The Soul Quest ( #YourStoryIndia #Wattys2016)

Chapter 20 (Kelly's POV)

"Welcome home Alison." The Devil said.

I felt a stab of fear but controlled it.

"I am Kelly not Alison." I told him in a voice of forced calm. "But yes I have brought Alison too. I have come to make a deal with you."

"A deal with the Devil? My my! Haven't you got enough stories down in your world about how horribly they end ?" He smirked arrogantly at me.

"Yes, but I have seen you through Alison's memories and I know that you are an honourable man. A man of your word. So I know that you will hold to your end." I replied trying to feed his vanity.

"Flattery?" He laughed seeing through my words. "Alright I am listening. What have you got to offer?"

"I will give you Alison's soul with a promise that she will serve you forever only if you promise to join her soul with her body so that we can separate from each other and I can return to Earth safely with no Soulless bothering my friends and me again." I stated confidently.

Darius appeared shocked for a second. It was hard to think of him as the Devil when he looked so normal.

"I have to say I did not expect that." He said in a surprised tone. "I would have expected you to fight for Alison. That would have been more consistent with your character."

"There are two sides to everyone." I smirked. "No one knows that better than you."

"I will ponder on your offer. Until then you have to be confined in the Soul Vault." He ordered.

"The Soul Vault?" I let the fear I had been keeping a rein on show on my face. "I have seen that place. Please don't send me there! I came here willingly to make a deal with you. This isn't how you should treat guests." I screamed.

Facing the torture of that place had NOT been a part of my plan. I was downright terrified now.

"I know that but once you go there and see the might of my power you will forget any ulterior motives you have for making this deal." He replied staring intensely at me.

I met his stare defiantly trying not to let my thoughts show in my eyes. Apparently that didn't convince him because he ordered his minions to lock me up. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I was dragged all the way to the Vault. It was impossible to keep track of the path because everything looked exactly the same. Reaching the Vault, they unlocked the door and threw me in.

Heat and fire engulfed my soul and I screamed out loud. Immediately I felt Alison taking control. She recalled the centuries of torture she had faced and the tolerance she had built to manage the pain. Taking deep breaths, I concentrated on that feeling until the pain was reduced to an itch at the back of my mind.

"So what do we do now?" I asked her. "This wasn't a part of the plan. Torture."

"We can handle the torture. We have faced this before. This isn't a problem. But time is our enemy here. We need to act fast before Darius figures out a way to cheat you or before he decides to imprison you here forever." She replied logically.

"I can't get stuck here forever. I promised Jared I would come back. I have to go back somehow." I panicked.

"Miss Lancaster. Miss Rowland." A scratchy hoarse voice called out.

I whipped around and found Argus chained to the wall. He looked awful with cuts and bruises covering every part of his body. Blood, fresh and dried, stained his ragged clothes.

"Argus! What happened to you?" I was horrified by how he looked.

"He found me after I let you escape Miss Lancaster. He has kept me here ever since and tortured me trying to find out where you went. But I promise you I did not reveal your secret Miss." He said smiling proudly.