Dark Enchantment (Elvis Presley Story)

Chapter 23

Sophia scowled.

"Don't try to hide from me, Elvis. Whatever you're planning, I can help you. I know how they work."

"Absolutely not." On this he was adamant. "It's far to dangerous for you."

"im a big girl, Elvis," She said. "I'm  coming with you. and that's final."

"You can't," he said flatly. Not a damn chance in hell. "Where I'm going, they eat big girls like you for breakfast."

It took all of Sophia's concentration and every last bit of her training to fool Elvis into believing she'd given in gracefully and planned to stay put like a good little girlfriend while he went off to battle Marcolf on his own.

As if.

She didn't know what he thought he was doing. The attack they'd just been through should have given him an idea of the kind of enemy he was facing. Mindless. Violent. The government would stop at nothing to kill him if he was on their list of most-wanted demons.

But Elvis was wrong. Marcolf wouldn't let his men kill her. Not deliberately, anyway. Her visible presence with Elvis would only help his survive. She must follow him, incase they showed up again.

After he dropped her off, she quickly caught a cab and managed not to lose sight of him. Driving through increasingly rundown neighbourhoods before arriving at a rare section of abandoned dockside warehouses along the river. The building sagged, the planks of the Quay had long since rotted through. The stench of refuse clung to everything, nearly gagging her.

"You sure about this, miss?" The white-haired cab driver asked, eyeing the dilapidated warehouses and crumbling docks with distaste. "Not safe for a nice lady like yerself, if you want my opinion."

"Just let me off when that car we've been following pulls over."

"If you say so, miss."

Elvis parked, glanced around then slipped into a seemingly deserted alley. She could almost taste the adrenaline surge as she paid the cabbie and watched him speed away, leaving her as the only creature insight - living or dead. It was beginning to feel like her old demon-tracking days.

The alley in which Elvis had disappeared into loomed in front of her. A cold breeze stirred and lifted tendrils of her hair with skeletal fingers, sending a chill down her spine. She felt something...a tingle of otherworldly presence. But it wasn't Elvis. It felt more...evil.

Though the sun had not yet chased away the frigid chill of morning, a few stingy rays of sunlight managed to poke through the mist. She glanced around, searching for anything that might be hidden out there, observing her movements. Unbidden, Aurora's voice of warning sounded in the back of her mind. Don't go into dangerous situations alone.  Always have back up.

Except she couldn't. If Sophia asked the cadre for backup she'd have to tell them why. Which meant explaining Elvis, and her relationship with him. And the fact that the government was hunting him. Aurora would just decline her request anyway. She would never allow Sophia to risk her safety for a demon. She just didn't understand. A demon lover? No way would Her sister allow that. She'd send Elvis away, send him back to the dark realm. If he was lucky. If he wasn't, he'd end up in a crystal. Either way, Sophia would never see him again. She couldn't let that happen.

No, asking for backup was not an option.

But was Aurora right in principle? Was Sophia being a bit too impetuous here? Armed only with a handful of spells, a pocketful of salt and her own, some might say questionable, wits, she knew she was probably crazy to go into an unknown situation. God alone knew what awaited her in that alley. Or maybe the Devil...

Should she just turn around and leave?

No way. She could handle this. It was just an alley. The feeling she'd gotten was probably just because the place was so disgusting. There was no scary monsters peering back at at her from the shadows. Probably.

And crazy or not, she could not leave Elvis's fate to Marcolf and his men. He might need her. He could be walking into a trap. Taking a deep breath, Sophia turned determinedly and went into the alley.

It was empty. Elvis had vanished.

Closing her eyes, she tried to feel for his energy, but felt nothing. A terrible thought occurred to her. Had Elvis known all along she was following him, and led her astray?

No. he couldn't have known. She'd shielded her thoughts well. And she refused to believe her own lover would just leave her out here in this awful place, alone and vulnerable.

There was only one door to be seen. It lay far down in the dark shadows of the alley, barely visible. She paused to consider the door and what might lie behind it. She fingered the handful of Dead Sea salt and the UV flashlight in her pocket, wishing she had something a bit more substantial. Like her silver handcuffs and a crystal or two. She didn't have a single one with her; she'd left them in her purse at Elvis's.

The air was unnaturally silent as she crept down the alley and approached the door. The fog seemed thicker back here, darker as though the sun rays had been choked off at the throat. She could almost taste the menacing energy of the place and roll it's bitterness on her tongue.

This was it.

Elvis must be somewhere behind this door. His preternatural presence wafted over her. Or...a presence. A dark, evil presence. No, not Elvis.

A shiver crawled down her spine like invisible demon claws.

Was he in trouble?

What was this place? Only one way to find out.

She lifted her hand and knocked.

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