Bind Me To You

Chapter Nine

Avery must have stayed in the locker room for thirty more minutes. She could envision his eyes looking down at her as she held onto him, his smile giving her a sense of comfort and safety. She could have sworn that his eyes sparked a bright crimson when she begged him to stay, smouldering like embers in his gaze.

She was terrified. Scared that if she didn't have him by her side, something worse than this could happen. What if next time nobody came to save her from his sweaty palms and acidic kisses? How could she live after something like that?

Avery went through the rest of the day in a daze, her memory failing her when she tried to think back on it. She briefly remembered the knowing look Paige sent her as she left the changing rooms with red-rimmed eyes. The way Aiden looked at her like she was a freak in science. The new glares she received as rumours flooded the school.

That afternoon Avery spent reading and rereading the contract. She figured there was some kind of hidden clause, something that she didn't see in the fine print about how the contract would affect her. Demons are supposed to steer humans towards sin, and perhaps this kind of deal could do that. Greedy desperate people who wanted wealth, power or even revenge. Perhaps Azrael had chosen her assuming she would want to hurt and humiliate her abusers? Perhaps he planned to trick her into killing someone, damning her to hell.

As the daylight faded away and pale beams of moonlight crawled through her window in its place, Avery stood in the middle of her room, contract clutched in hand. She wasn't sure how she was to call him, did she just need to speak his name? She took a deep breath, parting her lips before her breathing hitched and she stuttered. For some odd reason, calling his name felt prohibited.

She swallowed, trying to push the strange feeling in her mouth down as she uttered under her breath, "Azrael...?". There was silence in the room. She would have assumed that he hadn't shown up if it wasn't for the cold breeze that flowed over her. She quickly turned towards her bed, her eyes scanning her surroundings for the black-haired demon.

"You called?"

Avery spun her head back around, being met with one piercing red eye mere inches from her own. She let out a shriek stumbling backwards a few steps. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the boy in front of her.

His dark curls sat just as they always did. He wore a plain back shirt and jeans. Avery's eyes searched him up and down as she took a deep breath. She was already nervous about her decision, his entrance had only made the anxiety building in her chest worsen.

"D-Don't do that!" She mumbled as she clenched the contract in her fists, the sides of the paper crinkling and threatening to tear. A familiar smile appeared on Azrael's lips at her actions, he always looked so amused at Avery's panic. "Don't do what? Come when you call?" He joked, knowing that the blonde before him had been nervous to summon him, "I don't have to respond, you know".

The corner of Avery's lips tugged downwards into a frown, glaring at the red-eyed boy with disapproval. Azrael removed his hands from his pockets, clasping them behind his back as he moved to stalk around the mortal. "I see you have my contract"  his chest just barely brushing against her back before she felt his breath against her ear, "But you still haven't made your decision. Why is that?" he whispers.

Avery swallowed, refusing to turn and look at Azrael as he continued his path around her, walking towards the open window to her left. She glanced down at the papers, catching her lower lip between her teeth as she wondered for the hundredth time why she was still considering this.

"I have some questions... about the contract..." She exclaimed, mustering the courage to turn to the dark-haired boy who stood by the window, staring out onto the street, "and about ... you".

"Is that right?" He queried, turning to her with a quirked eyebrow. Avery watched as Azrael turned, leaning on the window sill, the moonlight illuminating him from behind, "Go on".

She couldn't help but admire how the light made the ink on his arms and neck look as though they glowed. How she could see the curls atop his head sitting neatly in ringlets. The pale beams cutting across his face complementing the deep scarlet of his eye.

When a slow smirk spread across the demons face Avery looked down at the contract again with an inquisitive gaze, what was that look? There were so many questions but of course, they all disappeared in the moment she could finally get answers. Azrael waited patiently for the blonde to ask her first question. His eyes locking onto hers.

"Why... me?"

The confusion behind this question was practically tangible to Azrael, how she felt that she was an odd pick. He wondered for a moment what Avery thought the kind of mortal demons approached looked like, acted like.

Avery kept her eyes on him as he contemplated his answer, "Why not?". Azrael crossed his arms, giving Avery an appraising once over with a sultry glint in his eye, "I haven't had a young one in a while".

Avery's eyes widened at the comment. He didn't just! Avery's nose crinkled as her face set into a disturbed frown. He wants me because I'm young? What does that even mean?

Azrael chuckled, raising a hand to his forehead, covering his eye as he laughed at the teenager's thoughts. "I mean..." he grinned, "The last few humans I worked for were power-crazed arrogant arseholes who sat on their asses all day ordering me around, those types always die quickly."

As if realising that he'd already said too much his laugh quickly faded and he removed his hand from his face, revealing an expression that Avery had yet to see. He looked serious, his lips set into a thin line and his eyes seemed to be accompanied by something Avery couldn't quite put her finger on.

"You are different, and that is why I chose you" he stated, and as he did Avery realised what she could see in his eyes - honesty, truth. She brings the contract to her chest as her heart began to pound, the thumping of her heart growing stronger as she searched his eyes. He knew exactly what she wanted to hear.

Avery couldn't help but feel guilty though, if she did sign the contract, he shouldn't be expecting her to use him for much more than protection. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, nor does she want to use it for wealth, power or revenge. She wanted him for the company, for friendship.

"If I sign this..." She began, glancing down at the contract before switching back over to look at Azrael, "I don't plan to use requests and gamble my life away. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want anything extravagant".

Avery paused, feeling as though she was giving a speech that would cause him to leave. She didn't want him too, she had made up her mind in the changing rooms that she wanted him to stay.

"Do you really want to be bound to someone who won't be giving you any extra time?" She finally managed to whisper, crunching the contract in her hands further as she spoke.

Azrael simply stared at her for a moment as he watched how her hands gripped the pages as though she regretted every word. How her nose crinkled whenever she said something that made her wish that she hadn't. How her blue eyes seemed to glaze over with sadness.

Azrael pushed himself up from the window before taking a few steps towards Avery. He stopped a foot in front of her, looking down into the light blue eyes that held so much hope. "Did you not hear me the first time?" He asked, raising his hand to take a lock of her hair into his fingers as his eyes looked down at the blonde silk brushing over his skin, "I chose you because I knew you wouldn't".

Avery was ensnared by his eyes. She felt so comfortable in his presence that when he had taken her hair into his hands she hadn't cowered in the slightest, she didn't move away. She felt wanted.

Azrael's eyes met hers as the last few strands of hair lazily fell through his fingers. How can the eyes of a demon bring me so much comfort? Surely, there is more to this. A trick? Is this all a big lie?

Azrael's eyes mesmerised Avery. She was sure that it was pounding so loud that he could hear it breaking the silence of the room. She almost hadn't noticed that she had spoken until Azrael's eyes softened, "Promise me that you will always protect me". Avery felt her hands squeeze together when Azrael didn't miss a beat.

"I promise"