The Devil's Heir Page 2

  “You took the words right out of my mouth, Calla. I can tell you have wanderlust too.” The locker clicks open and she takes a step back for me to examine its empty walls.

  She isn’t wrong, I suppose. But I never realized I’d actually escape, especially via tragedy.

  Daisy parks her hip against a locker, and I can feel her eyes studying my face. “I think we’re going to be good friends, Calla Jones.”

  Though we’ve only met and I have no idea who this girl is, she seems like my first step into the life Aunt Polly assures me is waiting for me. “I hope so.”

  She smiles. “Come on, we still have a few minutes before the first bell rings. There’s plenty of time for me to show you where your classes are.”

  Throughout the day, she introduces me to practically everyone in the school, and I forget about them the second we walk away. Turns out introductions aren’t necessary because she told everyone about me anyways. In the matter of a couple hours and three classes, Daisy manages to tell my story to anyone who will listen.

  Upon seeing me enter the small cafeteria, Daisy stands up from the bench and waves me over. I hold up a finger, telling her to give me a minute, and stand in line to wait for my lunch.

  I decide on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a carton of milk as the safest option. I fill the remainder of space on the red plastic tray with fruit and ignore the eyes following my every movement.

  “Calla, sit, sit!” Daisy scoots over on one of the benches surrounding the table, and I take a seat next to her. “Guys, this is Calla, the girl I told you about. Calla this is…everybody!”

  There are three others at the table with us.

  A blonde boy extends his hand. “Hey, I’m Tyler. Daisy’s told us a lot about you.”

  I reach forward to shake his hand. His smile only widens when our palms touch.

  “It seems like everyone already knows me at this school.”

  Daisy shrugs innocently. “I thought it’d be better to prepare everyone for your arrival so it wouldn’t be such a shock when you got here.”

  “Don’t listen to her.” The brunette girl at the table rolls her eyes. “Daisy lives for the drama. I’m Becca, by the way.”

  “Pleasure.”

  The third person at the table has his arm around Becca, holding her close to his side. “Freddie.”

  I return his acknowledgment with a head nod.

  “And these are the only important people you should be worrying about.”

  I clear my throat. “Well, at least that makes it easier for me.”

  Everyone at the table laughs, and I can feel my shoulders relaxing.

  “So, what brings you to Diablo, Calla?” Tyler asks me after I bite into my sandwich.

  My response is the rehearsed one I gave to Daisy.

  He frowns and a small crease in his forehead appears. “So, you’re not staying long?”

  “To be honest, I’m not sure. She doesn’t tell me much about her writing.”

  “Isn’t that weird?” Becca asks. “So, you like never know when you might be leaving?”

  “Um…” I consider how much I’m willing to tell them. “This is actually new for me.”

  “What is?” Freddie asks around the straw in his mouth.

  “Living with my aunt.”

  “Had a fight with your folks?” He nods in understanding. “I did that once. Lived with my brother for a while.”

  The truth slips out before I can stop myself. “Murdered, actually.”

  The rest of the world keeps going, but everything at the table freezes. Surprisingly, the truth actually feels good, knowing repercussions won’t follow.

  “Holy shit, dude.”

  Becca reaches up to grab the hand hanging over her shoulder. Daisy clears her throat and leans over to touch me but retreats last minute.

  “Now you know everything important about me.”

  Everyone around the table glances at each other from the corner of their eyes, never meeting mine.

  Tyler licks his lips nervously before glancing up at me. “My brother overdosed a few years back.”

  “Ty, man…” Freddie mutters.

  “No, it’s okay. I’m not saying this to get pity…craziness happens to everyone.”

  It takes me a minute, but I finally smile at him. “Bad things happen in the town of Diablo? Who would have guessed?”

  He accepts my wanting to change the subject. “Stick around a little longer and you’ll see just how crazy we can get.”

  “Well, we are home to the Devil, after all,” Becca says.

  “I’ve heard.”

  She eyes me seriously. “Oh good, so you too are a worshipper of our fallen angel.”

  A laugh catches in my throat. “Oh my God, are you guys serious?”

  Grandmother would be so disappointed in me for using the Lord’s name in vain. Everyone at the table starts laughing and finally I follow.

  “You should have seen your face.”

  “That’s not funny.” I run my hand through my hair.

  Becca shakes her head and her short hair sways with the movement. “Nah, we’re just playing around. But those stories really are true. People say this is the home of the Devil.”

  “Did you guys hear someone’s moved into Hale Manor?” Freddie chimes in.

  “Yeah,” Tyler says enthusiastically. “Some kids on the soccer team said they saw the house was lit.”

  Daisy grunts.

  “What’s the Hale house?” I ask.

  The entire table leans in at the same time. “Hale Manor is the reason Diablo is so historical.”

  I frown. “I don’t understand.”

  Becca leans in with a straight face. “Diablo is home to the Devil, and he lives in Hale Manor.”

  My throat tightens at her words and my breath comes out ragged. “The actual D-Devil?”

  Daisy snorts. “Stop it, you’re scaring her.”

  I hold in my breath as much as I can to keep from hyperventilating. Seventeen years of Sunday school come rushing in, and I feel the phantom heat of the fireplace I knelt all night in front of. Sin requires punishment. And my grandmother always found something to punish me for.

  “It’s not real, of course. Just a rumor.” Becca rolls her eyes.

  “From where?”

  Daisy purses her lips. “That parts a little hazy. No one really knows exactly when it started, just that Hale Manor was the first structure in the town. And for some spooky reason, Diablo’s managed to survive through every natural disaster that’s passed through Washington completely unscathed.”

  I don’t understand how that leads to…

  Becca says, “Don’t forget for years kids have tried breaking into the house as a prank and are never seen again. Some even say the town sacrifices kids to the Devil to keep it safe. The kids who break in are basically volunteering.”

  I swallow. “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah.” She nods in all seriousness. “It’s common knowledge not to go into that place.”

  “The kids were never found?”

  She shrugs. “The cops searched the place when the kids disappeared and found nothing. Not a single trace of them anywhere.”

  “So, it would be safe to say the house being lit again is most likely a bad thing.”

  “What do you think?” she asks.

  “I think I don’t want to find out.”

  And I mean it.

  Daisy leans forward and draws the attention of the table. “Or maybe this is just what the town needs.”

  “The freaking Devil making an appearance?” Tyler raises a brow.

  “No,” she says as if her statement should have been obvious. “Just some fun. Whoever moved into that place has to be all kinds of messed up. What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

  “We all die,” Freddie says.

  Daisy shrugs, and I’m wary of the twinkle in her eyes.

  “Then I’ll see you all in Hell, bitches.”

  Becca lifts her
cup in a salute.

  With summer still fighting to remain, I’m able to walk the short distance from the high school to our apartment at the edge of town. It’s a single-lane, uneven road and is well lit via the solar panel street lights. The only road that diverges leads deeper into the forest, and I get a pain in my chest whenever I pass by.

  Aunt Polly cooked dinner to celebrate my first day at school. She asks a million questions, and I answer all of them to the best of my ability. By the end of the meal, I’ve spoken more than I have in my entire life.

  “So,” she says, “do you think you’ll stay friends with these people?”

  I’m stumped by the thought. “I don’t know. How long will we be staying here?”

  “Uncertain.” She sucks something out of her teeth. “This town has a lot of mystery, so there’s a lot to dig up. A while, I suppose.”

  At her confirmation, I inhale deeply and come to a decision of my own. “Then I think so.”

  “She seems like a good kid. A little too chipper for me, but maybe she’ll help break you out of your shell.”

  “Sure,” I tell her.

  “Anyways,” my aunt says, “I’m going to head out again.”

  I nod and begin cleaning up the kitchen.

  “Do you want to come with me?”

  I’m not sure I hear her correctly. “Come with you?”

  “Yeah, go on a little adventure. I think it’ll be fun and gives us some time to bond a little more. What do you think?”

  I’ve never been asked to do anything before. Not go to the movies. Not to go study. And certainly not to go on an adventure. “Okay.”

  “Grab a jacket, it’ll be cold.”

  “Where are we going?”

  She smiles viciously. “Hale Manor.”

  “Hale Manor?” I squeak. “But there are people there now.”

  “Are there? I heard the place has been deserted for ages.” She crosses her arms over her chest.

  “Some kids at school were saying someone saw a light on in the house.”

  “Hmm. Let’s go find out.”

  She won’t let me back out now, so I reluctantly follow her to the car.

  “You’ve probably never done anything like this, huh?” she asks once we’re on the road.

  “Absolutely not.” My laugh is uncomfortable.

  “Get used to it, kid. You only have one life, and I’m a firm believer in living it to the most.”

  Aunt Polly turns onto the dirt road. The surrounding forest leaves the road pitch black. Our only sources of light are coming from the headlights and the moon. I admire the sharp angles of her facial features in the soft light. “Is that why you left?”

  She glances over at me. “I left for a lot of reasons. Being chained down was one of the main ones, yes.”

  “I can relate,” I say softly.

  “Well, I’m here to tell you you’re officially set free. There is nothing, and no one, to hold you back anymore.”

  I’m supposed to feel grateful, but it seems like more of a burden. “Back from what?”

  She shrugs. “From who you were.”

  “Were?” I ask.

  “Who you are,” she quickly corrects. “From who you’re meant to be.”

  “You keep saying that,” I say softly, not for a second believing in what she’s implying.

  “That’s the best part about uprooting and leaving. The choice is yours.”

  I take in her statement, but draw a blank. “I don’t know, Aunt Polly.”

  “I’ll help you.” She doesn’t give me time to wallow. “Whatever you want to do, name it, and we’ll make it happen.”

  This time, I laugh. “It’s a long list.”

  “See, right there, I think that was the first genuine laugh I’ve ever heard from you.” She smiles at me. “Lucky for you, I’ve tried a lot of things in life, and I can tell you which ones are worth it.”

  I lift a corner of my mouth. “Okay.”

  “You’re not some poor little orphan girl, if that’s what you’re thinking. And don’t you dare let anyone else say anything about you.”

  It is, in fact, what I was thinking. “If the shoe fits.”

  “Well, you’re not a total orphan because you have me.”

  “That’s what my grandmother said.” And held over me for seventeen years.

  “I’m never going to leave you, Calla, don’t worry.”

  Out of the passenger side window, two small, red orbs float four feet off of the ground. I blink and they’re gone. The air thickens with electricity.

  I shiver.

  “You know,” Aunt Polly says, interrupting the silence, “I think in a past life I was a bounty hunter.”

  I turn away from the window. “Why a bounty hunter?”

  “I like chasing things down. And I’m pretty good at not getting caught.”

  “I don’t believe in reincarnation, Aunt Polly.”

  She snorts. “Pick a different god then.”

  She says it as a joke but it still makes my throat tighten. “After this life, I just want to feel at ease. Live peacefully.”

  “You will, don’t worry.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I see it for you. You might not have any faith in you, but I do. And for now, that’s enough.”

  We roll up to the edge of the property.

  And like a fairytale, an old iron gate comes to view. The headlights fall on the center, revealing an etched “H” surrounded by flames. There’s no end to the fence in sight. Being as the property sits at the top of the hill, it’s most likely that the Hale family owns most of the surrounding forest, but it seems like the fence only surrounds the estate. Just enough to keep out intruders.

  Rather than pulling up to the gate, Aunt Polly pulls over and parks the car. She twists in her seat to face me.

  “Want to stay here or come with me?”

  I bite the inside of my lip. “I think I’ll stay here. I’m afraid this has been enough adventure for me.”

  “If someone comes knocking, don’t tell them my name.” She pushes the door open but faces me once more. “Considering we’re breaking in, I don’t think anyone would like us here.”

  She climbs the fence bars with ease and disappears on the other side.

  In true Aunt Polly style, I receive no further acknowledgment from her.

  It’s only been a few minutes since the car was turned off, and I’m already shivering underneath my layers. My body has yet to adjust to the Pacific Northwest. With the headlights off, I’m encompassed in darkness. The thick treetops surrounding the manor block out the moonlight.

  I try to slow down my breathing to see if I can hear anything. The only thing audible is my chattering teeth.

  I begin to feel restless. My chest tightens as I focus on the manor. The tips of my fingers dance against my leg, and I begin to chew on the inside of my lip. The clock on the dashboard is long gone, and I don’t have a cell phone on me to check the time.

  My shallow breaths fog up the windows.

  “I need some air.”

  I take the flashlight she left me, push open the car door and take a step outside. I flick on the light. Though my breathing begins to normalize, the ache in my chest is still there.

  The leaves crunch under my shoes and suddenly I’m close enough to touch the gate.

  “Aunt Polly?” I call out. “Aunt Polly, are you there?”

  The gates swing open. I jerk backward and clutch at my pounding heart. I didn’t realize I was pushing my weight against the gate.

  My breath cuts through the cold air. Everything in me screams to go back to the safety of the car and wait for Aunt Polly like she told me to in the first place. But I feel less trapped out here with the fresh air.

  What would Aunt Polly do?

  “Oh, man,” I mutter because the answer is obvious.

  It’s innocent enough to wander inside the perimeter of the fence. Just enough adventure that I’m still…nervous, but not enoug
h to leave. Solely long enough to clear my head and have this moment to myself.

  I try to envision my future like Aunt Polly said to, but I don’t know where to start.

  Where does a seventeen-year-old even begin? What is appropriate for a teenager to be doing?

  Outside of being proficient in reciting the Bible, I have no life skills.

  “Shake it off, Calla,” I whisper to myself. “This is a new start. No need to think about it anymore.”

  When I look up, the car and the gate are nowhere in sight. All I can tell is I’m standing on a dirt path rather than the moss and twigs lining the gate.

  “Shoot,” I curse.

  The path leading up to the house is long and daunting. As the breeze picks up, I rub my arm for warmth with one hand and use the other to light my way. Rather than breathing life into the air, the trees seem to suffocate me. Despite being alone for the majority of my life, I’ve never felt lonelier. I knew my place with Grandmother, knew what was expected of me. Now, I’m not so sure about anything.

  A sound reaches my ears. I freeze. The hair on the back of my neck stands.

  “Oh,” I whimper to myself.

  A flash of red darts through the trees. The only comfort I have is the fact the path is clearly visible and promising it’s going to at least lead somewhere. The car is too far away to offer safety. If I am going to die on this path, I might as well die trying to be as adventurous as Aunt Polly.

  The red flash appears in front of me in the form of a small, pale, redheaded girl. Not the pair of eye-shaped orbs I saw earlier. She can’t be older than fourteen or fifteen years old and has the most flawless skin I’ve ever seen, even under the minimal light.

  “What are you doing here?” she asks, her black eyes barren under the flashlight.

  “I…I…” Am caught red handed. I’m already worse than my aunt. “I’m looking for my…Someone I came with. Our car broke down and she came up to—”

  “Wait. You seem so familiar. Do we know each other?”

  “No. We’ve never met before.” That I’m sure of.

  “Are you Camilla Blanch?” Her tone is high pitched.