Chrysalis Read online

  "Chrysalis, my name is Chrysalis."

  Again, the smile. He must have practiced it for hours to show just the right amount of fang.

  "Alright, Chrysalis, what do you want? I guarantee it had best be good or me and my friends might decide we are hungry."

  The crowd tittered.

  "I want to show you something."

  With that statement, she withdrew the athame and plunged it into her breast. She had decided to believe the demon; to denounce him would be to denounce everything she believed.

  Scarlet blood, fresh from her heart, gushed from the wound. The pain was more than she expected, but not more than she could bear. After giving the knife a twist, she withdrew it from her chest. With every beat of her heart, more blood issued from the wound. She knew she only had a minute-or-so before she would know if her faith was true.

  In that minute, she saw Custus’ inner circle gasp, scream, and stare with fascination. Several dropped their glasses of red wine, adding their stains to the one growing on the white carpet at her feet.

  She fell to her knees as the room began to swirl around her. Her faith faltered for a moment. However, the next beat of her heart seemed stronger, and the next stronger after that. Her breathing lost its whistling quality. After a minute, she looked at the wound: it was closing. She was immortal.

  "I want to join your pathetic band of prancing peacocks. I want to join the vampires."

  Custus stood silent as the last bit of blood rolled down her dress and dripped onto the carpet. Without another word, he kneeled before her and kissed her hand. “Welcome, Mistress Chrysalis."

  She snatched back her hand. “Don't call me that!"

  He looked genuinely frightened at the reprimand. “As you wish, Chrysalis, as you wish."

  "I'm sorry. It's just ... that title is reserved for someone else."

  When she looked up, everyone in the room was on their knees.

  The rest of the evening was a dream. As the story spread, the vampires fought to touch her blood-soaked dress and suck the red liquid off their fingers. She had arrived.

  However, she did not forget her other obligations. Over everyone's objection, she left with plenty of time to be safe in her bed one hour before dawn.

  Her new life was everything she hoped it would be. She even got to quit her crappy job at the secondhand Gothic clothing shop. It was very easy to get her new acolytes to give a “love offering” for a few minutes of her time and a chance to suck on one of her cut fingers. Her disappearances before dawn added to her mystery.

  She came to think of “her” demon (she had summoned him after all) as a friend and the best thing that even happened to her. Her charmed demonic life continued for over a year.

  * * * *

  "No, I have to go,” she protested.

  "I must share this night with you."

  "No, Custus, not tonight. It's late. Don't you have a coffin to climb into?"

  "Not tonight, it's All Hallow's Eve. I plan to walk the earth until dawn. Join me, Chrysalis."

  This exchange had made her very late. Running from the Samhain Ball, she looked like a Gothic Cinderella. Pounding up her stairs, she fumbled with her keys, opened the door, and threw herself on the bed, black tulle ball gown and all.

  "Good morning, Chrysalis.” The voice was smooth and cultured, not the rough hissing she was used to hearing.

  She turned and looked at the wall. Instead of the usual shadow, there was a man standing there. She opened her mouth to scream, and he waved his hand. Terror poured through her as her throat tightened.

  "Now, that's no way to greet an old friend. Promise me you'll keep a civil tongue in your head ... or I will snap it off."

  She nodded and he twitched his hand again. Chrysalis gulped air into her lungs and rubbed the burning place on her neck.

  "Who are you?"

  "Think of me as the lien holder on that note you signed with my assistant."

  "I don't get it."

  "I'm not surprised. Fate so often wastes life on the stupid. Listen up, young lady, I don't have all night. I am Death."

  "But I already know the Demon of Death; he's a shadow on my wall."

  "No, you know one of my assistants. I avoid fieldwork. I have minions to do that sort of thing. You may have heard of them, their name is Legion."

  Chrysalis stared at him.

  "I didn't expect you to get it. Fate also wastes life on the dense. Here's the deal; you accidentally bumbled your way into a wish potion that opened the door into the underworld. You wished for death and I sent you an escort. That poor dullard creature believed that you were such a powerful witch that you'd banish him if he didn't make a bargain with you. By the way, brandishing those two peeled nettles was a nice touch; you impressed me with that bit of quick thinking.

  "As a result, I decided to let you have your stolen life. I thought someone as intelligent as you might make something of yourself with your second chance. Instead, you've whored yourself out to a bunch of fake vampires who now live to worship at your feet. You produce nothing. You think nothing. You are nothing. I am very disappointed, so I'm here to collect on that agreement."

  "But I made the deal with my demon. He said that as long as I was in my spirit ring, I was safe."

  "No, he said that as long as you remained in your precious spirit ring, he wouldn't take you. Well, the matter has been kicked downstairs to management. I've reassigned your demon; you deal with me now."

  "No!” She began to cry in real fear.

  "Stop blubbering and face your destiny. I also need to tell you that this last year has been a loan, and there's interest due. When you make deals with Death, there's Hell to pay."

  About the Author

  Terri Lynn Coop

  Terri Lynn Coop is a small town criminal defense attorney who writes stories to escape the horror of what she sees in real life.

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