chapter four
VERA BLACKWOOD WAS A PROFESSIONAL WHEN IT CAME TO MAKING DEALS. Since she was turned into a Demon, it's all she had ever done. The blonde can safely say that she was the best out of all the deal-making Demons in hell, because she was responsible for recruiting almost half of the Church of Satan's population. To be honest, she was always the best in anything, resulting to most of her Hell buddies despising her and wanting her dead. But she couldn't really die. It was part of her deal with Satan – that she would only be resurrected back to her current body no matter what happened. Vera didn't find immortality amusing nor did she find it fun to die for a few times now, because of envious lower Demons. When she was killed, it still hurt like a bitch.
The Demons' hatred for her became her reason why she didn't trust any of them. Heck, she didn't even trust her boss. But maybe Azazel was an exception. Azazel had helped the blonde when she first started as a soul contractor. He was one of Satan's closest Fallen, and he acted as her guide. To be honest, Vera owed him a lot. She had also showed him another side of her before – her vulnerable side – a long time ago. But she guessed that Azazel still hadn't forgotten about her outburst. Immortality was a lonely existence and there were times were she wondered if it was all worth it. Azazel had always been there for her through everything even if all she ever did was fuck with him and his mind. But she didn't feel bad about it. Or maybe a small part of her did. After all, she was once human, a young girl with a kind and innocent soul. But that was a long time ago. Everything was different now.
"Ms. Blackwood?" A timid voice called out her attention, sending her back to the present. Vera blinked a few times as she straightened her back, her pink lips curling up into a smile. She glanced at her newest client: a young woman named Cynthia Walker. Cynthia was a victim of an abusive relationship and it was evident in the cuts and bruises on her small, round face. The blonde could see the dullness of the woman's once vibrant blue eyes, the paleness of her scarred skin and the brittleness of her barely brushed dark hair. Something pinched Vera's heart as she assessed Cynthia's tiny frame. A small part of her didn't want to make a deal with her because when the woman dies, she'll only suffer even more in her own personal hell. But her Demonic side pushed her to seal the deal so she could bargain with her boss about her latest situation. She was heartless, after all. Well, at least according to other Demons. Maybe it was the jealousy that fueled them to call her "the worst of them all". Or maybe they were right.
Vera squeezed her eyes close for a moment before she released a deep breath. She caught Cynthia eyeing her expensive tight-fitting violet dress that hugged her figure really well. The blonde felt something swell inside her as she took in the woman's baggy clothes and worn out shoes. The blonde blamed the Anti-Christ for the messiness of her emotions. Since their last meeting, Vera had been feeling different and it was starting to affect her job.
"What is it that you seek, Ms. Walker?" The blonde asked in her usual firm and sultry tone as she leaned back slightly in the couch. Cynthia's blue eyes darted towards her, lips trembling.
"A-A life away from my boyfriend, where he'll never find and hurt me again."
Lips dropping slightly, Vera inched forward, "You mean you want him dead?"
Cynthia's eyes widened as her face contorted to what looked like horror as she jerked back in her seat, "No! Of course not! I just want to make sure that he won't find me again."
The blonde frowned, "But he hurts you. He caused all this scars in your body. He deserves to die and you know it,"
The Walker girl's eyes watered as she shook her head, "Oscar was nice to me, you know. At least a long time ago. He doesn't deserve to die."
Biting her lip in frustration, Vera was taken aback. Cynthia had a pure, lily-white soul. It had been a long time since she met someone with the same kind of soul and it felt invigorating after all the rotten souls she had encountered lately. Most humans would want the people hurting them to die in most painful way possible. But not Cynthia. Her pure soul didn't belong in Hell – to be tormented in a never-ending loop. A long time ago, Vera wished that someone had helped her so she wouldn't have made that deal to get back at her killers – the deal that cursed her and her soul. She had been naïve and angry at that time and all she wanted for the people that destroyed her life was to pay. The blonde couldn't let Cynthia suffer the same fate just because the woman wanted a life away from pain and suffering. Yes, a deal will give her a terrific price but when she finally dies, she'll suffer the consequences.
So against her better judgment, Vera wiped Cynthia's memory about the meeting with her. Then she went to Oscar's crappy apartment, vowing to teach him a lesson. Let's just say that after what she did to him, he'll never show his disfigured face to anyone ever again. Cynthia will get the apartment and the money from Vera (that she disguised as an insurance of some sorts and payment for damages) so she could start a new life.
After successful carrying out the tasks, Vera questioned herself as she drove all the way back to her penthouse. She wasn't the helpful or good Samaritan type of person. Hell, she was a nasty Demon with a penchant for manipulating and hurting unsuspecting people. In her immortal life, she couldn't count how much humans had gone insane or committed suicide because of her. But somehow, the human side of her knew that using her abilities for good even just this once was worth it.
Once she got home, Vera found herself communicating with Satan once again, talking to the cup of boiling goat blood as she sat in the middle of a pentagram and circle of lit candles. The blonde hated surrendering, but she had to face to consequences of letting a soul go, especially something as innocent as the Walker girl's. The pure souls were the Devil's favorite, one of the reasons why he agreed to help her before in the first place.
Vera's brown eyes glowed as she listened to Satan speak to her, his presence empowering her. Every fiber of her being wanted to protest, but it's far too late now. She needed to do what he demanded.
"Yes, my Lord," The blonde obediently agreed as she listed down the instructions in her brain, "I will carry out your demands."
The snakes swirled out of the cup and crawled on the ground, signaling the end of her conversation with her boss. She willed herself not to huff as she stood up from the bloody floor and headed towards her walk-in closet. Vera picked out a long Chanel black dress and her most comfortable pair of Louboutin silver high heels. Honestly, the dress was her most flattering one yet, even though it didn't show much of her skin like most of her clothes. But it did highlight all of her curves perfectly and the mischievous part of her couldn't wait to see Michael's reaction. However, the part of her that dominated was the one that churned with disgust, especially to the thought of being his bitch.
Vera tried her best to get the anger out of her system, but she doubted if it worked as she stepped out of her black Audi R8. She could still feel the white-hot rage in her system as her heels clicked against the front porch of Madeline's two-storey house. Letting out a breath, she knocked patiently, waiting for Madeline to open it for her. Her enhanced sense of hearing picked up the sounds of walking inside, before the lock clicked and the door opened. The older woman looked at her in confusion as her lips curled up into a friendly smile (which was fake of course).
"I'm here for our Savior," The blonde almost cringed at the title she used, but managed to keep up her sweet and innocent façade, "Can I talk to him?"
"I'm sorry, Vera, but I'm not sure," Madeline frowned, "Michael's in the shower and after that he's going to bed. He's pretty tired."
The urge to mind control the woman in front of her was growing as the seconds passed. But before she could do anything, a familiar voice spoke from inside the house.
"It's okay, Madeline," Michael appeared in Vera's line of sight as the older woman opened the door even wider. "Let her in."
The drops of water on his bare chest glistened against the light as he stood at the end of the staircase. Vera couldn't help but admire his blond locks and the fact that only a white towel was wrapped around his waist. Her mouth almost watered at the sight, but she took a deep breath and shut her legs together as she sent Michael a sickly sweet smile
"Thank you, my Lord." Vera tugged on the ends of her black dress as she slipped inside the warm house, "We have something important to discuss."
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UNEDITED
We finally see Vera's human side, yay! she's a pure lil' bean even though sometimes she'd like to be a big, bad Demon
anyway thank you guys for reading! you guys make my day
love bela xx.