Dark Enchantment (Elvis Presley Story)

Chapter 24

The door opened slowly. Evenly. As though it wasn't a real person holding the handle on the other side controlling it's movement. It wasn't. A hulking, gristle-bound brute of a low-level daemon incultus stood there. A murk. Gross, but harmless. Still, Sophia slid her hand into her pocket, reaching for the salt.

Just in case.

"Who are you?" She asked authoritatively. Establishing dominance was always the first thing you did with a primitive demon. The murk's ugly, nauseating energy wiggled through her like a worm. But it didn't answer, simply just stared at her.

She took a deep breath. Big Mistake. the foul creature smelled as bad as it looked. "I'm looking for Elvis Presley," She said in a commanding tone, craining to peek around its massive body to the room beyond, hoping to catch a glimpse of Elvis. She could see nothing at all in the darkness. "Is he here?"

The murk just kept staring at her. This was getting annoying. Suddenly a deep male voice, smooth as silk, whispered, "Did you knock at our door, Mortal?" The voice was low and close, as if a speaker were just beside her.

She startled. "Yes!" She answered, whirling, "who-" But no one was there.

The murk was suddenly gone, too. He'd apported-somewhere. And in his place stood a man with glowing skin, waves of shoulder-length golden hair, and the most vivid emerald-green eyes Sophia had ever seen. They sparkled like fireworks. He had on soft brown boots over tight, fawn-colored breeches of the kind men wore two hundred years ago. They fitted him like a second skin, showing off athletic thighs-and everything else-to advantage. A flowing white, open-necked shirt emphasised his broad chest and shoulders. No wings. But she recognised a sidhe when she saw one.

Oh, God. Things were getting downright strange.

Had she stumbled into some kind of dark realm/mortal realm borderland? Or a tear in the dimensional fabric? Why hadn't she felt it? Usually she could feel the overwhelming preternatural power of such a place down to her very bones. Like out in the Enchanted woods. Was this place somehow shielded against humans?

Why?

Daemon incultus and faeries she could handle. But what other, more dangerous, beings had leaked through here? A handful of salt only went so far. She wanted handcuffs and crystals. The Sidhe's lips curved in a smile as he returned her inspection. But far more thoroughly.

"Well, Well, Well. What do we have here?" A touch of delight colored his silvery tone, as though her appearance at the door amused him, and he couldn't wait to see what happened next. His faerie glamour twinkled like bright stars.

She frowned. Sidhe were mischievous  and malicious beasts, despite their outwardly carefree and cheerful demeanors. Sophia would not trust one further than she could spit. He moved towards her. The air around him shimmered and flowed, like a pulsing, sparking ripple of energy.

Magic. Living, breathing magic that crawled up her spine from the inside. Black court magic.

She backed away in apprehension. "What is this place?" She asked.

"A little bit of Hell on earth," he said with a sly smile and an evil glitter in his eyes. "I welcome you to Pandora's box."

Sophia's heart nearly stopped. The most notorious Dark club Ever! She took another step backwards as her heartbeat recovered and went into hyperspace. Oh, God!

Pandora's Box.

She'd heard whispers about the place all her life. A secret underground seraglio where seductive otherworldly beings tempted impressionable mortals over to the dark side. In hidden corners of the luxurious club beautiful demons, erotic vampires, ethereal sidhe and other members of the dark realm's demi-monde encouraged human victims to practice every sin imaginable.

It was said one could buy anything in Pandora's box. For a price.

"My name is Loroth," the faerie said, sweeping a gentlemanly bow.

His bold emerald eyes captured hers and she said without thinking. "I'm Sophia."

Realising with a start what he was doing, she tore her gaze from his. In case he had the power to bespell with his eyes. Many sidhe did.

"Well, ain't you a pretty little thing," Loroth murmured. "Won't you come inside, Mortal?"

"No, thank you," She said, her nervousness increasing exponentially. Once admitted, no human had ever spoken of what they'd seen, after they emerged. If they emerged.

"Oh, but you must enter," Loroth said. "Because you knocked. It's the rule, you know."

She shook her head. "No. I'm just looking for Elvis Presley," She said. "He arrived a few minutes ago."

"I will help you find him. Inside."

Loroth bid her Enter with an elegant sweep of his hand. But his emerald eyes were like hard gems. Uncompromising.

For a split second she considered running. But wings or not, the Sidhe would catch her easily. And what about Elvis? Loroth's steady gaze told her he would give her no choice. She had to go in. To Pandora's Box.

God help her.

And yet...and yet, in the darkest recesses of her mind, the allure of the forbidden called to her. Like a dark siren, an irresistible madness impossible to resist, it made her throw down her fears and step over the threshold of forbidden desires.

It was the same madness that always, always got her in trouble

Loroth smiled. He knew.

Taking a deep breath, she walked past him. Into the dark and mysterious unknown.

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