Chapter. 38
Diana’s jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. Her heart raced. The way she suddenly looked up at the creature made him incline his head curiously. “Is there something more I could offer you?”
“…can you…” She shut her mouth and questioned herself. No. I can’t. If I ask and he says he can, I might say yes, and then I’ll agree to anything I…I can’t. Diana flinched as her chin was taken with his left hand.
“Speak your desire girl. Speak it or I will draw it from you. I have given you my word I will not harm you, but I will not release you until I have your oath as well.” He leaned down from his towering height and more of his teeth became visible in the inky darkness of his massive head. His jaws were so wide she didn’t doubt he couldn’t open them fully and swallow her whole head if he so wished.
“…magic…” The word slipped like a sweet betrayal to her conscious. “…I want to be a witch.” Her deepest wish shook her to the core. Diana had voiced to her mother many times how she worried about her inadequacies. The closer she got to her birthday the more convinced that her lack of magic was due to her being human. That the only thing that would happen on her 13th birthday was confirmation of this fact. She would finally be the disappointment everyone thought she was. Her mother was holding onto hope, as every mother would. Diana had loved her for that, but also knew the train crash was coming. “I want to be able to do magic like the other witches. I want to make my mother proud. I-”
“I can do what you ask.” His grin was devilish and he chuckled darkly. “It will require a specific ritual for me to grant you power, but I give you my word I will carry it out-”
“In time for my 13th birthday next month. S-so the coven doesn’t realise I’m human.” She nodded eagerly up at the creature. Diana knew she was making a deal with the devil here, but how could she possibly resist? She was a desperate hurting little girl. His smirk grew. He knew he had her.
“It shall be done. And now?” He nodded to her fist and the long braid hanging out of either side of it.
“I, Diana Mary-Ann Couper-” His eyes widened. “-give you my word that I will give you my hair to make a tether to bind your essence to mine. That I will not tell anyone, living, dead or spectral, anything about you whilst the spell that binds us is active.” She nodded and more tears fell down her cheeks. “I accept the terms of this deal.” She opened her palm symbolically. “I-I just realised I don’t know your name. I thought a fairy deal had to include the names of the ones making the deal?”
The beast stared at her. His grip on her wrist was tight and she grew wary at the scowl on his face.
“…Couper…” His sharp teeth ground together and he hissed with rage.
“…you can call me Diana.” Her voice was timid and subconsciously she leaned back from his hold on her wrist. Her fingers started to curve back over the hair braid which seemed to snap the creature out of his trance.
“You are misinformed. Names are not required. Only blood.” He took the braid from her in his left hand, smirked coolly down at her, and then swiftly turned to drag her towards the inner pit. “You have given me your word, and now it must be made binding in our life essence. What you are about to see you cannot tell anyone because of the nature of the oath you have sworn.”
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!? I GAVE YOU MY HAIR! I MADE THE PROMISE! D-DON’T TAKE ME DOWN THERE!” She tried to dig her dolly shoes into the dirt to stop her inevitable desent.
“But I must?” He cackled and yanked her to stand on the edge of the inner pit. “I must drink your blood, and you must drink mine. My blood is in my body. My body is trapped down there. So down into the pit you go Couper.”
Diana screamed as she was pushed hard in her chest. She flailed and cried as she fell through the darkness. The creature stood at the edge glaring down at her with such hate, it made Diana wonder if his word was to be trust at all.