Chapter 11

ChapterEleven

Blake

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As we walked down the street, I marveled at all of the Halloween decorations. From one property to the next, the dead consumed the lane. If only they knew that on such an unholy night the dead walked beside them. If they watched closely, they would see the shadows thrive and dance, twirling within the night, finally free to play on the devil’s playground.

Oh, it was a wicked, wicked night alright and that was fucking beautiful.

They all thought Halloween itself was the night to fear.

How wrong the little people were.

It was the witching hour that should install terror in your hearts.

“Where are we going?” Ophelia whispered beside me. I side-eyed her, something sinister in my gaze as I smirked cruelly at her light-footedness and small voice.

“Well, Soul Raiser, I’m willing to bet that when you google searched my name, you also read how I died.”

She stopped dead, blank eyes rolling to meet mine as the answer finally dawned on her. “You’re going to kill the cop? The one who killed you?” she asked slowly, quizzically.

I didn’t blame her.

This one wouldn’t be easy.

But it sure as fuck would be thrilling.

“Sure am, darling.”

“B-but…” she stammered.

“But what, love?”

“He’s in prison.” The look on her angelic face was comical.

Pupils were blown wide, a slight scarlet tint to her smooth cheeks, and those perfect fucking lips pouted beautifully in shock.

My cock ached to be between them again.

“And?” I taunted.

“And, how the fuck are we going to get in there? That is like the lamb waking in the dawn and being like ‘oh hey farmer, no need for an escort. I’ll just mosey on over and take myself to the slaughter’,” she flounders, hysterically. The fierce whisper of her voice was a clap of thunder in the dead of night.

I chuckled, nostril-flaring as I tried to restrain the outrageous laugh that wanted to tear free from my throat.

My soul raiser was as endearing as she was stunning.

“But that’s the fun of it, is it not?”

“Dude, you’re dead. I’d get locked up and committed to some psycho ward for the warped shit you’re about to do. As much as I’m down to spend a night playing with murderous sin, I will not be your fool and I will not take the heat for a crime I’m not committing… Well, not actively committing.” She frowned as she thought over those words.

My face turned cold, and serious, while I stepped toward her. She swallowed thickly, her throat working as her entire body tensed. As I stalked her, a predator with his pretty prey, I slowly lifted my hand to remove a loose strand of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Don’t insult me, love. I would never allow anything to harm you.” The raspy husk of my voice was deep, raw, and dropped twelve octaves as the wind around us turned to ice.

The air thickened, and despite my encouraging words, the feeling of malice to them was evident. I didn’t like being questioned and I sure as fuck didn’t like my woman thinking I’d allow anything in this shitpit of a stain called world harm her.

I’d burn the entirety of this planet and take her with me before that ever happened.

She cleared her throat, and I removed my hand from her cheek, dropped it to her neck, and stroked the tender flesh there before collaring her gently. When her eyes fluttered, I closed my grip and yanked her toward me, putting pressure on her windpipe. She mewled, and a sultry groan whispered past her lips as her arousal wafted through the air at my rough hold on her.

“Do you trust me, Soul Raiser? I’d think very carefully about that answer, sugar.”

She nodded and I knew exactly what she was doing, like her pussy bouncing on my dick, she was thrusting her throat into my palm for the same feeling of the pressure she chased. “Good girl. Now come here.” I pulled her into me more forcefully, my lips fused with hers.

Rough and raw I made her feel every part of me.

Here, cloaked within the darkness, surrounded by the decorations of the dead, I laid claim to the most silken lips I had ever felt. A circuit of white trash bags, rigged to look like dancing little girls in billowing gowns, stood in a circle like a merry-go-round, started to shriek and sing a very warped-sounding nursery rhyme.

You’re my addiction.

Dizzy ever since I cut off your lips

Welcome To All Hallows’ Eve

We’re going to steal all of your magic

Ashes to ashes, knife to bone

Don’t knock here, the Candyman is home.

Ready to eat and devour, that glorious fucking soul.

The cackle that followed that chilling tune had me frowning. I knew people liked to win the creepy factor on Halloween, but what the fuck was that?

“Fuck,” Ophelia exclaimed as she pulled back in fright. “Jesus. That is the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard. Kids walk past here for fuck’s sake. What are they playing out threatening to cut off their lips and eat their souls?”

Couldn’t say I disagreed with her thought process. With a shrug, I turned to face her. “Wait here.” Then I stalked toward the house and right through the door of the garage.

When I reemerged, it was with a strike of luck. Gas can in one hand, a box of matches in the other, and a goofy grin on my face. I lumbered back over to a smug-looking Ophelia. “Not the worst idea you’ve had tonight.” She chuckled.

“Want to do the honors?” I asked, wondering how far my hand of corruption had brought her. She stared at me for a moment and when she didn’t respond, I began to soak the display in gasoline. When I was done and the weird-looking things looked like drowned mice, I struck a match and held it before me. A delicate hand wrapped around my wrist and I looked down to see Ophelia standing beside me, looking down at the display and I knew it was a silent acceptance.

We’d do this together.

I wouldn’t push for more.

So as one, we tossed the match and stepped away as the entire lawn went up in flames. My dark eyes danced with the hue of orange and blue fire. The heat licked against my cool skin and I smirked while we stood over the ruins. The fire was such a beautiful thing.

Deadly too. A little like my Soul Raiser.

I guessed you could even say a little like my infatuation with her too.

Because burning some shitty little Halloween display was the least I would do when something displeased her.

A shrill cry came from the direction of the house and we both turned toward it. Panic started to creep into her stunning emeralds and I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her back into me.

“We have to make sure the fire doesn’t spread,” she whispered.

“Glen!” a woman screamed. “Glen, wake up, I smell smoke!” Then there was a commotion and loud footsteps could be heard thundering toward the door.

“I think they have it covered, love,” I murmured in her ear and delighted in the shiver that skated down her spine.

“We should run,” she purred. Apparently, the fire also got her hot in other areas and I was more than happy to splash my load to help contain the wildfire that brewed in her core right before my very eyes.

“That, I think I have covered.” I smirked as I held her closer and allowed the darkness to conceal us, stealing us from space and time as it spat us out in the Valley Of The Corrupt. Ophelia stumbled from my arms, disoriented and I loved knowing that I could still surprise her.

“What the fuck?” she drawled drowsily as she spun in a circle. She shuddered as if somebody had just walked over her grave and I smirked wider. “Where are we? How did we get here?”

“Outside the prison, darling. And I’m dead, remember? I have special gifts.” I winked and she frowned, brows furrowed with a glare that could scorch.

“Any other tricks up your sleeves? You know, besides teleporting and walking through damn doors.” The hiss was low, but I could tell her shock was waning.

“That would be telling now, wouldn’t it? Stick around to find out what’s next.” When I wink at her again, she huffed and rolled her eyes which made me chuckle.

Then she straightened, stared at the prison in the distance lost to the baleful clouds of darkness, then turned back to face me with refusal on her face. “No fucking way. You are not doing that weird ghostly thing to me again. No fucking way. And in a prison? Are you nuts? We would get caught!” she flurried, frustrated with my plan, and when my face fell firm, she drew her head back and scoffed. “Yes, I trust you. No, I don’t wish to puke,” she added and I grunted in amusement. “Can’t you just… I don’t know. Like, bring him out here?” Her brows danced as she screwed up her face.

“I could, but that would be boring. I don’t do boring. I do exciting. Besides…” I stalked toward her, my features the features of death coming to claim your soul, then fisted my hand into her dark locks at the crown of her head and pulled back while I rasped, “I’m going to slaughter anyone I please. I’m going to paint the scene in my wicked art and then I’m going to fuck you in the pretty crimson, sweetheart. And when I do all of that…” I leaned forward slightly, my lips brushed hers and she quivered in anticipation. “It will be far from fucking boring.” Then I let go and stepped away, allowing her to pant after me in sweet desperation.