Chapter Five: An Uninvited visitor and Tears.
As the man moved forward Grace felt herself unconsciously moving a little closer to Crowley. There was something about this stranger that made Grace's skin crawl. He gave off such an air of confidence that it bordered on being arrogance. There was something about him that just gave the room a heavy feeling. Such a negative feeling.
The man looked to be in his late fifties. He was finely dressed, a spotless black pinstripe suit, a crisp white dress shirt, polished black leather oxfords, a plain crimson tie, his hair was black and styled impeccably with gel though it was thinning and graying around the edges, he had an even flawless tan as though he had recently spent time in a tanning bed, his eyes were a cold light blue and Grace could swear that there was a flicker of something downright sinister in his eyes.
Crowley was the first to speak as he moved forward Grace scooting behind him. "Eli, I thought that you would be with Lucifer. Helping prepare for the release of the horsemen."
The man who was apparently named Eli gave Crowley a cool somewhat smug smile. "Actually Lucifer sent me to check in on you, and your progress with your...new pet."
Eli moved closer walking around behind Crowley, He stared down at Grace a cruel smile on his face as he reached out placing a hand under her chin.
Eli tilted her head up rather roughly causing her to look up at him. "I must say I'm impressed. She's a pretty little thing... You have good taste. Are you completely attached to her ? Because she looks like she could be lots of fun to toy with."
Crowley took Grace by surprise wrapping an arm around her waist pulling her even closer to him and far away from Eli's touch, as he spoke up his voice a bit harsh. "She's mine...sorry."
Grace felt bile rise up in her throat as Eli looked at Crowley a humored smile developing along his face. "I was a bit surprised that Lucifer was so willing to let you take on...what did you refer to it as...a lover. He gave you a lot of freedom with taking her the way you did. Are you sure you can control her ? You know how rebellious these baby demons can get without the proper...conditioning."
"Everything is going well. I can assure you that." Crowley stated his voice beginning to show signs of irritation.
Eli smirked a little looking pleased that he was getting to Crowley, as he spoke. "It's a shame really."
Grace felt a chill run down her spine as Eli paused his smirk turning into an almost unnaturally wide grin. "Her skin is so smooth so scar-able. I mean can you imagine how gorgeous a few gashes and bruises would look across that pale skin of hers ?"
Grace felt a sense of relief as Crowley pushed her behind him almost as though he was trying to shield her from Eli. Crowley moved closer to other man as he spoke his voice a little calmer. "She seems to be adjusting just fine without any torture. It just goes to show that some of us don't need to resort to such barbaric techniques to keep our underlings in line."
Crowley gave Eli a confident smile as he spoke up not giving the other demon a chance to respond to his slight jab. "Is there anything else you need ? I imagine you need to get back to Lucifer."
Eli let out a tired sigh before he spoke up. "I guess not. I'll be sure to report to Lucifer that things are going...well for you and your pet."
Eli moved back as he reached up and adjusted his own tie. "Things are moving along smoothly on our end. Our next move will be releasing death in Missouri. Such exciting times we're living in."
He paused a dreamy smile developing along his face. "Finally our father walks the earth. Soon the world will be ours ripe for the picking. So many humans to toy with...well the ones that survive what we have in store for them. The time for celebration is near Crowley."
Crowley gave him a cool smile as he spoke. "Yes, it is."
"I'll be seeing you, enjoy your little pet." Eli stated before he snapped his fingers, disappearing in thin air.
Crowley rolled his eyes glad to see Eli finally disappear, he turned to Grace noticing that she was clearly terrified. She looked like she could throw up at any minute.
He glanced around his study knowing that they wouldn't be safe to talk in here, until he'd searched the place for tracking devices. Tracking devices were small and so easy to hide. They were perfect to listen in on people with, and it wouldn't surprise him if Eli had planted a few throughout his study.
He was sure that Eli hadn't had the time to roam very far into the rest of the house. Crowley knew that his guards would never allow Eli to explore the house, at least with out Crowley being there.
He grabbed Grace's arm keeping a gentle grip on it as he led her out of the study moving down the hall towards the library. He closed the library door behind them flicking his wrist to lock it.
He let go of Grace's arm as he moved towards the liquor cabinet. Grace frowned not helping but to wonder if Crowley kept a liquor cabinet in every room in the house.
She had spotted three so far, one in the study, one in the dining room, and this one that was in the library.
She sat down on a green leather sofa her legs feeling so weak. Her feet were aching from having to wonder around barefoot for most of the day.
Crowley poured himself his usual glass of craig as he spoke up. "What do you want to drink ? No Salt remember. You have to have a salt free diet now. Trust me you don't want to feel how painful salt can feel to us, especially if you get it in your mouth."
Grace frowned not really in the mood celebrate anymore. Then again she hadn't been much in the mood to celebrate before running into Eli.
"A long island ice tea. A big drink lots of ice." She blurted out knowing that her choice would get her wasted pretty quickly. Long Island ice teas were what her roommate Maggie called a liquor cabinet in a glass.
She stared straight ahead at the many overstuffed bookshelves in the room, until Crowley stepped into view. She took a tall glass from him as he sat down beside her.
He was sitting a little closer than she usually would have usually preferred, but she was far too freaked out to move away from him or tell him to back off, at the moment.
"Who the fuck was that ?" She asked as she took a gulp from her drink.
Crowley sighed taking a sip from his own drink. "Eli."
She rolled her eyes before mumbling. "Yeah no shit, but who is he ?"
"One of Lucifer's favorites. I mean Lilith was actually Lucifer's first choice for favorite...child, but Eli has always come in at a close...fourteenth...he isn't exactly a top ranking demon or anything. Now that Lilith's dead he's moved up a bit higher on the list. Eli is essentially Lucifer's personal assistant now that Lucifer's out of the cage." Crowley explained as he settled back against the couch.
Grace sighed as she took another sip of the strong drink not caring that it tasted literally like the entire contents of the liquor cabinet. "So he's Lucifer's lap dog."
She was surprised to hear Crowley let out a genuinely amused laugh before he spoke up. "Yeah pretty much."
They sat in silence for a moment before Crowley spoke up his voice much more serious now. "Eli is dangerous...extremely dangerous and sadistic. One of the most sadistic demons I've ever known. He has a love for torture that has no limit. He loves causing pain, and he doesn't let his victims just die, he'll keep them alive for as long as they'll amuse him. He has a thing for women your age."
Grace felt her stomach churn as she heard this. "So that's why he asked if you were attached to me ?"
"Yes. Eli studied under Alastair for centuries...he tortured me when I first arrived in hell. " Crowley admitted a bit surprised that he was comfortable with revealing that much to her.
He peered at her from the corners of his eyes. She looked like she was struggling not to vomit.
"Alastair ?" She asked as she tried to choke down the bile that was rising in the back of her throat.
Crowley nodded his head as he spoke. "Yes, He is...or was the King of the Rack. The rumor is that Alastair died a few months back...no ones sure if it's true though."
He watched her take another gulp of her drink before he spoke up doing his best to give her a bit of comfort. "You have nothing to worry about."
She gave him a look of disbelief before he spoke up again. "I'll put a hellhound by your side to guard you when I'm not around, if it makes you feel better."
She frowned not liking the idea of being guarded by anything referred to as a hellhound. She had done her research before her two years were up and she had read plenty about the hounds. They sounded frightening. She wasn't sure if she would be able to handle having one by her side twenty-four-seven.
"No I'll be fine." She insisted before she downed more of her drink. She frowned wondering why she didn't even feel a little bit tipsy yet.
Dying and then becoming a demon must have made her alcohol tolerance reach an all time high, because she felt totally clear-headed at the moment.
They sat in complete silence for a short while, nothing but the sound of the ice clinking around in Grace's glass. She finally spoke up annoyed with the silence. "So what you're...I mean we are planning, It's huge right ? I mean we're going to be in big trouble if we get caught or it doesn't' work."
"That's one way of saying it." Crowley pointed out.
The two remained silent for a long while the both of them finishing their drinks. Grace had another drink this time just straight whiskey and she was grateful to see that the alcohol was finally effecting her. Her body was beginning to feel a sense of relaxation and her brain was fuzzy.
Crowley spoke up as he watched Grace down the rest of her glass of whiskey. "Let's get some sleep."
She nodded her head standing up noticing that her body felt a bit lighter now. She thankfully made it upstairs without stumbling and falling in her slightly drunken haze.
She went into the bathroom and changed into the first thing she could grab out of her suitcase, a pair of terry cloth blue shorts, and a white spaghetti strapped tank top.
Grace walked back out to the bedroom staring down at her spot that she had made on the floor. Just a pillow and a thick comforter.
She couldn't help but to look at the bed a little longingly. She frowned knowing that if she broke down and got into that bed she would have to rest by him.
She wasn't even really sure how she felt about Crowley at the moment. She was still afraid of him, he was a demon after all, but then again she was a demon now too.
He had protected her from Eli and was still willing to protect her so maybe he wasn't all that bad. But then again he had also conned her into being his future queen by writing out a bunch of rules into a contract that she hadn't even gotten to read. In the short time she'd been with him he'd forced her to do things that she was so uncomfortable with, so that wasn't exactly a sign of kindness.
Crowley noticed the look on Grace's face as she stared at the bed and then frowned down at the floor. He rolled his eyes as he watched her reach up and begin to rub her sore neck.
He spoke up trying to talk some sense into her. "Just get in bed darling."
"I'm fine." She lied as she began to kneel on the floor and climb under the comforter.
He shook his head letting out a frustrated sigh. "No, your neck is killing you and you aren't sleeping well on the floor..."
He paused before he made a last effort to talk her into what was best for her. "Just get in bed, okay. I'll be on my best behavior I swear. I haven't done anything to you yet, have I ?"
She let out a sigh as she looked up at the bed from her spot on the floor. He was right and she hated that she had to admit it. The bed did look comfortable and warm, and she was exhausted and in pain. The floor sucked.
Grace stood up picking up the pillow and the comforter from the floor. She placed the pillow back on the bed and did her best to spread the comforter back out across the bed, before she hesitantly got into the bed.
She sat up for a moment giving Crowley a cautious look as he settled back into bed. He was staying far enough away from her at least.
She turned her back to him trying to inch as close as she could to the edge of the bed and away from him. She closed her eyes drifting off to sleep as she heard him speak up in a voice that was surprisingly gentle. "Goodnight Gracie."
Grace was the first to awaken early the next morning. The sun was just starting to rise. All she could think about was that she needed time to think, time away from this house. Time to herself.
She went into the bathroom and dressed in a pair of jeans keeping her tank-top on as she slid on a bra underneath the shirt. She shoved on her favorite pair of white worn converse and a bright red pea-coat.
She kept on eye on Crowley's sleeping form as she slipped out of the bathroom. She bit her bottom lip not helping but to admire him. He was wearing a pair of black silk boxers and nothing else, so there was still that sense of lust she didn't really want to admit she felt for him.
Laying there fast asleep snoring slightly, Crowley looked peaceful...almost like a normal guy...he looked handsome.. She frowned a little uncomfortable with this realization.
She made her way out of the bedroom walking slowly and keeping as quiet as possible as she shut the bedroom door behind her.
She made her way down the hall and downstairs frowning when she spotted a large guard standing near the front door. He was huge, over six feet tall, and built of pure muscle and bulk. His eyes were harsh and keenly trained on his surroundings. How was she supposed to get around him ?
Grace took a deep breath coming up with a plan as she walked towards him. She tried her best to give off an air of confidence, keeping a straight posture as she walked. She spoke trying to sound as demanding as possible. "Crowley says I can go for a walk."
The demon guard stared down at her giving the young sad excuse for a demon a look of suspicion. "I doubt that."
"He did. Why would I lie about that. Listen he's going to be really irritated if you don't let me go for my walk. He said it was okay." Grace argued trying to keep her voice level.
The guard stared ahead at the staircase as he moved past her heading towards the stairs. She spoke up stopping him mid-step. "He's asleep. He had a late night and he wants to rest. He's going to be angry if you wake him up...especially if you wake him up to question...his choices for what I can and can't do."
The guard frowned a look of concentration working across his face. He let out a sigh looking at Grace as she spoke up again. "If he's upset with you for letting me go for a walk then...I'll take the blame. I promise."
The guard stared at her for a long time before he nodded. He reached up pressing a button on an earpiece he was wearing as he spoke. "The boss's pet wants to go for a walk."
He paused rolling his eyes before he spoke up again. "Not the hellhound you idiot...his lover...the blonde."
The guard nodded his head towards Grace speaking up. "You have two hours."
Needless to say Crowley was beyond pissed off when he woke up and found that a certain curly-haired blonde pain in his ass was missing.
He paced the floor of his study trying to regain control of his temper. He had already screamed at the guards threatening them and calling them ignorant little gits.
He glanced up at the clock frowning. Her two hours were up. He would have to go look for her. She couldn't have gotten very far on foot.
It really didn't take him that long to find her. She was sitting in a near by community park when he located her. She was sitting on a bench near the lake staring straight ahead at the ducks wandering near the green gross water.
He walked towards her studying her as he moved closer to her. He was surprised to find that any anger that he had been previously feeling when he realized she had left, completely disappeared when he realized something. She had been crying. Her face was puffy and still a little pink.
Crowley felt a wave of emotion that he hadn't felt in such a long time come over him...guilt. It was strange that he felt such guilt seeing that she was upset enough to cry. He was uncomfortable with this emotion. It wasn't like him to actually care about anyone but himself.
He let out a sigh sitting down on the bench beside her. He opened his mouth wanting to scold her for leaving without saying anything to him, but he found himself unable to speak.
Grace was too caught up in her own thoughts and worries to care rather Crowley was angry with her or not. She wanted to go home, not to her apartment in Atlanta, but to her family's farmhouse in Lullasberg Georgia.
She longed for her mom, for her little sister, the old family dog Penny, even for silly things like her childhood bedroom.
Her room probably still looked just the way she had left it when she'd moved across the state. Walls painted a dark lilac, a brass twin bed with a colorful green and pink quilt that her great-grandmother had made draped over it, two sock monkeys on the bed, a poster of Audrey Hepburn on the wall, her tie dyed curtains that her mother hated, since Grace had tie dyed them herself and made a mess doing so.
Grace finally spoke up still staring straight ahead. "This isn't my war to fight Crowley. How can you ask me to do this ? All of this...It's too much."
Crowley let out a sigh not wanting to admit the real reason...he needed her. He had tried to think that he just needed her loyalty, a right hand woman , a queen to rule beside him.
The truth was though, he was so tired of having to do this alone. He wanted companionship, someone he could trust, someone he could count on. She didn't have to learn to love him or learn to even like him. He just didn't want to be alone anymore.
He tried to deny this fact, tried to believe that having connections would drag him down. Having friends or lovers or even acquaintances would always get in the way of your goals. Friends and lovers always had a way of digging their claws into you and dragging you back down, he tried to tell himself.
He couldn't believe it though, not anymore. The apocalypse was coming, and he had to stop it or die trying. If he was going to die trying to stop this then he didn't want to die all alone.
Crowley glanced at her letting out another sigh. "It would have been your war though darling. If the world was still here in ten years then you would've been dragged to hell. You would've become one of them...one of Lucifer's minions. It's a war you have to fight Grace, Be glad you're on my side."
Grace turned to face him not helping but to glare at him as her eyes began to water again. "You took me away from my family though...you killed me. My life is over. How can you expect me to do this ? How can you expect me to be strong enough to handle any of this ?"
"You have to be strong, I think you can do it, just work with me here. We're trying to save the world Grace. Your family...we're trying to save them." Crowley responded.
He paused pointing out in front of him. "All of this darling. It'll be gone if we don't do something. We're trying to save this. And if we succeed we can make things better. Better for the both of us. Recreate all of hell."
She shook her head wanting to hit him, to scream at him. She didn't want this, she wasn't strong enough for this.
He took both her and himself by surprise as he reached out and began to wipe her cheeks, trying to stop the tears that were still falling.
Crowley spoke up still trying to convince her. "Think about it love, if you would have gotten a different crossroads demon that night two years ago, if you would've had the ten-year deal. You would have been tortured, if the world was still here in ten years, you would've received an eternity of pain until you had no humanity left in you. Work with me Grace, let me help you. I can give you an eternity of comfort, of safety, maybe even happiness if you'll allow me."
She spoke up coughing a little bit as she tried to choke back tears. "What about my family though Crowley ? What about them? I can never go home. They won't ever stop wondering what happened to me. I can never see them again can I ?"
He let out a sigh surprising himself as he felt even more guilt build up within him. "I'm afraid not. Seeing them will just put them in danger."
She choked out a loud sob as she began to hit him, punching and thrashing wildly at his chest and his face as she sobbed.
He did the only thing he could think to do. He wrapped his arms around her holding her in a tight embrace as he tried to hush her, tried his hardest to soothe her.
Grace struggled against him for a long while trying to hurt him, wanting him to hurt as bad as she was hurting. But as her sobs grew louder and more erratic her arms began to weaken.
Eventually she settled against him surprising herself and him that she didn't try to pull away from his embrace. To be honest she didn't want to pull away.
She was shocked to admit that his embrace felt...safe...comforting...loving. He reached up stroking her tangled hair as he held her, trying to pull her as close to him as possible. He didn't want to admit it but he liked holding her, knowing that he was providing her comfort.
Neither of them wanted to admit it, but as they sat there in that empty park, holding each other on that park bench that something so strange and unexpected had taken place. Two people...or two demons, however one wanted to describe them, realized that maybe they liked each other far more than they had wanted to admit.
There was something strange and wonderful happening between them. Soon they would know just how much they needed each other.