzying, it was intoxicating, it was…wrong. I opened my eyes. I was suddenly aware of every point of contact between Erik’s body and mine. It was obvious how I was making him feel, what with his lower body pinned as close as possible to mine. It was very clear the effect I had on him, with his groaning reverberating in his chest that was plastered against my own. It was obvious, he had never lost any of the feelings he had for me. I realized then, that neither had I. I closed my eyes again and sank into the oblivion that kiss brought me. I tore my mouth away from his to speak, but Erik wasn’t content to stop. He trailed his kissed to my ear, down my neck, and all over. Every patch of bare skin, his lips managed to touch. I gasped.

“Erik…Erik!” I said, softly, but insistent. Not an urge for him to stop, but a plea for him to continue onward.

“Say it again. Like you mean it.” He murmured against my skin.

“Erik…” I whimpered, and bit my lip.

“Callista…” he whispered, and bit at my skin. It was hard enough that he drew tiny drops of blood in the few imprinted teeth marks he had left behind. I felt him lick it off my skin with pleasure. He drew me against the wall, pinning me there. I saw him grab the knife from his pillow that I had stashed on my lower back and draw a thin line of blood across his neck, right below his jugular vein. It was tempting, oh so tempting. I was inhaling the heady scent when the door burst open and shocked us both. Erik, unprepared, was hit directly by the drop kick Violet precisely executed. It hit him off the head and knocked him to the floor. If he and I hadn’t been caught up, that move would have never done that kind of damage. He’d have been prepared for it, and been able to evade her easily.

“Not exactly the distraction I had picture you giving him when I got here, but it worked well enough.” Violet said, straightening up and dusting herself off. I shook my head and moved quickly away, in case Erik roused faster than expected.

“And what exactly was it that you pictured? Scrabble?” I asked sarcastically.

“Actually, yes. But not that kind of Scrabble, if you catch my drift.” She said, and I shook my head.

“Let’s get going before anyone realizes what is going on.”

“Perfect. I come all this way, and all I got was to drop kick your ex lover.” Vi said sourly.

“You could put that on one of those t-shirts,” I offered with a smile, “I went to Hell and all I got to do was drop kick my best friend’s ex demon lover, and told everyone on this t-shirt.”

“It’s catchy, I do admit.” She said with a smile, and we continued to run as fast as we could. As soon as we hit the surface of New York City, I stopped for a quick breather.

“I’m sorry Vi.”

“You should be,” Violet said “And just look what happens when I’m not around. You manage to get yourself kidnapped and brought to Hell and almost sleep with Erik, again, and then you’d be bitching about it to me when he ended up getting you pregnant and leaving you with a full belly of baby, no job, and no money while he went off to Bora Bora with some new little piece of tail that he decided to fancy.”

“…. How long have you been thinking that one up?”

“Only a few days.” She said offhandedly and we continued to walk towards my apartment building. After a few blocks, Violet turned to me with her serious face on. That was never a good thing.

“You know, if you were smart, which is apparently an area you seem to be lacking in lately, you’d move to a new apartment so he didn’t know exactly where to find you.”

“Do you know how long it took me to get that apartment on Fifth?”

“Yes. One year, seven months, six days, twenty one hours, seventeen minutes, and twelve seconds.”

“Well that was rather…exact. How did you remember all of that?”

“I’m not telling you. But seriously, Calli. I can get you a cheaper, nice apartment closer to where Alex and I are living and you’d be safer. We’d all be closer together, and you’d have more money to shop or whatever. Also, Erik wouldn’t know the exact location of your home. That’s got to be a bonus.”

“They could just use Adri as a homing device, like they always have. It wouldn’t take them long to do it, either. Besides, Erik to—” I stopped short. I didn’t really have to tell Violet that part. Well, if she found out any other way, I knew she’d be even more pissed off that if I told her now. I weighed the options of my choices and sighed.

“He took my blood, Vi. Just moments before you walked in.”

“He what?” Vi shouted. Her eyes were popping way out of her head.

“Took my blood?” I asked, rather questioningly.

“You’re---you’re a dumb ass, that’s what you are!”

I shook my head as Violet pressed forward. I knew that she was going to say exactly what was in her head, no amendments, no revisions. It was coming out as she thought it, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Now enter Violent Violet.

“Callista Rosier! Your blood? Not only do they have your sister, which was bad enough to be a homing beacon, but now Erik has your blood? Fantastic! Now he can trace you, wherever you are! There’s nothing we can do to block that kind of magick tracing. I mean, honestly? How fucking stupid can you get? You haven’t just endangered yourself, or even me this time, Calli. What about Alex? They can use him to get to either of us. He’s mortal, he’s human, and he is weak. They will build him up and tear him down without a second thought.”

“I didn’t…oh, hell Violet. I never even thought about Alex.”

“Well, you should have! Now his life is on the line more than ever! We can’t protect him as well as ourselves. Calli…he’s our friend, but we can’t…we just can’t.”

“We’ll find a way—we have to. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

“Nor will I. Okay, perhaps we can talk to Kris and see what he can do…” Violet started, but I didn’t hear most of what she was saying. There was a way to protect Alex that went beyond just getting Kris involved. It was the same was I was protected. If I could just convince them to accept it, Alex might not be as targeted as we believed him to be.

“If I could get Erik to…”

“No. Absolutely not, Callista. We are not involving Erik or his help in any way, shape or form. Calli, seriously, you need to stop thinking that he’s one of the good guys.”

“But he is, Vi. At least, part of him is.” I hinted, and the dawn of realization came across Violet’s face. She understood now. If we could somehow coax Erik into letting his guard down, we could possibly manage to get Gabriel out of him and into the dominant persona. It was a difficult thing, and we could possibly get seriously injured or even killed trying, but it was something I had to risk. I was the one who put Alex in harm’s way, and I had to find some way to get him out of it, or I would die trying.

“It’s dangerous, Calli. We could get killed.”

“I know. I’d rather die trying to protect Alex than let him get hurt to save my own hide.”

“He’s going to be pissed as hell about this Calli.”

“Let him be pissed. He can’t help us, and he won’t be able to stop us. I will see him safe. I will not have him harmed because of what I am.”

“Nor I.”

“Then it’s settled. Tomorrow, I’ve got to head back to Hell.”

“And I’ve got to head up to Heaven.”

“Wish me luck.”
“Bonne Chance.”

And that was is. For the first time ever, Violet and I parted ways to save our friend from the path of destruction we had both unintentionally put him on. I sighed as I walked back to my apartment, and dragged myself up and into my bed as fast as I could. I collapsed there, exhausted from everything. I could never have a simple life anymore. Oh no. The God and Goddess wouldn’t let me have one, until I fixed everything on Earth that I had managed to screw up, and that mean making sure Erik wasn’t dominant ever again. With a heaving sigh, I closed my eyes. I didn’t dream.

End Chapter Four