Page 3 of Contract Marked (Interdimensional Beings #1)
Chapter Three
Erin
A stream of sunlight danced behind my closed lids. A groan and a stretch later, I was sitting up on my too-hard, too-narrow couch, glancing around the room in a daze. A still intact salt circle and plate ware (with now dried blood caked in the middle) remained in the corner of my living room, bringing back the events of last night. The shadow being that turned into a hotter version of one of Megan’s exes, Megan wishing for twenty-four hours in another world, who knows where, and then her leaving with the only source of information I had to get her back. Well, aside from the few pages I had ripped out now lying on my coffee table next to burger wrappers from last night that I never threw away.
I clasped my phone from inside my purse by the couch, dialing Megan’s contact listed as ‘Best Bitch Ever’ on my phone—her doing, not mine.
I heard the vibrations before peering at the floor by the salt circle in the corner of the room. Megan’s phone screen illuminated, showing my contact info. I hung up and sank my head into my hands. Whether or not last night was a dream, Megan’s phone and purse were here with the damning salt circle and blood as evidence. If she doesn’t return tonight, I’ll do another summoning ritual alone.
That’s if it works.
The pages I grabbed didn’t include the instructions for the ritual but lists of rules and laws of the ‘Higher Realms.’ I took a law and business class back in college (not that I could remember much from that class), but it was of absolutely no help here with the text, including different languages and verbiage applying to multiple dimensions that made up The Higher Realms. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to repeat the summoning again, to even get that far to try and negotiate. I shook my head, no Megan would return tonight safe and sound. I had to believe that because, otherwise, we were both in deep shit.
Twenty-four hours later, Megan was still missing. I had wasted my Sunday rereading the torn pages for any clues, pacing around my tiny apartment, and checking social media on the wild chance Megan was playing some kind of prank or had gone home without her purse and phone—very unlikely, but I still held out hope. It was more plausible than some damn creature showing up in a plume of smoke.
I found myself on my floor once more, evening out the salt circle and replacing the plate of dried blood with a fresh one, my index finger still pulsing. I fumbled my way through the words I had spoken with Megan just last night, and when nothing happened, both with the light off and on, I knew I hadn’t gotten the words right. I probably wasn’t anywhere close.
I felt tears gather in my eyes with my lip wobbling. I still wanted to believe this whole thing was a dream, but that wasn’t fair to Megan, to just clock out on all of this. Because there’s no way she would have agreed to stay, not without saying goodbye to me and her mom. Not when she had such a perfect life here. Something must have gone wrong.
It also didn’t help that she was last seen here. Megan would be officially announced missing either by her mom (who she talked to every day), her current boyfriend, or a number of friends and coworkers she did shoots with throughout the week when she would do a no-call, no-show. What the hell would I tell the cops? Sorry, officer, she was kidnapped by some shadow demon. I’m sure I’d be sent to someplace with white walls and grippy socks after that.
Goosebumps grew on my arms as the room dropped several degrees, the smell of fire and spice permeating my living room once more.
“Miss me?” Dez spoke, standing in the middle of the salt circle.
I stared up at Dez, complete in a light beige suit, with the blazer unbuttoned to show a baby blue silk shirt beneath. I knew I hadn’t done the ritual right, but it didn’t matter.
“Where is she?” I surged to my feet, coming close to the border of the salt circle without touching it. “It’s been over twenty-four hours.” It was going on twenty-six now, actually, considering Megan left with Dez around 8 p.m. yesterday, and it was now 11 p.m., more than a whole day later.
Dez’s smile this time was short and impatient. It was clear he had favored Megan between the two of us. “Well, she’s currently in a prison cell.” His eyes narrowed on the pages on my coffee table, and my stomach sank. Don’t tell me ripping out those pages caused some issue with their contract?
“What do you mean? Why is she locked up?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
I shook my head. “You just asked for the book; you didn’t specify what shape it had to be in.”
“Tell that to the Council. Or don’t. I don’t mind hanging out with your pretty friend for a while longer. Or, in this case, forever.” I wanted to knock that smile right off his face.
“Council? Never mind that, why are you back here then? You clearly don’t look thrilled to be here, and you already have what you want—my friend,” I gritted out. “I know I didn’t do that ritual correctly.”
He peered down at his nails that were cut and groomed. “You’re correct. I’m not thrilled to be back in this bare-bones shack, but considering your blood was also present at the time of the calling, the Council demanded I finish the transaction, as per the law.” He gave a mocking bow. “Now I’m back here, at your service.”
Dez really showed his true colors this time around.
My heart skipped a beat. It was true. They had some system they had to abide by. That gave me some hope, not a lot, but some in trying to get Megan back.
“I want my friend, Megan Dunn, back here safe and sound.”
Dez looked like he was suppressing an eye roll. “No can do. You cannot interfere with a person’s decision in a pre-existing contract.”
“I can if the contract is proven invalid.” I crossed my arms in hope of looking more intimidating, but really, I was shaking.
If Dez looked annoyed before, now he looked downright frightening. “Forget about your friend, now tell me what you want so we can both be done with this. I’ll give you two minutes because I’m so generous before leaving you with nothing.”
“Actually, I have as much time as I want according to rule eleven under section ‘Calling Contracts’ stating the caller will demand as much time as they want, within reason.” My hands curled into fists. “The fact you rushed Megan falls under duress in the same section, rule twenty-three—caller will not be blackmailed, deliberately misinformed, under any sign of duress, or in a state of heightened influence, before agreeing to a contract.”
“You wretched woman, that’s why I wanted that damned book.” His beautiful face contorted, his pupils almost eclipsing the blue, stray blonde hairs falling across his chiseled face, making me take a step back. “You Lower Realms’ beings shouldn’t even have that kind of information.”
Without realizing it, my lips had curled into a smile. There was something powerful in having the right knowledge at the right time. Having the upper hand when least expected. “Dezmandaro, I want my friend, Megan Dunn, returned and her contract declared void on the grounds of duress.” That felt like something out of my law class, and I was happy I was putting it to use, even if this wasn’t the situation I ever expected to use it in.
The shadow man sighed, running his hand through his hair, even though his blonde locks still hung perfectly in place. “I can’t make that decision. Any challenges against the Laws of the Higher Realms take place with the Council. You’ll have to plead your case before them.”
“Then let me speak to this Council.”
He cocked his head. “If only it were that simple. You’ll need to file a complaint, and from there who knows how long until they meet with you. It could take years. Centuries. You could be dead way before then, and that’s if they decide to follow through with a trial.”
“Then I wish for you to get me a meeting with the Council as soon as possible.”
Dez froze. Then said, “No.”
“Then I will leave you inside that damn salt circle until you say yes.”
He cursed under his breath, “Stubborn human. Your pretty friend isn’t worth calling in favors for this shit.”
Dez made it seem he had all the power, but in reality, it was the caller, the summoner, me, who had it. But I still had to give something in return to finalize everything.
“Name your price, and before you try anything, I know it has to be of equivalent value,” I lied. I actually had no idea, but it felt right, and sometimes, if you say it confidently enough, people won’t question you. Hopefully, that included otherworldly beings.
I couldn’t pinpoint Dez’s expression. “My price will be of equivalent value, called in at a later date after the initial request is finalized.”
I frowned. “You have to state your price now.”
He arched an eyebrow, a slow smirk curling back in place. “It seems you don’t know all of our laws.”
I swallowed. “Tell me your price.”
“Not at this time. Now, either accept those terms or ask for something else. We’ve wasted enough time here.”
Silence filled the space as I wracked my brain for an alternative, some loophole. I would do anything to save Megan, but I had to be smart about this.
“Your price—promise it won’t lead to anything harmful for myself or Megan.”
“It won’t harm you or your friend. There? Happy? Now, do you accept or not?”
I took a deep breath, my heart leaping out of my chest. “I accept those terms.” I was going to regret this.
Like Megan had done last night, I cut myself with the knife and gritted my teeth. I raised it in sync with Dez, repeating back the strange phrase that sounded unlike any other language I’d heard before.
A searing pain bloomed in my chest, and I gripped my shirt—the white T-shirt now stained red from my bloody hand—over my right breast. I peeked down the collar, seeing a large D branded just inches from my nipple. What the hell? I peered at Dez to see if he now had an E branded on his body, but if there was one, it was hidden from plain sight.
Dez held out his hand. “Come along now.”
I hesitated. “We’re going to … your world?”
“No, we’re going to take a nice beach vacation in Florida. Bloody yes, woman, where else?” His gaze met mine. “It’s too late for regrets now. Refuse, and your life is mine.”
I ignored the internal screaming in my head as I took his hand—the cut had already healed as if the wound itself had transferred to the now branded D on my breast—the other clutching my purse that held my phone, the ripped pages from the ancient book, and the mysterious coin the fortune teller had given me. At this rate, I believed that damn coin might just save my life somehow.