Chapter One Hundred Four

I couldn’t stop staring into Desmond’s entrancing eyes. They were sparkling like the finest gold. That golden glow had evoked lust, love, and passion in me many times. Now, I found something new there. I saw sacrifice and an undying devotion to me.

My heart was fluttering for Desmond. I saw a glimpse in him of the first man, my dad, who had promised to protect me and my family. It was strange to find all that in a demon. I wished things to be different. If I had never found out his secret, I would have grabbed him by his hair and dug my fingers into his sharp jaw while sucking hard on his lips and tongue.

I imagined doing that and more to Desmond vividly. He must have heard my passionate thoughts and how his efforts were pushing through the walls I had put up to protect my heart.

“I love you, Cass. I want you to remember that each time you’re in trouble and wondering whether anyone cares. The entire world can turn their backs on you, but I will always come to your rescue no matter how badly you are trapped somewhere,” Desmond spoke. His eyes twinkled with affection and protective love.

My logical mind wanted to rebuff Desmond and remind him of all the lies he had ever told me. However, I realized I was no longer in control. My brain had fallen weak before the matters of the heart.

Desmond touched my hand and gave me a reassuring smile. Automatically, my face moved closer to his. We both leaned in for the kiss that should have happened days ago. We had become puppets to a forbidden yet ardent love.

Our lips had barely touched when someone pushed through the door and walked inside, ruining our moment.

I opened my eyes to find that Desmond had vanished and the person who had entered the room was Jane Astor.

“Get away from me,” I said, taking a step back and threatening her with a finger. “If you dare to step forward, I will hurt you.” I glanced at the door, expecting Benedict Astor to appear there any moment.

Jane Astor joined her hands together in a begging position and lowered her knees onto the floor. “I am not here to hurt or threaten you.” She let out a miserable wail and continued to cry.

“What are you crying for? I am surprised your dead conscience can even produce tears. They must be happy tears for framing my brother,” I cried. “I never truly believed in pure evil until I got to know you two. What do you gain from hurting others who haven't done anything to you? I have been dying to ask you this question for so long. Can you give our grieving hearts some peace by providing us with an explanation? My innocent father didn’t deserve to die without a reason.”

“You are right. My brother was a good person who deserved to live, yet he still became the victim of sinister magic.” Jane’s response startled me.

“You are admitting to your crime? My father didn’t pass from cardiac arrest. You killed him,” I exclaimed. Jane began crying even louder than before. I watched her weep for a few minutes in dumbfounded silence. What was the meaning of her tears? Had she realized her mistake and grown sick of evil? Or was it all an act to get inside my head?

“What the hell are you talking about? People don’t return from the grave. Your guilt is meaningless. You can try to repent for your sins, but I will never forgive you for what you did. I want to watch your soul suffer in hell just like you made my father suffer in this world.” I yelled at her.

“Sh!” Jane begged me again with trembling hands. “Lower your volume. He might hear us.”

“Who? Your god, Satan, or his minions that are under your command? Who are you so afraid of?”

“My husband, Benedict Astor,” Jane replied. “You’re right about one thing. No matter how much I ask for forgiveness, I will forever have to live with the guilt that I had to watch my brother die in silence, and I am still living with the man who murdered him.”

“Cut the crap! I know you were equally involved. You are his sister. Why would Benedict Astor have a problem with my dad if you had nothing to do with it?” I challenged her lies.

“How can you be so sure of my involvement, Cassidy? It all started way before you were born. I can see that your parents only decided to give you half the truth,” said Jane Astor.

“What is your truth, then?” I was not buying any of her crap.

“It’s a long story. I don’t have time to tell you everything. The police shall be here soon to arrest your brother.”

“Leave the worrying to me. My brother shall have justice,” I spoke confidently, having complete faith in Desmond. “I am all ears. Tell me what you have to say.”

“Okay.” Jane stood back on her feet, wiping her tears. “It’s time you learn the entire truth. First, let me make sure no one interrupts us while we talk.”

Jane hurried to bolt the door without my permission. I would have never allowed her to do that if Desmond wasn’t around. He must be listening to all that in his incorporeal form.

After locking the door, Jane returned to me. Her expression was distraught, and her eyes didn’t carry a hint of evil. Benedict Astor’s stare gave me the chills from the first moment I saw him, but my aunt lacked an intimidating or malicious outer appearance. I would have never suspected her of committing a single crime if my mother hadn’t warned us about her.

“It all started when I was eighteen. My parents were old-fashioned, religious, and sexist. Their boy was precious and a gift from God, and I was a burden to them. The unfair treatment led me into the arms of young boys. I sought validation from men because they were the only ones who made me feel important and beautiful.”

“You are only giving me a reason to make you hate my father,” I interrupted. “It wasn’t his fault that your parents didn’t know how to treat their children fairly. That’s a childish reason to allow your husband to kill your brother.”

“Have patience. Let me finish talking before making a judgment,” Jane requested with gloomy eyes.

“Proceed.” I nodded.

“During the time I was a troubled teenager who only found comfort in young men, I met my husband, Benedict Astor,” Jane continued. “I still remember that day. He was a few years older than me, so charming and rich, and said all the things my young and naïve self wanted to hear. It didn’t take him long to trap me in his sweet words. He turned me against my family and brought me to Voocrod. We married secretly against my parents’ will and began to live here.” Jane paused to shed a few more tears. “My brother John found us and started a huge fight with my husband. He beat Benedict up so badly that he was hospitalized for three days. I feared he would call the police on my brother, but he didn’t because he had other plans.”

“What plans?”

“When Benedict returned from the hospital, his behavior toward me completely changed. He became cold and abusive. I tried to make things better, but they only got worse with time. Sick of his behavior, I attempted to run away and got caught. That’s the day I found out about his dirty secrets. He and his parents were generational Satanists who followed and practiced the occult,” Jane answered in a broken voice.

“Why didn’t you try to run away or seek help from the law or your family again?” I asked. Her emotions appeared genuine, but I still had my doubts about her.

“Because they made me a slave in their homes. I was kept locked in a cage until I gave birth to our first child.”

“The child that we met at the door?”

“No.” Jane shook her head. “That was a demon. They took away our actual child the moment he was born. Benedict is using him to keep my mouth shut to this day. I am trapped, Cassidy. I am powerless before that monster. My child means the world to me, and I have no means of escape.” Tears streamed endlessly from Jane’s eyes as she talked about her child.