Dark Enchantment (Elvis Presley Story)

Chapter 2

Sophia felt Elvis's fingers brush along her jaw, startling her eyes open with the prickle of preternatural energy, energy that was a living thing, leaving behind a rough, sparking-hot residue.

"I am a incubus," he said as though that explained everything. Perhaps it did. The seductive whisper, the obvious heat of his energy. Every demon derived his power from one of the four elements: air, water, earth, fire. An incubus's element was fire, his power of possession sexual.

Suddenly she wondered if she was already dreaming this. Dreaming him.

His fingers tipped her chin up. He laid his cheek to hers. "Let me come to you," he ordered softly in her ear. His voice was like a lovers whisper in the night. Beckoning. Seductive. Promising those wicked, wonderful things.

In her rational mind she knew it was a spell. An illusion of intimacy, a cruel trick designed to rob her of her free will. A demon's whisper was a thing to be feared. It could make a person do...anything...if she let it.

She fought his power with all her strength, dredging up her simplest, most powerful spell of protection, the one she memorised at her mother's knee. But she made the mistake of looking up into his eyes. And was caught on the bright light of his gaze.

Caught in their drowning magic.

"Five nights," he whispered. "Five nights in your bed and your body. That's my price for the demon stone."

The dense fog swirled. In the distance, some of it lifted, causing a pale haze of blue to shimmer above the billowy curls of gray cloud. But around the two of them, the shadowy gloom still lingered.

This was madness. She shouldn't even consider his devilish proposition.

But the Demon stone glittered on his palm, calling to her.

Five nights. With an incubus.

Thoughts sifted through her, mysterious and elusive as the dimming vapor that enveloped them. She couldn't. She couldn't.

Could she?

This man was a demon. Her enemy. He could be lying, tricking her. But here was the stone, not an illusion, and within Sophia's grasp. Finally an opportunity to reap vengeance for all the times she had been left wanting. By her perfectionist father. By her perfect sister. This would put an end to her father's indifference and her sisters condescending smugness forever!

So very tempting.

Sophia licked her lips in a chaos of indecision, torn as never before in her life. "Let me see the diamond," She said, playing for time.

Elvis obliged, holding it out on his palm for her to take. She picked it up. The stone was big, perhaps ten, fifteen carats. Crudely cut, as were all the gems of such considerable antiquity. But no less brilliant for that. Even in the dim light of this deary morning it sparkled and shone.

He held out a jewelers loupe. She knew why. To check the inclusion. But she also knew without looking that it would be there. A five-pointed star, just off the center in the middle of the diamond. An imperfection.

Demon stone was a jeweler's term for the one imperfect gem among a set of matching gems used in a piece of jewellery-in this case the crown. The four other diamonds that still adorned it were perfect. While listening to her father tell the story of the crown and the missing demon stone, Sophia had often thought the term an apt description of herself. The imperfect one in a matched set-her twin sister Aurora being the flawless one.

The star inclusion was there. No suprise.

Yes, demons lied. All the time. It's what they did. But seldom about outwards things that could easily be checked. They lied, they cheated, they deceived. But they weren't stupid. Far from it.

"Why me?" she asked getting back into the heart of things.

He regarded her impassively. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

If he was trying to flatter her, he'd have to do better than that. She sent him a withering look. Still, demons might not be stupid, but they were often simple. And some of them have taste for human females.

"Sex? That's it? Nothing more?"

"Isn't it enough? I could ask-"

"No," She cut him off before he could up the stakes. Never gamble with a demon. You'd lose Everytime. "Sex is...plenty." But could she do it? Could she open her mind and her dreams and her body to this stranger? Could she part her legs and let him-

She sucked in a deep breath at the all-too vivid image.

No. She couldn't.

But then she thought of all the years her father had searched for the demon stone, using all his considerable influence and endless resources to get it back for the family. All in vain. And here it was, sitting in the very palm of her hand. Hers, but for-

"Five nights," Elvis murmured, plucking it from her grasp. It disappeared back into his pocket. "Then it's all yours. I really don't think it's an unreasonable price." He wouldn't. "It's not like you have a boyfriend," he added.

Her mouth dropped open. Her love life might be pathetic, but did the entire universe know about it, dark realm as well as mortal?

He smiled that blinding, sexy smile. "I know things about you that you don't even know about yourself. I've been watching."

She stared at him, scandalised. "Where?"

He shrugged expansively. "Everywhere." He leaned in. "Trust me, you have no secrets from me. None."

"Then you know I can call the wrath of the cadre down upon you with a single scream. They will hear me and send for help."

"But you won't. "

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you want the demon stone."

She stared at him, hating that he was right. "How do I know you'll honor your agreement?"

"I give you my word," he said.

She almost laughed. "The word of a demon?"

Again he shrugged. "Very well. If you don't want it..." He turned.

"Wait!"

She closed her eyes thinking furiously. If anyone could pull this off, she could. She knew how to handle demons. She'd had training, a lifetime's worth. And she wasn't afraid of sex, either. She'd be fine.

But...could she trust him?

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! and thanks for reading! xoxo