Satan's Vessel

5.

Kaitlyn staggered back as a fire suddenly leapt before her eyes. It crackled in the huge, marble fireplace, so bright she had to turn away.

She didn't wait, rushing through the room, flying past the chair and the four-poster bed she knew too well. The door was open and the hallway beyond empty. If she kept running, maybe he wouldn't be able to catch her. Maybe, then, she wouldn't betray herself, and Jacob—and humanity.

The door slammed shut and Kaitlyn stopped with a gasp.

'You really think you can get away from me so easily?' echoed Satan's voice around the room. 'Where are you going to go? Who is going to help you? This is my domain.'

Kaitlyn turned back towards the fireplace. He was standing before it, looking into the flames, bare from the waist up. The inverted pentagram was clear to see, covering most of his broad back. Unlike his other "tattoos", it was scorched into his skin. She'd touched it enough to know. Even now, she could feel its rough scarring beneath her fingertips. The flickering firelight sketched out the powerful muscles in his shoulders. Kaitlyn stared.

'I'm not like your protectors. I can change things.' Raising his hand, he clenched his fist and the flames turned orange, yellow, then green, then blue. 'I can make things.' He opened his hand and the flames turned back to normal. 'And I can destroy things just as easily.' He lowered his arm and the flames snuffed out. He turned to look at her, and his eyes drew Kaitlyn's gaze like a magnet. 'What can they do?'

'They were supposed to protect me,' she blurted before she could stop herself. She clapped a hand to her mouth. The rage and hurt rose to the surface like a hungry shark.

'They. They. You haven't yet told me who they are.' His eyes flashed. After days of not seeing him, he was more striking than ever. He looked so warm. So strong. So utterly handsome. Kaitlyn's chest ached. Even the sound of his voice made her quiver.

He cocked his glorious head as he studied her. 'But that can wait.' He smiled as his eyes raked over her. 'I like what you're wearing.'

She looked down at herself, then back up at him. She wrapped her arms around her chest. Her nipples had hardened within his presence and they were rubbing uncomfortably against her bra.

'You always say that,' she said.

'Because it's true. I'm drawn to you.' He smiled and Kaitlyn felt something inside her sag. 'You could wear a sack for all I care.' His eyes glittered. 'Or nothing at all.'

Don't be so weak!

One word from him and Kaitlyn would rip everything off. And he knew it. He knew it! She closed her eyes and took a breath as she tried to keep control of herself. 'My-my parents ... you were lying, right? You were just angry. They're not really here.'

'Ah ... yes. I almost forgot about that.'

Kaitlyn opened her eyes. His head was still cocked as he smiled at her. And it was a cruel smile in its playfulness. Kaitlyn fisted her hands at her sides as she tried to be angry. Tried being the critical word. 'You forgot about it? I ha-haven't. It ... it hurt.' To her dismay tears filled her eyes.

Stop it. Stop it! Don't let him control you. Don't let him manipulate you. Be angry. Be strong! Don't let him ...

She dropped her head as the tears flowed free. She choked on her words, 'Why did you have to be so cruel? I thought you ... I thought you cared about me.' She hiccoughed, then wiped at her eyes as she started to sob like a little girl.

Goddamnit, how she despised herself right now. She felt like the weakest woman in the world, pathetic and quivering. What would her mother think if she were watching? What about Jacob and the others?