Chapter 19

19

H adley | Sacramento, California | Early 2000s

Hadley was asleep, her eyes closed as the involuntary movement of her body began to bring her into consciousness. She was groggy and couldn't quite open her eyes. Her head felt heavy, as if a weight was fastened to it.

God, this hurts like hell.

The sore feeling of hands squeezing her arms began to pulse into her, slower and deeper with every step. She could feel the blood pooling under her skin, instantly forming bruises.

What the hell is happening?

She still couldn't open her eyes. They were crusted shut. She began pulling her arms from the grasp of whatever held them so she could free herself, but there was too much resistance. She couldn't budge.

There were two people holding her. Whoever had her legs was clumsy and dropped them.

Hadley groaned from the thudding of her heel into the floor and then regretted it. Maybe it would have been better to let whoever held her think she was still asleep.

"Your princess is awake."

Hadley's skin crawled when she heard Saul's voice just a leg length from her. Suddenly, her body was scooped up into someone's arms, cradling her as if she were just a baby so she bore no weight at all.

"You have no idea who this is," she recognized Amis's voice and realized she was in his arms. "Drop her or injure her in any way, and Sheng will take your life."

Hadley could now pull her hands up to her face. She brushed the crust over her eyes away and was able to open her lids slowly. She was inside the mansion, and by the red carpet beneath her, she assumed she was in the upstairs hallway. Footsteps followed them as Amis turned into the large entertainment room.

The room was much different from the masquerade. She gulped at what was waiting for her there.

Wake up, wake up, wake up.

This could only be a dream. Hadley hoped and prayed that she was still asleep, that nothing in front of her was real.

The room was now empty, black curtains closed over the windows with hundreds of lit candles perched on shelves providing lighting that was both romantic and demonic. There was a circle of hooded figures. Hadley guessed they were all the same fifteen or so people from the barbeque. All of their heads were down, faces not visible, but one figure shifted with a bouncy energy that reminded her of her newest and most suspicious friend, Jenny.

Hadley made a mental note not to trust anyone who was overly nice or generous again as smack dab in the middle of the circle stood Sheng, nude and masked with the same half-curved fitted piece of plastic he wore during the masquerade.

Sheng turned to look at Hadley, still cradled in Amis's arms. She began to cling to the muscles that held her, to this stranger whose job it was to provide security .

Please, let these arms never let me go.

She pleaded to whatever god may have been listening. The circle members turned to face her as well, even those who had their backs towards the door frame now had their shoulders acknowledging her arrival.

"I want to go home," Hadley whimpered, her voice directed towards Amis. There was no reaction, no movement. "I want to go home," she cleared her throat and spoke louder this time. "Sheng, it's time I leave. You said I could leave anytime."

She no longer cared about the money, about writing, or even the satisfying, uncomfortable tension she had with Sheng. All her senses told her to run, and this time, she did not plan on ignoring them.

Hadley began to kick her legs and push out her arms, trying as best as she could to break Amis' grip as everyone stared in silence. He seemed to struggle against her at first, likely from not being prepared, but regained his composure and held onto her tighter, deepening the bruises on her arms and thighs.

Hadley saw Saul, his blonde hair sticking out from under the cloak hood pulled over his head. His face was expressionless, empty. What she could expect to see on the face of a murderer . . . a rapist.

"What is this?" Hadley yelled before kicking into a high-pitched scream as panic took over her. "Somebody tell me."

Amis began to move, walking Hadley into the circle as bodies parted to let him pass. He placed her on her feet right in front of Sheng, his body grazing hers. The hooded figures followed and grabbed her hands, holding her to the spot while more hands ran over her body, undressing her until she was as nude as Sheng. As the jeans were finally pulled down over her feet, Hadley let go of her last show of bravery and let tears freely flow down her cheeks.

"Is this how I die?" she asked out loud, the words somewhat inaudible between held-back sobbing. Sheng smiled at that and adjusted his posture, displaying his body for her.

"No, you are not dying today, Hailey. You are gaining a new life. One that you were born to have." Sheng raised his hand to pinch her chin affectionately .

"Amis, please confirm now," Sheng ordered. The sweet expression on his face confused the hell out of Hadley. It scared her even more.

Amis nodded behind Hadley and took a curved dagger out of his robe, positioning his body in front of hers and carving out the smallest line of flesh on the outside of her forearm. Hadley cried out, the dagger drawing out a wave of fresh red blood, which ran down her elbow.

Sheng's eyes suddenly reflected intensity, showing a craving that Hadley assumed he was hiding at first when her clothes were torn off of her.

To her surprise, Amis had put his face so close to Hadley's wound that she wondered if he was going to rub her blood on his cheeks.

"Well?" Sheng asked, his one visible eyebrow raised.

"She's incredible," Amis answered simply. "I have never come across such balance in the blood. I think you have found the one we have been waiting for. We have finally found the Kinnari's missing blood daughter. I don't sense magic or power, but her body, her womb, is exactly what you've hoped for, what you predicted."

"Good," Sheng said, nodding casually. "Bring in the priest."

Hadley watched Amis motion towards Saul, who nodded and left the room. A moment later, he returned with an elderly man dressed in white robes. A gold cross on a long chain hung from his neck. He carried a Bible and shuffled his feet on the carpet as he moved into the circle of black hooded cloaks.

"Help me, Father," Hadley blurted out, her hands covering herself to the best of her ability while her arms were still held tightly to prevent her escape. "Please, show me kindness."

The priest looked down at his feet, avoiding the nudity that was presented before him. He opened the Bible, read through passages, and frowned before flipping through more pages. He gave up, closed the book, and sighed.

"Ready?" He motioned to Sheng, keeping his eyes locked on the floor.

"Please proceed." Sheng took Hadley's hands in his as they formally faced each other. He gazed into her tear-filled eyes, at first seeming concerned until the right corner of his mouth lifted, and he took in the view of her body before him.

"I know, I know that in my line of work, there is a level of weirdness expected," Hadley sobbed, "but please, Sheng, let me go home. I'm scared. I'm sorry. I won't say anything to anyone. I will forget your name, your face, and your friends here. I promise."

"I need a different kind of promise from you," Sheng murmured. "Please proceed, Father."

The priest took in a large inhale and projected his voice. "In this ominous assembly, we witness a union not born of love but entangled in the coils of compulsion. The bride, her destiny foretold by whispers of dark omens.

In this unhallowed space, marriage is a macabre dance, vows extracted under shadows of secrecy. Today, we recognize the union of a demon and, quite literally, an angel.

Sheng, do you accept this woman, Hadley, as your lawful wife, as your personal property under the law of your creator?"

"I do," Sheng said as Hadley stood there in horror upon hearing her true name on the priest's lips. Sheng had known who she was all along. The entire room had. But how? And what did the priest mean by personal property? Surely, she would be given a chance to object. Marriage was not permanent. If anything, the soaring divorce rates made it seem more like a trend to jump on.

A plan had formed now as Hadley could imagine less of a guard around her if she was compliant. If she went through with this irrational and meaningless ceremony, then she would create an opportunity for herself to run out the front door. Hadley swallowed her pride, feeling more confident than moments ago when she was no more than a sobbing mess. She was pissed now, her grief quickly morphing into an insatiable hate.

How dare they do this to me?

"I now pronounce you married under the eye of the creator. You may now . . . kiss . . . your bride," the priest continued before bowing his head down before them .

"I didn't get to interject," Hadley said, her plan on being compliant going right out the window. "I don't accept. "

Sheng pulled Hadley into him so fast that her neck snapped back. Her body had enveloped his as the entire room gazed upon them. Sheng waited for Hadley's head to catch up to her body before making eye contact and grinning like a goofy schoolboy before his eyes glowed red.

Hadley couldn't breathe. She stared into those eyes for as long as she could before Sheng opened his jaw. She watched it expand unnaturally as his beautiful white teeth grew long and pointed. With a ferocious speed, without any warning, Sheng plunged those teeth into Hadley's left side, parallel to her belly button.

She couldn't scream. She couldn't think, she couldn't move. Hadley just existed now. The pain slowly began to register once the shock wore off, while Sheng continued to hunch slightly below her, fangs inserted into her skin and audibly gulping.

Her body was being drained of blood, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. She looked up, finally able to move, and saw the circle of bodies that surrounded them. They had all sunk down to their knees, their heads bowed, giving Sheng his privacy.

Ten seconds had passed, and then she realized that, oddly, she felt relaxed. Though her mind still shouted at her to get out, her body was planted in its spot. She could fall asleep like she had taken some kind of drug that made her feel warm and comfortable. Maybe this was dying. Maybe she liked it.

Right as Hadley began to let her eyes flutter closed, Sheng ripped his teeth out of her and held her back upright as if they were dancers performing a dramatic dip. His red eyes met hers, blood dripping down his lips, his chin, his chest. He smiled at her with an expression she didn't quite understand. He looked full-heartedly in love with her. The thought made her skin crawl, but her body . . . her body yearned to be pressed closer to his.

"Do you feel it yet?" Sheng whispered to her, only her, ignoring the rest of the room. "Do you yearn for me?"

"I . . . don't know," Hadley whimpered.

She felt it.

Her joints, her muscles, and her heart throbbed for him. She needed him to touch her, to throb inside of her. She needed his arms wrapped around her tighter, so tight that she should struggle to breathe.

If her body was connected to him, her brain was not. She looked at Sheng, and a war of conflict raged through her, wanting to both worship him and kill him at the same time.

"What . . . what did you do to me?" was all she could say. His smile faltered, but when he went to bite his lips, Hadley instinctually bit hers as well. That made his muscles tense against her. He was pleased.

"My kind doesn't often leave anyone alive. You might be the first. The chemicals I released into your blood bind us together. I suppose that makes me your master of sorts."

"No," Hadley interjected, pushing him off her, and she wobbled to stand up on her two feet, just then realizing exactly how much blood she had lost.

"No?" Sheng seemed entertained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You are not my master. We are equals, as I am your wife." Hadley all but stomped her feet.

Sheng seemed positively giddy from her challenging gaze.

"You may go," he barked to the room as the cloaked figures obeyed, getting up from their kneeling positions and following each other out in a single file line before closing the door. The priest remained, moving towards a corner of the room and turning his back towards them.

"You may proceed," he waved his hand up, and Sheng slammed his body into Hadley's, toppling them both to the floor.

"Traditions." Sheng cocked his head towards the old man, his arms holding his weight above Hadley's body. His eyes had returned to the familiar warm brown color that Hadley was used to, and then the words that the priest had used in the ceremony hit her.

Demon .

"What are you?" She looked up at his face, cupping it with her hand. He was warm, and she felt the pull, the desperation to grab his back and pull him down on top of her. She also wished that she had a knife so that she could stab into his back in tandem.

Sheng darkened his gaze and looked down her entire body before putting his lips on hers. There was no more blood, no more pointed teeth, just an entirely delicious man kissing her like he was hers and she was his. No lips had ever felt so right against hers as Sheng's did, his tongue gently moving in and out, caressing her own.

Hadley wasn't breathing. There was no need for air. There was only the need for his mouth against hers. When Sheng pulled away, she gasped as if reaching the water's surface after a deep dive. There was a gleam, a satisfaction in his eyes as Sheng, too, took a plunge, his hardness suddenly inside of her.

She let out a loud moan, her wetness clenching him inside of her. Sheng kissed her hip bones, his lips moving up to her belly button and then onto her breasts before releasing himself.

"I will say that the marriage has been consummated now, my lord." The priest's voice came out of the corner of the room, his back still turned and hunched towards the wall. Hadley laughed at the shock of forgetting he was there. She had completely lost herself in Sheng's body, and now they lay on the floor together as he held her in his arms, panting.

"Thank you, Father," Sheng said.

Hadley watched the old man shuffle out of the room, still avoiding looking at either of them. He was muttering fiercely under his breath, praying and crossing himself.

Hadley's brain was screaming and kicking from the inside of her skull, wondering why she willingly lay there in a monster's arms. A monster who had likely drugged her to get her into this room. Her body did not flinch but felt bliss when Sheng moved his hand on the side of her head, massaging the space behind her ear. It was so tender, so loving.

"Are you the devil?" she blurted out, her brain still fighting the bliss and glow that they laid in .

"Hadley." Sheng sounded amused. His hand moved down her body to find her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. "There's no such thing as the devil. I suspect if there was, I'd be much worse."

An hour later, Hadley found herself in the master bathroom.

"Why the ceremony? Why the need for a marriage?" she asked Sheng as he turned to leave, trying to hide the desperation in her tone.

He looked back at her, his smile faltering. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "My clan is nothing if not traditional. They need to continue seeing me as a leader in this, in what we need to accomplish. The ceremony helps set a precedent. Plus there's the hope that you won't be as tempted to run away, of course."

"What do we need to accomplish?"

Sheng shuffled his feet, his facial expression giving away very little. "You should get some rest," was all he said as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

She was alone for the first time since she had arrived, though she suspected that Amis or a cloaked person was within shouting range. She was still on the second floor and remembered turning left down the hallway as it snaked around, turning in a sudden direction that she had never explored during the masquerade.

Sheng had led her here; they had walked hand in hand out of the ceremony room without a single person in view, which Hadley, still nude, was thankful for. Wetness clung to her inner thighs, making her feel used for the first time in her life as a sex worker. However, she didn't know what she was being used for.

Hadley looked around the bathroom. Sheng handed her two fluffy white towels and kissed the top of her forehead before walking out and closing the door behind him.

"Take care of yourself for me," he requested while she stood in a daze, staring at him but not reacting. Once he had gone, she took in the gleaming white marble tile stretching the entire length of the bathroom, which was likely just as big as her apartment. There was a separate door that closed off the toilet from the rest of the room, and just a foot from where she stood was a large soaking tub .

Hadley sat on the tub's edge, turning on the faucet as the sound of water dispensing filled the otherwise eerily quiet bathroom. It was so calm, so private, and Hadley could let the day go, just a little. She tested the water temperature, playing with the dials until she got the water to an acceptable level of scalding hot before slipping into it, letting the heat soak into her skin.

A deep sense of relief filled her chest and left her as she breathed in and out deeply, closing her eyes and letting the bath run until the water covered most of her body. Hadley tipped her head back, submerging herself, and held her breath as long as she could before her burning lungs forced her to emerge and gasp for air.

Hadley sat up and pulled her legs into her touch, inching the water dial to get more heat in the tub before pulling her fingers down her wet hair and moving past her rib cage. She winced when her hand went over the bite. The area was tender, yet the multiple spots where teeth pierced flesh had already begun to scab. It had only been a little over an hour if that, and she wondered if whatever monster she was married to also had some sort of healing capabilities.

"That sounds crazy," she laughed to herself and then jumped from the echo of the sound of her voice. "I'm fucking crazy," she continued in a whisper.

She needed to find her phone and get out of there.

Hadley pulled the stopper out of the drain and watched the water descend until a small whirlpool formed. She stayed there for a few moments, sitting in the empty tub, cradling herself before standing and walking out onto the marble floor in a near zombie-like state. She grabbed a fluffy white towel and held it to her face, patting it dry and taking in the smell of the lavender fabric softener.

It was very nice here. She could happily lock herself in this bathroom and never come out. The peace she felt at that moment was alarming. Nothing that had happened in this house had ever been as it seemed.

Wrapping the towel around herself, Hadley walked towards the double doors and put her hand on the matte bronze handle .

"There is no one on the other side of this door. Your clothes will be on the bed," she muttered out loud, hoping to manifest it true.

When she walked out into the primary suite, she was relieved to find it was indeed empty. It was a large, open room with a California king-sized bed bracketed by matching side tables. A large vintage trunk lay on the floor at the foot of the bed, and draped over it was a dress with a folded tan piece of paper on top.

She thought it best to ignore that momentarily and walked over to the large windows, looking into the backyard. She thought that maybe she could make that jump if landing directly on the extended brick patio somehow wouldn't deter her. She guessed that in a desperate situation, it was good to have a backup plan.

The plush nude carpet in the room sank under the weight of her still-wet feet as she moved back over to the bed and ran her hands over the rich, silky burgundy sheet set folded perfectly into the matching duvet. She sighed, realizing that her clothes were nowhere to be found after scanning the room a few more times, before giving up and going over to the dress.

She picked up the note, unfolding it while the sound of crinkling paper filled the air.

A new dress for a new life.

Sheng had signed the note, and Hadley felt her blood rising at his name. He touched this paper. His smell was still on it. She held it to her chest, pressing it there as if trying to capture it in her heart.

This note was from her husband. She had a husband.

Hadley giggled like an innocent schoolgirl and jumped up and down a few times, smiling like an idiot.

Idiot. Wait. That's right. She was acting like an idiot.

Hadley's brain took back its authority, and she crumpled up the paper in her fist. She had been drugged, forced into marriage, and had her body violated in numerous ways in front of a cult-like audience.

Fuck him. Fuck Sheng.

Hadley picked up the dress and threw it angrily on the ground, kicking it around the floor .

"Where the fuck are my clothes?!" she yelled, hoping someone would hear her. Her phone and the envelope with the money were both in the pockets of her jeans. She would not sit here, isolated and compliant. She was a survivor, not the weak link.

Hadley jumped, startled by a sudden knock coming from the opposite side of the main bedroom door. She dropped to her hands and knees to hide behind the giant bed, because that seemed like something a survivor might do.

There was only silence, with no audible turn of the door handles. Hadley counted to eighteen before the knock came again.

"Miss Hailey or Hadley," said Amis' muffled voice. Hadley stayed there, unmoving, until Amis knocked again.

Could he not just go away ?

"Hadley, there is a guest at the door for you. It's the kid who dropped you off."

"Hector." Hadley stood up. "Hector is here for me." Relief and hope flooded through her body, and she felt her eyes tear up again.

"I can . . . I can just see him?" Hadley gulped, yelling towards the door.

"Of course," Amis scoffed in reply. "This is your home. We all now work for you."

Hadley considered this, wondering if her fear was misplaced. Could this be an opportunity she stumbled into?

No, her anger and grief were more than appropriate.

"I'll be right out," she decided, grabbing the dress and shoving it over her head. She practically ran towards the door and flung it open to see Amis standing there, looking at her, slightly amused.

"Your hair is still wet," he pointed out. "You can finish getting dressed. He will wait for you."

"Hector has seen me in my worst state," she said. "This is fine."

"Worse than this?" Amis raised a single eyebrow at her.

"Who the hell are you to suddenly have a personality?" she fired back, the anger pooling inside of her. She heard him chuckle behind her as she strutted down the hall and made her way to the descending staircase .

"He's in the kitchen, sitting on a barstool," Amis said, and Hadley couldn't help but feel disappointed. She had hoped to meet him at the front door and have them both run away, to never look back at this house or the monster within it.

She entered the kitchen, and her heart could have burst when she saw the familiar smiling face of her best friend. She had only seen him yesterday, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

He jumped up from his seat, a plate of food sitting in front of him. His smile wavered as she ran into his arms.

"Hector, I am so happy to see you." Hadley sniffed, her arms around the middle of his body.

"What's happened? Why are you not answering your phone?" Hector's thick accent brought her a world of comfort, even with the edge in his voice.

"I don't have it; they took it," she replied. Hector broke their embrace and pushed her an arm's length away so he could look into her eyes.

"Who took it? Hadley, what happened? You look terrible. Where did you get this dress?"

Hadley opened her mouth to reply to Hector but was cut off, Sheng's voice filling the kitchen as he entered.

"My housekeeper was washing her clothes for her, and she left it in her pocket," Sheng chuckled. "I'm sure she will bring it up when she folds and delivers the laundry shortly."

"Oh," Hector said, looking back and forth from Hadley to Sheng. He must have noticed a softness, a sudden change in her demeanor because he seemed to relax when Hadley heard Sheng's voice; her body all but called out for him. She felt her heart rate rise while her stomach fluttered, reminding her that the only person who mattered now was Sheng.

Get away.

The thought subsided because all reason had been thrown out the window as Sheng's pheromones intoxicated her. He was so close, but she needed him to be closer.

"Hector, this is Sheng. This is his house," she said, staring at Sheng, who was also freshly showered. He smelled of tea tree, bright and clean, likely from an expensive body wash, and wore a white button-down shirt with loose cargo pants.

"We like having Hector here," Amis interjected out of turn, drawing an odd look from Sheng. Hadley was too busy staring at Sheng to notice that the other two males in the room only seemed to have eyes for each other.

"Thanks, but I am here to take Hadley home now. Let's go," Hector said, grabbing Hadley's arm.

She winced.

The bruises, while also healing quickly, were still there, deep under her skin, from being carried to the marriage ceremony.

Her feet carried her reluctantly as Hector tugged on her arm.

"Yes," she said, her mind screaming to move her feet faster.

Hadley realized that her body was fighting against Hector. He dragged her out of the kitchen as she locked eyes with Sheng. He flashed one of his dazzling smiles, and she thought that her legs might give out on her.

"I can't go," she surprised herself by saying aloud, planting her position on the floor and tugging her arm free from Hector's grasp.

"What do you mean? You can't just stay here," Hector said, confused. "Hadley, what's going on? You're wearing this ridiculous dress that isn't yours. Your mascara is running down your face. Your hair looks tangled, and it's clear that you need some rest in your own bed."

Hadley had forgotten she'd worn mascara yesterday and hadn't bothered to look at herself in the bathroom mirror when she got out of the tub. She looked down to study the dress she was wearing, not having paid any attention to it prior, and laughed.

It was the furthest thing from what she would have picked out for herself; yards of gray fabric stretching itself over her small waist with a pleated skirt reminiscent of a Catholic schoolgirl. What an odd item for Sheng to just have sitting in his house.

"I think she looks perfect," Sheng chimed in.

Hadley's heart sang at the compliment. She looked at him with so much love and appreciation in her eyes, while at the same time feeling trapped, like she was in someone else's body.

Take Hector's hand and run.

Her head was shouting at her unwavering, planted feet.

"I'm staying for now, Hector, but you are the best friend I could ever have for checking in on me," Hadley said, reaching her arms out to embrace him.

"Hadley," Hector whispered, "give me a sign if you need help."

Hadley let go of the embrace and met Hector's eyes, giving him a reassuring smile, shaking her head no.

"Perhaps I can escort you out," Amis offered, still hovering in the corner of the room. Hadley watched Hector hold back a smile, fighting his own inner battle, and nodded.

"I'll wait for your call." Hector turned back to Hadley. "Are you sure that you want to stay? I did it; I found a place where we can stay in LA! A girl in class just signed a lease and needs roommates. I told her we'd go. I told her I was bringing a writer."

"I might never leave." Hadley blushed, holding a hand up to her cheek.

Hadley's mind screamed for help as she watched her best friend, her savior, leave, not hiding the confusion or disappointment on his face.