Incubus

10

~ Chapter 10 ~

BEFORE LONG Celia was parked at the diner's derelict parking lot. Valerie's Volkswagen was already parked for her morning shift but Celia wasn't fooled. She fully expected to see the diner in the state it was the night before, glass broken and Valerie passed out on the diner floor.

She slammed the glass door open and stormed inside, but what she saw made her abruptly halt in her steps.

All the tables and chairs were arranged perfectly, and all the drinking glasses were unbroken. There was even soft music playing in the background.

"Valerie!" She called out in alarm, racing to the spot where she had collapsed the night before.

She was gone.

Panic took ahold of Celia. Valerie was hurt because of the demon she had summoned. What had she done?

"Hey girl, why are you here? It's only 4, and your shift doesn't start until tonight!" A familiar voice spoke and she gasped, spinning around. She didn't stop to register the fact that she hadn't woken up until the evening.

"Val!" She rushed forward and threw her arms around the tall redhead, "Are you okay? Last night—-"

Valerie suddenly laughed out loud, grinning. "Last night was wild!"

Celia's jaw dropped. What?

"Don't you remember?" Valerie seemed to notice her confusion, green eyes scanning over her, "We got wasted at the bar after we left work and had an taxi take us home."

Celia swallowed, a sinking feeling in her gut.

She won't remember any of this. Neither will they. Cain's words echoed in her head. Of course. It was like the past had been magically erased.

Celia suddenly winced, placing her hand gingerly on top of her head. And then Celia felt it. Blood.

"You're bleeding!" Valerie exclaimed, rushing over to inspect the wound. "Jesus." Valerie grimaced, "it must've happened when we got drunk last night."

Celia watched her friend in a daze.

But what if they had gotten drunk. What if there was no demon at all. What if the events of last night were an imaginative, insane dream caused by a wild night of drinking?

But the more she thought about it, the less it made sense.

And weren't there other customers last night? Looking around, she and Valerie seemed to be the only ones there. Everything seemed to be in place-- the chairs, the tables, the counters. Even the glass that had been broken seemed to have magically been repaired.

"Val," she whispered uneasily, "Do you remember the customers from last night?"

Valerie frowned in confusion, "Last night we had no business, Celia. What are you talking about?"

Celia's head was spinning.

"I-I'm going to the bathroom-" she stumbled away, ignoring Valerie's protests as she locked herself into the bathroom. The fluorescent white light flickered to life, shedding the small bathroom in light. Leaning against the door with her eyes shut tightly, Celia struggled to breathe.

Celia pressed a palm to her forehead. None of this made any sense.

When she opened her eyes, a startled shriek escaped her lips. A shadow of a figure was standing in the sink mirror, red eyes glowing through a dark fog. She twisted around and tried the door handle, but it was jammed.

She pounded her fists on the door, screaming, but no one came to her rescue.

"Celia..." A familiar voice whispered. She swallowed in fear, given no choice but to turn around and stare at the figure in the mirror, pressed against the door in fear.

The figure's shadowy hand reached out of the mirror, as if it was an open window. She could barely grasp what she was seeing with her own eyes. The figure stepped out, seeming to materialize before her. A familiar tall, broad shouldered man- no, demon- came into view. He was beautiful as ever, with a body and face sculpted by Michelangelo himself, but she knew what he was. Cain smirked down at her, fiery eyes gleaming like two burning flames.

"Confused?" His rich, accented voice was laced with amusement.

She scowled up at him.

"What the hell did you do to my friend?" She snapped furiously. But she quickly came to regret her words as he took a step forward, looming over her and cornering her against the door.

"Just a little memory altering, that's all," he shrugged casually.

She was enraged, but there was little she could do. He had every advantage-- height, strength, and confusing magic abilities. Why the hell did she summon the attractive bastard in the first place?

"What about the other people that fainted? What happened to them?"

"They're no longer a problem," he shrugged again.

Celia pounded her fists angrily on his chest, "if you hurt them, I swear--!"

Cain chuckled deeply, easily capturing her wrists. He pinned them above her head with ease.

"What will you do Celia?" He murmured lowly, causing her to shiver. "Will you use me like the little minx you are?"

His face was so close. Tendrils of dark curly hair swept across his forehead, brushing his raised cheekbones and plump lips. They twisted into a smirk as he noticed her wandering gaze.

Flustered, she looked down at his muscular, tattooed arms instead. They trapped her in an unbreakable cage on either side.

"You know why you summoned me, Celia," his lips brushed her jaw, causing her to shiver. She shuddered at the way her name rolled of his tongue.

"All you have to do is give in," his hot breath fanned her lips.

She hated the way she reacted to him. She hated the way her body ignited to his touch. But she wouldn't give in that easily.

Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze. They were molten amber this time, a less intimidating hue. Molten Amber on doe brown.

"It doesn't matter why I summoned you. What matters is that I made a mistake." She said firmly.

"I will never give in to you."

Celia fumbled for the door handle behind her, before it abruptly swung open.  She stumbled backwards in relief as she escaped Cain's cage. The last thing she saw was his amber eyes burning into her and smug lips before she turned her back on him and ran.

A/N: Celia and Valerie are 18 and have fake ID's if anyone is wondering how they went to bar— according to Valerie's memory, that is...