Slaved to a Devil [lesbian] novel Chapter 26

Lauren

“My, my, Elizabeth,” the screeching old woman's voice rings, invading my somehow asleep body. “You don’t seem to be able to do anything right.”

I could hardly sleep or even keep still for a minute ago, shuffling around on my bed for hours as I replayed the events that happened when I did that to Elise. She looked broken and betrayed. She probably doesn’t want anything to do with me, hell she didn’t even look at me or let me see the tears rolling down her face.

“I told you just to let the girl go but instead you’ve just selfishly hurt her… ” she taunts in a condescending tone. “Again.”

Maybe it is better this way, she’s too angry to even be in the same room as me so there's no way that I would ever be able to hurt her.

But I don’t want to give her up. I don’t want to be alone. But maybe it's better that I am, she’ll find someone who can actually give her everything without constant paranoia plaguing the relationship.

“Why do you all of a sudden care what I do and to whoever I do it to?” I ask, suddenly angry at the thought of her with someone else, but also guilt for what I’ve done to her since we’ve met. “Your infatuation with my life since she’s entered is disgusting, just leave her and I alone.”

“I won’t!” she suddenly yells, her voice echoing through my head. “She will be the death of me!”

A prolonged deafening silence followed her declaration.

It all suddenly made sense. The old woman foresaw my freedom, when she gave me that message weeks ago. Her words have been plaguing my mind since then but I’ve always been too confused to decipher it. Until now.

What you desire most will reject you, will not bow to you and will only anger you, but above all may even free you.

She had always been talking about Elise when she said what I desired most rejecting and angering me. Hell Elise has never bowed to me, not even to my other uncontrolled half. And now I see how she can free me, she can rid my step mother from my life forever.

“Don’t get too excited Elizabeth,” she finally says, interrupting the silence. “She’s going to kill you too.”

The silence grew between us for a moment as her foretelling swirled around me.

She can kill me. She can end the suffering that not even I could end.

“Take this as a warning Elizabeth,” her voice dropped into a snarl. “If you don’t get rid of the girl, then I will do it myself.”

A fire of possessiveness stirs within me.

‘She won't lay a hand on Elise. EVER.’ Something within me growls.

“You have your ultimatum. Do what's right Elizabeth.”

+++

I wake in darkness. The other side of the bed feeling absent and cold. Elise hasn’t returned, not that I expected her to.

I wonder if telling her she will be the one to kill me in the future, will sway her to forgive me. Probably not.

Sighing, I pull back my blankets and walk towards my office, thinking that's the place that she’d be, only to find the room as empty and cold as the designated spot in my bed. Completely unoccupied by the young woman that makes me feel and do everything differently.

I search every room, calling for Elise occasionally but only getting a deafening silence as a reply. Where could she be?

Then it hit me. The last place that I’d ever think she’d go to hide.

I descend to the first floor and open the secret passageway to the underground cells, finding the hallway lights on and leading to the door of the nearest cell hanging open by its hinges.

I stand frozen outside of the doorway, fearing seeing Elise broken again. The feeling of guilt and anguish is rightly placed, I have caused Elise to cry too many tears. I’m really going to need to pull something amazing out from my demented body or else I’ll never get Elise back.

Slowly I step into the room, finding Elise cradling herself on the rickety old steel post bed. Seemingly asleep.

“Elise?” I whisper nearly inaudible as I approach her, fearing that even the slightest fright may break through her fragile frame. “Elise, I just want to talk.”

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I hover my hand over her body.

Would she be mad if I touched her? After what happened earlier tonight, I surely don't deserve the right to.

“I don’t want to talk,” she croaks, keeping her face hidden from my view.

“That’s understandable.”

I’ve done this. I’ve made her feel like she was worthless to me. Nothing but a slave that didn’t want to be anywhere near me. Maybe I should just let her go home.

“I’m sorry,” I choke out, laying my hand on her thigh.

She flinches away from my touch immediately, making me feel worse than I already do.

Maybe my step mother was right, I just harm everyone, even if it’s unintentional.

She should just go home. She deserves better than what I’ve given her.

“Well don’t, you don't know what I’m thinking.”

There was a moment of silence between us as I tried to decipher what she’s asking or what she wants. I thought she wanted to go home. Get away from me, hell I would too in her position.

“Then what do you want…”

“I want to stay, damn it.”

My heart skips a beat as the words leave her lips.

“Then stay,” I whisper, trying to talk through my suddenly clogged throat.

“Fine I will,” she yells, crossing her arms like a tantruming child. “But only if you actually talk to me, none of this avoidance bullshit. Also no more trying to protect me by leaving me, it's hurting me too much.”

I feel my head immediately nod to her request.

“Good,” she sighs, watching me stand frozen in the doorway of her cell for a few more minutes before turning on her side and resuming the cradling position she had when I first entered.

I find myself smiling at her childishness, relieved that this young woman wants to stay, although my brain still nags at my step mother’s threat from earlier.

She’ll never put her hands on her, I’ll die before that happens.

I move to sit next to Elise, still not touching her.

“I’m still mad at you,” she mutters begrudgingly while still facing the wall.

An uncontrolled chuckle escapes me as the feelings of appreciation for the girl in front of me spreads.

“That’s alright,” I whisper softly, moving off of the bed to sit on the floor next to the bed. “I’ll promise to make it up to you, however you want me to.”

This girl is definitely different and most certainly worth every bit of struggle that I will have to go through in order to please her again.

“Careful what you wish for,” she said as I settled into the cold hard cement floor and wall.

This girl is my freedom already, I don’t need to die in order to recognise it.