Page 7 of Promised to the Demon King (The Demon Brides #1)

Carol ran her hands through her platinum blonde hair in frustration. She reprimanded herself for frowning as she did. She refused to create a wrinkle over something this minor.

"Minor?" She scoffed at herself.

Her husband was leaving her. She could feel him pulling away from her; it was only a matter of time before she was served with the papers.

Being married to Timothy Carter granted her great status. Much more than she had married to a greasy bum like Jonathon.

She needed to think of something quick.

"How can I trap him?" She asked herself outwardly as she gazed out the living room window.

She could not afford to lose this lavish life to which she'd become accustomed. Even when Jonathon started making millions, he lived a modest life. He wouldn't flaunt his success in front of anyone. He always called it tainted money. According to Jonathon, tainted money will never be respected.

Like the weak-willed man she'd known him to be, he focused his efforts on cleansing his soul; he was focused on making amends.

Why? They hadn't done anything wrong or hurt anyone, and no crimes were committed, yet Jonathon could not look past it. He refused to move on past that one night.

That night gave them everything they'd ever wanted, but he showed no gratitude.

His pursuit of salvation repulsed her. He was a waste of all that money.

Worst, he wasted it on that brat. That spawn of evil. If Jonathon had just stuck to the plan to send the brat away, they wouldn't have had to divorce, and they would be happy together. And wealthy.

She was robbed of her share of the wealth because of that brat.

Carol thought that rescinding her visitation rights and stopping that thing from coming every other weekend would help her and Timothy get back on track, but it didn't help.

She had forfeited her rights entirely over Nova under the agreement that Jonathon no longer required child support. It was legally binding, yet it seemed that did not help appease Timothy and his upset. Carol thought he was upset that he had to support a child who was not his own, but it didn't lessen their growing distance.

She even approached him about having another baby, one of their own last year, but he quickly informed her that he had a vasectomy and mockingly told her that should another angel appear, tell said Angel that the answer was a resounding No!

It was a direct slap in her face and mockery of what she told him about Nova. It was the truth. An angel appeared and impregnated her, but it seemed that fewer and fewer people believed her.

This was all Jonathon's and that brat's fault.

There was no doubt in Carol's mind that they were to blame for all of her misery.

"Then do something about it!" A voice whispered in her left ear.

Carol's hands slipped, and she lost grip of her teacup. The shattering sound of the mug on the hardwood floor shattered her. What's worse, no one was in the room. She was alone.

She was always alone.

"Hello?" Carol called out. Her voice was unsure and shaky. She paused, and when no sounds were heard, she shook her head and headed to the pantry to collect the broom.

After Carol finished cleaning her mess, she went and collected herself another cup of tea. She may have shaken it off, but she was still a little on edge.

"Why are you ignoring the obvious answer to your problems?" The voice was there again, whispering in her left ear.

Again, she wiped around, but there was no one.

"Who's there? Come out now! You are trespassing and will be arrested, loser." Carol snapped as she reached for her phone. "There is 24-hour surveillance around my home. You should leave now!"

Carol began to dial the number to her gated community's security office. They would arrive and search the mansion. After they find the intruder, they will be arrested.

"I wouldn't do that, Carol." The voice whispered again. Carol spun in a full circle, frustrated about not finding anyone.

"Who are you?"

"A friend, of course." The female voice giggled. Carol was certain she would suffer whiplash; she had been searching for the person who spoke so much. “We have a mutual enemy, you and I."

Carol shook her head, realizing she was starting to lose her mind. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the house. She clearly needed to get out and get some fresh air. Being cooped up indoors and feeling depressed about herself was beginning to affect her mental state.

What was she thinking? She had no enemies. Everyone loved her. Why wouldn't they? She had status and money; her husband was a partner in his family's construction company. With a husband like Timothy Carter, she was quite nearly untouchable.

Carol smirked at the reminder of how high society she was. She hopped into her Lexus and drove through the community gate once the guards opened it for her.

She never waved or even acknowledged them. Why would she? They were civil workers; they were beneath her.

As Carol continued to drive, she couldn't shake the voice and its words. Was this her subconscious trying to steer her in a direction?

"I told you, Carol. I am a friend." The voice was back. It was inside the car with her, and she knew without a doubt that she was indeed alone this time. The voice was in her head.

"Who are you?" Carol demanded after she regained control of her luxury car. She kept looking back in the rearview mirror to make sure no one popped up. "Are you my conscious?"

There was a giggle, clearly female. "No, silly. I am an Angel. I am here to send you a message from God. You were tricked before. That was no Angel that visited you seventeen years ago. Your daughter was created with Demon semen. You birthed a devil's child, Carol. God is not happy." The female voice hissed, stressing the severity of Carol's mistake.

"No, he was an Angel. He told me." She argued with her conscious… or Angel? She wasn't sure.

"No, the Devil wears many masks, Carol. God loved you and would have saved you from this deal you made with that sinful Demon King, but you birthed him a girl. God is not happy with you now, Carol. You must fix this." The Angel, otherwise known as Vivex, the jaded Demoness from Hell, warned Carol with confidence.

"How do I know you are an Angel? Maybe you are the Devil trying to trick me again, then?" Carol challenged back. She pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru. She needed her favourite latte to calm her nerves. This can't really be happening.

"Carol. If you wish to disbelieve my words of truth, then I shall leave. I came to warn you and help you fix this, but if you do not want--" Vivex started.

"No! Please. How can I fix this? How can you help me?" Carol took the bait.

She approached the order window, placed her latte order, and paid. She then drove to the next window, collected her drink, and drove away. Only then did the Angel continue to speak.

Carol noted that.

That must mean she could have been heard by others. She must be an Angel and not simply her losing her damn mind.

"You need to destroy this sinful creation. The girl must die, Carol. Only you can right this wrong." Vivex instructed. Carol jerked at the words. Carol was many things, but she couldn't possibly take a life.

Vivex giggled again. "Don't be silly, Carol. If you were to kill, you would be too sinful to be accepted into heaven, but if you hired someone to do it, then it wouldn't be your sin."

Carol considered the Angel's words. They made sense, but she still wasn't certain. Sensing her resistance, Vivex sighed. "It's okay, Carol. Take a few days and think about your options."

"What do you mean by my options?" Carol asked defensively.

"I have been watching you since I discovered the truth. It's been a few years. I have spent a great deal of time making sure that this Demon King couldn't gather the ingredients necessary to walk this Earth in his human form. I had to ensure he couldn't ever find any of a particular root to do so. I am trying to save your soul, Carol. While watching you, I've witnessed how unhappy you have become, and it is all your ex-husband and daughter's fault, isn't it? Do you think they deserve all the reward from that Demon's deal? What did you get, Carol? You were kicked to the side, and they took all the money, right? They got everything, and you got nothing. Even Timothy now tosses you aside. It's all their fault, Carol." Vivex fed into Carol's insecurities and used her bitterness to fuel her willingness to commit this necessary sin to remove Nova from the Earth.

Vivex knew the rules. She knew that Nova still had her human soul. If she died before she turned Eighteen, she would be welcomed into heaven as she was considered a pure soul still, and King Asmodeus would lose any chance he had of claiming his bride. Vivex wanted and needed for this to happen.

"If I killed Jonathon and Nova, I would get all of it and then God would break my end of the deal with the Demon King?" Carol was stunned by this revealed information. This Angel was trying to help her? She stood a chance of getting into heaven, while Jonathon and the brat who ruined her life would be serving in hell instead? Carol couldn't stop the smile that crept across her Botox infused face. She was sure it looked rather sinister, but that was what she felt. The idea of having Jonathon and the brat killed, inheriting the fortune and status, filled her with a sense of power like no other.

"Think about it. I will come to you tomorrow. But I will leave you with this question, Carol. Haven't you suffered because of them long enough?"

The car fell silent with that, and Carol somehow knew she was alone.

She had a lot to process and a lot to think over. Is this something she wanted to do? Could she actually go through with this? What if it didn't work out?

She knew that if Jonathon died, she would be in the will, but only as guardian over Nova. She would have to play this move smartly.

If she killed Jonathon, the brat would be left to her, and this would grant her unlimited access to wealth. Then she could kill Nova off. She had to claim custody after Jonathon's death first. If she had them killed together, there was a risk she'd get nothing, or worse, someone suspecting it was her doing.

No, if she was going to do this, she also needed to make sure she got her financial reward with no suspicion.

The corners of Carol's lips perked up. She was about to come into unlimited money. Jonathon is worth multi-millions now. He had to die first.