Wicked Destiny

Chapter 6





I know I’m dreaming, because I’m standing in front of the lake again. I was cold; being dressed in a silk nightgown will do that. Why do I wear these things in my dreams knowing I would never wear them in real life? Apparently shoes are out of the question, too. I turn to go inside my old apartment, but I’m locked out. I hear something galloping through the woods and I step off the porch to see what it is. And unfortunately, I can’t see it. Whatever it is, though, it’s coming fast and it’s very large. I run up the side stairs to see if I can get in through my bedroom’s sliding glass door, but it too is locked. I race down the stairs and to the main house. Everything is locked up and now I’m beginning to panic. I have no shoes; I’m in this dress like nightgown and something is chasing me in the middle of the night.

I begin to run through the woods and away from the house, especially the cabin. It doesn’t matter, because I know these woods better than anyone. After all, I grew up here. As I’m running, I begin to hear the snapping of trees and whatever is chasing me is coming fast. It starts calling out my name, “Sloane,” in a very creepy and melodramatic tone. I break out of the trees and into the open pasture. I get to the middle of the clearing and I stop. I realize then that this is my dream and I’m in control. I stand there waiting, and as it comes barreling down towards me, I throw my hands up and screamed out, “Stop!” Well, it stops alright and right in its tracks. It’s total darkness. I can’t see anything that resembles a person, or even a very large person. Just as I straighten up, looking into the black abyss, it grabs me by my throat and squeezes. “You. Are. Mine.”

I jumped up and grabbed my throat, desperately gasping for air. I was fear-stricken and didn’t know where I was, more less who was actually with me. Viktor reached for me and I began to scream and fight as if I was being attacked.

“Sloane, look at me! Look at me, Sloane. It was a dream. Baby, please breathe for me!” He had my head between his hands as he looked me straight in the eyes so that I knew it was him. I took one big gasp of air.

“It had me… It said I was his… I couldn’t breathe.” I began to cry in his arms as he held me. I never had a nightmare before and I could go without ever having another one.

“Shh, I got you. Nothing is going to get you.” He rocked me until I fell back to sleep.

I didn’t dream at all after that. Whatever that was, I hoped I never met it again. I slept until two in the afternoon and Viktor must have finally put me to bed. But there was no sign of him when I awoke. Looking up at the ceiling, I thought about everything that happened and realized I needed to stop saying things couldn’t get worse, because they could and would.

I got up and did the bathroom routine and came out to the living room hoping to see a sign of Viktor, but I didn’t. He must have cleaned the place up before he left. I walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and there was a glass of orange juice with a note on top of it:

Drink up! I won’t be long. I had to take a call and didn’t want to wake you. Tonight will be better, I promise. Call Shay to see if she wants to have dinner before you go to work. My treat. -Viktor



So I did what I was told and then went to my closet, realizing I had a new outfit in the bag from yesterday’s shopping trip. Shay and I bought matching pants and these pants were something else. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what fabric they were made up of. It wasn’t pleather, or even leather. They were really shiny, though, and felt like velvet when you slipped them on. I bought a red halter top to go with it and Shay got a blue one. Now that the outfit was laid out, I needed to get ready. Before I jumped into the shower, I sent Shay a text telling her to meet me at the Cannon Brew Pub. I waited for an answer, but nothing came through. She must’ve been in the shower too.

I took care of all the grooming necessities and I finally got a text back from Shay saying her parents were in town and she would just see me at work. So it was just me and Viktor tonight. After touching up my make-up and getting dressed, I took one final look and was satisfied. The knock at the door told me it was Viktor. I answered and he stood there behind a bouquet of roses of all different colors.

“I didn’t know which ones were your favorites, so I told them to put all of them in there.” He handed me the flowers and I gave him a peck on the cheek. I hurried to put them in the empty vase that sat on my counter in the kitchen, and then we were off.

We got to the Cannon Brew at about six o’clock. It was packed, but not too bad. It was loud enough to ask questions that were bothering me from yesterday, especially the comment he made about the things that go bump in the night. That thing in my dream, yeah, I wanted to know what it was so that I could avoid it at all costs.

“Do you remember when you said there were actual things that go bump in the night? Well, what did you mean by that exactly?” I couldn’t hold back anymore. I at least made sure we were seated.

“Well, we already established Angels, but there are demons, fairies, vamps, weres, and witches. Everything that’s good and evil, you name it, and it’s real. Some of your friends, too.”

“Wait, what about my friends? Shay?”

“No, Shay is very much human, but Dale and Mindy are both supernatural beings.”

“Supernatural beings?”

“Mindy is a succubus and Dale is the male equivalent called an incubus.”

This was just mind-blowing. I owned one of the most prominent nightclubs in town and two of my employees weren’t even human. I guess it was something I was going to have to start adding to the application.

“Is there anyone else I need to know about?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, your friend Jared is in line for an Imp position.”

“A what position?”

“An Imp. He’d be like a recruiter for souls. He’s in the right job field to do that.”

“To hell with that. He’s gone!”

The look on Viktor’s face scared me a little. It was a cross between shock and who the hell do you think you are? There was no way that there were going to be any recruiting going on at my place.

“Are you going to fire Dale and Mindy too?”

“No, because they aren’t taking a person’s soul.”

“Maybe not their souls, but they take years off of people’s lives.”

“What? You know what, I’m leaving. This is too much.”

Our food hadn’t arrived yet, but I needed to get Shay the hell out of that club. I called her cell and her phone went straight to voicemail. I left a message and made sure I told her not to come into work tonight, that I would explain later. As soon as I stepped out onto the sidewalk, it was like the world stood still. I turned to see if I was the only one seeing this, but all I saw was Viktor walking towards me.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, they aren’t hurt.”

“Then stop it. Unfreeze them or whatever it is that you did.”

“The only way you can stop someone from making decisions is to freeze time itself.”

“This isn’t right. How can you see logic in watching people sign their souls away for something worthless?”

“It is not for you to decide.”

“Then what is your job, Viktor? You aren’t exactly walking the straight and narrow, so what’s in it for you?”

“My job? You know what my job is. I’m a consultant.”

“Yeah, but a consultant of what though, exactly?” I cautiously took a step back.

“Please, don’t fear me, Sloane. I would never hurt you.”

“Why me, Viktor? Why are you here with me? What’s in it for you?”

“Sloane, you’re overreacting. Please come here, because I’m about to unfreeze everything and you are standing in the middle of the road.”

Looking around, I noticed I was standing between two cars. At the end of the road I could see everything slowly starting to move and something was wrong with my legs at the moment. They wouldn’t move and Viktor must have sensed the panic because just as soon as the cars came to life, like a flash, Viktor had me in his arms and we were standing on the other side of the street from the restaurant. My arm clung to his neck and my face buried into his chest.

“I told you, I will never harm you, Sloane. I’m damned only because I didn’t choose a side.”

Glancing up, I couldn’t hold back the tears. Everything just became too real and I didn’t want to be anywhere but there in Viktor’s arms. For some odd reason I felt safer there than I did in a long time.

“What do I do now? I can’t just allow this to continue in my club.”

“Sloane, it’ll happen no matter what. Here or at another place, it’s going happen.”

“Does anyone get hurt?”

“You have your mishaps, but regardless of what’s to come in the end, these people are happy because they get what they want. They bargain for what will make them happy.”

At that moment I couldn’t talk anymore about what just happened, or everything else. I needed a shot of something fast. I started to gather my footing and righted myself. At the same time, I needed to see for myself.

“I better get in there and figure out how I’m going to get through tonight. Will you be here all night just in case?”

“You know I will. Even when you think I’m not there, I am.”

“What do you mean by that?” Viktor stepped back and disappeared, and then reappeared.

I searched the faces in the street to see if they’d just seen what I just saw and, surprisingly, no one did. Everyone kept going as if nothing had happened.

“Okay, this is just TMI right now. Please, no more tricks. I’m not sure what I might do next.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to grab us some sandwiches since we didn’t get to eat. See you inside?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and he was off.

I walked into the club about an hour earlier than normal and I took a look around. I thought about shutting the club down, but then I realized it wouldn’t fix the problem. I walked to the closet, trying to figure out if there was anything for me to do. As I put my purse up, I heard employees walking in. I peeped my head out to see who it was and I saw Jared heading to his office and the DJ walking to his booth. I knew then that I would start with Jared. Walking out of the closet, I made my way to Jared’s office.

“Hey, Sloane. Want to hear something special before work?” asked Stan, the DJ, stopping me in my tracks.

“How about some Linkin Park and Sleeping With Sirens?”

“Coming right up.”

I finally stopped right in front of the office door, confused about whether I should knock or just barge in. What was I afraid of? In reality, I was his boss. He didn’t know that, of course, but he was about to find out. So, I walked right in just like I owned the place.

“Something wrong, Sloane? You’re a whole hour early.”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Sure, what is it? Man problems?” He smiled at me.

“No it’s Imp problems.” It certainly got his attention.

“Imp problems? I’m not following.” I strolled over to him and leaned over the desk he sat behind.

“Oh, I think you do, and I suggest you do your recruiting elsewhere or you will find yourself out on your ass.”

“I think you forgot who your boss is, cupcake. If anyone will be tossed out on their ass, it will be you. So before you piss me off any further, I think you should leave.”

Oh, he had my blood boiling then. Without even thinking, I reached across the desk and snatched him up by his shirt. I dragged him clear across his desk and slammed him to the floor. The look of terror in his eyes gave him confirmation that I knew exactly what Imp business he had going on. I picked him up and slammed him back against his desk.

“Now that I have your undivided attention, let me make this clear to you. I am the silent owner of this place. You answer to me and me alone. This is your final warning. If you want to stay, do your recruiting somewhere else on your own time, and not mine.”

I turned to walk out, and for once since everything’s been going on, I refused to worry about the color of my eyes and freaking people out. For the first time I felt inside my own element. As I grabbed the door handle to leave, I sensed Jared coming at me. I spun around to look and he was already there, grabbing me by my face and pinning me.

“You think you’re hot shit, don’t you? Walking around here in your whorish clothes thinking you are so damn superior.” He was really pissed.

“Technically, I am superior, and as for my whorish clothes, you love them. I’m going to tell you one time and one time only—get your hands off me.” I couldn’t believe how calm I was. He gripped a little harder, and then there was another presence in the room with us.

“I think the lady asked you to let go nicely enough. If I’d asked, you’d have lost that arm.” It was Viktor and he leaned against the desk with his arms crossed over his chest and a look that scared even me.

“I knew you were something else. This is between me and her, Fallen.”

“See, that’s where you are wrong. Whatever business you have with her you have with me, and I promise you that whatever deal you made to secure your title won’t be enough to fix what I will do to you. So, let her go. The both of you have to get back to work.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. The anger that I tried to hold back and keep hidden was pushing its way to the top and it felt like I was about to explode if he didn’t step back.

“Jared, this is your last warning before she really unleashes what she has buried inside her. If you don’t believe me, just look into her eyes.” This was Viktor’s last plea.

It must have worked, because Jared let go and backed away slowly. And then in a split second, I had him pinned on top of his desk with my hand over his throat. Never before had I wanted to just beat the hell out of someone as I did in that moment.

“Well, this isn’t how I envisioned you on top.”

“I could snap your neck right now and never think twice about it, you piece of shit.” My teeth were gritted and I could’ve spit in his face.

“Sloane, let him up.” Viktor stood so close and I assumed it was to keep me from doing anything stupid.

Jared wasn’t scared at all and this threw me off a little. He was obviously used to this kind of thing—girls that are able to manhandle men with no problem. He smiled at me as if he approved of my actions. I myself had a little euphoric high at the moment. My grip loosened from around his throat, but Jared didn’t move. In fact, he placed his hands behind his head as if he was relaxed, and he cast me a sly smile.

“Should I do a memo announcing your ‘coming out of the closet’ with being the secret owner?” Jared was being sarcastic.

“Open your mouth and I’ll make sure to shut it.” I began to walk towards him again, but Viktor caught me by the arm.

“Why don’t you let her go, Viktor?” Jared looked me dead in the eyes. “I’d calm myself before going out there, witch. Your eyes are glowing.”

“What did you call me?” I asked. My anger was rising.

“What, witch? That is what you are. Did he not tell you? Wow, what a beautiful beginning to your relationship. If you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do. And if you expect me to keep your little secret, I suggest you don’t try to pull that superior bullshit on me in front of the employees.”

I said nothing. I turned and walked straight out, and just as I rounded the corner, I caught a glimpse of Mindy and Dale. I had to know; there was no way getting around it. Just as Viktor tried to tell me something, I ignored him and went straight for Mindy.

“Hey, Mindy, can I talk to you for a minute in the bathroom?” I smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“Sure, let me grab my bag. Is Shay sick or something?”

I shook my head.

Mindy was gorgeous; she didn’t have to work hard on her appearance at all. She was tall and skinny, but not sickly skinny, and she had long, straight dirty blonde hair. She could wear anything and it looked great on her. She and her boyfriend Dale spent hours in the gym and it showed. Dale kept his head shaved and was really big muscle-wise with loads of tattoos. He was easily about six feet.

I never understood people in relationships after Declan, but when I looked at them I remembered why it was so easy to get lost in someone else. They were like puzzle pieces that fit perfectly within each other. I watched as Dale handed Mindy her bag and she stole a quick kiss. As she turned to walk away, he gave her a playful pop on her behind and she turned to smile over her shoulder. I couldn’t help the smiling, but then I saw Viktor at the other end of the club. What was really going on here? There had to be more.

“What’s up? Is Jared bothering you again?” She was looking into the mirror as she applied more lip gloss to her lips.

“As always, I have a question and I’m not sure how you will take it.”

“We never choose the good ones, Sloane.”

“What?”

“You want to know how I pick them, right?” I shook my head. “Well, we can see their light. Meaning goodness, I guess. It shines like someone’s aura and we can use it as a way to determine how much of their life force they are willing to forfeit for one night, or for one act of indiscretion.”

“So, what happens if you get a good person?”

“Well, then we can probably go a month without having to seduce anyone again.”

“Dale does this too? How do you two tolerate knowing you were each with someone else?”

“Sloane, Dale and I have been around a long time and the fact that we have each other makes the penance easier. I’m not going to get into why I agreed to this, but we both had our reasons and we’ve found whatever ounce of happiness there is in this situation. And that’s what we hold onto. I won’t lie to you and say it doesn’t bother me that I have to share him with another woman. It bothers him just as bad, but it’s better than not doing it and spending an eternity in Hell alone. You do what you have to in order to survive.” Mindy adjusted her clothes and freshened her makeup in the mirror as she explained.

“I don’t know if I could ever allow something like that. Viktor and I are barely a couple and I can’t deal with anyone else staring at him for too long, more less think about him with someone else.”

“It’s the price we pay to be happy.”

“So, the people you choose are …”

“Already damned,” she said, finishing my sentence for me. “When did you find all this out in the first place? I mean, I knew Shay was one hundred percent human, but I’m figuring you had no idea about yourself, did you?”

“I still have no idea what the hell I am. I just found out that everything from the movies is true, obviously.”

Mindy pushed off the sink and walked over to me. She put her hands on both sides of my face and stared at me intensely as if she could see right through me.

“Just kidding, I can’t see anything.” She laughed hysterically and I chimed in too.

“You are such an ass.” I shoved her to the side and applied my own lip gloss.

“Sloane, regardless of what it is you are looking for, you need to know that everything happens for a reason. You can’t stop it from happening.” Mindy turned and walked out after patting me on my back.