Crave(14)

“A week? No, you have one day─oh, and my sexy nuns and debauched priest will be watching. You do anything bad and they’ll drag you to the altar and use their sexual talents on you. One day, Elizabeth. Remember who I am, the pursuer and deceiver.”

With that, he disappeared.





Chapter Seven


Elizabeth gazed out the window toward the fading light against the horizon. She used to think dusk was the most beautiful part of the day. Italy had a talent for being breathtaking with its sunsets filled with pinks, purples, blues, oranges—with not a dusting of clouds to hide the extreme perfection that was quickly falling away. As she turned away from the window, dread started to kick in. Her eyes locked on the open laptop on the small desk in the room. The cursor on the chat screen mocked her as it flashed with no response from Jared.

The moment the beast had released her, she ran to her room and lit the last of her mistletoe and messaged Jared. He said he would always be there for her—he always had been—until today. Twenty-four hours she was given of freedom. She had hoped it would be her escape, that she would be gone by now. It was hard fighting your way to freedom. Elizabeth would do it until her dying breath.

Elizabeth dropped her hands to her sides, and made her way over to the small desk and the steamy kettle. Sister Samantha had knocked, letting her know her daily tea was ready. Elizabeth had locked herself in the room. The pathetic whines of the woman tore through something in Elizabeth as she denied her. Somehow she felt she was the only one in this place that was free from the taint—but for how long? When would the corruption of her soul start? Once Samantha had left, she retrieved the tea.

Elizabeth shook off her internal musings and refilled her mug with the hot water. The ground fennel danced across the bottom. Normally you were supposed to sprinkle this in your yard to ward off demons, ghosts, and evil. Elizabeth felt it would work better if sprinkled inside her belly. She walked back over to the window, where the dark hues of blue and purple ate up the lavender shades that had been there only moments ago.

Her day of freedom was slowly drifting away.

The sound of a water drop filled her room like a sonic boom, and she nearly dropped the mug as she stumbled her way to computer. The glowing icon of a snake filled the chat box. Relief filled her every cell as she sat the mug down on the tiny desk, nearly knocking down the protection gem stones she had found in town at a local used bookstore. It was a stroke of luck, even if she just now set them up around her bed this morning. The blue lace agate teetered on the edge before she batted it back closer to her. It was the subtle glow that started to emanate from the celestite that distracted her for a moment.

Funny.

It had never done that before.

The sound of the persistent water drop drew her attention back to the computer screen and Jared’s panicked messages.

Jared: What the hell happened, Beth?

Beth: I got a free pass day that’s what! And your ‘I will be there whenever you need me’ ass was nowhere to be found!

Jared: I had a final, I just got out of my last class! What is going on!

Beth: Enough with the yelling.

Jared: Yelling?!

Beth: The exclamation marks... = yelling genius.

Jared: Whatever, are you going to tell me what is going on or what. I researched some more about the place you’re at. Seems that some fucked up shit goes on there. Locals talk about strange sounds. People that go to worship there come back, well, different.

Beth: Maybe because this is the king pins place of unholy worship.

There was a long pause. The cursor flashed back at her as her anxiety grew. The glowing stone next to her seem to be getting warm. She reached for it just as Jared finally answered.

Jared: Did he find you?

It was her turn to delay. She didn’t know how to tell him what was happening. Elizabeth struggled with all that was going on. They both were led into a false sense of security. Not just herself and Jared—but her parents. They’d all been under the impression that her coming here would keep her safe until they figured out a way to break the contract, and hide her out in the world while she went back to living.

Jared: Beth?

Breaking out of her melancholy, she went back to the task at hand—finding a way out.

Beth: Yeah... I’m still here.

Jared: Did he? Is he there?

Beth: Yes, he’s been here a few days now.

Jared: FUCK! You need to leave NOW!

Beth: Where the hell am I supposed to go?

Jared: Beth, you need to listen to me.

Beth: I have always listened to you... Jared, you’re all I have. I can’t trust anyone else.

Jared: I know, and I’m going to keep you safe. I promise.

Beth: Jared?

Jared: Yeah, Bethy.

The little nickname he called her filled her heart to bursting. Elizabeth had no clue what Jared looked like, she just knew when she’d reached out on the devil possession forums, he’d answered and no one else.