A Legacy of the Damned: Daughter of Astaroth

Chapter 8 - Another Sunrise

"Why do you keep me alive?" I've been in trouble more than any of my siblings ever had, combined. To be honest, some days I wish he'd just do it. Kill me. But some days I want to keep on living.

*****

His lips curl up into a smile. "Oh, I was tempted to eliminate you so many times," he sounds so casual, talking about killing me as though he's talking about getting a new suit. "But you amused me and I sensed that you are special." Is it strange that I hear the pride in his deceptively soft voice? "It turns out, I was right. Tonight you managed the impossible. You managed to capture the attention of Sasha Gauthier, the heir to the Nephilim throne.

"When he comes for you, I expect you to make nice. Be agreeable, sweet, and charming. Seduce him and gain his trust. Obviously, he's already attracted to you, so that won't be hard.

"I want you to watch them and keep me in the loop. I want to know their coming and going, their business dealings, their weaknesses, their strength, and whatever else you can find. Can you do that, my child?"

When Astaroth asks you to do something and you want to live another day to see the next sunrise, no matter if you're willing to do as told or not, the only acceptable answer is, "Yes, daddy."

*****

It's almost spring break but it's still cold. Some of my friends are already partying in the Hamptons.

Yet here I am, waiting for the Nephilim prince to come for me. I keep my phone on me even at school in case he calls. What if I missed it?

Two days, three days, four days, five days. Nothing. Not a word or a single text from him while I can't think of anything or anyone else but him. I don't know why. We hardly said a word to each other but I feel connected to him on the deepest level. I'm very sure he felt the same way too. A connection like that couldn't have been one-sided, right?

I need to see him, each day that passes without a word from him is unbearable. So, I google and find out that he spends his time mostly in Seattle but he is sometimes here in New York as well. I find the numbers to his office in New York City. I wish I had his personal number but I guess this is better than nothing.

I call the number and get connected to a woman who asks for my name then politely tells me that Mr. Alexander Gauthier isn't available. She wishes me a good day and hangs up before I could leave a message or ask for an appointment to see him.

So, I call two more times, insisting that they allow me to talk to him. On the third call, I'm being passed to another person.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but he's a busy man. He doesn't have time to entertain a little school girl like you." I know who he is right away. I don't forget a face or a voice. It's that other Nephilim, his best friend and right-hand man, Olivier.

"First off, I'm not your sweetheart. Second of all, I just need five minutes of his time..."

"Listen, sweetheart." He puts special emphasis on the word "sweetheart", his tone is very condescending. "We both know, it's never just five minutes with you, demons. You're no good for him. Consider it a charity or a good deed on his part to save you from the old pedophile. Forget about him. Go play with your own kind, preferably little schoolboys that you can manipulate and toy with."

My grip on the phone is so tight, I thought the screen would crack. I'm shaking for being so angry but I try to control my voice when I say, "Could you at least please tell him that I called?"

"Sure," he says before he ends the call. But I know he's not going to.

Tears gather in my eyes. Olivier's hurtful words keep playing in my head. I want to scream and throw my phone against the wall but this is my third phone this year and I still hope that he'd call.