Love's Predator (Love's Predator Trilogy Book 1) (22 page)

The feeling seemed to stay with Lindsey for only a few moments, and when she
came around, disappointment flushed the wonderful feeling away, followed by confusion. All her thoughts and memories came flooding back to her. The calm had passed completely. Now she was panicking

With her heart racing, Lindsey struggled out from under the covers and onto her feet. Stumbling, she fought her way to the door
but froze when something that sat on the bedside table caught her eye. It was the music box Lord Shade had given Lindsey in a dream.

Forgetting to be tender, Lindsey threw it open and the same melody trickled out, just like in the dream. But now Lindsey could see inside the box and it was empty apart from one trinket. Lindsey scooped it up in her fingers and twirled the glass locket in her hands. She then proceeded to snap it open; discovering that the brown object inside was a lock of hair.

Lindsey held the hair in her fingers and slowly held it up against her own. She took a staggered breath, realising it was a perfect match. It was her hair.

Angry and ready to demand answers, Lindsey left the music box and locket to continue her storm to the door. She threw it open, revealing the long, graceful hallway. “Lord Shade!” She yelled angrily. “Where are you hiding?”

Fury
had seized her suddenly and when it had its grip it only grew stronger. “I know you did something to me and I won’t be manipulated!”

Lindsey had enough
of being manipulated.

“Where are you?” She cried as she stalked down the hallway, pushing doors open as she went. But he was nowhere to be seen.

And then, from out of the rooms down the hall, Lindsey heard a muffled murmur. She hurried towards it, hiking the hem of her wedding dress up as she stomped towards the sound, which was coming from a door that was different to all the others.
This door showed a reflection of Lindsey. It seemed to mock her, showing her standing there still in the wedding dress.

Without warning, Lindsey barged into the room, expecting to find Lord Shade inside. However,
Lindsey discovered that she was wrong. No one was in the room. A lonely silver chair sat in the middle and on the wall it faced hung three long mirrors.

Feeling a little uneasy, Lindsey turned to leave, but then she heard a loud angry growl. She looked around the room, but she was sure no one was there. Dragged by her own curiosity, she wandered into the room and approached the three mirrors. As she approached them, she began to see them flash with colour and movement until they showed a complete picture. It was as if she were watching three different films at once on three different television sets. Only, the characters that were starring in them Lindsey knew
only too well.

One mirror showed her Alec and Carly. They were outside her house, standing on the lawn as they
argued angrily. Carly threw her hands in the air and suddenly her voice echoed out from the mirror.

“This is all your fault!” She cried. “You should ha
ve done as you were commanded.”

Lindsey rolled her eye
s and turned to the next mirror, yet no one appeared inside. All she could see was a swirling red mist, which blocked the view. And so, Lindsey turned her attention to the last mirror, where a ghostly face stared hauntingly back at her, his icy eyes flashing murderously. Lindsey jumped back, screaming in terror as the face seemed to enlarge on the mirror. But Kyle did not jump out the mirror to get her. Instead, he turned away; he couldn’t see her.

A hand grabbed her shoulder, squeezing her tightly and pulled her up onto the chair. Lindsey looked up, fear glinting in her eyes, but it soon dulled when she saw Lord Shade’s warm smile.

“They can’t hurt you,” he promised her softly.
“They are just images, images of what is happening now.”

Her eyes flickered to the red mirror.

“People don’t show up when they are here,” Lord Shade told her calmly.

Startled, Lindsey gazed into the mirror. She could not see her own reflection, but she knew exactly who the mirror was meant to show.

“How long have you been watching me?” She asked quietly.

Lord Shade’s eyes were stuck on her, examining her every move, registering
her every emotion. “For quite some time,” he replied honestly.

Lindsey closed her eyes and bit down on her lip. She couldn’t believe she was hearing this.
There was no way she could have ever predicted that not only was a deranged man stalking her, but an unearthly creature was watching her through a bewitched mirror.

Before Lindsey could question why he had a lock of her hair, a
noise attracted Lindsey’s attention back to the mirror, drawing her in to Kyle’s horror show. Lindsey’s eyes widened and a loud gasp tore from her lips.

“No!” She cried aloud.

“Lindsey, what is it that displeases you?” Lord Shade asked. He stepped forward and ran his fingers down the cool glass of the mirror. “Kyle wastes no time,” he said with a sigh. “Barely a day and he’s exacting his revenge, on you.”

Lindsey knew then she had lain on the bed longer than a few mere moments.

A tiny face appeared at a window. Her hair was messy and her cheeks bright red. “Mummy!” She beamed. “Someone is in our driveway!”

Lindsey’s blood was cold, her hands trembled and her body quaked with adrenaline.

“No!” She screamed again. “Stop it!”

Lord Shade did not watch the mirror, he watched Lindsey.

She spun her desperate gaze onto him, pleading with her wet eyes. “Please, let me go there and I will stop him!”

“You are free to go,” he said simply.

Lindsey jumped up from the chair and sprinted towards the door, but Lord Shade’s words stopped her dead.

“They will be dead by the time you get there,” he stated. “You need to find the door back.”

Lindsey stared at him, seeing no emotion on his face but a hint of empathy in his light frown. She came back to his side, taking his hands in hers.

“Please, which door will take me to them?” She questioned. “I need to stop him!”

Lord Shade held her hands gently and at last his eyes began to glimmer with sadness. “Lindsey,” he said to her softly. “I cannot tell you. I am sorry.”

“Why?” She cried angrily. She ripped her hands from him, throwing them aggressively to her side. “You can’t keep me here! You said I could leave when I wanted to!”

“And you are free to leave,” Lord Shade said, a small smirk breaking his frown.

Lindsey’s cheeks began to blaze.

“You,” she growled. “You know that it would be impossible for me to pick the right door!”

“It is not impossible,” Lord Shade told her calmly.

He took long, graceful strides over to the mirror once more and stared into it, watching with his back to Lindsey. “He is armed now,” he informed Lindsey. “The imbeciles have acquired guns. I wonder if they remembered their bullets.”

“You are no Angel!” Lindsey hissed hatefully. “An Angel would save them!”

Lord Shade looked over his shoulder to Lindsey, looking her up and down carefully. “Who said I could not save them?” He mused.

Lindsey froze, hope slowly dripped into her pale face. “You could?” She cried happily.

“Yes, Lindsey. I could,” he admitted. “I could go there now and stop him. But I could also make them all forget Nadine and Katie entirely. They would be invisible to them.”

“Please,” Lind
sey murmured. “Please save them.”

“I am not a hero, Lindsey. I want you to understand that now.
” Lord Shade said suddenly. “And you were right; I am not an Angel.”

“What are you?”
Lindsey whispered.

Lord Shade smiled crookedly.

“I am a demon, my dearest,” he hissed.

Chapter Twenty Eight

Lindsey lips quivered as she faced her demon. The mist that had seemed to glow around him had darkened now, leaving a deathly atmosphere that chilled Lindsey to her inner core. She looked again to the mirror, shocked to see Kyle was already at the door of the house. Nadine and Katie had taken refuge in her bedroom.

“One t
hing about demons, my dearest child, we like to make deals,” Lord Shade said in a low tone. “We thrive on them.”

Lindsey went to speak, but froze instead. Once again her trust was
shattered; again the hope she had built was ravished and destroyed. But Lindsey could not despair; she had a deal to make.

“You are a lot like Kyle,” she muttered. Her eyes flickered towards the madman on the mirror. He was banging angrily on the door.

“I am nothing like that idiot,” Lord Shade sneered. “I am giving you choices Lindsey.”

“They are very limited choices,” she retorted.

Lord Shade coolly swiped her remark away and turned to the mirror once more. “You want your friends spared; you want them to be safe. I will give you this, if you give me something I desire.”

“And what is that?” Lindsey asked. She was becoming desperate. The deal was tempting her, and she did not even know the price.

“I want your soul Lindsey,”
he whispered.

“M-my soul?” Lindsey stammered.

She could have never predicted such a price.

“Yes, I want your soul,” Lord Shade confirmed with his hand extended. “What I am about to do takes a lot of energy. It needs to be worth my while.”

“What will happened to me if I-”

“You don’t have time for questions,” Lord Shade interrupted loudly. “And it will be a higher price if I must bring back the dead.”

Lindsey looked down at her hand, knowing if she made this deal, it was with the Devil himself. Kyle had only been a pawn in his game.

“Time is running out,” Lord Shade said as Kyle stormed through the house.

Lindsey felt light headed, but she fought on.

“You
charge more than Kyle,” she murmured.

“I am wiser,
dear child,” he smirked. “Kyle was merely a puppet to me. He delivered you to me, Lindsey. And he made you vulnerable enough to agree to follow me. Only the weak seek help from a demon.”

Lindsey avoided his gaze; she knew Lord Shade was triumphant. She was going to accept his deal and damn herself into his arms. They both knew she would accept; she had to.

“It is a deal,” Lindsey said in a whisper.

Lord Shade stepped towards her, his hand extended. “It is customary to shake on a deal,” he grinned widely.

Lindsey stepped forward and looked him dead in the eye. Their hands connected, forming a strong bond, a promise.

“And the deal must also be sealed with a kiss,” Lord Shade then said.

His eyes glistened.

Screams from Nadine and Katie echoed around them.

Lindsey looked around desperately and in that instant she made her ultimate decision and she allowed Lord Shade to claim her lips with his. This kiss felt far more than a way to seal a deal to Lindsey. For this kiss was passionate and sent unfaltering warmth around her body. It was a moment of ecstasy.