Page 7 of Contract Marked (Interdimensional Beings #1)

Chapter Seven

Erin

I t was nothing like when Dez warped us to his world. Instead of feeling light and weightless, it felt as if I had walked through a layer of glue with sticky remnants still trying to drag me back. Thankfully, it only felt that way. My jeans and shirt were dry and as clean as possible from whatever magical detergent the silver-engraved symbol used when it returned my clothes, smelling like the wash.

The room was darker than I thought, and it took a while for my eyes to adjust. I tucked the coin back into my purse for safe keeping, the floor cool and firm beneath the palms of my hands, where I crouched on all fours. Reds, oranges, and yellows danced across the cherry wooden planks, along with the sound of fire crackling and … is that moaning?

I let out a soft gasp as my eyes finally made out the room, as two figures engaged in a very intimate moment. Standing beside the king-sized bed was the familiar dark-haired being from Dez’s mansion, completely naked. My mouth went dry as I took in his tight abs and muscular form, his waist narrowing with two groin divots gliding down to where his …

A woman’s bare back blocked my view as she stretched across the quilted bedspread, arching her voluptuous ass toward him. The woman opened her mouth to say something when he took a fist of her unnaturally red hair, yanking her head back. The woman’s vibrant green eyes widened, and her full lips twisted in pain. Her back curled into a crescent shape as he gripped her throat with his other hand before abruptly slamming into her from behind.

I clasped a hand to my mouth. Should I help her? Was there anything I could even do? But as soon as the thoughts entered my head, the woman let out an audible groan, her eyes rolling back as the man thrust his hips in a steady motion, his grip tightening around her throat to cut off her moans. As much as I wanted to look away, I couldn’t, struck by how unearthly breathtaking the two of them were. Her, with fiery red locks and a body the goddess of love would’ve been jealous of, and he who looked like a statue came to life, power and unwavering strength etched into every muscle. Where the woman was curvaceous, soft, and feminine, the dark-haired man was sculpted, hard, and purely masculine. It was like the two had walked out of a Renaissance painting.

My gaze slid back up toward the man, and I froze when hardened steel eyes met mine across the bedroom. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he gripped the woman’s hair tighter, thrusting himself deeper into her. His eyes never left mine as she climaxed, the tight band of his fingers at her throat cutting off her shriek of pleasure. His lids lowered slightly as he met his own release.

I looked away, trying to backpedal as quietly as I could. My sneaker tapped the glass, but to my horror, the portal had closed up, leaving nothing but a normal mirror in its place. Did I have enough time to make another one going back? What if Megan was here somewhere?

“That’s enough for tonight, Tati,” the man said.

“So soon? I’ve never known you to stop while things were starting to get good,” she said casually, but it came out with a musical lilt, like a siren who lured sailors to their deaths.

“Then I guess you don’t know me very well. Goodbye , Tatianna.” Her protest was cut short by a pop, which I assumed meant the woman had warped—willingly or not.

I remained crouched and hidden behind a giant armoire. The standing mirror I had just crawled out of leaned back against the wall beside it. Even when nothing but the crackling fire could be heard, I remained as still as I could, my heart pounding in my ears.

“Did Dez send you here just to sit in the corner of my room all night?” he said, his voice still coming from across the room as if he hadn’t moved. “If his intention was to annoy me, then he’s already succeeded.”

I remained behind the armoire. “Dez didn’t send me.”

“Nice try, but no one except Dez would’ve been able to get past my barrier.”

I frowned but didn’t bother correcting him. I tucked that bit of information away to reflect on later. “I’m going to assume my friend Megan isn’t here?”

“Take a look and see for yourself.”

I peeked around the armoire. The room itself was a lot smaller than my temporary guest room, with worn wooden floorboards, matching walls, and a small wood stove. The fogged window hid my view of the outside but told me it was much warmer inside than it was out there. Below the double-paned window was a wide set bed piled in blankets and quilts, and next to it stood the dark-haired man, still blatantly naked and staring at me. My gaze slid down his length and lingered a second longer than I wanted before I whipped around.

“Put on some damn clothes,” I said without thinking.

“And now you have the audacity to tell me how to dress in my own home? I see Dez didn’t teach you any manners. Then again, he’s severely lacking himself.” There was movement; hopefully, he was putting on some clothes before I peeked around the armoire again.

A pair of black sweatpants now hung low on his hips, the top half of him still shirtless. The planes of his stomach were toned, a trail of black hair starting below his navel and delving beneath the waistband to a bulge that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Holy hell, this being was attractive.

He turned toward me, his fingers snapping. The bedroom became a kitchen, still on the smaller side, with the same wood paneling lining the walls to match the kitchen cabinets, with the exception being the multi-colored tiled floor that carried over to the countertops. The overall aesthetic reminded me of a 60s cabin in the woods with appliances to match. It was very different from Dez’s place. I’d argue it was almost cozy—if I wasn’t now cuffed to a retro chair in the corner of the kitchen.

“Coffee?” he asked, his back turned to me as he messed with a vintage-looking coffee maker.

“As if I could drink it,” I said nonchalantly despite the icy fear radiating up my spine. I rotated my wrists against the cool metal of the armchairs that had magically melted into a pair of steel bands on either side of me, testing its grip. At least my legs were free to kick or run away.

No sooner had that thought entered my head when the chair’s metal legs curled around my ankles like a cat rubbing between its owner’s limbs, trapping me. I swallowed, my heart now thrashing against my chest. This was bad.

“True,” was all he said, leaving my hands and feet still trapped.

My fear and anger simmered in the heavy silence that followed, but I held back a retort. I did, after all, break into his home unannounced, and angering the being who currently had me tied up would be stupid. Did the portal not lead to Megan because I didn’t focus hard enough on her? Or was this being connected to Megan somehow? If Dez needed him to get me a meeting with the Council, surely, he had some sway with them. Maybe he could even help me get an earlier time slot or, better yet, bring me directly to Megan. I just needed to figure out what he would want in return.

He sat down across from me with a cup of coffee in hand and said nothing.

“Well,” I eventually broke. “Sorry for showing up uninvited; trust me, it was unintentional. But while I’m here, maybe you could tell me if Megan is nearby?” My tone sounded a lot firmer than I felt as I clenched my hands, ignoring the clamminess of them.

He remained silent, sipping his coffee, his eyes unwavering from mine. I should’ve known getting answers out of this being would be like pulling teeth. Maybe I should just cut my losses and try to get out of this place while I was still in one piece.

“If you let me go, I’ll leave and get out of your hair. We can both pretend this never happened.”

Another sip with another heavy pause, my metal bindings still very much in place.

This felt like a one-sided interrogation. Did he know I couldn’t stand awkward silences? That I had to fill the space with noise whenever it grew quiet? I never understood others who relished in what they called a ‘comfortable silence.’ With Megan, she usually did most of the talking, or we sat watching TV or went out somewhere where noise was present. At home and during work, I always had music playing softly or a fan buzzing in the background, even in the winter months. Absolute silence unnerved me.

This being unnerved me.

I took a deep breath. I am calm. I am calm. I am calm .

“Please,” I tried again. “Just tell me what you want so we can both go on with our lives.”

“You still haven’t answered what I really want to know,” he said, leaving me to figure out the rest.

I furrowed my brows, mentally cursing this man and myself for getting into this situation. I still knew nothing about him, not even his name, except that Dez had it out for him. Who knew how dangerous he was or what his perspective on humans was? Aside from mere playthings he had said in reference to Saya and the others. He didn’t think I had the power to teleport here myself, which I wanted to keep secret for the time being, but I still needed to come up with a plausible lie. Usually, good ones were tied in with half-truths.

“If you want to know why I’m here, I don’t fully understand it either, but blame Dez. I was told my Council date wouldn’t be until a year from now and I wasn’t too happy with that. When Dez refused to discuss it with me face-to-face, I ended up here. Annoying you,” I added in hopes he would see me as nothing more than a nuisance instead of a threat.

He arched an eyebrow and grew quiet long enough that I felt I was going to vomit from the anxiety of it all. Eventually, he said, “Interesting, but doesn’t explain anything at all.”

“Look, I don’t know how I got here, honest. Can you just let me go?” This time I failed to keep the panic from my voice. No matter how hot this being was, he was dangerous. I sensed he’d rather kill me than send me back to Dez, and I was helpless to stop him. If I died, did that get Dez out of his contract? I’m sure there was something in place to prevent people from simply killing each other to get out of them, but what if a third party did the killing? Perhaps that was the favor Dez called in instead of getting me an early meeting with the Council.

A fate worse than death awaits you, wrapped up in a pretty package.

My anxiety was through the roof; thoughts of how I would be gruesomely tortured and killed imminently played in my mind’s forefront.

When he didn’t reply, I tugged at my restraints, the metal cool and unmoving against my efforts. My terror grew as a sinister smile stretched across his face, my lungs expanding and contracting faster and faster.

I am calm. I am calm. I am calm .

“I don’t know what Dez asked of you, but maybe we can work something out.” I couldn’t die here. I had to think of a way out of this.

“Oh?” He rested his chin on a propped-up arm, the same unsettling smile still in place. “And what do you have that I would want?”

Nothing, absolutely nothing , the little voice in my mind screamed. I ignored it. “Information.”

“You’ll have to be more specific than that.”

“In return, I want to see my friend, Megan,” I continued as if I didn’t hear him, “and I want you to promise me that you won’t harm me in any way shape or form.”

He leaned back, running a hand through his dark hair, still messy from his earlier … activity. “You sure make a lot of demands for someone who has nothing to offer.” His smile vanished entirely. “Tell me why I shouldn’t send you back to Dez in a bunch of little pieces.”

The room buzzed, my vision blurring. I thought my final exit exam for college was stressful, little did I realize nothing in my life up until this point was anywhere close to the range of emotions I was feeling now. Logical. Be logical about this, now is not the time for emotion . “You said Dez despises you, but you’re not the biggest fan of him either. If you kill me, Dez would be free of his contract. Why would you do anything to help him?” There were a lot of guesses and assumptions in that statement, but I forced myself to say it with as much confidence as I could gather.

“If I kill you, he’ll owe me a favor. Then I’d tell him to never have any of his pawns trespass into my dimension ever again.” Beneath his mask of indifference, I caught a glimpse of rage. He wasn’t just angry I was here; he was furious. The way he flippantly mentioned how Dez could get past his barrier wasn’t the whole truth. Dez could get past his barriers, but that didn’t mean he expected him to.

I planned on mentioning the silver coin as a last resort, but if he knew it was me who easily got past his barriers, he would kill me on the spot.

“You’ve referred to humans as both pawns and playthings. I take it you don’t view us very highly.” Maybe if I distracted him and got him off topic, I could calm him down or give me more time to think of a way out of this. If only I could reach into my purse for the coin.

The mask was firmly back in place. “No. Your kind is a cheap distraction, with limited understanding of the universe.”

He sure doesn’t sugar-coat things, does he?

“What makes you think our understanding is limited?” I asked, wiggling my feet, but the metal around my ankles remained firmly in place.

“It’s in your conduct, the questions you ask, and your inability to see beyond what’s physically in front of you.”

“You had no trouble engaging in what was physically in front of you earlier,” I retorted before I thought better of it. His words hit a sore spot. I always prized myself for being well-rounded, smarter than most, and a quick learner. To be dismissed so wholly … I didn’t know who was worse. Dez or this man.

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before the corner of his mouth twitched upward. “I never said there was anything wrong with the physical plane, just that there is more beyond it.”

“Then teach me,” I said.

He shrugged. “Why should I?”

“To prove you wrong.” The fear that surged through me earlier dimmed, replaced by a growing determination. Maybe it was my deep-rooted need to show I have value to others from years of feeling like a burden being tossed from one foster family to the next (or at least that’s what my therapist told me) that made me want to prove myself to this man, creature, whatever. I knew it was a toxic mindset, but I’d take it over the heart-stopping fear any day. “It’s not like you have anything to lose. And,” I added to be safe, “I’ll provide you with any information I can about Dez and his … estate.” Because little did he know, I could travel between dimensions with Dez none the wiser. Yet.

His laugh was humorless. “As if Dezmandaro would let you.”

“I know he has a collection of books filled with knowledge that may be useful to you. That his estate layout changes every day with the exception of a few rooms, one being the sunroom, the other the library.”

He cocked his head, a wave of hair sliding across his cheek. “Old news.”

“The other humans who live there told me he’s prone to mood swings that can cause … catastrophes in his dimension.” I kept my eyes locked with his, refusing to let him decline my offer this time. “I may have a contract with Dez, but there’s nothing in it that says I can’t cause havoc while I’m staying with him.”

“Mmm … if you find where he’s emotionally weakest and cause enough trouble, it might be enough to break his protective barrier. Then I could enter Dez’s dimension as I please.” He tapped his chin. “Certainly tempting, but Dez won’t let you come and go as you wish, especially not for a teaching session.”

It would be me coming and going as I wish, but he didn’t know that. “If I cause enough chaos, maybe he would. Or he would kick me out altogether. Either that, or you can just teleport me back here once I destroy Dez’s … protective barrier, as you call it. Again, what do you have to lose?” I smiled. “You said humans have a limited understanding of the universe, but if you don’t even give us a chance, doesn’t that make you the one with a limited understanding?”

He stared at me a while longer, his expression shielded. “You know, I truly do dislike you Lower Realms’ beings, but you make a fair point. I’ll bite.”

My smile widened. “I’ll create an opening for you to get past Dez’s barriers by striking him where he’s weakest.” Which I would have to figure out some way or another. “In return, you’ll help me meet with my friend, Megan. You must also promise not to harm me or her.”

He shook his head, and my smile disappeared. “You cause Dezmandaro enough grief to break his protective barrier, and I promise to teach you our knowledge of the universe.”

“You can teach me, but I also want to see my friend. And I also want you to promise you won’t hurt us.”

“You can’t have it all.” He smirked. “But if you manage this, I might be open to helping you meet with your friend. I can’t physically harm you during the time our contract is in session unless I want to incur the Council’s wrath, so there is no need to ask that of me.” He arched an eyebrow. “Another thing I’ll have to teach you.”

I hid a scowl. It wasn’t perfect, but it was probably as good as it was going to get, and that last bit of information was very useful to know. “Very well, I agree.”

He released me from my restraints as a knife appeared in his hand. I hissed in pain when he cut my palm and then his own, blood oozing from both of our hands. As I had with Dez, I repeated the familiar phrase back to him, sealing the contract between us. A burning sensation grazed my side, and I looked down to see a crescent shape now etched into my hip.

“My name is Caliphiste. You can call me Cal.” His eyes brightened, an expression I hadn’t yet seen on him, but didn’t quite know what to describe it as. “Hope to see you soon, Erin.”

Before I could reply, I was dumped in the middle of an autumn forest outside Dez’s estate and its stone wall I’d seen when first arriving here. Rowan had referred to this as the dimension’s ‘protective barrier.’ I wondered if this was the same protective barrier Cal was referring to. Not that it mattered; I just needed to figure out how to piss Dez off enough for it to magically break.

As I brushed dirt from my jeans and approached the towering stone wall and its glass gate, I realized I had never told Cal my real name.