Chapter 5 Chapter 5
“I can’t help you,” he said, pointing at the door. “Leave! You’re tainting this holy place with your sin. Leave before he comes here!”
Tears burned in Valerie’s eyes as she walked backward, not believing he could just send her away when she desperately needed help. Her chest hurt, desperation clouding her mind as she turned around and fled from the church, the tiny flame of hope within her heart snuffed out. Now she felt truly alone; her life was as good as over because of an accident that was never meant to happen.
“Why me? Why did this happen?” she cried, rubbing her eyes, but the tears kept coming.
There was only one more thing she could do now; it was the only solution she could think of if she wasn’t welcome in the church. She could ask Hope’s grandmother for help. Maybe she was aware of the supernatural world and knew of a solution.
Ringing the doorbell of Kim Ashton, Hope’s grandma, Valerie was jittering in panic, dreading the outcome of this visit. Soon, the door of the tiny house opened, and Ashton appeared, her hair a little grayer than Valerie remembered. The corners of her eyes crinkled when she saw the young woman, welcoming her with open arms.
“Valerie! It’s been a while since I last saw you. You have grown. Why don’t you come in? I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”
Valerie sat down at the kitchen table opposite Ashton, who prepared a cup of tea for her guest before she also took a seat. Folding her hands on the table, she studied Valerie curiously. “Why are you here? Your aura seems troubled.”
Unsettled by the strange comment, Valerie forced herself to concentrate and told her the whole story, starting with the Ouija board and ending with the demon's appearance. Ashton’s eyes turned darker the more she heard until a frown decorated her aged face.
“My own granddaughter dragged you into this,” she said, pursing her lips. “I should never taught her how to draw a summoning circle, but I hoped she would become a good witch one day. However, this proves I can’t teach her anymore.”
So Ashton indeed had been a witch all along… After Maxwell’s appearance, Valerie doubted anything could still shock her.
“Will you show me the crest?”
Valerie pulled her sleeve back to uncover the cursed star on her wrist. Ashton frowned in concern, prompting Valerie’s unease to rise. The young woman gritted her teeth, not liking this reaction at all.
“This is… bad. Of all demons, why did Hope have to pick Maxwell? Silly girl.”
“Y-You know him?” Valerie managed to say, leaning forward, eager to find out more about him.
“Yes, I do. He despises humans; you must be careful around him.”
“B-But how do you know him?”
“I’m human just like you, but I’m also a witch,” she revealed with a sad smile. “I once knew a witch who formed a bond with a demon. It happened many years ago when I was your age. Her name was Delilah, and she fell in love with a demon called Seth. He truly cared for Delilah and did all he could to make her happy. Ultimately, he agreed to share a bond with her, binding his life to hers to prolong her life. They wanted to spend eternity together, but it wasn’t meant to be. Only weeks after they created the bond, another demon heard of it, killing Delilah in cold blood to get Seth out of the way. They both died together, connected until the very end. It was tragic.” Ashton sighed, casting her eyes down.
Valerie found it hard to believe a demon could love, but the sadness and the regret in Ashton’s eyes were real. She spoke the truth. “When Seth was still alive, he told Delilah and me about other equally powerful demons, and that’s how I heard about Maxwell. He’s known to be ruthless towards humans, and Seth often told me that he mocked him for his relationship with a human.”
“The irony…” Valerie mumbled, massaging her aching temples. This whole thing kept getting worse the more she heard about it.
“This is why you must be aware of certain things, Valerie. You want to break the bond, but I have never heard of a way to do it. I’m so sorry I can’t do anything for you,” Ashton sighed bitterly, unable to look Valerie in the eyes. “I can only pass on what I know from Seth and Delilah. Sooner or later, you will become a target for demons and demon hunters who want to get rid of Maxwell. You have to be very careful from now on, and I suggest you don’t stray too far from him. You don’t like him, and I understand why, but right now, he’s the only one willing to keep you alive, even if it’s for his own sake.”
“This is terrible,” Valerie said, a sob threatening to leave her as she fought to keep her composure. “I don’t want to end up dead because of some demon! I… I just want to live.”
“Please don’t cry,” Ashton whispered, her eyes tired and sad, filled with deep sorrow. “I know it’s not much of a consolation, but he will make sure you won’t die. You need to work together with him, okay?”
“That’s easy for you to say. He keeps insulting me and never stops reminding me that he will kill me as soon as possible,” she said in a whisper, her voice strained from the fear she felt deep inside. “There has to be a way to break the bond, Ashton! And if you don’t know about it, maybe someone else does.”
“Listen to me,” the old woman said, and the look on her wrinkled face changed from one second to the next. “You must never tell anyone about your bond, do you understand? You will be in grave danger if the wrong person hears about it. Keep it secret, no matter what.”
Valerie hid her face behind her hands, inhaling and exhaling to calm herself, but it didn’t work. She was distraught, desperate, and so many other things all at once. A heavy storm raged in her heart when thinking of her future—it had never looked bleaker.
“There’s something else you need to know. Since your soul is now connected to a supernatural being, you will experience certain side effects in the future. I don’t know what exactly will happen, but his power might affect you somehow. The bond will strengthen over time, and when it does, you will not only feel each other’s physical but also emotional pain.”
“Great,” Valerie spat, curling her hands into fists. “This is getting better and better.”
“I’m so sorry I can’t help you more, Valerie. If you have any questions, you can always come to me, and I will do my best to answer them.”
“Thank you, Ashton.”